New Joe Maneely Artist Edition Resurrects Stan Lee Horror Stories - Exclusive First Look
Golden Age comic book artist Joe Maneely's complete and never-before-reprinted work at Atlas Comics — including several stories written by Stan Lee — gets the reprint treatment in a new collection from Fantagraphics. "The Atlas Artist Edition Vol. 1: Joe Maneely," an oversized hardcover edition, brings the talented artist's work back to life for a new generation of comic book readers to experience his groundbreaking work with the legendary writer for the first time.
Joe Maneely might not be a household name like Lee, Jack Kirby, or Steve Ditko. Still, the Manhattan-born artist's contributions to Atlas Comics (which would later become Marvel Comics) can't be understated. Upon joining Atlas in the late 1940s, Maneely worked on multiple titles, most of which were Westerns and pre-Comics Code horror comics, but he also tackled other genres. Maneely co-created a number of characters with Lee, including the first Black Knight, Jimmy Woo, Yellow Claw, Ringo Kid, and Marvel's version of Frankenstein's monster. Sadly, Maneely passed away in a tragic commuter train accident at the age of 32. If he hadn't died so young, he would likely be remembered today as a comic book legend alongside his contemporaries.
Maneely finally gets his due in the new Fantagraphics release, bringing together his most notable works in one collection — and we've got an exclusive glimpse of what to expect in the form of a preview of one of Maneely and Lee's horror stories.
Previewing Joe Maneely and Stan Lee's Back From The Dead
"The Atlas Artist Edition Vol. 1: Joe Maneely" is the latest addition to the publisher's Marvel Atlas Comic Library series, which plans to release five volumes a year. The collection launched in 2023 with "Adventures Into Terror Vol. 1," featuring stories by Gene Colan, Basil Wolverton, Don Rico, George Tuska, Carl Burgos, Mike Sekowsky, and Maneely.
Our exclusive preview is of "Back From The Dead" by Stan Lee and Maneely. The story, originally printed in "Suspense" #24 by Atlas Comics in 1952, features a man who suddenly dies, only to find himself in Hell. Fantagraphics' fully restored reprinting presents the Golden Age tale in what the publisher describes as "a lush, lavish, full-color, oversize" presentation.
As Dr. Michael J. Vassallo says in the new collection's introduction, it's a shame readers didn't get to see more of Maneely's work due to his untimely passing. "Maneely never had that second act, and in the 1950s, he was considered more accomplished than even that talented quartet [of Gene Colan, Steve Ditko, John Romita, and John Buscema]," Vassallo writes. "It's hard to say how comic-book history might have been different if Joe Maneely had lived, but, unquestionably, whatever he would have done would have been wonderful."
Fantagraphics/Joe Maneely
Fantagraphics/Joe Maneely
Fantagraphics/Joe Maneely
Fantagraphics/Joe Maneely
Fantagraphics/Joe Maneely
The edition is a must-have for comic fans
The stories in Fantagraphics' series all pre-date the Comics Code Authority, meaning writers and artists had more leeway to lean into the darker and scarier elements than they could from the end of the Golden Age into the Silver Age. Upcoming editions in the Fantagraphics series include books highlighting the work of Sub-Mariner creator Bill Everett, a deep dive into the world of romance in a "My Love Story" collection, one focusing on war and humor titles from Atlas, and a new "Venus" hardcover.
"Atlas Artist Edition Vol. 1: Joe Maneely" is filled with all kinds of stories drawn by the artist, including Westerns "Wyatt Erp," "Two-Gun Kids," and "Kid Colt," horror stories "Haunted!," "Your Name is Frankenstein," and "Back From The Dead," as well as science fiction, war, and medieval tales, including his best-known work on "The Black Knight." In total, the full-color collector's edition of Maneely's work features 38 complete stories — 11 of which were written by Stan Lee — including some that have never been reprinted. Check out the cover art for the collection below.
Fantagraphics/Joe Maneely
It's important that the stories created by Maneely and other artists before the existence of Marvel have their works reprinted, as without collections like this one, the comics run the risk of being lost over time. Hopefully, new readers being exposed to Maneely's work more than half a century after it was initially published will gain him the acclaim he deserves. "Atlas Artist Edition Vol. 1: Joe Maneely" is now available in comic book stores and via online retailers.