In volume three of The Heap from PS Artbooks under a handsome cover from Stephen Bissette, we get some of the very best Heap stories from the hand of Ernie Schroeder who produced these for Airboy Comics from Hillman Comics way back in the early 50's. After years of struggling for a premise and constant revisions of the approach to the strip, finally there's a focus and a formula which works wonderfully. The Heap's origins as long dead German flying ace Baron Von Emmelman is not forgotten but is relegated to the background and the Heap sprawls the globe finding interesting people and stories. Clunky mechanisms like gods and goddesses are dropped and The Heap is merely allowed to be, a ubiquitous force for good or at the very least a rough justice. In these final days, The Heap finally gets some cover attention and is the focus of several.
As can be readily seen The Heap contested with a broad array of monsters and creatures, some of the natural world others from the depths of a magical evil. He beats them all, his prodigious strength and indefatigable power winning the day.
The Heap served as an inspiration for many a swamp creature which rose up later at comic shops all over, but these Heap stories have an elegance and cohesion which often tops the best the later rivals. Man-Thing in particular owes much to The Heap. But The Heap itself would be revived in a many of speaking in later years and we'll take a look at that next week.
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