should I love this comic?: 2021

Saturday 9 October 2021

Episode 14 : Image Gallery

Web of Spider-Man 20

Little Wars (no credits on comic)

Written by David Michelinie

Pencilled by Marc Silvestri

Inked by Art Nichols, Kyle Baker, Bob McLeod and Josef Rubinstein

Lettered by Rick Parker

Coloured by Bob Sharen

Associate Editor Maddie Blaustein

Editor Christopher Priest

Cover Art by John Romita Sr

Do the British armed police wear that uniform?

Is Damien going to get very irritated by that kind of mistake?

Inked by Kyle Baker

Questionable history from Ms Mercado there.

Page inked by Bob McLeod

This manages to be a page that can't happen in the 80s (pre-decimalisation) but could only happen in the 80s (fashion). Interesting!

Maybe he'll spend the money on his subscription to the Dick Van Dyke Appreciation Society.

Page inked by Art Nichols

Big Yellow Taxi!

Joni Mitchell sometimes lies!

Page inked by Art Nichols

What a gut punch of an ending.

Page inked by Josef Rubinstein

Episode 14 : Web of Spider-Man 20

Damien and Yragael are back in the Marvel Comics cover dated November 1986 to decide Should I Love This Era?

This time we're looking at Web of Spider-Man 20 by David Michelinie, Marc Silvestri, Bob McLeod, Art Nichols, Josef Rubinstein, Rick Parker and Bob Sharen. We've much more behind the scenes information and an in-depth discussion of this comic that got an editor fired.

Come and join us as we ask Should I Love This Comic?

Sunday 22 August 2021

Episode 13 : Image Gallery

Cover art by Walter Simonson

Logo design by Alex Jay

Border art by John Romita Sr

Coloured by George Roussos

The story is already in progress when the book starts

Written by Louise Simonson

Art by Walter Simonson and Bob Wiacek

Coloured by Petra Scotese

Lettered by Joe Rosen

Petra Scotese effectively uses colour to simplify a complicated image

Can you spot 5 Marauders?

I love how Simonson shows the relative positions of the two groups in the first 2 panels of this page.

Skids can spot a supervillain even if no-one else can.

Leech, Artie (with Teddy Bear) and Caliban might be my favourite characters in this issue.

I just love Artie and Leech.

I have to keep sharing these pages.

Did someone mention Soap Opera?

Can I change my mind?

Artie's teddy bear is my favourite character in this issue.

A very downbeat ending.

A comparison between the new and old X-Factor logos.

Our new cat Mr Bumble joins us on the podcast.

I think he might be our breakout star.

The article about Superman I referenced by Zach Rabiroff

Episode 13 : X-Factor 10

Damien and Yragael are back in the Marvel Comics cover dated November 1986 to decide Should I Love This Era?

This time we're looking at X-Factor 10 by Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Bob Wiacek, Joe Rosen and Petra Scotese. We've much more behind the scenes information and an in-depth discussion of the issue including a discussion of the Dark Phoenix Saga.

Come and join us as we ask Should I Love This Comic?

Sunday 4 July 2021

Episode 12 : Image Gallery

Cover art by Ron Frenz and Josef Rubinstein

Coloured by George Roussos

Was Damien too harsh on this cover? It's very hard to produce an exciting headshot with the black costume.

The opening splash page illustrates Rick Leonardi's use of body language and fashion to add characterisation.

Surprisingly unproblematic depiction of an 80s supermodel.

More characterisation through fashion.

Spot the villain!

This was the only panel that confused Yragael.

He thought Mary Jane was lying on the end of the bed.

We spend a long time discussing the redundancy of this narration.

Why would a writer choose to repeat what is clear from the art?

This key sequence is beautifully staged.

Did we mention that Rick Leonardi is Damien's favourite comic book artist?

Great character work. We instantly know who JJJ and Robertson are.

The best part of the issue. Great ending to a great issue.

Episode 12 : Amazing Spider-Man 282

Damien and Yragael are back in the Marvel Comics cover dated November 1986 to decide Should I Love This Era?

This time we're looking at Amazing Spider-Man 282 by Tom DeFalco, Rick Leonardi, Bob Layton, Joe Rosen and Nel Yomtov. We've much more behind the scenes information and an in-depth discussion of the issue including lots about the guest stars X-Factor.

Come and join us as we ask Should I Love This Comic?

Sunday 16 May 2021

Episode 11 : Image Gallery

Damien and Yragael are back for the second part of Should I Love This Era? This time reviewing Daredevil 236 by Ann Nocenti, Barry Windsor-Smith, Bob Wiacek, Christie Scheele and Joe Rosen.

Cover Art by Walter Simonson and Bill Sienkiewicz

Is this a deliberate evocation of Vitruvian Man?

Is the Doctor's lack of sight significant?

Let us know in the comments on the episode post.

Black Widow deals with workplace bullying.

Yragael had opinions on the other agents.

We spend a lot of time discussing the clarity of this device. Could you tell what was happening?

The vast majority of our discussion of the artwork references these two pages.

Masterful work by the entire creative team.

We get briefly side-tracked by this advert and the fact that "bonk" has a secondary meaning in British slang.

We're very mature adults in our forties.

Episode 11 : Daredevil 236

Damien and Yragael are back for the second part of Should I Love This Era? This time reviewing Daredevil 236 by Ann Nocenti, Barry Windsor-Smith, Bob Wiacek, Christie Scheele and Joe Rosen.

Episode 11 : Daredevil 236

Once again we analyse a Marvel Comic that is in-between creative teams and decide if it was only Acceptable in the 80s or if it's Better The Devil You Know.

Let us knoiw what you think of the episode in the comments.

Sunday 25 April 2021

Episode 10 : Image Gallery

Moody cover art by Barry Windsor-Smith

Border art by John Romita Sr and George Roussos

Title page by Barry Windsor-Smith and Glynis Oliver

Did you catch the Stockton Easter Egg

The origin of the Fantastic Four by Kerry Gammill, Vince Colletta and Glynis Oliver

It's all about family by Ron Frenz, Bob Wiacek and Glynis Oliver

Maybe not appropriate language there She-Hulk

I hope that Fantasticar is insured

Art by Allen Milgrom, Klaus Janson and Glynis Oliver

We meet again by John Buscema, Steve Leialoha and Glynis Oliver

Could this machine be a problem?

Art by Buscema, Leialoha and Oliver

That's not what happened Alicia. Ben left you

Art by Buscema, Leialoha and Oliver

Ben isn't taking no for an answer

Art by Marc Silvestri, Josef Rubinstein and Glynis Oliver

It's always about family with the F4

Art by Jerry Ordway, Joe Sinnott and Glynis Oliver

Episode 10 : Fantastic Four 296

We launch our series within a series "Should I Love This Era?" looking at the Marvel Comics cover dated November 1986 which celebrated the 25th anniversary of Marvel Comics

Episode 10 : Fantastic Four 296

Homecoming

Plot by Jim Shooter

Script by Stan Lee

Art by Barry Windsor-Smith, Kerry Gammill & Vince Colletta, Ron Frenz & Bob Wiacek, Allen Milgrom & Klaus Janson, John Buscema & Steve Leialoha, Marc Silvestri & Josef Rubinstein and Jerry Ordway & Joe Sinnott

Letters by John Workman

Colours by Glynis Oliver

Edited by Mike Carlin