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Love Confessions #39, 1954 - Matt Baker was among the best romance artists of the 1950s, mostly known for his work on St. John titles. His stories for other publications are fewer, less well known and vary widely in quality. In this case, his opening scene lacks the usual zest of larger romance panels. I do like how the idyllic couple in the background contrasts against the troubled relationship

Mister Miracle #8, 1972 - The last of the 52 pagers in this series, Jack Kirby's art continues to entertain and delight. His two full page splashes and roomy panels are this time overshadowed by one of his best double page spreads. Upon entering the barracks of the Female Fury Battalion, Big Barda witnesses a chaotic array of woman warriors. Kirby's complex layout is perfectly balanced with a

Doomsday Plus One #3, 1975 - John Byrne's inclination for drawing futuristic aircraft, robots and machinery reveals itself in the first few pages. He continues to employ large panels within roomy layouts, but with slightly less detail than previous issues. His center spread of an intense fight scene seems a little forced compositionally. Page six is more successful (see interior page above),

Jungle Jim v4 #27, 1969 - Steve Ditko contributes three terrific stories in this issue, all of which are enjoyably drawn. Though competently inked, different sources give different credits. Comic book guides have historically credited the inks to one-time Wally Wood assistant, Wayne Howard. The Wally Wood Treasury, however, credits Wood. At closer inspection, details such as the jungle foliage,

Marvel Preview presents Sherlock Holmes #6, 1976 - Concluding the "Hound of the Baskervilles" storyline, Marvel Comics gives its own rendition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous detective. For clarity's sake, the vast majority of the issue is drawn by Val Mayerik with inks by Tony DeZuniga. Neal Adams illustrates only the inside front cover, depicting a lone Sherlock Holmes evading gunfire.

'Mazing Man #12, 1986 - Frank Miller lends his talents to the last cover of this DC humor title. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns premiered the same year, making this an obvious attempt to bring attention to this series. Miller regardless contributes a powerful drawing, made more unmistakable by its spacious white background. Other artists in this issue include Stephen DeStefano. This is number 1

The Unseen #12, 1953 - In only four pages, Alex Toth tells the tale of an overbearing husband and his apparent ability to bring his dead wife back to life. On the opening panel, the artist's placement of lithe, feminine hands surrounding an automobile accident is strangely compelling. His clever use of silhouettes and shadows throughout the pages are more powerful in their subtlety than the usual

Ripley's Believe It or Not v2 #1, 1965 - One of Gold Key publishing's longest running mystery titles, this first edition features ghost stories inspired by the famous single-panel newspaper strip. The "authentic" claim helps this distinguish this series from other similarly-themed mystery comics by the same publisher. Wally Wood, in his only contribution to Ripley's, finely details the story of

Blue Beetle v5 #3, 1967 - The colorfully garbed villains on the cover bear a strong resemblance to The Creeper, a hero Steve Ditko would create around the same timeframe. The multitude of small panels throughout the feature story are not as bothersome as before, as the artist takes greater care of the overall page designs. The complexity and garishness of the attackers' costumes result in

Ghost Rider v1 #2, 1951 - The first of four Frank Frazetta covers for this western series integrates a horror theme. The Ghost Rider cuts off a demonic stagecoach with a skull-faced driver. Large fields of color flatten the picture plane, reducing the illusion of depth. The palette is more vibrant and colorful than scary, although red is used to good effect. The title character's horse has all

Jann of the Jungle #10, 1956 - One of Al Williamson's strengths is his figure drawing and it certainly shows on this cover. Jann of the Jungle seems poised and confident, even during a surprise attack. While using the title character as focal point is not new, I like how the vine she clutches in her left hand counterbalances the knife she wields on her right. The encroaching lion on the right is

Amazing Ghost Stories #15, 1954 - A ghost commands zombie-like slaves while a woman seeks to escape on horseback. This Matt Baker cover provides only sparest of information about the story, but is still compelling even in its ambiguity. The stone arch leads the eye to the phantom, whose arm in turn points toward the young woman. The foreground leaves and palm trees in the the background suggest a

Mister Miracle #7, 1972 - Jack Kirby's convoluted cover is further marred by the colorist, who inexplicably adds red outlines to Mister Miracle's eyes and lips. The resulting clownish face looks almost minstrel-like. Inside, the artist compensates for it with three bold splash pages and a panoramic double page spread. While only adequately paced, there are several painstakingly detailed panels (

Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #1, 1983 - Marvel Comics adapted the Steven Spielberg movies a few years earlier in the large format Marvel Super Special series. This first attempt at an ongoing comic book series begins with brand new stories. John Byrne teams up with inker Terry Austin on this enjoyable and adventurous tale. The artists capture the likeness of actor Harrison Ford more

Andy Hardy #6, 1954 - Artfully drawn and expertly paced, Al Hubbard does an impressive job with the second issue of the regular Andy Hardy series. Unlike the previous issue, two stories begin with the expected large opening panels. The first, the untitled "fiesta queen" story, is competently designed but the second ("airport ride") seems unnecessarily sparse in the upper right area. It suggests a