Anyone who has frequented BOOKGASM knows we’re a bunch of comic book fans. While my days of heading to the comic book store every week are behind me, I still read them, just mainly in trade paperback format. Actually, let me correct myself: in reprints the size of phone books. I’m a huge fan of the various versions of these collections that have come out over the years. Even though I do pick up the DC line called SHOWCASE, I was and will always be a Marvel boy, since it had the coolest heroes ever. So I’m taking a break from the dire world of noir to have some black-and-white reprint fun. Now where is my ESSENTIAL MASTER OF KUNG FU?
ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR: VOL. 3 — When you think of Marvel Comics, two names come to mind: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. These two are responsible for creating Marvel’s first family, The Fantastic Four. If you need to know who comprises the FF, move back to your shack in the woods.
First and foremost, the main reason to get this book is Kirby. For me, he’s one of the greatest comic book artists ever, with Steve Ditko and Jim Steranko being the other two. With all the ESSENTIAL reprints, the art is black-and-white, but it shows how much Kirby’s art truly shines. It’s this volume where his style really enters that out-of-control phase that people still try to ape. I mean, no one comes up with crazier-looking technology then Kirby.
Of course, the comic could not stand on art alone, even though some new comics that come out today try. It’s the stories that make you fall in love with these characters, and some here provide introductions to those who would take center stage as the years went by: Galactus, Silver Surfer and The Inhumans.
There is also the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, where there are a few Marvel cameos. Sure, the coming of Galactus storyline is one of the most important in the series’ history, since it also gives us The Silver Surfer, but that is nothing compared to the greatest villain of FF history: Dr. Doom, of course. Fear not, true believers: Doom is here in all his pomposity, stealing the powers of The Silver Surfer, who has The Thing and Doom in a head-to-head battle.
Now, before comics became splash page after splash page, there was something called dialogue, which is Lee’s forte. For those who thought Chris Claremont was a bit wordy, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Still, there is a reason this was called “The World’s Greatest Comic,” because at that time, it was. My only disappointment is that the biggest prick of the Marvel Universe — Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner — is nowhere to be found. I know I’m preaching to the converted, telling comic geeks that the early run of FANTASTIC FOUR is a fantastic read; that’s like saying The Thing is kinda strong.
ESSENTIAL DEFENDERS VOL. 3 — Marvel had The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man as two of their biggest titles, but I was more drawn to the second tier of heroes that populated the Marvel Universe. When you think of superhero teams, usually The Avengers is the one to beat. But I never cared for them all that much, even though the Skrull-Kree War story is all kinds of awesome.
I loved the non-team of The Defenders, a loose collection of pretty much the B squad. There were big names that came and went in the revolving door of membership, like Dr. Strange and The Hulk, but mainly The Defenders had people like The Nighthawk, Hellcat, The Red Guardian and Luke Cage filling out their ranks in these issues. Dr. Strange is involved in this lineup, but he takes a bit of a break from the group, while The Hulk seems like they just painted Lenny from OF MICE AND MEN green and shot him up with steroids.
Long before Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison and Alan Moore took pen to paper, there was one writer who truly was bat-shit insane. His name is Steve Gerber, and he was responsible for coming up with some truly bizarre Marvel moments. He wrote stories which featured just-as-bizarre enemies and some truly great humor, and the first third of this collection is all his creation.
There are stories in which Valkyrie is sent to jail; The Defenders fight a group of people dressed up like Bozo the Clown; and a beast that is either an ape with a human head, or a man whose body is an ape. For these tales alone, you should be rushing out and getting this collection as well as VOL. 2, which also has Gerber taking the reins.
But even after the Gerber stories, there is plenty more to keep readers glued, with storylines involving Nick Fury, Scorpio and his zodiac contingent. Then it’s time for one of The Defenders’ founding members to make a glorious and pompous introduction: none other than the aforementioned prick, The Sub-Mariner. For me, he’s still the coolest baddie/superhero ever.
The music geek in me really loved this collection, with a nice little nod to Frank Zappa. None of his songs are mentioned, but it’s more of what a character plays on his stereo. Blue Oyster Cult gets some love in the final few stories, with two album titles being used for titles and one song being name-checked. Plus, you get a cameo from David Bowie. As truly bizarre as this collection might be, it’s nothing compared to another great ’70s read …
ESSENTIAL HOWARD THE DUCK: VOL. 1 — Let’s just tackle the elephant in the room: What the fuck was Marvel on in the ’70s? Were drugs just littering the bullpen? Not only did Marvel think the combo of kung fu and blaxploitation would sell comics, but also created a whole comic based on Dracula. I’m a huge fan of all those and proudly own their Essentials, but they’re tame up against this idea from the mind of Steve Gerber.
Yes, the comic was meant as a humorous take on superhero — something a certain STAR WARS director did not get. But I can only imagine the pitch meeting for this series: “Guys, I have this great idea for a character with no super powers suddenly being thrown from his world into ours! Oh, and he’s a duck.”
This collection has every story Gerber wrote for the series, and they’re the only Howard you should read. As much as they’re filled with great humor, they are also lost in the ’70s, with Gerber taking some very large swipes at the culture of the time. For example, one of Howard’s enemies is named after Rev. Sun Yung Moon. Then there is Howard’s main enemy, Dr. Bong, who has a bell for a head and a clanger for a hand. As weird as those two are, you also get villains based on beavers and turnips.
Gerber has fun putting Howard into the world of heroes, not only teaming him up with The Defenders, but also Spider-Man. But if you think Gerber only pokes fun at that world, you are so wrong, since Howard runs for president in the 1976 elections. To be honest, he would have been a better choice than the Allman Brothers-loving peanut grower or the stumbling bald dude who pardoned Nixon.
This lacks the few more issues after Gerber left or was fired from the title. Skip them, even though #31 and #32 close out the Dr. Bong storyline; it’s just not the same. And the least said about the Marvel magazine featuring Howard, the better. Of all the ESSENTIALs, this one is out-of-print, which is a shame, since it truly shows that Marvel was out of its head in the ’70s. You can probably still find it at comic book stores; it’s probably collecting dust next to the bazillion ESSENTIAL X-MEN titles.
Next time: Sgt. Rock is going to save me. —Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS SERIES:
• ESSENTIAL DEFENDERS: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL GHOST RIDER: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL GODZILLA: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL IRON FIST: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL KILLRAVEN: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL MAN-THING: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL MAN-THING: VOL. 2
• ESSENTIAL MARVEL HORROR: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL MARVEL HORROR: VOL. 2
• ESSENTIAL MARVEL SAGA: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE: VOL. 2
• ESSENTIAL MOON KNIGHT: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL NOVA: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL PUNISHER: VOL. 2
• ESSENTIAL PUNISHER: VOL. 3
• ESSENTIAL RAMPAGING HULK: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL SAVAGE SHE-HULK: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL SUPER VILLAIN TEAM-UP: VOL. 1
• ESSENTIAL TALES OF THE ZOMBIE: VOL. 1
Related posts:
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Howard Be Thy Name
- Essential Marvel Two-in-One: Vol. 2
- Essential Marvel Horror: Vol. 2
- Marvel scaring up Satan for ESSENTIAL HORROR
- King climbs DARK TOWER for Marvel Comics
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
The ‘Master Of Quack-Fu’ story from ‘Howard The Duck’ ended as I recall with the murder of a black teenager. That must have been shocking stuff at the time.
Agree about ‘Essential Master Of Kung Fu’. Where is it? And can we have ‘Essential Nick Fury Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ too?
Nick Fury as much as I want an Essential version. It really sould be done as a Omnibus in full color.
I’m not sure if its still in print, but there was a Marvel Masterwork of the early S.H.I.E.L.D.’S. I ordered a copy from America ages ago, but never got it.
Here in Britain in the 70′s, the S.H.I.E.L.D.’S were reprinted in a black-and-white weekly comic called ‘The Titans’. It also featured the Inhumans, Sub-Mariner, Captain Marvel, and Captain America. I still have the issues, though they’re looking a bit tired now.
Much as I love the Steranko stories, it does seem a shame the Lee/Kirby adventures have not been reprinted in trade paperback form. I am very keen to see the Betatron Bomb saga in full colour!