Marie Severin (1929–2018)

This volume collects the first four of the original Fraggle Rock comics released back in the 80s. I had some of these as a child and wow, reading them now brings back so many memories! Some of the stories parallel actual episodes, and others are "new" Fraggle adventures. The characterizations from the TV show were well maintained throughout the comics, which is definitely important for a show where the characters were the heart and soul. The art was well done, and captured the essence of the show more Fraggles, Doozers, and Gorgs. I would highly recommend this for anyone who has loved (or still loves!) Fraggles, and also those who love Henson materials in general. show less

It's sometimes hard for me to understand what made Marvel Comics so popular back in the 60s, but even judged by the standards of the time, I am amazed this comic continued to be published. The first issues of his second try at a series continue to be plagued by creative turnover, and they just kind of land with a thud.

Once again the problem here is too many cooks in the art department. Jack Kirby, Bill Everett, John Buscema and Gil Kane all take a shot in the first dozen stories reprinted here.

Bill Everett's style is the most interesting since he sticks to the style he used in the 40s and 50s which gives the strip a more 3D look that the flatter Marvel Age style typified by Kirby.

Unfortunately the stories also seem dated with dumb looking robots and androids plus a silly villain called The Boomerang. show more Another gamma ray baddie (following on from The Leader) is The Abomination; I remember a lot of these stories were adapted for the Marvel Super-Heroes cartoon show back in the 60s: "Doc Bruce Banner, belted by gamma rays, turned into The Hulk, ain't he un-glamourace?"

Tales To Astonish #92 brings Marie Severin in for a long stint which stabilises the strip a great deal. Having started out at EC Comics in the 50s, her style is also atypical of the Marvel look and has strong links to the Golden Age and early Silver Age look.

The final story reprinted here is from Hulk #102, the first issue of Ol' Greenskin's own mags since the abortive 6 issue run in 1962-3.

Stan Lee's introduction is again mostly uninformative hype but the inclusion of some original unaltered covers at the back provide some kind of bonus. show less

This book may have been created for children, but adult X-Men fans can enjoy it, too. For fellow fans who have ever bought a book drawn by someone who can barely make the characters look like themselves, the fact that the art is by an actual comic book artist and colorist helps. The first two pages show just inside the front door, the staircase, and an indoor balcony above. Professor X is the only character shown without a flap to show him in action. Storm and Wolverine are on the second show more floor, by the way. Cyclops and Wolverine are in civies here. The biggest flap is for the Code of Ethics. The wall on the second floor has framed pictures of these characters: Thor, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Iron Man, a group shot of the Fantastic Four (the Human Torch, the Thing, the Invisible Woman, & Mr. Fantastic), Captain America, and Prof. X with the original X-Men (Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, & Marvel Girl), in their original uniforms.

The illustrations show Beast looking ape-like, Professor X in his hoverchair, and Storm in a white costume.

Page 3 shows Jubilee and Jean Grey in the study hall with a bookcase representing the library before a metal door labeled 'Main Memory Storage'. If you raise the flap on the study hall monitor, Prof. X is telling Jubliee to come to his office. Open the flap on the metal door and you'll see Cyclops in uniform and computers. The lower half of page 3 shows Prof. X's office on the left. Open the flap on the office door to see a worried Jubilee and what she's saying to the Professor. To the right is a much smaller picture of Prof. X's bedroom with a house robot vacuuming , a feather duster held in one claw.

Page 4's upper half shows Beast sitting at work in a chamber with the Cerebro helmet on the wall behind him. A flap on the helmet shows it being extended. A flap on a black oval monitor reveals an enraged Magneto.
The lower half shows three rooms: an automatic reception area with no one in it, but the flap on the monitor reveals Storm. Gambit is in the kitchen. There's a cookbook titled 'Creole Recipes' on the kitchen table. Open the flap over Gambit and see what he's serving. Rogue and Wolverine are in the formal dining room, at a table set for two. Rogue is in costume, but Logan is wearing a nice suit and tie.

The faces behind the visors of the two suits of full body armor on some alien planet on page 5 can't be seen, but there's a flap to show what's in the beltpack unit. Pull up two more flaps to see what a tentacle coming out of a crater will do and the X-Man in front's response.

Two thirds of page 6 are taken up with Beast holding what looks like a red book with the X-Men's symbol on the cover, but it's labeled 'Global Comm-Stat Unit'. It has a flap so you can see its innards. The lower third shows a fieldpack PTU. It has a flap, too.

Page 7 gives us the Blackbird Control room. Three monitors at the top show two different outside views of the X-Men's jet and one schematic drawing. There's a flap over the third monitor. Storm is standing and is about to press a button above. In the foreground, Gambit is seated and about to press some colored squares. Cyclops and Rogue are in the pilot seats. The flap over them can be opened to show them with different expressions. Jubilee's face is seen through the little window on the control room door. There's a flap that opens the door.

In page 8, Wolverine has one hand on a lever and is looking up as the Blackbird is coming down for a landing in its hanger.

Pages 9 and 10 are a double-page illustration of the Danger Room. Prof. X and Jean-Grey are seen in the control room. To the left, Jubilee is fighting a holographic Juggernaut. Lift the flap over Juggernaut's head to see his reaction to Jubilee's attack. To the right, Wolverine is fighting a holographic Magneto. There's a flap to see Magneto's reaction to Wolverine's attack. Those are full-figure shots of both heroes and villains. (Prof. X is seen from the waist up and Jean from the thighs up.)

I bought this book for the art, of course -- it's not as if there's much writing there. I seldom lift the flaps, just as I seldom pull tabs in my pop-up books, because I want them to last. show less