The Nail

Imagine a world where Superman does not exist.

In DC Comics’ The Nail, the Kents are prevented from driving their car through the country because their car tire got a nail in it.

Because of the nail they miss finding the rocket carrying the young Kal-el (Superman) as a baby.

The result is a world without Superman.

It is one of the most powerful Justice League stories ever written.

Alan Davis’s art is stunning.  It is fluid, organic and amazing in its details.

Years later Lex Luthor is mayor of Metropolis.  He heads a citywide campaign to rid the world of superheroes and masked vigilantes.  So powerful and compelling is his message that cities across the United States are emulating his campaign.

Anti-hero fervor is gripping the U.S.A., but who is behind it really?

As the Justice League and other heroes try to cope with the situation forces are at work to discredit any and all superhero activities.

As a result of the unseen manipulation of anti-hero sentiment unusual and planned strikes against the superheroes credibility begin to manifest.

One of the first incidents involves the Joker who has got his hands on some super weapons.  As Batman watches in horror the Joker literary rips Batgirl and Robin to ribbons and severely injures Catwoman.  Batman snaps and kills the Joker all on camera.

This only fuels the public’s distrust of superheroes.  

Other incidents occur, Metamorpho goes rogue, the Metal Men, stripped of their responsimeters, unemotionally attack the JLA resulting in dozens of superbeings being captured and incarcerated.

In a desperate last attempt to discover and stop the perpetrator of the war against super-beings the Justice League and other heroes set out to end the madness.

Things escalate, heroes die and eventually the true face of the enemy is revealed and it's a real shocker!

The 3-part, The Nail Elseworld mini-series offers a bleak future for superheroes.  It is a world without Superman all set in place by a simple thing as a nail.

Justice Society World War II

Modern day Flash (Barry Allen) accidentally travels back in time. 

Assisting in a battle between Superman and Brainiac he tries to stop an energy weapon made of Kryptonite from hitting Superman.

The energy burst sends him running through time guided by the voice of Doctor Fate.
 

Confused The Flash is even more disoriented when he meets Wonder Woman and her fellow Justice Society members: the original Flash, Hawkman, Hourman and the original Black Canary, in the heat of battle in Europe.

At first the Justice Society (especially Wonder Woman) are suspicious of Barry’s story of coming from the future but they eventually capitulate and invite him to become part of the team after he saves Steve Trevor and some civilians.

The new team battles Adolph Hitler's Nazi and discovers the mad dictator has a secret weapon up his sleeve that he hopes will end in victory for the Nazi.

What the Justice Society encounters is not at all what they expect.

With great character voice talent, impressive animation and soundtrack and a solid story Justice Society World War II is one of the best of the ‘new’ DC animated films direct-to-DVD releases from Warner Bros.

It successfully introduces current DC Comic Book readers to the heroes of the past but also raises a few questions. 

Why World War II?  Why are The Justice Society’s exploits unknown in modern times and what relationship has Barry have with the team?

Look for a few more surprises, including some cameos and plot twists.

Included in the 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/Digital Code Combo Pack are a Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth Showcase Short, several featurettes, two classic Bonus Cartoons and a Sneak Peek at the next DC animated film.

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom Sourcebook

Of all the original Indiana Jones Trilogy movies Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom always got a bad rap.

Unlike Raiders Of The Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, The Temple Of Doom was/is a dark and scary movie.  Personally I like it.

Back in the early and mid-1990s role playing games were at the height of their popularity.  Video games were around but not nearly as immersive and detailed as they are today.

A number of roll playing game publishers were riding high on the popularity of their games.  West End Games was one of them.

One of its licensed properties was Indiana Jones.  Indy seemed like the perfect vehicle for role-playing.  After all he traveled the world, fought bad guys and encountered magic and the supernatural wherever he went.

It comes as no surprise that The Temple Of Doom was a favorite of role players.  It had mysticism, exotic locales, lots of action and danger, a great cast of characters and plenty of blood, mayhem and good versus evil.

On its cover is a small recreation of the movie poster from the film.  Inside the film’s storyline is expanded upon and the characters and locations given greater back-stories.

Filled with black and white and color photos from the film the book delves into the story and adds a few unexpected incidents of its own.

What I especially like about the Sourcebook is that it takes he time and effort to delve into each character, locale and the time period, etc. and goes into detail about each.

This makes it especially helpful when setting up a game scenario because all the stats are available to each player.  Strategy and playing character strengths and weaknesses in various campaigns are fleshed out and accurate for the time period.

West End Games did an excellent job of making Indiana Jones and his supporting cast both relevant and fun to play.

Of course the movie's plot is outlined but with all the additional background information available literally hundreds of game scenarios can be created.

The book is hardbound with a slick cover, lots of photos and packed with text and reference materials.

So, crack that whip, don your fedora, put on you scruffy leather jacket, pack your handgun, break out your old shoes, pants and shirt and don’t forget your leather satchel-it’s time for some serious adventure!

The Little Things

Actor Denzel Washington turns in a haunting performance as Deputy Sheriff Deacon who believed his trip to L.A. was simple an evidence gathering assignment.

Once there he so impresses L.A. Sergeant Jim Baxter with his skills and instincts that he ‘unofficially’ asks for his help to nail a serial killer who has murdered a string of woman.

The killer’s calling cards are a fast car; a brilliant criminal mind and a knack for making it look like he is innocent.

It becomes a dangerous game of cat and mouse as Deacon and the killer face off in a war of wits that dredges up memories from Deacon’s own past.

The Little Things on Blu-ray/Digital Code from Warner Bros. in a taunt thriller with lots of surprises, truly suspenseful moments and an eye for seeing the world through the eyes of killer.  It’s dark, moody, terrifying and disturbing-the perfect murder mystery.

Special Features include  an examination of Denzel Washington’s various cop roles and how Denzel and fellow actor Rami Malek created their polar opposite detective roles.

Witzend No. 2

Long before the term graphic novel became common one of the book comic industry’s top artists decided to publish his own creator-owned property showcasing other comic book talent.

Wally Wood, veteran of MAD magazine, EC Comics and mainstream comics was a well known and respected artist and innovator.

Using his own funds and the support of his fellow artists and writers Wally created a self-published oversize comic book in black and white called Witzend.

In it Wally and friends could write and draw their own tales unrestricted by the Comic Book Code Authority and mainstream publishers.

While Witzend lasted only a few issues it did serve to spotlight some amazing work.

In issue #2 Gray Morrow, Harvey Kurtzman, Warren Statler, Reed Crandall, Steve Ditko, Don Martin, Art Spiegelman, Ralph Reese and Wally Wood all contributed stories.

Themes ranged from humor to fantasy and all were original.

It a wonderful anthology of work from some of the masters of the comic book genre.

Upcoming!! Diamond Previews, May 2021

 

DC Universe Rebirth Omnibus Volume One

Rebirth: The process of being reincarnated or born again. The action of reappearing or starting to flourish or increase after a decline; revival.

After DC Comics New 52 ran its course and the events of Flashpoint transformed the DC Universe, DC Comics launched the Rebirth of all of its titles.

As I’ve mentioned before in several reviews I stopped buying new comic books nearly five years ago.  They became too expensive and convoluted.  To me much of the magic was gone.

Coincidentally I stopped purchasing comic books about the same time DC Comics ended its New 52 series of books and switched over to Rebirth.

About two years into Rebirth I came across the DC Universe Rebirth Omnibus Volume One at my local used bookstore and decided to buy it at a reduced price.

As I said beforre I stopped buying new comic books.  However I try to keep up on the latest trends and series-at least as far as promotions and basic storylines go that I find on the Internet.

The DC Universe Rebirth Omnibus Volume One contains a number of number one issues.

Number one issues reprints include: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Hal Jordan And The Green Lantern Corps, Aquaman, Green arrow, Cyborg, Green Lantern, Justice League, Nightwing, Titans, Batgirl And The Birds Of Prey, The Hellblazer, Red Hood And The Outlaws, Suicide Squad, Deathstroke, Supergiirl, Blue Beetle, Teen Titans, Batman Beyond along with bonus art and covers and the Rebirth One-Shot.

The Omnibus provides an inexpensive and all encompassing introduction to the Rebirth Universe.

Look for some great art, intriguing stories and lots of cool extras.

Come Fly With Me

When I was eighteen years old (in 1971) I flew to California with plans to live with my aunt and uncle for a year so it would qualify me for free college tuition as a resident.

I flew on a 747 (I’m not sure which airline).  Back then there was no security checks, friends and family could walk up to the terminal with you and watch you depart or arrive.

Once on board even the cheaper fare seats were huge and there was plenty of legroom, snacks and a full meal came with the flight and once airborne you could get out of your seat and visit the lounge area one level above.  First Class was even fancier.

When on board and seated I noticed there was only about 20 passengers on the huge aircraft.  It was a direct flight through.  Times certainly have changed.

Cheaper tickets (I refer to them as steerage) are cramped, uncomfortable, there are no meals-only peanuts, a cookie and a drink and more likely than not most flights have connections.

I took a similar flight to Florida in 1973-it was great.

In Come Fly with Me Flying In Style author Jodi Peckman and publisher Rizzoli New York look back on the heydays of commercial flight with all its perks and pizzazz.  The book is filled with celebrity photos on and off various commercial air fights.  There even are a few contemporary photos-First Class of course.

It’s a wonderful excursion back in time when air travel was considered somewhat exotic and adventurous and flying from destination to destination was fun, exacting, comfortable, enjoyable and special.

Art Sleeves

When I was growing up-specifically in my teens and twenties (1960s-1970s) music was a big thing.  Super groups like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, et al, were hugely popular.

Record albums flew off the shelves.  Besides the music the cover and interior art of the albums could make or break and album.

With 33 1/3 vinyls the record album covers measured closed to 12” X 12” and both the cover, the back and in many cases the interior (some with small booklets or pamphlets) were just as prized as the music.

This trend continued into the 1980s but slowed down around 1990 when CDs became popular.

Suddenly the giant vinyls were shrunk down to small discs and so too did the cover art on the albums.  The art was still there, but not nearly as predominant.

Album cover art did not disappear; it just adapted to the times.

There was still some great art in the 1980s and there still is up until today.

Some of the industry’s top talent created album covers and DB Burkeman and Rizzoli New York's Art Sleeves Album Covers by Artists contains reproductions of the best of the batch.

Every genre of music is represented.

Album covers consist of photos, montages, drawings, paintings and more.

Full color photos of the albums grace each page and informative and historical text delves into not only the art but also the albums themselves.

Each cover is labeled with the artist, the musician, the name of the album and the year it was released.

It’s not only a visual feast but also a hardbound book about the history of album art, the music and the artists (both visual and musical) that made each album possible.

Black Adam and The Creeper

Now that it has been announced that Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) has accepted the role of Black Adam DC Comics/Warner Bros. movie, collector fervor has struck.

From his early appearance to his more modern adventures Black Adam comic book issues are starting to rise in value.

A spillover are his appearances as toys as exemplified in DC Direct’s JSA SHAZAM! Black Adam figure was produced in 2002.

The Black Adam figure comes in a bright red and yellow bubble pack.

The figure is dressed in a solid black outfit with yellow pirate books, a wide yellow belt, a yellow lightning bolt symbol on its chest and yellow gauntlets with no gloves.

The articulated figure is muscular and Black Adam’s face is long, angular and has a look of irritation on its features.  His black hair is combed back flat to his head.

Next to Spider-Man my favorite Steve Ditko character is The Creeper.  Steve created The Creeper back in the late 1960s after he left Marvel Comics and as penciller on The Amazing Spider-Man.

The Creeper is kind of a cross between  The Joker and The Madmen seen in another Steve Ditko comic book: Blue Beetle.
Included with the figure is a blue scarab necklace, with a large blue jewel set in the scarab centerpiece and a chain for wearing around the figure’s neck.

The Creeper figure also comes in a bubble pack but is snug in a plastic inner clear cocoon.

The figure wears primarily yellow with large tuffs of red fur at each shoulder, red and black gloves, red and black boots and a black and green set of trunks.

The figure’s face with its pupiless eyes has its mouth open in a wild laugh,

Its face is yellow and it has long green tousled hair.

Included with the figure is a circular black base to pose the figure on.  It is fully articulated with cleverly hidden articulation points as is the Black Adam figure.

Both figures have excellent coloring and paint application with no jagged edges and no stiffness at the articulation points when posed.

Ultraforce #1

Back in the early to mid-1990s comic book sales were booming.  Commonly referred to as ‘The Speculator Glut” comic book publishers were riding high on high profits.

It all started with Valiant Comics.  Jim Shooter (once the Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics) had recently got canned.

Disappointed, disgruntled but never discouraged, Jim sought out other opportunities in the publishing field.

He joined with Valiant Entertainment and began a series of comic books based on Nintendo properties with some success.

But, Jim wanted back in the comic book arena and after securing the publishing rights of Gold Key Comics’ original superhero characters he introduced Valiant Comics.

Magnus Robot Fighter and Solar Man Of The Atom were introduced in twin mini-series.  The response was encouraging so Jim started publishing a few original tiles such as Harbinger and X-O Man of War with aid of Bob Layton and Barry Windsor Smith.

Suddenly he found himself with some hits on his hands.  Comic book readers loved the titles and because the initial print runs of each title was small, demand was huge and prices escalated.

This caught the attention of other publishers, including Marvel and DC, and spawned a number of new comic book publishers: Malibu Comics being one of them.

When comic book readers hear the name George Perez they usually associate him as an artist whose work is primarily in DC and Marvel Comics.  That’s true, but it’s also true he has done a considerable amount of work outside ‘The Big Two.”

Malibu Comics’ Ultraforce consisted of heroes from other Malibu Comics titles: Prime, Topaz, Prototype, Pixx, Ghoul and Hardcase who were lead by the mysterious Contrary.  

The first issue sets up their first conflict and cements the individuals as a team.

George turned out some of his best work for Malibu.  He seemed to have found a new creative surge. Unfortunately Malibu Comics would be one of the casualties of the comic book crash brought on by speculators.

Marvel Comics purchased Malibu not so much for its characters but for its facilities on the West Coast and its computer coloring technology.

Ultraforce #1 can be purchased for around cover price.

I’ll Be Damned

The year was 1969.  I was attending a comic book convention in Detroit, Michigan.  It was held in the ball room of a local hotel chain.

In attendance over two days was about 5,000 to 7,000 people.

About a dozen vendors were there along with several guest artists. Jim Steranko was the headliner and young Rich Buckler was there also there.  He helped set up the convention.

At the far end of the room was a small room holding an art gallery.  Steranko’s art was there, as was Buckler’s.  

Also hanging on he wall was the art of someone whose name I did not recognize although I had seen some of the artist’s art mostly in Creepy and Eerie and a few short tales for DC Comics.

The art was unsettling with its heavy shadows, disturbing subject matter and with its heavy emphasis on anatomy and clothing.  The artist’s name was Bernie Wrightson.

There are moments in your life when you recognize genius.  That was one of those moments.

In the self-published fan magazine I’ll be Damned editor and publisher Mark Feldman gave Bernie the chance to shine by printing some of his early work including a Frankenstein gallery and a short story called Out On A Limb!

Even then Bernie’s art really captured the horror and dynamic layout of early EC Comics.  Also included are a Tom Sutton story, single pages by Frank 

Brunner and Gray Morrow and a short tale by Dan Adkins.

It a wonderful early insight into some of the industry’s up and coming talent at that time.

Graphic Ink The DC Comics Art Of Frank Quitely

Once in a while an artist comes around whose art style is unlike any other.  Steve Ditko and Gene Colan were good examples.  Frank Quitely is another.

I first became aware of Frank Quitely’s work on a Marvel Comics’ X-Men title.  Not long afterwards I enjoyed his art on Superman All-Star and Batman and Robin from DC Comics.

Frank started his DC work on various fill-ins, one-shots and Big Book projects.

It’s rumored that Frank Quitely is alias and that the artist keeps his real name under wraps.

The majority of Quitely’s work has been done for DC Comics and Graphic Ink The DC Comics Art Of Frank Quitely from DC collects most of his work from covers to full stories.

It’s fascinating to watch an artist’s style grow and blossom.  His unique style is unlike any other artist in the comic book industry.

His haunting images, odd compositions and unique perspective on page layout, character design and imagery sets his work apart.

The oversize hardbound book with its beautiful dust cover is brimming with color and black and white illustrations.  It’s an excellent visual history of Quitely’s work for DC Comics.

Samurai and The Captain

For a while back in the late 1990s and early 2000s a plethora of toy companies emerged-most of which were producing action figures.

With the success of Hasbro, Mattel and in particular McFarlane Toys action figure lines entrepreneurs were looking for profitable products.

With the relatively cheap cost of producing, painting and packaging action figures in China the toy market looked to be a good investment.

One such company: Dusty Trails, introduced two series of action figures.

Both were relatively successful but ultimately with rising costs and the sudden downturn in collectible action figures the company folded much too quickly.

Two figures: Samurai and The Captain (one from each series) were some of the best figures produced by Dusty Trails.

The Samurai plastic hanger/standup package features an Asian theme with stylized Samurai text, arrow background and centerpiece that really makes the package pop.

The figure is dressed in full traditional Samurai attire with a multi-layer/color wing helmet, multi-chest chest plate and torso armor, loose long sleeves with tag in form the fingers, a large red knotted belt with scabbard, loose fitting burgundy pants that end at the knees and solid black laminated shin guards and soleless shoes with red ties.

Large multi-color back guards and pearl handle Samurai sword, a katana and bladed pole are included with the figure along with a reproduction of a section of wooden bridge with rails and a section of pebbled soil.

The details on the figure are amazing!

Just take a look at the colors of the armor, flesh tones of the skin, folds and creases in the clotting, fasteners, cloth overlays and the helmet are super detailed.

The hands of the figure are pre-posed to hold the various weapons and the figure is pre-posed in an attack position.

Detailing on the bridge also includes rail heads and metal bolts.

Equally impressive is The Captain figure.

Decked out in his buccaneer outfit The Captain is posed with one leg up on a wooden crate and his left arm extended for holding the flintlock pistol that is included.

The bearded pirate wears a period three-pointed black cap with feather, a large buccaneer coat with buttons, cuffs and long flowing tails.

He wears a gray shirt with frilly collar and cuffs, a red sash belt, a wide brown belt over his shoulder with a silver buckle, a flintlock pistol, loose fitting burgundy pants and leather knee boots with large heels.

Also included is a sword with scabbard, a wooden box with pin for holding the figure in place and a wooden plank floor.

The face sports a mustache and lower lip goatee and the head has long hair.

Both figures are held in place by form fitting plastic cocoons and wires.

Paint application is crisp and clean with no bleed over edges and the sculpt work is sharp concise and nicely executed.

Both figures are some of the best of Dusty Trail’s.

The Amazing Spider-Man #280 and #281

Marvel Comic Books fans have heard of The Sinister Six-the super-villain group that first took on Spider-Man isn The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 way back in 1964.

But, have you ever heard of The Sinister Syndicate consisting of Hydro-Man, Speed Demon, Beetle, Boomerang and Rhino?

They made their first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #280 continuing into issue #281.

To add to the excitement the Kingpin, Sandman and the Hobgoblin make their appearances. Mary Jane Watson ramps up her modeling career and Jack O’Lantern adds to the mayhem.

What a fun couple of issues and plain good reading.  No politics, no Social Justice Warrior garbage or WOKE.  

It’s a good old-fashioned comic book story with lots of fisticuffs, fast action with a little soap opera thrown in for good measure. Talk about a big bang for 75 cents each!  

Here’s the kicker.  Raw mint copies of each can be picked up for about $10 each.  And yet, a mint copy of #280 goes for around $100 with #281 topping out at $200.

Wonder Woman Masterpiece Edition

Several years ago before the blockbuster Wonder Woman films came out and female superheroines were all the rage Chronicle Books published the Wonder Woman Masterpiece Edition.

Consisting of a slipcase, book and special edition Wonder Woman action figure the impressive trio celebrated the life and legend of the Amazon Princess.

Starting with the action figure.

It is fashioned after Wonder Woman as she looked in the 1940s.  While not fully articulated the figure does have clever knee joints that allow the legs to move.  They are hidden underneath the lifelike skin.  The arms move at the shoulders and the legs also move from the hips.  The head turns on the neck.

Wonder Woman’s hair is long and slightly curly as depicted in her early comic books. It’s very 1940ish.  She wears a gold tiara with red star, a low cut strapless top with a large gold eagle over her breasts on top of a red (for lack of a better description) one-piece swimming suit.

The figure has a wide white belt, a short skirt made of real cloth consisting of a blue background with white stars  and high-topped red boots with high heels and vertical white strips from the toes to the knees.

She also carries her golden lasso wound up and secure at her waist.  Her skirt is protected by a piece of clear plastic.  Unlike the modern version Wonder Woman’s bracelets the figure’s are black, not gold.  Her hands also twist at the wrists.

Her features include red lips, large blue eyes with dark lashes and eyebrows and a small upturned nose.  If you take a look at old photos from the 1940s of women’s fashions, Wonder Woman emulates the makeup and hairstyle prevalent at that time.

The Wonder Woman figure is secure in a pop open plastic cocoon that keeps the figure stationary and protected.  It slides into the front of the box with the book behind it.

The figure s extremely well done with clean articulation lines, nice color application and period clothing.

Inside the diecut viewing panel box decorated in red, blue and yellow, along with the Wonder Woman figure, is a book.  

It slides easily out of the box in back of the Styrofoam cocoon of the figure.  On its cover is a classic Wonder Woman portrait against a red background.

The slipcover hides a color photo of an original Wonder Woman costume.

Wonder Woman The Golden Age Of The Amazon Princess by Les Daniels delves into the history of the Amazon Princess, what influenced her creation, her cast of characters, enemies, and more.

Filled with color reproductions of Golden Age Wonder woman comic book art, sketches and period photos the book also contains a full length Wonder Woman story in full color.

It’s a golden celebration of the first female superheroine, her history and how she has influenced heroines (both super and human) over the decades.

Signs Of The Times

It had to happen eventually.  With the devastating effects of Covid-19, high unemployment, business closings and downsizings and the cost of everything going up it was bound to affect my blog.

Since 1992 I’ve written and posted reviews about comic books, toys, books, movies, trading cards: almost anything that has to do with pop culture.

I started out in print and moved to the Internet.

Over the last couple of years the amount of review products coming in from publishers and manufacturers has dwindled down considerably.

I don’t fault the businesses. There are lots for reasons for it, as I listed above. Anything I receive is greatly appreciated.

I’ve never been one to give up so I began pulling old material from my personal collection and library and started posting a number of retro-reviews.

I also include some personal recollections and some historical notes. For the most part I’ve gotten a lot of good responses from my readers.

I’ve expanded my reviews to include such things as camping supplies, household items, electronics, etc.

As with all my reviews I put a lot of effort into describing each item, it’s ease of use, quality of workmanship, etc.

What I desperately need is for review material to come in on a regular basis.  I need physical items to review.  I don’t review PDFs, digital downloads or from photos and promotional postings.

The reasons are simple.  I do more than review what an item looks like.  For books and comic books I delve into the quality of the printing, special inserts, etc. 

For other products such as model kits, I take the time to take the pieces out of the boxes, assemble them and determine quality and ease of assembly.

Toys I run by my grandkids and check on playability-you get the idea.  I always include photo(s) of each product and hyperlinks back to their publisher or manufacturer.

Take a moment to look over my blog to see the quality of my reviews.  I also post to Facebook, Linked-in and Twitter.

If you represent a publisher or manufacturer and want your products reviewed I’d love to do so. 

If you wish to send physical review merchandise contact me at the emails below or through my Contact Form on my blog for my address.

bamcomics@juno.com or bamcomics@netzero.com

I review toys, model kits, trading cards, books, comics books, magazines/publications, Anime, Manga, Blu-rays/DVDs, Camping Equipment, Electronics, Computers and Peripherals, toys, diecast, games, video games, auto, home, outdoor and other miscellaneous products.

If you wish to be notified when I post reviews simple go to my blog and on the upper right corner is a spot where you can Follow By Email.

Any help would be most appreciated.  I’ve been writing and posting reviews for a long time and I hope to do so for a many more years to come.

Thanks for your support and God bless.

Marvel Class Of ’90 Yearbook

Marketing is a powerful tool when it comes to selling products.  Marvel Comics' marketing department was well aware of the fact in the early 1990s.

Marvel Comics was experiencing a huge surge in popularity and sales.  But, like any upswing in sales the possibility of a downswing was inevitable.

Before the Internet and social networking swept the world the only way publishers or companies could promote their products was through print, TV and radio.

A good review or article could boost sales and Marvel Comics knew that.

Marvel often sent out promotional material to comic book shops and reviewers.  In 1990 Marvel distributed its Marvel Class Of ‘90 Yearbook.

The plastic bound black and white publication promoted up and coming series and titles for the next year along with helpful retailer strategies for sales, insights into what Marvel was planning as well as glimpses of Marvel merchandise other than comic books.

For collectors publications such as this included first appearances of new characters before they appeared in print.  With the sudden flurry of interest in key issues and first appearances look for retailer/reviewer publications such as this to attract the attention of collectors.

The Hands OF Shang-Chi Master Of Kung Fu #103

One-time inker Gene Day took over the penciling chores on Marvel Comics' The Hands OF Shang-Chi Master Of Kung Fu title beginning with issue #100.

Doug Moench continued writing the book after Paul Gulacy stopped penciling the series and Gene Day took over.

At first Gene's pencils and inks were competent but nothing spectacular. However after only a short period of time something remarkable happened.  

Gene became obsessed with turning out some of the most detailed and intricate pencils and inks produced for a comic book up until that time. 

This became especially evident the more he got into the series.  Elaborate border designs, intricate shadow studies and amazing architectural and interior layouts dazzled the eye.

This really starts to shine through beginning with issue #103.

Gene’s innovative page payouts, eye for details and character development were starting to emerge.

Before long his full creative potential was in full swing.

Gene made the book his own and poured his heart and soul into each page.

Elaborate oriental design motifs, the increasing use of shadows and his determination and obsession to make the book a true work of art took its toll on Gene.

His poor eating habits, lack of sleep and other factors led to his early death shortly after he completed issue #120.

Sadly his career was cut short.  Comicdom would never know the creative heights Gene would have been capable of.

It is remarkable that in so short a period of time how much his work improved, as did his story telling talent and his unswerving attention to details.  

The comic book industry and the world lost a remarkable talent.  He was destined to be one of the great comic book artists ranking up there with such luminaries as Steranko, Kirby and Adams.

Grid Alien

From McFarlane Toys comes the Grid Alien as seen in the Alien Vs. Predator movie.

The giant figure comes in a large rectangular box decorated with Alien photos.  It is open on the front and partially on the sides so collectors can see the Grid Alien through the clear plastic.

McFarlane Toys was at the height of its popularity at the time this figure was produced.  The company was dominating the toy market with its incredibly detailed figures from all genres: movies,TV, sports, etc.

Audiences have been frightened out of their wits ever since director Ridley Scott introduced the Aliens in the first horror movie in space: Alien.

After three sequel Alien movies and two Alien/Predator films and two follow-up pre-Alien movies moviegoers can’t seem to get enough of the exoskeleton monstrosities.

McFarlane Toys has done an amazing job of recreating the Grid Alien with its 12-inch, articulated figure.

The Grid Alien comes with a special base that can attach to the companion Predator base.

The figure comes in a large box decorated with photos of the enclosed figure. The box has a full front clear panel for viewing the enclosed figure, which is secured in place with wires.

The Alien figure stands approximately 12-inches tall.  It’s partially articulated but is meant mainly to be a centerpiece display, much like a statue.

Combined with the Predator the figures make a frightening scenario.

Its long head is marked by green gird marks over its blue/black head.  The figure’s body is of the dame blue/black with finely colored variations and shading.

The creature’ maw is wide open revealing its razor sharp teeth and massive jaw and neck muscles.

The torso, hips, legs and arms look skeletal with sinew and muscle stretched over through each part.

Its massive rib cage is heavily boned and the shoulder sockets are pronounced and extend over and in the shoulder area.

The two arms are segment and the elbow areas have bones protruding past the upper arm areas.

The four-finger hands have large claws as do the four digit toes.

The legs are attached to the pronounced and protruding hipbones and the creature also has a long prehensile tail with multiple bone segments.

The surface areas on the Alien are highly detailed, as is the creature’s head, tail and the twin bony protrusions from its spin.

The creator of the Alien: H.R. Geiger, would be astonished and pleased with McFarlane Toys’ interpretation of his famous space creature.