2018.027 Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol 1

Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol 1
Written by: Frank Robbins, Elliot S Maggin, Bob Rozakis, Gardner Fox, Mike Friedrich, Denny O'Neil
Illustrated by: Don Heck, Mike Grell, Carmine Infantino, Frank Springer, Gil Kane, Bob Brown, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Pablo Marcos, Curt Swan, Jose Delbo, Irv Novick, Dick Giordano, Vince Colletta, Sid Greene, Murphy Anderson, Frank Giacoia
DC Comics

2018.015 Green Arrow Vol 9: Old Tricks

Green Arrow must have been still selling well enough by the time these issues came out that DC gave him a mini-series at the same time.  This volume collects Green Arrow 73-80 along with the mini-series Green Arrow: The Wonder Year, a sort of Year One story.

The story that's been Oliver Queen's life keeps on chugging through this volume.  Dinah finally dumps his ass after she catches him sucking face with someone else, he gets suckered into another job with Eddie Fyres, more political intrigue.  Nothing out of place in this series.  We must be getting closer to the end of Grell's run and Ollie's life.  I really can't remember when that happened as I'd been out of the series by then, but it feels like it's gotta be soon. 

The biggest thing about this book that I didn't like is the fill-in art by Shea Anton Pensa.  I don't know the name and I'm guessing he didn't get too far in comics.  It was awful to look at, at least for me.

Green Arrow Vol 9: Old Tricks
Written by: Mike Grell
Illustrated by: Rick Hoberg, Mike Grell, Bill Marimon, Shea Anton Pensa, John Nyberg, Gray Morrow
DC Comics

164 Green Arrow Vol 8: The Hunt For The Red Dragon

Here's another airplane read from last weekend.  Although it collects ten issues, this book has always been a quick and decent read.  This volume doesn't change that course at all.

It's kind of amazing to me to see this book is up to issue #72 and it's still being written by Mike Grell.  You rarely see anything like that anymore.  I miss seeing people plant themselves on a book for any length of time and continually turn out good stuff.

While in the hotel, the tv was on and Ken decided to watch a horrible Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.  It was while watching that that I realized what Grell's dialog reminds me of.  TV movies.  The way he writes scenes rings true to the kind of chat and conversation I witnessed in that movie.  The movie was awful, but this book isn't.  It continues the quality (for me at least) that Mike Grell started the series with and it's high quality.  I really enjoy reading THIS Oliver Queen.  I know he's a thing of the past now, but this era of his career really appeals to me.

I can't remember how much longer this series goes for before Ollie dies, but I'm going to enjoy every last page of it until then.

Green Arrow Vol 8: The Hunt For The Red Dragon

Writer: Mike Grell

Artist: Rick Hoberg, Frank Springer, John Nyberg, Pablo Marcos

DC Comics

109 Superboy And The Legion Of Super-Heroes Vol. 1

I've been waiting for this volume for a long, long time.  I have the full run of the Legion of Super-Heroes Archives.  I loved that series so much.  I just love the Legion so much.  This book picks right up where the Archive series ended.  I was particularly upset when the Archives stopped because of what was going to be printed in the next volume.  That volume is this volume!  And what I was waiting for was the tabloid that had the wedding of Lightning Lad & Saturn Girl.  About a year ago, I finally tracked it down, so it's in my collection now, but now I have it on really nice paper!  

This is the era when I first started reading the Legion.  My first issue was #238, which was a classic Legion reprint.  The cover is reprinted here, but not the story.  The rest of the book is wonderful and awful all at the same time.  I'm reliving a lot of this for the first time since the 70s.  And it's not as awesome as I remember it being.  Some of it is a little hard to read.  But it's still awesome to me.  This is when Paul Levitz jumped on the book to start his 700 year run on it.  If anything, this just makes me want volume 2 all the more.  We are finally into "my" Legion.  It just gets better from here.  Slowly. 

Superboy And The Legion Of Super-Heroes Vol. 1

Writer: Jack C. Harris, Gerry Conway, Paul Levitz, Paul Kupperberg, Jim Starlin

Artist: Juan Ortiz, Bob Smith, Mike Grel, Ric Estrada, Jack Abel, Vince Colletta, George Tuska, Joe Rubinstein, James Sherman, Bob McLeod, Mike Nasser, Rick Bryant, Walt Simonson, Jim Starlin, Howard Chaykin, Bob Wiacek

DC Comics

032 Green Arrow Vol 2: Here There Be Dragons

I posted about volume 7 in this series about a month ago.  Not too long ago I noticed I was missing the second volume.  I finally have it and just read it.  Like volume 7, I really enjoyed this read.  One of the things I especially love about Mike Grell's writing is how he can go two, three, four pages with no dialog.  You don't see it often these days, so it seems unique to see it now.  And it's not just a one off thing, Grell does it often.  And it works.  It's quite refreshing.

My one pan for this volume is the issue drawn by Paris Cullins.  He's one of my favorites from back in the day.  I love his art.  But just not in this issue.  I don't know if it was a rush job or if he was paired with an inker that doesn't do his stuff justice.  It just wasn't up to what I expect of him.

I love that this volume features the return of Shado, but it's the same thing that happens in post #034, coming up shortly.

Green Arrow Vol 2: Here There Be Dragons

Writer: Mike Grell, Sharon Wright

Artist: Ed Hannigan, Dick Giordano, Frank McLaughlin, Paris Cullins, Eduardo Barreto, Randy Duburke, Arne Starr, Gary Martin

DC Comics

011 Green Arrow Vol 7: Homecoming

This is another volume of Mike Grell's 1980's Green Arrow run.  I'm kind of amazed.  This collection covers up to issue 62 and Mike Grell has been the writer on the book since the beginning.  I'm so used to how things go nowadays where you're lucky if you have someone stay on a book for 12 issues.  It's really an interesting read.  I'm not sure exactly how well this series holds up today, but it's still a good read.  From this run of the book, you can absolutely see the building blocks for the tv series Arrow.  That show pulls more from here than any other Green Arrow book.  Especially the first season.

Green Arrow Vol 7: Homecoming
Writer: Mike Grell
Artist: Rick Hoberg, John Nyberg
DC Comics