Stronguy Reviews The Marvel Bronze Age

[Stronguy]

I have seen some original art pages for issue #5 to this series. They were done by Ramona Fradon. Does anyone know if all the pages are available as a complete story?

 

I think AlterEgo or one of those books may have had a story on it.

 

Overall, good job in this thread Strounguy.

 

I knew there was an incomplete issue 5 of Night Nurse but not Cat. Interesting...

[Stronguy]

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Chamber Of Darkness

Issues 3-8, Special 1

February 1970 - December 1971, January 1972

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

This is one of the better horror titles. Until issue 8 you get all original short stories with top of the line art with just a few reprints for good measure. Barry Smith, Tom Palmer inked by O'Neil, John Buscema... all in top form. Issue 4 is where Barry Smith gets to try out his Conan style. Sal Buscema's work on issue 6 is outstanding. Issue 7 gives you a great Wrightson cover with an equally as good story. Alas, issue 8 is all reprints aside from another great Wrightson cover. Special 1 is a 25¢ square bound, picture frame book... reprints stories from issues 1 and 2.

 

Summary:

These are great. Even if they cost a few bucks the first few issues are well worth it

 

 

Fan Letters:

Issue 5... Alan Kupperberg

 

[Stronguy]

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Crazy

Issues 1-3

February 1973 - June 1973

 

Rating: 2/5

 

Not a lot to report on this one. Just another bunch of comedic stories with no real purpose other than to separate you from 20¢. It's just another rehash of Not Brand Echh and Arrgh. The art is cartoonish but pretty solid. If you're into this kind of stuff you can't go wrong because they're usually cheap.

 

 

[gaute]

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Chamber Of Darkness

Issues 3-8, Special 1

February 1970 - December 1971, January 1972

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

This is one of the better horror titles. Until issue 8 you get all original short stories with top of the line art with just a few reprints for good measure. Barry Smith, Tom Palmer inked by O'Neil, John Buscema... all in top form. Issue 4 is where Barry Smith gets to try out his Conan style. Sal Buscema's work on issue 6 is outstanding. Issue 7 gives you a great Wrightson cover with an equally as good story. Alas, issue 8 is all reprints aside from another great Wrightson cover. Special 1 is a 25¢ square bound, picture frame book... new stories and art.

 

Summary:

These are great. Even if they cost a few bucks the first few issues are well worth it

 

 

Fan Letters:

Issue 5... Alan Kupperberg

 

 

one of my favourite series

iirc, the special #1 is reprints from the original series plus a couple 50s reprints?

[Earl Davis]

Loving the thread, Just wanted you to know it's appreciated.

 

Earl.

[Stronguy]

one of my favourite series

iirc, the special #1 is reprints from the original series plus a couple 50s reprints?

 

Upon further investigation, you are correct. Comics.org lists the first 3 stories as being out of issue 1 and the last 2 being out of issue 2. Since I don't have those issues I didn't recognize the stories.

[telerites]

I don't spend much time in the Bronze Age Forum but I gotta say, I really enjoy this thread. It brings back a lot of memories. I have a lot of these and have read most of them but it has been ages since I read them. This was the era I started reading comics (Defenders #2 my first at the tender age of 8).

 

Keep 'em coming

[tigers comics]

I have to get some Chamber of Darkness comics.

[greggy]

Why was Crazy done before Chili?

[cujobyte]

So, in this thread I'll start posting reviews of some of the more interesting books or runs I find. Some of these things completely fly under the radar so this should be an interesting experiment. Posting will be in a random order at first because I'm already through a long box and a quarter. Gee, only 15 more boxes to go.

 

 

ABSOLUTE best thread I have ever seen in this forum !!!!

VERY WELL DONE...!!! (thumbs u

 

Regards

 

Bump

 

Who knew that comics were meant to be read.

[mica]

Why was Crazy done before Chili?

He knows I'm waiting patiently

[Stronguy]

Why was Crazy done before Chili?

 

I just happened to have Crazy sitting on my desk and already scanned. I've scanned Chili and I'll try to post a review this weekend.

[Stronguy]

Click here to add this thread to your watch list

 

Chili

Issues 9-26, Special 1

January 1970 - December 1973, December 1971 (Special)

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

As the Silver Age came to an end and the Bronze Age ramped up Marvel found themselves with titles that just didn't fit the "new" Marvel. Long-time favorites like Millie The Model, Patsy And Hedy, one time staples of Marvel's romantic female-friendly line... all slowed down. In late '67 Millie The Model went from being a romance title to being more of an Archie-like comic. The art style became cartoonish, the stories became short and humorous. Thinking they could expand on this line Marvel spun off Chili from the pages of Millie.

 

Chili Storm worked with Millie Collins at Hanover Modeling Agency. Millie was sweet, wholesome, supportive; Chili was competitive, back stabbing and a money-grubbing whore... but in a funny sort of way. Every time Chili saw the chance to steal the spotlight from someone she would cook up a scheme to screw them over. Of course things never went as planned and it was Chili who ended up getting screwed over in the end (yes, I meant to say that). Chili might overhear the boss talking about wanting to send Millie to make a TV appearance so she would tell the boss that Millie had just been taken to the hospital but *she* is available to cover her assignments. When she gets to the TV studio they are doing a sketch comedy where Chili gets a pie thrown in her face. Chili also had this rich geek she was stringing along. Always hoping to get a proposal from him (and, of course, later divorce him for half his money)she would keep him on the side for fancy things like dinner parties, plays and dances. But that didn't stop her from playing the field with any other groovy guy who happened her way. Basically she kept this poor guy pining away while she whored it up with every swingingdick in town. That's pretty much the formula for the entire series.

 

As far as I can tell Chili makes it 19 issues before it starts reprints (with a different cover of course). I'd like to give a shout out to the geek who lightly penciled in the original issue numbers on the story numbers on my sweet copies. All of the stories were written by Stan Lee and the art was done by Stan G (Goldberg). The style is straight-up Dan DeCarlo's Archie.

 

Notes:

-- After issue 17 (Oct. '70) Chili takes a 22 month break returning with issue 18 in Aug. '72. My guess is this is when the reprints started but I don't have any issues pre-9 to confirm.

-- Issues 18-20 are picture frame covers (blue, red, blue).

-- Issue 3 (pre-1970), reprinted in issues 24, has an appearance by Stan Lee and Stan G. Millie stops by the Bullpen to talk with the guys about the Millie The Model comic and brings Chili along. Both Stans are hip and cool. One thing to note is Stan Lee is depicted smoking, something he said he never did (there's a thread about it somewhere in Comics General).

 

Summary:

Pound for pound Chili is a fun book. I really though it would be a beating reading this but it went fast and I actually enjoyed it. The stories are cute and witty, the art is consistent. For your 15¢ or 20¢ every other month you got what you expected. No stories about Chili having sex with her boss, running off to Europe and giving birth to his mutant love children. It was just straight slapstick. If you enjoy Archie and book of that nature then Chili is something you might like. Unless you're trying to get uber high grade copies you can usually find them for $1 - $2 each or less than $1 if you buy mid-grade bulk.

 

[bumpjay]

So, in this thread I'll start posting reviews of some of the more interesting books or runs I find. Some of these things completely fly under the radar so this should be an interesting experiment. Posting will be in a random order at first because I'm already through a long box and a quarter. Gee, only 15 more boxes to go.

 

 

ABSOLUTE best thread I have ever seen in this forum !!!!

VERY WELL DONE...!!! (thumbs u

 

Regards

 

Bump

 

Who knew that comics were meant to be read.

 

[bronze_rules]

Chili

[bhhooks22]

Click here to add this thread to your watch list

 

Chili

Issues 9-26, Special 1

January 1970 - December 1973, December 1971 (Special)

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

As the Silver Age came to an end and the Bronze Age ramped up Marvel found themselves with titles that just didn't fit the "new" Marvel. Long-time favorites like Millie The Model, Patsy And Hedy, one time staples of Marvel's romantic female-friendly line... all slowed down. In late '67 Millie The Model went from being a romance title to being more of an Archie-like comic. The art style became cartoonish, the stories became short and humorous. Thinking they could expand on this line Marvel spun off Chili from the pages of Millie.

 

Chili Storm worked with Millie Collins at Hanover Modeling Agency. Millie was sweet, wholesome, supportive; Chili was competitive, back stabbing and a money-grubbing whore... but in a funny sort of way. Every time Chili saw the chance to steal the spotlight from someone she would cook up a scheme to screw them over. Of course things never went as planned and it was Chili who ended up getting screwed over in the end (yes, I meant to say that). Chili might overhear the boss talking about wanting to send Millie to make a TV appearance so she would tell the boss that Millie had just been taken to the hospital but *she* is available to cover her assignments. When she gets to the TV studio the are doing a sketch comedy where Chili gets a pie thrown in her face. Chili also had this rich geek she was stringing along. Always hoping to get a proposal from him (and, of course, later divorce him for half his money)she would keep him on the side for fancy things like dinner parties, plays and dances. But that didn't stop her from playing the field with any other groovy guy who happened her way. Basically she kept this poor guy pining away while she whored it up with every swingingdick in town. That's pretty much the formula for the entire series.

 

As far as I can tell Chili makes it 19 issues before it starts reprints (with a different cover of course). I'd like to give a shout out to the geek who lightly penciled in the original issue numbers on the story numbers on my sweet copies. All of the stories were written by Stan Lee and the art was done by Stan G (Goldberg). The style is straight-up Dan DeCarlo's Archie.

 

Notes:

-- After issue 17 (Oct. '70) Chili takes a 22 month break returning with issue 18 in Aug. '72. My guess is this is when the reprints started but I don't have any issues pre-9 to confirm.

-- Issues 18-20 are picture frame covers (blue, red, blue).

-- Issue 3 (pre-1970), reprinted in issues 24, has an appearance by Stan Lee and Stan G. Millie stops by the Bullpen to talk with the guys about the Millie The Model comic and brings Chili along. Both Stans are hip and cool. One thing to note is Stan Lee is depicted smoking, something he said he never did (there's a thread about it somewhere in Comics General).

 

Summary:

Pound for pound Chili is a fun book. I really though it would be a beating reading this but it went fast and I actually enjoyed it. The stories are cute and witty, the art is consistent. For you 15¢ or 20¢ every other month you got what you expected. No stories about Chili having sex with her boss, running off to Europe and giving birth to his mutant love children. It was just straight slapstick. If you enjoy Archie and book of that nature then Chili is something you might like. Unless you're trying to get uber high grade copies you can usually find them for $1 - $2 each or less than $1 if you buy mid-grade bulk.

 

 

Hey , there you guys are. I've been looking for you. If I didn't know better , I'd swear you were trying to hide from me.

[Boboset]

Lovin' the thread and waiting for a new update

 

[Stronguy]

I'm reading Conan right now... that's about 100 issues. Gonna take some time.

[Aman619]

save time ... stop at issue 37! : )

[500Club]

I'm reading Conan right now... that's about 100 issues. Gonna take some time.

 

Review in chunks.