So I just got through the first DC Archives volume of golden age Blackhawk, and I gotta say, this shit is pretty cool!
http://ourworlds.topcities.com/blackhawk/indexes/cvr_013.jpg
I mean, it's a pretty original concept, for a start: having ppl from the various states that were occupied by the nazis team up and act as this independent force for freedom (there's even a tiny hint in one of the issues that the U.S. govt doesn't trust them fully); interesting to read a war comic where the heroes are polish and austrian instead of british and american. I like their secret island base, too (though it never does get explained where the hell they got that from.)
That grammatically problematic ditty that I posted in the subject line? It's their battle song! They sing it while swooping down on nazi scum with their WAR PLANES! So awesome. Later on they also adopt the rather puzzling war-cry "HAWK-AAA!"
And then, uhm, there's Chop Chop.
ihttp://ourworlds.topcities.com/blackhawk/bios/fig_chp1.jpg
Ah yes, Chop Chop. A hilarious oriental with a red-hot temper and the catch-phrase "Me dlouble clossed!" Moving on...
The stories are mostly AWESOME! And only every other one is a "straight" war adventure - more often than not, the Blackhawks face off against rat-like scavenger creatures and the re-incarnation of Genghis Khan* and shit. There's also a great take on "The Man In The Iron Mask" and several mystical adventures, one of which features an introduction by a mysterious beareded face (I think he might be God, tho not sure) and a "Pulp Fiction" style mystery suitcase.
Some really great covers - Blackhawk was published in "Military Comics", and the cover blurbs for other attractions are a small delight unto themselves ("Secret war news - school children DEFEAT HITLER. A TRUE STORY" is my favourite.) Also, the first page is always a little intro to the story, and those get really trippy - my favourite features a gigantic black hawk lurking over a "BLACKHAWK" caption, whose letters are frozen over with snow. At the edge of these, there's the grim reaper, kicking a poor halpless ski-wearing Chop Chopdown a ravine. In the corner, there's Blackhawk, stuck in a vial, surrounded by skulls, drowning. Next to him, this blurb:
"In that frozen world above the clouds, where the mighty alps rear skyward, BLACKHAWK becomes the quarry and DEATH stalks close behind - and looming o'er the civilized world is the black shadow of THE VIAL OF DEATH!"
Now, come on, how could you possibly NOT want to read that?
* This one's particuarly awesome, because y'know, it's in the middle of WWII, and suddenly the fucking MONGOLIANS rise up again and start wreaking havoc all over Asia! Also the last page features some clearly pre-comic code authority type shit.
[ADMIN: I fixed broken IMG links because I am a nice guy]
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)
Classic all the way, btw. I would love to read some original run stuff.
The 80s stuff was really good. I didn't read the Chaykin miniseries, but I followed the ACW and ongoing with great fervor (I bought ACW for Green Lantern, but I
read ACW for Blackhawk).
Marty Pasko wrote and oh, what was the name of the artist. He was the best part. Rick Burchett with Pablo Marcos. I see that Mike Grell wrote some of the ACW stuff as well. Janos was a drunk and there was a great line in one of the comics about "bringing a knife to a gunfight" which I know now is old trope, but it was the first time I'd ever seen it and I was awestruck.
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)
four months pass...