Letters Page
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From PHILIP BENTLEY on the web... Dear Greg & Pierre, The Silver Age Marvel Comics Cover Index is slowly but surely making the transition from what could so easily have been a pretty staid site, into a lively and informative one. The addition of the reviews has helped this considerably. On the whole I think you are fairly spot-on with your opinions, and it's good to see these works, which never had the chance to be formally lauded at the time of release, finally garner some critical notice. I'm certain that some of these issues wouldn't have been my first choices for reviews, but you've done a good job of establishing the credentials of each.  I guess that I do have a couple of critical comments I can make about the reviews in general - observations which I hope will make future reviews even better. Firstly you do tend to have an indulgence for the long and/or convoluted sentence! The opening two paragraphs of the Sgt Fury review are an example of the first: a six line sentence followed by an eight line sentence. The third paragraph of the Astonish review is an example of the second - it really needs some punctuation for it to make sense! There is also what I feel is the use of, for want of a better phrase, 'clunky didacticism' in many of the reviews. I congratulate you for introducing elements of Art Criticism into your work, but often this comes across a bit too much like a lecture. Similarly for reviews of this length I don't really know if we need the quotations from authoritative sources. Paraphrase by all means, but the quotes just seem like overkill. (Quotes from the actual principles, like Adams in the review of X-Men # 58, however, I think do have a place as they are 'closer to the action' as it were.) I also wonder if you should restrict yourselves to one issue only. It seems to me that the review of Spider-Man # 27 could have been enhanced by dealing with the preceding # 26 as well. After all, it was a two-parter. There are many other examples where I think it would make for a better review if the entire storyline was dealt with, eg. any of the multi-part stories Steranko's SHIELD run in Strange Tales. |
I'd like to make a couple of observations sparked by the reviews. Firstly, you are right to call attention to the fact that early Don Heck had its charms. I well remember a strip set in Japan in (I think) the back of an early 60's Strange Tales where Heck used elements of an oriental style to great advantage. Unfortunately his (mostly) mediocre work of the late 60's and early 70's is what we all tend to remember. In this there is some irony because it's a similar reaction that those who started reading in the 70's and 80's might have to Kirby, having seen only his later formulaic, and at times, embarrassing work. I particularly like the exposition of Marvel's own Classicist versus Romanticist battle in the guise of Kirby vs. Ditko. I wonder how much of an impact the aesthetic tension created by this implicit tussle had on the flowering of the 'Marvel Age'. And further how much the seeds of destruction were planted by the rise and rise of Kirby and the diminution of Ditko as the decade progressed. While Conan # 24 is certainly a landmark issue, and the best of the run, I couldn't call it the 'best ever'. My criteria for that accolade would include a superior presentation (not pulp paper and hand separations), a complete storyline (not the final instalment of a multi-parter) and a storyline that carried some weight and comment on the human condition (sorry I'm veering into pomposity, but I can't think of a better term). While I can't think of too many that I'd unreservedly nominate, and I earnestly agree with your summation that much since Conan # 24 has been "shallow tripe" (not so sure about the "meaningless perversion"), I still feel that there have been works that have come closer to the 'ne plus ultra'. In a 'highly commended without necessarily being the best of all time' category, I'd nominate Thomas & Smith's adaptation of 'Red Nails' in Savage Tales # 2 and # 3. At the time ('73-74), I did think this was the best ever, and while I may have revised my opinion somewhat I still think it caught the eerie timelost quality of Howard's Conan perfectly. Finally, I wouldn't call Conan # 24 part of the Silver Age! Personally I see the 'classic' Silver Age as ending around 1968 and then there being a transitional period lasting until about 1971. Okay, enough of my prattling already, Don't yield, Back SHIELD!
Philip Bentley, 25 Feb 2000 |
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Pierre replies: Philip, Thanks for the detailed and erudite letter! Greg and I certainly appreciate any response we might inspire in fellow enthusiasts of Silver Age Marvel. It's always good to know that somebody's reading our stuff! I agree with you regarding the lengthy sentences and promise to try and get to them before they can escape into print. As for our language, it's a constant battle to keep it within a layman's understanding, but sometimes there's no way around a contraposto or chiaroscuro! Don Heck is one of the great, unsung artists of comics and Greg and I won't rest until every other Silver Age fan agrees with us! Look for more words of praise for 'ole Don in future reviews! I agree that the Conan book is not part of the Silver Age. It's part of the "Bronze Age" or what Greg and I have termed Silver Age Marvel's "twilight era". Alert readers of our reviews will have noticed that (so far at least!) we've been following a pattern: we're looking at one book each from the four periods of Silver Age Marvel as described in the overview sidebar accompanying each review. We began with Sgt. Fury #7 for the early, formative years; Spider-Man #27 for the "years of consolidation"; FF #54 for the "grandiose years", and Thor #176 for the "twilight years." |
Although it's nearly impossible to just pick a single comic book as the "best ever," I do think that Conan #24 comes the closest due to a number of factors that I won't go into here (otherwise, this missive will end up being a review in itself!). I agreed that "Red Nails" is probably even better as graphic storytelling, but technically it's not a comic book in the strict sense, it's a magazine! Different parameters, different audience, different standards of permissibility. I won't say comparing the two forms is like apples and oranges, but it's something like that. However I will say that whether a story is printed on high grade vellum or toilet paper would make absolutely no difference to me as a criteria for a great comic book. The story and art is everything. I guess we could have reviewed both parts of the Crime Master story arc instead of just Spider-Man #27 on its own, but it would have diluted the review. And besides, by concentrating on a single part of a continued story, we hope to peak a reader's interest enough to want to seek out the other chapters in order to find out what the hoopla's about for themselves! It's part of our charm! Pierre Comtois, 06 Mar 2000 |
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From NICK CAPUTO I've been very interested in Pierre's and Gregorio's efforts. I like their ideas, and while I'd argue the construction leaves something to be desired, it is both admirable and educational to present views in the context of art and culture. I would suggest a better blending of the cultural discussions and the comic reviewed - there needs to be a proper balance so the information can be digested. A little more editing might make the articles flow better, and create a stronger article in the process. |
Having said that, I'll admit that these new and different types of reviews are much better than the same old point-by-point rehash of an old comic. If we can learn something new about the book, a different take on it, some information on the creators and the context of the times, so much the better. I hope you continue to improve and come up with more obscure and offbeat titles to review (and I love off-track comments like the one made about the Human Torch strip, and goofy characters like Paste Pot Pete, so sue me!).
Nick Caputo, 03 Mar 2000 |
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From GRAEME FRENCH Hi. I'm enjoying the reviews immensely - please keep them coming. I've been a big Gene Colan fan for years, mostly through his work on Daredevil and was fascinated to read your review of Daredevil # 44. It's true that "Gene the Dean", as Stan dubbed him, was heavily influenced by cinema but there's nothing I've seen in a movie theater to explain his wild panel layouts which most evident in his work on DD. People often credit Neal Adams with breaking out of the conventional panel layout but I'm sure Colan did it first. Actually I think Colan overdid it a little on DD # 44, so I can't wait until you review another Colan issue. Actually I hope you'll review several, like maybe an Iron Man story from Tales of Suspense and one of the stunning issues he drew for Dr Strange. |
But I've often wondered why Colan's work on DD was so much more way-out than his work on other titles. For example, in Captain Marvel # 4, which if memory serves was on the stands at the same time as DD # 44, Colan is working in a much more traditional style. Aside from one spectacular full-pager, Gene never deviates from the rectangular four-or-five panels per page layout. Neither does he use shadows to anywhere near the same effect as he does in DD, except on the opening splash page. Was his work on DD # 44 an 'experiment'? Did he go to Stan and say "Stan, I really want to break out of these rectangular panels!" and Stan OK'd it, but told him to confine this new style to one title, and Gene chose DD, then (apparently!) decided to move it over to Dr Strange? Does any of this ring true for you?
Graeme French, 04 Mar 2000 |
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Nick Caputo throws some light on it: I believe I can answer Graeme's question re: Colan's layouts. The reason that Colan tended towards more traditional layouts instead of the slanted panels that were used at other times is that Stan didn't care for the offbeat layout and thought it would confuse the youngsters. |
This is from Gene himself, in response to questions about his layouts on his onelist. He used it much more in Dr.Strange because Thomas allowed more freedom in that respect (even though he gave him much more detailed plots, which Colan didn't care for). |
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From TERRENCE at THIRD MILLENNIUM, 25 May 2000 Greg & Pierre, Just finished reading up the review on FF # 13. After that, I delved into some of the other reviews and I must say, your reviews are quite informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking. I own a copy of FF # 13 and was impressed on how you interpreted the juxtaposition of Marxism and democracy within the tale. |
In a society where comics are considered juvenile or low-brow, you have shown how a simple pulp magazine can be an exercise in an elevated level of instruction. I hope you might do one of your future reviews on the "Silver Surfer." Perhaps an issue in which he matches wits with Mephisto. Best, Terrence THIRD MILLENNIUM entertainment *screenwriting/film/comics* http://www.teako170.com |
