Sal Buscema : A Marvel Treasury !

Sal Buscema, (courtesy www.michaelminneboo.nl)

Sal Buscema is the younger brother of Big John Buscema, whom I have talked about earlier. Although I refer to Sal as being the younger brother of John, Sal, born in 1936, is by now a veteran of the comic book world in his own right. He has drawn an incredible array of characters in the Marvel Comics Universe. He has enjoyed working on The Incredible Hulk, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Team-Up, The Defenders, Captain America; in short he has drawn just about every character you can find in the world of Marvel Comics.

The Incredible Hulk by Sal Buscema

Sal began by inking over his brother John's drawings on many titles such as SILVER SURFER, but in picking up a lot from his older brother, Sal has made his style recognizable as his own. Where John's art has a beautiful powerful look, vivacious and gripping, Sal's style is more dynamic and has a roughness to it that makes the characters pop right out of the page. Where John draws the more voluptuous women (check out his years of work on SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN for that and mind that you don't drool all over the place) but Sal easily creates very tense gut level action as well as eminently smoochable romance.

Sal Buscema inking John Romita Sr

Sal has worked for DC as well, drawing BATMAN, SUPERMAN, SUPERBOY and WONDER WOMAN. No words can do justice to what Sal has meant to me or to Marvel and DC. He has given fans many hours of wonderful art in his career that has lasted longer than 50 years. 

Sal's Wonder Woman (way before the film came out)

I have been aware of Sal's work for almost as long as I have read comics. In the 1970s, when I started reading Spider-Man comics, his work was not to be missed and set such a high standard that it would be so much the harder for the next guy to put his own stamp on the characters.

Captain America beating the Red Skull by Sal

I have had the opportunity to speak to Sal at a Comic Book Convention in my country way back in the 1990s and I would like to say, Sal, you won't remember me but THANKS for giving  us fans such an incredible amount of work to enjoy, work that can only be characterized as ART. 

Sal's Superman 

STAR TREK DISCOVERY - A Wonderful Return to Form !

With the completion of the first season of STAR TREK DISCOVERY, I am pleased to see that this series brings back the franchise to a level that it had not been at for some time. Everybody who knows me, knows I don't much care for the J.J. Abrams films but this series, although it makes some interesting demands of the audience at first, easily convinced me that this is really good stuff.

Not everybody will agree with me and that is fine. I for myself am happy that this is a direction I will be happy to follow this franchise into. The demands made on the audience ? Well, for instance the really big difference that over one season one really major story is told in parts and no single episode serves as a standalone story anymore. This allows for incredible build-up of suspense and story development. Development that I am immensely pleased with.

Also, STAR TREK DISCOVERY may still follow Star Trek in the Prime Timeline ( the same Universe that  Gene Roddenberry's characters of Kirk and Spock will show up in 10 years later ) but the people behind the show are not afraid to take risks to upgrade the show to something of this time ( instead of the 1960s, when the original show aired). Prime example was the death of Captain Philippa of the USS Shenzou, where Michael Burnham was first officer in the opening of this show.

I admit that I had to get used to the new look of the KLINGONS but they are a fierce and adaptive race so this look does not fall outside of their range. Upgrading the KLINGONS also meant they would be speaking in their own language all the time, with subtitles for us poor Earth slobs, but I believe that was a good move on the part of the creative team.

Story-wise, this season is very good indeed ! Many interesting twists and changes and turns, that threw you for more than just a loop.  And although the argument can again be made that this technological level of the ship seems to be far beyond the one seen on the original NCC1701, well, that argument was also raised with ENTERPRISE. It is a matter of choice: do you upgrade a show like this to something of NOW or do you keep presenting it as it was THEN?  Upgrading it for me is not objectionable. It does not demean the older series. 

Alas, I must also admit that not everything was brilliant in this season. Although the way certain elements of the story were handled were nothing short of brilliant, the finale itself left a bit to be desired. But I will see this only as a doorway to new possibilities for the next season, which has indeed been given the green light. And I will be looking forward with glee to season 2, either late this year or early next year. My thanks and compliments to all involved in this show ! Good Work ! Let's see you do it again !!!!

Sarek: "Do what again?"

Burnham: "Oh well......."

All Pictures courtesy of CBS / Paramount