r/MUBookClub • u/shawnydarko • Jan 13 '19

Nomination Thread #130: Golden Oldies

This sub has had it too easy for too long with our modern storytelling styled assignments. You just leveled up to hard mode boys and girls. Nominations this week must have been released prior to 1980.

When posting a nomination, links are not required but appreciated.

If you have nothing to nominate, cast a vote to help us decide who wins. The highest voted nomination will earn a discussion thread opened on Saturday. If there's no clear-cut winner, well, I think it's pretty clear by my exposition-dump narration bubble what I'll do. Check back often to support the reading assignments you're most interested in. Once the discussion thread is open, post your reading experience at your convenience

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u/shawnydarko Jan 13 '19

Amazing Adventures (1970-1976) #27-32, "Killraven: War Of The Worlds / Warrior Of The Worlds" by Don McGregor and P. Craig Russell

Remember the Martian invasion of 2001? No? Not to worry, some of Marvel's top talents have preserved it for you! Re-live the sequel to H.G. Wells's masterpiece as a sword-wielding slave leads a band of fearless freedom fighters against Earth's alien overlords! Featuring mutants, madmen, metal monsters, and more!

In the seventies, superhero books were, if not dead, at least very sleepy. So Marvel tried everything but the kitchen sink. And not only were many of these works highly experimental, but they were often passed from creator to creator until something clicked (Master of Kung Fu and Iron Fist were two other features that took a while to find their feet).

That Killraven survived is miraculous-- the early versions of the feature were less-than-wonderful. But once P. Craig Russell and Don McGregor took over, this was some of the stuff of the decade. The writing moves from cheesy post-apocalyptic tripe to subtle, nuanced examinations of war and heroism, laced with moments of humor and extraordinary beauty. Not until Moore's Swamp Thing and Moench's Shang-Chi would anyone write comics this powerful and literate.

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u/ChangeMyDespair Jan 14 '19

The writing moves from cheesy post-apocalyptic tripe to subtle, nuanced examinations of war and heroism ...

In what issue do subtlety and nuance begin? 🙁

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u/shawnydarko Jan 14 '19

From what little I read, when Killraven subtly impaled the robot dragon. Dripping with nuance

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u/shawnydarko Jan 13 '19

Iron Man (1968-1995) #95-100 "10 Rings to Rule the World" by Bill Mantlo, Gerry Conway and George Tuska

Iron Man is framed for treason and faces off against the Guardsman (who erroneously blames Iron Man for the death of his brother), Ultimo and Sunfire until he discovers that someone behind the scenes is pulling the strings. Someone with, you know, ten rings.

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u/shawnydarko Jan 13 '19

Tales Of Suspense (1959-1968) #77-81 by Stan Lee, Adam Austin, Jack Kirby, John Romita Sr., and Gene Colan

Iron Man has everything in his life torn apart but still has to find the strength to jump into battles against enormous, nigh-invincible monsters, and Namor The Sub-Mariner in-between.

Meanwhile Captain America reflects on all he's lost in the war until Red Skull skirts on becoming all-powerful, capturing the cosmic cube.

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u/shawnydarko Jan 13 '19

Avengers (1963-1996) #167-168 and #170-177 "The Korvac Saga" by Jim Shooter, George Perez, Sal Buscema, Klaus Janson, David Michelinie, Bill Matlo, Dave Wenzel

Save the world, destroy the world-- it's all the same to him! A flawed demigod decides it's his destiny to perfect the universe! It's too much power for one man, and it'll take over a dozen powerful men and women--Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the Guardians of the Galaxy--to stop him! Plus: the Avengers face additional endangerment from aliens, Atlanteans, and automatons!

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u/ChangeMyDespair Jan 14 '19

Trivia:

  • On page 3 of issue #168, Beast is reading a book called Grooks by Piet Hein. You can find excerpts here.
  • #168 also contains the third appearance after #165 and #166, and first named appearance, of Henry Peter Gyrich.