Stan Lee: Excelsior
By Walt | January 24, 2010
Stan Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber; December 28, 1922 and is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Three weeks ago Stan Lee turned 87 years old. In comics for over 65 years he is a legend in the industry. He shook up Marvel and is responsible for much of it’s modern day success.
He worked with some of the great names in the comic world in the early days of Marvel success. With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and many other fictional characters, introducing a new age in superhero comic books. In addition, he headed the first major successful challenge to the industry’s censorship organization, the Comics Code Authority and forced it to reform its policies. Stan subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
I was part of the young readers hooked by early Marvel titles. Fantastic Four was my favorate but Spider-Man was a close second. The sixties was a great time to read comics. I remember Stan for “Stan’s Soapbox” a monthly column on the Bullpen Bulletins page a creation of Stan he would always end what he had to say with his trademark phrase “Excelsior!” (which is also the New York state motto). He had a relationship with the public that few writers and comic creators ever established. You felt like Stan was a regular guy, one of us. Stan Lee introduced the practice of including a credit panel on the splash page of each story, naming not just the writer and penciller but also the inker and letterer. And his Bullpen Bulletins gave regular news about Marvel staff members and upcoming storylines. Very friendly to readers.
The “Marvel style” of comic-book creation was very popular with those at Marvel, the writer would brainstorm with the artist then submit a brief synopsis for his guide. The artist would panel the art based on the synopsis, he would fill the allotted number of pages by determining and drawing the panel-to-panel storytelling. Then the writer (Stan Lee) would write the word balloons and captions, and then oversee the lettering and coloring. All creators had input in the final product. The artists were co-plotters, whose collaborative first drafts the writer built upon.
Marvel was a collaboration of great creators and artist that Stan worked with for many years. “Make mine Marvel” was the cry of many readers in the 60’s and 70’s eventually making Marvel the number one comic publishing company. Stan supported using comic books to provide some measure of social commentary about the real world, often dealing with racism and bigotry. He influenced the change in the Comics Code which permited negative depictions of drugs, among other new freedoms for comic creators.
He was the best working with the best for many years all I have to say about that is “Nuff Said”. We wish Stan well and hope he lives many more years to see the evolution of the comic world he helped create. See you at the comic shop. Stay tuned comic faithful for More. 
Walt
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Brightest Day – DC Comics
By Walt | January 22, 2010
After Blackest Night is Brightest Day
The series will run bi-weekly for 26 issues alternating with Justice League: Generation Lost written by Keith Giffen and Judd Winick. It will also be crossing over into the Green Lantern series, the Green Lantern Corps, Justice League of America, The Titans and a new The Flash series, which will have a “Brightest Day” banner. It was later announced that Gail Simone would return to the Birds of Prey comic book, which will also be under the same banner.
It has also been revealed that the Green Lantern series will have a lot more of characters like Atrocitus and Larfleeze in a story arc called “New Guardians”. The first issue, issue #0, will be penciled by Fernando Pasarin. Artist David Finch will illustrate the covers for the series.
Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi will be part of the creative team for this crossover block buster. Johns in an IGN interview says “Brightest Day is the next step in repositioning a lot of characters in the DC Universe and pushing them to the next level. A lot of the main characters we’ve seen in Blackest Night will continue on to Brightest Day, like Mera and the Atom.”
I am convinced that Geoff Johns is a great writer in the same class as Brian Michael Bendis on the Marvel side. Remarkable talent directing the fate of the DC Universe and I hope making the backgroung for something special in comic writing. I hope one day we will look back on this time in comics and say WOW was that GOOD. See you at the comic shop. Stay tuned comic faithful for More. Walt
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Siege – Brian Michael Bendis
By Walt | January 18, 2010
Probably one of the greatest minds in comicdom is Brian Michael Bendis. His take over of Marvel is almost complete. The last seven years has brought us to the culmination of a story of monumental proportions to the Marvel Universe. He has orchestrated all major story lines to the Siege of Asgard and the end of the Dark Reign to the Heroic Age at Marvel.
This was no easy matter to take the stories Avengers Disassembled, House of M, Decimation, Secret War, Civil War, All Avengers titles, World War Hulk, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, Thor, other titles, and finally Siege to mold the Marvel Universe. And what he has done with with Norman Osborn is brilliant. He has taken a washed up old Villain of Spider-Man and made him one of the most powerful men on earth. And his control of Sentry is amazing a madman leading a mentally disturbed Mega Powerful being. How this relationship will end is of interest to me. And his relationship with Ares the son of Zeus and the Olympian God of War and the other unstable characters in his Dark Avengers is mind blowing that he could hold that group together. And to put that with the group of Cabal of Doctor Doom, The Hood, Loki, Namor and Emma Frost a union which can’t last long with the personal interest of each. With Osborn trying to control this secret society of supervillains and antiheroes it can’t survive what is coming.
I have not seen such control of a story since the days of John Byrne, Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson and Peter David when they dominated the comic world. Well I for one will be there when the story ends with hope that there is a classic in the making. See you at the comic shop. Stay tuned comic faithful for More. Walt
Topics: Marvel | 1 Comment »
Comics 2009
By Walt | December 28, 2009
2009 was a interesting year in comics Captain America (Steve Rogers) appears
in New Avengers Annual in the last panel alive, the Red Hulk’s identity
has still not been revealed, Bruce Banner is still not able to turn into the
Hulk and is teaching his son to kick ass. 
Peter Parker and Mary Jane are still un-married, still have 4 Avengers titles, the Dark Reign story line is still going on. Thor has lost his Kingdom and kicked
out of Asgard. The Xmen are on an Island in the Pacific trying avoid Dark Reign control. This is just some of the action in the Marvel Universe.
On the DC side Batman (Bruce Wayne) is still dead, Dick Grayson has taken the Cowl of Batman, Superman is on the New Krypton as military Comander there, the
Justice League is redefining itself as a group of superheroes, the Flash (Barry Allen) has returned and is trying to find a place again as a superhero. And Green Lantern title has taken over the DC Universe through the Limited Series
Blackest Night which on the heals of Final Crisis will change the DC Universe as
we know it. Where have I heard that before?
Well as you can see in DC and Marvel you have two comic worlds in flux with writers having a good time shaking up the way things are. Brian Michael Bendis for Marvel seems to dominate the direction marvel is going right now with
the new series Siege coming in 2010 will end I think the Dark
Reign story line, seven years in the making. With that and the new story the Fall of the Hulksit will define Marvel in the way Bendis and Quesada have wanted for years. The public is waiting to see what the result will be.
And at DC Geoff Johns has to be the writer of the year for the story Blackest Night story line which will control the fate of the DC comic world for years to come. Change is the way they sell comics now. At 4 and 5 dollars per comic I wonder if we are getting our money’s worth. But that is for the
comic buyer to decide when the price gets too high it will not sell.
Geoff Johns has to be right up there as great writers with the domination of the DC Universe. Don’t quite know what direction he is going with the Blackest Night story line but can’t wait to see what will happen when it is concluded.
Maybe this is the year when the dust settles and we see what the Marvel and DC
universe look like. Enough with the Universe ending events. Lets get to the
interesting characters and relationships that make up the comic world great to
read. How about a good story and great art work within each comic title and let
us decide what is good entertainment. See you at the comic shop. Stay tuned
comic faithful for More Walt.
Topics: Comics in General | No Comments »
Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths Movie First Look
By Walt | October 8, 2009
I just bought Superman/Batman: Public Enemies loved the DVD now on sale I recommend it for those who love DC story well written and great art work, but my biggest surprise was the First Look Preview of Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths. I wanted to show my blog readers with a full video preview I think it is the only one on the net but I could be wrong. Check it out, Sorry will not work on Iphone Browser
Topics: DC Comics | No Comments »
Amazing Spider-Man She’s Back
By Walt | October 8, 2009
Mary Jane Watson
Peter Parker (Spider-Man) has a certain redhead in his life again Mary Jane Watson. Peter is surrounded by beautiful women but there is something special about Mary Jane. Oh yea, that’s right they were married and very much in love once upon a time. The “One More Day” storyline changed all that, Mary Jane sacrificed all that to save Aunt May’s life. Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage was erased from history and every-one’s memories by the demon Mephisto. Still wonder even in Marvel how Mephisto would have powers that great but that is Marvel’s problem not mine. Peter and Mary Jane made a deal with the Devil and Joe Quesada Editor and Chief got his wish a restart of the Spider-Man storyline. Very controversial the “One More Day” storyline was heavily criticized by reviewers and fans alike. I did not pick up the title again till the Dark Avenger’s storyline and Harry Osborn’s involvement in Spider-Man’s life.
From Newsarama Brandon Thomas, in review, felt that One More Day was “an incredibly well-told story.” He praised the writing, in particularly the morally ambiguous decision Peter has to make and the way he and Mary Jane deal with it together, as well as Quesada’s art, which he felt set the tone of “guilt, regret, and despair.” In regards to the change made in Spider-Man canon, he said, “Peter Parker being married really isn’t a vital component of the mythos” and that it allowed Marvel to make “big, sweeping changes to bring things slightly more into focus and back on message. I have to say that the “message” of a married superhero is a vital component of the Spider-Man mythos. Mary Jane and Peter have been through a lot of good and bad but still you knew that deep inside they were meant for each other. marriage is not a dirty word just like Sue and Richard of the Fantastic Four it is a growing real relationship and Peter can’t hop from one relationship to another he must grow up. In an other review Troy Brownfield felt that the storyline damaged Marvel continuity and Spider-Man’s decision was “selfish and childish,” not to mention “a big middle finger to the idea of marriage in comics.” He speculated preferable endings to the story before concluding, “As it stands, Peter, MJ, May . . . and the readers . . . all got a raw deal.
As comic reader maybe we did get “a raw deal” but I will hold out because the last part of One More Day story left you wondering if Mary Jane still remembers what Peter and her had once and is trying to get it back. Maybe they will become a love story again. Maybe Marvel is listening to comic readers or just trying to sell comics. It is my opinion they belong together. See you at the comic shop. Stay tuned comic faithful for More Walt.
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