R.I.P.: Bob Hastings

I don't often comment on the deaths of old-time radio personalities - their ranks being (sadly) both small and finite - but there are some who certainly shouldn't be overlooked. Such a person is Bob Hastings, a talented performer whose career meets at an intersection between two of my interests - comic books & old-time radio. He passed away June 30th.

Hastings' was already a radio performer by age 14, beginning a career in voice acting which lasted 70 years. Hastings' first great role from the comic book genre came when he portrayed Archie Andrews on the radio (for about eight years). Unfortunately, it's a pretty awful radio show. Many radio shows of the day which featured comedic adventures of teenagers cast members used "funny voices" - actors whose voices cracked and broke. Archie's radio show was easily the most egregious offender against one's hearing (even the adult characters' voices crack). It's generally affirmed that Archie is one of the lousier old-time radio programs.

Fortunately, there was a lot more of Hastings on the radio in those days. Probably his greatest gift to we OTR fans were his appearances on NBC's Dimension X and successor program X Minus One, two great science fiction anthology shows. My favourite episodes with voice acting by Hastings are (links will take you to an archive.org mp3 file):

• Cold Equations Tom Godwin's infamous tale of a woman who steals aboard a spaceship and the horrible reprecussions of her actions. Hastings portrays the husband of the doomed woman.
• Marionettes, Inc. A swell Ray Bradbury story where men purchase android duplicates of themselves so they can escape from their wives. Hastings has a minor role as a bank clerk.
• Junkyard A weird, almost equal parts funny and horrifying story about men setting their starship down on a world where people constantly lose knowledge, leaving the crew unable to recall how to activate their engines. Hastings plays a crewmember.
• Skulking Permit A funny story about a colony which has been cut off from Earth for far too long; as Earth reestablishes contact, they're desperate to prove they're just like the humans they've read about in books, unaware Earth is now a tyrannical dictatorship. Hastings plays one of the complacent colonists.

Although he played Superboy on a 1960s animated series (his voice still quite able to achieve the teenage tones he'd used as Archie), Hastings' most beloved voice acting role came in 1993 with the launch of Batman: the Animated Series. His voice now roughened up by the passage of time, Hastings portrayed Commissioner Gordon. On the program, Gordon rarely got to be more than a stooge to the show's titular hero, but Gordon got in a few good lines from time to time and in one memorable outing - "Over the Edge" - went through an emotional rollercoaster which pit his brain and nerve against Batman himself.

Hastings remained with the program through 1999 and for many of us, served as the definitive Commissioner Gordon. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us, Bob!

Unearthed: The Destructor#2

Not content to give up after issue #1, I'm back for more of Atlas Comics' generic-yet-appealing super hero the Destructor!

Again we open with a Larry Lieber cover because - inexplicably - Atlas Comics did not realize advertising the fact that Steve Ditko served as the series' artist might bring in more readers (of course, covers were always done early; p'rhaps Lieber drew all of the series' covers before Ditko had even been hired). Take notice of the words "All New No Reprint" in the top right corner. By 1975, the comic book industry had certainly been overrun with reprinted stories and the publishers usually disguised the fact that said reprints were not all-new material. In fact, it's been alleged that the entire reason for Marvel expanding the number of reprint titles in their library was simply to crush Atlas, forcing them off their newsstands (theorizing that vendors could more easily sell reprints of Don Heck's Avengers or Werner Roth's X-Men than gamble on an unknown quantity such as Morlock 2001 or Demon Hunter). If the direct market had been a force in those days, Atlas might have stood a better chance.
Anyway, the cover also serves to introduce the issue's villain: Deathgrip. He doesn't seem that formidable here (if his right hand can emit crackles of destructive energy, why is he bothering with that hook in his left hand?) and the woman hanging off the girder is needless clutter. The previous issue's cover was a touch generic, but it did a better job of selling the Destructor.

This story is called "Deathgrip!" and is again brought to us by writer Archie Goodwin, penciler Steve Ditko & inker Wally Wood. We resume the Destructor's tale by visiting the fallout from the first issue. While Destructor's primary foe Max Raven is dead, his lieutenant Lash and his mob are still a concern. There's a nice Daredevil-like bit where the Destructor's superhuman senses alert him to a truck trying to drive him over while he's in the midst of a fight. With the rest of Lash's men down, the Destructor moves in on the leader, but Lash points out if he's brought down, the Syndicate will simply bring in another leader, just as Lash replaced Raven. He suggests the Destructor should strike at the Syndicate's leader Big Mike Brand, who lives on a ranch in Ransom, New Mexico. The Destructor swallows this story and sets out to investigate Brand.

Once the Destructor leaves, Lash meets with a shadowy figure (soon revealed as Deathgrip) as they conspire over how they've tricked the Destructor into bringing down the Syndicate so their true masters the Combine can take over. While Jay Hunter briefly flashes back over his origin story, Deathgrip hints at his own origin (apparently the Combine supplied him with his bionic right hand) while being self-aware enough to note "Subtlety can hardly be the stock-in-trade of anyone called Deathgrip!" However, Deathgrip isn't with Lash simply to conspire - the Combine wants Lash killed. Deathgrip does so, apparently by burning through Lash's throat with his hand (Ditko cuts away for matters of discretion). "See Lash? No subtlety!" Deathgrip remarks. Again, while the Destructor is a fairly average series, Goodwin's scripting is well above average.

While Jay sets off to New Mexico, thinking how prior to his father's death he used to idolize Big Mike Brand, Deathgrip checks in with the Combine. The Combine want Deathgrip in Las Vegas for a new assignment, but he insists on following the Destructor's actions. The Combine agree, provided he serve only as a last resort - the Combine don't want Brand's death to be traced back to their agents.

In the New Mexico desert, Jay catches a rattlesnake and uses it to startle Brand's horseback-riding daughter Angela, giving Jay an opportunity to win Brand's confidence. One can't help but notice inker Wally Wood always wakes up when it's time to ink a pretty girl (and all girls are pretty in Wood's comics). Jay's plan works and Brand invites him back to the ranch, although Brand's top bodyguard Pepe is suspicious of Jay. For good measure, Jay fouls up Brand's car so he can save the day again through his mechanic training.

Jay soon accepts a job offer as Brand's chauffeur and intends to tear Brand's empire apart from within. As a continuing premise, this isn't too bad; if Jay's double identity/purpose is discovered by these people, it's worse than losing a secret - it would mean his life. And you thought Aunt May gave Peter Parker a lot of grief! Over dinner with the Brands, Jay meets Angela's boyfriend Glenn Thorne, whose curly perm suggests an underlying menace.

That evening, Jay dons his costume and breaks into Brand's office where he discovers Brand no longer has anything to do with the Syndicate operations Lash had been dealing in. The Destructor is seen by Brand's guards before he can leave and they shoot him, but his healing powers again save his life. Elsewhere, Deathgrip hears about the break-in and fears the Destructor might know Lash lied to him; he decides to go against the Combine and strike immediately.

The next day, Glenn takes Angela for a drive to an auto dump, where he removes a mask and wig to expose himself (in a fully-clothed manner) as Deathgrip! He tells of his origins as a cardsharp who lost a hand in an auto wreck. He again uses "subtle," this time to describe his ability with cards, but notes with his new hand "I can never be subtle again!"

Soon, Deathgrip sends a message to Big Mike: get out of the country and don't turn anything over to the authorities, or Angela will die. Jay overhears this and has begun to think Brand might not be the terrible gang lord he once was; Jay decides he'll rescue Angela. At the auto yard, Deathgrip shows off the compactor and has Angela locked inside a car, planning to crush her if her father doesn't comply with his demands. Fortunately, the Destructor arrives. Although Deathgrip's bionic hand causes Jay terrible pain, his quick healing enables him to stagger through and eventually he manoeuvres Deathgrip under the compactor's crane; Deathgrip's metal hand causes him to cling to the magnet and the Destructor releases him in the compactor, crushing him to death. The Destructor leaves the auto yard with Angela, still wondering if he'll have to kill her father.
Thoughts: Not bad. Again, average and I didn't find Wood's inking as energetic as before - the first issue had a kind of softness about the lines, whereas this issue feels almost glossy. Still, I'm one of those who always enjoys Ditko's layouts and Goodwin is virtually unbeatable as a scripter, so it's still a decent package. This is a minor treasure - worthwhile for any fan of Ditko, Goodwin or Wood.
In the next installment of Unearthed: The Destructor#3!

"There is still honor in war!" Usagi Yojimbo: Senso#1 review

Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo has been on hiatus since 2012 and won't truly return until next year, but at least some brand-new Usagi material has finally emerged: Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, a six-issue mini-series set about 20 years into the character's future.

For a fan such as I, there's a lot to enjoy in this book - Usagi and his old rhinoceros friend Gen are now employed by the Geishu Clan (something Usagi had avoided in the regular series), Lord Noriyuki is now fully-grown, Jotaro is now an adult warrior and the series' top antagonists Lord Hikiji and Hebi appear in full armour (Hebi's snakey body always makes armour on him a little hysterical to see). Heck, Hikiji appearing on-panel is an awfully rare occurrence!

In the midst of this showdown between Noriyuki & Hikiji's forces, there's a scientist named Takenoko who has developed a turlte-like tank for Noriyuki's side; this is the first hint of the science-fiction elements in this story, which are later enhanced by the arrival of a giant metal cylinder from space, which we readers already know from interviews will contain Martian invaders! Will they have tripods? I can't wait to find out!

Senso#1 is filled almost completely with action sequences, beautifully composed by Sakai. We've seen large battlefield scenes in this series before, but here Sakai has the room to fill the pages with details - it's all too-too great and we know there's more to come! The crash of the Martian cylinder is a particularly well-caught burst of energy. Senso may not be set within the same continuity as the regular Usagi Yojimbo tales, but I'm pleased as punch with this first outing.

Creator credits for Guardians of the Galaxy

I decided not to cheat myself out of a good time with my friends and so, relented in going to see the new film Guardians of the Galaxy, then placing a donation to the Hero Initiative greater than the sum of my ticket.

Besides which, I eased up a little on the film because I had heard in advance that there was particular emphasis on the creators (notably Steve Gerber & Val Mayerik for Howard the Duck) and because Marvel chipped in to give bed-ridden Bill Mantlo a private viewing of the film.

Rather than my usual means of grouping entries together by the comic where they originated, instead I'm grouping these by the creator, from most-used to least. It's difficult to know which creators were responsible for which ideas which wound up in print, hence my crediting the writers and artists in every instance - yet, in some cases the idea could have originated with the inker, colorist, letterer, editor or someone whose name didn't even appear in the comic.

Keith Giffen Writer co-creator of the Kyln, an extraterrestrial prison (Thanos#7, 2004); co-creator of Drax's redesign with red body tattoos (Drax the Destroyer#3, 2006); co-creator of Moloka Dar, an inmate in the Kyln; Star-Lord held as an inmate of the Kyln (Thanos#8, 2004); co-creator of Groot's ability to regrow himself from a single piece (Annihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord#3, 2007); co-creator of Star-Lord building a team of agents out of a prison, including recruits Groot and Rocket Raccoon; Groot and Rocket Raccoon's friendship; Star-Lord's helmet with full faceplate, red goggles and breathing unit; Star-Lord favouring twin guns; Rocket favouring heavy artillery; Groot termed a "Flora Colossus" (Annihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord#1, 2007); co-creator of Drax wearing only pants; Drax preferring knives as weapons (Drax the Destroyer#4, 2006); co-creator of the Nova Corps operating as jailers (Annihilation Prologue#1, 2006); co-creator of Drax being held prisoner (Drax the Destroyer#1, 2005). Artist Co-creator of Rocket Raccoon, an anthropomorphic adventurous raccoon (Marvel Preview#7, 1976).

Jim Starlin Writer-Artist creator of Gamora, a dangerous green-skinned woman who wields knives (Strange Tales#180, 1975); creator of Gamora's name (Strange Tales#181, 1975); co-creator of Drax the Destroyer, a green-skinned man with great power and singular focus on hunting his enemies to their deaths; Thanos, a death-worshipping intergalactic warlord who inflicts genocide; Drax's vendetta against Thanos (Iron Man#55, 1973); co-creator of Thanos' quest for ultimate power (Captain Marvel#27, 1973); creator of Gamora's species the Zenwhoberis; Gamora adopted by Thanos; Gamora operating as Thanos' assassin; Thanos' base called Sanctuary (Warlock#10, 1975); creator of Gamora turning against Thanos (Avengers Annual#7, 1977); co-creator of Drax motivated by the deaths of his wife and daughter, which involved Thanos (Captain Marvel#32, 1974). Writer Co-creator of the Infinity Gems, six all-powerful stones; Thanos seeking the Infinity Gems (Thanos Quest#1, 1990); co-creator of Thanos travelling upon a hovering throne (Silver Surfer#34, 1990).

Jack Kirby Writer-Artist creator of the Celestials, immense intergalactic creatures who judge worlds (The Eternals#1, 1976); creator of the Celestial Eson (The Eternals#9, 1977); co-creator of the Skrulls, from whom the Chitauri were derived (Fantastic Four#2, 1962); co-creator of Ronan the Accuser, a Kree who wields the hammer-like Universal Weapon (Fantastic Four#65, 1967); co-creator of the Cosmic Cube, an all-powerful energy container (Tales of Suspense#79, 1966); co-creator of Him, an artificial being who emerges from a coccoon (Fantastic Four#66, 1967); co-creator of Groot, an immense tree-like being from Planet X (Tales to Astonish#13, 1960); co-creator of the Kree, an extraterrestrial race of conquerors (Fantastic Four#64, 1967); creator of Jemiah, one of the Celestials (The Eternals#7, 1977).

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning Writers co-creators of Knowhere, a city carved from the interior of a decapitated Celestial; Cosmo, a Soviet dog in spacesuit who dwells on Knowhere (Nova#8, 2008); co-creators of Rocket Raccoon sticking Groot's remains in a planter to regrow him (Annihilation: Conquest#6, 2008); co-creators of Gamora, Drax, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon and Groot banded together as the Guardians of the Galaxy; the Guardians of the Galaxy on Knowhere; the Guardians of the Galaxy wearing matching uniforms; Rocket as the team's tactician; Rocket disliking Cosmo (Guardians of the Galaxy#1, 2008); co-creators of Groot's iterations of "I am Groot" having multiple meanings (Guardians of the Galaxy#17, 2009); co-creators of Groot's vocabulary limited to little more than "I am Groot" (Annihilation: Conquest#2, 2008).

Stan Lee writer co-creator of the Skrulls, from whom the Chitauri were derived (Fantastic Four#2, 1962); co-creator of Ronan the Accuser, a Kree who wields the hammer-like Universal Weapon (Fantastic Four#65, 1967); co-creator of the Cosmic Cube, an all-powerful energy container (Tales of Suspense#79, 1966); co-creator of the Collector, an extraterrestrial procurer of rare items, including sentient people (Avengers#28, 1966); co-creator of Him, an artificial being who emerges from a coccoon (Fantastic Four#66, 1967); co-creator of Groot, an immense tree-like being from Planet X (Tales to Astonish#13, 1960); co-creator of the Kree, an extraterrestrial race of conquerors (Fantastic Four#64, 1967); co-creator of Kraglin, an extraterrestrial criminal (Tales to Astonish#46, 1963).

Bill Mantlo Writer co-creator of the Nova Corps, an intergalactic force of peace officers comprising Nova Centurions (Rom#24, 1981); co-creator of Rocket Raccoon, an anthropomorphic adventurous raccoon (Marvel Preview#7, 1976); co-creator of Howard the Duck wearing pants (Howard the Duck#2, 1979); co-creator of Carina working for the Collector (Avengers#174, 1978); co-creator of Rocket Racccoon as a swashbuckling hero with the moniker "Rocket;" Rocket based in the Keystone Quadrant and Halfworld; Rocket's friend Lylla (Incredible Hulk#271, 1982).

John Buscema Artist co-creator of the Nova Centurions, Xandarian soldiers garbed in uniforms with chin-exposed helmets, a red starburst on their foreheads and a triangular star pattern on their chests; Dey, a Xandarian Nova Centurion; Nova Prime, title given to most powerful Nova Centurions (Nova#1, 1976); co-creator of Nebula, a blue-skinned villainous space pirate (Avengers#257, 1985); co-creator of Nebula related to Thanos; Nebula attempting the destruction of Xandar (Avengers#260, 1985).

Timothy Green II Artist co-creator of Groot's ability to regrow himself from a single piece (Annihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord#3, 2007); co-creator of Star-Lord building a team of agents out of a prison, including recruits Groot and Rocket Raccoon; Groot and Rocket Raccoon's friendship; Star-Lord's helmet with full faceplate, red goggles and breathing unit; Star-Lord favouring twin guns; Rocket favouring heavy artillery; Groot termed a "Flora Colossus" (Annihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord#1, 2007).

Marv Wolfman Writer co-creator of the Xandarians, an alien race very similar to humans (Fantastic Four#204, 1979); co-creator of the Nova Centurions, Xandarian soldiers garbed in uniforms with chin-exposed helmets, a red starburst on their foreheads and a triangular star pattern on their chests; Dey, a Xandarian Nova Centurion; Nova Prime, title given to most powerful Nova Centurions (Nova#1, 1976); co-creator of Xandar, homeworld of the Xandarians (Fantastic Four#205, 1979).

Mike Friedrich Writer co-creator of Drax the Destroyer, a green-skinned man with great power and singular focus on hunting his enemies to their deaths; Thanos, a death-worshipping intergalactic warlord who inflicts genocide; Drax's vendetta against Thanos (Iron Man#55, 1973); co-creator of Thanos' quest for ultimate power (Captain Marvel#27, 1973); co-creator of Drax motivated by the deaths of his wife and daughter, which involved Thanos (Captain Marvel#32, 1974).

Gene Colan Artist co-creator of Howard the Duck wearing pants (Howard the Duck#2, 1979); co-creator of Ronan depicted with blue skin; the Kree depicted with blue skin (Captain Marvel#1, 1968); co-creator of Yondu, a blue-skinned extraterrestrial with a red fin on his head; Yondu's yaka arrow, which is controlled by whistling; a team named the Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Super-Heroes#18, 1969).

Ron Lim Artist co-creator of the Kyln, an extraterrestrial prison (Thanos#7, 2004); co-creator of Moloka Dar, an inmate in the Kyln; Star-Lord held as an inmate of the Kyln (Thanos#8, 2004); co-creator of the Infinity Gems, six all-powerful stones; Thanos seeking the Infinity Gems (Thanos Quest#1, 1990); co-creator of Thanos travelling upon a hovering throne (Silver Surfer#34, 1990).

Mark Gruenwald Writer created the Collector's real name Taneleer Tivan (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#3, 1983); co-creator of Saal, a Xandarian Nova Centurion (Avengers#301, 1989); co-creator of Korath the Pursuer, one of the Kree Pursuers (Quasar#32, 1992); creator of Yondu Odonta's surname (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#5, 1986).

Steve Englehart Writer co-creator of Star-Lord, alias Peter Quill, a half-alien man orphaned at a young age who becomes a space-adventuring gun-wielding hero while searching for his origins; Meredith Quill, Peter's mother whose death leads him to discover his origins (Marvel Preview#4, 1976); co-creator of the Collector pursuing Infinity Gems (Silver Surfer#7, 1988).

Keith Pollard Artist co-creator of the Xandarians, an alien race very similar to humans (Fantastic Four#204, 1979); co-creator of Xandar, homeworld of the Xandarians (Fantastic Four#205, 1979); co-creator of the Pursuers, powerful Kree soldiers (Inhumans#11, 1977); co-creator of the A'askavarii, an extraterrestrial race (Black Goliath#5, 1976).

Sal Buscema Artist co-creator of the Nova Corps, an intergalactic force of peace officers comprising Nova Centurions (Rom#24, 1981); co-creator of Rocket Racccoon as a swashbuckling hero with the moniker "Rocket;" Rocket based in the Keystone Quadrant and Halfworld; Rocket's friend Lylla (Incredible Hulk#271, 1982).

Paul Pelletier Artist co-creator of Gamora, Drax, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon and Groot banded together as the Guardians of the Galaxy; the Guardians of the Galaxy on Knowhere; the Guardians of the Galaxy wearing matching uniforms; Rocket as the team's tactician; Rocket disliking Cosmo (Guardians of the Galaxy#1, 2008)

Mitch Breitweiser Artist co-creator of Drax's redesign with red body tattoos (Drax the Destroyer#3, 2006); co-creator of Drax wearing only pants; Drax preferring knives as weapons (Drax the Destroyer#4, 2006); co-creator of Drax being held prisoner (Drax the Destroyer#1, 2005).

Steve Gan Artist co-creator of Star-Lord, alias Peter Quill, a half-alien man orphaned at a young age who becomes a space-adventuring gun-wielding hero while searching for his origins; Meredith Quill, Peter's mother whose death leads him to discover his origins; (Marvel Preview#4, 1976).

Roger Stern Writer co-creator of Carina (Avengers#167, 1978); co-creator of Nebula, a blue-skinned villainous space pirate (Avengers#257, 1985); co-creator of Nebula related to Thanos; Nebula attempting the destruction of Xandar (Avengers#260, 1985).

Tom Raney Artist co-creator of Rocket Raccoon sticking Groot's remains in a planter to regrow him (Annihilation: Conquest#6, 2008); co-creator of Groot's vocabulary limited to little more than "I am Groot" (Annihilation: Conquest#2, 2008).

Arnold Drake Writer co-creator of Yondu, a blue-skinned extraterrestrial with a red fin on his head; Yondu's yaka arrow, which is controlled by whistling; a team named the Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Super-Heroes#18, 1969).

Roy Thomas Writer co-creator of the Soul Gem, from which the Infinty Gems were derived (Marvel Premiere#1, 1970); co-creator of Ronan depicted with blue skin; the Kree depicted with blue skin (Captain Marvel#1, 1968).

Don Heck Artist co-creator of the Collector, an extraterrestrial procurer of rare items, including sentient people (Avengers#28, 1966); co-creator of Kraglin, an extraterrestrial criminal (Tales to Astonish#46, 1963).

Chris Claremont Writer co-creator of Star-Lord journeying through space alone on his ship (Marvel Preview#11, 1977); co-creator of the A'askavarii, an extraterrestrial race (Black Goliath#5, 1976).

Wellinton Alves Artist co-creator of Knowhere, a city carved from the interior of a decapitated Celestial; Cosmo, a Soviet dog in spacesuit who dwells on Knowhere (Nova#8, 2008).

Doug Moench Writer co-creator of Bereet and her species, the Krylorians (Rampaging Hulk#1, 1977); co-creator of the Pursuers, powerful Kree soldiers (Inhumans#11, 1977).

Walter Simonson Writer-Artist creator of the Dark Elves (Thor#344, 1984); Artist co-creator of Bereet and her species, the Krylorians (Rampaging HulK#1, 1977).

Jim Shooter Writer co-creator of Carina (Avengers#167, 1978); co-creator of Carina working for the Collector (Avengers#174, 1978).

Carlo Pagulayan Artist co-creator of the Sakaarians, an extraterrestrial race with stone-like technology (Incredible Hulk#92, 2006).

Brad Walker Artist co-creator of Groot's iterations of "I am Groot" having multiple meanings (Guardians of the Galaxy#17, 2009).

Greg Pak Writer co-creator of the Sakaarians, an extraterrestrial race with stone-like technology (Incredible Hulk#92, 2006).

Gil Kane Artist co-creator of the Soul Gem, from which the Infinty Gems were derived (Marvel Premiere#1, 1970).

John Byrne Artist co-creator of Star-Lord journeying through space alone on his ship (Marvel Preview#11, 1977).

Scott Kolins Artist co-creator of the Nova Corps operating as jailers (Annihilation Prologue#1, 2006).

H.E. Huntley Artist co-creator of Kraglin, an extraterrestrial criminal (Tales to Astonish#46, 1963).

Steve Gerber Writer co-creator of Howard the Duck, an anthropomorphic sardonic duck (Fear#19, 1973).

M.C. Wyman Artist co-creator of Nebula's body reinforced with cybernetics (Silver Surfer#72, 1992).

Val Mayerik Artist co-creator of Howard the Duck, an anthropomorphic sardonic duck (Fear#19, 1973).

Pasqual Ferry Artist co-creator of Ronan as a servant of Thanos (Ultimate Fantastic Four#35, 2006).

Marshall Rogers Artist co-creator of the Collector pursuing Infinity Gems (Silver Surfer#7, 1988).

Greg Capullo Artist co-creator of Korath the Pursuer, one of the Kree Pursuers (Quasar#32, 1992).

Ron Marz Writer co-creator of Nebula's body reinforced with cybernetics (Silver Surfer#72, 1992).

Mike Carey Writer co-creator of Ronan as a servant of Thanos (Ultimate Fantastic Four#35, 2006).

Ralph Macchio Writer co-creator of Saal, a Xandarian Nova Centurion (Avengers#301, 1989).

David Wenzel Artist co-creator of Carina working for the Collector (Avengers#174, 1978).

Bob Hall Artist co-creator of Saal, a Xandarian Nova Centurion (Avengers#301, 1989).

Steve Epting Artist co-creator of Ronan working with Korath (Avengers#346, 1992).

Bob Harras Writer co-creator of Ronan working with Korath (Avengers#346, 1992).

Darick Robertson Artist co-creator of Saal's name (New Warriors#40, 1993).

Fabian Nicieza Writer co-creator of Saal's name (New Warriors#40, 1993).

Mark Millar Writer co-creator of the Chitauri (The Ultimates#8, 2002).

Bryan Hitch Artist co-creator of the Chitauri (The Ultimates#8, 2002).

George Perez Artist co-creator of Carina (Avengers#167, 1978).

Unearthed: The Destructor#1

Or, INTRODUCTORY TO DESTRUCTORY!

Funny thing: after Hands of the Dragon I'd planned Atlas Comics' Destructor to cover my next few entries of Unearthed, when earlier this week Calamity Jon tackled Destructor on his site, Gone & Forgotten. Go read his article if you'd prefer a few laughs over my ramblings.

From the cover of the Destructor#1, it seems at first glance to be another undistinguished comic book like so much of what was crowding the spinner racks of 1975. The art here is by Larry Lieber & Wally Wood, hence why there's an effort towards Kirby-ish dynamism (Lieber) and a large-busted woman (Wood). It's our first look at the Destructor himself and there's not much you can say about a costume such as his; it's rather generic. Even the unique-looking pointed red tips travelling up his brow bring to mind DC's Hawk (he of and the Dove). I think the advantage of a simple super hero costume (such as Destructor's) is that when it's set against a detailed backdrop, it pops out. The disadvantage is that against a bland background, the figure is lost. Where does the Destructor fall? Read on...
The Destructor's debut story "The Birth of a Hero!" (cripes, even the title's generic) is written by Archie Goodwin, pencilled by Steve Ditko and inked by Wally Wood - so right there, there's your reason for bothering with this comic. If neither Ditko nor Wood are to your tastes then I can only suggest - perhaps you aren't that interested in comics? Goodwin has not been praised to the stratosphere as the two artists have and many of his plaudits are due to his work as an editor. However, he was a truly fine writer as well; I think most Iron Man fans would agree with me that he was that series' first truly fine author. Can these talented men sneak a quality hero past Atlas' publishers? Let us see...

Our setting is the exotic locale of Newark, New Jersey, where mobster Max Raven occupies his time with one hand in his pocket, watching his goons rough someone up. Hm. We meet Jay Hunter, a young delivery boy whose primary job in the Raven mob is to bring his boss the take from their numbers racket. Jay is interested to see them working over one of their own men and follows up this observation by suggesting he could be a bigger help to them. This inspires Raven to have Jay killed, rather than accept Jay into his ranks and get at least a few months of valuable service out of him before finalizing the matter. Raven's a little paranoid to think Jay should die for being ambitious, to put it neatly.

Jay goes to see his scientist father Simon, who disapproves of Jay's lifestyle. Simon believes the serum he's been working on will enhance the senses of whomever ingests it. Jay doesn't believe his father will ever obtain the funding he needs, but their conversation is interrupted by Raven's gunman Blitz, who shoots them both. Dying, Simon gives the serum to Jay, tells him to find something hidden in the lab closet, then perishes. The serum saves Jay's life, granting him a superhuman healing ability, but he's still sent to the hospital, suffering from nightmarish visions (excellently captured by Ditko). Hearing that Jay is alive, Raven has Blitz killed to prevent him from speaking. If this trend continues, Jay may not need to seek revenge on Raven, Raven might obligingly kill off his entire mob!

Jay sneaks out of the hospital and tries to lie low with some friends, but they want nothing to do with him (you can tell the gal above has more ink than pencil in her lines, eh?). Jay winds up hiding in his father's lab, where he accidentally discovers his enhanced abilities also include superhuman strength. In the hidden closet his father mentioned, Jay discovers a costume.

"Bringin' down Raven'll take somethin' more vicious... ...a Smasher, a Destroyer... a Destructor!"

Thus he decides upon his name and begins to strike back against Raven in his costumed identity, using his inside knowledge of the Raven mob to destroy their hideouts. Jay sends messages to Raven where he claims the Destructor is working with him to destroy Raven; the use of a double identity in this situation doesn't quite make sense to me as he's fighting Raven in both guises, but at least it rattles Raven so he wonders who Jay's new friend could be.

The Destructor's continued assaults upon Raven's mob coupled with Jay's constant taunts begins to wear upon Raven's reputation. He decides to call in the Slaymaster! We next witness Slaymaster as he goes into action against a gang in Ohio he'd been hired to kill. The Slaymaster wears normal-looking duds - a suit, sensible shoes, gloves and a quite Ditkoesque hat. He also has a large belt of gadgets (such as a rope), two guns and wears a net-like mask over his face (being Ditko, I'm not quite sure if the mask is supposed to be netting, cloth or perhaps nylon?). It's interesting to note that all of the people Slaymaster slays he shoots in the back; hardly a sporting one, he. Slaymaster accepts Raven's bid to have both the Destructor and Jay killed. Won't he be pleased when he finds out this job is actually a twofer!

At this point we're halfway through the story and the Destructor thinks back upon his father's death. Perhaps the story was originally intended to be broken up within an anthology, such as Atlas' Thrilling Adventure Stories? The Destructor heads to another of Raven's front companies, the Giant Novelty Co. Wait, seriously? Have we gone from Newark to Gotham City? Entering the factory, the Destructor walks right into the sights of Slaymaster, who successfully strikes our hero twice (the story would probably be over here but for Destructor's healing ability). The Slaymaster calls out to the Destructor, boasting of all the technology at his hands to help hunt the hero. The Destructor has nothing but his own hands and feet for weapons, but this new challenge encourages him to better understand how his powers work; through concentration, he learns how to better pinpoint his enemy's location and train his reflexes to dodge his attacks. It's in this sequence that Ditko finally gets to show off the kind of stylized acrobatics which are his forte. At one point Destructor leaps up and grabs a pipe in the rafters to avoid being seen by Slaymaster, but the noise of doing so gives him away. It's all one great cat-and-mouse contest until Destructor leaps on him and a gun goes off.

The Slaymaster seemingly returns to Raven to report on the Destructor's death, but it turns out to be the Destructor wearing Slaymaster's clothes. Before Destructor can have his revenge on Raven, Raven's lieutenant Lash bursts in with two gunmen and shoot Raven to death, blaming him for the destruction of their mob. The Destructor roughs up Lash and the others, then reveals his identity to Raven before the mobster dies (his dying thought: cousin Chill said there'd be days like this). Visiting his father's grave, Jay declares it's not enough to simply obtain revenge; he resolves he'll carry on as a hero.
Thoughts:
Gosh darn it, I like this comic. Yes, the costume, origin and set-up are very familiar, but it's told well. Goodwin, Ditko and Wood were (in Ditko's case is) masters of comic book storytelling and they make no real missteps in this tale. If Atlas had produced more comics like this - hired experienced talent then stepped out of their way - their reputation might have been a bit better.
Atlas didn't seem to understand what it had here - I mean, this is a class-a creative team, yet they spent their time thumping their chests to remind people Larry Lieber was Stan Lee's brother, or Martin & Chip Goodman claiming credit as "the men who created Marvel Comics." Sure, what history of Marvel Comics would dare omit mention of Chip Goodman? He certainly left an impression on all our minds, unlike that Ditko guy who, oh yeah, created Spider-Man and Doctor Strange! Ah, phooey. Atlas deserved to fail.
I realize this will sound like damning with faint praise, but Atlas Comics have a very good selection of advertisements. When you look at a 70s publisher like Charlton, the second-rate ads tend to confirm their status as a second-rate publisher, but Atlas' ads were as good as anything running in Marvel or DC at the time - one of the benefits Martin Goodman enjoyed would have been that rolodex of all the people he worked with at Marvel. Heck, there's an ad for Jim Steranko's Mediascene and I don't recall them running in Marvel titles. That's a pretty good get!
In the next Unearthed: The Destructor#2!

The Grand Comics Database

I've been a fan of the Grand Comics Database for about 15 years - it's long been my preferred source for looking up information on comic books. For a while now, I've been an indexer for the GCD and I'm actually enjoying it a lot; perhaps it's filling the void left in my life when I quit working for Marvel? As an outsider looking in, I just assumed the GCD was complete; looking closer, I began to see where gaps existed and I've been doing my best to fill gaps where I can. My specialty has long been Marvel Comics, which the GCD have pretty well covered; however, the smaller publishers need quite a bit of filling in and that fits with my refocused priority to prop up creators rather than corporations.

Perhaps my greatest contribution so far has been in the service of one of my favourite creators: fellow Canuck and all-around great guy James Turner. Having indexed all of his Rex Libris & Warlord of Io for the site over the last two weeks, the GCD has about 200% more Turner than it did before. It's the least I can do for someone nice enough to link to this blog on his own (also nice enough not bother me for naming this blog after a joke in his Rex Libris).

Anyway, don't be surprised if you see my name somewhere amongst the swirl of those hundreds who index at the GCD. Sapere Aude!

More Canadian whites on Kickstarter!

Earlier this year, Rachel Richey & Hope Nicholson combined efforts to produce a quite successful Kickstarter for Nelvana of the Northern Lights (as I've mentioned on this blog before). With "Canadian whites" (original Canadian comic book content of the 1940s) being so expensive and only lightly researched over the decades, it's a tremendous gift to see this renewed interest in the field.

With Nelvana in the rearview mirror, Richey's new Kickstarter project is a collection for perhaps the best-known Canadian adventure hero of the 1940s - Johnny Canuck, a Bell Features hero like Nelvana.

For her part, Hope Nicholson is now creating a collection for Brok Windsor, a Maple Leaf Comics hero who's quite obscure, but I'm fascinated to learn more about him.

Maybe I'm a little more excited than most about these projects - in the last year I've gone from being pretty ignorant about my home & native land's 1940s books to being able to rattle off the history of the "whites," the major creators and characters at the drop of the hat (which I've had to do thanks to the media attention the Nelvana book brought to my workplace).

These are new Kickstarter projects but have brought in money so quickly they're pretty dang certain to fund themselves. I mention them here not so much to promote the Kickstarters as to get the word out - anyone who missed out on the excitement of their book about Nelvana (or who is looking forward to IDW's release of their book), make sure you get in on Johnny Canuck & Brok Windsor too!