How I spent my Summer Holiday

Well Summer’s here again and so is my 9-week holiday (sorry but it’s so cool, I have to brag about it). Every year I try to see a full series on DVD and read an entire series or run of comics.
In 2003 I watched all 3 Millennium seasons on DVD and read the entire MoKF comic series back to back.
2004 was the “Summer of Seinfeld” as I watched all 180 episodes but also read Defenders #1 - #150.
But for some reason I was slow to start the geek-fest this Summer. But finally I decided to watch the first 100 episodes of the great 50’s SF-show “The Twilight Zone” and read Avengers #1 through to #350 (I read #350 through to 503 last year around Xmas)
The biggest thrill is that I’ve hardly seen 4 or 5 episodes of the Twilight Zone prior to now and that I’ve read maybe 20 of the 350 Avengers books (and none earlier than #200).

Update : Well I just read Avengers #1 through #10 and the start was bit of a disappointment. Sure the Kirby art is great, lots and lots of all-out action, and Stan’s writing is good, corny but good (hey it’s the 60s…)
But the Avengers-as-a-team isn’t really happening, they’re all over the place and don’t seem to accomplish a lot.
Best of the bunch is Avengers #4. Not only the debut of the Silver Age Captain America but a very entertaining book. For the first time I started caring what was going to happen to the Avengers.

And those non-pc 60’s…ya gotta love em.. Wasp is portrayed in a very sexist way. She’d rather be powdering her nose, shopping etc. than fighting evil.

All in all an entertaining read from over 40 years ago. Jack Kirby’s Pop Art stylings have influenced so, so many artists, and with good reason. Even pop art painter Roy Lichtenstein’s work seems at least partially influenced by Kirby. Journeyman Don Heck takes on the art chores in the last few issues, and his work is acceptable, but spotty at times

Best cover of the lot is (of course) #4 with Captain America literary jumping on the scene…but everyone knows that one, so I went for my other favourite #7

Always loved this cover, looks like everyone is going for Thor's nuts