Blue Rhino Review
It’s that time again, but there’s a slight problem. I’m broke, I’m paring the collection down, I have to be “smart” about my current purchases and, oh yeah, I’m broke. So we’re going to run through a blast from the past, as I’ve randomly selected numerous issues from my vast collection (and it is very vast, ladies), so here we go…
The Mask #4 (October, 1991)
Go out right now, buy this issue, turn to page 16 and look at the bottom panel on this page and then try and tell me you’re not disappointed with your purchase. I’m serious. Do it right now!
The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 (1988)
Speedball. I know I’ve said this before, but I’ve never really meant it until now. Wow. Speedball.
Tom DeFalco writes the same issue I read a good three hundred times throughout the nineties (and he did it in the eighties!). Just pure crap. Daredevil is there so we know the hero is telling the truth (even though we already know the hero is telling the truth). The Kingpin crushes some people and gets really upset that he’s managed to run a multi-million dollar operation without fail for lo these many years. Oh, and Speedball is introduced.
This annual is part of the Evolutionary War, no, wait, I’m sorry, The Evolutionary War, a running them between annuals at Marvel that was their answer to “wow, Crisis sold a shitload for those DC bastards!”. Yet they just never seemed to really get it right.
At least things have finally changed at the house of ideas. Sarcasm really doesn’t sell as well in written form (or maybe I’m just a bad writer (as for sarcastic pretentiousness…)).
Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #1 (March, 1997, Hey, I turned 20!)
John Byrne is kind of a fuck. DC was just sticking it to Marvel by invoking The King’s name after he was gone. And really, what the fuck happened in this issue? I paid $1.95 ten years ago to be this bored? This comic book predicted my entire life.
Daredevil #181 (April, 1982)
Come on, man. Daredevil #181. You know what I’m talking about, right?
Elektra (not the Jennifer Garner Elektra). Bullseye (and not the Colin Farrell Bullseye). Daredevil (most definitely not the “hey, I’m Ben Affleck and I’m totally blind because I stare directly at your forehead at all times” Daredevil).
This comic book defined, well, I don’t know, it just defined so much. This issue began the legacy of Daredevil just plain not sucking, and, in fact, from time to time, being totally amazing. This was it. The one issue that did it all. Sure, you can say that Frank Miller’s entire run on the series defined the character, but when you boil it all down, it’s really just this issue. This one, single, beautiful issue.
And the best part is, it’s told by Bullseye. And in case you’re worried about that, don’t be, because I already pointed out that it’s not the Colin Farrell Bullseye.
This is, quite easily, the best issue of Daredevil ever. And I am taking into account any future issues that I may not have read yet.
The Uncanny X-Men #248 (September, 1989)
Fuck you, Claremont.
Guardians of the Galaxy #25 (June, 1992)
This is one of maybe four or five issues that you can directly relate to the almost-collapse of the comic book industry in the early nineties. Glow-in-the-dark-foil-super cover. $2.50 (in 1992, no less!). Galactus! The Guardians of the Galaxy!
Sometimes I wonder if we just might have been better off if things had completely fallen apart.
And how the hell is Jim Valentino still working in the comic book industry. Have we learned nothing?
Ghost Rider #14 (June, 1991)
How the hell did this incarnation last 60+ issues? I know this is only issue 14 here, but trust me, it keeps going. Read issue 14 and try and explain to me how that’s possible. Please.
The Waling Dead #78 (Novemberish, 2010)
Wow. 78 issues and you still don’t even know your own characters voices. Impressive, Kikrman, very impressive.
The Mask #4 (October, 1991)
Go out right now, buy this issue, turn to page 16 and look at the bottom panel on this page and then try and tell me you’re not disappointed with your purchase. I’m serious. Do it right now!
The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 (1988)
Speedball. I know I’ve said this before, but I’ve never really meant it until now. Wow. Speedball.
Tom DeFalco writes the same issue I read a good three hundred times throughout the nineties (and he did it in the eighties!). Just pure crap. Daredevil is there so we know the hero is telling the truth (even though we already know the hero is telling the truth). The Kingpin crushes some people and gets really upset that he’s managed to run a multi-million dollar operation without fail for lo these many years. Oh, and Speedball is introduced.
This annual is part of the Evolutionary War, no, wait, I’m sorry, The Evolutionary War, a running them between annuals at Marvel that was their answer to “wow, Crisis sold a shitload for those DC bastards!”. Yet they just never seemed to really get it right.
At least things have finally changed at the house of ideas. Sarcasm really doesn’t sell as well in written form (or maybe I’m just a bad writer (as for sarcastic pretentiousness…)).
Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #1 (March, 1997, Hey, I turned 20!)
John Byrne is kind of a fuck. DC was just sticking it to Marvel by invoking The King’s name after he was gone. And really, what the fuck happened in this issue? I paid $1.95 ten years ago to be this bored? This comic book predicted my entire life.
Daredevil #181 (April, 1982)
Come on, man. Daredevil #181. You know what I’m talking about, right?
Elektra (not the Jennifer Garner Elektra). Bullseye (and not the Colin Farrell Bullseye). Daredevil (most definitely not the “hey, I’m Ben Affleck and I’m totally blind because I stare directly at your forehead at all times” Daredevil).
This comic book defined, well, I don’t know, it just defined so much. This issue began the legacy of Daredevil just plain not sucking, and, in fact, from time to time, being totally amazing. This was it. The one issue that did it all. Sure, you can say that Frank Miller’s entire run on the series defined the character, but when you boil it all down, it’s really just this issue. This one, single, beautiful issue.
And the best part is, it’s told by Bullseye. And in case you’re worried about that, don’t be, because I already pointed out that it’s not the Colin Farrell Bullseye.
This is, quite easily, the best issue of Daredevil ever. And I am taking into account any future issues that I may not have read yet.
The Uncanny X-Men #248 (September, 1989)
Fuck you, Claremont.
Guardians of the Galaxy #25 (June, 1992)
This is one of maybe four or five issues that you can directly relate to the almost-collapse of the comic book industry in the early nineties. Glow-in-the-dark-foil-super cover. $2.50 (in 1992, no less!). Galactus! The Guardians of the Galaxy!
Sometimes I wonder if we just might have been better off if things had completely fallen apart.
And how the hell is Jim Valentino still working in the comic book industry. Have we learned nothing?
Ghost Rider #14 (June, 1991)
How the hell did this incarnation last 60+ issues? I know this is only issue 14 here, but trust me, it keeps going. Read issue 14 and try and explain to me how that’s possible. Please.
The Waling Dead #78 (Novemberish, 2010)
Wow. 78 issues and you still don’t even know your own characters voices. Impressive, Kikrman, very impressive.