The House of Secrets

DC produced some great horror/mystery titles in the Silver and Bronze Ages and The House of Secrets was one of the best. Veteran editor Joe Orlando who had worked for EC Comics in the fifties and Warren in the sixties assembled a great set of artists for all of the anthology series he edited.  The stories were not all classics but every issue had its charms.

House of Secrets #81 (August/September 1969)
Art by Neal Adams

Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel are making a movie about the Guardians of the Galaxy, unfortunately not the Silver and Bronze Age version but an update from 2008.  Whilst never stars, the Guardians did appear in some excellent Bronze Age comics.  Re-reading the stories what struck me was the contrast between the Silver Age trappings of the debut tale from 1969 and the Bronze Age stylings of their next appearance in Marvel Two-in-One in 1974.  Arnold Drake and Gene Colan brought us the origin tale in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969).

Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969)
Pencil Art by Gene Colan, inks: Mike Esposito

Hawkman leaves the Justice League

It seems to be a lost art in the modern era of decompressed storytelling, I'm referring to the single issue "done in one" tale that ensured that you received value for money from your comic book.  Back in the Bronze Age distribution was patchy and tracking down consecutive issues was a tricky business so reading a well crafted single issue was a welcome treat.  One example that sticks in the mind is Justice League of America #109 (January/February 1974).

Justice League of America #109 (January/February 1974)
Art by Nick Cardy

Cigars of the Pharaoh

Published between 1932 and 1934 the fourth Tintin adventure, Cigars of the Pharoah, is in my view where Tintin begins to show the promise that will be amply fulfilled in later albums.

Cigars of the Pharaoh
Art by Herge

Tintin in America

The third Tintin album, Tintin in America, was published between 1931 and 1932 and is the most widely available early adventure.  The preceding albums being highly controversial.

Tintin in America
Art by Herge