Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #16 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the 15th issue of Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, the super spy was killed off by a gun-toting assassin named Bullseye. The death of Nick Fury marked the end of the spygame comic despite a 'To Be Continued' tagline. 

However, fans would soon learn that you can't keep a good spy dead for long as Fury would reappear in the pages of Avengers #72 a year later in 1970. Obviously, Bullseye didn't off Nick Fury. It was one of those handy-dandy Life Model Decoys that kicked the bucket. (A small aside. Has there ever been a storyline where a LMD thought it really was Nick Fury and once faced with the real McCoy the android went berserk and took over for the director of SHIELD? That would be an awesome story! If it has been done; where do I find this amazing tale?)

At about the same time Nick's death was being addressed with the Avengers, Marvel decided to bring back Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD. Instead of a new volume starting at issue #1, the House of Ideas decided to continue on with issue #16. However instead of rehashing what occurred in Avengers #72, Marvel inexplicably decided to reprint a trio of Fury's very first SHIELD story line with material that appeared in Strange Tales #135-138.  Featuring scripts by Stan Lee, plotting and layouts by Jack Kirby and final art by John Severin. Let's not forget lettering by 'Artful' Artie Simek! Issues 17 and 18 contained reprinted material from Strange Tales as well. The only new material were the covers. Marie Severin penciled this cover as well as #17. Big brother John assisted Herb Trimpe for the finale cover.

If these 3 issues were Marvel's ways of testing the waters for interest in a new SHIELD, it didn't work. After a decade that saw a glut of super spy and Cold War clock & dagger properties, the 1970s signaled an cooling off period for the genre. Nick Fury would pop up in other titles, especially the pages of Captain America. He'd also partake a few solo missions in some of Marvel's showcase series. 

With the Reagan 80s bringing the Cold War into the 21st century and beyond with futuristic programs like Star Wars, interest in the clandestine adventures of Col. Fury and SHIELD reignited. He took on SHIELD after discovering the agency had been corrupted by ROXXON in Nick Fury Vs SHIELD. Then in 1989, Fury starred in his first of 3 graphic novel team ups with the X-Man Wolverine while also starring in the third Volume of Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD ( volume 2 was another reprint series) which ran for 47 issues.

Classics. But when I bought this I was hoping for the rest of the story. Not reprints.

Completing this review completes Task #9 (With the Word 'Agent' in the Title) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Muppet Babies #7 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Jim Henson's Muppet Babies was an animated Saturday morning TV show that aired on CBS from 1984-1991. The series marked the first time that Henson's trademarked puppets appeared in animated form. Whereas Sesame Street focused on education and the more adult The Muppet Show was a tribute to vaudeville and variety shows, Muppet Babies was all about wonder!

Baby versions of Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo and Miss Piggy used their imaginations to make-believe their way through a nursery full of fun. Adventures included a trip to the zoo, adventures through their favorite story books and visits with their future selves as Hollywood stars! Just as with the other Muppet shows, music was a big part of the show with at least 1 big musical number per episode. Over the span of 8 seasons, 107 episodes aired.

One thing that made the Muppet Babies different from other cartoons was how it integrated live-action material. For example, on at least 3 occasions, Gonzo or one of the other characters would open the closet door to their nursery to reveal a roaring TIE fighter from the Star Wars franchise. Clips of Darth Vader, Slimer from Ghostbusters and famous celebrities of the day would appear in unusual places in the nursery, interacting with the ingenious tykes. 

Many of the characters from the Muppet Show would appear as younger animated versions of themselves. Curmudgeons Statler and Waldorf would visit as the uncles of the babies' unrevealed Nanny, voiced by TV's Mrs. Cleaver, Barbara Billingsley. Other voice talents included Howie Mandel (St. Elsewhere), Dave Coulier (Full House) and Frank Welker (Scooby-Doo) A pre-teen Janice from Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band would babysit when Nanny needed a night off. Kermit's nephew Robin would stop by as a tadpole nestled within a tiny glass bowl. And play dates, such as the one that occurs in this issue, would be scheduled with youngsters such as Bunsen and Beaker.

The single story of this issue starts off with Fozzie running some of his jokes by the rest of the Muppet Babies when Bunsen and Beaker arrive for another day of fun. Bunsen notices that everyone knows Fozzie's stand-up routine by heart. So the aspiring junior scientist offers Fozzie an experimental hat that will help the comedic bear think up some more jokes. Unfortunately, Bunsen gave Fozzie his experimental time travel hat. 

Flying backwards through time, Fozzie keeps running into his ancestors and ruining their punchlines! Join Fozzie and his Muppet buddies as they learn about comedy from the time of Napoleon to Hannibal's crossing of the Alp and ultimately; the prehistoric era!

The Muppet Babies comic book was part of Marvel's Star Comics imprint for young readers. The comic book ran bi-monthly from 1985-89 for 26 issues. The last 9 issues were Marvel releases as Star Comics was shuttered by May of 1988. In 2018, Disney rebooted Muppet Babies as an all-new computer generated series. The new version aired on Disney Junior until 2022 with a total of 71 episodes. 

Muppet Babies #7 was written by Stan Kay (Planet Terry). This issue was penciled, inked and colored by Marie Severin (Spoof).

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #17 (A Star Comic: Marvel Imprint) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Marvel Comics Mini-Books Collectible Box-Set

This deluxe box set collects over-sized facsimiles of the 6 Marvel mini-books kids could get out of bubblegum machines way back in 1966. The original mini-books were barely the size of a postage stamp and yet they were each 48-pages in length!

The stars of the 6 minis were Sgt. Nick Fury, The Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, Millie the Model, The Mighty Thor and The Incredible Hulk. (Note that the order in which I listed these characters is also the rating I give of the 6 books from best to worst). Licensed by anow defunct tiny novelty company based in Chicago, Il., not a lot is known about the production of these little reads. Mark Evanier (Garfield: TV or Not TV?) does a very good job of recording what he knows in the 7th book in this collection, Marvel Comic Mini-Books: A Mini-History. 

Evanier makes a very good point that many of the artists and writers who might have been behind this project have passed away. Evanier was able to determine that Marie Severin (Not Brand Ecch) was behind the Sgt. Nick Fury story. I also think the Thor and Hulk stories were drawn by her. Mark Evanier also reveals that Denny O'Neil was the writer of the Captain America book.

The main problem I had with Mark Evanier's book is something that probably wasn't even his fault. The history book contains reprints of the 6 books in their original size form. If you read that book first, it spoils the reading of the 6 books, which were what you paid hard earned money for. So if you ever get your hands on this beautiful set, read the supplemental book LAST!

This was a product of its time. Marvel was way behind DC in terms of marketing its big name faces. One might wonder why Millie the Model got included in this set. In 1966, Millie starred in no less than 3 monthly titles. Plus, having a book starring a female character was a smart way to ensure that it wasn't just the boys who spent their allowances on a chance to snag one of these treasures.

While the books themselves are looked at as collector items, not every book is a classic. The Hulk book doubles as a goofy joke book. Plus, the Mean Green Machine talks more like when he's the intellectual Grey Hulk than his regular speak in monosyllable when verde. The Thor book was pretty good. It just had some rather odd looking artwork, the ending was silly and the God of Thunder is really more of a minor character than the star. The Millie book started off with a rather clever story. But the second half devolves into an outdated list of beauty tip cliches.

I thought Nick Fury's story was fantastic. It was a clever mystery tale about the Howling Commandos attempting to rescue a missing general somewhere in Nazi occupied France. Captain America's story is a spy thriller comprised of some goofy named fiends. But full of action. The Spider-Man story was silly. But then 1960s Spidey was pretty silly himself. Plus that story guest-stars a certain caped character from the Distinguished Competition. 

I really didn't know the hardback versions of these books existed. I knew of the minis from '66. But I'm not willing to pay $30 for such a tiny book. (Heck, I'm not willing to pay $30 on a regular comic unless I determine it to be an amazing deal!) But I found the whole set at a book store used for only $15. That deal was a freakin' steal!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Mini Books: Sgt. Nick Fury (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Imagine it's the spring of 1966. You're with mom at the local grocery mart and you run across a spinner rack full of comic books. Mom's not willing to pay 12 cents for the latest adventures of the Fantastic Four or Iron Man, so you continue with the shopping trip. You're a bit miffed but you move on...

After mom checks out, you exit the store, coming across the vending machines. Glistening in chrome and cherry red paint, there's an assortment of gumballs, jawbreakers, and fake mood rings ranging in price from a nickel to a quarter. And there you see it! A mini-Marvel comic book starring your favorite characters for only 10 cents! Spider-Man! The Hulk! Thor! Captain America! Sgt. Nick Fury! Even Millie the Model! Marvel Comics is the hot thing right now and you've got to have it!

Feeling a little bad that she said no to that comic book you weren't allowed to purchase, mom digs into her purse and hands you a dime. You place the coin into the slot and eagerly twist the dial. As the trinkets rumble inside the machine, your mind races in speculation as to which book you will get. Then the tumbling stops and the tiny 'egg' rolls down into your hands. At this point, you'll take the Millie book. You just want the bragging rights to being the first kid on your block to have one of these Marvel minis. And then the prize falls into your hands and you discover that you got... a whistle!!!

Chicago, Illinois' Creative House Promotions, INC. was behind the sale of these mini comics. The 6 books were less than the size of the average postage stamp and had 48 pages of story and art. There's a great debate over whether these books are in fact the World's Smallest Comic Books since the format of the stories are more like picture books than works of sequential art. 

Fans can also argue that the Marvel Mini Books were the first comics to have variant covers. Each mini came in 6 differing covers- orange, green, red, yellow, blue & lime- but the interiors were always the same. There are some error covers floating around with patterns of dots and strange lines on the front. However, they don't seem to be any more or less valuable than the solid color covers. 

The Marvel Mini Books were held together along the left side spine with a rubber glue similar to what holds together memo pads. The tiny size of the books made it impossible to read these rather thick books without damaging the spine and causing pages to fall out. Thus, a Marvel Mini Book in flawless condition is considered a grail find while the discovery of such a book held together by clear scotch tape would be gladly accepted by many a collector.

Just who wrote and illustrated these books is a bit of a mini mystery. Marie Severin (Not Brand Echh) was known to have illustrated a couple of these including the Sgt. Nick Fury book which was regularly drawn by Marie's big brother, John Severin. Writer Mark Evanier in the book Marvel Comic Mini-Books: A Mini-History got a confession out of Denny O'Neil (Batman) as being the writer of the Captain America tale. But as for the other 5 books, former Marvel EIC Roy Thomas confides that neither Stan Lee nor himself wrote any of the minis. 

Though C.H.P. would advertise all 6 Marvel titles as being available for only a dime, kids had to sift through other assorted junk like rings, plastic toy animals and even other mini books. In 1965, C.H.P. produced a line of 6 mini books devoted to jokes. Monster Laffs, Silly Willies and Wise Qwaks were just a few of the joke books that became filler in the Marvel Minis vending machines. A 'Stan's Soapbox' issued in all of the April, 1966 Marvel titles proclaimed that an astounding 10 million mini books were produced. C.H.P. apparently had a lot left over because by 1967, Marvel's fan club, The Merry Marvel Marching Society, started giving the minis away as part of their membership kits. Later, some discount stores started selling cake decorations with both the Marvel minis and the joke books affixed with glue.

The Sgt. Nick Fury book is essentially 2 stories in one. The first half of the book titled 'The Mirror Image' was about Nick's role with the Allied Forces during World War II. The second half of this book has Fury's Howling Commandos going behind enemy lines to rescue a general being held as a prisoner of war. 

For a veteran collector to enjoy these books, a magnifying glass is needed. The print is small and smudgy. C.H.P.'s quality was questionable and yet this is what you'd expect for only 10 cents. As for why Millie the Model was a part of this series, one has to remember that in 1966, Marvel was producing no less than 3 books starring Millie. Plus, to include the chance to win a Millie mini was a smart way to attract girl customers to spending their money on these books. 

A rare book that one should expect to pay a lot of money for if you weren't lucky enough to get out of the vending machine way back in 1966. As for the whistle you won, the only value it has is sentimental. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #2 (Comic from the Silver Age (1956-1970)) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

ALF Holiday Special #1

Right around 1988-1991 ALF ruled the world. The sitcom about a furry Alien Life Form that crashed into the garage of the unassuming Tanner family was great for kids. But when you get older, you notice how insipid the whole thing was. 

The idea behind the show was that the Tanners wanted to protect ALF from being turned into a lab experiment by the US government. But boy, was ALF rude and crude and implusive. I really think after a week, I would have turned him in myself. 

ALF's downfall was that because he needed to be hid from the world; and so he was limited to just the property of the Tanner household. Yet in some strokes of genius with this holiday special, ALF was able to trek out in public.

In one story, the mom Kate takes ALF Christmas shopping by having the fuzzball pose as a toy. As with any holiday shopping, there's chaos and ALF gets separated from Kate. Things go from bad to worse when somebody accidentally mistakes ALF as being on sale. Now it's up to Kate to save the day! 

Another story has the Tanners taking ALF on a holiday ski trip. With enough coats and scarfs, nobody can tell that there is an extraterrestrial underneath all those layers. It's up to ALF to save the day when an avalanche snows the family in!

Lastly, this issue is truly a holiday special as the final story is set at New Year's Eve. Once again, ALF can't mingle with the guests. But when each of the Tanner family comes to check on the little guy, they end up having more fun with him than their neighbors. 

There were a few other stories in this comic book. But those 3 were the highlights. Compared to the TV series, this was way more enjoyable. The scripting by Michael Gallagher featured dialogue just as lame as in the show. But the stories were more creative. The art was cartoony. But for a kids comic, it's not bad. E.C. Comics legend Marie Severin does several assists while Dave Manak (Bullwinkle & Rocky) is the main feature artist.

When you want to add a little bit of the 80s to your holiday reads, this is right up there as a main choice. It's not Shakespeare. I guess that's not a bad thing. I mean whoever thinks of Shakespeare as a holiday go to?

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Arrgh! #2

Day 2 of my Halloween countdown reads is a 1975 humor book from Marvel. During the 70s, the House of Ideas had the idea to publish several comedy related titles. Crazy, perhaps the most famous of the releases, was a magazine kin to MAD and Cracked. Not quite 70s Not Brand Ecch spoofed the company's super heroes. Aptly titled Spoof was designed to poke fun at TV and movies. And then there was Arrgh!

Arrgh! took on horror. Dracula. Frankenstein and his monster. King Kong. The Wolfman and the Mummy. Nobody in the realm of the creepy and crawly was safe from the likes of Roy Thomas, Marie Severin, Tom Sutton, Mike Sekowsky, Don Glut and others. When it came to this issue, unfortunately, the readers weren't safe either.

I own 3 issues of this series which lasted only 5 issues. I chose the beautifully silly cover penciled by EC Comics legend Marie Severin. It shows a trio of Universal Studios icons poking through the fourth wall into a theater of goofballs. I really thought I was in for a Bronze Age treat.

Once you open the pages, that great treat turns out to be a trick. The first story has a guy obsessed with late night horror movies on TV getting literally sucked into the action. It's a predictable story with bad jokes and lame parodies. For some reason, all of the characters have spoofed names which for characters in the public domain just doesn't make sense.

The middle tale had the most promise. A man living in a slum has a major roach problem. In the man's fervor to get rid of the bugs, he turns to a late night exterminator for help. Only there's a twist to just who this Orkin Man is there to get rid of. 

Lastly, in a very silly modern retelling of Frankenstein, the monster's criminal brain is replaced with a childlike brain. The prose was disjointed and the over-sexualized young girl that Frank becomes friends with was off-putting. 

Like I said, the middle story was the best one. It reminded me a lot of that story in Creepshow where the mean old man with a fear of roaches seals himself off in a hermetically sealed bunker. I wouldn't be surprised if known comic book lover Stephen King maybe read this Marvel story and was inspired by it. 

I wonder if that bug story with it's lack of humor was the reason that piece was the best. Tom Sutton (Vampirella) wrote all 3 stories here. And his just doesn't seem to have that right sense of humor. But his true horror take is quite good. I think if I hadn't accidentally spoiled the ending with a over thumb of the next to last page, that story would have been all that much better. Having the twist ending on the right and not on the left really harmed the reveal. You'd think EC vet Severin would've advised on that. But maybe the cover artist was only relegated to the cover.

An interesting look at an almost forgotten piece of Marvel Comics history that just fails at it's main premise: comedic horror.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

The Big Book of the 70s

Marie Severin, Rick Geary, Joe Orlando and dozens more fan favorite artists bring the 1970s back to life in The Big Book of the 70s.

While not everything that made the 70s my favorite decade is adequately covered in this book, there's a lot of biggies here. The Pet Rock. Watergate. Vietnam. Punk and Disco. This book is supposed to be about 1970-1979. Yet, a good portion of this book looks at the years that led to the Me-Decade as well as the aftermath of the decades that followed. But then again, any history book worth it's salt must focus on both the cause and effects of history!

I did learn a lot about things of the 70s that I knew very little to nothing about. Things like how the Sex Pistols got their name. Just who is Gary Gilmore? And there was tons of fun facts peppered throughout this book.

I wasn't such a big fan of the writing. The Witching's Jonathan Vankin does a good job at presenting the facts. But he puts too much of his own commentary into the book. I was quite surprised how anti-Jerry Brown the author is. Same with Jimmy Carter. But he really skewers Reagan and portrays the 80s icon as a demon. Quite unfairly, I must say...

One subject I was surprised is absent here was the rise of the gay community. Harvey Milk is completely absent from this book. There's also nothing about the Black Panthers. And this has got to be the first book I've ever read that covers the 1970s and doesn't dip it's toe into the sensationalism that is Jim Jones and the Jonestown massacre! 

Maybe not the most complete look at 10 turbulent years in world history. But you learn things that have been glossed over in American history as well. I didn't know we had a meat shortage in the 70s and I am a professional chef.  But hey, we got to learn about the 1970s in graphic novel/comics form. And that's pretty groovy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: a very fitting 7 out of 10 stars.

Spoof #2

Parody has been a regular staple of Marvel Comics. These funny books usually haven't been met with much success. However titles like Not Brand Ecch and What The?! are considered cult classic fan favorites. This title is not one of them.

Spoof ran sporadically over the course of 1970-1973, producing

a grand total of 5 issues! The biggest draw for those few who still

remember this series were the covers. Featuring art by the great

EC Comics legend John Severin, these covers had amazing

caricatures of 1970s icons such as Blacula, Marcus Welby and

Richard Nixon.

Ironically, this issue, which I happen to purchase over Father's

Day weekend, was the only one that featured a single property

- a parody of the groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family. That

show starred Carrol O'Connor as the bigoted Archie Bunker.

Bunker would often tell people that he was through with them

with the send-off 'see you in the funny papers.' In this spoof, he

learns that life in the tumultuous 1970s might actually be better

than living in those Sunday Comics.

In this issue we've also got a glorious spoof on the anthology

horror film The Vault of Horror and the EC Comics that inspired

the movie. This one featured a story by future New Teen Titans

scribe Marv Wolfman and artwork by another EC alum, Marie

Severin (John's sister).

Lastly we've got a Tarzan spoof in which after years of living as

a domesticated lord, the King of the Jungle returns to deepest

darkest Africa. Only Tarzan finds that the continent has

modernized in his absence. This was the most political of the 3

stories. It was also my least favorite.

With artwork by both of the Severins, I feel that Spoof was

Marvel’s attempt to rival Cracked Magazine. But I know that isn’t

the case as both artists were frequent contributors to both

Marvel and Cracked at this time. Maybe this was just another of

Stan Lee’s flights of fancy that didn’t take off with the average

Marvel reader of the 1970s.

One thing is for sure, this book is about as borderline adult as you

can get in a Comics Code book. Look at Charlie Brown and

Nancy posed like Fritz the Cat and his girl on the top left corner.

Plus, there’s plenty of double entendres and blatant take about

sex, drugs and gettin’ naked.

Above all, this book was a flop because it couldn’t be produced

in a timely and consistent manner.

An interesting look at one of Marvel’s earliest duds. Not terrible

stuff. But definitely not ‘The Galactus Saga’ either. The art is

quite stunning however. I gotta say, I love those Severins!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

True Believers Star Wars Ewoks #1

Before the Porgs, the benchmark of cuteness in the Star Wars universe were the Ewoks. But since the late 1980s, those distant cousins have been anything but forgotten. Well, that's all changed this week as Marvel brings the little fur-balls back in a True Believers re-release for this Family Comic Friday Extra.

True Believers Star Wars Ewoks #1

Written by David Manak
Art by Warren Kremer
Inks by Marie Severin
Published by Marvel Comics
Retail: $1.00
Reprints Ewoks #1 (1986)

1985-1990 is generally known as the Star Wars dark ages. The original trilogy was completed. Star Wars: Droids, an animated series starring C-3PO and R2-D2 was a brief candle in the wind on the ABC Saturday morning line-up. Anything Star Wars being sold in stores was on the clearance shelves. If not for the break-out stars of Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks, Star Wars might not have encountered the resurgence it did in the 1990s and beyond.

As controversial as the Ewoks have been among Star Wars fans, there's no doubt that without them, we probably would never have gotten Episodes I-III or VII-IX. Along with a couple of TV movies from Disney, the Ewoks had a Saturday morning cartoon which spanned a couple of seasons. As a result, Wicket, his friends Teebo and Princess Kneesha were marketed out the wazoo as stuffed animals, t-shirts, pencils and comic books!

In the mid-80s, Marvel Comics operated a kid-friendly imprint called Star Comics. This legendary line contained a number of licensed titles such as Masters of the Universe, Spider-Ham and Madballs, which have become highly sought after collectibles. Both Star Wars: Droids and Ewoks were given the comic book treatment. Just as with the cartoons they were based on, Droids didn't last very long. But the Ewoks enjoyed a decent run of 14 issues over the course of 3 years.

True Believers Star Wars Ewoks #1 reprints the first issue of that 1980s adaptation. In it, Chief Chirpa's daughter, Princess Kneesha, has come down with a mysterious illness. The Ewoks' medicine man recalls a miraculous liquid that had amazing healing powers. But in order to obtain it, one must traverse a deadly gorge of fire.

After sneaking away a special jewel, Wicket and Teebo embark on journey to find more of the liquid. On their adventure, they'll encounter talking rocks, fierce trolls and other perils. The little heroes might even come across the miracle elixir. But will they be able to save their ailing friend in time?

There's two big time names in the creation of this book. The first is EIC, Jim Shooter. The wunderkind was responsible for the 1980s Marvel Renaissance and the big time crossovers Contest of Champions and Secret Wars. The other is inker, Marie Severin. A member of the original usual gang of idiots behind E.C. Comics and MAD Magazine, Severin was the co-creator of Spider-Woman and several memorable Howard the Duck characters.

Some astute older fans might recognize the name of illustrator Warren Kremer. A Harvey Comics staple, Kremer created Richie Rich and Hot Stuff the Little Devil.

In 2019, the Ewoks are a nearly forgotten part of Star Wars lore. Other than featuring in a chapter of last year's Tales From Vader's Castle, the Ewoks haven't been seen in any of the prequel or third trilogy films. With a hint that The Rise of Skywalker might return to Endor, that may all change.

So why not re-introduce the newest generation of Star Wars fans to the Ewoks?  With a cover price of only $1.00, this is book is quite friendly on the pocket book. And as Star Comics was approved for all-ages, there's nothing objectionable for Star Wars fans of any age! Then if the young reader in your life becomes a fan, check out Star Wars: Ewoks- Flight to Danger, which reprints the first 10 issues of the original Star Comics run.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

True Believers Star Wars Ewoks #1 debuted in print on May 1st, 2019.

Psychoanalysis

  Seeing that the days of crime and horror comics were over, William Gaines sought to move EC Comics into a ‘New Direction.’ It was a short lived attempt as fans didn't enjoy this neutered approach. Most of EC’s talent left for greener (and career- safer) pastures. The newly formed Comics Code Authority was censoring material with abandon. One such title that didn't survive the changing tides of the 1950s comics industry was Psychoanalysis!

    The premise of Psychoanalysis was pretty revolutionary. Each chapter revolved around a patient of an unnamed therapist know only as The Psychiatrist. In reality, psychotherapy takes months, even years, to complete. So the idea behind Psychoanalysis was that each patient’s story was supposed to be spread out anywhere from 3-5 issues per case study.

   Unfortunately, the Psychiatrist gave up his practice after only 4 issues. Thankfully Gaines had the insight to complete all of the patient's therapy before closing the doors on this series.
     
    Chronicling the patient's progress was Jack Kamen. He had built up a small following with his works on the horror titles of EC. Yet, he's also one of the most controversial talents on Gaines’ roster. A lot of EC fans hate his art style, calling it 2-dimensional. His most fervent detractors call him a rip-off artist of universally accepted fan favorite, Johnny Craig.

      I didn't mind the effort of Kamen with this series. Kamen was the difficult task of taking an experimental book and making in work at a time when the industry was crippled thanks to the Estes-Kefauver hearings on juvenile delinquency. The stories themselves were quite interesting- so much that I think my psychology major wife might enjoy them as well.

   The endings to each episode were a little hoo-hum for my liking. How exciting can you end a procedure that has the practice of finishing with the immortal words ‘I'm sorry, that's all the time we have for today.’

     I've been collecting EC titles since I was 11. So I can expertly say that Psychoanalysis is the most difficult of all of the EC titles ​to find in any media. I found this volume just this past May during my Free Comic Book Day excursions. Believe me when I say that I shouted out the words 'Dibs!’ and 'Mine!’ when I found this!

  This collection also contains an in-depth interview with one of my personal EC favorites, Marie Severin. Her account of time spent as a pioneering woman artist in the man's world of the 1950s comics industry was fascinating. Severins’s story would make a fantastic series on AMC or Netflix!

Psychoanalysis may not the most polished of EC works. But this series has been on my wish list for quite a while. It was a major Grail find! Very cerebral!

  Worth Consuming!

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Illustrated Books: Star Wars, Volume 1

  Last month at a comic book show in Raleigh, NC, I came across something that I never thought existed. It was one of the Marvel Illustrated Books from, you guessed it, Marvel Comics. This tiny pocket-sized paperback from 1981 contains 4 'never before published' comics from the original Marvel Star Wars series. 

    The book is near mint with pristine pages and the going price was $15. But, I managed to talk the dealer down to $10, mostly because he knew next to nothing about it and I promised I would do some research on this book and one day get back with him on it.
   
    I happen to have a complete run of the Marvel comic series under the Dark Horse trade title of 'Star Wars: A Long Time Age' and comparing every story from the adaptation of the first film up to the comic's version of Empire Strikes Back, again, it was confirmed that these are never before published Star Wars comics and perhaps the rarest of the bunch. 

Well, That last statement is partially true. Marvel Illustrated Books: Star Wars is comprised of 4 issues that for one reason or another, never made it into the actual series. They either didn't make a publication deadline or perhaps were rejected by Lucasfilm, who had final say over stories before they could be published by Marvel- IN THE STATES!!! (More on that shortly.)

   The first story called 'The Way of the Wookiee' takes place right before the events of Episode IV. In the prequel story, Han and Chewie pick up a shipment for Jabba the Hutt. However, when Chewbacca comes to the defense on an old Wookiee adversary, the smugglers find themselves betrayed by their spice distributor. 

    Then in another prequel tale, learn of how Princess Leia became adept with a blaster despite that her home planet of Alderaan forbids the use of weapons.

    The remaining two stories take place right after the destruction of the Death Star. First in 'the Day AFTER the Death Star' the Rebel Alliance almost loses their newest hero, when Luke Skywalker recklessly goes on a joyride to unwind from the post-celebration festivities. This was a really awesome story as in it, we learn the REAL reason Chewbacca didn't receive a medal in the final scene of Episode IV. 

    The final adventure is a very short one in which Luke must rescue Leia from Imperial forces on a diplomatic mission to a barren ice planet. I thought the main reason this story didn't see monthly publication status wasn't over length but because of the setting of the ice planet being too much like Hoth and Lucas might have been afraid that this might spoil what he had in store for Empire.
Turns out, I was wrong...

  Of the 4 tales in this book, 3 were published in the UK's Star Wars Weekly. It was common practice that if a story didn't make the cut by Lucasfilm, it wasn't scrapped but sent across the pond as the Marvel UK title wasn't restricted by the rules imposed by 20th Century Fox and George Lucas. The fourth story, about the ice planet, was short because it was the final chapter in a Star Wars serial published in the Marvel magazine Pizzazz, which was cancelled before this final chapter could see print. 

Speaking of rules, if you expect to see Darth Vader here, don't. Lucas was strict that the characters of Luke and Vader were not to met up prior to Episode V. But there is plenty of Imperial nasties and bounty hunters in this elusive Star Wars collection. A very enjoyable read with very good, but not great art, and fairly decent storytelling. As for rarity of this book, I was unable to find a copy at Milehighcomics.com and only one copy was available on eBay. Seller was asking for $55!

      Featuring artwork by Marvel/DC  legends Carmine Infantino, John Romita, Marie Severin, and Dave Cockrum along with being written and edited by Archie Goodwin and Jim Shooter this book is a Who's Who of some of the best talent to fill the bullpen at the House of Ideas in the late 70s. 

    Worth Consuming

     Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.