PGM Defenders Annual 1

[DavidTheDavid]

This book was published in late fall of 1976. Sal Buscema was the penciler, Archie Goodwin the editor, and Ed Hannigan the cover artist. I don't know Hannigan, by the way...anyone know what else he did in this time period?

 

Can anyone name the six Defenders on the cover? You all recognize at least three or four of them. I had to look them up, but does anyone out there recognize all six?

 

So anyhow, here's the comic. Notice the slight blunting on the front BLHC but a more crumply blunting of the front TRHC. The comic lies flat nicely and has vibrant gloss still, at least in my judgment.

 

I don't know what's whiter, the back cover or that guy grinning at us with his pearly whites. The interior pages are off-white to white.

 

So yeah...buddy, you, can you spare a grade?

 

FRONT - SUPER HI RES WITH DEFENDER JUICE!

REAR - SUPER HI RES WITH DEFENDER JUICE!

 

[oakman29]

9.0

[southerncross]

I'd have to say 9.0 as well. the top left hand corner on back cover I think is too damaged to bring it up to a 9.2

 

As for the characters without looking them up and cheating

 

Hulk, Dr Strange, Luke Cage Power man and now the guesses Night hawk, Valkyrie and I don't have a clue about the women swinging in from the back in a red suit with a white star on the chest

[Mailman_Comics]

Red Guardian....took me a minute but i was able to come up with it....good to know i still got it.

[southerncross]

I had a sneaking suspicion the character's name would start either with Red or to a lesser degree Scarlet.

[DavidTheDavid]

Thanks, oakman and southerncross.

 

I only knew Hulk, Dr. Strange, Power Man, and Valkyrie. Other two were head scratchers.

[timfinz]

9.0 IMHO. If not for the blunted corners and the damage on the top of corner this book would probably graded closer to 9.4 but ouch!

[marvelcollector]

9.0

[vaillant]

Thanks, oakman and southerncross.

 

I only knew Hulk, Dr. Strange, Power Man, and Valkyrie. Other two were head scratchers.

 

Dang, actually that is the second red Red Guardian, and she is a very important character, I’d dare say a staple character at least in the mid-numbers run of the Defenders. Also, you need to check out his "awesome" husband, Sergei, aka the Presence. Soviet super-action can’t get better than this…

 

The Presence is also the father of Darkstar (which should be known to X-Men readers by now) and Vanguard. I think the Presence has also been used by Kurt Busiek during his relatively recent Avengers run ("Heroes Reborn").

 

As far as Hannigan, he’s been a staple artist for Marvel. Besides being the graphic creator of Cloak & Dagger on the pages of the Spectacular Spider-Man, he penciled a remarkable number of covers and issues.

His best work outside Marvel is, IMO, the DC mini-series in prestige format, Skull & Bones, where he meticulously researched and studied modern Soviet Union in the early 1990s, and captured in an almost perfect way its atmosphere around the time of Yeltsin golpe in 1991. Skull & Bones could easily be described as a "real life" soviet super-hero. The first, and the only, one.

 

Hannigan is currently suffering from multiple sclerosis, and bravely fighting to keep his activity as long as he’ll be able to do so (I know he’s been doing sketch and signature sessions).

[DavidTheDavid]

Great info, vaillant! Thanks for sharing.

[vaillant]

You’re welcome. (thumbs u

 

Now that I think about it better, the Presence was probably NOT Tanya’s (the 2nd Red Guardian) husband, although they probably had a relationship. I go by memory as I read some of these great stories as a kid.

 

If you find "Skull & Bones", check it out – it’s worth the effort. Hannigan was very proud of it (he loved the former URSS and also had friends there).

I was honored to receive a letter personally from him as I enthusiastically reviewed the mini when it came out and for some reason he was able to get a copy of my italian fanzine in the USA and had the review translated and wished to thank me.

A Batman Legends of the Dark Knight team-up with S&B was discussed, but eventually DC dropped it. A real pity, as the character was "real", unlike most recent comics' characters.