What I Read: Jack of Hearts #1-4

Jack of Hearts by Bill Mantlo (writer) and George Freeman (artist)

After rereading this 4-issue limited series for the first time in the past 20-25 years I can see why I liked it so much. The story has the kinds of characters and elements that I liked to see in sci-fi/fantasy stories back then. The hero is both reluctant and willing to sacrifice his life. He is taken from a world he knows but hates to one that is very different and to which he has a connection previously unknown to him. I can also see the story's flaws, now, but they weren't numerous or significant enough to interfere with my ability to enjoy the story for what it is.

Despite the poor shape my issues are in I think George Freeman's art is gorgeous. I'm a little surprised that I liked the look of the book back then. It is a little more expressive than what I remember liking at the time. Its a shame that this has never been reprinted in a collected format.

Links: covers

What I Bought - Aug 1, 2010

I went to the Capicon comic book show at the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department. I've got plenty to read at home so I didn't plan on spending very much. I spent $2 on admission, $9 on comics, and $28 on a 2-day pass to the Baltimore Comicon.

Sgt Rock #325, 338 - I bought these primarily for the Joe Kubert covers and the Daily Planet feature pages.

Marvel Team-Up # 134 - written by Bill Manto and drawn by Ron Frenz this issue co-stars Spiderman and Jack of Hearts and is the prologue to the Jack of Hearts 4-issue limited series from 1984.

Superman: Kryptonite - written by Darwyn Cooke and drawn by Tim Sale; I've been wanting to read this ever since I first saw the preview art a few years ago.

Comic Book Notes (LJ) Apr 2005

04/14/05

Read, read, read. I finally got my shipment of comic books on Monday. Not too much volume wise.

Just seven comic books:

- Blood of the Demon # 1
- Breach # 3
- Ballad of Sleeping Beauty # 8
- Justice League Elite # 9
- Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis # 2
- Breakdown # 5
- Fallen Angel # 19

and three collections:

- Ministry of Space TPB
- Enemy Ace HC
- Losers: Double Down TPB

plus the Previews catalog.

The Enemy Ace book wasn't cheap but it is gorgeous. I just love pictures of planes and aerial combat from WWI. I also adore Joe Kubert's art work. So far I have only read the Simpsons Futurama comic. Very funny.

I'm already making my list of comics to order this month. So far there isn't much on it.

- Breach # 6
- Doom Patrol # 13
- Justice League Elite # 12 (of 12)
- Solo # 5 (by Darwyn Cooke)
- GLA # 3 (of 4)
- Deal with the Devil # 3 (of 5)
- Action Philosophers All Sex Special # 1
- Human Target TP
- She-Hulk: Single Green Female TP
- Previews Catalog

OK, maybe that's more than not much, but I could easily order more. I could if I weren't so disciplined about not ordering more than I can read. It is also a function of avoiding comic books for the most part and waiting for the trade collection to be published. Sometimes the wait is long, and it isn't always worth it, but it does tend to keep my expenditures down.

Winding down. Gotta go do other things. Its been a couple months since I published the list but here it is:

Finished Reading
- Batman: The Long Halloween
- Kare Kano Book 4
- Human Target Book 2
- Love Fights Book 2
- Marmalade Boy Book 4
- Phoenix Book 2: A Tale of the Future
- Queen & Country Book 1
- Scion Book 4
- Y: The Last Man Book 2

Currently Reading
- Enemy Ace (DC Archive Edition)
- Marmalade Boy Book 5
- Maxx Book 3

Have Not Started Reading Yet
- Buddha Book 1
- Hana-Kimi Book 2
- Losers Book 2
- Marmalade Boy Book 6
- Ministry of Space
- Powers Book 1

Ordered But Have Not Received Yet
- Stray Bullets Book 1
- Hysteria Book 2
- Hawkman Book 3
- Exiles Book 8

04/16/05

Breach # 3 - I enjoyed this issue more than the last one. The last one was kind of hard to follow. It wasn't until I reread # 2, just before reading # 3, that it all made sense. Anyhow the pieces are starting to fall into place. I'm getting into this series. Major Zanetti has woken up after being in a coma for about 20 years. The world has changed quite a bit. He has changed quite a bit. He isn't exactly human anymore.

I love the whole military angle of this thing. Kinda reminds me of how the military is portrayed on Justice League Unlimited. They don't trust the superheroes to save them or to always be on their side, so they hedge their bets by trying to develop technology to rival what the Justice League and others possess.

I like how they brought in Kobra's organization. Although it resembled Hydra quite bit. I didn't remember that about Kobra. Based on the way the issue wound down another organization, the JLA, will be making an appearance next issue.

I also like the artwork. Some splash panels, but also some effectively used small ones. It may eventually get collected but for now I think I will continue to buy it in comic book form.

Jack of Hearts # 1 - This is an oldy but goody in my book. This is the first in a four-issue miniseries. The miniseries was orginally released over 20 years ago. I don't think it has ever been reprinted. You can probably pick it up pretty cheap. It was written by Bill Mantlo, who also created Cloak and Dagger. He wrote a number of stories I enjoyed.

Anyhow, this series focuses on a character who was (at the time) relatively new to the Marvel Universe. From what I can tell this is the only Jack of Hearts mini-series ever released. He never got his own ongoing series. Prior to this series he had a few guest appearances here and there. I think he was originally a villain. This series find him in the custody of SHIELD. Jack is the wielder of great power which he doesn't completely understand. SHIELD considers him a threat and so are keeping him in (what they think) is a secure facility. Over the course of the series Jack learns more about his powers, learns that his mother was an alien, and travels to the planet that half his ancestry comes from. Once there he learns that the planet is in danger of dying (I think the sun was getting ready to go nova or something I haven't finished rereading the series yet) and gets embroiled in local politics.

The artwork is pretty good for the time, although the colors and quality of the paper that the series was printed on leave a lot to be desired.

04/24/05

Read a little more of Maxx (Book 3) and Generation X.

04/28/05

I haven't gotten the previews catalog yet, but MailOrderComics is offering a couple deals this month that sound a little too good to pass up.

Sgt. Rock Archives Vol. 3 - I haven't read the first two volumes, but this is an episodic series. There are no long story arcs here and very little in the way of continuity. I enjoy war comics. It isn't cheap, but I was thinking of buying the first volume and they are offering this one for almost 1/2 price.

Captain America Vol. 1 - This is the first colection of the news series. I read and enjoyed the first issue. I like the story and the art. Not much to dissuade me here. Plus, they are offering it for 1/2 price this month.