Approaching Terminus?

The Beginning of the End?  No, not yet.
By Alex Ness
April 19, 2023

This column will be less explanatory and more show and tell. There are many books by great people to share. Explaining each might break my brain. This was going to be part of the previous edition of this column, but as it was quite long, I chose to make it part 2 of the series. If you missed previous editions or forgot, I was told I'd likely be dead or close to it, due to cancer or possible leukemia, but was saved when the diagnoses was false, or mistaken. I am alive and I will continue to be until the powers that be pull the plug.

So this column's subject is no longer, I am dying so here are some great comics to know about before I die. So here are the comics I've considered to be great.

THESE COMICS ARE GREAT:

The Black Lamb:
Published by DC/Helix
Writing/Art by Timothy Truman

The concept was new, the art fantastic and the story was deep, without being written, as so many others, for the purpose of showing violence. It is about outsiders, and how even those canceled by society form their own society and have need of justice and laws of their own. The Black Lamb is the one who brings justice. I truly loved this comic, and think it should be a tpb, more than most.

Scout:
Published by Eclipse Comics
Writing/Art by Timothy Truman

The world is f'ked beyond f'ked.  Water, petroleum, order, and all resources are such limited quantities, that there is no way for the world to go forward. Scout is an Apache, and was a former elite soldier, trained, and able to fight a war on his own, Scout becomes a fugitive, and ends up fighting the remaining government that is chasing him, and various rebel states who consider him a dangerous enemy.  He ends up with two children, and must also become their defender as they cannot be left with anyone for their own safety, the US is in such disarray, there are no allies, only questionable friends, and enemies. This work moved me deeply.  And still does.

Ultraman
Published by Harvey Comics
Written by Dwayne McDuffie and Larry Yakata, Art by Ernie Colon

The character Ultraman is a long time favorite and rarely did I find comics featuring him. I love the character, the first tv series was perfect for me, despite flaws, and these comics were the same. I thrilled to the concept of a benevolent and powerful alien overseeing humans in an attempt to help the good humans succeed versus the challenges and dangers they face. These comic book series were beautiful in cover, written with fun in mind, and with competent art within. The series were supposedly adaptations of various media featured in Japan, but that aspect was never apparent to me. I loved the art, liked the writing, and the covers kicked so much ass.

Battle of the Ultra-Brothers
From VIZ
I don't know the creatives as this is from memory

I really enjoyed this comic when it came out, which was a long time ago, and it was expensive for the era.  I think too, it was in black and white, and expensive, so, for me, an Ultraman fan, I felt initially, "This better be good or I'll be pissed off." However I entered the book, I was either prone to hate it, or appreciate it and wish it had been less expensive.  Well it was really good. It introduced to me the concept of more than one Ultraman, it played in the same playing field as all the nostalgic memories of Ultraman I'd had, and it was really intelligent, for the genre/medium, really entertaining, and I loved the damn thing. It well exceeded my high ceiling it had to reach for me to even like it.

The Legion of the Super-Heroes
From DC Comics
Written by many, but particularly Cary Bates and Paul Levitz
Art by many, but particularly Dave Cockrum, Mike Grell, James Sherman & Steve Lightle

I was almost a teen, 11 or 12 when I discovered the Legion of Superheroes. I loved the style of art, the stories were written just for my age group, and I loved the characters. And, there was action, romance, and villains who were perfect, and heroes that could actually die. The art by Dave Cockrum, Mike Grell, James Sherman, and Steve Lightle moved me deeply.  The costumes were modernized by Dave Cockrum, perfectly. Grell's scenes and group shots were more than perfect.  James Sherman was the artist who followed Grell, and if he wasn't Cockrum or Grell, he had a style that didn't lower the standard, it was just different.  And Steve Lightle was essentially, to me, a detail oriented Grell or Cockrum. You might wonder, if you are familiar with the run of comics from 1975 to 1990, why not Keith Giffen. In the beginning I loved Griffin, but the more experimental he became, the less I enjoyed it, particularly on the Legion.

Writer Cary Bates was good, for what he did. Paul Levitz was made to write the Legion, giving every character from a huge cast their moment in the sun.  Other writers were ok, and Jim Shooter, while young and working with less sophisticated, created 3 of my 5 favorite legionnaires.

The New X-Men
From MARVEL COMICS
Written primarily by Len Wein and Chris Clairmont
Art primarily, for me, Dave Cockrum and John Byrne

When I was really sick for five days when I was 11 years old, I had a 102F+ temp and was woozy. When my mother and brother went to Bill's Superfoods, unknown to me, they also stopped at Daley's Drug store, where they sold comics and magazines. When they came home I found out my brother bought two comics for me, X-Men #90, and GI Combat #179.  He rarely spent money on me, but that wasn't selfishness, we each got an allowance, and he spent his usually before it arrived.  So he might have had an advance from my mother on it.

I loved the old X-Men, their original uniforms, the setting of a being a school for those with special talents. I loved it all. When the NEW X-Men happened, I couldn't like a comic more than I did. It was smart, exciting, the art was great, the stories new and different. And the team was multi-national in make up. The work by both Cockrum and Byrne on art was over the top brilliant. The writing was less cheesy as some comics could be, it felt more real than comics of the day felt.  But when Chris Clairmont took over, the work became of the highest quality.

Captain America
From MARVEL
Writing, Art and Edits Jack Fucking Kirby

After the United Methodist confirmation class I'd have a chance to stop at Daley's Drug. I had money because I had been a newspaper boy, and could spend money, that I'd saved and spent very little. In Daley's Drug store they carried a buttload of comics. I found Captain America with Jack Kirby writing and drawing. The splash pages were amazing, the action spectacular, the work was pure Kirby, but, this felt like a roller coaster of heroes, self doubt, and the heart of one with heroics as his template.  I loved it.  It was truly great. I was a 12-13 year old who finally had funding to buy small things that I'd always wanted. For me there is a memory involved of independence and ability to pursue what I was formerly unable to do. 

Savage Dragon
From IMAGE
All creative aspects by Erik Larsen

I've been reading/watching the work of Erik Larsen since I was reading the Doom Patrol. Then I read his Spider-Man, and other works. He did some of the works after Doom Patrol as a writer as  well as solely an artist. As an artist there was something I liked for sure. But, the moment I read his Savage Dragon, I said WOW! His writing, concept of his character, and his art married to his words, makes for pure entertainment.

As for the Savage Dragon, there are moments of genius that makes me say it is great. Especially the run during the so called THIS SAVAGE WORLD. It was a pure and beautiful and an homage to Jack Kirby in a pure way, not stealing anything, not borrowing, but understanding what he was doing, and making it his own.

Erik Larsen has done many fantastic interviews for me. He did these when I was at my own sites, blogs and other much larger sites. He has been generous and kind. He is a bright man with brilliant concepts and should be thought of with far more appreciation than he has now.  But from me, he gets top marks.

Ghostdancing, Rawbone & Narcopolis
From Vertigo and Avatar Press
Written by Jamie Mad Genius Delano
Art by Richard Case, Max Fiumara, & Jeremy Rock

These are not my favorite books by Jamie Delano though I liked each one a great deal. Each book shown sure as hell should be made into a TPB. Ghostdancing is a brilliant work that with the insightful words of Jamie Delano, and with excellent art by Richard Case just tells a ripping good tale. It is amazing and how it hasn't been made into TPB is insane to me. Narcopolis is almost as good if not equally so, as The Filth by Grant Morrison and Chris Weston. It tells a story of a world over medicated, with almost no freedom, and utilizes the subject population to abuse from those in power.  Rawbone is a work that hasn't been seen in comics before. A lesbian pirate queen does whatever she desires to achieve whatever is able to be achieved. It is sexual, violent, and dark as fook. How Avatar hasn't put it in trade yet, is madness. (My favorites are his run on Animal Man, World without End, and Hellblazer of course).

Regarding Jamie, he has treated me so well, I consider him a mentor, a friend, and someone who I'd do anything for, even kneecapping someone he dislikes. I didn't just say that, don't quote me.

Badger & Nexus
From Capital Comics, First Comics and many more
Mike Baron, Steve Rude, Bill Reinhold & more

Whatever you wish to say about Badger and Nexus, they are not similar characters. Badger is a war veteran with PTSD who also possesses multi-personalities. Nexus was destined to become the powerful being, with cosmic powers, and assassinates evil men. He frees slaves. He provides refuge to the lost. And he has dreams that are nightmares that drive him to act.  There are no bad issues of either comic, and each offer different ideas. Nexus even offers a future falled Soviet empire, so it has an exacting prescience.  That Mike Baron has provided me with advice, kindness, and honor by mentoring me, is a kindness gift.  That he has provided review material is great, but it is his heart that moves me so deeply.

Sonata, Strange Embrace, September Mourning, Daredevil: Redemption
From Image, Marvel and more
By David Hine, Brian Haberlin, Michael Gaydos, and more

I think David Hine is a multi talented genius creator. He writes in ways that others couldn't even imagine doing. I think it is due to the fact, that he is also an artist and writing for sequential interpretation, that has got to help. He writes in a fashion that touches my emotions, and his art is less slick or dynamic, but it digs deep into the primal emotions and form, and accompanying the writing, his art is the perfect accompaniment.  I do not in anyway mean to suggest everything is for everyone, but if you were to read his Spawn run where evil and heroics are balanced in such ways you'd be blown away. And then follow it with Daredevil Redemption, where the sin and the anger are made into background for a character named for the Devil and lives a righteous existence. Even better than a favorite work of mine, Daredevil Born Again, this work is more spiritual, powerful and thoughtful, with gorgeous art.  Add the fact that Hine is a greatly talented human, he is kind, bright, and sincere and what you get is a magnificent and original piece of art.

GETTING REVIEWS?

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