Alter Ego #75 January 2006 (magazine review).

Looking at the Alex Ross cover of Alter Ego # 75, you would think the entire issue is all about ‘The Shazam Curse!’ However, the first section is a look at the art of the Alter Ego 1943 Calendar as depicted by Alex Ross in 2008. Shame this was done in Alter Ego’s black and white period but does show Ross picking 1940s-50s actresses as delightful super-heroines.

Jim Amash interviews comicbook artist and sometimes writer Marvin Levy aka Marv Levy or even just Lev (1925-2012). He preferred comedy strips to super-heroes, although did a couple ‘Captain America’ stories back in the 1940s. Levy also worked for a lot of the companies before going into advertising. Two potent notes was Byrne Hogarth was as lefty as you can go and the absence of writers’ credits as most used it as stepping stones before writing fiction. The exception was Mickey Spillane but I don’t think he cared.

Some artists never seem to be ‘seen’, such as Maxwell Elkan (1918-2000), whom Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr and Hames Ware examine his career over various publishers. It’s a strong style adaptable to comedy and drama.

Michael T. Gilbert continues to look at early characters names who’ve continued into the present. It’d hardly surprising that the Wasp as had many incarnations although I do think comparing the Heap to the Hulk just because of one reference is pushing it. I do think there’s a closer comparison to Man-Thing, if just for his nose.

We also see the passing back in 2007 of Aquaman co-creator/artist ‘Paul Norris (1914-2007) and artist Mike Wieringo (1963-2007).

Finally, we get to ‘The Shazam Curse’ as P.C. Hamerlick looks at how DC Comics attempts to resurrect Captain Marvel under the ‘Shazam!’ moniker and continual failure to find the right people, often hindered by writers who had never read the original Fawcett comicbook stories.

I can see why the paper edition sold out. Not just because of the Alex Ross cover but also for his article and pencil art at the end as he pushed DC Comics after his ‘Shazam: Power Of Hope’ in 2007 at keeping Captain Marvel alive than killing him off and showing samples of revitalising his costume without really changing anything. Without checking all the various versions of the DC Universe since, at least Ross got his wish that Captain Marvel wasn’t replaced by his junior version.

Oddly, it appears that whenever TwoMorrows has an Alex Ross cover on any of their titles, it sells out, so if you see a paper edition at a reasonable price, grab one.

GF Willmetts

April 2021

(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 98 page illustrated magazine. Price: $ 6.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6890. Direct from them, you can get it digitally for $ 4.99 (US))

check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_55&products_id=620