Monday, April 15, 2013

Old Mutants, New Ideas: the Omnibus

The Whole Megillah (and I'm not even Jewish)

When a fellow writer notices you haven't updated your blog in a while … it's probably time to, you know, update your blog. Never let it be said I don't listen to advice or fold like an origami swan when it comes to peer pressure.
 
I promised I would use Interested in Sophisticated Fun? as a catchall -- I remember saying something as pretentious as the library of Alexandria (shiver) -- for my writing, it was a 'blog promise,' but still … I wrapped 'Old Mutants, New Ideas: Bill Sienkiewicz's New Mutants' about a month ago. I surprised myself when I found I still had something to say about Sienkiewicz, mutants, Claremont and all the rest when I hit 'send' on the last post. The best kind of writing is when you surprise yourself. I never try to dwell on anything the 'guy's in the basement,' as Stephen King says, send something up, don't marvel meat, just write.

One of the surprises in my final post, New Mutants #31, was how I was somehow able to work in the ad for Robert Bell. I sent away for the 'Marvel Comics Price List' and pored over the pages when it arrived in the mail. It was a catalog, nothing more, nothing less. It was talismanic somehow, containing secrets, comics I couldn't find in my friendly neighborhood comic shop. I probably only ordered from the catalog once, maybe twice -- I think I bought an oversized collection, a Marvel Treasurey Edition (?), of the first five or six issues of Thor, after it switched over from Journey into Mystery. Those Kirby pages are magic. Magic that came from Coral Springs, FLA. Who knew.

So, here is the whole megillah, the kit and the caboodle, all in one place. Thanks to everyone who commented, sent tweets and retweets, etc. Special thanks to Jason Sacks at Comics Bulletin and the always reliable Danny Djeljosevic who kept me on schedule. And a tip of the cap to Bill Sienkiewicz -- if we ever meet the first, sir, the first round is on me. Here, as they say, is the 'Full Run':  


New Mutants 18, New Mutants 19, New Mutants 20, New Mutants 21, New Mutants 22, New Mutants 23, New Mutants 24,
 
New Mutants 25, New Mutants 26, New Mutants 27 New Mutants 28, New Mutants 29, New Mutants 30, New Mutants 31

 
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3 comments:

  1. Jason SacksApril 18, 2013 at 9:45 AM

    That was one of the best series we've ever ran on the website. You raised the standards for that column too damn high for me. I'm not sure if I can ever reach the dizzying heights that the Spectacular Mr. Silva reached.

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  2. Daniel ElkinApril 21, 2013 at 11:20 AM

    I totally agree with what Sacks says, and, if I may tip my hand before I even know what I am doing, you and Sacks may have inspired me to follow in your footsteps (although I WILL NOT either make promises or tell you what run I am considering -- a man's got to have SOME secrets after all)

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  3. Derek Van GiesonSeptember 18, 2013 at 12:55 PM

    I really enjoyed your essay/reviews of the Sienkiewicz run of The New Mutants. Bill is still one of the best in my humble opinion.
    Think you might have it in you to do one more? One of my personal faves is issue #37. That one's got more than a few all time great panels. AND it's moody as hell. That made the ten year old me in 1985 sit up and take notice.

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