Hey… Wanna see something REALLY scary? Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits.
Browsing: Retro Review
For all the abuse I heap on “90s comics”, there are still quite a few books of that particular vintage that hold up to regular reading, even standing in quality alongside the classic comics of yore… And if you’re looking for that, this ain’t your lucky day, Faithful Spoilerite. Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits!
Some say that a true hero doesn’t need powers, a costume or any sort of “magic lasso” to fight against those who would do harm upon the world. Diana Prince, former Amazon princess, is one of those people, but can she overcome the forces of Doctor Cyber single-handedly? Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits!
The Silver Age of Comics was chock-full of guys whose artwork was unique and powerful, and the likes of Jack Kirby or Wally Wood could generate a panel that would blow you away. The late Gil Kane is among their number as well, with work that could give even a minor character from a relatively minor publisher the kind of rep that’d last nearly fifty years. Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits!
Richard and Mary Parker were killed in action by the second Red Skull. It’s not just ancient history, it’s part of government record. But is it true? Of course it’s not, and now they’ve been captured by the madman known as Venom! Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits!
Regular Major Spoilers Podcast listeners may be familiar with my rant about the overuse of the “villain as dark mirror” of the hero archetype, but as with any complaint I have about comic bookery, there are always exceptions. Here’s one of ’em. Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits!
Hey! Hey, buddy! Wanna see something really peculiar? Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits!
This weekend, the Widget and I watched the ‘Hulk And The Agents Of S.M.A.S.H.’ cartoon, during which she explained to me who the various Hulks were and what their respective deals were. (“That’s Red. He’s just a jerk.”) But, as the action heated up, and the heroes jetted off into space, I realized just what the threat they were about to confront was, and what it meant, suddenly interrupting her with a fearful “Holy crap… It’s EGO.” The explanation of what that meant took a while, but having done it once, I’m not averse to repeating a good story… Your…
I often complain about artists “stunt-casting” comic characters (the process of using a clearly identifiable face, as when Mike Deodato insisted on making Norman Osborn look exactly like Tommy Lee Jones for 12 issues), but there’s another kind of stunt-casting that isn’t seen quite so often anymore: The use of real-world characters alongside our four-colored heroes. Who teams up with the Man of Steel this issue? I’ll give you a hint: It involves a War Of The Worlds. No, it’s not Tom Cruise. Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits!
Or – “A Pioneer In More Ways Than One…” It wasn’t all that long ago that I got in the middle one of those silly fanboy arguments that we all have now and again, this one about the first comic book to star an African-American hero. One friend said ‘Luke Cage – Hero For Hire,’ while another thought that John Stewart as Green Lantern might count, as a third questioned the possible bona fides of The Falcon. Me, I did what I always do, sat back and waited for them to ask if *I* knew. Soon enough, they did, allowing…
Or – “Mission Creep: The Bane Of The Comics Industry.” When Marvel Comics originated their original Graphic Novel line in the early 1980s, it was designed to showcase stories that were considered more adult than their average comic output. Eventually, though, the powers that be began filling the MGN line with things that were essentially just long-form versions of their regular tales. (The New Mutants Graphic Novel, f’rinstance, was reputedly just the planned first two issues of their book under one cover.) John Byrne was determined that Sensational She-Hulk would actually be an adult reading experience, but is that necessarily…
Or – “An Issue That Always Brings A Tear To My Eye…” Back in the early 1970s, Joe Simon (creator of Captain America, among other credits) returned to DC Comics to create the bizarre tale of the first teenage president of the United States of America. Twenty years later, Neil Gaiman took that concept to its logical conclusions, and created one of the most touching tales of the modern era. Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits!
Or – “Faster Than A Seltzer Bottle, More Powerful Than A Rubber Chicken…” I have often pointed out that creativity is a capricious and inconsistent beastie. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby together created the Silver Surfer (poetic stranger in a strange land), while Jack alone created The Black Racer (just plain strange). When Siegel & Shuster abandoned DC in the mid-1940s, after selling the rights to Superman, for the princely sum of $130 bucks, they took their talents to a rival publisher to try to catch lightning in a bottle again with the adventures of Funnyman! Your Major Spoilers (retro)…
Or – “What’s Big And Green And Has A Staple In Her Navel?” Remember the time that a sleazy skin-mag tried to put one over on the cousin of the Incredible Hulk? Your Major Spoilers (retro) review awaits!