Thunder Agents #20 - Wally Wood reprints

T.h.u.n.d.e.r. Agents #4, 1969 - In an issue comprised mostly of reprints, the most noteworthy contents are three Wally Wood tales published earlier in the series. "Red Dragon" and "Noman Faces the Amazing Threat of Vibraman" come from Thunder Agents #3, while "Return of the Iron Maiden" originated in Thunder Agents #4. Other artists in this issue include Chic Stone (art & cover). See today's posts or more Wood or Thunder Agents issues. See also this blog's Wood checklist.
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Iron Man #243 - Barry Windsor Smith art

Iron Man #243, 1989 - With Tony Stark hospitalized due to a gunshot wound, the plot revolves around Iron Man's many supporting characters. Bob Layton does a decent job with the pencils, but it's Barry Smith's inks that elevate the artwork. Sophisticated and detailed, the artist's finishes evoke a neo-classical look and feel. While less spectacular than his previous work on Iron Man #232, the effort nonetheless meets expectations. Bob Layton is the cover artist. This is number 3 of 3 Iron Man issues with Smith art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Smith or Iron Man issues. See also this blog's Smith checklist.
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"Heartbeaten" Smith story inks 21 pages = ***
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Kamandi #4 - Jack Kirby art & cover

Kamandi #4, 1973 - Captured by gorilla soldiers, Kamandi finds an unlikely ally in Prince Tuftan, a fellow prisoner from the army of tigers. Aside from his usually splendid two-page spread, Jack Kirby shows his humorous side as the title character reads a withering copy of Demon #1 in the first scene. As seen on the splash above, the action is constant and intense throughout most of the book. Note how much more dynamic Kirby's page is compared to the same scene on the cover. This is number 4 of 40 Kamandi issues with Kirby art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Kirby or Kamandi issues.
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Kirby cover pencils (Mike Royer inks) = ***
"The Devil's Arena" Kirby story pencils (Mike Royer inks) 22 pages = ****
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Outlaw Kid - comic series checklist

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Outlaw Kid v1
Atlas
1954-57

8 - Al Williamson art

(more to come)

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Outlaw Kid v2
Marvel
1970-75

(more to come)

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See today's posts, more series checklists or the master list of series. See also this blog's artist checklists, top 10 lists or readers polls.

Heroic Comics #35 - Alex Toth art

Heroic Comics #35, 1946 - Early in his career, Alex Toth contributed to this series comprised of true life stories. Each tale ranged from one to several pages, usually no longer than five. The two Toth stories that reside here are fairly primitive. The artist has yet to master the visual storytelling skills of his later works and the page layouts are frankly quite poor. The first story's opening panel suffers from minimal effort, and the second gives the impression of repetitive panels. See today's posts or more Toth or Heroic Comics issues. See also this blog's Toth checklist.
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"The Switchboard Heroine" Toth story pencils and inks 5 pages = *
"The Heroic Traffic Cop " Toth story pencils and inks 4 pages = *
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