Tales from the past viewed through rose tinted glasses
Friday, January 15, 2021
Favourite Comics: Green Lantern / Green Arrow issue 85
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I never read this issue at the time, probably because I regarded Green Arrow as a 'B-list' (and that's being kind) character, but I bought the relatively recent facsimile edition just to see what all the fuss was about. They really need to reprint the following ish though, so that I can see how the story ends.
ReplyDeleteAnd there's two comments on your previous post that you haven't replied to yet, ya buggah. Right, get to work on the next post - no slacking.
I bought the facsimile edition as well Kid as my original version is falling apart. I would love to see GL/GA 86 as well as it is one of my all-time favorite covers full of over the top drama posses. I’m on the replies kid honest.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I think DC have cancelled their facsimile editions, McS. There's been no new ones for months.
DeleteLike Kid, I had avoided Green Lantern/Green Arrow in the 1971/72 period because I was a big Batman fan and GL/GA seemed second-tier. So it was only with resignation that I bought GL/GA 85 AND 86 together from a post office in the village of Northam in North Devon in the summer of 1972, close to where my Mum, Dad and I were staying with "elderly" relatives (elderly being younger than I am now). I remember the comics were stuffed into a rack on the wall inside the door, and had probably sat there for six months. But my boredom needed alleviating, so I paid my 15p.
ReplyDeleteThese were two incredible comics, and set me on path to collect all of the GL/GA's from 76 onwards. And that picture of Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams in the ABCA awards flyer cemented those guys as my heroes. I count myself lucky that i've been able to meet both men subsequently and neither disappointed.
Reading those GL/GAs and Batmans from that period, I don't think that Dick Giordano has ever been given sufficient credit for his work on Neal Adams' pencils. I believe that he brought a refinement with detracting from the craftsmanship or draughtsmanship of Adams, but also reined-in or brought a measure of control to some of the almost caricature-like facial expressions present in Adams' present work where he inks his own stuff. Of course, comparing Adams of 50 year ago to today is probably invidious.
I'd buy DC facsimile editions of the entire run of GL/GA if they ever bring that line back. I love the choice of paper and colours they have used on the facsimile editions before the line was cancelled.
GL/GA 85 was the only original issue of this classic run that I ever managed to pick up although I did buy the Baxter paper reprints of the series in the 1980’s but I found that the paper stock didn’t present Adams art as well as it appeared in the original newsprint type paper, and the recolouring on these strips was (imho) awful. I totally agree on your comments on Dick Giordano a wonderful artist added so much depth to Adams pencils. Sadly I find Neal Adams new work is full of too many of his standard poses and facial expressions with only the odd page of genius shining through. Still it’s pretty stunning work for a guy that has just recently turned 80. The DC facsimile series was great wasn’t it’s just a pity its been discontinued.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear your meeting with Adam’s and O’Neil was went so well sometimes you hear that when folk meet their heroes it’s never as good as they imagined it would be – and yes I’m a tad jealous.
Am 100% in agreement re the garish colours of those 1980's Baxter paper reprints, as well as the collected hardback that DC published of the complete run of GL/GA in the 2000's. I haven't looked closely at the 2018 oversized book "Hard Travelin' Heroes" version to see if the printing is closer to the original comics, though.
DeleteYou're right that even his more recent stuff is still stunning for an artist of any age, even if facial expressions veer towards caricature sometimes. In one later issue of Batman Odyssey I thought that Mort Drucker had had a hand in some of the facial expressions! Perhaps having a strong editor in the shape of Julie Schwartz back in the 1970s had some influence on keeping panel progression more traditional and kept too much layout innovation in check. Or it was simply that Mr Adams used live models and photo references more frequently in those days, which contributed to "keeping it real".
I'll still buy anything new that he does. It would be great if he teamed with Scott Snyder or Tom King on Batman, but I doubt that he has any interest in covering old ground and adopting a 1970's style again.
Had to laugh at the Mort Drucker reference as I thought that as well. I always check anything new from Neal Adams, his recent FF run was interesting with some very nice pages. I would liek to see him try something new maybe a Hulk tale (as long as he doesn't write it lol)
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