Detective Comics in 1973/1974 was an excellent 100 page title featuring some wonderful new stories alongside many classics from the golden and silver ages by some of comics greatest artists and writers. However it was with issue 437 that (for myself at least) the comic went into another gear when it featured a brand new character called “Manhunter” written by Archie Goodwin with art by relative new comer (and future comic legend) Walter Simonson. The excitement of this storyline came to a climax with the above issue #443 (cover by Jim Aparo.)
The Manhunter character seemed to appear out of nowhere in issue 437 (cover by Jim Aparo) and it was an instant fan favourite. The strip itself appeared in 8 page segmentsand was always the last story in each issue until the final Manhunter tale when the character appeared on the cover with Batman as the main feature, it was fanboy heaven.
Manhunter told the tale of Paul Kirk a man raised from the dead by a secret organisation of super scientists called the “Council” intent on controlling mankind. The Council give Kirk healing abilities, martial arts training and a natty 1970’s glam rock style costume and sent him out as an operative for their cause. In order to test his loyalty to the Council Kirk is tasked with killing an Interpol agent, which he refused to do. As a result the Council clone him and send the clones to kill him. Realising that the Council are corrupt Kirk sets out to kill the clones and destroy the Council.
At the end of the story Paul Kirk, Manhunter destorys the Council but in doing so he sacrifices his own life. The Goodwin/Simonson Manhunter series has been collected several times and is worth picking up if you havent read this 1970's classic series.
I was probably about seven years old when I walked into my local newsagents in Cambuslang (near Glasgow) with my pocket money firmly he...
Following on from my last post featuring some of my favourite Marvel comic book covers from 1973, I thought I would show some of DC's ...
Nearly a half-century on I still consider 1973 to be the year that cemented my destiny in becoming a lifetime comic book fan. It was a yea...
Got all the original Manhunter issues, McS, plus a couple of collected editions, one containing a story which was never before published and has no words, seeing as how Archie Goodwin was no longer around to script it. I yet recall sitting on my grandparents' itchy red bed-settee reading #437 when it first came out. I'm pretty sure I bought it in my local R.S. McColl's in the town centre.
ReplyDeleteI bought the above issue in R S McColls as well, although I purchased my edition in Rutherglen. I 've read about that last Paul Kirk, Manhunter story but never seen it.
DeleteManhunter might be my favorite DC character not created by Jack Kirby, at least as reimagined by Goodwin and Simonson. (But really Simon and Kirby did create the character. Hmm.) Archie Goodwin was at the top of his excellent game and the novice Simonson learned page by page. (Much like Barry Smith.) The story was gripping and had a true resolution, rare in the day and still powerful.
ReplyDeleteThe Batman stories of his Goodwin era were top notch as well. Those 100-pagers were troves of great comics. I had just gotten my driver's license around this time and would go into town to get the new comics and find a quiet place in the park to read them up. I have fond memories of reading some of these Detectives in that manner.
Simonson's art certainly improved as the series progressed into what most would consider his core style. I really liked the reprints in Detective Comics at this time , especially those early Alex Toth golden age Green Lantern strips and the Spectre reprints. I spent many an hour pouring over them at the time, great days.
ReplyDeleteDetective #437 is burned into my memory as the first comic my Gran presented me with on Oct 3rd 1973, when she returned to the US having visited family in New Jersey. She also had picked up Shadow #2 and Spider-mans #127/#128, plus the Batman/Shadow crossover in Batman #253, plus others.
ReplyDeleteMy pal (and fellow SuperStuff blogger) Nigel Brown came round and we laid the comics out on the table-tennis table set up in the front room of our house and marveled at the hoard.
That Detective #437 was especially exciting because (1) it had a new logo (2) Jim Aparo was the regular artist and (3) Archie Goodwin had taken over editorship with that issue. It was the start of a great run for 'Tec, with it changing to the 100-page format with #438.
I love it when certain comics trigger those a types of recollection. I only bought Detective 437 a few years ago but issue 438 , 440, 442 and 443 I recall picking up at the ti!e as if it was yesterday. The Batman \ Shadow issue (253) had a great cover .
ReplyDelete