Head Writer Jeff Christiansen
Writers Sean McQuaid / Micahel Hoskin / Mark O’English / Stuart Vandal / Ronald Byrd / Eric J. Moreels / Barry Reese / Madison Carter / Anthony Flamini / Chris Biggs / Mike Fichera / Al Sjoerdsma / Rich Green / Eric Engelhard
Cover Artist Keu Cha
Cover Dated August 2006
“Justice to Marvel”
I own this issue for the Khaos entry, the new character that appeared in Excalibur Annual 1 in 1993 (one of those every annual that year required a new character). More on that and the character when we review that issue in June (something to look forward to!)
I wonder if I really should be owning these latest batches of Handbooks (from 2004 forward) that just merely mention Kitty as oppose to only owning the handbooks that actually have entries for Kitty, Lockheed or Magik. As I’m definitely not going backwards and buying all of those original handbooks for the mere chance of having a reference to those three characters.
The reason I’m spotlighting this issue is due to the legend that is Dick Ayers, sadly passed away on May 4, 2014.
We haven’t really dealt with deaths here on S&FwM and I’m not sure exactly what the best way to handle them are. I figured I would review an issue of theirs and that would be how we do it here.
Dick Ayers was the penciler for Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos for ten years. He also created the original ‘Western’ Ghost Rider that would eventually be known as the Phantom Rider once Johnny Blaze came onto the scene in the 70s. Sam Elliot sort of quasi played the character (loosely) in the first Ghost Rider movie. Which I own the second one but have yet to watch it. That one and Thor 2, just waiting for my wife to watch it with me and that is hard to schedule.
In terms of comics I have with Dick Ayers’ art work in it, I only own five comics – four of them being handbooks and the other is Amazing Heroes Swimsuit Issue 3.
That’s one of my regrets with these legendary artists of the silver age, is that my collection doesn’t go that far back and so I don’t really have any of their real work that others will reference.
You can learn more about Mr. Ayers from his Wikipedia page :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Ayers
And there is this nice fansite :
http://www.dickayerscom.blogspot.com/
Dick Ayers art is used within the profile of Mad Thinker, for the Man-Slayer section
Other profiles to highlight :
Justice isn’t the good New Warriors / Avengers but some other dude from the New Universe
Senator Robert Kelly, does have a Kitty reference for Days of Future Past
Kylun, no Kitty reference but plenty of Excalibur references
Shadow and Flame with Magik 