We've got to get some of this chatter about Man-Thing collected in a thread. Let these three things be known:

1. I'm a big fan of Marvel's Man-Thing.

2. There's a great Omnibus coming out (Amazon date is Oct. 17) that has all the Bronze Age stuff one could really ask for.

3. I'd love you to take this opportunity to read it.

As the weeks approach, I'll post things here about why I like it or just interesting things.

From the "Claremont" thread (Claremont wrote a little Man-Thing here and there, including some of the Volume 2 series from 1980).

I like that he's got an issue of Man-Thing in front of him.

Man, Claremont put himself into as many comics as Byrne. What a couple of douchebags.

It's cool -- Val Mayerick was one of the early good artists on Man-Thing. Not as noted as Mike Ploog, but I think Mayerick would probably rank #2 from the Gerber era.

I can confidently say I'll never read or purchase a Man-Thing comicbook anymore than you'll read or purchase a Savage Dragon comic. Thanks.

?? I'm seriously considering trying the Savage Dragon Omnibus if it ever comes out. I've become fascinated by Savage Dragon for no other reason than Larsen has stuck with it, not just continuing to make stories, but on a reasonably solid schedule and with continuous numbering.

But I'm not sure you'd like Man-Thing. Everything you seem to like in a comic book, it doesn't have it. The only tenuous link it has to something you like, is that it has that Godzilla/Hulk aspect (that I'm drawn to), and at least you supposedly like the Hulk (theoretically).

I was thinking of asking Hanzo about some Dragon recommendations, just 'cause I'm enjoying Larsen's Supreme.

That page does look good. I haven't read that issue but I know I read a couple issues of Claremont's Swamp Thing, back before HTML Comics got shut down. They were ok. It sounds like Gerber is really the way to go with that character though.

The one where he finished Alan Moore's story, yes, hmmmm.

Actually every issue since that last Moore-scripted one has ended with a "To be continued" so he hasn't really finished the story. He is continuing it.

I read online somewhere that Larsen plans to end the Supreme series with Ozymandias breaking into the Comedian's apartment, thus bringing everything into a seamless whole.

Methinks I detect the heavy hand of editorial interference.

Or methinks me detect. Whichever is the proper object of methinks.

Editors have every legal right to interfere.

For a taste of one of the reasons why I've liked the Man-thing since wee-dom, here's a youtube of the Power Records Man-thing story. I had this and used to listen to it and read it over and over.



As the youtube uploader says in his write up below:

I hate you all.

The Man-Thing art I am seeing is turning me off. The only books that I have with Man-Thing are an issue of Dr. Strange by Gene Colan, the issue of X-Men after Byrne left by Brent Anderson and the Byrne Marvel Team-Up. None of the art in the Man-Thing series seems to be anywhere close to being good as these.

Val Mayerick was a high point, and decent, but Mike Ploog is the one to watch for. Issues 5 to 11.

That Claremont story is a really shameless ripoff of Steve Gerber's story in Man-Thing Volume 1, #22:

Mayerick was saddled with inkers that were a poor fit for him during his run, unfortunately. Ploog's work is the definite high-point. I also like Jim Mooney's work on the original series (#17-22). Nothing spectacular, but Mooney's mundane, romance-comic style works well with the bizarre stuff Gerber was writing.

Mayerick was hit-and-miss for me - it depends on who inks him.

Mike Ploog is one of the most underrated artists Marvel ever had. Ploog's work on Werewolf by Night is incredible.

I'm also a Man-Thing fan from way back, and it was why I became such a huge Steve Gerber fan. That whole plot with Thog and the Congress of Realities is one of the best things I've ever read in a comic.

Some Man-Thing art that I came across,

Jim Starlin and Ernie Chan,