Mycomicshop's Comic Blog

Greetings from the Odinson,

I hope everyone had wonderful Thanksgiving.  The Odinson took his time off to revisit the Watchmen movie.  I remember when I saw the very first teaser trailer for this movie and how excited I was for its release.  When the movie finally hit theatres in the spring of 2009 I remember really enjoying it, but for some reason I seemed to be in the minority.  I’ve never really understood some of the fans’ dislike for this film.  Well, I haven’t seen the film since its release and decided to check it out again to make sure that I wasn’t the one who was mistaken.  My verdict?  Watchmen is simply amazing.  Not only is it an amazing adaptation of the classic graphic novel, but it actually adds little nuances that expand upon ideas presented by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.  

I’m not going to go into plot details and story breakdowns; the graphic novel is there for fans to read and the movie is available for viewing.  I do, however, want to point out a few reasons why the movie is awesome.  First off, many people said that Watchmen was the un-filmable movie.  Zack Snyder, the enthusiastic director of such films as Dawn of the Dead, 300, and the upcoming Man of Steel, proved the critics wrong.  I can’t imagine a better version being made.  In some instances the movie is actually even better than the graphic novel. 

Now before you grab your torches and pitchforks, let me explain.  As masterfully executed as the graphic novel is, there are just some things that a motion picture can do better than a comics page.  For instance, the book tells you these people are super heroes, the movie shows you.  The scene where Dan and Laurie are attacked by the Topknots in the alleyway; the scene when Rorschach breaks into the military installation; and the scene where Nite Owl and Silk Spectre break Rorschach out of prison beautifully illustrate, more so than the graphic novel, why these people are a force to be reckoned with and why, even in a real world setting, the viewer can believe masked avengers could really exist.  Even the opening scene with the Comedian’s last stand was amazing.  

A couple of other things about the film I really enjoyed were the opening montage and the film’s finale.  In the opening montage the viewer gets to see a lot of the events that the graphic novel only talks about. And I will go on record right now and say that the climactic scene when the Watchmen finally confront the mastermind behind everything is infinitely more spectacular than the one that takes place in the graphic novel.  When I watch super heroes, I want to see them doing super human things and the movie totally delivers on this.  

I am NOT saying the film is better than the graphic novel, but I am saying there are some things the moving picture does better than the still page.  Watchmen is a classic piece of literature and its film adaptation is fantastic.  The version I watched is the Director’s Cut, and at over three hours of running time, it is far superior to the edited down version that fans saw in the theatres.  So revisit this film and I’m sure that if you watch it with an open mind you’ll agree that it is a good adaptation and actually offers a little something of its own.  I’d be willing to bet even Alan Moore would admit he liked it if he wasn’t such a pretentious old wizard.          

Now the Odinson has a special treat for you. 

Frank Frazetta is a legend in this industry.  He is a renowned cartoonist and painter.  His Conan work is instantly recognizable and many consider him to be the Godfather of fantasy art.  Craig Miller, co-Editor of the long-running magazine Wrapped in Plastic and Editor/Publisher of Following Cerebus, has put together a review of Vanguard Productions recent release of their Frazetta Classics series.  Craig is quite knowledgeable when it comes to the subject of Frazetta and he has lot of nice information to share.  Here’s what he had to say.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *


Johnny Comet
(Vanguard Frazetta Classics)
by Craig Miller (on loan from Following Cerebus)

In the past few years a number of exquisite editions of books featuring the art of Frank Frazetta have appeared.  For instance, Underwood Books produced three deluxe hardcovers (Icon, Legacy, and Testament) covering Frazetta's life and art in detail. BlackBart published Telling Stories: The Comic Art of Frank Frazetta, a stunning hardcover containing Thun'da plus a selection of other top-notch stories.  It was a welcome change from previous books that had focused on the artist's paintings. Spectrum Fantastic Art released Rough Work, a collection of sketches and concept art that gave fans a peek at Frazetta's creative process. And Vanguard Productions gave us The Definitive Frazetta Reference, an invaluable illustrated volume to those of us seeking rare and obscure work.

Recently, that same Vanguard (publishers of deluxe art books featuring Neal Adams, Hal Foster, Jim Steranko, Michael Golden, Curt Swan, and many others) has presented a book that deserves a spot alongside those other Frazetta books comprising an essential Frazetta library, and that book is Johnny Comet, the first volume in Vanguard's Frazetta Classics library (the second being White Indian, also highly worth checking out).

Newer fans might not be familiar with Johnny Comet, and even long-time fans might not have seen this material, as this work precedes Frazetta's rise to superstardom that began in the mid 60s with his iconic covers for the Lancer editions of the Conan paperbacks. He had first garnered notice with his work on some of the EC Comics of the early 50s (often in collaboration with Al Williamson and others). When those comics died out, Frazetta ended up working as Al Capp's assistant on Li'l Abner for nine years. Frazetta left in 1961, and his job search proved surprisingly difficult, as his style--influenced by early 20th century illustrators, was deemed too old-fashioned. Eventually he produced some memorable paperback covers to Edgar Rice Burroughs books, interior illustrations to Science Fiction Book Club editions of Burroughs, and the aforementioned Conan paperbacks, and by the early-to-mid 70s, Frazetta had established himself as the premiere fantasy artist of his time, and perhaps of all time. His work appeared everywhere--paperback covers, record album covers, posters, the sides of vans*, you name it.

*Factoid: Before Michael Golden broke into comics in the late 70s, one of his jobs was painting Frazetta swipes on the sides of vans.

Frazetta was a superstar, painting the movie poster to Clint Eastwood's The Gauntlet, designing Bo Derek's letterhead, meeting with the likes of George Lucas and Sylvester Stallone, painting double-spread TV Guide ads for Battlestar Galactica, and on and on. One science fiction writer told me that a Frazetta cover on a paperback book boosted sales by 10,000 copies--"Not enough to guarantee a profit, but a pretty good start." Bantam Books released a series of successful, authorized Frazetta art books, while numerous unauthorized magazines and fanzines simply published collections of his art without authorization.

Frazetta's work has been reprinted to such an extent that surely by now, in 2011, fanatics (present company included) have seen all of the major Frazetta work to date and much of the minor work too, right?

Not so. David Spurlock's publishing company Vanguard has reprinted Frazetta's short-lived 1952-53 Johnny Comet newspaper strip and produced a volume for the ages. There are at least two amazing aspects to this: one, that the strip itself has been so difficult to find in any format to date (two previous inferior editions were produced many years ago and are now out of print), and even more, that the Johnny Comet work is some of the most astounding work ever done by Frazetta. How could it have been virtually forgotten all these years?

The story itself follows the adventures of midget-car racer Johnny Comet, and while exciting in and of itself, it's the art that will interest Frazetta's fans, and Vanguard's deluxe edition finally allows fans to see its beauty. The artist's deft pen-and-brush inking is all here, along with the dynamic compositions and figure work that may be Frazetta's most recognizable talent (well, that and his drawings of beautiful women--also here). But there are other treats, such as the artist's surprising skill with caricature. While the strip is basically drawn in a "realistic" style, Frazetta pushes that realism significantly with some characters, and yet they all comfortably reside within the same comic book world. This ability should not be underestimated; it's extremely difficult to pull off, perhaps one reason it's such a rare occurrence in comics.  I'm not talking about combining, say, humans and cartoon characters, of which many examples could be found, but broad caricature and "realistic" illustration in the same story.  Michael Golden pulled it off in The 'Nam, for instance, but it's hard to think of too many examples. Wallace Wood could do it. But most comics artists have to pick one direction or the other and stick to it, or the work becomes a clashing mess of competing styles.

But Frazetta succeeded here, as he seemed to excel at every other style he attempted. And yet, even considering everything mentioned above--the dynamic art, the beautifully drawn women and heroic men, the stunning ink work--that still might not be the most amazing aspect of Johnny Comet. There is still something else that puts Johnny Comet on par with the greatest adventure comic strips of all time--and yes, I'm talking about Hal Foster's Prince Valiant and Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon. And that "something else" is this: Frazetta produced these strips on a daily basis. Foster and Raymond had a full week to produce their masterpieces. But Frazetta was creating a full daily strip in the time Foster and Raymond produced perhaps a single panel. When this fact sinks in, Frazetta's talent becomes even more amazing, and the Johnny Comet strip becomes perhaps the most phenomenal comic strip in history. The art is beautiful in and of itself; that it was produced at breakneck speed is nearly unbelievable.

Frazetta's long-overlooked masterpiece is finally given the presentation it deserves in the Vanguard edition. It not only puts to shame the previous Johnny Comet books; it puts to shame many of the high-priced reprint books that have poured onto the market in recent years. Frazetta's fine-line inking required a superior reproduction process, and [David] Spurlock has found a way to do it using the artists own proofs (scanned at 3600 ppi!). The Sunday strips are reproduced in full color (never before published in any collection) and are worth the price of the book just by themselves. A slipcover Deluxe Edition also contains 16 bonus pages of scans made directly from original artwork and provides yet another glimpse into the creation of the work.

Unless all of the original art is someday individually located and scanned directly, it's safe to say that there will never be a better Johnny Comet book ever published. It's frustrating as a comics fan to purchase a high-priced volume "despite its problems" just because it's the best available edition, only to have a significantly better collection come along years later (such as has happened with Prince Valiant). Frazetta fans need not worry; this Vanguard edition will not be outdone. When the Eisner Awards are handed out next year, Johnny Comet deserves to be one of the recipients.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Now that’s a knowledgeable Frazetta fan!  The Odinson would like to thank Craig for his enthusiasm and for sharing his considerable knowledge about an industry legend like Frank Frazetta.  So be sure to check out Johnny Comet and, if you get a chance, revisit the Watchmen movie.  I hope you like it as much as I did.  

This is Odinson bidding thee farewell     

Greetings from the Odinson,

In this day and age it seems everything is being collected into trade paperbacks.  And I am all for it!  There’s nothing better than a good trade.  You get to enjoy a fantastic action/adventure story in its entirety without the wear and tear on your comic book collection.  There are few things in life better than lying around on a lazy Sunday afternoon and escaping into a world of high adventure and death-defying super hero exploits, the kind of worlds that come to life in the pages of a graphic novel.  There are the MUST READS – Watchmen; The Dark Knight Returns; and The Dark Phoenix Saga.  There are the EPICS – Crisis on Infinite Earths; The Sinestro Corps War; and Annihilation.  And there are the INSTANT CLASSICS – All-Star Superman; New Frontier; and The Winter Soldier. 

Aside from the titles I’ve already mentioned above, some of my favorite graphic novels are Avengers: Under Siege, here Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must endure and overcome their greatest defeat at the hands of their fiercest adversaries – the Masters of Evil.  I absolutely love Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.  In what has become known as The Japan Adventure, these two modern masters are at the height of their powers as they define a character that will go on to become one of the most popular of all time.  Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, the story that launched the Big Event, features all my favorite heroes duking it out with the galaxy’s most dangerous super villains.  It’s like reading Marvel’s version of Challenge of the Super Friends (for you youngsters - that was a cartoon from the late ‘70s that featured the Justice League battling the Legion of Doom). 

One of the best aspects about trades, collections and graphic novels is the bang for your buck you get when you buy one.  A comic fan can read the Golden Age and Silver Age adventures of their favorite heroes without having to spend a small fortune.  For instance, if you wanted to read about the Man of Steel’s earliest adventures from the Golden Age, Action Comics #1 alone will cost you one million dollars.  However, collections offer an affordable alternative.  DC Archives allow a fan to revisit all these classic Golden Age and Silver Age tales without breaking the bank.  The same thing can be said about Marvel Masterworks.  These glorious tomes allow you to relive the dawn of the Marvel Age and witness the origins of the House of Ideas. 

For years comics had an erroneous stigma of being just for kids or for the illiterate.  It seems though, with the graphic novel, those that aren’t already comic fans for some reason find it easier to accept the material in this fashion.  Because of the square bound cardstock and in some cases hardcover formats, graphic novels can be sold on the shelf in stores side by side with books and novels.  The rise of the graphic novel and in many ways the legitimacy of the comic book medium are due to the success and quality of the stories put out in the ‘80s.  Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons signaled that these stories were not just for kids anymore.  The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller redefined that character for the next decade and beyond.  Writers like Neil Gaiman (Sandman) started winning prestigious awards usually reserved for “legitimate” writers.  Watchmen not only set the bar for other forms of graphic fiction to follow, but it was listed by Time Magazine as one of the Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century.  Not too shabby for a comic book. 

Over the next two decades following the ‘80s, the graphic novel and trade paperback collection format exploded.  The graphic novel format really compliments the Big Event.  A fan can read Infinite Crisis, House of M, or WildStorm Rising and get a complete story without having to wait one month between issues or trying to track down all the comics that connect the story, a task that can be quite daunting when the crossover bridges across several different titles.  The trade paperback collection has done all the work for the fan and provides the story in its entirety.  The graphic novel format also compliments the finite tale, a story that has a beginning, middle and end.   Modern classics like Preacher by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, 100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, Y the Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra benefit greatly from this format.  These are stories that are meant to be read from beginning to end and can be enjoyed and have just as much entertainment as any prose novel on the shelf.   

For years Manga, the Japanese style of graphic storytelling, has been a perennial seller.  Though its popularity has waned in recent months, there was a time when titles like Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Yu-Gi-Oh and Bleach would sell just as many, if not more, copies than a trade featuring Spider-Man or Batman.  In an interview, Kenturo Miura, creator of Berserk, has said that he was a huge fan of Highlander and that it was a big influence on him.  Manga are as diverse as their American counterparts.  A reader can enjoy science fiction (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed), fantasy (Legend of Zelda), action/adventure (Fullmetal Alchemist), and even romance (Oh My Goddess).  There are no limitations for graphic novels.         

With the popularity of the graphic novel format rapidly growing, just about everything, sooner or later, gets collected into a trade or hardcover.  However, believe it or not, there are still some classic stories that have yet to be collected.  For instance, the epic tale of Rom, the greatest of the Spaceknights of Galador and one of the finest heroes to ever grace the comic book page, has never been collected into graphic novel format.  This is a saga that desperately needs to be honored and brought back to the public consciousness.  The Odinson waits, fingers crossed, hoping that one day the ownership rights for this wonderful character can be worked out and we will see his triumphant return (more on this in my annual Rom column returning in January).  

Here are three tales that need to get the graphic novel treatment:

The Hulk in Exile – Long before Planet Hulk, there was this story.  Following the events of the first Secret Wars, the Hulk, whose mighty frame at that time was under the control of Bruce Banner, started showing signs of losing control.  For months (Incredible Hulk #295-299) this builds until in Incredible Hulk #300 it all comes to an end.  Due in no small part to the dream demon Nightmare’s meddling, Hulk, now completely without Banner’s influence, rages out of control on the streets of New York.  The police, SHIELD, even Power Man and Iron Fist are powerless to stop the Green Goliath’s rage-fueled rampage.  It’s all Spider-Man and Daredevil can do just to keep innocent bystanders safe.  When the Avengers arrive on the scene the battle escalates and threatens to destroy the entire city.  Enter: Doctor Strange.  Seeing no other way to stop the Hulk, the Master of the mystic Arts banishes the Jade Giant to The Crossroads, a mystical realm that leads to an infinite number of worlds, but none of the paths lead back home.  This is where the Hulk’s journey begins.  On this journey we see the Hulk like never before, enduring dangers that can harm even his nigh indestructible body and braving alien landscapes that would drive a normal man insane.  This is a unique Hulk adventure and the fact that it has never been collected is a shame.  Incredible Hulk #295-300 should be collected as well and titled: The Hulk in Exile Prelude: Passion of the Beast.   

The Hulk’s World Tour – This was the run that as a child got the Odinson hooked on the Hulk (the TV show starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno didn’t hurt either).  The mighty Hulk embarks on a globetrotting adventure that takes him, and the reader, around the world.  It all starts in Incredible Hulk #254 with a classic Marvel introduction to the nefarious U-Foes.  In Hulk #255, from the deserts of New Mexico, the Hulk arrives in New York City where a battle between the Jade Giant and the mighty Thor puts innocent lives in danger.  After his confrontation with the thunder god, in Hulk #256, the Green Goliath finds himself in Israel where he meets Sabra, a hero of the state.  Next, in Hulk #257, the Hulk’s journey brings him to the blistering sands of Egypt where he must fight side-by-side with the Arabian Knight to vanquish legendary monsters of chaos.  Hulk #258-259 finds the Hulk venturing into the Forbidden Zone of Russia where he fights with and alongside the Soviet Super Soldiers.  In Hulk #260, in the Land of the Rising Sun, the Hulk and his longtime nemesis, Colonel Glenn Talbot, battle to the death.  Next, in Hulk #261, the Jade Giant washes up on the shores of Easter Island.  The only problem is someone else, a foe from the Hulk’s past, has made this island his home and he does not like trespassers.  The Hulk’s world tour comes full circle in Hulk #265 and ends back in the USA where he meets the best heroes in the west, the Rangers.  This is a fun tale that introduces new heroes, new villains, features classic foes, special guest-stars, and, like I said before, lets the Hulk, along with the reader, see the world.  Now where’s my trade, Marvel?        

The New Teen Titans Space Epic - This fantastic tale is one of the reasons the Odinson became addicted to comic books.  This is the first time we are introduced to Starfire’s less than pleasant sister Blackfire.  This adventure sends the young Titans to the far side of the universe to fight a galactic civil war side-by-side with the Omega Men.  This sci-fi epic is a tale of war, betrayal, redemption, and at its core, a love story.  This was creators Marv Wolfman and George Perez at their best.  This epic gave depth to the DCU’s cosmic landscape.  This tale came out at a time when I read very little DC, but the pathos, the power, the passion of this story was evident, even to a child.  New Teen Titans is the reason why the Odinson is a Dick Grayson fan for life.  Starfire, given the plot of the story, really shines here.  It really displeases me what DC has done with her character in the New 52 title Red Hood and the Outlaws, but lucky for me I still have these marvelous back issues to read.  Now if we can just get DC Comics to collect this classic tale into a nice hardcover.   

The Odinson loves the graphic novel format and hopes to soon see these classic tales presented in it.  What other classic tales have yet to receive the collected treatment?  What are your favorite stories?  Chances are we have it here collected for you in a trade paperback or hardcover.  If not, if the Powers that Be have not given your favorite story the graphic novel treatment, here’s to hoping that one day we will.     

This is Odinson bidding thee farewell     

Greetings from the Odinson,

Before I get started, let me make myself very clear – I’m a Star Wars Geek.  A New Hope is the greatest movie ever made.  Not sci-fi movie…it is the greatest MOVIE ever made.  That being said…I am not one of those people that say you must like this or that.  If you dig the Beatles then you can’t like the Rolling Stones.  If you drink Coke then you can’t like Pepsi.  Some unwritten rule declares that we must make a choice - McDonalds or Burger King…Pearl Jam or Nirvana…Marvel or DC…and, of course, Star Wars or Star Trek.  Well, the great thing about freewill is that I do have choice.  And I am not limited to one thing or another.  I like all these things.

Now I am not saying that you can’t like one more than the other.  70% of my extensive comic book collection is from the House of Ideas.  But that doesn’t keep me from enjoying the thrilling adventures of Superman, Nightwing, and the Justice League.  I will always like Star Wars more, but I sure do like me some Star Trek.  There seems to be this weird ongoing and inexplicable feud between Star Wars fans and Star Trek fans.  Not wanting to waste everyone’s time by going into details, I’ll simply recommend watching the 2008 movie Fanboys.  This film explores the Star Wars/Trek feud using humor to expose the absurdity of it.  Yes, the Odinson likes Star Wars and Star Trek and gets enjoyment out of both.   

 It’s Star Trek that I want to talk about this week and specifically a documentary I watched last weekend.  Everyone has their favorite Captain.  That brave soul that commands a crew of Starfleet officers and upholds peace throughout the galaxy, that leader that can use diplomacy, guile, and intelligence with equal skill and take charge of any situation no matter how desperate.  For me, Captain Kirk is my Captain.  I know that’s not really going out on a limb, but what can I say?  Shatner is the man.   

So you can imagine my surprise as I’m casually scrolling through the list of documentaries on Netflix (I like docs) and I happen upon a documentary titled:  The Captains:  A Film by William Shatner.  Of course I stopped down and read the synopsis.  It seems the original Captain Kirk (William Shatner) wrote and co-produced a documentary where he travels the globe and meets with and interviews the other actors that have played the role of the lead Captain throughout the history of Star Trek.  I didn’t even know this documentary was in the works but, boy, am I glad I found it. 

Shatner interviews Sir Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Avery Brooks of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Kate Mulgrew of Star Trek: Voyager, Scott Bakula of Star Trek: Enterprise, and Chris Pine the current Captain Kirk of the new Star Trek movies by J.J. Abrams.  This film is an absolute must watch for any Star Trek fan.  One of the really cool aspects of the film is that while Shatner is interviewing each Captain, that actor is also interviewing William Shatner. 

It is simply marvelous to see these amazing actors interact and mingle and reminisce about their personal experiences in front of the cameras and behind the scenes of their respective Star Trek series.  They share anecdotes and stories, some I’ve heard before and others I never knew about.  Growing up I had always heard there was a rift and somewhat antagonistic relationship between Shatner and Patrick Stewart.  Some of the reasons behind that perceived rift are revealed and whether or not the two still hold animosity toward one anther can absolutely be squashed as it is quite apparent these two great actors get along quite well and are good friends. 

These interactions are definitely eye-opening.  I had no idea Avery Brooks, who played Captain Benjamin Cisco on Deep Space Nine, was so eccentric.  Even the mischievous Bill Shatner seemed to have a time of it keeping up with the idiosyncratic mind of Avery Brooks.  Watching this film we learn the sacrifices of family and a normal life these actors made in order to pursue the craft they so loved and give the fans their best portrayals possible.  Poor William Shatner, Patrick Stewart and Scott Bakula, who played Captain Jonathan Archer on Enterprise, all had marriages come to an end due in no small part to the rigors of working on a television series.  The sacrifices these people made in their personal lives really comes to light in the interviews with Patrick Stewart and Kate Mulgrew, who played Captain Kathryn Janeway on Voyager.  My favorite moment in the film has to be, hands down, Shatner, the original Captain Kirk, challenging Chris Pine, the current Captain Kirk, to an arm-wrestling match.  Absolutely priceless. 

The Captains: A Film by William Shatner is insightful, funny, entertaining, and definitely a must see for Trek fans.  How many other opportunities will we get to see the original Captain Kirk interact with Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Captain Benjamin Cisco, Captain Kathryn Janeway, Captain Jonathan Archer and the current Captain Kirk?  If you don’t have Netflix, we have a few copies of the DVD left in stock, but hurry because they are running out fast.  The Odinson’s Grade:  A ++ 

This is Odinson bidding thee farewell     

Greetings from the Odinson,

In the mid-80s there was a brilliantly conceived cartoon called Defenders of the Earth.  In this animated series, the world’s greatest heroes and their children must unite to defend planet Earth from a threat none of them could handle alone.  Sound familiar?  In this instance the team of heroes is comprised of Flash Gordon, the greatest science fiction hero of all time; the Phantom, the Ghost Who Walks and legendary pulp hero; Mandrake the Magician and his assistant, the mighty Lothar.   The threat is none other than Ming the Merciless! 

In the not too distant future, Dale Arden, Gordon’s wife, has perished.  Flash Gordon and his son, Rick, escape from Mongo and return to Earth.  Ming the Merciless soon follows and brings his evil armada and his vendetta against the Earthman that destroyed his empire with him.  The Defenders, like true heroes, stand stalwart and true and defend planet Earth from every single diabolical plan Ming can come up with.  They are helped in no small way by their progeny.  Rick Gordon, son of Flash, is a chip off the old block.  Rick is smart, brave, and a bourgeoning pilot.  L.J. is the son of Lothar and brings to the table considerable martial arts skills.  Jedda is the daughter of the Phantom and she possesses limited psionic abilities.   And Kshin is the adopted son of Mandrake and the magician’s apprentice.  An interesting note is that Stan “The Man” Lee is credited with writing the lyrics to the Defenders of the Earth theme song.  What a great cartoon Defenders of the Earth was, yet another example of why the 1980s was, without a doubt, one the greatest decades of imagination ever (more on that at a future date).  Defenders had a much too short-lived comic series.  But now, hope for the Odinson springs anew.      

It seems Dynamite Entertainment is once again gathering these great heroes under one banner.  And it seems Alex Ross, a well known uber fan of Flash Gordon, is spearheading the operation.  In The Last Phantom, after his family is murdered, a man believed to be dead, takes on the mantle of the Ghost Who Walks and battles modern day pirates and cutthroats in the jungle and around the world.  In Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist, Alex Ross re-imagines the classic science fiction adventure, paying homage to the cult movie Flash Gordon from 1980.  Two out of three of our heroes are present, now if we can just get Dynamite to resurrect Mandrake the Magician they can get the band back together and Defenders of the Earth can be reborn! 

But this time, our team of heroes can be even stronger! 

Dynamite Entertainment has done a fabulous job of collecting a bunch of iconic heroes from throughout history under their banner.  So now if they ever do decide to reunite the Defenders, Flash Gordon, Phantom, Mandrake and Lothar can be joined by the likes of Steve Austin the Bionic Man, Lord Greystoke a.k.a. Tarzan, John Carter the Warlord of Mars, the Green Hornet and Robocop.  Even anti-heroes like Barnabas Collins and Vampirella can join the fun.  With an assembly of heroes like this, Ming the Merciless won’t know what hit him.  It could be Dynamite’s first companywide crossover event and the tag at the top of each issue could be DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH!

Oh, boy, that would be fantastic!  So come on Dynamite, don’t let me down!  The time is right.  I’ll sit and wait patiently hoping one day to see the return of the Defenders of the Earth.

This is Odinson bidding thee farewell