My first poll

Let me know what your favorite year of the 1980s was. Was it 1980 with the Dark Phoenix Saga and Stern/Byrne's Captain America, or was it 1984 with Sienkiewicz's New Mutants, Secret Wars, and Simonson's Thor? Or how about 1985 with Daredevil Born Again, PPSPM: Death of Jean DeWolff, and Squadron Supreme.

Vote in the poll and append to this post to let me know why!

Jason

1983 - The Mighty Thor

The Mighty Thor #337-338

Writer/Artist: Walter Simonson

The Mighty Thor of the early 1980s wasn't all that mighty. Roy Thomas, one of Marvel Comics' strongest writers of the 1970s, had enjoyed a successful run on the title, and had moved on to other projects.

Unfortunately for Thor fans, Thomas left behind a hole that wouldn't properly be filled for three years. Several writers, like Doug Moench and Alan Zelenetz, tried to establish new directions for the Norse Thunder God, but their efforts never caught on.

The Mighty Thor's editor Mark Gruenwald was desperate to rescue the title from slumping sales and possibly cancellation. He hired Walter Simonson as the new writer and artist, and granted him full creative authority on the title.

In an interview with Comic Book Artist's Jon B. Cooke, Simonson mentioned:

We had talked earlier about my core favorite Marvels when I was a comics reader. Of those titles, the one I really wanted to do was Thor, because of my interest in mythology. I had told Mark about the Thor "annual" I'd drawn up in the late '60s. So he knew I liked the characters a lot. He wanted to bring something fresh into the book, and I'd done a little writing by that time.

Simonson had worked on The Mighty Thor three years earlier as penciller, and had since amassed an impressive portfolio, including work on Metal Men, Detective Comics, and his famous collaboration with Archie Goodwin on Manhunter (which ran as a backup feature in Detective Comics). His only previous writing experience though had been on Marvel Comics's television tie-in Battlestar Galactica.

At that time, I had no interest in Thor, but I did have a few Roy Thomas issues from the late 1970s drawn by Keith Pollard. However, all that changed in late November, 1983. I bought a copy of The Mighty Thor #337 simply because of its unforgettable cover. I had never seen a cover like this. An alien version of Thor was smashing through the Thor logo.

"At the time, yeah, it was just a way of saying, "Hey! It ain't your father's Thor!" I wasn't really trying to say, "Hey, step aside you old guys; I'm taking over now!" so much as I was attempting to engage the reader's curiosity, "Wow, what's going on here?" Although I was going to do my own thing, certainly I tried doing a Thor that was as true in spirit to Stan and Jack's work as I could manage. However, I'm not Stan and Jack, I don't channel their stuff, but I love the work they did on the character.
I don't want to do work that's not true to the spirit of the original material. But in breaking the logo up, I wanted to suggest that we were taking off in new directions, and doing things that hadn't been done before, which was the reason I had somebody else pick up Thor's hammer. These days, hefting Thor's hammer is old news; it's been done a number of times since 1983. But it really hadn't been done before that, and that's one of the main reasons I did it.
At the time, the Thor logo was the only logo Marvel had left unchanged from the '60s. Thor had the same logo since the beginning, so breaking that logo was symbolic in the sense of heralding in a new beginning. Alex Jay designed the new logo for me. He designed it, and I kind of art directed it (and that's maybe giving me more credit than I deserve). But I did ask Alex to consider old Uncial lettering. I didn't want to go to runes, because Viking runes are essentially straight lines designed for carving into stone. And Thor's got an "o" in the middle of it. But I wanted to use an archaic typeface as the basis for a logo that would have a modern feel. I think Alex did an absolutely great job on it.

- Comic Book Artist #10

Well, in issue #337, Simonson's relative inexperience certainly didn't show. His first issue on Thor was perhaps the most memorable start to a story run by any writer/artist. Simonson's distinctive art style caught your attention.

He exceeded at charging a page with energy, bringing it to life with a strong cinematic fashion that sparked the reader's imagination as they fill in what lies between the panels. The action often sprawled beyond the panels, emphasizing a bold, larger-than-life feel to it. Thor was drawn physically more impressive, more noble.

Issue #337 also featured another change, but this change was a bit more subtle. John Workman became the new regular letterer and his style added a Norse feel to the title. This new lettering style worked well with Simonson's special effects. Explosive fonts broke through panel borders leaving a clear ring in your imagination. THRAKKT! BARROOOOM! KRANNG!

One of Simonson's strongest facets as a creator was the seamless integration of the story and art. He plotted, scripted, penciled, and inked the stories which would normally require the collaborative effort of several people. In just a two issues, Simonson established a new direction, a new cover logo, and a new style for The Mighty Thor, and, in less than 2 years, Simonson would single-handedley restored Thor's majesty and grandeur and of course secured Thor financially.

The first three pages of issue #337 set up a subplot that will eventually become a major story line. In this opening sequence, a mysterious figure of cosmic proportions began the forging of a foreboding weapon. Simonson immediately captured the tension of the moment and over the story line of the next year, he carefully paced this subplot, moving it ahead, building this rising tension.

Simonson adeptly handles multiple plot threads and really uses them well to set a good pace for the story. He also does a great job with cliffhanger endings: I remember repeated trips to the local convenience store desperately seeking the next issue.

Reprinted in:

Thor: Visionaries Volume #1 by Walter Simonson

Collects issues #337-348

1986 - The 'Nam

The ‘Nam #1-12

December 1986 - November 1987

Writer: Doug Murray

Artists: Michael Golden/Armando Gil/John Beatty/John Severin/Wayne Vansant

After a successful Vietnam War series in the pages of Savage Tales magazine, called "5th to the 1st", Jim Shooter gave Doug Murray’s pitch for a new, ongoing Vietnam War series the green light.

Murray, a Vietnam War veteran himself, takes you deep into the jungles of Vietnam within the pages of The ‘Nam. He effectively uses the point of view of a green army recruit, Ed Marks, to establish the environment and atmosphere, and to create a connection with Marks and the people in his platoon.

This series won acclaim from both outside and within the comic book industry. It was nominated for the Best New Series category of the 1987 Jack Kirby Awards. It also won awards from various veteran's organizations.

I was originally drawn to this series because of Michael Golden's artwork as he had drawn some X-Men related stories. Golden drew upon legendary artists, like Harvey Kurtzman and Will Eisner. The art was surprisingly more cartoonish than I had expected and didn’t pick up any issues after reading the first issue. However, while having had difficulty appreciating this series as a kid, I found this series to be a most rewarding and compelling read.

The letter columns are also interesting as actual Vietnam vets wrote in to congratulate Murray on putting out the comic and keeping it authentic.

In an interview with Slushfactory.com’s Brian Jacks, Doug Murray stated:

“One of the things I knew about Vietnam by the 80s was that a lot of Vets, and I include myself in the group, just were uncomfortable talking about experiences in Vietnam. Especially people who were parents, they didn’t talk about it to their kids. I wanted a way to at least tell a part of the story to the kids and maybe get other people to talk about it as well.”

Issue #7 is particularly poignant in giving us an insight into the Viet Cong and the heavy conflict and turmoil Vietnam has been subjected to by external influences. This issue is also a nice change of pace from the American point of view.

The series survived longer than most expected. Its longevity was probably due to the success of the Vietnam movies, like Platoon and Hamburger Hill, as well as TV spin-offs like Tour of Duty and China Beach.

However, despite the fact that this series had nothing to do with the Marvel Universe, the Powers That Be, watching sales of this title dwindle, decided to infuse it with a Marvel Universe flavor and brought in Frank Castle, the Punisher. Unfortunately, after five years on the series, Doug Murray left the book frustrated with absurd editorial policies that demanded he include superheroes in the book.

Within the first year story-arc, Ed Marks leaves Vietnam to return to the United States to continue his education. However, Murray wanted Ed Marks to return to Vietnam as a journalist, but never got the chance to write that.

Follow this link if you’re interested in signing a petition to get Marvel to launch a new ‘Nam series with Doug Murray: http://www.petitiononline.com/thenam/petition.html

A series of trade paperbacks reprinting issues #1-12 was published in 1999, but have since fallen out of print.

1980 – Captain America

"War and Remembrance"
Captain America #247-255
July 1980 - March 1981
Reprinted in “War and Remembrance” Trade Paperback.
Writers: Roger Stern (script/co-plot) and John Byrne (co-plot)
Artists: John Byrne (pencils) and Joe Rubinstein (inks)

In March 1964, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revived the living legend of Captain America for a whole new generation in The Avengers #4. They established him as the Avengers’ foremost leader, and as the personification of American ideals. However, there was little room for the characterization of his alter ego, Steve Rogers. Lee shaped the Captain America character using his famous angst formula. Captain America was haunted by the death of his W.W.II sidekick, Bucky. He also found himself, a 1940s man, now living in the 1960s and had difficulties adjusting.

Steve Englehart’s run on Captain America in the 1970s also focused on Captain America’s character, identity, and beliefs, but failed to provide any insight on who Steve Rogers is. Roger Stern and John Byrne, wishing to take the title in a different direction in issue #247, succeeded in bring the man behind the mask, Steve Rogers, to life. Their work on Steve Rogers’ character would be carried on by J.M. DeMatteis well into the 1980s. They established and developed Rogers’ supporting cast of characters, especially Bernadette Rosenthal who would become a serious love interest. They also filled in Rogers’ personal life and had him make a serious attempt at a career as a commercial artist.

The initial issues were typical super-hero fare featuring the Dragon Man, the Machinesmith, Batroc, and Mr. Hyde, and they are enjoyable. Issue #250 had Captain America seriously thinking about a political career, but decides that he can’t run for president. The idea was originally tossed around when Stern was editor for the title and it resurfaced again and was approved by editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. Stern told Newsarama’s Matt Brady that "John and I were just trying to come up with a different kind of story for issue #250 ... and maybe say something about the importance of symbols and idealism."

Issues #253-253 had Captain America fly to England where he was reunited with his old Invaders teammates and becomes embroiled in a battle against their oldest foe, Baron Blood. Roger Stern told Matt Brady:

"That grew out of a story idea that John had originally floated when he was drawing Avengers, We never got around to using it there, and I think it really worked better as a Cap story. There was a lot of neat stuff in the old Invaders series. John and I were both big Frank Robbins fans."

The final issue of this run is a nice end piece that retells Cap’s origin and his first run-in with Nazi forces within America. The issue’s art is printed directly from Byrne’s pencils, bypassing the inking process and giving it a golden age look and feel.

Throughout these issues, Stern reveals the pieces of Rogers’ past that have helped shape his identity. Rogers’ true memories surface through the false memories that were implanted as a W.W. II security precautions. Rogers’ youth is playfully relived, and his war time memories with the Invaders are fondly remembered. Together, Stern and Byrne accomplish a lot of characterization within an aggressively action packed story arc. Stern did his homework well, rereading issues of Captain America, Tales of Suspense, The Invaders, and The Avengers, as well as studying American society of the 1920s and 30s.

I first encountered this run in grade school and had read the black and white French reprints. The art captivated me and its impression lingered in my mind in such a way that I hunted down these issues years later. Rereading these issues now, the story is just as impressive as the art. The only thing I disliked (I use dislike rather mildly) was the use of a lot of narrative that accompanied the panel-by-panel action sequences. I felt that they were mostly unnecessary and countered the action sequence.

Byrne, as a visual storyteller, shows in this run how versatile he can be. He draws fast-paced action that pulls the reader further into the story, and then slows it down with a series of evocative, contemplative panels. Joe Rubinstein’s inks can’t be underestimated either; as they truly embellish Byrne’s pencils. Also, keep in mind that Byrne was also busy supplying the penciled art for the X- Men.

Why was their run only nine issues? Roger Stern told George Khoury of Marvelmasterworks.com:

That gets a little complicated. Marvel was starting to crack the whip on deadlines, and all the editors were under pressure to get their books on time. I’d had some stomach trouble midway through our run on Cap, and John was about to get married, and Jim Salicrup was understandably worried that we would fall further behind. I thought we could pull ahead in just a matter of weeks – my digestion was already back to normal, and I knew that John’s work ethic was as strong as mine – and to prove it, I sat down and plotted the next three issues straight through. Jim was still uneasy about the deadlines, and so he decided to schedule a fill-in by another writer. I pointed out that we already had a fill-in underway; Frank Miller was drawing a stand-alone Cap story that I was going to script. (It eventually saw print in Marvel Fanfare.)

"By the Dawn’s Early Light!" featured in Captain America #247 by Stern, John Byrne, and Joe Rubinstein. The first issue with Rog and his collaborators in their short-lived classic Captain America run. In those days before royalties, Marvel had what was called a "continuity bonus." If you wrote or drew six consecutive issues, you got a bonus. And so on for the next six, and the next. A fill-in before issue #258 would set all of our bonuses back.

But beyond that, I was worried about losing sales momentum on the series. We’d been working hard to build up the readership, and I knew from my days as an editor that fill-ins usually cost you readers. Back during those early days of the Direct Market, when the greatest percentage of sales still came from the newsstand, it was a given that sales would dip after each fill-in. It could take a book’s regular creative team as much as three issues to get the readership back up to the pre-fill-in level.

Well, I couldn’t persuade Jim not to schedule a fill-in. And, looking back, if I had been in his shoes, I might have done the same thing. But I wasn’t in his shoes. I was the freelancer, and I didn’t like the way we were being treated. I’d worked with Jim a long time and I really didn’t want to come to loggerheads with him. So, I took back all three plots, tore up the vouchers, and stepped away from the book. I figured, better to leave Cap on an up note with the 40th anniversary issue.

And about the storyline that would have been after #255:

“That was going to be our Red Skull trilogy. After we left Cap, I toyed with the idea of turning the story into a graphic novel. But later writers did some things with the Skull that would have invalidated the story. A couple of years ago, there was some talk of having John and me revisit the story as a special project – sort of "What if Roger and John hadn’t left Captain America?" But then John started having major creative differences with Marvel. I guess the story will have to remain "The One that Got Away." For now, at least. I never say never.”

X-Men: Inferno HC

Just received this wonderful hardcover this week. 

From the solicitation blurb:

The match is struck as the enigmatic geneticist Mr. Sinister and the demon-lord N’astirh set their respective master plans in motion — both centered around one woman: Madelyne Pryor, wife of Scott Summers, the X-Man called Cyclops.

The flame is fanned as Sinister’s agents, the Marauders, attack Madelyne’s protectors in the X-Men, while a horde of N’astirh’s demons prey upon the helpless, horrified populace of New York City.

The inferno burns as Madelyne strikes her own bargain with N’astirh, and as the Goblin Queen, threatens to cast a spell that would render the entire earth a hellish wasteland where demons rule.

And the sacrifice necessary is none other than her own innocent child, Nathan Christopher Summers! It’s the X-Men, X-Factor, and the New Mutants in one of their most harrowing ordeals ever, with the fate of entire dimensions hanging in the balance — and the price for victory perhaps higher than any of them can bear

It collects:

• X-Factor #33-40
• X-Terminators #1-4
• Uncanny X-Men #239-243
• New Mutants #71-73 and 
• X-Factor Annual #4.
  
  
  

All in all, a great HC book. The binding is a really nice sown binding. The gutters are good. And the book lies nice and flat no matter where you are in the book. The recolouring looks great. Check it out!

1982 - The Death of Captain Marvel

The Death of Captain Marvel Graphic Novel
Writer/Artist: Jim Starlin

The Death of Captain Marvel was Marvel Comics' first graphic novel and its success would be followed by a series that would define that graphic format. Every once and a while, you come across a comic that you can proudly endorse as the reason you still read comic books. The Death of Captain Marvel is one of these.

Superhero deaths can be seen as easily been undone or gimmicky. For example, how often does a recurring villain return from the grave? Or an implied death lead to a sales bump. These deaths are usually meaningless as the reader knows that the character is too valuable to the comic company and they'll find some way to bring him back.

However, in this case, Starlin delivers on the title of this work and to this day, Marvel has seen fit to keep him among the dead. (That is, if you ignore the recent "return" of Captain Marvel during the Secret Invasion storyline.)

"I’d done Captain Marvel and then Archie Goodwin, Steve Englehart and some others worked on it and the sales had gone down. It finally came to be cancelled so they thought “Well, let’s just kill him off” and bring in the Captain Marvel that eventually became Photon. So they asked me if I’d kill him off. And I said “OK”. This was a deal. I was trying to get Dreadstar happening and part of the deal was that I’d do the graphic novel and then Dreadstar. So the Death Of Captain Marvel was a side-deal for me and I figured I’d just knock it out and have him blown up in an explosion like dozens of times before, but as I kept doing it I kept thinking “I don’t want to do this story, these stories are already done, done to death. The Doom Patrol died this way, he died this way, characters die and they usually die in explosions.” And my father, at that point, was suffering from cancer. Eventually he succumbed to it. So, sort of a way for me to work out my feelings about his death was to write about it.

- interview with Daniel Best for Adelaide Comics and Books

Captain Marvel and Elysius (his wife) retire to Titan in the company of Mentor and Eros. He was helping Mentor and Eros fend off a few of Thanos' dedicated worshipers when his health began to deteriorate. Isaac, Titan's computer system, confirmed that he had cancer. He was exposed to a deadly biological cancer-causing agent during a recent battle with Nitro. His Nega-bands had kept the disease at bay, but the cancer had mutated.

The mutated cancer resisted all conventional treatments and Mar-Vell accepted his fate. Friends from Earth made a special trip including Rick Jones, the Avengers and the Thing. The Skrull general Zedrao made an appearance and awarded Mar-Vell with a Skrull Medal of Valor in respect to a worthy enemy. The Kree, however, joyfully rejoiced at their traitor's condition. Thanos returns from the dead, to "escort" Mar-Vell into death's embrace.

Starlin reminds us that dying is a part of life and that death even happens to costumed heroes. The story was inspired by the death of Jim Starlin's own father who also died from cancer. There's a strong personal feeling imparted in this story and conveys what he's learned having gone through it himself.

In terms of Captain Marvel's character, Starlin focuses on Mar-Vell's inner conflict in that a warrior such as himself must meet death in bed. Mar-Vell's struggle and gradual acceptance of his fate is endearing.

"The serenity of his passing conveys a staggering emotional impact as the story deftly treads the fine line between the trivial and the over-dramatized. Expressive pencils and inks by Starlin at his peak contribute to one of the finest comic books ever produced."

- The Slings and Arrows Comic Guide

Look for it.

1984 - Iceman

Iceman #1-4 (December 1984 - June 1985)
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Penciller: Paul Kupperberg
Inker: Mike Gustovich

I noticed that Marvel was putting out a few limited series starring core characters from the Defenders and picked up the Iceman series. I was disappointed. Kupperberg's art was too cartoonish and lacked finish. His figures are disproportionate and always seems to be caught in awkward positions. Gustovich's inks were heavy and loose, and did nothing to embellish Kupperberg's weak pencils, especially the faces. The backgrounds were almost nonexistent.

You can tell what DeMatteis wanted pull off, but he just doesn't do it. Basically, Iceman learns an important lesson as he saves the universe and helps Mirage and Oblivion resolve their differences. Mirage and Oblivion are cardboard characters with almost omnipotent powers. Iceman lacked a character with which to interact. It seemed almost like a one man play. The villains White Light, Idiot, and Kali were boring, disposable characters. The Idiot's dialog was incredible annoying.

The covers by Mike Zeck are probably the most redeemable features of this series.