Would U Buy It #78: "Beowulf: Dragon Slayer"

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    cbishop

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    Edited By cbishop
    DateWUBI # 78:View:Attached to Forum:Back/ Next
    07/06/12Beowulf: Dragon Slayer(Blog) (Forum)Beowulf(Back) (Next)

    We all have trade paperback (TPB) collections we'd like to see. Here's one of mine:

    Proposed Title:Beowulf: Dragon Slayer.
    Alternate Title:
    1. DC Classics Library: Beowulf
    2. Wonder Woman Presents: Beowulf
    Collecting 6 Issues:Beowulf (1975) #1-6.
    Covers: (click to enlarge)
    TPB Cover: Beowulf #1
    TPB Cover: Beowulf #1

    I was researching my list, DC Implosion Timeline 1975-1978, when I ran across this previously ignored title. Beowulf ran just these six issues, from April, 1975 to March, 1976. I ran across a Fanzing article years ago on the DC Implosion, and went on a back issue binge one Saturday, scarfing up many of the Implosion titles, just to read them. Beowulf is one that I had no interest in, but now that I look at the covers, I'm thinking I've missed out on a cool read.

    In issue #1, he's taking on Grendel - the classic enemy of Beowulf. In #2-3, it's Satan*. In #4, Beowulf fights Dracula - how freakin' cool is that? In #5, it's aliens, and in #6, it's the Minotaur*. This looks like one great romp, and it seems like this title took some twists and turns that I don't recall other barbarian titles taking.

    I would go with the title of the comic as the title of the TPB, but suggested two alternate titles: DC Classics Library: Beowulf, because DC does have the DCCL line, and this might need some kind of extra help selling. In the vein of "extra help selling," I suggested Wonder Woman Presents: Beowulf, because the character has been most recently used in the 2006 Wonder Woman title. I'm not fond of that type of selling though, because it's not exactly honest. It is the same Beowulf, but they are separated by years, and this title clearly had nothing to do with Wonder Woman. There's precedence for going with just the comic title, Beowulf: Dragon Slayer, from the Sword of the Atom TPB.

    For the cover, I'd go with the cover to Beowulf #1, as it shows Beowulf fighting Grendel, and is the most evocative of classic Conan covers, which can only help. However, the current version of Beowulf, in the Sword of Sorcery title, is some kind of cyborg, in a post apocalyptic future, so to pique the current reader's curiosity a little more, the cover to #5 might be better, showing Beowulf being fired at by a flying saucer.

    I would love to read this in TPB, but as ever, I have to ask...

    Would you buy it? Let me know in the comments, and thanks for reading.
    *Yeah, not all the links match up to the characters from Beowulf. I went with the closest DC version of the character I could link to.

    More WUBI:

    Back/ Next#Which WUBI will it be:
    Back:77.Adv Coms Pres: Dial 'H' For Hero, Vol. 2.
    Next:79.Cops: The Job.

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    Thanks again!

    Beowulf: Dragon Slayer
    Beowulf: Dragon Slayer

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    The Qu

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    #1  Edited By The Qu

    Here's a simple name: Swords and Sorcery: Beowulf, since the character is going to be featured in the backup of the upcoming Swords & Sorcery comic. Wham, bam, gimme my check DC. =P

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    cbishop

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    #2  Edited By cbishop

    @The Qu: That's a good suggestion. I'd almost put it in the same category as WW Presents: Beowulf, because the early Beowulf obviously had nothing to do with the new Swords & Sorcery title coming out. The difference here is that Swords & Sorcery is generic enough that it would still fit with the title... even if it is a little bit of a cheat. Not so much that I'd mind it, but a little.

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