Protectors

Comic universes no longer active, Bravura, Continuity, CrossGen, Future, Malibu, Ultraverse... and others that are 'no longer with us' today (or only recently brought back).

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Djk300
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Protectors

Post by Djk300 »

Does anyone else have these? What was the last issue? I enjoyed the series especially gravestone. Any minis?

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Todd Luck
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Post by Todd Luck »

I'm looking to pick up some myself if I ever find a deal on them. I really enjoyed the Ferret and Arrow one shots but never picked up the rest.

Here's all 20 issues of Protectors:
http://www.mycomicshop.com/megastore/se ... l&til=5328

Here's all 10 issue of the Ferett:
http://www.mycomicshop.com/megastore/se ... l&til=4314
He also appeared in Street Figher #3 (Malibu series) oddly enough.

Eight issues of Man of War:
http://www.mycomicshop.com/megastore/se ... l&til=4899

And the Arrow one shot:
http://www.mycomicshop.com/megastore/se ... l&til=9787

That's all I can think from memory. Anyone know of any others other than Gravestone?

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Post by Vault-Keeper »

Wasn't there an Airman Comic, I think? ---Steve

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Daniel Jackson
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Post by Daniel Jackson »

I bought The Protectors up until issue #5, but I had too many other books on my priority list at the time so I dropped it.

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Todd Luck
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Post by Todd Luck »

Vault-Keeper wrote:Wasn't there an Airman Comic, I think? ---Steve
Yep it was a one shot. Found it on the same site:
http://www.mycomicshop.com/megastore/se ... l&til=3371

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Daniel Jackson
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Post by Daniel Jackson »

Boy, Airman sure wore some funky headgear.

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Post by Vault-Keeper »

Daniel Jackson wrote:Boy, Airman sure wore some funky headgear.
You got that right.....:D


BTW, I don't think Overstreet even lists Airman #1.---Steve

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Todd Luck
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Post by Todd Luck »

I just remembered, since Malibu published them does that Marvel now owns these characters? Was their line killed by Marvel buying Malibu or did it end before then?

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Post by Todd Luck »

I FINALLY found some issues of the Protectors series itself after all these years. It's not as quirky and original as the Arrow and Ferret one shots and fell into a few old superheroe cliches but it did have solid art, some very interesting characters, and some excellent intrigue. I'ld recommend them. But beware, by issue 15 they switch from a Perez/Adams style of art to an "Imagey" one and start adding Ex-Mutants to the team (every series in the 90's had to do it at some point I guess :| ).

And I also found Man of War 3. Interesting story but it has possibly the WORST interior artwork EVER published in a color comic. If you find it for cheap, you MUST get it. Your jaw will drop out how something that looks like that could've ever been published. And the scariest part is...it was drawn by the regular artist on the series!

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Todd Luck
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Post by Todd Luck »

Todd Luck wrote:I FINALLY found some issues of the Protectors series itself after all these years. It's not as quirky and original as the Arrow and Ferret one shots and fell into a few old superheroe cliches but it did have solid art, some very interesting characters, and some excellent intrigue. I'ld recommend them. But beware, by issue 15 they switch from a Perez/Adams style of art to an "Imagey" one and start adding Ex-Mutants to the team (every series in the 90's had to do it at some point I guess :| ).

And I also found Man of War 3. Interesting story but it has possibly the WORST interior artwork EVER published in a color comic. If you find it for cheap, you MUST get it. Your jaw will drop out how something that looks like that could've ever been published. And the scariest part is...it was drawn by the regular artist on the series!
Well, I found Man of War 1 and I can now confirm that the regular artists isn't that bad normally. He's not fantastic but his work definately gets the job done on issue one.

I don't know what happened with issue 3. Maybe he had to draw it with his feet or something. If anyone can tell me how to post images on here I'll post a few pages of it.

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Post by Strannik »

Todd Luck wrote:I just remembered, since Malibu published them does that Marvel now owns these characters?
I don't think so. The Protectors are based of Centaur Publications characters, which are now public domain. Of course, it could be the Marvel owns the copyright to this particular version of the characters. I dunno... My knowledge of American copyright law is spotty.

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Post by Todd Luck »

Strannik wrote:
Todd Luck wrote:I just remembered, since Malibu published them does that Marvel now owns these characters?
I don't think so. The Protectors are based of Centaur Publications characters, which are now public domain. Of course, it could be the Marvel owns the copyright to this particular version of the characters. I dunno... My knowledge of American copyright law is spotty.
Why do you say that? The legal stuff published in every issue of the comic said Malibu owned them (I assume they bought them). How could they have ended up in the public domain?

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Post by Strannik »

Because they were in public domain before Malibu got their hands on them. (See link I provided in my post)

Looking as some of the fine print, it seems that Malibu owned the copyright to this particular version of the characters. However, the original versions, as well as versions that are diffrent from Malibu's, can still show up in titles published by other companies.

At least that's what I think is going on.

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Re: Protectors

Post by Redtrax »

Djk300 wrote:Does anyone else have these? What was the last issue? I enjoyed the series especially gravestone. Any minis?
ahhh, the (in)famous #5 bullethole cover.
Peek-a-boo

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Todd Luck
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Post by Todd Luck »

Strannik wrote:Because they were in public domain before Malibu got their hands on them. (See link I provided in my post)

Looking as some of the fine print, it seems that Malibu owned the copyright to this particular version of the characters. However, the original versions, as well as versions that are diffrent from Malibu's, can still show up in titles published by other companies.

At least that's what I think is going on.
No, they trademarked and copyrighted those characters and in many cases they used the same backstory and similar costumes to the Centuar version. Malibu owned them.

A quick look at trademarks records show that Marvel (assuming they got them as part of the deal) has let the marks lapse and go dead. That probably just indicates they had no intention of using them and just want the copyright of the characters to up the numbers of characters in their library (a big selling point for advertisers and investors).

How AC was able to reprint them after the sell, I don't know. Maybe they flew under the radar? Payed licensing money to Marvel? Was their a law suit we didn't hear about? I suppose Marvel could've sold the rights or somehow not gotten them when they bought Malibu, but I doubt it.

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Re: Protectors

Post by Todd Luck »

Redtrax wrote:
Djk300 wrote:Does anyone else have these? What was the last issue? I enjoyed the series especially gravestone. Any minis?
ahhh, the (in)famous #5 bullethole cover.
The more I hang around the net, the more I think that their mistake wasn't doing the bullet cover, it was not making it a "rare" limited edition :| .

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Post by Strannik »

Todd Luck wrote:How AC was able to reprint them after the sell, I don't know. Maybe they flew under the radar? Payed licensing money to Marvel? Was their a law suit we didn't hear about? I suppose Marvel could've sold the rights or somehow not gotten them when they bought Malibu, but I doubt it.
Simple. AC reprinted the Centraur-era stories (which are public domain), not Malibu stories.

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Protector

Post by dac55 »

I have that Issue it not a bullet hole. Its a Forcebeam hole. What ever that is. It go all the way throw the book.

David

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Re: Protector

Post by Todd Luck »

dac55 wrote:I have that Issue it not a bullet hole. Its a Forcebeam hole. What ever that is. It go all the way throw the book.

David
That would be what the villian uses to kill one of the heroes in that issue. I've never seen the issue. I hope to find it at some point for the story.

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Protectors

Post by dac55 »

You know it camed Baged. I would tell you about it but I dont wont to open it. Its a cool cover .

David

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Re: Protectors

Post by Todd Luck »

dac55 wrote:You know it camed Baged. I would tell you about it but I dont wont to open it. Its a cool cover .

David
Yeah it loses all it's value if you open the bag. Then you wouldn't be able to get the whole fifty cent it's worth :D .

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Post by Vault-Keeper »

I believe there were two versions of the forcebeam issue. The bagged one is the newstand edition. The direct copy was unbagged, with embossing & some spot varnishing. As far as I know, they are both worth the same....about a quarter to fiddy cents. I think I have some on my Indy sale list.---Steve

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Post by cornflakeboy »

Are they really worth reading?? I mean, if they're 50c, there must be a reason... o i might be wrong...
Just my 2 cents (of an euro)
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Post by Todd Luck »

cornflakeboy wrote:Are they really worth reading?? I mean, if they're 50c, there must be a reason... o i might be wrong...
The majority of comics I've seen published between 1984 and 1998 are priced at 50 cent and below. That includes most DCs, Marvels, Valiants, Milestones, Vertigos, you name it. I've seen some retailers ask for more on your run-of-the-mill issues from that period, but they tend to be the ones that never move their back stock.

I'ld say most of the Protectors stuff is worth reading. The first year of the actual series and the Ferrett & Arrow one-shots I can tell you were decent comics, the rest I can't vouch for yet.

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Post by Knightt »

cornflakeboy wrote:Are they really worth reading?? I mean, if they're 50c, there must be a reason... o i might be wrong...
Out of all the Malibu comics that I have collected so far... The Protectors are at the TOP of my list to start reading once I get them all. The COVER art is what struck me, so I (naturally) thouht that the cover artist would be the interior artist as well. SADLY mistaken but the interior artist does not do a bad job at all so I really didnt mind.

The covers artist's name is S. Clarke Hawbaker and he is GREAT. I asked Tom Mason about him and was wondering why he was never an interior artist. Tom explained it to me that Clarke was 'terribly slow' and that is why he was only used for the covers. In fact, Clarke used to work for Marvel until they found out how slow he was. I can appreciate the INCREBIDLE covers (IMO) but would have LOVED to see a few issues drawn by this talented artist.


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