Impact Comics

[StarBrand]

I just read my first couple Impact issues. I'd like to hear comments on this universe. I'll make some posts about it later this week.

[leonmallett]

Huge fan of the line.

A good choice t give them a try in my biased view, to give them a try and a line whose ethos I wish was reflected in at least one shared universe today.

It is a group of books I re-read every few years.

Ranking the titles I would place them:

Top two:
1. Black Hood (an amazing take IMHO)
2. The Fly

Next best
3. Crucible
4. The Comet
5. Crusaders (mainly ranked this high for the character of Fireball who is one of my favourites)
6. Jaguar
7. The Legend of the Shield

The poor relation:
8. The WEB

I really hope you enjoy them.

[StarBrand]

Thanks, Leon. So far all I have is LOTS, which you have ranked 7th best. Lol. I've read the first four issues. So far they aren't great, but as someone new to reading the line I think it has great promise.

[StarBrand]

It's cool to have an entire line of comics like Impact out there that I haven't read.

[StarBrand]

Leon,
How do you rank the Impact Who's Who? Is that worth picking up? I think Mark Waid write most if not all of it.

[leonmallett]

Thanks, Leon. So far all I have is LOTS, which you have ranked 7th best. Lol. I've read the first four issues. So far they aren't great, but as someone new to reading the line I think it has great promise.

Pick up the Black Hood run if you can; read it then re-read it. For a book aimed at a younger-than-direct-market audience, it is a great read. One of my favourite comics of the 1990's, and the gem of the line for me.

The Fly is tons of fun too, in a different way, but unfortunately my favourite non-title character (Blackjack; just ahead of Fireball) only ever had a one-issue cameo.

The Crusaders gets some flak from fans, but I really liked the opening 3 issue arc.

The Comet just goes crazy towards the end; and the craziness gets picked up in the coda mini-series The Crucible.

There is some great stuff through almost every title for me.

Except The WEB. Ugh.

[leonmallett]

It's cool to have an entire line of comics like Impact out there that I haven't read.

One of the good things for me is that at around 100 books +/-, it is eminently re-readable.

[leonmallett]

Leon,
How do you rank the Impact Who's Who? Is that worth picking up? I think Mark Waid write most if not all of it.

I picked up mainly as a completist, but I still crack them open occasionally.

They fill in some blanks never covered, while in some entries things are not wholly aligned to the published books.

[StarBrand]

Thanks. When I read an issue, I take my time and read all editorial commentaries and the letters pages, if any. In LOTS there is a commentary which really showed how enthused editor Mike Gold was about the line. I may end up posting some of the commentaries I come across in Impact issues in this thread.

[StarBrand]

I wish I could buy all the issues from the entire line and figure out a reading order, but I'm going to have to pick up one run at a time. I'm awfully tempted to purchase a run of Black Hood now, though. These comics are much cheaper than buying new books, obviously, and that won't set me back much.

[leonmallett]

Thanks. When I read an issue, I take my time and read all editorial commentaries and the letters pages, if any. In LOTS there is a commentary which really showed how enthused editor Mike Gold was about the line. I may end up posting some of the commentaries I come across in Impact issues in this thread.

There was a great deal of fondness for the project through all the key creators I think. Even Jim Owsley's (a.k.a. Christopher Priest) slightly more acerbic/realist vision of the line's chances showed an appreciation of what they were trying to achieve in the face of DC's volte face at various junctures.

Fascinating way that DC shot their own business plan to pieces.

[StarBrand]

Mark Verheiden, who pencilled and wrote (though Mark Waid dialogued) Legend of the Shield, also worked on a comic Dark Horse published in the mid-eighties called The American. Now I want to pick that up too. I believe it was nominated for an Eagle Award.
It was mentioned a few times in editorials of the early issues of LOTS that Verheiden had worked on that book for two years before the line was even launched.

[leonmallett]

Mark Verheiden, who pencilled and wrote (though Mark Waid dialogued) Legend of the Shield, also worked on a comic Dark Horse published in the mid-eighties called The American. Now I want to pick that up too. I believe it was nominated for an Eagle Award.

I *think* Grant Miehm wrote/pencilled LotS, at least at the outset, but I could be wrong.

[StarBrand]

Mark Verheiden, who pencilled and wrote (though Mark Waid dialogued) Legend of the Shield, also worked on a comic Dark Horse published in the mid-eighties called The American. Now I want to pick that up too. I believe it was nominated for an Eagle Award.

I *think* Grant Miehm wrote/pencilled LotS, at least at the outset, but I could be wrong.

You're probably correct. My bad.

[leonmallett]

Mark Verheiden, who pencilled and wrote (though Mark Waid dialogued) Legend of the Shield, also worked on a comic Dark Horse published in the mid-eighties called The American. Now I want to pick that up too. I believe it was nominated for an Eagle Award.

I *think* Grant Miehm wrote/pencilled LotS, at least at the outset, but I could be wrong.

You're probably correct. My bad.

You are probably correct and I am probably wrong!

I recall some publicity art for the American, and the line work looked quite fine and elegant, in a Adams-esque way, from what I remember; does that sound right?

[StarBrand]

I don't know much about the series The American. It looks interesting, and I believe I can pick em up for about a buck each, so they're on my want list. I'll be posting more in this thread as I read the line.

[StarBrand]

Mark Verheiden, who pencilled and wrote (though Mark Waid dialogued) Legend of the Shield, also worked on a comic Dark Horse published in the mid-eighties called The American. Now I want to pick that up too. I believe it was nominated for an Eagle Award.

I *think* Grant Miehm wrote/pencilled LotS, at least at the outset, but I could be wrong.

You were right. Meihm was writer, or at least co-writer, on all issues of LOTS and pencilled at least some of them.

[leonmallett]

Mark Verheiden, who pencilled and wrote (though Mark Waid dialogued) Legend of the Shield, also worked on a comic Dark Horse published in the mid-eighties called The American. Now I want to pick that up too. I believe it was nominated for an Eagle Award.

I *think* Grant Miehm wrote/pencilled LotS, at least at the outset, but I could be wrong.

You were right. Meihm was writer, or at least co-writer, on all issues of LOTS and pencilled at least some of them.

Funny thing is I can recall those writers and artists on !mpact, yet struggle to name all the recent VEI artists and writers....

[leonmallett]

Make sure you post when you have dug further into the line.

[StarBrand]

Make sure you post when you have dug further into the line.

Will do, bro.

[Cyberstrike]

To be honest the Impact Comic line isn't exactly large (The Comet is the longest series and it only has 18 issues plus one annual).

[leonmallett]

To be honest the Impact Comic line isn't exactly large (The Comet is the longest series and it only has 18 issues plus one annual).

Around 100 issues give or take a few IIRC.

[JCVaughn]

Huge fan of the line.

A good choice t give them a try in my biased view, to give them a try and a line whose ethos I wish was reflected in at least one shared universe today.

It is a group of books I re-read every few years.

Ranking the titles I would place them:

Top two:
1. Black Hood (an amazing take IMHO)
2. The Fly

Next best
3. Crucible
4. The Comet
5. Crusaders (mainly ranked this high for the character of Fireball who is one of my favourites)
6. Jaguar
7. The Legend of the Shield

The poor relation:
8. The WEB

I really hope you enjoy them.

Couldn't agree more about The Black Hood. Mark Wheatley and Rick Burchett rocked that book. We've interviewed Wheatley about it for this fall's edition of Overstreet's Comic Book Marketplace Yearbook. I think we're working on getting editor Mike Gold and Mr. Burchett as well.

[StarBrand]

I'm going after the Black Hood next, then.

[BugsySig]

I have a handful of these from a crossover they did in the mid-late 90s. I remember thinking they were pretty good. Kind of a light superhero universe.

If you're interested StarBrand, I'd be happy to send them your way. They're just sitting in the closet of my old bedroom and i don't have any use for them. Let me know.