*DC: Two favourite series here at 30th C., Inferior Five and Angel & The Ape were both the brainchildren of E. Nelson Bridwell, one of the earliest fans-turned-pro in comics. Tasked to produce a Fantastic Four parody for Showcase, he added an extra member and the idea of the new team being ‘legacy’ heroes, utterly unequipped to follow in their parents’ footsteps, and turned the Inferior Five into a genuine work of comedic genius, taking affectionate swipes at Tarzan, THUNDER Agents, the Scarlet Pimpernel, the Green Hornet, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and more. We have the third I5 try-out from Showcase #65 restocked, plus several issues from the title itself, each one lovely. (Except #6. For obvious historical reasons, we don’t approve of #6.) Following on from the Inferior Five, Bridwell also created Angel & the Ape, a detective duo where one was a gorgeous martial artiste, and the other was a gorilla. No, we’re not being metaphorical, a literal gorilla. And a comics artist. While less subtle and more slapstick than the I5, Angel & the Ape had great charm, and superb art from Bob Oksner, enhanced (from issue #2 up) by the inks of the legendary Wally Wood. The first two A & A issues are back in stock.
PICTURED:
ANGEL AND THE APE #1 VG p £9
INFERIOR FIVE #9 FN p £6.75