Monday, April 6, 2009
Bring On the Back-Ups: Hawkman "Riddle of the Red-Handed Robber"
One of the great things DC continued to do throughout the Groovy Age was employ back-up stories in a whole lot of their books. I notice that, with the impending price increase, DC is bringing that practice back, and Ol' Groove thinks that's fab-a-mundo! Detective Comics has run tons of back-ups throughout its history, some famed, some forgotten, but almost always worth reading. Let's take a look at one of the forgotten, a neat little Hawkman tale by E. Nelson Bridwell, Rich Buckler, and Dick Giordano. From Detective Comics #434 (January 1973), here's "Riddle of the Red-Handed Robber!"
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Although I remained a staunch Marvel Zombie in the "groovy age," I agree with your thoughts on backup stories, Groove! This was a practice I wish Marvel had employed more often....although Marvel never retained any anthology titles that were the equivalent of Action, Adventure or Detective Comics. Perhaps Marvel should've revived Marvel Mystery Comics!
ReplyDeleteChris, I used to make my own comics on typing paper when I was a kid (I bet the majority of us did!), and one of the things I did was try to come up with a Marvel anthology in the vein of DC's Dollar Comics. I thought Marvel's Greatest Comics would have been a great title to convert to that format. Can't remember all the features I wanted in it, but I do remember doing splash pages for solo Angel and Scarlet Witch stories.
ReplyDeleteMarvel did a few five pagers that popped up here and there during Archie Goodwin's tenure as editor. I have a few of those cued up for the next few weeks. Oh, and there's a very elusive one I'm trying to track the first part down to that came out in the early 70s. I have the second part, and as soon as I get the first, I'll run it. I think a lot of fans will be surprised!
Ah yes....typing paper comics.......in full pencil and ball-point pen!! LOL. And sometimes color pencils if I felt especially ambitious! (My thing was creating team-ups that never happened but should have, such as Man-Wolf meeting Werewolf by Night, etc.)
ReplyDeleteFunny....I used to think "Marvel's Greatest Comics" was the closest thing to a Golden Age-sounding title Marvel had, because of the word "comics" at the end. Yes....I'd like to see those Marvel short stories! Look forward to that....