The 23rd Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast: The Revenge of the Gems!!

Yeah I know, it sounds VERY corny but hey, it's been a long few days for me.  It's either calling this post The Revenge of the Gems or The Gems Part 5 or something.  Thanks for dropping by for the 23rd Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast.  Since I decided to move out a few of my comics from a cupboard (I noticed that a lot of the comics I had in the cupboard have some stains on them and some of them didn't have any plastic bags or backing boards, so there was a lot of damaged comics)  So as I moved them, I saw some gems that I thought were lost forever and some I didn't even remember buying.

So here we go with a look at some gems, starting off with a comic from a time when we were all caught up with Image fever.  The days of gimmick covers, like this one, Wildcats Trilogy Issue 1.

Issue One of this Trilogy came with a gimmick cover, not sure what they call the material used for it but it sure made the cover look really attractive and shiny.  The art and cover is by Jae Lee who later went to draw Namor the Sub Mariner and then launch his own Image Comics book as well.  I think he was the artist for the New 52 book Superman and Batman.  Why is this one a gem, it's a reminder of the days when the gimmicks were more sought after than the art or story, I'm not saying I didn't fall for it cause the evidence is here, I bought into it too.  I'm keeping this one, the cover is so shiny.

Anyone remember this one?  This was from a time when Marvel Comics was in a major acquisition mode and had bought over Malibu Comics.  Malibu at the time had launched a number of titles featuring what they referred to as Ultras, super powered beings in the Malibu Universe (That sounds Odd) were Ultras.  They had their own Avengers like team called Ultraforce.  When Marvel took over Malibu they had a major cross over event and one of the results was Ultraforce/Avengers and Avengers/Ultraforce.  I bought both titles, the first one published by the Malibu side had artwork and cover by George Perez, I had to have that one.

When they released this issue Avengers/Ultraforce, I bought it too, the issue came with a cardstock cover and that beautiful jam packed cover by George Perez who I mistakenly ASSUMED would be doing the artwork for this issue.  But that wasn't to be, two pencilers took care of the art, Angel Medina and M.C. Wyman.  I was utterly crushed with the art, not so much with Angel Medina but the other guy.  I didn't understand why George Perez wasn't doing the art for this one. 

Is this one a gem?  yeah it is, all because of the great cover by George Perez, just don't look inside. 
Want a spoiler about this issue, one character from Marvel becomes a member of Ultraforce at the end of the issue.  He becomes part of the Malibu Universe (still sounds strange), he wields a lightsaber of sorts, hint, hint.

Now THIS is a gem.  This is The New Teen Titans # 4 from 1985.  Wow.
Written by Marv Wolfman, George Perez on Pencils and Cover, Romeo Thanghal on Inks, Adrienne Roy Colours and Letters by Todd Klein.  What an issue this is, freaky freaky cover, one that grabs you the moment you laid your eyes on it.  This issue used a heavy stock paper called Baxter papaer which gave this book a very prestige format sort of feel to it, I love the feel of the thick pages.  Made the book feel different and the artwork was impeccable.

In this issue, The Titans are forced to kill Raven to free her from Trigon's grasp and I tell ya, that ain't going to be easy. the Titans were put through hell and that's before they face Trigon.  Wolfman, Perez and the team really made Teen Titans a must read.  I grew up reading only Marvel Comics but it was Wolfman and Perez that showed me there was another world of comics out there.  Do they even make comics like this anymore?  No.  I'll be blunt.  The New 52 Teen Titans are no way near this incarnation of the team.  But what about Convergence?  Who know what'll happen with the Titans, you can but hope they will restore the Titans to their former glory.

So is this a gem, oh hell yeah it is!  Once I get the plastic bags I ordered, this one will bagged and boarded.

Thanks for dropping by, hope you liked this look at the three gems I found, I'll try and find more for you and share them right here on The Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast, remember now drop by anytime.  Thanks for reading!  Take Care.