Review: TRUE BELIEVERS: Conan the Barbarian #1

TRUE BELIEVERS: CONAN THE BARBARIAN No.1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Roy Thomas
PENCILS: Barry Smith
INKS: Dan Adkins
COLORS: Mimi Gold (not credited in comic book)
LETTERS: Sam Rosen
EDITOR: Stan Lee
COVER: Barry Smith and John Verpoorten with Sam Rosen
28pp, Color, $1.00 U.S. (March 2019)

Rated T

Conan the Barbarian based on the “Conan” character created by Robert E. Howard

“The Coming of Conan!”

Conan the Cimmerian is a fictional “sword and sorcery” hero created by Robert E. Howard (REH).  Conan first appeared in the pulp fiction magazine, Weird Tales (1932).  Conan lived in Howard's fictional “Hyborian Age” and was a mercenary, outlaw, pirate, thief, warrior, and eventually a king, but because of his tribal origins, some characters that encountered him thought of Conan as a barbarian.

In 1970, Marvel Comics brought Conan to the world of comic books with the series, Conan the Barbarian, originally written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Barry Smith – now known as Barry Windsor-Smith.  With a pause of only a few years, Conan comic books have been published for the better part of five decades.  Marvel Comics, which held the license to produce Conan comic books for three decades, regained the license last year (from Dark Horse Comics, which had the license for about 15 years).

Marvel recently published the first issue of a revival of Conan the Barbarian.  They are also publishing reprints of select Conan comic books from their original run with the character under the “True Believers” banner.  True Believers is a budget reprint program that began in 2015 and offers $1 reprints of individual Marvel issues that are considered fan-favorite, important, classic, or monumental.

True Believers: Conan the Barbarian #1 reprints the first Marvel Conan comic book, Conan the Barbarian #1 (cover dated: October 1970).  That issue's twenty-page story was written by Roy Thomas; drawn by Barry Smith (pencils) and Dan Adkins (inks); and lettered by Sam Rosen.  Although she is does not receive a credit in the comic book, Mimi Gold colored Smith and Adkins' art.

Conan the Barbarian #1 (“The Coming of Conan!”) is a story that apparently takes place early in Conan's adulthood.  He is a mercenary in service of the kingdom of Aesgaard and serve the Aesir in their war against the Vanir.  The story opens in Vanaheim, during a summer battle between the Aesir and the Vanir, where we find Conan battling the fierce Vanir warrior, Gondur.

Conan is proving to be a most accomplished warrior, although he insists that he only fights for the Aesir because they pay him the most gold.  However, Conan's prowess in battle has attracted the attention of a crazy shaman and a mysterious young woman.  Now, they want to capture Conan, and the secrets of the past, present, and future they will reveal to him will rock Conan's world.

Like many Conan comic book fans, I am an admirer of Barry Windsor-Smith's Conan comic book art, especially the art he produced during the second half of his twenty-two issue run on Conan the Barbarian.  Still, as far as figure-drawing goes, I prefer the lean, sinewy, Jack Kirby-esque Conan as drawn by Barry Smith, exemplified by the Conan that appears on the cover of Conan the Barbarian #1 and, of course, on the cover of True Believers: Conan the Barbarian #1.

“The Coming of Conan!” is good, although not great.  It is not Roy Thomas' best Conan comic book writing, and Thomas is by far the best Conan comic book writer ever.  Hell, Thomas is one of the best comic book writers of all time, and is certainly better than many of the comic book writers that pass for the current elite.  Here, Thomas offers a story in tune with the weird fiction of Conan's creator, Robert E. Howard, and it is full of theatrical, operatic dialogue and over-the-top, but colorful exposition.

I am glad that Conan is back with Marvel Comics, where I discovered the character, and I am glad for True Believers: Conan the Barbarian #1.  Hopefully, there will be more “budget” reprints of classic Marvel Conan comic books.  I love this reprint comic book, so that is why I am giving it a high grade.

8 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: THUNDER Agents, 50th Anniversary Special

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS, 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was first published by Patreon.]

WRITERS:  Larry Ivie; Len Brown; Dan Adkins
PENCILS: Wally Wood; Steve Ditko; Dan Adkins; Garry Leach
INKS: Wally Wood; Dan Adkins; Tony Coleman; Garry Leach
COLORS: Jason Millet
LETTERS: Victor Gorelick
MISC. ART: George Perez with Ronda Pattison; George Tuska with Ronda Pattison; Jerry Ordway with Ronda Pattison; Dave Cockrum with Ronda Pattison; Dave Cockrum; Steve Ditko and Greg Theakston with Ronda Pattison; George Perez and Dave Cockrum with Ronda Pattison; Dave Cockrum and Murphy Anderson with Ronda Pattison; Steve Ditko and Will Blyberg; Bob Layton; Phil Hester and Eric Gapstur with David Baron; Dave Sim with David Baron
EDITORS: Greg Goldstein and Michael Benedetto
COVER: Dan Adkins with Jason Millet (based on Wally Wood and Dan Adkins' cover for T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #3)
SUBSCRIPTION COVER: Andrew Pepoy with Jason Millet (based on Wally Wood's cover for Incredible Science Fiction #33)
64pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (July 2015)

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents created by Wally Wood and Len Brown

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents was a team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics from 1965 to 1969.  The original T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were an arm of the United Nations.  The name, T.H.U.N.D.E.R., is an acronym for “The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves.”

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents the comic book series ran for 20 issues.  Tower Comics gave the two of the most popular T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Dynamo and NoMan, each his own short lived comic book series.  After the demise of Tower Comics, the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents characters did not appear in new comic book stories until the early 1980s, which was the beginning of a series of sporadic efforts to create T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comics over the next three decades.  Beginning in 2010, DC Comics published a short-lived ongoing T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents series and a miniseries.  In 2013, IDW Publishing published another short lived T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comic book series.

In spite of decades of short-lived iterations, the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents still have fans and admirers, and I am one of them.  In fact, 2015 is the 50th anniversary of their first appearance in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 (Tower Comics; cover dated: November 1965).  So I was excited to discover that IDW had published a one-shot comic book, entitled T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special.

Despite their checkered comic book publishing history, the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comics have featured the work of a number of talented writers and artists.  T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special celebrates the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, some of their classic stories, and a selection of work from acclaimed and popular T.H.U.N.D.E.R. creators.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special reprints four Tower Comics-era stories.  “First Encounters,” from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 (November 1965), introduces the devices that give super-powered T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents their powers.  Dynamo shines in two stories:  “D-Day for Dynamo!” from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2 (cover dated: January 1966) and “Master of Evolution” from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #4 (cover dated: April 1966).

One of the best known T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents stories is also reprinted here.  That is “A Matter of Life and Death,” from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #7 (cover dated: August 1966).  Some comic book historians and fans believe that this story features the first meaningful and long-lasting depiction of the death of a major character, in this case, Menthor, in a comic book.  T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special also reprints the art Garry Leach drew for a story that deals with the aftermath of Menthor's death on Dynamo.  I am assuming that this story, written by the late George Caragonne, was originally produced for Deluxe Comics' short-lived T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents revival, a comic book series entitled Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.

I don't want to describe the four Tower Comics stories as “quaint and charming,” which is how I sometimes describe comics from the Silver Age and earlier.  I think that these stories are actually quite good, and they reveal that Dynamo is a dynamic character, one whose potential has never and will likely never be reached, unless someone dedicated to comic books saves the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special also offers just under 20 pages of illustrations, pin-ups, cover art, and preliminary art by classic comic book artists, like George Perez and two now deceased artists, Dave Cockrum and George Tuska, among others.  This comic book is like a short love letter to fans of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.  It does seem a bit inadequate, but fans can get more T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Companion (from TwoMorrows Publishing).  In the meantime, we can enjoy the comic book-sized T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special for what it is.  It is a special comic book commemorating a group of comic book characters whose 50 years of existence is probably the shortest half-century in American comic book history.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: Advs. of Superman: José Luis García-López

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITER: Gerry Conway, Elliot S. Maggin, David Michelinie, Denny O’Neil, Martin Pasko, Len Wein
PENCILS: José Luis García-López
INKS: José Luis García-López with Dan Adkins, Vince Colletta, Joe Giella, Dick Giordano, Steve Mitchell, Bob Oksner, Frank Springer
COLORS: Jerry Serpe, Adrienne Roy, Glynis Wein
LETTERS: Ben Oda, Clem Robins, Gaspar Saladino, Milt Snapinn
COVER: José Luis García-López and Dan Adkins
ISBN: 978-1-4012-3856-8; hardcover (April 2013)
360pp, Color, $39.99 U.S., $47.00 CAN

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

In Superman #347 (May 1980), Superman takes on an alien phantom whose antics are placing Metropolis and the surrounding region in danger of a nuclear disaster.  It is a nice story with a sad ending, but what is more memorable about this particular Superman comic book is the art for the story, penciled and inked by José Luis García-López.

On Pages 4 and 5 (of the story), García-López depicts Superman having dinner with Lois Lane at a rooftop restaurant.  As usual, García-López shows off his knowledge of human anatomy in the physique of Superman and in the lithe, athletic figure of Lois Lane.  However, on those two pages, García-López’s compositions conceive Metropolis Towers Restaurant’s settings, interiors, and backdrops with elegance and flair.  This comic book art looks like pages that could be from an architectural or interior design magazine.  It is simply a testament to García-López’s skill, and such an artist deserves a special showcase.

Earlier this year, DC Comics published Adventures of Superman: José Luis García-López.  This book is part of a line of hardcover, full-color books that collect the work of influential comic book artists on iconic DC Comics characters, in particular Superman and Batman.  Previous books in the series include Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo and Adventures of Superman: Gil Kane.

José Luis García-López was born in Spain in 1948 and eventually immigrated to Argentina with his parents.  He began his comic book career there at the age of 13 and also studied at Escuela Panamericana de Arte.  He broke into American comic books in the late 1960s with Charlton Comics and worked for the publisher into the early 1970s.  After moving to New York City in 1974, García-López met DC Comics editor Joe Orlando, and his first work for DC Comics began appearing in 1975.

Adventures of Superman: José Luis García-López reprints García-López’s work on the character for which he is arguably most associated, Superman.  Apparently, at one time, García-López’s Superman was used on all DC Comics merchandising.  Adventures of Superman: José Luis García-López reprints Superman stories from the following Superman publications:  Superman #294, 301-302, 307-309, 347; DC Comics Presents #1-4, 17, 20, 24, 31; and All-New Collector’s Edition #C-54 (Superman vs. Wonder Woman.)

The first time I really paid attention to José Luis García-López was when I found an issue of Amazing Heroes (the former Fantagraphics Books magazine that published news, features, and interviews about superhero comic books) that focused on him.  The article talked about his work on the comic book series, Atari Force (1984), and his then upcoming work on the hit 1980s New Teen Titans (Vol. 2, #7-11; 1985).  The article included images of García-López’s pencil art before it was inked.  I learned from the article that García-López was a master of figure drawing in comic books.

That is indeed true.  For the last 25 years, many comic book artists have presented the human figure by over-delineating musculature with cross-hatching and detailed line work.  That yields either unimaginative photo-realistic art or characters (especially male characters) in which every muscle is squeezed and pumped until the characters look like freakish bodybuilders.  García-López mastered the human figure through cartooning, expression, and abstraction.  The result is dynamic figure drawing that best captures the magic and wonder evoked by comic book characters, especially superheroes.

In splash and half-splash pages and with big panels, modern comic book artists can show off intricate pencils, detailed backgrounds, and figure drawing that catches every nook and cranny of the human form.  In this book, José Luis García-López, the master, shows off the proficiency of his ability to cartoon the human figure in even the smallest panels just as well as he can in double-page spreads, splash pages, and assorted big panels.

In the first six stories reprinted herein, García-López blends the page design style of Neal Adams with the aesthetics of Steve Ditko to create stylish page design cramped and dotted with panels.  Still, the physicality of Superman and guest-stars, such as Supergirl and Solomon Grundy, shines through everything.  Superman’s muscular form takes on the traits of dancer’s lithe body, as the Man of Steel flexes, fights, and flies from one panel to another.  Because García-López can pull this off, he creates a sense of movement in his pages, connecting not just each panel to another, but also each page to another.  Looking at the art, I thought I was watching a tiny Superman literally flying through the story and acting as the storytelling vehicle.

The masterstroke of Adventures of Superman: José Luis García-López is its reprint of All-New Collector’s Edition #C-54, a 1978, oversized comic book that pitted Superman and Wonder Woman against each other, before finally uniting to fight Axis evil.  The clean inks by Dan Adkins give García-López’s pencils a Neo-Classical quality, but retains the “New York slick” style that fits this World War II era story.

This book will also afford readers an opportunity to read stories written by a number of good comic book writers, especially the now underappreciated Gerry Conway.  His “Superman vs. Wonder Woman” tale is spectacular.  The feud between the two heroes and their eventual resolution makes sense within the context of the story and also corresponds with real world issues that still vex us today.

Somehow, my Bin boss was able to talk DC Comics into giving me a copy of Adventures of Superman: José Luis García-López.  I don’t owe them a good review for giving me this book, but I’m going to give them one anyway.  This archival presentation is the kind of book that a great comic book artist like José Luis García-López not only deserves, but has also earned.  It is also indicative of the usual high quality of DC Comics’ hardcover reprint books.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.