“Greetings, creep culturists! For my debut issue, I, the CRYPTOLOGIST (with the help of FROM THE TOMB editor PETER NORMANTON), have exhumed the worst Horror Comics excesses of the 1950s, Killer “B” movies to die for, and the creepiest, kookiest toys that crossed your boney little fingers as a child! But wait... do you dare enter the House of Usher, or choose sides in the skirmish between the Addams Family and The Munsters?! Can you stand to gaze at Warren magazine frontispieces by this issue’s cover artist BERNIE WRIGHTSON, or spend some Hammer Time with that studio’s most frightening films? And if Atlas pre-Code covers or terrifying science-fiction are more than you can take, stay away! All this, and more, is lurching toward you in TwoMorrows Publishing’s latest, and most decrepit, magazine—just for retro horror fans, and featuring my henchmen WILL MURRAY, MARK VOGER, BARRY FORSHAW, TIM LEESE, PETE VON SHOLLY, and STEVE and MICHAEL KRONENBERG!”
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 #1 is Now Shipping!
CRYPTOLOGY #2
The Cryptologist and his ghastly little band have cooked up more grisly morsels, including: ROGER HILL’s conversation with our diabolical cover artist DON HECK, severed hand films, pre-Code comic book terrors, the otherworldly horrors of Hammer’s Quatermass, another Killer “B” movie classic, plus spooky old radio shows, and the horror-inspired covers of the Shadow’s own comic book. Start the ghoul-year with retro-horror done right by FORSHAW, the KRONENBERGS, LEESE, RICHARD HAND, VON SHOLLY, and editor PETER NORMANTON
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95
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CRYPTOLOGY #3
This third wretched issue inflicts the dread of MARS ATTACKS upon you—the banned cards, the model kits, the despicable comics, and a few words from the film’s deranged storyboard artist PETE VON SHOLLY! The chilling poster art of REYNOLD BROWN gets brought up from the Cryptologist’s vault, along with a host of terrifying puppets from film, and more comic books they’d prefer you forget! Plus, more Hammer Time, JUSTIN MARRIOT on obscure ’70s fear-filled paperbacks, another Killer “B” film, and more to satiate your sinister side!
Our fourth putrid tome treats you to ALEX ROSS’ gory lowdown on his Universal Monsters paintings! Hammer Time brings you face-to-face with the “Brides of Dracula”, and the Cryptologist resurrects 3-D horror movies and comics of the 1950s! Learn the origins of slasher films, and chill to the pre-Code artwork of Atlas’ BILL EVERETT and ACG’s 3-D maestro HARRY LAZARUS. Plus, another Killer “B” movie and more awaits retro horror fans, by NORMANTON, the KRONENBERGS, LEESE, VOGER, and VON SHOLLY!
Bernie Wrightson (Detail from the cover of the Marvel graphic novel
The Incredible Hulk and the Thing in The Big Change . Original art scan courtesy of Heritage Auctions.)
COVER DESIGNER
Michael Kronenberg
PROOFREADER
Kevin Sharp
SPECIAL THANKS
Mike Baron
Cary Bates
Jerry Bingham
John Bolton
Liliana Bolton
Pat Broderick
Richard Bruning
Bob Budiansky
Gerry Conway
Arthur Byron Cover
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeHaven
J. M. DeMatteis
Robert Loren Fleming
Stephan Friedt
José Luis García-López
Alex Grand
Robert Greenberger
Jackson Guice
Larry Hama
Karl Heitmueller, Jr.
Heritage Auctions
Klaus Janson
Todd Klein
Roger
Roy
FLASHBACK: The Death of Captain Marvel and the Birth of the Marvel Graphic Novel
It all started with a Jim Starlin project…
BEYOND CAPES: Marvel’s Graphic Novels of Adventure
From Elric to Heartburst to Neuromancer, Marvel’s eclectic early graphic novels
FLASHBACK: Marvel Superhero Graphic Novels
The expanded exploits of the X-Men, Spidey, the Punisher, and other Marvel heroes
BEYOND CAPES: Marvel’s Conan Graphic Novels
Robert E. Howard’s popular barbarian was perfect for graphic interpretation
PRINCE STREET
A new cartoon by Karl Heitmueller, Jr.
Hope you’re not looking for Superman or Batman among DC’s earliest GNs
BEYOND CAPES: The DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel
An ambitious but short-lived effort to adapt sci-fi novels to comics
FLASHBACK: First Comics’ Graphic Novels
1980s indie publisher First released an impressive array of GNs
BACK ISSUE™ issue 156, December 2024 (ISSN 1932-6904) is published monthly (except Jan., March, May, and Nov.) by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Back Issue, c/o TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
THE DEATH OF AND THE BIRTH OF THE MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL
by Alex Grand
As laid out with more detail in my book, Understanding Superhero Comic Books , in order to maintain the American public’s interest in the superhero comic book, innovators had to incorporate the realism of everyday life. Matching the audience’s sensibilities by progressing the narrative gravitas of the genre was pioneered by few and followed by many. The Golden Age idealism of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s Superman and the hero’s mission of justice matched America’s inevitable march to combat Nazism in World War II. DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz’s emphasis on believable science fiction matched the Eisenhower era’s foray into the use of atomic energy, while adding plausibility to the idea that everyday humans can be powered by radiation. Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko demonstrated that superheroes would have flaws in the real world during the Marvel revolution of the JFK-era space race and the countercultural civil rights movement. But it was writer/artist Jim Starlin who found an important aspect of realism missing from the everyday superhero adventure story and filled that void with the existential threat of death, and the eventual birth of the Marvel Graphic Novel series.
DEATH COMES TO COMICS
In the early ’70s, Marvel Comics began exploring themes of mortality through poignant narratives. Stan Lee set a precedent with Captain George Stacy’s heroic demise in The Amazing Spider-Man #90 (Nov. 1970), a trend furthered by Gerry Conway’s harrowing tale of Gwen Stacy’s fatal fall in issue #121 (June 1973). Transitioning to the Sub-Mariner series, Leonard McKenzie’s tragic end came in issue #46 (Feb. 1972) under Conway’s pen, while Roy Thomas orchestrated Lady Dorma’s suffocation in issue #37 (May 1971), intensifying the stakes in superhero narratives. Jim Starlin capitalized on this thematic shift, weaving death into the fabric of his cosmic metaseries. Drawing from early fanzines his own reflections of the Vietnam War, and the storytelling mastery of comic pioneers Ditko and Kirby, Starlin’s saga deepened the narrative exploration of mortality while heightening the stakes for Marvel’s superheroes.
THE HISTORY OF STARLIN
Tracing back to his early roots, Jim Starlin’s fascination with the somber theme of death was nothing short of a prelude to his later illustrious contributions to superhero comic lore. Starlin, a
(top) The Marvel Universe could be deadly, as these pivotal issues show. (bottom) “The Death of Captain Marvel” statue from Art Asylum/ Dynamic Forces, 2002. Courtesy of Heritage.
Catholic by upbringing, found his early inspirations in the pages of Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby’s creations, admiring Kirby’s style even before he could put a name to the genius in the 1950s, as he remarked in the 2018 book, The Art of Jim Starlin: A Life in Words and Pictures A memorable encounter with Ditko at his studio during the crafting of The Amazing Spider-Man #36 (May 1966) served as a masterclass for Starlin, where Ditko’s meticulous sketches caught his eye. Starlin’s stint in the Navy during the Vietnam War was marred by the grim reality of death in the aviation division, a period when his off-duty hours were spent sketching for fanzines, as he stated in Comic Book Artist #18. His early public dalliance with the theme of death emerged in the narrative of “Doomsday!” in Star Studded #16 (Nov. 1969), where he unfolded the tale of a veteran orchestrating a planetary Armageddon on a dystopian Earth, aimed at eradicating an infestation of Neucromian lizards. Starlin’s exploration of death and sacrifice deepened in “The Miracle” in Star Studded #18 (Summer 1972), as he introduced readers to Dr. Weird, entangled in a cosmic duel of life and death. This narrative wasn’t just a leap further into Starlin’s fixation with the mortal theme but also a nod to Ditko’s Doctor Strange aesthetics, weaving a tale that not only resonated with readers but also hinted at the distinct Starlin style that would later become synonymous with superhero comic narratives. Through these early endeavors, Starlin was not merely sketching characters and plots; he was sketching the blueprint of his noteworthy contributions to come in the superhero comic realm.
The early explorations of life and death themes in Jim Starlin’s work found a grander canvas at Marvel Comics. One notable instance is his reincarnation of Dr. Weird as Drax the Destroyer in The Invincible Iron Man #55 (Feb. 1973). Starlin further delved into the persona of Death in a non-canon narrative
for Journey into Mystery vol. 2 #1 (Oct. 1972), titled “You Show Me Your Dream, I’ll Show you Mine!!,” illustrated by Starlin and penned by Steve Skeates. It narrates a tale of a hitman haunted by recurrent dreams of a young woman, leading to a fatal crash in a rainy chase of the elusive figure, culminating in a chilling scene where the entity of Death laughs in limbo as the woman’s dreams cease. Starlin’s portrayal of Death in this piece bridges the aesthetic between his earlier Dr. Weird narrative and the skeletal depiction in Captain Marvel #26 (May 1973). The latter, scripted by Mike Friedrich with Starlin handling plot and art, marks Death’s debut in the Marvel Universe alongside the demi-god Thanos, post a heated confrontation between Captain Marvel and the Thing. Unbeknownst to the heroes, the ominous duo of Death and Thanos on the horizon heralds a new era of heightened stakes for superheroes in the Marvel Universe, subtly alluding to Ditko’s earlier rendition of a hooded evil figure in Strange Tales #110 (July 1963). Through these narratives, Starlin not only expands on his cosmic scale of life and death but also lays the groundwork for an enhanced narrative gravitas within superhero adventures.
THANOS AND DEATH
Starlin’s creation of Thanos and Death drew inspiration from realms beyond Marvel, with Thanos nodding to Thanatos, the ancient Greek embodiment of death. A post-military service psychology class sparked the inception of Thanos, as Starlin said in Comic Book Artist #18. Upon integrating Thanos into Marvel, Roy Thomas challenged Starlin to eclipse Darkseid, morphing Thanos into a Kirby-esque figure embodying Starlin’s darker instincts. In Starlin’s narrative, Thanos, smitten by Death, serves her, introducing a cosmic threat to Marvel’s superheroes through their lethal alliance. Starlin’s fascination with Death transcended Marvel, notably appearing in Mike Friedrich’s Star*Reach #1 (Apr 1974), an indie comic adorned by Starlin’s art, featuring Death’s enigmatic silhouette alongside two captivating green females on the cover, perhaps an attempt to evoke the allure Thanos felt for Death. Within, two stories underscored Death’s inevitability: “Death Building” narrated a surreal encounter by Starlin with Death at Marvel’s office, while a biblical tale explored Death’s divine inception for reprimanding defiant angels and humans. These tales emphasized Starlin’s view of Death as an intrinsic cosmic force, foreshadowing the thematic essence of his subsequent narratives.
Starlin orchestrated a cosmic saga across titles like The Invincible Iron Man , Captain Marvel , and others, confronting Marvel superheroes with mortality, a vivid contrast to Kirby’s philosophical interplay in DC’s Darkseid narrative. Notably, Thanos’ earthbound menace in Captain Marvel #32 (May 1974) demonstrated brutal pragmatism, eliminating Arthur Douglas and his spouse to safeguard his clandestine agenda. This act spurred Kronos to reanimate Douglas as Drax the Destroyer, mirroring Starlin’s earlier life-affirming creation, Dr. Weird. Further, in Warlock #10 (Dec. 1975), the faltering Matriarch mistook Adam Warlock for Death, a grim foreshadowing emphasized by Death’s visage overseeing her demise. Such instances heightened the narrative’s emotional intensity, reminding audiences of the superheroes’ fallibility. The harrowing scene in Avengers Annual #7 (1977), where a helpless Adam Warlock witnessed Gamora’s painful end at Thanos’ hands, underscored this theme. Starlin’s storytelling accentuated the general superhero community’s impotence, with Thanos’
Death, the Early Years
Starlin brings Death to Star*Reach #1 (Apr. 1974) in “Death Building,” a structure where visitors have to survive an encounter with Death.
Graphic novels are comic books that are novel length, usually in a larger format with betterquality printing and paper than traditional comic books, and are sold in bookstores and comic book speciality shops as opposed to on a comic book rack. With their Graphic Novel series, Marvel wasn’t afraid to stray away from their usual superhero fare to take advantage of what this format offered. From creator-owned books such as Walter Simonson’s Star Slammers, to Marvel-owned characters that aren’t part of the regular Marvel Universe such as Killraven, to humorous stories like Death of Groo, to movie adaptations such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the Marvel Graphic Novel series contained a wealth of variety. Each graphic novel was distinct and stood out from the books that Marvel usually published. Marvel wasn’t called the House of Ideas for nothing!
Come along on adventures to mythical realms, futuristic worlds, and even cartoon towns as BACK ISSUE looks at some of Marvel’s most original graphic novels.
ELRIC: THE DREAMING CITY
With the outstanding first graphic novel The Death of Captain Marvel , you might think that Marvel would have a hard time following it up. Not so, with writer Roy Thomas and artist P. Craig Russell on board for their adaption of Elric: The Dreaming City , the first Elric short story by Michael Moorcock, in Marvel Graphic Novel #2 (July 1982). Thomas tells BACK ISSUE , “ I like Elric as a character, and I like the world that Michael Moorcock created.”
The graphic novel was broken down into five parts. The first two parts were reprints from Marvel’s Epic Illustrated magazine. Epic was a comic anthology magazine published by Marvel that featured non-Comics Code Authority-approved stories as well as some creator-owned material. The first part originally appeared in issue #3 (Sept. 1980), with the second part seeing print in the following issue (Dec. 1980). The rest of the story was new to the graphic novel.
According to Thomas, “Those deals [to bring Elric to Marvel] were made by my agent Mike Friedrich, who controlled the rights to Elric at that time. He made a deal with Marvel before any with Pacific or First.
“I seem to recall that we planned out the first bit for Epic Illustrated, though I think Mike always had it in mind that it would be a graphic novel soon afterward, telling the entire story.”
Moorcock Comes to Mighty Marvel
Writer Roy Thomas’ appreciation of the work of novelist Michael Moorcock inspired Marvel Graphic Novel #2, Elric: The Dreaming City, lushly rendered by P. Craig Russell.
Thomas continues, “ I preferred the graphic novel, because I didn’t have to wade through a lot of other people’s stories as I did in Epic . I was happy to see the Pacific and First material also collected into graphic novels.”
Russell tells BI , “The Marvel Conan stories [Conan the Barbarian #14–15 (Mar.–May 1972)] were my first exposure to Elric and Michael Moorcock, though. I hadn’t read any of the Moorcock books before that, they just weren’t available when I was a kid. You had Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard, and H. P. Lovecraft, but in the Midwest in the ’60s, there was no Michael Moorcock. I didn’t read him until I was asked to do The Dreaming City. That’s when I read it for the first time. People would tell me, ‘You haven’t read
Michael Moorcock? You would love Elric.’ Which turned out to be true.
“I got my depiction of Elric by reading Moorcock’s descriptions of him. He had sort of two guises. One the black armor that was sort of thorny and the other time he dressed almost as a jester with all of these patterned clothes and such. He didn’t wear the battle armor unless he was going into battle. I just followed Moorcock’s lead and made my own version of it.”
“At that time I had done the Dr. Strange Annual for Marvel,” Russell continues. “It had all of these art nouveau, supernatural visual elements to it and it was the same way with Elric. That played to my strengths. I just had a lot more fun things to draw as far as I was concerned. One of the things that I liked about it was that he wasn’t portrayed as a superhero. He was a skinny guy who got all of his power from his sword.”
Although Elric made his way to other comic publishers, Marvel was the first and this graphic novel stands as one of the best adaptions of Moorcock’s character. “Doing Elric was an offand-on experience for me. I missed the work of first Russell, then Gilbert after they departed, even though the other artists were talented,” Thomas states.
STAR SLAMMERS
Before he laid down the hammer with his character defining run on the God of Thunder, writer/artist Walter Simonson gave readers the Star Slammers graphic novel (Dec. 1982). The Slammers were mercenaries Sphere, Ethon, and Jalaia. While the setup sounds kind of generic, it was anything but in the hands of Simonson who made the graphic novel something special and truly worthy of the format.
However, the graphic novel wasn’t the beginning of the Slammers’ story. It had a long history before Simonson even hit the scene as a professional. In fact, the concept helped to get him a job.
In a 2014 interview with Comic Book Resources, Simonson discussed the genesis of the concept, “The ‘Slammers’ really began life as an ashcan comic. I belonged to a science fiction club in Washington, D.C., where I grew up. The Washington Science Fiction Association or WISFA for short. In the early ’ 70s, they decided to bid to host the World Science Fiction Convention, which was to be held somewhere on the East Coast. I was doing drawings for the WIFSA journal and had an idea to do a comic strip to advertise to get the convention. The club liked it, so I began writing and drawing. It took on a different form than I anticipated and very quickly morphed into the ‘Star Slammers.’
“Ultimately, I did a series of six-page episodes. One of the guys in the club had a printer in his basement, so he would print them up and then different members of the club would hand them out when they’d go to conventions around
Our Introduction to Elric Elric broods in this gorgeous portrait by P. Craig Russell.
but not under the Marvel banner. In The Futurians #0, Cockrum wrote about what happened and what could have been: “The Futurians began as a graphic novel for Marvel (Marvel Graphic Novel #9), wherein I recounted the adventures of eight extraordinary humans with powers gained by way of genetic manipulation from the future. The graphic novel did pretty well, went into three printings, and a series was called for.
“Unfortunately, I let myself be lured away from Marvel and did the series for an independent publisher who promised pie-inthe-sky money. If I’d stayed with Marvel, we might be publishing Futurians #250 or something by now. Instead, I went with the independent, occasionally called Lodestone Publications, and my run only lasted three issues. A fourth issue was finished; this book you hold in
your hands. Due to the vagaries of publishing, however, it never saw print as an individual issue until now. It was collected together with the previous three issues into a limited-edition second graphic novel in 1987. That second graphic novel was short-printed and is next-to-impossible to find.”
HEARTBURST
Marvel’s graphic novel format was a showcase for the writing and artistic gifts of many talented creators. This was certainly the case when writer/ artist Rich Veitch brought Heartburst to readers in Marvel Graphic Novel #10 (June 1984).
dave cockrum
Many science fiction stories have alien races attacking Earth or enslaving the human population. Veitch’s tale turns this on its ear as it was the story of Earthmen who conquered the peaceful Ploo. However, the graphic novel offered readers more than that as Veitch played with the themes of xenophobia, fear, and forbidden love.
According to Veitch, “Heartburst was originally planned for Epic Illustrated. The art was underway when [editor] Archie Goodwin asked if I would be okay with Marvel doing it in their brand new graphic novel format. I thought that would be a great idea and gave the go-ahead.
“I was inspired by the amazing stuff that was coming out of Europe at the time: Pilot, Metal Hurlant, and the Italian adventure artists, like Hugo Pratt.”
Not only did Veitch make good use of the freedom that the graphic novel format enabled him regarding the subject matter, but also with the artwork. The gorgeous artwork, which could not be shown in a regular Marvel comic due to its graphic sexual nature, showcased Veitch’s talents as an artist.
Portrait by Michael Netzer.
Illustrated #10 – 11 (Feb.–Apr. 1982)] and ‘Royal Hunt’ [Epic Illustrated #12 (June 1982)], again in B/W. ‘Wizard’s Masque,’ the fully painted Marada story, was also published in Epic [#22–23 (Feb.–Apr. 1984)].”
The stories and artwork are first-class, but what do they have to do with Marvel Graphic Novel s? Two of the three Marada stories which originally appeared in Epic Illustrated were reprinted as Marvel Graphic Novel #21 (May 1986).
Not only did the new format give more exposure to the stories, but the artwork was also given a second chance to shine. “When Marvel decided to publish ‘Shattered Sword’ and ‘Royal Hunt’ as a graphic novel, they wanted it in color. I did not want to paint over the black-and-white art, so Marvel supplied me with a really good reproduction of each page. I then painted the pages in inks over the black and white, the process was time consuming, but worked,” Bolton reveals.
Even though the first Marada story started as a Red Sonja one, the creators were able to make it something more. No longer would the tale have to be Comics Code Authority–approved, and both writer and artist took advantage of the freedom given to them. This story, along with the second one, were definitely fitting of the graphic novel format.
Since Claremont and Bolton own the copyright to the characters, the stories could be reprinted by publishers other than Marvel. Bolton states, “All the Marada stories were collected into one volume by Titan Books in 2013, but they used the hand colored version of the B/W stories. All three stories are in this book.”
ALIEN LEGION: A GREY DAY TO DIE
With Marvel Comics‘ Epic imprint, the company wanted to offer readers stories and concepts that would not fit in with the regular Marvel Universe titles. Alien Legion was a perfect fit. Creator Carl Potts discusses the concept with BI: “Around 1974, I was in the San Francisco Bay Area working on comics art samples to mail into the NYC comics publishers to try and get work. I’d make up my own scenarios to illustrate. I was working on two unconnected sets of science fiction samples. One story featured an allhuman military force in space. The other was about a battle between two aliens, one of which had a serpentine lower body. My drawing table was next to my bed where I kept the small piles of original art. I accidentally knocked the original art pages off the bed, and they got mixed up on the floor. As I started to sort them out, it occurred to me that the military force should include aliens and that the alien with the serpentine tail should be the leader.
“When I was asked to join Marvel’s editorial staff at the start of 1983, I pitched the Alien Legion concept to the Marvel editor-in-chief. I did not have time to do hands-on writing or drawing work on the series, so the plan was for me to edit the project with a creative crew I’d hire and oversee. The editor-in-chief liked it and approved it. After a month or so of work on the book, the editor-in-chief changed his mind about the project. Fortunately, Epic Comics editorin-chief Archie Goodwin heard about this and asked
Deadly and Silent (top) Alan Zelenetz and Carl Potts’ Alien Legion: A Grey Day to Die. Art by Frank Cirocco and Terry Austin. (bottom) The Legion engages in covert activity.
The Marvel Universe is a big place. When the publisher’s first in its series of graphic novels—The Death of Captain Marvel—was released, that universe got even bigger. BACK ISSUE will take a look the scale by which the home of the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers increased with the advent of the oversized graphic novel format. Read on, dear Bronze Age fan. Just don’t let Thor’s hammer hit you in the head while you do.
NO CODES REQUIRED
When comparing the monthly Marvel periodicals to the then-new, larger-sized graphic novel format, it’s perhaps easiest to look at, say The Incredible Hulk, more like a serialized television series, whereas The Raven Banner could be more similar to a single film one would find in their local cinema. The scale of both is certainly diverse, but also the method of storytelling is radically different. Twelve issues of Avengers are mapped out, and plot points and characters grow and evolve in each 20-to-30 page chapter, like each episode of Lost. However, the 60-plus oversized pages contained within Avengers: Death Trap The Vault are one single tale with a beginning, middle, and an end, like director Christopher Nolan’s Memento . Both monthly comic books and graphic novels from the House of Ideas each have their distinctive methods of spinning their yarns for their hardcore fans and new readers alike, but perhaps the graphic novel is the better way to introduce Marvel’s vast array of heroes and villains to newcomers to the sequential legends that permeate the Marvel Universe.
The graphic novel format for Marvel, much like the magazines from the 1970s, was advantageous for creative teams of the 1980s and 1990s who wanted to do something bigger and grander than the typical monthly put out on newsstands and in comic shops. One factor for this was the fact the Comics Code Authority did not oversee their release like they did the standard issues of The Amazing Spider-Man and Daredevil. Former editorin-chief and Thor scribe Tom DeFalco confirms this in his conversation with BACK ISSUE . “Since they weren’t distributed on the newsstands, the graphic novels didn’t have to go through the Comics Code and were never submitted to it,” DeFalco states.
Graphic novels not needing the Comics Code Authority’s approval allowed creators to have more freedom in their work. Writers could tell tales that they normally could not in a monthly book, and artists were permitted a bigger canvas in which to display their visual talents, thereby making the Marvel Universe an even bigger place than it already was.
When a Mere 22 Pages Won’t Suffice
Many of the stars of Mighty Marvel’s monthly comic books had the red carpet rolled out for them for expanded, lushly rendered adventures in the Marvel Graphic Novel series.
‘God Loves, Man Kills’ (left) Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com), Brent Anderson’s preliminary artwork for the cover of Marvel Graphic Novel #5, starring the X-Men. (right) The published cover.
MUTANT MAYHEM
One of the most unusual graphic novels featuring Marvel’s merry mutants is Excalibur: Weird War III The team must take on an alternate, more corrupt version of the X-Men as a parallel world in which the Axis won World War II bleeds into the regular Marvel Universe. The story by Michael Higgins, and Tom Morgan and Justin Thyme’s art, take on many of the themes that the overall X-Men line of comics do. However, Weird War III also tackles the dark side of humanity much like the Star Trek episode “Mirror, Mirror.” Reaction to this graphic novel was mixed. Yet it’s not really something that could be published in the main Excalibur comic book, not so much for its content, as it really isn’t overly violent. The scale of the writing and visuals, which seem more influenced by comics published in the UK rather than those on American spinner racks, is just too big for that format.
One could argue that writer Chris Claremont’s original, celebrated, and lengthy run on The Uncanny X-Men and its related spinoffs is one huge graphic novel. It’s a continuous saga, with character arcs that allowed Storm, Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, and the rest
of the outlaw team of mutant heroes to evolve, grow, and have a life beyond the normal superheroversus-supervillain tropes, thereby feeling bigger in scale and storytelling than a lot of monthly comic books published by both Marvel and DC Comics. Yet, there are some tales featuring the X-Men and other mutants in their corner of the Marvel Universe that are just too big to be placed in a 32-page periodical. Perhaps the best example of this point is Marvel Graphic Novel #5: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills. The inspiration for the 2002 film X2: X-Men United , God Loves, Man Kills is story of Reverend William Styker’s fanatical war against mutants. There have been many anti-mutant antagonists in the main X-books. Yet Chris Claremont’s script and Brent Anderson’s art could not be confined to a mere normal-sized comic book. God Loves, Man Kills absolutely needed to be larger than the mutant mayhem Marvel was putting in the spinner racks at the time.
Chris Claremont’s reflections on God Loves, Man Kills in its 2020 extended cut state that the graphic novel was intended to be a standalone tale outside of main X-Men continuity. In fact, Claremont’s first draft featured the death of Magneto, something that had not occurred in the Uncanny X-Men comic. However, God Loves, Man Kills became canon around the time the X-Men 2 movie had come out, with a sequel serial, God Loves, Man Kills II, appearing in Claremont’s X-Treme X-Men #25–30 in 2003. While later editions of the Essential X-Men trade paperbacks place it after Uncanny X-Men #167, it’s still unclear as of this writing where the original God Loves, Man Kills graphic novel fits in
The best known of Michelinie’s Avengers graphic novels is Emperor Doom, in which an alternate Earth is ruled by Victor Von Doom. Another story based on a Jim Shooter idea, Emperor Doom was illustrated by Bob Hall, no stranger to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, having drawn numerous issues of various Marvel comics and co-created the West Coast Avengers. Emperor Doom allows Hall to cut loose and use a bigger canvas to give the tome the grandiose status it deserves.
“For me, the main difference between writing a regular series and writing a one-anddone story is in the plotting,” opines David Michelinie to BACK ISSUE when considering
the differences between writing comic books and graphic novels. “In a series you have history, not only from the issues that came before yours, but you’re creating future history as you write. You can use previous stories as stepping stones to new ones, while laying the groundwork, in things such as subplots or teasers, for new stories to write down the line.
“Unfortunately, I can’t be very specific about the plotting in the works mentioned,” Michelinie explains. “The Aladdin Effect was already plotted by Jim Shooter when I was brought on to the project. Matter of fact, I think the book had already been penciled before I started to write the dialogue, captions, etc. (though I will lay claim to the title). Revenge of the Living
Evolution
of a Cover
(top left) John Romita, Sr.’s cover rough for the David Michelinie–penned GN, The Aladdin Effect. (right) Original cover art by Keith Pollard and Vince Colletta. (bottom left) The published cover. All, courtesy of Heritage.
making sure we were both happy, after which he went on to the finished art—which still stands as some of the most beautiful art I’ve ever seen in a comic book or graphic novel.
“The fact that were were able to do so much work face-to-face, and that we had the extended deadline that graphic novels afford, allowed us to really collaborate in a way writers and artists in comics working on monthly comics just can’t. It was a magical collaboration as befits such a magical character.”
Writer Roger Stern and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola worked together on the second graphic novel starring the Master of the Mystic Arts. This time, he’s an unlikely ally of Victor Von Doom as the pair must save the Latverian dictator’s mother’s soul from Mephisto in Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph And Torment.
Roger Stern talks about the making of Triumph and Torment with BACK ISSUE: “It may seem odd, but from the pitch being approved to the graphic novel seeing print, about seven years passed. When the story was approved, Marvel’s publishing schedule seemed to be in a constant state of flux, and deadlines were changing so fast that it was hard keeping up with them. Every time that I was about to start plotting the novel, the deadlines for my regular assignments would get moved up. It wasn’t until I was fired from Avengers that I was able to carve out time to plot the story, but in those intervening years, Mike Mignola came along, developed into a great artist, and wound up drawing Triumph and Torment. So things ultimately worked out for the best.
“A graphic novel, ideally, reads as a novel— as a long-form narrative that tells a complex, imaginative story that builds through a number of scenes to a satisfying climax—and all under one cover,” remarks Stern of the differences between writing a graphic novel and working on a monthly comic. “A monthly title is more like a short story. And of course, with a monthly comic, there is a physical limit to the number of pages we have to tell that story. However, even if you’re telling a continuing story as serial fiction, each issue should provide a full chapter that satisfies the readers— and hopefully intrigues them enough to buy and read successive issues.”
According to the scribe, “I approached writing Triumph And Torment much as I would write a prose novel. Although, of course, in writing a graphic novel, I had the advantage of working with a talented artist and visual storyteller in Mike Mignola. But I started with the overall story in mind and broke the plot down from scene to scene until I reached the end. In fact, I didn’t know how long the novel would run until I did reach that ending and counted up the pages. Triumph and Torment was originally pitched as a graphic novel. It certainly would have been structured quite differently if I had plotted it as anything other than a novel, and if it had been published in chapters over a series of issues. We would have needed many more pages to tell, what
with the differences in pacing and the recaps needed each issue in order to bring new readers up to speed. What eventually became Triumph and Torment was one of four or five possible stories that I pitched as graphic novels, but it was the one that editorial liked best. Another pitch—which was dismissed as ‘not big enough for a graphic novel’— involved Doctor Strange dealing with the threat of Dracula once and for all. Since Marvel didn’t want that story as a graphic novel, I decided to use it in the regular Doctor Strange comic, where it took us five issues to tell the story. That added up to 110 pages, which was considerably longer than was budgeted for most graphic novels in those days.”
Doctor Strange’s duo of graphic novels are the among the most complex and visually amazing of the Marvel Graphic Novel series. Every word, every image, and every page show just how magical the character and the format are together in the Master of the Mystic Arts’ world.
Double Dose of Doctors
Writer Roger Stern was joined by artists Mike Mignola and Mark Badger for the Doctor
Robert E . Howard’s brand of fantasy was ideal for Marvel’s original line of graphic novels
by Glenn Greenberg
Big Book from Big John Fans of artist John Buscema’s long run on Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan delighted in the master’s pencils, inks, and colors for the graphic novel Conan the Rogue. Hand-painted color Buscema art courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com).
When Marvel Comics launched its line of oversized graphic novels in 1982 with Jim Starlin’s The Death of Captain Marvel, the intent was to recruit the best and brightest talents in the comic book industry to create special, extra-length, one-shot stories. These books would be published using the high-end production values of the time and would not have to adhere to the restrictions of the Comics Code Authority. In that environment, one would think that Robert E. Howard’s Conan, a Marvel mainstay since 1970, would be an immediate choice for the format, given the epic scope and the abundance of violence and sexuality in his sword-and-sorcery sagas. It would actually take three years for Conan to show up in a Marvel graphic novel—but once he did, he would keep returning, more times than any of the company’s longest-running and most beloved characters. Of the 75 graphic novels Marvel published between 1982 and 1993, Conan starred in seven, surpassing all the heavy hitters of the era, including the Punisher, who starred in six, Spider-Man, who headlined four, and even Wolverine, whose total came to three, tying with the Silver Surfer. It seems that when it came to the graphic novel format, gun-toting vigilantes and sword-wielding barbarians were surefire sellers.
WITCH WAY TO GO
For the first graphic novel to showcase the black-haired, sullen-eyed Cimmerian, Conan: The Witch Queen of Acheron (1985), Marvel turned to writer Don Kraar, penciler Gary Kwapisz, inker Art Nichols, and colorist Julianna Ferriter. Both Kraar and Kwapisz were relatively new to Conan at the time but would soon establish longstanding ties to Marvel’s line of comic book and magazine titles devoted to the character.
The story begins with Conan being seized by royal soldiers in Belverus, crown city of Nemedia, after he pays off a harlot with ancient gold coins from the evil, long-extinct Acheronian Empire. Brought before Prince Tarascus, who demands to know where Conan obtained the coins, the Cimmerian is ultimately coerced into helping the prince locate the lost treasure mines of Acheron, unseen for 3,000 years. Tarascus intends to use the treasure to fund his planned conquest of the kingdom of Aquilonia. En route to the mines, Conan, Tarascus, and an accompanying search party are confronted by the Sons of Acheron, the last pure-blooded descendants of the long-gone empire, who warn the group to turn back. After ignoring the warning and surviving an attack launched by the Sons of Acheron, Tarascus, Conan, and the rest of their group find the mines and enter the treasure-filled tomb of Queen Xaltana, who was believed to have been in league with a powerful demon god. As the Sons of Acheron launch another attack, the demon god is inadvertently awakened and possesses the body of Prince Tarascus’ lover, Demetzia. Trapped in the mines, Tarascus, Conan, and other survivors of the attack soon find themselves the prey of the possessed Demetzia, who takes on the demon god’s true form with the intention of consuming the hearts of everyone in its sight, so it can spawn more of its kind.
Kwapisz’s first work on Conan was a pinup published on the inside cover of The Savage Sword of Conan #89 (June 1983). More pinups followed. “I was persistent,” Kwapisz tells BACK ISSUE . And he stood out—his style was a departure from that of John Buscema, Alfredo Alcala, and Ernie Chan, the artists whose work most dominated the magazine in those days. “I was one of the few people who was looking at Hal Foster, which is why my stuff was a little bit different,” Kwapisz says. After penciling and inking several back-up tales in the magazine, Kwapisz graduated to penciling lead stories starting with #102 (July 1984). He was first paired with writer Don Kraar on The Savage Sword of Conan #105 (Oct. 1984), which marked Kraar’s first work on Conan. (Attempts to interview Don Kraar for this article were unsuccessful.)
Having begun inking his own pencils on the lead stories as of The Savage Sword of Conan #110 (Mar. 1985), Kwapisz hoped to take his work to the next level. “I always wanted to do a Conan graphic novel,” he says. “I wanted to have it in color and on the nice paper, because my inking was fairly detailed and whenever I would get the printed copy, I would look at it and my stomach would just drop down to my shoes. I would just see that all the edges of my lines dropped off, because I had a real Frazetta sort of inking style, which just didn’t reproduce well.” Kwapisz was enthused when Conan editor Larry Hama offered him The Witch Queen of Acheron, but there was a catch. “I wanted to ink it,” he says, “but Larry was like, ‘No, no, no,
you’ve got to get back to work on Savage Sword, so we’re gonna get someone else to ink you.’”
By that point The Savage Sword of Conan was an ongoing commitment for Kwapisz, requiring him to pencil and ink at least 50 pages a month. “I loved the heck out of doing Savage Sword,” he says. “There was no other book at Marvel I would have rather worked on. The stories were long and I got to do my double-page spreads and stuff.”
His experience working on The Witch Queen of Acheron ended up being not quite as satisfying, however. “Right after it left my hands, it became a complete disaster,” Kwapisz says. He explains that the original inker dropped out after turning in the first few pages, which left the book behind schedule. Kwapisz adds that there were also issues with the coloring, only some of which could be addressed in time. Art Nichols was brought in as a replacement inker, and Kwapisz acknowledges that by that point, the book was, by necessity, a rush job, as it had to get to the printer on time or Marvel would incur additional costs. Readers got a glimpse at the lush detail and texture that Kwapisz had originally envisioned for the graphic novel courtesy of two black-and-white pinups that he penciled and inked that were included at the end of the book.
Although the final product was not all that he hoped it would be, Kwapisz says he had a good time working on it. “I liked the script better than [Kraar’s] Savage Sword scripts,” he says. “It was more visual. It was fun to draw. But really, it was basically an issue of Savage Sword—you did 50 pages a month and then you moved on.”
“The happiest place on Earth. ” “Must-see TV.” “Impossible is nothing.” “Keeps going, and going, and going….” “A triumph of comic art.”
These are just a few hyperbolic advertising statements from history. Maybe you recognize them. Relax, though—this isn’t a quiz. It’s really just the last one on the list that concerns us.
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
Elsewhere in this very magazine you will find an enthralling article detailing Marvel Comics’ entry into the graphic novel field with the release of The Death of Captain Marvel in January of 1982. Given the well-documented rivalry between Marvel and DC, it is surprising that it took until August 1983 (with comics having a November cover date) before DC published its first graphic novel. To possibly make up for the delay, the ads that were run the same month were enthusiastic, to say the least!
DC kicked off the advertising campaign for its first graphic novel, Star Raiders, with the exuberant phrase, “A triumph of comic art.” Then, just to be sure everyone knew they were serious, the next lines in the ads read, “Stories so vivid, art so lavish, reproduction so true…” DC also wanted to make sure that this promo would not be missed, so it was included as a four-page insert in Omega Men #8 (Nov. 1983) that featured a centerspread that only showcased art from the book, while other pages reproduced the cover and mentioned the creative team. Since Omega Men was DC’s only ongoing regular title distributed exclusively via Direct Sales prior to that month (both Vigilante and Thriller joined it that very month), it would best reach the book’s prospective audience, as graphic novels were also only sold via comic shops. Just to be sure, DC decided to place single-page ads in fanzines that month, generally buying back cover space so a color art sample could be included along with the same catch phrases.
DC would repeat the process when they advertised its second graphic novel, Warlords, using the same four-page insert format and slogans in the center of Omega Men #11 (Feb. 1984).
All that being said, despite the fanfare, the first two DC graphic novels were not even initially intended for the format!
Science fiction short stories have coexisted in a Venn diagramesque relationship with comic books for decades. From alien invasion yarns to Silver Age space race allegories, science fiction comic book adaptations reinterpret, reveal, and unite the overlapping visions of their respective creators.
During the mid-1980s, under the guidance of thenDC editor Julius “Julie” Schwartz and art director Richard Bruning, several masterworks of Ray Bradbury, George R. R. Martin, Harlan Ellison, Robert Bloch, Robert Silverberg, Frederik Pohl, and Larry Niven were adapted for the comic book direct market. A seven-issue series was produced between 1985 and 1987 that invited premiere comic book talent to reinterpret classic SF epics. Please join me, BACK ISSUE readers, in a journey not of sight and sound, but of mind and graphic art, to wondrous realms of unlimited imagination... There is a spinnerrack sign up ahead—welcome to the DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel series!
editors on how to best present the material… I deliberately formatted the covers to mirror SF prose book covers, particularly in employing large author’s names on the covers, something comics have rarely done.”
Prior to his tenure as an editor at DC Comics, Julie Schwartz co-published one of the first SF fanzines, co-founded a SF literary agency, and assisted with the development of the first-ever world SF convention (as stated in his 2000 memoir, Man of Two Worlds). Due to these defining roots, Schwartz was the obvious choice to manage the DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel series, where each issue featured a Deluxe Format self-contained tale adapted by a top-tier comic book team.
Series art director Richard Bruning notes to BACK ISSUE his distinct vision for the project: “My primary duties in regard to the SF line was to work with the creators and
Bruning reflects fondly on some of the opportunities this series bestowed upon him. “Being a lifelong SF reader, the opportunity to collaborate with some of the biggest name authors of the genre was a special treat,” he says. “Due to having the office right next to line editor Julie Schwartz, he frequently asked if I’d like to meet Ray Bradbury, Larry Niven, Harlan Ellison, or some other SF luminary!”
The graphic novels in the series are as follows:
DC SCIENCE FICTION GRAPHIC NOVEL #1 (1985): Hell on Earth by Robert Bloch Graphic Adaptation by Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming
H. P. Lovecraft protégé Robert Bloch wrote the original story Psycho, which Alfred Hitchcock famously directed in cinematic form. Bloch was well known for his space, horror, and pulp stories during a prolific career, including 30 years in television and film (robertbloch.net).
His story, Hell on Earth, was the initial feature of the DC SF series. It was adapted by Robert Loren Fleming and Keith Giffen, with additional support from Greg Theakston, Bill Wray, and Gaspar Saladino. This dark demonic tale combines some classic “deal with the devil” themes, intertwined with art from Giffen’s Muñoz period, where he controversially aped the style of Argentine artist José Muñoz [see next issue
julius schwartz
for details —ed. ]. It features a moody and discomforting color palette, with each page structured in a 16-panel layout.
The main protagonist and POV, fantasy writer Guy Roberts, is invited to witness a clandestine ritual that will transport a demon to the mortal plane. Dark forces invade the hearts and minds of several characters, and unfortunate repercussions occur.
Scripter Bob Fleming says that he convinced Keith Giffen and Julie Schwartz to make one major change to the adaptation,
“turning the detective into a horror author like Stephen King or Clive Barker… This made the narrator and central figure an integral part of the tale, not a neutral observer—and it placed him at the heart of the story’s concerns.” Fleming adds, “A major disappointment was that nobody ever compared our adaptation to the original Bloch short story. I expected a combination of praise and condemnation for the major change I’d made to the sacred text, but to this day I don’t think anyone has even noticed!”
A Sci-Fi Thriller
Ambush Bug collaborators Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming take on Psycho writer Robert Bloch’s Hell on Earth, the first of the DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel line.
robert loren fleming
by Matt Merante
First Comics was an American comic book publisher active from 1983 to 1991. They resurfaced in 2011 as 1First Comics. The first incarnation was known for titles like American Flagg! , Grimjack , Nexus , Badger , Dreadstar , and Jon Sable, Freelance
First, along with Pacific Comics and Eclipse Comics, took early advantage of the direct market. They attracted a number of writers and artists from DC and Marvel to produce creator-owned titles which were free to feature more mature content because they were not subject to the Comics Code.
The lineup of graphic novels that First Comics, Inc. provided the comic-reading masses with was a run of 27 publications. Though often listed in numbered order, none have a number on the cover and only the first few are numbered on the copyright page. Most, but not all, have “First Graphic Novel” printed on the spine.
by Stephan Friedt
First started with all-new original material, but quickly realized that the public was clamoring for this style of format faster than they could vet all-new material. So they interspersed collected runs of currently popular comics with occasional all-new material.
What follows is a glimpse at a few of First’s most significant graphic novels, concluding with a checklist of the entire run.
BEOWULF
First started its graphic novel line with writer/artist Jerry Bingham’s Beowulf, an adaptation of the ancient folk tale.
Theslingsandarrows.com , a website devoted to graphic novels, notes that “Scholars are unable to nail a precise origin for the epic Scandinavian poem Beowulf , only knowing for certain the oldest written copy dates from somewhere between 975 and 1025, yet the enduring popularity of its plot is somewhat simpler to nail down…. “Beowulf originates in simpler times, when it was enough to include a monster in a story to induce a shiver of fear amongst the bravest warriors. The audience didn’t read a book or watch a play, they listened to a recitation…
“This is a rousing and inspirational campfire tale and Bingham keeps it that way…”
Beowulf ’s literary significance offered First’s adaptation an unexpected audience. As Jerry Bingham posted on his website (quotes are used with permission), “The first time I said, ‘Wow! Neat-o!’ (or whatever the slang of that era might’ve been) [about Beowulf] was about a year after publication when a high school teacher wrote me a great letter saying he bought a whole case of my books for his classroom. This is something I never
First’s First Graphic Novel
Jerry Bingham’s Beowulf, a beautifully rendered original graphic novel adapting the epic hero’s saga, launched First Comics’ First Graphic Novel line in 1985. (Bingham discusses the project’s roots in the sidebar.) Original art for Chapter 3’s title page, courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). (inset) The graphic novel’s cover.
from 17th [C]entury France to the Lincoln presidency, from the final days of the Third Reich to the Great Dam of Time where the eternal Time Beavers battle to protect the very essence of reality!”
Though never reprinted, Time Beavers remains available on the secondary market.
AMERICAN FLAGG!
American Flagg! was one of the earliest series published by First Comics; it ran from 1983–1989. It followed the adventures of Reuben Flagg in a science fiction series heavy with political satire. Writer/artist Howard Chaykin set the stories in the US, particularly Chicago, Illinois, in the early 2030s. [ Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #41 for our coverage of American Flagg!—plus the issue’s Captain America/Reuben Flagg cover by Howard Chaykin!]
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First Graphic Novel #3 published a collected album of American Flagg! , with a new nine-page prologue from Chaykin. This album reprinted issue #1–3 of First’s monthly series.
NEXUS
Nexus is a comic book series created by writer Mike Baron and penciler Steve Rude in 1981. The series combines superhero and science fiction genres and is set 500 years in the future [which you read about in these pages way back in BACK ISSUE #9, which featured a Nexus cover by the Dude himself, Steve Rude!—ed.].
Nexus debuted as a three-issue black-andwhite magazine, followed by an ongoing full-color series which lasted 80 issues. The black-and-white issues and the first six color issues were published by Capital Comics. When Capital Comics crashed, First Comics took over publication.
Nexus was the subject of two First Graphic Novel s.
First Graphic Novel #4 reprints the three magazine-sized issues of Nexus from Capital Comics as created by Rude and Baron.
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Future Shocks
American Flagg! Southern Comfort , First’s 13th graphic novel, would publish the next three issues, American Flagg! #4–6. At the time, American Flagg! was so popular this was also published in a standard hardcover format and in an exclusive signed/ numbered hardcover edition.
Continuing the reprints, First Graphic Novel #23, American Flagg! State of the Union, collected American Flagg! issues #7–9 and was also available in a hardcover edition.
BACK ISSUE #156
BRONZE AGE GRAPHIC NOVELS! 1980s GNs from Marvel, DC, and First Comics, Conan GNs, and DC’s Sci-Fi GN series! With BRENT ANDERSON, JOHN BYRNE, HOWARD CHAYKIN, CHRIS CLAREMONT, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, JACK KIRBY, DON McGREGOR, BOB McLEOD, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, JIM STARLIN, ROY THOMAS, BERNIE WRIGHTSON, and more! WRIGHTSON cover.
First’s 26th graphic novel, The Next Nexus, would collect the four issues of First’s 1989 Next Nexus miniseries that told the story of the Loomis Sisters. This one included words of praise from Harlan Ellison on the back cover.
THE WORLD OF L
FRANK
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BAUM’S OZ Writer/artist Eric Shanower would supply the material for graphic novels #5, 7, 14, and 16 with his original additions to the Oz world of author L. Frank Baum.
Graphic novel #5 was The Enchanted Apples of Oz . Using the characters Scarecrow, Billina, Dorothy, Valynn, Bortag, the Wizard, Drox,
Original painted cover art by Howard Chaykin for First Graphic Novel #3 (1985), a.k.a. American Flagg!: Hard Times. Courtesy of Heritage.
