Gil KaneRezensionen

Good solid Conan stories from Thomas, Smith, Moorcock, Kane, & Buscema.

Good fun! Stirring, unsanitary adventure in the best pulpy style.

Any fans of Cerebus will see where Dave Sim got his art style for his first book.

At times it's sexist, racist, or both (Conan fireman-carries the floopy, helpless buxom blonde away, saving her from the ravening cannibalistic rapist black men!). These comics, made in the 70s, tone that down a bit from the stories on which they are based, written in the 30s. It is what it is.

From this reprint of a short-lived comic book series from the late 1960s that was based on a toy line, it's easy to see why it was canceled so quickly. Bad scripts and mediocre art make it chore to read. The original letter columns are included, and it is amusing to see that some of the early reactions were pretty negative and that a couple of the letters were by eventual comic book professionals Martin Pasko and Klaus Janson.

Captain Action is archaeologist Clive Arno. He discovers some magic coins that were left on Earth by some aliens who came to our planet and were the basis of the gods of ancient mythology. As long as he holds some of the coins somewhere on his person, he can switch between the grab bag of powers they grant (super strength, super senses, weather manipulation, super speed, combat skills, etc. -- alas, there was no "I know kung fu" coin). He immediately creates an undercover headquarters outfitted with a fancy car and laboratory and becomes a superhero. He gives one coin to his son so he can be his sidekick, Action Boy. He fights evil villains while yelling, "Let justice be done!"

So let's see, we've got some Batman, Superman, Hawkman, Shazam/Captain Marvel, Dial-H-for-Hero, and Ultra Boy all lumped together with a sticky gruel of pure dumbness.

A perfect example of the sort of superhero dreck we used to accept as normal back in the day.

FOR REFERENCE:

Originally published in magazine form as Captain Action (1968) #1-5.

Contents:
• Introduction by Mark Waid
• Captain Action #1 cover / Art by Irv Novick
• Captain Action #1: "Origin of Captain Action" / Script by Jim Shooter, art by Wally Wood
• Captain Action vintage advertisement
• Captain Action #2 cover / Art by Gil Kane
• Captain Action #2: "The Battle Begins" / Script by Jim Shooter, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Wally Wood
• Captain Action #3 cover / Pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Dick Giordano
• Captain Action #3: " . . . And Evil This Way Comes!" / Script and pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Wally Wood
• Captain Action #3 letters page / Letters written by Gordon Flagg, Jr. (Atlanta, Ga.) and Paul Wikander (Berkeley, Cal.)
• Captain Action #4 cover / Art by Gil Kane
• Captain Action #4: "Evil at Dead World's End!" / Script and art by Gil Kane
• Captain Action #4 letters page / Letters written by Carl Gafford (New Milford, Conn.), Harvey Sobel (Commack, N.Y.), Dave Truesdale (Bemidji, Minn.)
• Captain Action #5 cover / Art by Gil Kane
• Captain Action #5: "A Mind Divided" / Script and pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Wally Wood
• Captain Action #5 letters page / Letters written by Gordon Flagg, Jr. (Atlanta, Ga.), Martin Pasko (Clifton, N.J.), Klaus Janson (Bridgeport, Conn.), George Gambino (Levittown, N.Y.), Craig Battmer (Minneapolis, Minn.), Lee McMichael (Valdosta, Ga.), Preston Quade (Norfolk, Va.), Steven Sinatra (Brockton, Mass.), Mark Anderson (Highmore, S.D.), Rich Mrozek (Elmwood Pk., Ill.), Pat Moade (Mt. Carmel, Ill.), Warren Somers (Los Angeles, Cal.)
• Captain Action Gallery / Art by Kurt Schaffenberger, Chic Stone, Gil Kane, and Wally Wood

This series seems to be getting better to me. The flow of each story is enjoyable, and the artwork is very well done. There are some interesting characters in this book that are not exactly predictable - I found that several times different results happened then I was expecting.

I really enjoy Roy Thomas' essay at the end of the book, explaining the back scenes of the industry, and what was going on when these books were written.

My new year’s resolution is to read my stack of ‘DC Showcase’ at the rate of one comic magazine per day. As they usually contain over twenty issues I should get through one and a bit per month. I can’t do more than one a day as they tend to blend into each other in a foggy blur of pseudo-science which makes individual issues hard to remember. This volume runs from Green Lantern # 18 (January 1963) to Green Lantern # 38 (July 1965) so it’s two and a half years worth of comic books.

The thing with Silver Age DC Comics is that nothing changes in the life of the characters. When this volume starts Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) works as a test pilot for the Ferris Aircraft Company run by Carol Ferris who likes Hal but loves Green Lantern. He is assisted by a ‘grease-monkey’ called Thomas Kalmaku – nicknamed Pieface, an Eskimo who knows his super-hero identity and keeps a file of his cases as Doctor Watson did for Sherlock Holmes. Jordan is a member of the Green Lantern Corps founded by the Guardians of the Universe who occasionally summon him to help out on another planet. By the end of the book, none of this has changed.

As most issues contain two stories there are nearly forty tales here so the thing to do would be to pick out the highlights. There aren’t any highlights. One yarn is pretty much the same quality as any other. Partly that’s because they were all written by either John Broome or Gardner Fox. Both have a way with science that is less than accurate but generally, Fox takes it to greater extremes of fantasy. He writes every issue from # 32 onwards but before that, it’s more or less fifty-fifty between these twin titans of the tall story.

Lacking highlights I will, in a good-natured way, pick out the worst science. Not that I know much science but a clever ten-year-old could see through most of this hokum. In ‘Green Lantern vs. Power Ring’ (GL#18) Hal is practising controlling the ring at a distance through rock when he is separated from it by a cave-in. A hungry hobo picks it up and thinks he fancies a melon. A melon appears! But the ring cannot work on anything yellow ‘due to a necessary impurity’ so how can it create melons? In GL#24, ‘The Shark That Hunted Human Prey’, a tiger shark is evolved into a human and then beyond by a freak nuclear accident so that with ‘mind power’ it can do anything. An ‘invisible yellow aura’ protects it from Green Lantern’s ring. How can something invisible be yellow? In ‘The House That Fought Green Lantern’ (#28) the ring is useless because it’s affected by the vibrations of a grandfather clock. In ‘This World Is Mine’ (#29), an evil force animates a giant papier-mâché model of Green Lantern and uses it to destroy fairground rides. Steel is generally reckoned to be stronger than papier-mâché and able to resist it. In ‘Three Way Attack Against Green Lantern‘ (GL#34), villain Hector Hammond uses his super-brain to create an ‘energy duplicate’ of a Guardian of the Universe to defeat Green Lantern. This is from Gardner Fox who had someone use ‘tornado power’ to create duplicates of the Justice League of America to defeat them. How can you create things more powerful than yourself? Oh, those duplicates!

Part of the problem is that the power ring can do anything. In ‘Secret Of The Power-Ringed Robot’ (GL#36), it transforms Hal’s flesh into a robot body, allowing a spectacular cover in which his arm comes off. In another story, ‘The Spies Who Owned Green Lantern’ (GL#37), it turns him into a letter and Pieface posts him to the criminals' hideout. It frequently reads minds and there’s a microworld inside it where Abin Sur trapped a villain called Myrwhydden in ‘World Within the Power Ring’ (GL #26) as you do.

On the credit side, a few ideas here seem to precede similar stories over at the Mighty Competition, a company whose oeuvre I know well. ‘Parasite Planet Peril’ (GL#20, April 1963) is a kind of highlight because it’s of ‘novel’ length and teams GL up with Flash. They are both shrunk down to a microworld. Something similar happened in the world’s greatest comic magazine in July 1963, though to be fair, the microworld idea is older than that. In fact, it dates back to ‘Out Of The Sub-Universe’, a 1928 story by Roman Frederick Starzl. In ‘The Strange World Named Green Lantern’ (GL#24, October 1963), the emerald crusader meets a living planet, a whole world that is one single entity. Perhaps lacking a big ego (geddit?), it calls itself Green Lantern after the hero it so admires. Research indicates that the notion of a living planet dates back to Nat Schachner and Arthur Leo Zagat’s 1931 short story ‘The Menace From Andromeda’. There are probably few far-out ideas that weren’t explored in the first three decades of American Science Fiction magazines.

In a few of the adventures, our hero wins when all seems lost because he had, with unusual prescience, done something earlier to foil the villain’s final attack. In ‘Master Of The Power Ring (GL#22), he had ordered the ring to drain itself of energy if another mind took it over. In ‘The Defeat Of Green Lantern’ (GL#19), he had previously created a globe of green energy to rescue him in time of need. Perhaps he read the script first, like Colombo.

As for the art, Gil Kane pencils are constrained by the DC house style and the inks of Joe Giella and Murphy Anderson up to issue #28. In number #29, Sid Greene takes over the inks and there’s a bit of a step up in quality, I think. Not a giant leap, the other two are worthy professionals, but he seems to put in more blacks and generally give it a more solid look. Kane’s pencils still keep the house style but there are odd flashes of the more dynamic poses and knobbly figures he developed over time. Personally, I prefer the restrained stuff to the unleashed Kane of later years. All the art is fine and much of it is first class.

Some of these reprint editions are being sold at ludicrous prices but this one is still available for a few pounds or dollars. A reasonably good read if taken in small doses and not too seriously. The art is a treat and the stories are good for a laugh. The science should be taken with a pinch of salt. No, an oil tanker of salt. I’m off to have dinner now. I shall eat beans and then use the wind power generated to create an energy duplicate of Superman who will conquer the world for me.

Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/

Good solid Conan stories from Thomas, Smith, Moorcock, Kane, & Buscema.

GL is really a stupid concept if you think about it. Hal Jordan has a magic ring that essential functions like Aladdin's genie, but rather than simply scooping up the bad guys and hauling them to jail, GL makes his ring form all kinds of silly shapes and snares. I guess it was done to keep things interesting but it reminds me of the old Popeye cartoons where a hive of bees would shape themselves into the form a pair of scissors and cut Popeye's clothes to pieces.
Still it does have Gil Kane's wonderful art so it's not totally bad.

Since I am not an opera fan I can't really judge how well this conveys the feeling of the opera. I'm not fond of the art style, but tastes may differ.

This Fireside Book from 1979 reprints The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1, nos. 42, 43, 82, and 96-98. Stan Lee, as curator of this volume, chose classic stories such as "The Birth of a Superhero!" and "Rhino on the Rampage!", both about the Rhino, "And then Came Electro!", about the titular character, and a three-part storyarc about the Green Goblin and the dangers of drug abuse. Interestingly, while the Office of Health, Education, and Welfare asked Marvel to write an anti-drug story, which Marvel delivered in a manner to avoid appearing overly preachy, the Comics Code Authority refused to sign off on the story. So Marvel published it anyway. It was so well-received that all subsequent reprints received the Comics Code Authority's seal of approval. The art by John Romita and Gil Kane is classic Spidey guaranteed to enthrall fans. While this book from the late 1970s does not feature some of the contents as modern trade paperbacks, such as a cover gallery, it will still appeal to fans and collectors alike, especially with the gorgeous cover art by Bob Larkin.½

Mmm, mid-70's Marveldom. Random matchups of heroes (some obscure, some less so) with the Thing.

This a trite and well drawn graphic novel. I'm sorry that Gil Kane chose to illustrate a John Jakes story line. A better book would have resulted from any other collaborator, like Pohl Anderson, or Peter Beagle, or even Robert Lory (look him up!)½

Green Lantern Archive 2
By John Broome, Gil Kane, Joe Giella, Murphy Anderson, Jack Adler,
Publisher: DC Comics
Published In: New York City, NY
Date: 1999 / 1961
Pgs: 220

REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary:
The second installment of the Green Lantern Archives. This covers issues #6 - 13 with appearances by Tomar-Re, Pol Manning, Sinestro, Carol Ferris, Tom Kalmaku, the Flash, various members of the Green Lantern Corps, and the Guardians of the Universe.

Genre:
fiction, comics, DC Comics, science fiction

Why this book:
Because I love all things Green Lantern.

This Story is About:
courage, working hard, doing the right thing, duty

Favorite Character:
Hal Jordan

Sinestro. Because he’s a great villain.

I’ve always loved the alien GLs; Xax of Xaos and Chaselon of Barrio III

Least Favorite Character:
N/A

Character I Most Identified With:
I always loved Tomar Re. One of my favorite comic book characters ever.

The Feel:
These early issues catch the wonder of those years in the Silver Age of Comics. Big stories. Big science fiction. Greatness.

Favorite Scene:
The battles with Sinestro.

Hal and Tomar battling the giant monsters on Xudar.

The Corps gatherings.

Settings:
Sector 2813; Sector 2814; Constellation Monoceros, Planet Aku; Planet Xudar; Planet Earth; Planet Oa; the Anti-Matter Universe; Planet Qward; Planet Korugar; Planet Earth in the Year 5700; Microverse; Planet Yquem; Central Power Battery; Planet Spectar

Pacing:
On an issue to issue basis, the pacing is pretty good. The bird issue wasn’t so great, but all the others move along at a page turner pace.

Plot Holes/Out of Character:
The issue that centered on when Green Lantern slept with the ring on and dreamed that he turned his friend into a bird. And the power ring turned him into a bird. I mean...even by Silver Age comic book standards that’s gotta be a ways out there, right.

Always thought it would have made a cool twist on Hal Jordan, if his foray into the year 5700 and his relationship with Iona there had resulted in a son or daughter that he would only be aware of when he was drawn through time for a mission as Green Lantern.

Put the Jack Jordan story with the bird story. It’s way too Lois Lane/Lana Lang trying to find out Superman’s secret identity and setting a trap for Clark Kent to fall into.

Last Page Sound:
Love it.

Author Assessment:
Love this team’s work.

Editorial Assessment:
Well done.

Did the Book Cover Reflect the Story:
The covers all reflect well on the stories.

Hmm Moments:
The deep sleep immortals of Planet Aku are a lot like the movie The Surrogates. Considering that this issue of Green lantern was written in 1961, that’s pretty cool.

Knee Jerk Reaction:
real classic

Disposition of Book:
Irving Public Library

Why isn’t there a screenplay?
They could have based the GL movie on one of these for sure. Wish they would have either told a Hector Hammond or a Parallax story instead of mashing them together.

Casting call:
I’m in the minority here, but I enjoyed the casting on the GL movie.

Would recommend to:
kids, genre fans

I liked the first volume of Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups all right... the second one is much less successful. Can we all promise to never speak again of the two John Broome stories here that make use of Doiby Dickles? Ugh. Other than that, there's a couple good Flash stories here (Fox and Infantino are pretty dependable) and some so-so stories about the Atoms of Earth-One and Earth-Two. Not much else of interest, except for that beautiful Murphy Anderson art of the ever-lovely Black Canary.

DC Comics Crises: « Previous in sequence | Next in sequence »

A collection of the first several issues of the Silver Age Green Lantern reboot. Hasn't aged particularly well, and lacks a marquee villain (Sinestro had not been introduced at this point). But the art is decent.

It was so campy & hokey I couldn't stand it. Too many burglaries, I mean yes, I know it was originally written for kids but damn, vary it a bit. Dullsville the whole way through.

By the end of this book, it will be clear that the plot-line has grown more complex within the Green Lantern story arc. The effects of the Civil Rights Act are seen in the book as well in the way Tom Kalamaku is portrayed as a more competent confidant rather than a brainless side-kick.½

I find these Conan graphic novels far more accessible and amusing than the originals by Robert E. Howard. They are well drawn and plotted. The first story in this one, 'A Sword Called Stormbringer' is really an Elric story by Michael Moorcock, with Conan almost as a secondary character (the story is not necessarily the less enjoyable for that). Of course Elric and Conan fight and of course neither is the victor, though Moorcock does not go so far as to claim Conan as an aspect of his Eternal Champion. The rest of the stories involve Conan washed ashore on a mysterious island ('The Gods of Bal-Sagoth') and fighting as a mercenary on two sides of a holy/mercantile war. Very enjoyable.

It's lackluster due to the episodic and formulaic nature of the collection of comics but might be worth sticking around to see Guy Gardener's first appearance and for general back-history of Hal Jordan's enemies.½

Once again, a number of great stories at an incredible price.

SPOILER:

My favorite moment involves Conan's reaction to the Strangler of Yota-Pong in the "Shadows in Zamboula" story. The Strangler goes on and on about how he worked his way up from strangling infants to adults and then vows to break Conan's neck. Conan, of course, turns the tables on the Strangler, saying, "Hell! Break the neck of wild Cimmerian Bull before you call yourself strong! I did that before I was a full-grown man--like this!" Classic Conan moment.

A flavour of Green Lantern stories originally published from 1968 to 1970, which sometimes shows.

Fun but nothing spectacular.½

The epic 4-issue adaptation of Howard's THE PEOPLE OF THE BLACK CIRCLE is the highlight of this second collection, although there isn't a slow story in the lot. Roy Thomas was on fire when he wrote these early issues (here from 1976-77) and it's easy to see why he inspired so many others (I understand he was intepreting Howard, but MAN did he do it good!). Fantastic art throughout, too.

If you are a comic-book fan, this is probably your best chance of liking Conan. If you are a Conan fan, these is are possibly the best comic-book adaptations you'll find, those which defined the Golden Age of popularity for the Cimmerian and eventually spawned the Schwarzenegger movies. However, if you are not interested in swords&sorcery classics, and you don't like comics, you should probably give this a miss.½

Once again the problem here is too many cooks in the art department. Jack Kirby, Bill Everett, John Buscema and Gil Kane all take a shot in the first dozen stories reprinted here.

Bill Everett's style is the most interesting since he sticks to the style he used in the 40s and 50s which gives the strip a more 3D look that the flatter Marvel Age style typified by Kirby.

Unfortunately the stories also seem dated with dumb looking robots and androids plus a silly villain called The Boomerang. Another gamma ray baddie (following on from The Leader) is The Abomination; I remember a lot of these stories were adapted for the Marvel Super-Heroes cartoon show back in the 60s: "Doc Bruce Banner, belted by gamma rays, turned into The Hulk, ain't he un-glamourace?"

Tales To Astonish #92 brings Marie Severin in for a long stint which stabilises the strip a great deal. Having started out at EC Comics in the 50s, her style is also atypical of the Marvel look and has strong links to the Golden Age and early Silver Age look.

The final story reprinted here is from Hulk #102, the first issue of Ol' Greenskin's own mags since the abortive 6 issue run in 1962-3.

Stan Lee's introduction is again mostly uninformative hype but the inclusion of some original unaltered covers at the back provide some kind of bonus.½

Nicely done re-creation of the Arthurian legend written by historical fiction series propogator, John Jakes.½