Time once again, look at some of the latest from TwoMorrows Publishing. They have been the leader, putting out magazines and books covering comic books and creators. No matter what type of fan you are, they are bound to have something for you.
It’s no secret that Back Issue is by far our favorite magazine from TwoMorrows. Mainly because I grew up when the comics, trends, and creators I started reading about were. It has been around for over twenty years and covers comics from the Bronze Age and Beyond. With over 150 issues, you might think that one day they might run out of ideas to cover.
Never fear, especially under editor Roger Ash, who took over from the irreplaceable Michael Eury about a year ago. Regular readers like me have continued to enjoy the magazine, especially since each issue is centered on a theme. It’s fantastic look at the Bronze Age.
Back Issue 164 is the “Alien Invasion Issue”. What a nice touch to see Starro featured on the cover, since he was the first Baddie the JLA faced in their first appearance, way back in Brave and the Bold 28 from 1960. While the character has been used over the years, Scott Snyder’s “Jarro” took Starro in a new direction. Starro is one of DC’s most dangerous baddies, and the article shows you exactly why.
You get coverage of DC’s Invasion, which was unique for events, with some of its repercussions still rippling through the DC mythos today. Look at how the Aliens, Predator, and Men in Black franchises were handled in the past.
Out on February 18th is a fantastic book for Batman fans —Jim Aparo: Brave & Bold Artist. Any comic fan interested in comic book history has only one thing to say: “It’s about time!” First, two of comics’ best historians team up—Eric Nolen-Weathington & Jim Amash —which adds more significance to this tome, which is everything Aparo.
Last year, I had both on the podcast as part of my run of TwoMorrows shows. On the show, Eric Nolen‑Weathington talked about TwoMorrows Publishing’s Modern Masters series. The long‑running line of creator‑focused books offers deep, insightful spotlights on some of the most influential and innovative artists in the medium. For many years, Jim Amash interviewed many Golden Age creators, and I was lucky to have him on the regular show and the history podcast.
In this 176-page trade, the two of them take a comprehensive look at one of the defining Batman artists. Still, the book goes beyond that, encompassing Aparo’s full career. Newer fans might not know of his work on Deadman, Aquaman, and Phantom Stranger. As usual, it’s a fantastic addition to the line of Two Morrow trades.
Cryptology is the latest magazine ad by TwoMorrow, and it’s perfect for horror fans, but also comic fans, too! Editor Peter Normanton takes great care in curating content for each issue and always finds a way to balance things without making the magazine seem to be reworking topics covered endlessly over the years.
Take issue 7, the “Vampire Issue”: it has everything you would expect from a vampire issue, but offers fresh insights. As a huge Lugosi fan, I gained some new insights, especially into how difficult things were for him. There’s the piece on Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula, which acts as a primer for new fans, but still gives die-hard fans some insightful things to sink their teeth into.
I’m not going to reveal all the fun, because I want movie and comic book fans to check out this very cool magazine. I always find myself amazed by how much fun and how informative the pieces Normanton puts into each issue are. The only negative is I wish it came out every month!
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