DC Bronze Age Omnibus and Marvel Epic Thor

Some big collections have arrived through the post recently,

The Swamp Thing Omnibus has been on pre-order for over a year but due to DC re-solicitations and Amazon confusion I had to re-order it at a slightly higher price to make sure I got it.

This large volume covers all the issues up to the Alan Moore run which I will also buy in this format although I've got some of the original issues.

I've been coveting the Brave and The Bold Bronze Age Omnibus Vol 1 for some time but had been undecided about whether or not to buy it because I had a few issues already in other collections (particularly my Jim Aparo books) I own. However, this is a great format with oversized pages and covers before each issue (unlike the other ones I had) so I finally succumbed. It looks fab.

The Thor Epic collection is volume 3 which means when combined with my other Epics, Masterworks and original comics I currently have all the issues up to issue 267. Which is enough to be going on with.

I've a couple of other DC Bronze Age Omnibus editions on pre-order but things are generally looking pretty good in my collection right about now and I predict that 2018 will be a year I read more than I buy!!

A Bargain at Forbidden Planet

The list price was £24.99 in the shop and Amazon has it on sale for £34.99 but the sale price was £6.99. This HC vol contains some early bronze-age Superman which is something I haven't got and as I'm interested in early DC at the moment I snapped this up as it will be ages before any Omnibus is released.

This collection featuring SUPERMAN #233-238 and #240-242 will give me an opportunity to see what this era is like. Covers by Neil Adams and stories by Denny O'Neil and Curt Swan. Should be interesting.

Neil Adams Batman

Just finished reading all three volumes of Neil Adams Batman which feature stories from the various Batman titles from the early 1970s.

One thing I can say is 1970s DC was so different to Marvel at the same time. The majority of the stories were done-in-one. There were no sub-plots and except for the Ra Ghuls stories not much of a complex plot to anything at all.

BUT Adam's art was fantastic from Vol 1 and, at last, I can see the influence he had on other artists particularly John Byrne,

I was thinking of reading some Jim Aparo Batman next but I think I need a break from 1970s DC. I'll pick up that in a little while.

Some new trades

I am trying to cut down a little on my new purchases as looking at the half-year review I'm buying more than I'm reading. But it's the end of the month so it is time to make some new purchases although maybe not as many.

The new stuff which has just arrived includes additions to current collections. Agent of Empire Volume 2 and Batman by Neal Adams Vol 3 (which I understand is the last in the series).

I'm intending to buy maybe two more trades in the next few weeks when they get released including Hulk Masterworks vol 3 but I'll see how good I am at resisting the temptation to buy more.

More Batman Trades

Two new Batman related trades have been recently purchased.

Neal Adams Batman Vol 2 is late 1960s stuff whereas Batgirl Year One is modern.

Quite a contrast!

X-Men Masterworks by Neil Adams and Roy Thomas

This is a first printing from 2006 and I remember paying an arm and a leg for it when I got it from Forbidden Planet. That was before I discovered that Amazon sold these sort of things as well!

Anyway, after 6 years, I've finally got around to reading it and it was good. The majority of the issues were by Thomas and Adams and this collection actually has the final issues of the the title before it's re-vamp in the 1970s as the All New X-Men by Chris Claremont.

Adams faces are his strong point IMHO but his layouts are interesting too. I enjoyed reading what is now an historically important book.

NEXT: Back to the Incredible Hulk for more back issue reading

Batman in Comics and at the Movies!

Batman Illustrated by Neil Adams Vol 1 arrived on the same day I went to see "The Dark Kinght Rises" at the cinema.

Well pleased to finally get this trade. The paperback version at £10.06 was considerably cheaper than £29.99 hardback version I'd been coverting for some time.

The movie was good. Not as good as "The Dark Knight" but still gripping.