Back Issue #157 February 2025 (magazine review).

This ‘Back Issue’ dedicates a significant portion of its cover to comic book creator/artist Keith Giffen (1952-2023). I didn’t always like his art, but his interview with Glen Cadigan points out that he kept jumping in and out of working in comics, which can have an effect on art style unless you’re consistent, so there’s a lot of variation. Giffen didn’t always draw in his time-offs, which can have some effect. Giffen’s lack of knowledge of how to be a professional comic book artist accidentally got him his first work at Marvel.

Make a note, any of you wannabes; ensure you have your name and address in any portfolio you submit. I’m building this review out of the various articles as a collective rather than individually. Unusual for me, but considering the changes Giffen went through with his art, dallying with Kirby until he was told artists had moved on from that, he was forever changing his style, and the writers here looked at different aspects, right down to the 20 favourite comics he did or was part of.

Giffen did runs on many comic books, especially teams, and never thought the Legion of Super-Heroes daunting, although he dropped out a few times, burnt out by the work. Certainly, doing the 1983 LSH poster with all the characters burnt him out. Looking at it again here, I still can’t spot Nardo, head of the Super-Stalag Of Space from Adventure Comics #344-345. If I wanted to be really picky, he could have also included all the Legion applicants that failed simply because he had to go through all the LSH stories to find those he had.

Incidentally, he also created the character that became Rocket Raccoon in Marvel Preview #2’s story ‘The Sword In The Star!’. There. Thought that would get your attention. Like a certain duck, he was just a throwaway character that the writer wanted to play with more. Then again, the same applied to an unnamed character in The Omega Men #8 who became Lobo. Seeing the main man in skintights, maybe the Czarnian wanted to keep quiet about that. Less so is Ambush Bug, who accepted he had jumped into a comic book universe and attempted to be Superman’s nemesis.

Speaking of nemesis, Giffen was also responsible for the powerhouse Nemesis Kid bashing Karate Kid to death simply because he didn’t like him rather than leave him on the sidelines. That tends to get overlooked when Giffen was part of the team that reinvented the Justice League with humorous elements ridiculing Guy Gardner but propelled the team-up of Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle. Giffen certainly left his mark on American comic books as a collaborator. I’d have to leave it to you, which had more influence on your reading habits at the time.

Have I given you enough reason to pick up this issue? For Michael Eury’s final issue before retirement, he leaves on an odd high.

GF Willmetts

July 2025

(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6904. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US))

check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_54&products_id=1821