The Plastic Man Archives, Vol. 8 (DC Archive Editions) [Hardcover]

Jack Cole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2, 2006

When Eel O'Brian fell into a vat of chemicals, his body gained the ability to stretch into any shape and the hero known as Plastic Man was born. Whether bouncing like a super ball, tying himself in knots or using his arms as lariats, the pliable hero never misses a chance to verbally or physically humiliate a foe while fighting crime in his unusual but effective manner. Mixing dark humor with original villains, these stories broke away from conventional comic book plots and forged a new path for super hero storytelling. This 204-page volume showcases the wildly inventive artist Jack Cole at the peak of his cartooning powers, and includes an introduction by acclaimed comics writer and longtime Plastic Man fan, Harvey Pekar.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Comic-book aficionados rank Cole's Plastic Man among the best of the form's early years. In these lighthearted tales from 1947-48, midway through the series' 15-year run, "Plas," whose power to stretch his body limitlessly provides visual humor in itself, comes up against such wacky foes as counterfeiter Phony Fink, he-witch Mr. Cauldron, and Mr. Morbid, who concocts a scent that induces overwhelming sadness in whomever breathes it. As always, dimwitted sidekick Woozy Winks is more hindrance than help to Plas. The deluxe treatment of DC's Archives editions gives Cole's peerless cartooning the showcase it deserves. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 204 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (August 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401207774
• ISBN-13: 978-1401207779
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 0.7 x 10.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #533,285 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By far the best comic book from the golden age, November 22, 2006

By 

Jack key (germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Plastic Man Archives, Vol. 8 (DC Archive Editions) (Hardcover)

while I stopped collecting some other Archive Editions I still collect Plastic man. It impresses me more than all the others. All 8 Volumes are real gems. For me Jack Cole is among the 5 best comic book artists of all time. He is an inspiration for countless other artists but no one can cope with him. From the start Plastic man was outstanding but getting even better. In this volume the drawings are funnier and more detailed than ever. Beside in Volume 5 and 6 when Jack Cole had some helping hands this volume is completely his work. In the fiftieth when a lot of superhero titles were canceled Platic man survived. The outrageous humor and the fast forward action made it so popular and nowadays a classic. When Mr Cole left Plastic man the title fades away and it was not possible to reanimate it because no artist had Cole's vast imagination and his unique way of story telling. Plastic man is highly recommended to funloving people. I hope there will be Volume 9 soon.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful work..., July 14, 2009

By 

Diamonddulius (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Plastic Man Archives, Vol. 8 (DC Archive Editions) (Hardcover)

Actually, I don't have much to add, other than to correct the previous reviewer insofar as there are several other artists work in these stories (Kotzky and Spranger, Cole's greatest ghosts) and to mention the introduction, penned by Harvey Pekar, of American Splendor fame. Beautiful work, especially considering the norm as far as Golden Age comic book writing/art are concerned... Cole is head and shoulders above most GA creators. And this is a great book... I hope DC is planning to reprint all of Cole's Plas stories. 5 stars is too few!!