peter john rios

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#200 part 1!

Hot Damn, It’s An Anniversary Issue! Edition:

Avengers: Interesting cover by Perez on this. Iron Man by Perez is right up there with the crisp clean version often seen by Bob Layton. Also, he’s a master of Kirby Dots! While his anatomy is still being developed - look at how soft some of his characters are, especially the women - there are elements of what will make him great. (1980)

Brave and the Bold: Final issue of this series leading into the upcoming Batman and the Outsiders series. I was a big BATO fan when it was coming out, but I only purchased this issue, featuring their first appearance as a group in a 16-page preview, about a year ago. Unlike DC Comics Presents, I’m not in a rush to collect the Batman Team-ups of B&B. I’ll pick up random issues here and there - ones that feature the Teen Titans or Adam Strange or other favorites - but the mostly non-canonical nature of the series keeps me away a bit. But as far as anniversary issues go, this is a must-buy. (1983)

Cerebus: Apparently this issue marks the end of the “main” Cerebus narrative with the remaining 100 issues acting as the denouement (according to many sources). I’m still holding off on a great marathon read of the series until I get every (or almost every) single issue. The earliest issues will be the hardest to obtain, but I am getting closer. (1995)

Fantastic Four: A coverless leftover from my uncle’s collection that I no longer have. Of the entire story, all I really remember is the scene where Doom sees his face reflected over and over again on a sphere causing him to go mad. (1978)

Flash: The conclusion of Blitz pitting Wally West against the latest incarnation of Zoom. By the end, as a way to protect his wife, Wally’s life is changed - for a brief time at least - in that no one remembers that Wally is Flash. It doesn’t last too long. While Geoff Johns continues as writer for another two years, this is the final Scott Kolins issue at the time. (2003)

Green Lantern: Under a fantastic Walt Simonson cover, the Green Lantern Corps goes through major changes as the end of the Crisis… nears. The Guardians of the Universe go into hiding for awhile leaving the Corps to fend more or less for themselves. It’s the culmination of over a year’s worth of story that brings John Stewart to the forefront, makes big changes in Hal Jordan’s life, introduces new characters and concepts to the GL mythos and brings even more GLs to Earth with the next issue. I really enjoyed GL back at this time and it’s because of that fondness that I’ve often though of collecting from issue 100 to 200 just to read and see how that corner of the universe develops. (1986)

Justice League of America: Perhaps the greatest issue 200 of them all. A full roster of JLAers drawn by many fantastic artists under a fairly fun story. Perez, Aparo, Kubert, Kane, Infantino, Broderick, Giordano, even Bolland drawing Batman! This is one of those issues I own multiple copies of - I find it in cheap back issue bins quite often. A time capsule of what made the satellite-era JLA so great. (1982)

To be continued…

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#201

Avengers: One of my favorite Avengers covers ever. (1980)

Cerebus (1995)

Green Lantern Corps: From the events of the Crisis… comes a new status quo for the Green Lantern series and the Corps as a group of GLs come to live on Earth. First appearance of Kilowog! (1986)

Justice League of America (1982)

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes: First appearance of Infectious Lass and Porcupine Pete! (1974)

Superman: See? The new DC 52 isn’t the first time the Wildstorm Universe invaded the DCU. (2004)

Uncanny X-Men: The technical first appearance of the character that will become Cable as Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor’s baby is born. This is also the issue where Storm becomes leader of the X-Men by battling Cyclops - who would go on to regroup with the original X-Men in the upcoming X-Factor series. All with Rick Leonardi artwork. I miss that guy! (1986)

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#220

Flash: If there’s one thing Johns did well with his Flash run, it’s the development of the Rogues. And the Rogue War was the culmination. Add to that the art of Howard Porter - became a fan of his work during the Morrison JLA run - and Johns’ final few issues on the Flash, spinning out of the events of Identity Crisis, kept me intrigued. (2005)

Green Lantern: At the time, I was no longer collecting GLC - but this was a Millennium tie-in issue. And you know how I love events. I also really enjoy the cover by Chris Wozniak - something simple about it. By the way - the artist on this issue? Fables writer Bill Willingham. (1988)

Justice League of America: Second part of the annual JLA/JSA team-up story Crisis in the Thunderbolt Dimension by Roy Thomas with art by Chuck Patton and a fabulous cover by George Perez (love the way he draws the Johnny Thunder’s Thunderbolt). This two-parter gives Black Canary’s history a major retcon which is something Roy Thomas does well. I’ll talk more about it next time. (1983)

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1976)

Superman (2005)

Uncanny X-Men (1987)

Wonder Woman (2005)

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#241

Comics Journal (2002)

Fantastic Four (1982)

Justice League of America: Vibe gets a new costume design! (I know you’re all dying to keep this issue locked away in your memory for that bit of trivia). (1985)

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes: Yes, Bill! It’s the start of the great Earthwar saga! Perhaps not as well know as the Great Darkness Saga or hell, even the Universo Project - but it’s a decent read and introduces the lovely Shvaughn Erin to the Legion supporting cast. (1978)

In addition, the most recognized comic version of the Fortress of Solitude made its first on-stage appearance in Action Comics 241 (1958). And, I wonder if Geoff Johns got his idea for multiple color Lanterns from this 1957 Detective Comics issue: