Battle Action #30 - Angelo Torres art

Battle Action #30, 1957 - During the throes of the Civil War, a Confederate general named Jubal A. Early comes close to striking distance of the White House. In his own mind, he imagines President Lincoln paralyzed with fear from the attack. AT illustrates the tale concisely and adequately. While a few panels are devoid of background, he takes on more complex panels teeming with rebel soldiers and hardware. Jay Scott Pike and George Woodbridge also make fine contributions in this issue. Gene Colan is credited with the intense Korean War-themed cover and accompanying story that immediately follows. This is number 2 of 2 Battle Action issues with Torres art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Torres or Battle Action issues. See also this blog's Angelo Torres checklist.
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"The Man Who was Scared" Torres story pencils and inks 4 pages = ***
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Scorpio Rose #1 - Marshall Rogers art & cover

Scorpio Rose #1, 1982 - Marshall Rogers teams up once again with writer Steve Englehart, creating two new occult characters. Scorpio Rose is a female gypsy turned sorceress while Doctor Orient follows the format of other seemingly ordinary men with mysterious and undefined powers. The lead story's two splashes are the highlight of the book, especially page 21's incorporation of a tarot card design. Tom Palmer, one of the industry's best inkers, has a style not quite compatible with Roger's pencils. Steve Leialoha's inks fare a bit better on the Dr. Orient tale, opening with a splash that is oddly similar to fellow artist Mike Grell. This is number 1 of 2 Scorpio Rose issues with Rogers art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Rogers or Scorpio Rose issues. See also this blog's Rogers checklist or Top 10 Rogers comics.
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Rogers cover pencils and inks = ***
"Scorpio Rose" Rogers story pencils (Tom Palmer inks) 22 pages = ***
"Dr. Orient" Rogers story pencils (Steve Leialoha inks) 8 pages = ***
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Captain America #106 - Jack Kirby art & cover

Captain America #106, 1968 - Jack Kirby continues his exceptional streak on this series, which is no surprise given he created the character. This cover, however, always baffled me due to its poor foreshortening. A replicate Steve Rogers threatens the real Cap, though it's not especially obvious until you read the interior story. The antagonist's arms and legs seem stunted, almost dwarf-like at first glance. Closer inspection helps clarifies that perception, but not by much. Of the twenty-plus superbly illustrated pages, Kirby inserts two splash pages, including a bombastic portrait of Captain America in mid-leap. This is number 7 of 34 Captain America issues with Kirby art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Kirby or Captain America issues.
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Kirby cover pencils (Syd Shores inks) = ****
"Cap Goes Wild" Kirby story pencils (Frank Giacoia inks) 25 pages = ****
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Out of This World v2 #4 - Steve Ditko art & cover

Out of This World v2 #4, 1957 - Steve Ditko's cleverly bisected cover defines the real world from an inter-dimensional one. The artist also contributes three stories, each in a slightly different approach. "Flying Dutchman" is the most straightforward, with a minimum of details. "From All Our Darkrooms" carries over the visually jarring, negative motif from the cover (see interior page above). While all three tales meet expectations, "The Conquered Earth" has the most visual appeal, benefiting from Ditko's unique treatment of spaceships, aliens and galaxies. This is number 2 of 11 Out of This World issues with Ditko art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Ditko or Out of This World issues. See also this blog's Ditko checklist.
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Ditko cover pencils and inks = ***
"From All Our Darkrooms" Ditko story pencils and inks 8 pages = ***
"Flying Dutchman" Ditko story pencils and inks 6 pages = ***
"The Conquered Earth" Ditko story pencils and inks 6 pages = ***
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Vampirella #90 - Alex Toth art, mis-attributed Alex Nino art

Vampirella magazine #90, 1971 - Located midway through the issue, a Pantha back-up tale has the unusual distinction of having inks by Alex Toth. Over the decades, the artist inked his own pencils but rarely inked others. Penciller Leo Duranova generally does a good job and interestingly, the pages are very Toth-like in their layout and pacing. The opening splash introduces the characters in an evening setting, their faces and figures lit by an outside streetlamp. It is strikingly beautiful in its division of light and shadow. The end result is an effort heavily dominated by Toth but to the story's ultimate benefit. No Alex Nino art, despite what some comic book price guides say. The artist's work does appear in Vampirella #59, 61, 67, 76 and 85. Other artists in this issue include Rudy Nebres and Alfredo Alcala. This is number 1 of 3 Vampirella issues with Toth art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Toth, Nino or Vampirella issues. See also this blog's Nino checklist.
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"Eye of Anubis" Toth story inks (Leo Duranova pencils) 12 pages = ***
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Marvel Team Up #55 - John Byrne art

Marvel Team-Up #55, 1977 - Spider-man is flung into outer space aboard a runaway rocket, arriving at the setting of his next adventure. He soon encounters an enlarged Warlock, a bronze age hero whose own (first) series ends around the same time period. John Byrne adequately handles the artistic chores, even inserting two splash pages for maximum effect. His opening splash is the story's highlight, depicting Spider-man surrounded by miniature supporting characters and villains. These hallucinations are brought on by the sudden change in gravity, and Byrne's execution is almost humorous in nature. The second splash logically introduces Warlock into the plot, but may also have been used to attract new readers to the character. This is number 3 of 22 Marvel Team-Up issues with Byrne art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Byrne or Marvel Team-Up issues.
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"Spider, Spider on the Moon" Byrne story pencils (Dave Hunt inks) 17 pages = **
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Two-Fisted Tales #20 - Wally Wood art

Two-Fisted Tales #20, 1951 - American paratroopers descend into France, fulfilling their mission for the D-Day invasion. The notions of bravery and cowardice are explored in this sumptuously drawn Wally Wood tale. Each panel gets progressively more detailed, overflowing with compelling visuals by the last few pages. The top panel on page three displays the sheer military might of the US with its plethora of tanks, airplanes, jeeps, soldiers, etc. The climax to a sergeant's flashback on page seven is deoivd of frames, effectively setting it apart for emphasis. Wood's masterful drawings continue to set high standards for EC and for the industry in general. Other story contributions include John Severin, Will Elder, Jack Davis and Harvey Kurtzman (who did the cover as well). This is number 3 of 18 Two-Fisted Tales issues with Wood art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Wood or Two-Fisted Tales issues. See also this blog's Wood checklist.
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"Devils in Baggy Pants" Wood story pencils and inks 7 pages = ****
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Predator vs Magnus Robot Fighter #2 - Barry Windsor Smith cover

Predator vs Magnus Robot Fighter #2, 1992 - In contrast to the previous cover, Barry Windsor Smith uses a lighter touch in his illustration. The dark and ominous tone has been replaced by solitude and spaciousness. The portraits of Magnus and a partially invisible Predator are oddly overlapped, leaving a large amount of negative space for the background. Not one of Smith's strongest compositions, but his superb rendering offers some compensation. This is number 2 of 2 Predator vs Magnus Robot Fighter issues with Smith art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Smith or Predator vs Magnus Robot Fighter issues. See also this blog's Smith checklist.
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Smith cover pencils and inks = ***
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Power Man and Iron Fist #73 - Frank Miller cover

Power Man #73, 1981 - Based on the Parker Brothers toy, Rom the Spaceknight makes a crossover appearance. Frank Miller's flat, minimal backdrop directs more attention to the figures, especially the triad of heroes below. However, the impressionistic rendition of a female figure gets lost, despite being the intended focal point. Other artists in this issue include Ricardo Villamonte and Greg LaRocque. This is number 7 of 9 Power Man issues with Miller art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Miller or Power Man issues. See also this blog's Miller checklist.
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Miller cover pencils and inks = **
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Weird War Tales #16 - Alex Nino art

Weird War Tales #16, 1971 - Two Alex Nino stories grace this bronze age war issue. The first depicts an alien invasion of Earth and begins with a stunning opening page. It is meticulously drawn on a level of detail not often seen in his 1970s work. Nino's second tale is set during World War Two, as American GIs encounter a gypsy boy with mysterious powers. The artist's layouts are bolder and more interesting, moving from rectangular to vertical to horizontal formats with ease. It's a rare opportuniity to see two different, yet similar approaches from the same artist within a single issue. Alfredo Alcala adroitly illustrates the lead story. This is number 4 of 9 Weird War Tales issues with Nino art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Nino or Weird War Tales issues. See also this blog's Alex Nino checklist.
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"The Conquerers" Nino story pencils and inks 8 pages = ***
"Evil Eye" Nino story pencils and inks 7 pages = ***
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Uncle Scrooge #26 - Carl Barks art & cover

Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge #26, 1959 - Uncle Scrooge and his entourage of ducks travel to the Andes, looking for the Incan goldmines mentioned by the Spanish explorer Pizarro. Carl Barks' splendid renditions of Conquistador and Incan attire are wonderful and convincing. A few unusually-shaped panels help break the monotony of a repetitive grid, and are used when certain scenes require more room (see interior page above). The bird's eye view of an ancient settlement at the bottom of page 12 effectively establishes not only the setting but a sense of scale and space. Two Barks shorts, including a Gyro Gearloose tale, accompany the lead feature and generally meet expectations. This is 26 of 70 Uncle Scrooge issues with Barks art and/or covers (not including reprints). See today's posts or more Barks, Disney or Uncle Scrooge issues.
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Barks cover pencils and inks = **
"The Prize of Pizarro" Barks story pencils and inks 20 pages = ****
"Krankenstein Gyro" Barks story pencils and inks 4 pages = ***
Uncle Scrooge untitled "Pizen Bluff" story Barks pencils and inks 6 pages = ***
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Marvel Team Up #54 - John Byrne art

Marvel Team-Up #54, 1977 - Spider-man's team-up with the Hulk and Woodgod concludes, beginning with one of Gil Kane's pervasive covers. As in the previous issue, a bold double page spread awaits the reader following the title page. John Byrne's layouts and general pacing are more confident, varying the panel grids and placement. The artist fits the length of an entire rocket within a single diagonal panel on page 30. The effect nicely emphasizes the spacecraft's speed and velocity without being too phallic. The fine pages propel Spider-man toward a new setting and the start of a new storyline. This is number 2 of 22 Marvel Team-Up issues with Byrne art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Byrne or Marvel Team-Up issues. 
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"Spider in the Middle" Byrne story pencils (Mike Esposito inks) 17 pages = ***
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Sugar Bowl Comics #1 - Alex Toth art & cover

Sugar Bowl Comics #1, 1948 - This teenage series mixes conventional humor stories with a few thinly-veiled morality tales. A foreign student becomes the subject of harassment, and the lead character nobly stands up for him. This Alex Toth tale is very early in his career and one of his first non-superhero works. He struggles with figure drawing on many of the pages and his layouts are sometimes difficult to follow. His cover design is slightly better, benefiting from its clarity and simplicity. Ironically, Toth's best effort on the issue is a pair of text illos accompanying the story of Jane Addams, founder of Chicago's Hull House. This is number 1 of 2 Sugar Bowl Comics issues with Toth art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Toth or Sugar Bowl Comics issues. See also this blog's Toth checklist.
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Toth cover pencils and inks = **
"Randy" Toth story pencils and inks 10 pages = **
"Success Story" Toth text illos pencils and inks 2 pages = ***
"Clubroom Color" Toth text illos pencils and inks 2 pages = *
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Predator versus Magnus Robot Fighter #1 - Barry Windsor Smith cover

Predator vs Magnus Robot Fighter #1, 1992 - Valiant Publishing's revival of Magnus Robot Fighter brought back one of the more interesting science fiction characters of the silver age. By the 1980s, combining popular characters across different publishers and mediums was fairly commonplace. Magnus pitted against the movie alien Predator seems a less obvious yet interesting combination. Barry Windsor Smith lends his talents to this superbly drawn cover. The robot fighter's face is deadly serious, his fist clenched in determination. He's poised in shadow, oblivious to the threat emerging into the light behind him. While very different from Russ Manning's streamlined style, Smith makes Magnus his own with this powerful and memorable rendition. This is number 1 of 2 Predator vs Magnus Robot Fighter issues with Smith art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Smith or Predator vs Magnus Robot Fighter issues. See also this blog's Smith checklist.
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Smith cover pencils and inks = ****
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Two-Fisted Tales #21 - Wally Wood art

Two-Fisted Tales #21, 1951 - During World War Two, US ships braved the frigid north Atlantic to bring supplies to the besieged Russians. Nazi u-boats were the most common and dangerous threat to the suppliers. Wally Wood's depictions give readers a sobering view of the rough seas and numbingly cold weather that sailors had to endure. On page two, a merchant marine's face is dramatically lit from a lone cigarette. The portrait is unflattering and suggests his nefarious character (see interior page above). Wood even tilts many of the scenes, evoking the sensation of being on a rocking sea vessel. The issue's other exceptionally drawn tales include work by Harvey Kurtzman, John Severin and Jack Davis. This is number 4 of 18 Two-Fisted Tales issues with Wood art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Wood or Two-Fisted Tales issues. See also this blog's Wood checklist.
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"The Murmansk Run" Wood story pencils and inks 6 pages = ****
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Authentic Police Cases #12 - Matt Baker art & cover

Authentic Police Cases #12, 1951 - Matt Baker's police line-up covers fairly static compared to others in the same series, but no less interesting. The figures create a series of strong verticals, broken only by the diagonal placement of the accuser's arm. Though unrelated, two Baker stories inside. The first covers a crook's elaborate impersonation of an army officer in post-war Italy, while the second features a police manhunt for a contract killer. While both are visually engaging, the "Phantom Fingerman" tale elicits more interest due to more varied layouts and panel shapes (see interior page above). This is number 7 of 27 Authentic Police Cases issues with Baker art and/or covers. See today's posts, more Baker or Authentic Police Cases issues. See also this blog's Baker checklist.
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Baker cover pencils and inks = ***
"Black Market Racketeer" Baker story pencils and inks 8 pages = ***
"Police Dragnet Traps the Phantom Fingerman" Baker story pencils and inks 8 pages = ***
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Power Man and Iron Fist #72 - Frank Miller cover

Power Man #72, 1981 - On this action-packed cover, Frank Miller places Power Man, Iron Fist and their antagonist within a manageable layout. The figures descend in size, leading the eye from the masthead to the brightly lit foreground to the darkened background. Other artists in this issue include Kerry Gammill and Ricardo Villamonte. This is number 6 of 9 Power Man issues with Miller art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Miller or Power Man issues. See also this blog's Miller checklist.
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Miller cover pencils and inks = *** 
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Vampirella #85 - Alex Nino art

Vampirella magazine #85, 1980 - For much of his work for Warren, Alex Nino often employed panoramic spreads inset with smaller panels. This story of a heavenly angel's attempt to rehabilitate a murdering hunchback is no exception. The sequencing takes some additional effort, especially when panels toggle back and forth from two settings. The page designs themselves are breathtaking, including Nino's interpretations of heaven and hell. The first page is the strongest aesthetically, as the artist blends together multiple scenes. Although devoid of borders, it maintains clarity while quickening the pace. This is number 5 of 5 Vampirella issues with Nino art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Nino or Vampirella issues. See also this blog's Alex Nino checklist.
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"Lilywhite and Lavender" Nino story pencils and inks 8 pages = ****
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White Indian #15 - Angelo Torres art

White Indian #15, 1955 - After preceding issues featured reprints of Durango Kid stories, new material makes up the bulk of this issue. Angelo Torres does his best to mimic Frank Frazetta's style, with some panels looking suspiciously like swipes. This may have been done for the sake of artistic continuity but I would have preferred Torres' own interpretation. Still, the end result is not displeasing. Other artists in this issue include Sid Check. This is number 1 of 1 White Indian issues with Torres art and/or covers. See today's posts or more Torres or White Indian issues. See also this blog's Angelo Torres checklist.
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"Declaration of Doom" Torres story pencils and inks 7 pages = ***
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