Not Brand Echh compendium

 

I have a few issues of Not Brand Echh from when I (or my brother) originally bought them back in the day, but I no longer have the entire series so when I discovered that this compendium existed, and at a reasonable price, I had to pick it up. This compiles the entire run of NBE for us geeks!

Not Brand Echh was, of course, Marvel's parody series - in the Marvel letters pages, "Brand Echh" referred to any other comic publisher and specifically DC Comics - which primarily lampooned their own heroes, but also took on DC's big names, along with some comparative lesser-knowns, like Tower Comics' Thunder Agents, as well as some TV shows and other pop culture icons. 

Most of the stories satirized current plotlines in the "official" comics, utilizing the same artists and writers, although they took things over the top, of course! There's an insane amount of internal jokes, incredibly detailed "graffiti" throughout the panels, and plenty of goofy, slapstick humor and wild exaggerations, but all done with style and all genuinely funny! 

Of course, there are some stories that had nothing to do with the original comic, such as the crossovers with characters from the other publishers  (long before they tried that "officially") and certain stories that just lampooned the characters without any real plot! And then, of course, there is their own "hero", Forbush-Man, featuring their mythical (?) mascot, Irving Forbush! 

There are some moments of extreme non-PC writing, especially when it comes to Asian characters - why was that one of the last bastions of racial "comedy"? - but other people of color, as well, on occasion, and, of course, the women characters are out-of-date, even for that time. That has been a problem with pretty much any of the comics published in this time period and it is kinda grating to today's sensibilities but there is a lot of greatness here if you can overcome this bad taste. 

The original mag ran for 13 issues and I guess there was some extra room so this collection also includes several "behind the scenes at the Marvel bullpen" goofiness that appeared in various annuals as well as issue 14 that appeared 50 years (!!) after the last ish but was an unfortunate, unfunny flop - appropriate to add in here, but not really worth your time.

But, that said, the original stories were (almost) all terrific, hilarious, clever and well drawn, so if you dig classic Marvel, you will dig this!

Here's some of my originals!