Recently in Giant-Size Marvels Category

In February 1974, Marvel decided to start their own series of deluxe comic books with Giant-Size Super-Stars #1, featuring the Fantastic Four.

As a kid growing up, I can't possibly describe the thrill and excitement this concept of a "Giant-Size" Marvel book being published.  Perhaps it felt like a special 2-hour TV movie instead a regular episode.  During the same period of time, the NBC Mystery Movie featured rotating characters such as Columbo, McCloud, McMillian and Wife, Banacek, etc.  I think I equated the Giant-Size specials with those, and I just had the damndest feeling like Something Big Was Gonna Happen.  It had to live up to this expectation, because it cost 35 cents and regular comics were only 20 cents!

What better way to start than by having "The Wildest Thing vs. Hulk Battle of All" by Gerry Conway and Rich Buckler!  The cover had a dynamic picture of Ben Grimm clobbering the Hulk while Johnny Blaze cheered him on from the sidelines.  The Hulk is on the ropes. But how could this be?  Everyone knows the Hulk is stronger.  And why was Reed Richards reaching out to stop Ben?

The story begins in a big way as we see the Hulk being chased by the police on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.  If Rich Buckler didn't grab me from the cover, he sure as hell did on this fantastic splash page.  Everything seemed bigger in scope already!  "Hulk wants peace...and Hulk wants it now!"  If I get any kind of classic dialog like that in a Hulk movie, I'd be happy.  The Hulk reaches New York City and stays hidden long enough (this was when the Hulk was only 7 feet tall, not that gargantuan creature he is today) to calm down and revert to back to Bruce Banner.  Banner decides to seek refuge in the Baxter Building and gets some sympathy from Ben Grimm. 

Ben starts talking about the various cures that Reed Richards has attempted, the latest being a device called the Psi-Amplifier. Banner decides to use this device to cure both himself and Ben Grimm at the same time. Something goes snafu (as usual) and a mind-swap occurs between the Thing and the Hulk.

Rich Buckler draws this Thing-Hulk fight with Mighty Marvel Kirbyesque Magic.  It sure didn't hurt to have Joltin' Joe Sinnott on the inks.  The fight between them rages from skyscrapers to the subway to Madison Square Garden. Throw in the Amazonian babe called Thundra (always looking for a sperm donation from Mr. Grimm) and you've got a comedy of errors.

Besides the main feature, the remaining pages featured pinups, which had already been used in various Fantastic Four annuals.  It seemed like a great value for a kid...at that point we didn't have Official Marvel Indexes or Guides or anything like that.

This was the first and only issue of Giant-Size Superstars.  With the second issue, Marvel gave up the rotating wheel concept and the title became Giant-Size Fantastic Four.  Nuff said.

Here is the incredible cover by John Cassaday for Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1.  First, the variant black and white edition:

Seeing this without the color makes you appreciate the composition.  Colossus, Kitty, Cyclops, and Wolverine pop off the right hand side of the cover, the one that people will see on the rack.  I love the visual cue that Cassaday has added for Cyclops, that sideways beam that leaks horizontally from his visor.  Angel looks incredibly cool in his winged glory there, too.  On the right hand side, you get the non-mutant heroes, and I really dig Cassaday's Thing.

Now let's add the color:

Laura Martin is a freaking genius.  I don't need to tell you that, but every time I see her work, I am, well, astonished!  She complements Cassaday's beautiful line work perfectly.  Nuff said.

I was there at Wondercon 2005 when Whedon announced to a rapturous audience that he and John Cassaday would continue their historic partnership on the X-Men for another 12 issues.  Even better, their storyline would conclude in "Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1"!  As much as I admired Whedon already, his geek coolness factor went up 110%.  This is starting from 100%, making him 210% geek, because he loved the Marvel Giant-Size books as much as I did.

Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1 exceeded my expectations for the story.  It's a thrill-ride from start to finish, and what I love the most is that it brings both humor and pathos to the characters.  Earth is facing utter destruction from the Retaliator, a ten-mile long missile-bullet heading our way.  Kitty Pryde is trapped on board, and we already know from the current X-Men books that she is not around.  The outcome doesn't look promising for her!  Colossus is fighting Aghanne, who is trying to use Peter's metallic body to destroy Breakworld.  There are several balls to juggle around in the air, with these characters plus Scott, Emma, Wolverine, Beast, and Agent Brand.  Whedon gives each character their little moments to shine, but the most rewarding moment for me was what happens to the Beast.  He finally gets a little love from Agent Brand.  My favorite quote: "Pretty much want to break you like a pony."  This goes back to his Avenger days, when the Beast attracted chicks with a little fetish bent.  Brand seems like one of those.

John Cassaday's art was phenomenal.  He made it seem more than just a Giant-Size book, this could have been a Treasury sized thing with the scope of his artwork.  Whedon has several other Marvel characters try to help save the world, and this gives Cassaday a chance to draw Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, the Fantastic Four, and several Avengers.  I love the way that these guys handle Spider-Man.  The first double-page spread of Spidey swinging through New York City is breathtaking.  Whedon's sense of humor works perfectly in the mouth of Peter Parker.  I can't help but think that it is inevitable that Whedon will write a Spider-Man series one day.

The ending to this issue is really touching.  It harkens back to the end of Buffy Season Two when Buffy and Angel were separated.  I have to wonder who will eventually pick up this dangling thread.  Will it be Whedon or someone else?  Nuff said.

The Hulk was one of the major Marvel characters who never received his own Giant-Size book back in the1970s.  Marvel has given old Greenskin his just tribute in this month's Giant-Size Hulk #1.  The cover is by Gary Frank, I like it a lot.  I think he must have done this before his Marvel contract expired?  The lead story is new, written by Roger Stern, who did a lot of terrific Hulk stories in the past.  It's a lot of goofy fun with the dumb Hulk interacting with everyday people.  The Hulk chows down at Burger King!

The second half of the book reprints one of my favorite Hulk stories, from Hulk Annual #7.  Written by Roger Stern, artwork by John Byrne and Bob Layton.  It brings a lot of great X-Men elements into the Hulk's world.  Angel and Iceman are hanging out at the pool with a bunch of babes when Master Mold, the Sentinel Supreme, decides to attack.  The Hulk gets involved and winds up fighting Master Mold.  Really good, classic stuff.  I liked how Layton's inks looked on Byrne's pencils.

We've got even more giant greenskin goodness to look forward to: next week King-Size Hulk #1 arrives in stores.  The title is another tribute to Marvel's past; in the 60s/70s they called their annuals "King Size Spider-Man Annual #1".  This brand new King-Size Hulk will have artwork by Art Adams and Frank Cho, stories by Jeff Loeb.  I'm sold!  Nuff said.