Comics: Blackmark Review Update...

Why do I seem to be taking forever to getting around to finishing my review on Gil Kane's Blackmark? It's not like I'm writing a masters thesis on it and need to dig out a few hundred resources or interviews. This is not going to be the definitive review that will lay the groundwork for scholarship on this book for generations to come.

No, it won't be any of that. I just want to do a little work to compare the three versions of the material:

• 1971 original paperback (pt 1)
• 1979 Marvel Premier Magazine (pt 2)
• 1992 Fantagraphics book (pts 1 & 2)

But, the fact is, I only had the latter two of the pieces until last week (thank you ebay -- I picked up the paperback last week and it should be here soon). You see, I was going to scan a few pages from the Fantagraphics book and compare them to how they were reformatted for the magazine -- or as Gary Groth says in the essay in the back of the Fantagraphics book, "mutilated."

You see, I take task with his use of that word. True, the material was changed, but I don't think it was "mutilated." In some ways, I think it was "liberated" from the tiny paperback book size. And that's what I want to talk about -- along with some scans that I have not yet made. So, once again, I'm putting this off while I wait for more time and for the paperback to arrive. Thanks for your patience.

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In the meantime, I suggest you check out Permanent Damage #101 for a discussion about Graphic Novels in general, and what elevates Blackmark to that level, whereas other books don't quite make it.

Come by to get ready for the weekend with another edition of Netflix Friday