Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Chilling Adventures In Sorcery #3: "Missing Link!"


Download Chilling Adventures In Sorcery #03




Does anyone out there know what the worst cliché in the Science Fiction genre is? That's right, it's when the last two survivors of a post-apocalyptic Earth turn out to be Adam and Eve. Well, this story isn't quite that clichéd, but it nearly is, which was more than fine for me back when I picked this up at the age of nine or ten. After all, such concepts were still new to me back then as a child. It also helps when you're a sucker for a well-told time travel story like I was (still am) and admire the meticulous and brilliant artwork of Gray Morrow, even if he was a tad verbose on this one. But all that nitpicking aside, "Missing Link" is well worth your time and just look at that gorgeous cover art!





Saturday, April 24, 2010

Tomb of Darkness #19: "It's Only Magic!"


Download Tomb of Darkness #19





I can still recall picking this comic book up off the racks in Rexal's Drug Store, just to reminisce out loud for a moment. Tomb of Darkness #19 contains this excellent short story written by Stan "The Man" Lee and beautifully illustrated by John Buscema, which is about a boy who's seeking wealth and power via supernatural means. In his haste for shortcuts to fame and fortune, the boy sneaks into an occult bookstore and pockets a book on ancient Druid spells in order to conjure a djinn to do his bidding. Of course, events don't go as the boy had planned and I thought the ending was pretty damn clever, which is why I heartily recommend this one. It's only too bad that I can't make the same recommendation for the rest of the stories contained inside this comic book, but this particular story is a great read.


Credits

Cover: Ron Wilson
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: John Verpoorten

Reprinted:
  • from Chamber of Darkness (Marvel, 1969 series) #1 (October 1969).









Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Vigilante #18: "Father's Day Part II"


Download The Vigilante #18





Here is the conclusion to the excellent "Father's Day," which was written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Jim Baikie. Click here to go to Part I.






















Wednesday, April 21, 2010

The Vigilante #17: "Father's Day"


Download The Vigilante #17





Alan Moore's
two-part fill-in from Vigilante issues #17 and #18, published in 1985, is one of the best superhero comic books that I've ever read. Moore uses the hooded vigilante set-up to examine attitudes to vengeance by humanizing the villain. In this case, the antagonist is a father who has sexually abused his daughter. While it's impossible to find any sympathy for the father, Moore builds a portrait that is sympathetic to the character's misery. Equally, Moore picks at the masked vigilante concept and allows the supporting cast to mock the appearance of a costumed do-gooder in this supposedly realistic world of street crime and drugs.

Illustrator Jim Baikie had previously worked with Moore on the schoolgirl-meets-alien story Skizz in 2000 AD, and gives the story its gritty, urban feel. This two-parter is highly recommended! A must read!