The Fifty - Dan Green enters my Permanent Collection

Memory is a false and untrustworthy mistress, but it is all I got sometimes. If you ask me now I would say that there were two books responsible for beginning and/ or cementing my undying love for Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme and Master of The Mystic Arts! That may not even be true, but that is how I remember it. These two books were Triumph & Torment, written by Roger Stern with art by Mike Mignola and Mark Badger (Don't forget about Mark Badger on this book, he was important to the final look of the art even though everyone now like's to say they saw the Mignola genius here. maybe they did, but I like Mark's inks on Mike too.) and Into Shamballa written by J. M. DeMatteis and painted art by Dan Green. Dan green is probably much more known as an inker; I have fond memories of the Silvestri / Green team on X-Men. Remember the Australian Outback issues with Gateway and Wolverine and Rogue loosing their powers? Well Dan Green is a hell of an artist in his own right, and is a master painter in my opinion. I am lucky to own a Triumph & Torment page and two pages from Into Shamballa. (No you cannot see the Mignola / Badger piece now. It may not even be in The Fifty!) One of the pages from Into Shamballa is very similar to the  cover of the softcover edition; it is so close I thought it doubled as that cover until Dan Green told me he painted a separate image for the softcover edition but that they were the same pose. most would likely chose that one as their favorite but I like to be different. So here is the one I love, page 19.

Into Shamballa page 19 painted art by Dan Green

I find this page more vibrant than the other one I own. I love the (dis)orientation of the main figure and the hint of a Ditko-verse effect in the setting. The colors are strong but in the softer side that permeates the dreaminess of the whole story. Doc falling Into Shamballa. I love this page.

I have spoken with Dan about possibly buying more from this book; he now has the remaining art in his possession after some time in the more than capable hands of Mitch Itkowitz and Graphic Collectibles, from whom I bought my two pages. But if you collect comic art you know how it goes...there are always so many pieces you want and so few funds to get them with. But someday I hope to get some more. But I don't know if I will get any that I like better than this one.

So here I have a wonderfully executed, painted splash from a seminal adventure of my favorite character in all comics (yeah, sorry about that Jack Knight but it is true!) from the early and formative stage of my Doctor Strange fascination. Yeah, that sounds like a member of The Fifty to me!