Showcase: Spectre

[madmarva]

Bought a copy of the Showcase: Spectre collection today and thumbing through it reminded me of all the great artists who worked on the character.

The collection includes work by Murphy Anderson, Neal Adams, Carmine Infantino, Jim Aparo, Ernie Chan, Ton Dezuniga, Bernie Wrightson, Jim Starlin and Ross Andrew among others.

Quite a who's who of sliver- and bronze-age artists.

Chan inked by Aparo really looks nice. I read most of the stories in the late 70s and early 80s when I was heavy into buy back issues. The Adams and Aparo art always stuck out in my mind, but it was cool to see all the artist that worked on the character.

Bernard Baily was one of the golden-age artists on the Spectre and I'm a great admirer of his work.

Art has certainly been good to the Spectre over the years

[johnnystorm]

Spectre is a very underrated character. He's had a number of fairly long runs, has a great design & look (so long as DC leaves it alone- goatees & GL masks, really?). Plus he's able to do ANYTHING. He works for GOD- a situation I think DC is afraid of using. They constantly finds ways to shackle his abilities.
The Aparo run on Spectre is absolutely some of the best comic bookin' there is!

[CaptainTrenchcoat]

I like the idea of the Showcase editions but really want them in color. I believe I have most of the issues in this collection though. I just need Ghosts 99. I'm glad DC is reprinting some of their older issues and not just focusing on the new 52 universe.

[emeraldknight47]

I've always LOVED the character of THE SPECTRE, but I do agree that no one has really found the right treatment for him yet, although Moench and Colan came pretty darn close in the 80's series...

But he is such a all-powerful character that in order to do a monthly book about him, you'd have to find a way of bringing his character down to a more "earthly" or mortal plane, which kinda dilutes the character to begin with!

Still, I LOVED LOVED LOVED his role in KINGDOM COME, especially this shot...

...when he first appears to Norman McKay. Absolutely mind-blowing!!!

[EMCE Hammer]

I loved the Ostrander/Mandrake run

[Blue Meanie]

By far I think the best run of the character was the Ostrander and Mandrake Run. Here's one of my favorite issues in the run:



Ostrander made the character almost human in a way...without sacrificing what he truly is ...The Right Hand of God. "The Haunting America" storyline was fantastic. It's unfortunate what they ended up doing with the character...because to me he's completely NOT the Spectre anymore. DC destroyed the character...as well a many other characters and books.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I think that was Alex Ross' first work for DC. He later lamented he gave Superman a big butt.

I've always liked the Spectre, although for some reason I've always appreciated his appearances in team settings more. How cool was it when his hand grabbed the Anti-Monitor's and the two tusseld at the dawn of time in Crisis? How about when he put the smack down on Hal Jordan in Zero Hour? Or when he single-handedly decimated the German fleet in the JSA origin?

That being said, I think I'd enjoy this Showcase volume. I think I'll pick it up at some point.

Chris

[madmarva]

The Ostrander/Mandrake run is one of my favorite comics runs of all time. A lot of philosophy, theology, morality, ethics, the value of life, fear of death, even some politics. It examined a lot of the "big questions" we all deal with in some way or the other.

The cart went off the path when Jordan became the Spectre. While the move made some sense with the redemption angle, fans wanted to see Hal as Hal, not as the Spectre.

I liked the Fleisher and Aparo's series, which were sorta reminiscent of EC stories, but I think the Spectre works best as a presence as in Kingdom Come and COIE more so than an ongoing adventure character. I see his battles being more on the spiritual plane than spilling over into Earth.

Anyone who likes the Spectre should watch the short cartoon DC put on one of its Direct to DVD cartoon movies a year or so ago. Really captures the feel of Fleisher/Aparo series as well as early '70s cinema.

I had some hope for the Crispus Allen version, but the goatee really looked off. Also, I thought Allen was a pretty good back-up character in Batman, kind of an anti-Bullock. To me it wasn't a wise idea to take two good solid back-up characters like Montoya and Allen and convert them into lesser versions of the Question and Spectre. Didn't make a lot of sense to me.

I'm sure DC will rework Spectre in some way in their new continuity. Wonder how one of those Jim Lee collars will work with a hood?

[ctc]

>The Ostrander/Mandrake run is one of my favorite comics runs of all time. A lot of philosophy, theology, morality, ethics, the value of life, fear of death, even some politics.

Ostrander's good at that stuff. That's a big part of why I like Grimjack so much.

>Wonder how one of those Jim Lee collars will work with a hood?

Hmmmm.... I kinda hope they keep the underwear....

Don C.

[The Toyroom]

Maybe a 52 redesign will feature an armored Spectre...

[The Toyroom]

My favorite Spectre stories are any time Jim Aparo handled the artwork...whether in solo stories or teaming with Batman in The Brave and the Bold. Neal Adams and Murphy Anderson's art was always great too...So sounds like this Showcase book is right up my alley..

[emeraldknight47]

Maybe a 52 redesign will feature an armored Spectre...

Please DON'T give them any ideas, Anthony!!!! I would DREAD] seeing a newly-designed Jim Lee Spectre....

[Earth 2 Chris]

The New 52 Spectre will be all black with green neon piping...

Chris

[EMCE Hammer]

I was kinda hoping for a Blackest Night Spectre. I never wanted Corrigan retired, but I was OK with the idea of Hal as the Spectre as a means to an end. I didn't love the execution, and would have been happy if Corrigan had gotten pulled out of heaven and put back on duty once the Hal crap ran its course.

Terry is right, the DC short really captures the essence of the character IMO. I'd love a full-length feature. Short of that......more shorts please.

[samurainoir]

Ostrander/mandrake's Spectre was terrific and I really think it could have benefited in terms of profile and getting collected editions into the hands of readers had it made the jump to Vertigo along with the other mature readers format books. It even tied into Shade the Changing Man by picking up the threads of the American Scream.

Also one of the coolest set of glow in the dark covers.

the Spectre: Crimes and Punishment TPB FN john ostrander GLOW IN THE DARK 1993 | eBay


The Spectre 1,2,3,4,5,Volume 3, 1992, Tom Mandrake, Glow in dark Cover, t9 | eBay
Spectre #1 NM- 9.2 High Grade DC 1992 Glow-in-the-dark Cover!!! | eBay


The Spectre #8 (DC Comics) Glow In The Dark Cover | eBay


Spectre #13 Near Mint-(9.2) Glow in the Dark Cover | eBay