DARK HORSE archive series cover material from several different publishers. They’re good about staggering different series from month to month, but when a collector is interested in as many series as I am, it can add up. This month’s solicitations include new volumes of Creepy, Archie and Space Family Robinson.
DC UNIVERSE: SECRET ORIGINS HC: Reprints Silver Age “80-Page Giants” Secret Origins, More Secret Origins, Even More Secret Origins and Weird Secret Origins. I’m ambivalent about this one. I have replica editions with cardstock covers of all four of those comics. Having them all between two covers and on a shelf instead of in a box sure would be nice, though.
THE DC UNIVERSE BY ALAN MOORE HC: I’m ambivalent about this one, too. I gave a pass to the tpb, but looking at the contents I see there are several comics in this collection I don’t own and have never before read. (The Omega Men #26-27, Vigilante #17-18, Voodoo #1-4, Deathblow: By Blows #1-3.) Again, a hardcover collection of these (and his better-known stories such as “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow” and “The Killing Joke”) sure would be nice.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE SPECTRE: I have the Golden Age Spectre Archives and have enjoyed the Fleisher/Aparo Adventure Comics series, but have grown tired of waiting for an archive edition of the Silver Age Spectre. This volume includes not only all ten issues of that series and the Adventure Comics series as well, but also Spectre appearances from Showcase, The Brave and the Bold, DC Comics Presents and Ghosts. Plus this series ought to look good in moody black and white.
BLONDIE, Vol 2: the first volume detailed the courtship of Blondie and Dagwood and culminated in their wedding. These strips, from 1933-1936, starts with the honeymoon, moving to surburbia, and introduce the elements that made Blondie famous: Mr. Dithers, Herb, Daisy, and Baby Dumpling.
SIMON & KIRBY: YOUNG ROMANCE: A no-brainer for me.
NANCY DAILIES: 1943-1945: I remember Nancy from when I was a kid, and thought it was quite stupid, frankly. Yet in more recent years it has developed something of a cult following, and fans “began to realize that Bushmiller’s art approached its own kind of cartoon perfection and often achieved a striking zen quality.” What did I miss?
THE PHANTOM: THE COMPLETE KING YEARS: Following up The Phantom: The Complete Gold Key Years. Along with the collections of daily comic strip, I’ll soon have a quite nice collection of Phantom comics.
SMOKEY STOVER: Another strip I remember from when I was a kid. I don’t recall much about it, only that I liked it. This collection of Sundays covers the strips entire existence.
DOCTOR WHO: THE LOST TV EPISODES COLLECTION THREE: 1966-1967: Man, have I been looking forward to this! I really enjoyed sets one and two, and this one features the transition from the First to the Second Doctor. Episodes include: The Smugglers, The Tenth Planet, The Power of the Daleks, The Highlanders, The Underwater Menace and The Moonbase.
WILLIAM SHATTNER: SEEKING MAJOR TOM: I sincerely enjoyed Shatner’s 2004 album, Has Been. This one is a heavy metal concept album featuring 18 covers of mostly space-themed rock songs such as “She Blinded Me With Science,” “Learn to Fly” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Peter Frampton and Mike Inez are confirmed guests, with rumors of participation of Bootsy Collins, Yes’ Steve Howe, Deep Purple’s Ian Paice, and Queen’s Brian May.
NANCY DAILIES: 1943-1945: I remember Nancy from when I was a kid, and thought it was quite stupid, frankly. Yet in more recent years it has developed something of a cult following, and fans “began to realize that Bushmiller’s art approached its own kind of cartoon perfection and often achieved a striking zen quality.” What did I miss?
I’ve heard of “Five Card Nancy” before but I’ve never seen so explicit a set of instructions. I’ve hard-copied them to keep with this volume, but I can assure you I won’t be cutting it up! A similar game can be played with Garfiel (I think there’s a web-site), or, one can read it sans Garfield’s thought balloons so it’s just a sad, pathetic man, alone, talking to his cat.
Oh! The rules say that "Only prime Ernie Bushmiller Mancy strips will do, say from 1946 onward," and this volume collects 1943-1945. :(
Replies
DC UNIVERSE: SECRET ORIGINS HC: Reprints Silver Age “80-Page Giants” Secret Origins, More Secret Origins, Even More Secret Origins and Weird Secret Origins. I’m ambivalent about this one. I have replica editions with cardstock covers of all four of those comics. Having them all between two covers and on a shelf instead of in a box sure would be nice, though.
THE DC UNIVERSE BY ALAN MOORE HC: I’m ambivalent about this one, too. I gave a pass to the tpb, but looking at the contents I see there are several comics in this collection I don’t own and have never before read. (The Omega Men #26-27, Vigilante #17-18, Voodoo #1-4, Deathblow: By Blows #1-3.) Again, a hardcover collection of these (and his better-known stories such as “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow” and “The Killing Joke”) sure would be nice.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE SPECTRE: I have the Golden Age Spectre Archives and have enjoyed the Fleisher/Aparo Adventure Comics series, but have grown tired of waiting for an archive edition of the Silver Age Spectre. This volume includes not only all ten issues of that series and the Adventure Comics series as well, but also Spectre appearances from Showcase, The Brave and the Bold, DC Comics Presents and Ghosts. Plus this series ought to look good in moody black and white.
BLONDIE, Vol 2: the first volume detailed the courtship of Blondie and Dagwood and culminated in their wedding. These strips, from 1933-1936, starts with the honeymoon, moving to surburbia, and introduce the elements that made Blondie famous: Mr. Dithers, Herb, Daisy, and Baby Dumpling.
SIMON & KIRBY: YOUNG ROMANCE: A no-brainer for me.
NANCY DAILIES: 1943-1945: I remember Nancy from when I was a kid, and thought it was quite stupid, frankly. Yet in more recent years it has developed something of a cult following, and fans “began to realize that Bushmiller’s art approached its own kind of cartoon perfection and often achieved a striking zen quality.” What did I miss?
THE PHANTOM: THE COMPLETE KING YEARS: Following up The Phantom: The Complete Gold Key Years. Along with the collections of daily comic strip, I’ll soon have a quite nice collection of Phantom comics.
SMOKEY STOVER: Another strip I remember from when I was a kid. I don’t recall much about it, only that I liked it. This collection of Sundays covers the strips entire existence.
DOCTOR WHO: THE LOST TV EPISODES COLLECTION THREE: 1966-1967: Man, have I been looking forward to this! I really enjoyed sets one and two, and this one features the transition from the First to the Second Doctor. Episodes include: The Smugglers, The Tenth Planet, The Power of the Daleks, The Highlanders, The Underwater Menace and The Moonbase.
WILLIAM SHATTNER: SEEKING MAJOR TOM: I sincerely enjoyed Shatner’s 2004 album, Has Been. This one is a heavy metal concept album featuring 18 covers of mostly space-themed rock songs such as “She Blinded Me With Science,” “Learn to Fly” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Peter Frampton and Mike Inez are confirmed guests, with rumors of participation of Bootsy Collins, Yes’ Steve Howe, Deep Purple’s Ian Paice, and Queen’s Brian May.
NANCY DAILIES: 1943-1945: I remember Nancy from when I was a kid, and thought it was quite stupid, frankly. Yet in more recent years it has developed something of a cult following, and fans “began to realize that Bushmiller’s art approached its own kind of cartoon perfection and often achieved a striking zen quality.” What did I miss?
What did you miss? Five Card Nancy says it all.
I’ve heard of “Five Card Nancy” before but I’ve never seen so explicit a set of instructions. I’ve hard-copied them to keep with this volume, but I can assure you I won’t be cutting it up! A similar game can be played with Garfiel (I think there’s a web-site), or, one can read it sans Garfield’s thought balloons so it’s just a sad, pathetic man, alone, talking to his cat.
Oh! The rules say that "Only prime Ernie Bushmiller Mancy strips will do, say from 1946 onward," and this volume collects 1943-1945. :(