In yet another "search for one thing and find another" situation that seems to be all the rage here at the BLOG TO COMM orifice I've latched onto this particular book. A book that, about two or three years back, I thought would make for a good writeup if only to prove to you readers that I have a storied and way deeper appreciation of the finer things in life than many of you naysayers would dare admit. And given how at one time these old Marvel Comics were what one might call the apex of a not so fine and quite confused adolescence what better way to pay tribute to a youth that wasn't quite mis-spent, but mircomanaged to the point where I wouldn't have known enough to wipe my butt unless I had express permission from my parents to do so!
Of course this sequel ain't as good as Stan Lee's original ORIGINS collection from a year or so earlier. Personally I never found the likes of Daredevil or even the X-Men quite as exciting as the earlier breed of Marvel heroes, but at least this series (soon to be followed by BRING ON THE BAD GUYS, not in my collection) again scoops up those once-rare (and you try findin' one at an early-seventies flea market!) early Marvel stories back when that company was just trying to regain its balance after a series of mishaps. Not only that, but once again you get to read Lee tooting off the tried and true Marvel history probably making things up as he goes along as if any of us had the means to fact check him. Gee, aren't you guys lucky?
Still this one has some goodies, like the debuts of the '63-'64 Marvel just getting a grip on its success-era characters ('cept for Dr. Strange, who warranted an appearance in the first volume despite being a mid-'63 arrival) as well as a few later entries such as S.H.I.E.L.D. and THE SILVER SURFER in case you just got some windowpane and wanna stare at one of those panels for ten hours. Not only that, but like in the first edition a later-on story is also printed giving you an opportunity to see just how much these characters had evolved within a few short years. See the X-Men's Beast going from a cloddish Thing-alike to an obnoxious genius and Iron Man's costume changing so much that you can see just how the artists were trying to pass his chest dials off as nipples, those cagey guys!
Made for a good afternoon killer, and if you want any afternoons to kill you might wanna dig into fortysome years of collectible trash and try pullin' this 'un up from the stacks of apple cartons hidden all across the abode.
(((Stan Lee)))
ReplyDeleteFUN FACT! The original Iron Man, Tony Stark, died of the AIDS in 1985!
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