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Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 2: Unexplored Worlds (The Steve Ditko Archives) Kindle & comiXology

by Steve Ditko (Author, Artist) Format: Kindle Edition

4.8 19 ratings

Part of: The Steve Ditko Archives

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More than 200 pages' worth of never-before-collected horror and science-fiction stories from the early career of a comics great, beautifully presented in a stunning hardcover volume. Introduction by series editor Blake Bell.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This second volume in an ambitious series reprinting the early work of legendary comic-book artist Ditko offers some three-dozen vintage short pieces. Even though he’d only been working in comics for a couple of years when he drew these 1956 tales, they already display Ditko’s distinctively cockeyed style and his characteristically powerful compositions. Most of the selections were done for low-budget publisher Charlton, which paid its artists the lowest rates in the industry but in return offered freedom from editorial interference. The company’s scripts—most in the then-popular genres of science fiction and watered-down horror, eviscerated by the introduction of the Comics Code two years earlier—are often hackneyed and contrived, but in Ditko’s hands they’re rendered somehow compelling. As Bell remarks in his insightful introduction, what makes Ditko’s early work notable is “the dichotomy between what he was given and what he was able to accomplish.” This volume also includes Ditko’s first efforts for Marvel, launching a relationship that would lead to his move into the superhero genre six years later when he and Stan Lee would co-create Spider-Man. --Gordon Flagg

Review

"Ditko is one of the most elusive and complex characters of comics’ golden age, but these volumes (…with illuminating forwards by Blake Bell) at least give a compelling glimpse into the creative development of the man behind the panels."
― Chris Mills, Magnet

"Even if you’ve read the first volume [of The Steve Ditko Archives], Unexplored Worlds offers plenty more surprises.... As always, Fantagraphics’ top-notch presentation makes the publisher the go-to stop for comics preservation."
― Rod Lott, Bookgasm

"Fantastic... Raw and grotesque and beautifully drawn and presented."
― Dave Gibbons, co-creator of Watchmen

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B013XRZL8M
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fantagraphics (October 28, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 28, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1367917 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 234 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #3,783,527 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #4,317 in Supernatural Graphic Novels
- #8,056 in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Graphic Novels
- #9,555 in Horror Graphic Novels (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.8 19 ratings

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Steve Ditko
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Blake Bell
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Author of multiple books on comic-book creators:
"Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko", a biography/artbook on the co-creator and original artist of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange, published by Fantagraphics.
"Secret History Of Marvel Comics: Jack Kirby and the Moonlighting Artists at Martin Goodman's Empire", published by Fantagraphics.
"Fire & Water: Bill Everett, the Sub-Mariner, and the Birth of Marvel Comics", a biography/artbook on the co-creator/artist of Daredevil, plus the creator/artist of the Sub-Mariner for the very first issue of Marvel Comics in 1939.
Editor of the six-volume reprint series, "The Steve Ditko Archives" from Fantagraphics.
Editor of "Bill Everett Archives" reprint volumes from Fantagraphics. Vol. 1 - "Amazing Mysteries"; Vol. 2 - "Heroic Comics".
"I Have to Live With This Guy!", my first book on the wives and partners of famous cartoonists like Will Eisner, Stan Lee, Howard Cruse, Alan Moore, Dave Sim, and more, published by TwoMorrows in October, 2002.
Multiple essays/articles/interviews/linear notes for Marvel and DC Comics and various publications.
Father to my son, and best friend, Luke.
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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5

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JP Fish

The RISE OF A MASTER!

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2016

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Steve Ditco at his weirdest! Before the Atlas/Marvel years Mr Ditco was already out shining everyone else in the Charlton bullpen. This collection is a mind blowing batch of astonishing sci fi and supernatural fantasy short stories presented as only the visionary skill and wit of a born master could portray. Am I a fan? You bet! These stories are impossible to find and a joy to behold. In the time before comic artists became rock stars, Steve Ditco was already earning his place in the pantheon by turning mundane stories into mini-classics with the stroke of his pen. the cover says it all! Published in the early 50s these stories show some of the earliest works of a full blown master of the art. I hope the publishers continue to compile these visions of weird wonderful worlds.

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P Stokking

Beautiful early work by Spider-Man's co-creator, Steve Ditko

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2019

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Beautifully designed and full of early strips in Steve Ditko's characteristic genius style. A surreal masterpiece! The Ditko Archives look amazing on my bookshelf.

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2012

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the stories are very unique, the artwork will literally take you into another world. I love Steve Ditko, I seriosuly reccomend him to anyone, you'll be treating yourself to a truly unique experience. Get this and volume 1, volume 3 will be released soon. you'll enjoy them!

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2018

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Early works by The Master ! Worth every penny!

2 people found this helpful

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John A. Speakman

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2017

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Great book and service. Thank you

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Allen Kracalik

The Comics Code Authority Strikes Again!

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2013

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A nicely designed volume of unfortunately lesser Ditko work, culled from rushed, Comics Code approved titles. Some golden threads among the silver, worth having, but not as scintillating as other volumes in the series.

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IntoTheDialectic

It is far better than Volume One.

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2011

It is far better than Volume One. Whilst the first volume has consistently great artwork, the stories, narrative and prose styles are really poor for the most part. In the second volume, all the stories are from the stage when comic books were under the thumb of the comics code regulations. Popular wisdom says that when the writers and artists had to give in to these conservative code restrictions, the integrity and value of the work was gone, to be replaced by 'safe', dull stories.

There is a lot of truth in that statement of course -- so much of the inventiveness and wit and art disappeared from comics when the new control mechanisms were in place.However, the opposite is true here -- clearly, Ditko did feel restrained -- but he reacts by producing some clever, thoughtful , reflective artwork for the stories here, to compensate for the limitations placed on him by the comics code and the authors,and the art work is astonishing on every page.

One to buy and value and read again and again. Looking forward to Volume Three for sure.

7 people found this helpful

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Michael Grabowski

Nice to look at, difficult to read

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2012

These comics, mostly from 1957, mostly from Ditko's work for Charlton, are plain awful to read for the most part. The stories are junk and nonsense, written largely in a far too serious a tone but with no attempt at logical plotting to support it. This is true of other 50's comics, of course, not least some of the EC work that is otherwise revered, but in this collection there are so many terrible stories that it is difficult for me to read more than one or two at a time.

The saving grace is the purpose for the book's existence: Ditko's art. This early in his career he had already developed his unique style. Do you ever freeze frame an athlete in action? A pitcher just after a throw, a boxer about to punch, a hurdler in mid-jump? We see heroic leaps and gestures and poses in the photos that get published, but if you ever see the rejected pictures taken of the transitional moments between "poses", or the still frames in a video, you'll see a human body under exaggerated exertion look all distorted, awkward, and just plain wrong, and yet for the instant that image shows, that person had that position. Jack Kirby's art gives us the glorious classical, powerful poses. Steve Ditko's focus is on illustrating that awkward moment, even when power is exerted. Fingers splay, arms flail, eyes are wide. The only characters who move with confidence are the villainous ones shortly before their newly-inflicted Comics Code-mandated comeuppance.

Another strength is his characters' faces and features. Distinctive, unusual hairstyles--no Toth glamour here--especially women's hairstyles and men's facial hair. For perhaps a hundred lead and supporting characters in dozens of stories cranked out in roughly a year's time, I don't think he ever repeats a single face in different stories. Every one is a new face. Compare to (for instance) several of the EC artists who seem to have casts of recurring players in different roles in their comics.

In those faces Ditko powerfully illustrates people in the midst of desperation, obssession, paranoia, panic, maniacal glee--so much so that when he draws someone happy, as in the occasional romantic conclusion in some of these stories, it actually looks forced. His approach to using the face and eyes to express a character's degree of anxiety as they weigh events and motives to make decisions to action is an aspect that is key to so much of his work.

Then there are the strange worlds where he takes us. In this collection there's not a whole lot of that but it is there in some stories and we see creative attempts to suggest invisible events in "this" world as well as impossible out-of-this-world environments. Ditko's imagination in creating these places and images is unforgettable, a lasting contribution to comics art.

But the stories for which this art was created are a waste of time. It's difficult to justify even the Amazon discount price for this book, let alone the full cover price, for a book that works best if you can ignore the words. The art is well-reproduced, including the coloring, though I wish many of the off-register bits copied from the originals had been tidied up. I am curious about the other volumes in this series but I can't say I really want to pay for them, though I do believe this series is important for archiving Ditko's early and easily disposed Charlton work.

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Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 2: Unexplored Worlds (The Steve Ditko Archives) Kindle & comiXology

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