Osgood Peabody wrote:
Unfortunately, I just noticed that the link for the previous JLA volume 9 [and GL 5], which was the very first of these threads that I did back in 2004, no longer works. If there are any internet gurus out there who can figure out a way to retrieve it via Wayback Machine I'd appreciate it.
I don't have time to make a nice webpage at the moment but here is a quick reconstuction for you:
JLA volume 9: What they were saying then
(12/27/04 10:02 pm)
Osgood Peabody wrote:
I always find it interesting to look back at the original letter columns while I'm reading an archive, especially the Julie Schwartz books.
So having finally made a breakthrough (with the aid of some more technically adept members here) , I can now upload images, and will attempt to share these with the group in their entirety, for the benefit of those who just finished, or may still be in the process of reading, the recent JLA volume 9.
I'll start slowly with the first couple, and if these hold up OK I'll post some more later this week.
Let's start with the reaction to the landmark "And So My World Ends" which leads off this volume. The response, led by longtime critic Guy Lillian III, was decidedly favorable, although some readers did not care for the liberties O'Neil took with the established history of the Martian Manhunter:
Next up, "13 Days to Doom" elicited a more mixed review. Some humorous bits here include then-neophyte Alan Brennert bemoaning the proficiency of Evanier, Pasko et al, while Pasko himself does an amusing riff on O'Neil's melodramatic prose:
To be continued...
Edited by: Osgood Peabody at: 12/27/04 10:06 pm
bettybrant wrote:
No T. M. Maple?
Osgood Peabody wrote:
Part 2
Sorry, no Mad Maple sightings in this time zone!
Moving on to the JLA/JSA team-up, reactions to the first installment were mixed. Jerry Bails, who appeared often in the early JLA mailbags, chimed in with his approval this time around. On the other hand, Alan Brennert, among others, could not get over the ludicrous premise of Aquarius, the "living star". Finally, one ornery critic called for nothing less than the death of Green Arrow, while Julie points out that the character's revamp may give him a stay of execution:
"Where Death Fears to Tread" garnered almost all raves, as most readers were touched by the heroic death of Larry Lance (remember back in 1969, when such events were still uncommon in the DC universe?). Among the luminaries giving the thumbs up was Mike Tiefenbacher, later of Menomonee Falls Gazette fame:
Osgood Peabody wrote:
More
JLA 75's Green Arrow revamp brought mostly favorable reviews, and Julie took the opportunity to start plugging the upcoming Green Lantern/Green Arrow feature that was then in the works. Future scribes Marty Pasko and Alan Brennert had opposing views on this particular tale, though surprisingly "Pesky" was the more positive of the two. Also - take a gander at what looks like a hastily redrawn Green Arrow in the masthead to reflect his new look:
There were mixed reviews of JLA 77's Snapper Carr tale of betrayal. Many scoffed at the premise of the story, while others were just relieved to be rid of the character. Future Marvel editor Mark Gruenwald also boosted O'Neil's characterizations, and floated some interesting ideas to further shake up the JLA roster:
Fin Fang Foom wrote:
Part of the enjoyment for me in looking at the letter columns of old comics is to spot the names I recognize -- future staff members, future fanzine publishers, letterhacks whose names are familiar for one reason or another, former fellow CAPA-Alpha members -- that sort of thing.
These sure are fun to have a look at.
Osgood Peabody wrote:
Last Batch
No problem, Fin - here's the last batch for this volume.
The reaction to the first of O'Neil's "pollution" tales was overwhelmingly positive. Marty Pasko in particular gives probably as glowing a review as I've ever seen him give a JLA story, and others were duly impressed by the new JLA satellite headquarters:
The praise continued for the most part in the story's second installment, although many readers thought that having aliens turn out to be behind the pollution plot was a bit of a cop-out:
Finally, most found #80's "Night of the Soul-Stealer" as a bit of a let-down. Pasko pointed out that Jean Loring's plight was left unresolved at story's end, and many of this volume's readers no doubt may feel the same - but as Julie points out, the next issue would see Miss Loring's sanity restored (guess the rest of you will have to wait for volume 10). Julie also tips us off that O'Neil will be leaving the book, with Kanigher and Friedrich waiting in the wings with scripts in hand (cue ominous music...):
That's all folks - hope you enjoyed this little retrospective - have a happy New Year!
jedifish wrote:
Those were great. Thanks. I read this archive last month, and I loved it. It was probably my most anticipated and most enjoyable JLA archive I've read to date. Those Marty Pasko letters always crack me up.
And I loved the last story with the Identity Crisis tie-in. You never know where you'll find a reference to a current comic.
What I also enjoyed about the archive is the continuity in the stories. It seemed like the first time these stories referenced the prior stories.
Also, I was reading Back Issue magazine #6 (which is the team up issue that came out in November and has a Brave and the Bold retrospective) and Dennis O'Neil has a guest editorial about team-ups, stating how that he asked to get off JLA because he felt like he was writing the Alien of the month book. It was interesting, because that is exactly what I thought when I finished the book and I was thinking back to who the villains had been, with all of them aliens, with only the Joker issue tossed in for good measure.
Osgood Peabody wrote:
No problem, Jedifish - glad you enjoyed them. I'll try to make this a practice for Silver Age releases, when I can get my hands on the original columns. I've already got the ones for the upcoming GL volume set aside.
Fin Fang Foom wrote:Quote:
Those Marty Pasko letters always crack me up.
They'd be even more entertaining if you knew and worked with him!















