I don't trust DC to put together a DC collection of Charlton Ditko work. I believe a Ditko fans should decide the perfect format for them.

First of all, let's talk about Charlton. I don't think every Charlton hero title is worthy of an Archive edition- I just want the Ditko stuff. How many pages are we talking about here? Would you want a collection featuring all the Captain Atom, Blue Beetle and Question stories in one volume?

I can't remember the early Blue Beetle comics too well- would they need to include at least one Dan Garrett story to set up the Ted Kord stories?

Also, we have to make sure they include any odd and rare hero material, like the Captain Atom story inked by Byrne from the Charlton fanzine, and Ditko's Question pin-up from Who's Who. Anything else that should go in there?

I believe there's enough Captain Atom to spill such a collection into two volumes, if we're compiling all of Ditko's action hero work in one place. Then we'd want to add the unpublished Blue Beetle #6 ... maybe coloured for the first time ...

Actually I wish they'd make a colour hardcover collection and a softcover B&W collection of same. "Essential Charlton Ditko", more or less. (Ain't gonna happen.)

How about a couple of volumes of Ditko's '70s Charlton work too? That's a whole 'nother genre, mostly horror.

Linda

Linda, Thanks, I'd forgotten about the lost Blue Beetle issue. Another question for you (and the gang)- Remember A. Machine? Would you want the volumes re-lettered?

I'd like to see that horror material collected too. Did DC buy the rights to any Charlton material besides the heroes?

Yes I'd love to see them relettered. Without mindreading I'm pretty sure Mr Ditko would too ~ in the few interviews that are available, he has more than once mentioned how he's "not a letterer" even though he's had to letter much of his later work. I'd assume that "A. Machine" falls into this category too ~ necessity rather than preference. The only thing I wouldn't wanna see changed is the square balloons, cos that seems to be a deliberate stylistic decision on Ditko's part in a lot of his work.

Linda

I think a collection of Capt. Atom material could take up a volume or two. The Blue Beetle and Question material could fill up a volume as well. I would love to see the machine stuff re-lettered.

I would love to see Captain Atom and Blue Beetle reprinted in any format.I just want them.They are some of Ditko's best work!
Funny thing A. Machine was really a machine that Charlton used to also letter cereal boxes as well as their comics.I would want them relettered if possible.
Frank

They could probably do The Question in just one regularly formatted book - just with 80+ pages. There wasn't that much of it, iirc.

I missed the Brave & Bold 80 page giant that reprinted a Captain Atom story. How was the quality of the presentation- new lettering?

...it can happen to you...


ACTION HERO ARCHIVES Vol. 1 HC
* A 228-page hardcover collecting stories from SPACE
ADVENTURES #33-49 [edit] and CAPTAIN ATOM #78-82, from 1960 through 1966
* Written by Steve Ditko, Joe Gill and David Kaler with art
by Ditko, Rocke Mastroserio and Frank McLaughlin
* Scheduled to arrive in stores in August with a cover priceof $49.95 U.S.

DADDIO
[trimming]

I actually knew about this collection for a while, but was sworn to secrecy since it was not yet "official". Blake Bell notified me of the project and asked if I could assist the editor by sending over a batch of Space Adventures issues for them to copy for color reference (I was a little concerned about lending them out, not because of their financial value, but because of their sentimental value. Luckily, they all found their way safely back to me, and it was done for a good cause).

I think its high time that Ditko got the hardcover treatment, and this one should be worth the wait.

Thanks for making the loan, Nick! Your generosity has helped make some tremendous work available to us all.

Not for me, as I will happily purchase one (I want to see the other volumes, even though I have 90% of whats being reprinted), but I wuz thinking of a particular "reader in need" that could use one, if its available...


DADDIO

Written by Steve Ditko, Joe Gill & David Kaler
Art by Ditko, Rocke Mastroserio & Frank McLaughlin
Cover by Ditko
At the height of comics' Silver Age, artist Steve Ditko was winning praise for his spectacular work on Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. At the same time, Ditko was also creating powerful tales of another hero: Captain Atom, published by Charlton Comics as part of its "Action Hero" line! DC's first archive of Charlton material gathers some of Ditko's greatest Captain Atom adventures, originally published from 1960–1966 in SPACE ADVENTURES #33-42 and CAPTAIN ATOM #78-82!
224 pg, FC

Item is due to ship by Late August, 2004.
$49.95
ISBN #1401203027

Without consulting the archives, I am not sure of the issue numbers there, for SA. #42? #49? Anyone with a quick answer?


DADDIO