The Black Knight!

I've been waiting for this collection pretty much my whole life.

Like so many my age, I first chanced upon Stan Lee's and Joe Maneely's Black Knight stories tucked inside Fantasy Masterpieces, a venerable reprint comic which offered up vintage Atlas monster stories, and old peeks at Marvel's Golden and Atomic past. From the first story, it was clear that The Black Knight was sleeker and more vivid than most reprints from the era. The art by Joe Maneely was a revelation. Here was detailed and elaborate images of a mythic ancient world which were warm and completely convincing. I couldn't understand why a guy like Joe Maneely wasn't doing more for Marvel and then somehow I learned he'd died too young in a weird accident and I had my answer. But I wanted more Maneely.

In later years I've learned that Joe Maneely was Stan Lee's go-to guy before Jack "King" Kirby, and if Maneely hadn't died so tragically he'd have been the one likely that Stan would've tapped for his stab at superheroes in the early 60's. That's speculation, but intriguing. It never happened and for the good of the industry that's likely a good thing ultimately. Because Maneely's death did open the door for Kirby and that was the beginning of something special. Life can be tragic indeed for some.

But I always hoped that Marvel would reprint those stories, and now at long last they have in a lovely Marvel Masterworks along with all of the Yellow Claw stories, another 50's comic ironically with many of its issues illustrated by the aforementioned Jack Kirby. I picked it up at my local store and paid more than I might've but I couldn't wait. I had to have this book and it's the kind of book that might become very hard to find very quickly. I didn't want to take any chances. So I have Maneely's crowning achievement in glorious color. It's a handsome book and I yearn to read the stories again.

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