Clarification - Moench scripted Deathlok, and did it very well indeed, but the character was created by Rich Buckler. See www.giantsizemarvel.com/2011/02/astonishing-tales-25-and-birth-of.html for the story.

On another subject,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_S._Newman :

Paul S. Newman (April 29, 1924 – May 30, 1999)[1] was an American writer of comic books, comic strips, and books, whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s. Credited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most prolific comic-book writer, with more than 4,100 published stories totaling approximately 36,000 pages...

"Plague of the Wolf" (from Vampirella #7, September 1970)

art by Frank Bolle

my grade: B-



plot synopsis: a werewolf is on the prowl, killing a victim each night that the full moon is out, and a man forbids his lover to visit him that final night of the full moon for fear something terrible will happen to her. Despite his urging, she makes preparations to meet him, and when she arrives, we learn that he was afraid because he bears the mark of the pentagram, indicating the werewolf will come for him next. Sure enough, his lover is the werewolf he's been waiting for.

Moench's second submitted script. While it's tempting to imagine him creating in the company of then Warren creative staffers like Ernie Colon and Tom Sutton (who both did work on this issue), he was, in fact, sending these scripts in from Chicago. In his four years writing for Warren, I don't know if he ever actually visited their headquarters, which was based in New York.

The script is very similar to the first in several respects, even beyond the fact that Moench appeared to have werewolves on the brain. For one, it's written in the style of the old Atom-Age horror stories, spending the entire duration building to that final twist ending. Additionally, it's heavily laden with clues that, upon a second reading, tell you exactly what's going to happen. Even though misdirection is artfully employed, Moench is meticulous with his clues and careful never to lie or cheat us -- all the clues were right there in plain sight.

Well, actually, the title page is a lie. I don't know if that was Bolle or if it came straight from Moench's breakdowns, but the werewolf depicted in that opening panel is clearly a man in a suit. Otherwise though, every line the lovers say to each other thoroughly fits with the twist reveal at the end, especially her otherwise inexplicable resolve to visit him, which grows stronger with every protest he makes. As she ultimately says, she thought he was the one marked to be her next victim; she "just wanted to make sure!" and his agitation and warnings that she should stay away were, in hindsight, exactly the confirmations she required.

I actually thought the twist ending was pretty predictable, especially knowing that Moench would never take the obvious route. And, with only two central characters in the story, that really only left one suspect. Additionally, I suppose that even fans unfamiliar with Moench at this point would expect a female character in the pages of Vampirella to do more than be an ordinary helpless victim.

From a writing standpoint, Moench's narration is as eloquent and vibrant as ever. Lines like, "Sensationalism headlines the morning's flood of newspapers, heralding the previous night's misdead..." offer a surprisingly eloquent style that one didn't often find in the Warren mags. And yet, his character writing and dialogue are quite crude when compared to the more seasoned writer with which we're all more familiar. Take the page below, for example, where two woman provide three panels worth of exposition that feels far too unnatural to ever occur in a real conversation:



That sort of dry convenience, in which the characters do little more than service the advancing of the plot, continues with our protagonists, who say exactly what the story demands of them with no hint of thinking, feeling personalities behind the words.

But yet, the one place where this story shines lies, once again, with the visual premise. Moench was very particular about providing breakdowns and page layouts to accompany his scripts, and the need for that becomes apparent as the two lovers prepare to meet. We watch the two move in contrast to one another, and that single, beautiful page tells us everything we need to know about this story. On the surface, the primary attention falls on the man's volatile apprehension in contrast to the woman casually going through the motions as if this were any other night. However, when looking closer, while the man's face is clearly visible, his humanity openly displayed, the woman's face is continually eclipsed by shadow, her humanity masked or absent. Meanwhile, the ticking clock adds to the growing tension; a constant reminder that a savage climax and resolution are imminent.




In the end, this story is lacking in many ways, perhaps moreso even than with "Snow Job!", but that single visual premise -- that page of contrasts and subtle hints about the revelation to come -- absolutely raise this story above the mundane and remind us, once again, that, for a guy writing only his second ever comic book story, Moench was clearly already a creative force to be reckoned with.

Frank Bolle is still alive! 90 years old and his wikipedia confirms he was mostly a newspaper guy.

Too bad... a solid, clean draftsman that to my eye seems part Russ Heath and part Paul Reinman.

When I first saw the promo art for Bane I thought he was Ubu (al Ghul's lackey) in a wrestling mask and tubes....and thought, this is dumb. Then I read the actual story and thought...Ubu would be better.

-M

He's still drawing Apartment 3-G! Bolle's a good, solid artist, and can do some nice work.

That was a weird one. Definitely going above and beyond to save an endangered species.

That's how I remember them and for that reason I always thought of it as Buckler's creation and Buckler's stories, with Moench writing the scripts, something like what a lot of readers (not me) wish someone had done for Kirby's solo series.