Ken Aldred

Gaiman's run was quite faithful to Kirby's original series, and far, far better than the drivel written by Chuck Austen a few years earlier.

Blunt and to the point. I can spot someone else from northern England's here.

There's a degree of uncomfortable, polarised truth about it, even though I'm clueless as to the actual intent. On the one hand, if someone wants the book at this moment in time, you'll tend to be asked to pay a nosebleed price for it, and his is very inflated. On the other, at least he is disclosing that the issue is extremely common; an honest point about many film speculation books in recent years, which you don't find said very often at all. Nice copy you have there.

One of my favourite scenes in a Marvel film is the all-too-brief appearance of a Celestial in the first Guardians of the Galaxy.

Glad I picked these up in 1977. My favourite BA Kirby Marvel book as a kid.

Then, of course, as well as the choices for discriminating, comic book connoisseurs, there's also the comedy option...

Predictable by now.

Yup. A classic cover.

Of the two options offered, B is a classic cover. I also like Romita's Mysterio cover as well. B vs Marvel Tales 130 would've been a tougher comparison.

I agree with enough of it to feel the list is a very decent attempt, but far from definitive. Good EC comic choices.

I'm surprised they missed that issue, as it isn't terribly obscure. I'd thought about suggesting something from the early Copper Age, 1985; DC Challenge 11. Even though it's something largely forgotten and relegated to the lowliest drek boxes, it does feature the right characters.

Bendis' decompressed style is ideal for this, if they want Superman written with later TP sales in mind.

The first two books remind me of when I first started reading comics, buying them from the local bus station newsstand. The stall usually only had the month's UK-distributed issues, but once, in '74 or '75, they had quite a stack of older DCs, defaced by felt-tip pen prices which were easily as bad as the ones you've shown. I recall buying Forever People 2, Teen Titans 23 and Metamorpho 10. Absolutely thrilled to get hold of them, even though they were in quite ragged condition. Even though I'm an OCD condition nutjob and primarily a digital reader now, that remains a very nostalgic starting point.

I'd agree with your choice. The storyline sets up 70s / Bronze Age Superman as being much less powerful and more vulnerable than he was in the 50s and 60s.

Yup. I know. Seen it at a convention.

A few of the issues have short Marvels sections by Alex Ross. Can't quite remember if they were then reprinted together as Marvels 0?

The Hunger Dogs GN and the new material in the final Issue of the New Gods 80s reprint series contain some poor, extremely-stiff Kirby artwork, but, struggling with health problems towards the very end of his career, to be fair.

Yup. That's pretty much the benchmark against which it'll be judged. Average at best for its time.

King Kirby was inconsistent, and this isn't one of his best. B is exceptionally-nice Arthur Adams artwork.

I'm a big Kirby fan as well, but Adams does some absolutely fantastic commission work, although too far outside of my price range. I also see clearer variety in the skin textures, and, he's come up with some great alternative poses for the characters. Happy to pick B.

The second, Arthur Adams version. Also, it looks like it's in mintier condition, lacking obvious creases and fading. Easy to get a nicer copy of item A.

As I said in a previous thread, I believe it's all just pure coincidence.

Also Boom Tube = Bifrost