Recently, the clerk at my local comic book shop ordered in a copy of Spiderman Blue, and then proceded to parade it around in front of my eyes.
I recall this, and other Marvel "color themed mini-series" coming out some years ago... Hulk "Grey",
Cap "White", Daredevil "Yellow"... but didn't pick them up.
Can someone describe what the flavor of these series were? Was it just a marketing gimick or were they important stories?
Also, I'm under the impression that Spiderman Blue somehow fits into and around continuity of Silver Age Spiderman, circa Amazing Spiderman #38-49 or so. These would be the first ten or so issues drawn by John Romita senior.
Is this correct? And is there a particular reason for this mini-series to be positioned during that time period?
Any help would be appreciated as I try to determine if I should invest in this trade he's holding in front of me...
Replies
Well, the main thing they have going for them is that they are by the same writer/art team that produced Superman for All Seasons (very good and also possibly helped inspire 'Smallville'.) and Batman 'The Long Hallowe'en" (Not bad at all)
Sadly, writer Loeb's standing as a writer since tends to show that a lot of the strength of these books might be down to artist Tim Sale.
Tim Sale was the artist who supplied most of the comicbook art you might have seen in the TV series Heroes, by the way.
Of their Marvel collaborations, I've only read Hulk - Gray. It goes back to one of the earliest meetings between Hulk and Iron Man (that wasn't shown in a comic previously) Iron Man is in his big clunky Ned Kelly suit, which is always worth a wee look.
Tony's persona in it might be somewhat influenced by his Civil War and onwards portrayal.
I haven't read the other Loeb/Sale 'Color' books. Loebs writing tends to be thin on event and dialogue, so there is probably as much action and characterisation in the six issues of Hulk- Gray as in one issue of an actual SIlver Age Marvel comic. But Sale is a fine artist, so...
As for Daredevil Yellow and Spider-Man Blue, I'd have to guess that, like every return to the Silver/Bronze Age story since about 1995, the era they are looking back on won't be the same as true Silver/Bronze Age fans remember it.
Spider-Man Blue is all about Gwen Stacey, and could be very good if they managed to hit the right emotional and nostalgic buttons. I'd like to read it someday myself.
Isn't there one of these books labeled 'Red' too?
Don't know.
But thank you for the insight into Hulk-Gray! (PS: What's a Ned Kelly suit?... obviously the big gray tin can prior to being painted into the Golden Avenger, but what's the Ned Kelly reference? I'm stumped.)
Figserello said:
Ned Kelly's homemade suit of iron armour:
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I read the first issue of Spider-man Blue when it came out but never got around to getting the other issues. It was good though. It is about Peter and Gwen. It had it's share of action too though. The first issue involved Peter fighting the Green Goblin and realizing he's Norman Osborn.
I believe that Daredevil Yellow was the first of the Loeb/Sale Marvel Color books. I think it was about Daredevil and his relationship with his secretary.
I have been meaning to get the rest of the Spider-man Blue series though. From what I read it's a well done series.
Figserello said:
All of the "color" series were rehashes retellings of early stories in the respective character's life. They're "important" stories in that if you haven't seen them before, then they're new to you!
The only ones I read Daredevil: Yellow and Hulk: Gray.
Philip Portelli said:
I think Captain America White (6 issues like the others) was going to be about Cap and Bucky in WWII, and then Brubaker began doing his own version of Cap and Bucky of that era, and perhaps their was a contradiction between the two that meant Marvel had to side with the story attached to Bubaker's popular ongoing monthly.
I picked them all up at cons in the bargain bins in the past few years (although I already had the DD issues). As has been noted, I think they're most interesting for Sale's artwork, which has a very distinctive style to it that shows the original scenes in new ways. I enjoyed them mostly for that, but I don't remember any of the stories disrupting the previous continuity.
If you like Sales' artwork--and I do a lot--they're worth checking out on eBay or at discount bins at cons. You won't be missing anything groundbreaking or revisionary if you don't find them, though.Your interest in them may depend on which characters you like the best.
-- MSA
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