Finally finished Howard the Duck

It's taken me a bit of time to get here but I've made it and that's a reflection of how much I've enjoyed this series. I've enjoyed it enough to keep going but not enough to want to grab the next issue straight-away.

I always think of HtD as a key bronze age comic and I'm pleased I've read it. I know there's one more issue to read but that is rare and expensive in the UK and I'll have to give it a miss. A bit of a shame because I think Bill Mantlo took over quite well from Steve Gerber on writing duties.

I do so LOVE the cover to issue number 30 though.

More Howard the Duck

I haven't forgotten about Howard and have been reading an issue or 2 in-between the various trades. I've now read issue 27 so just 3 more issues to go.

Number 24 was the first and only HtD I bought off the newstand. It didn't mean much to my 11 year old self, but I enjoyed it this time. In fact all these issues have been a good read. Less satire and more Howard trapped in a world he never made!

Howard the Human

 3 more issues of Howard the Duck read. As I said before I prefer Howard in small chunks and 3 issues at a time seems good. I'll complete reading my run (up to issue 30) before plunging into the next novel but I'll read a few of my trade paperback collections inbetween.

In issue 19 begins the  story as a human, but hat doesn't last long. Nice cover homaging ASM#50 though.

 He soon runs into a "villan" made out of soap suds?

And then this guy, of whom I don't have a clue to his origins. Bizarre as always, but these were easy to read issues as the supporting cast took a break and Howard took centre stage again.

Continuing with Howard the Duck

 As I said in a previous post - I'm finding Howard the Duck easier to read in fairly small doses. So I' am breaking up reading the run into 5-6 issue chunks. This last week I've read from 15- 18 plus Annual #1.

The regular issues feaure the villian Dr Bong who I gather is a bit of an arch-nemisis for old Howard.

However the story is interrupted by the infamous issue 16 where Steve Gerber, the writer, gives us a weird essay on the problems of coming up with plots as a writer. Some people loved this issue - I'm not one of them.

Things improve when we return to the regular storyline and at the end of #18 Howard has been transformed into a skinless ape. So I will find out what happens after reading some relatively modern comics featuring the art of Amanda Conner.

Daredevil and the Black Widow go Cosmic!

These two issues won on ebay complete a run of early Daredevils which tie-in to Jim Starlin's Cosmic storyline which ran through Captain Marvel and Warlock in the 1970's. These issues are actually written by Stevfe Gerber but JS does write and draw part of 105 which features the first appearance and origin of Moondragon. Not a character you who have expected to begin in those pages!

More Howard the Duck

Reading has been a bit slow over the Christmas period due to visitors and watching episodes of Fringe back-to-back but I'v now got up to issue 14 and have read the Treasury (which unusually for the time included a brand new story).

Although the Treasury was fun these other issues haven't been quite as good as earlier ones. The whole Howard for President was probably more fun at the time but the subsequent issues when Howard "qwacks" up are a bit to odd for my taste. I'm going to give HTD a little break to see if I enjoy it is smaller doses and read a novel - the sequel to Feed!

It's not Turkey for Xmas it's duck...Howard the Duck

 Only getting time to read an issue of HTD per day during the Christmas period. Too many other distractions (i.e. LEGO building) but I'm continuing to enjoy the title.

Great cover and art by John Buscema for issue 3 but Gene Colan comes on board with issue 4 and he's a good fit to the title too. Still wish Brunner had done more though.

 

The general theme is Howard travels around with his companion (girlfriend??) Bev meeting various crazy people and getting into ridiculous situations. I'm happy with stories of that nature and it's got the same light-hearted tone as my own comic (of twhich the next issue will be finished very, very soon)

Howard the Duck

When I think of Marvel  titles from the 70s I think of Ms Marvel, Nova, Marvel Team-Up and Howard the Duck. I know there's lots more but those are the sort of titles which were distributed to newsagents in those days before Comic Shops.

Over the last couple of years I've completed my runs of Nova and Ms. Marvel and eventually got to read the entire run in order. Unfortunately both series were not as good as I remembered.

Howard was slightly different. I only had one Howard the Duck comic from my childhood (issue 27) but Howard was so popular for a few years (1975-1978) that my curiousity was peaked. I've now managed to get the whole of the run (with my latest purchase) except for the very first appearance in two Man-Thing strips and the last issue of his own title.

The 10 page back-up feature in Giant-Size Man-Thing No. 4 was actually Howard's first appearance on Earth and was a good place to start reading (and a cheaper place too!). I've also read another back-up from GSMT#5 and those stories directly lead into Howard the Duck #1

After just finishing No.2 I can say that I am enjoying this so far and I'm looking forward to more. These two issues were drawn by Howard's co-creater Frank Brunner and the art is fantastic. Really, really good.

Steve Gerber's script is also enjoyable and it's a good thing I'm reading these as a 45 year-old because my 11 year-old self wouldn't have understood what was really going on at all.

I wonder how many I can read before Christmas?

Added to my collection: Bronze Age Daredevil and Modern Age Powers

Daredevil 99p from ebay. 2nd part in a Moondragon storyline which ties into Starlin's Cap Marvel epic.

Powers Vol 14 from the Book Depository (still undercutting Amazon).

Added to my Collection: Daredevil 107

This might seem a bit random as I don't ordinarily buy Daredevil back-issues but this particular one and the issue 106 tie-in to Jim Starlin's Thanos War over in Captain Marvel. And this FN grade copy was going for 99p so why not? Problem is I now want 106 as it is a two part story.

Added to my collection...Defenders!

Wow. A whole bunch of Defenders back-issues have arrived today and yesterday. No. 4 featuring the return of Valkyrie is written by Steve Englehart and was picked up in VG+ condition for approx £2.50 which was pretty good. The later issues are all Steve Gerber and are FN/VFN for £1.77 each. Some nice copies and I'm looking forward to reading those sometime.

Not too many Defenders issues to get now. I've noticed #10 with it's classic cover and Avengers x-over going for a fair price (£40+!!) so I'll probably not bother with that one but others I will continue to pic up cheap. The priority issues are No. 30 and 38 which are need to fill two conspicious gaps.

Added To My Collection

Two comics arrived in the post today as my recent EBay purchases continue to arrive in dribs and drabs.

I'm pleased with Daredevil #99 as it's a cross-over with Avengers #111. In fact it's even reprinted in the Essential Avengers volume. I got it for £1.99 + £1.50 post. It was only the only week when a £3.50 bid of mine for this issue was out-bid so it was nice to pick it up so soon afterwards at half the cost.

The Iron Man #44 is a bit ropey. VG- probably. I took a bit of a gamble with it but it's a bit watersoaked although still readable.

New Purchases - Defenders Back-issues

Received today from EBay 3 issues of the Defenders. No.s 31,32 and 33.

All £1.05 each so nice and cheap and actually paid for using money gained from selling my Magic Online collection. The Defenders is one of those series where it is possible to pick up lower grade issues cheap on EBay as they were distributed in the UK back in the 1970s. 

I've read only a few issues but the series is constantly praised on Bronze Age Babies so I've decided to collect up to issue 39 which I think is the last Steve Gerber story and the end of the Headmen storyline.