The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2354: Doctor Tomorrow #1, September 1997

For information on stopping the spread of COVID-19, and on the importance of being vaccinated, have a look at the World Health Organization site.

 

(Yeah, yeah, 2 in a row. Contain yer excitement 😏 Going to try a bit of a format change for a while, see how it feels.)

Publisher: Acclaim Comics

Writer: Bob Layton

Penciller: Don Perlin

Cover Artist: Mike Mignola

I've had this one kicking about the collection for about 20 years now. I started finding Acclaim comics in the comic bin at a used bookstore in Kitchener, ON, that I'm sure has gone the way of most used bookstores nowadays. It's where I first found Quantum & Woody, and where I started poking my nose into the Valiant/Acclaim universe. I've always found the idea of a historically presented superhero universe, like Astro City, for example, and this series is a cool way for the Acclaim superhero universe, relatively new, to establish a history for itself.

I don't really know much about the series, having only read this issue, but I'm intrigued by the premise, though I have inklings already, of an ontological paradoxical nature, about what's going to happen.

Or, perhaps I think I do, except that I don't. Bear with me. The series is the brainchild of writer/inker Bob Layton. Each issue has a different art team, and is presented in tribute to a particular luminary of Comics' history. Today's is a paean to Jack Kirby. I'm missing a couple of the later issues, which I may try to track down in the next few days, but I noticed at some point that Mr. Layton's name does not appear on the final issue. And, being, as far as I can tell, a fairly open company about the ways things work behind the scenes, there's an explanation in the back matter of the final issue. According to this, Layton asked to have his name removed from the issue because he had differences with the editorial department over how the series should end. The editorial side had plans for a character from later in the series that must have somehow conflicted with Mr. Layton's, as the writer, original ending.

That got me thinking about The Eternals. Not the movie, but the mid-80s maxi-series from Marvel that dropped around the same time as Squadron Supreme. The last four issues of that series, originally helmed by Peter B. Gillis, were written by Walt Simonson. It's been a while since I've looked, but I imagine the excuse given for Gillis' departure is similar to that given for Layton's. I wondered, briefly, why this might be the case until I realized that by the end of the series, there would have been significant sales figures for previous issues, indicating whether or not it was worthwhile to continue the character/series somehow. And that continuity, the imposition of the shared narrative universe, on what looks to be a story with a definite end, has to cause some ruptures. Perhaps I'll look into it a bit more over the next few days as I continue Dr. Tomorrow's cool-ass history.

"Who is this mysterious man from the future who has joined forces with the allied march into Europe?"

Comic Book Resources Articles

Catching up on some of the things I've written for CBR lately.

I think I have to start writing more critical analyses for my personal site, as I'm not really afforded the opportunity by these news articles.

Check these interesting things out, and not just because I'm paid by the hit on the site ;)

Crisis on Infinite Earths Fan-Edit Brings In Even More Classic DC Universes

 

The Avengers Meets Blue Monday in Marvelous MCU Mashup

 

Eternals Star Gemma Chan Shares Photo to Commemorate Filming Wrap

 

Cats, Rambo and Hellboy Lead 2020 Razzies Nominations

 

Record-Setting World's Largest Firework Video Is Absolutely Terrifying - this video is really freaking cool.

 

I Am Not Okay With This Mixes Teen Angst & Super Powers in First Trailer

 

Star Wars Fans Launch Petition for JJ Abrams' 3-Hour Rise of Skywalker Cut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 918: Avengers v.1 #248, October 1984

Seriously. What did this accomplish. For the most part, I love Roger Stern's tenure on this title. There's a reason this is the only run of the original Avengers series that I tracked down every issue. By the end of the run, I'm convinced he's writing the perfect version of this team.

But, seriously.

The Eternals accidentally(?) kidnap the Wasp and Starfox, apologize, have their supposedly secret city found in moments by three more Avengers, discover a strange link to Starfox (which, I admit, I quite like), then fuse into an all-powerful (but strangely defenseless) "Uni-Mind," only to be taken captive by a single person while the Avengers, somewhat bumblingly, try to save them. Then they break apart, and some stay Uni-Mind and some stay on Earth.

The story really, despite what I just wrote, didn't seem to do anything. I almost feel like someone said "Hey, we haven't done much with the Eternals lately. Wanna write something, Roger?" And he, for his own reasons, said okay.

Anyway, I did not enjoy this little detour to Greece. The Vision's erratic behaviour has been going on too long, and I want answers! To be continued.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 917: Avengers v.1 #247, September 1984

I've never really taken to the Eternals. To me, they were one iteration too far of Jack Kirby's attempt to fuse superheroes and ancient mythologies. Like, we get it already, Jack. The superheroes are the new myths. And by the time the Eternals came about, that wasn't really super big news. Some early writing on The Eternals reveals Kirby's inspiration in the form of Erich Van Daniken's Chariots of the Gods, and the concepts, in the form that we meet them in today's comic, are about as dated as Von Daniken's work. A later retcon makes the Eternals much more interesting, questioning their free will. But right now they're creatures that were mistaken for figures from Greek and Roman mythology. Nevermind that there's actual Olympian Gods in the Marvel U. Oh, and just to make it even more clear, the Eternals live on Olimpia. With an "i."

I'm sorry if I'm seeming over-critical of this super-group. I actually have most of their appearances to date. I think what I'm critical of is that, with the possible exception of the Thor mythos, Kirby's creations always seemed a bit more original, less derivative of the mythological antecedents. The New Gods embodied particular archetypes, but didn't directly draw on any one mythology. I find this investigation of it by him far less-inspired than some of his others. But I do like the Eternals themselves. There's this strangely metatextual feel to them with their play-on-words Greek and Roman mythic monikers. Ikaris. Makkari. Given the presence of Hercules and his kin, there's literally no good reason to have these mythological names, especially when they're a species that predates humanity. So this unreality of the characters is, a lot of the time, embraced by writers, though whether willingly or unwittingly, I don't know. The Eternals stand apart in the narrative universe, but also in the characterized universe (?). They are quite a bit more abstract, almost like metaphors that realize and acknowledge that they are metaphors.

Which is actually pretty cool.

To be continued.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 142: The Eternals: The Herod Factor, 1991 (Two Weeks From The Dollar Bin - Day 6)

Look at that cover.

Just look at that cover.

Now, I like Mark Texeira's artwork. His work on the Marvel Knight's Black Panther series is amazing.

But just look at that cover.

That there epitomizes everything you can say about Marvel Comics in the early 90s. The desperate attempt of a major comics company to emulate the rock star artists that they alienated and who left to form Image Comics.

I had given up comics at this point in time. I missed the Image explosion by about 2 years, so my knowledge of early-90s Marvel, or early-90s comics, is pretty sketchy. And I think I like it that way. I've, of course, gone back and tracked down some bits and pieces from this era. This Eternals comic was actually on my list, as I have a soft spot for the Eternals. Their links to Von Daniken's work, and to ancient mythologies obviously draws me, but it's really pretty bad. You can see some of the lovely Texeira art poking out from underneath, but he really seems to want to be ToddMcJimLeeLarson. There some really brutal violence and over-reactive poses here.

I can see the 90s being a source of much amusement over the course of these 40 years.