BRONZE AGE MINUTE: E-Man #1
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Charlton; October 1975
Cover by Joe Staton
Title: “E-Man”
Synopsis: An energy packet released from a nova star gains sentience and eventually makes its way to Earth to become…E-Man!
Writer: Nicola Cuti
Artist: Joe Staton
Review: As the Bronze Age pulled superhero comics in a darker, more realistic direction, E-Man stands as an anomaly. Nicola Cuti’s script captures the feel of madcap, old Golden Age comics; readers get the sense anything can happen. And Joe Staton’s cartoonish art is the perfect fit for E-Man’s zany adventures.
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Title: “Operation: Rotten Apple!”
Synopsis: Knight and other agents of C.H.E.S.S. investigate a government contractor – and discover more than they bargained for!
Writer: George Wildman
Artist: Tom Sutton
Review: A bit of Bond. A splash of Steranko. The Knight – featuring stylish cartooning from Tom Sutton – could’ve been a contender.
Grade (for the entire issue): B+
Second opinion: “… written and drawn with a comic lightness … a lot of fun.” – The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition)
Cool factor: Charlton’s “all new” era just oozed cool, and E-Man is no exception. The series debut was headed for a B but earned its plus on coolness alone.
Not-so-cool factor: Quality control issues mean finding high grade copies of any Charlton comics from this era tough.
Notable: First appearance of E-Man and Nova Kane. … Includes a one-page text feature titled “Melifera Adamsonii on the Warpath.”
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a Modern reprint of this issue from 1978.
Character quotable: “I am and I know that I am, but who … what am I?” – the energy packet who would become E-Man
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