Good Things, Bad Things

I was planning to post an entry tonight, but now those plans are bittersweet.

First, I was surprised to discover yesterday that I was linked by the Comics Reporter. I assume that link was also responsible for the upswing in comments I got on several entries. I have a deep respect for what Tom Spurgeon's site does, so I am very appreciative that he pointed people in this direction. Of course, I'm sure the very unusual item I posted didn't hurt.

Second, as you may recall, I reviewed Crypt of Shadows #19 last time. I discussed my confusion over the story "He Never Reached The Ground!" and this prompted Michael to offer a copy of the original story. Besides the myriad coloring differences, the chief disparity is that yes, the original is indeed four pages. Examining it closer, I see my suspicions that the story was reworked were correct; it's not just a matter of dropping the last page. Rather, the top tier of panels from Page 3 are eliminated, and the top tier from Page 4 are shifted to the bottom of the sequence. That leaves the bottom two-thirds of the last page chopped, too.

I'm rather charmed that some staffer actually had to go to all this trouble for a throwaway story. The ending does offer the "Tibetan mystic" explanation, and while it still seems more than a little abrupt, at least it is an explanation. However, the anonymous Marvel Bullpen person who had to fit this story into its allotted pages went so far as to transfer the original "The End" box from the actual end of the tale to the new, shortened ending. Crazy. A huge thanks to Michael for sending this story to me, and giving me the chance to compare the two versions!

That was originally all there was going to be tonight, but news today in fandom circles hasn't been good. Three great creators have died in the last 24 hours: George Gladir, Roger Ebert, and Carmine Infantino. It's possible you might be familiar with only one of those names, or maybe two. Trust me, you should seek out information on all of these men. They did great work, and our world is poorer for their loss. As I opined on Twitter, I am not a big fan of today.