Year: 2013

Originally published April 2, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1324

A couple of things…

I don’t usually do reviews, leaving such efforts to the extremely able talents of such folks as Tony Isabella, the man with two first names, one of which belongs to a famous queen. But there’s a relatively new title out (two issues on the stands as of this writing, possibly more by the time you read this) that I cannot recommend highly enough.

I hate to say that it’s the kind of title that we need, because that makes it sound like required reading or something that is similar anathema to most fans. Nevertheless, I think the title unquestionably falls into that category. And what I am speaking of is Age of Bronze: The Story of the Trojan War.

Continue Reading “Comics review: Age of Bronze” →

Originally published March 19, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1322

Okay… I admit it. I was a bit hung up on Lois Lane when I was a kid.

When one judges the Lois Lane from the comics of the time, one would be hard pressed to figure out why in God’s name anyone would find her vaguely interesting as a “person,” much less a fictional character. She was apparently rather shallow, concerned only with trying to prove her theory that Clark Kent was, in reality, Superman, due to her oft-stated observation that no one “had ever seen them together.” Curiously, Lois’ suspicions never fell upon any of the other millions of people in Metropolis and/or the rest of the United States who’d never been seen with the Man of Steel either. Certainly that process of elimination could have been a full time job for her all on its own.

The fact is that, overall, Lois seemed shallower than the average bassinet.

Continue Reading “A Look at Lois Lane” →

Originally published March 12, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1321

I wondered if I would be able to read it.

I stood there in the comic book store I frequent once a week and observed the new titles. Apparently it was Books-I-Used-To-Write week. It’s kind of like standing outside a frat house from which you’ve been rejected, knowing that there’s a party going on and that you’re not invited to attend.

There was the latest issue of Aquaman with the newest installment of the systematic dismantling of everything I did in the series. But I was pretty much used to that by now. Right nearby, however, was issue #1 of The Hulk. No longer incredible, but the recipient of a massive ad campaign, a Marvel-created website, and lots of other support that they hadn’t given the title for years while I was writing it.

I stared at it. And thought back to twelve years ago, when Bob Harras approached me about writing it…

Continue Reading “Looking Back on the Hulk” →

Originally published March 5, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1320

Hello. Phyllida Archer-Dowd here. As one of the founders of the Children’s Protectorate Council, I have once again been allotted space in But I Digress. This is, of course, a self-serving action on Mr. David’s part, since he has become so enmeshed in his stage activities that he has little enough time to attend to his proper writing duties. Indeed, it is not surprising to me that he was drawn to 1776, a musical “entertainment” that degrades our founding fathers, rife with profanity and jokes about such riotous subjects as urination, lust, and prostitution.

Continue Reading “Phyllida Archer-Dowd on Teletubbies” →

Originally published February 26, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1319

I don’t make a habit of discussing projects I’m working on in this column, but I’m involved with two projects that are off beat, even for me… so you know that it’s gotta be pretty offbeat. So I thought that I’d take this opportunity to tell you about them.

The first is a project that’s got not only the attention of the national media, but even Tony Isabella itself… so you know that it’s got to be a quality endeavor. I am speaking of The Wedding of Popeye and Olive, a one-shot that I wrote for Ocean Comics.

Continue Reading “The Wedding of Popeye and Olive” →