tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post2009386829364256584..comments2024-03-19T10:41:35.976-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: Please Come to Boston - Strange Adventures 206Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-30395430825576758842016-09-20T10:49:49.401-05:002016-09-20T10:49:49.401-05:00DC actually had a nice little group of "weird...DC actually had a nice little group of "weird" characters that fall into the mystical realm. Deadman is of course one. But I've also liked the weirdness of the Spectre and the Phantom Stranger. I'm not sure Marvel really has comparables. None jump to mind. Martinex1https://www.blogger.com/profile/15772734018573677099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-6992123547060776562016-09-19T12:47:14.584-05:002016-09-19T12:47:14.584-05:00The original printing of this story had George Rou...The original printing of this story had George Roussos inks, probably to maintain continuity with the earlier issue. Adams felt it was inconsistent with the following issues which he inked himself, prompting the re-do, which, if anything is even more inconsistent with the rest of his run. I wonder about the impact of these stories today; at the time they were very hard-boiled compared to other comics and Adams' work was a shock to fandom in its combination of hyper-realism and experimental story-telling. A generation of comics creators was inspired by this stuff and then it was put aside by the following generations and the work of Adams became diluted in the stew of various influences. There was a time when he was considered one of the most consequential creators in comics. Russhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04809592629762693427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-42543292092767585032016-09-19T12:37:36.427-05:002016-09-19T12:37:36.427-05:00Great to see a Deadman review Doug! Adams actually...Great to see a Deadman review Doug! Adams actually re-inked this issue for the hardcover reprint book that came out in 2001, so what we're seeing here is 1967 Adams pencils with 2000 Adams inks. The original #206 comic had George Roussos inks. Adams inked the rest of the series himself back in the '60s though, and it's a real treat!<br /><br />As Edo said, Garcia Lopez drew Deadman later on, so some excellent artists have worked on this character. Adams also wrote and drew a few Deadman backup stories in the Aquaman comic in 1970. Hope to see more reviews--enjoy! <br /><br />Garettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-77827200593008741022016-09-19T12:16:07.580-05:002016-09-19T12:16:07.580-05:00Neal Adams is definitely one of my favorite artist...Neal Adams is definitely one of my favorite artists, but in my view the computerized recoloring of his work looks appalling. I would have purchased the Neal Adams Batman Omnibus if not for this egregious tainting of Adams' work.<br /><br />Other than that, Deadman is an intriguing character with a compelling origin. I'll have to read more tales featuring Deadman to better familiarize myself with him.<br /><br />I do have a copy of "The Brave and the Bold" #79, the pairing of Batman and Deadman, illustrated by Neal Adams. A terrific collectible that I'd heartily recommend.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341480129447207957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-61515193381756799552016-09-19T09:03:03.639-05:002016-09-19T09:03:03.639-05:00Great review, Doug; and good to see Boston Brand g...Great review, Doug; and good to see Boston Brand get some attention! Martinex covered most of my thoughts quite well; I too really like his appearance. Simple, yet dramatic- red suit and somewhat ghastly white head. Very cool...<br /><br />Add my voice to the chorus regarding the coloring. That was the first thing I noticed upon seeing the scans. Perhaps the problem with it, for me anyway, is it seems to overpower the linework. Adams is known for his sharp lines and detail, and the old four-color coloring allowed more of that line to show. The heavy computer coloring, and modelling, seems to disguise and even gloss over that penwork. A shame...<br /><br />Looking forward to more discussion of Deadman. You've got me "Hooked"...Redartzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08221459636234713619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-21910625027793522242016-09-19T08:58:17.283-05:002016-09-19T08:58:17.283-05:00Thanks for the enthusiasm, guys.
I wasn't sur...Thanks for the enthusiasm, guys.<br /><br />I wasn't sure I had the full flavor of the character from the two B&B reviews I'd done, so this issue served a good purpose for me. As I said in the review, I enjoyed it and can see that the ongoing story could take some really interesting turns. <br /><br />Trouble is, and this may have happened - I have no idea - is that once Brand caught his killer he'd cease to exist at all. Makes for a finite character/story, which in itself is interesting.<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-16691751279236934752016-09-19T08:24:09.020-05:002016-09-19T08:24:09.020-05:00Great post, Doug! Loved the 100 word review in par...Great post, Doug! Loved the 100 word review in particular this time. Very meaty and substantial.<br />I really like Deadman, and every time you do one of these reviews, it reminds me that I really need to finally read the two Deadman tpbs I have that collect the Deadman material from the late '70s/early '80s (most of the art is by Garcia Lopez).<br /><br />As for the coloring: *heavy sigh*. As I say pretty much every time the topic comes up, I really, really dislike this modern computerized recoloring. Martinex really sums up quite well why it looks a bit off; to my eye, most comic book art just looks better with the more traditional, "flat" coloring. All that said, in these examples you've posted here, the recoloring doesn't look as jarring as on some of those Batman stories I've seen elsewhere. What tends to bug me even more in the case of Adams in particular is that apparently he often also touches up the actual art itself (i.e., the line-work). This seems particularly true of the faces of the various characters, and again, it seems entirely unnecessary (kind of like George Lucas adding those CGI "enhancements" to the first three Star Wars movies).Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-6673680994202297042016-09-19T07:55:30.329-05:002016-09-19T07:55:30.329-05:00Deadman is a very cool looking character and I'...Deadman is a very cool looking character and I've always found his simple design to be very appealing. He also has a set of powers and strict limitations that led to interesting stories. To my knowledge they never powered him up, which is a good thing because the strength of his character becomes more apparent through those restrictions. <br /><br />Regarding the coloring and Neal Adams art - I like the original color so much better. Adams' art is always pseudo realistic in terms of the human form, but I find the old coloring gave a nice balance between "reality" and fantasy. It didn't make it too real. It's hard to explain, but when retouched, the art suddenly borders on the edge of parody for me, almost like one of those movie send-ups in MAD Magazine. It seems to exaggerate rather than accentuate. <br /><br />But I do look forward to more Deadman reviews, he is an underappreciated character. He was one DC character that drew me from the Marvel side more than once.Martinex1noreply@blogger.com