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Post by Myke Gee on Mar 12, 2023 22:56:26 GMT -5
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON OCTOBER 24, 2020 ***
JULY 1973 (Cover Date: October 1973)
Good morning, everyone! Reviews of the second half of the 1973 books begin here. Here are my thoughts on Marvel Comics published in July of 1973.
On sale July 1, 1973 • FOOM #2 (Via Subscription Only)
DAREDEVIL AND THE BLACK WIDOW #104. “Prey of the Hunter!” - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia. Kraven the Hunter’s been hired to stalk out and eliminate Daredevil. But who put out the hit? Black Widow may pay the ultimate price for her involvement with Ol’ Hornhead…but not if Matt Murdock can help it! Like the Kingpin, Kraven is another Spider-Man villain better suited for Daredevil. He always seems to make for fun stories with his massive ego, lol!!! While this one is new, I read the next three issues several times when I was a kid. Looking forward to that trip down memory lane. Grade: 8.0
GHOST RIDER VOL 2, #2. “Shake Hands with Satan!" - Written by Gary Friedrich. Art by Jim Mooney and Syd Shores. Cover by Gil Kane. The Spirit of Vengeance will travel to Hell itself and come face-to-face with Satan (Mephisto) in the ultimate showdown of the macabre. Story continues in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #12. 2nd appearance of Daimon Hellstrom (Son of Satan). Man, in his early days, G.R. was really one-dimensional, sort of useless without his bike. In this issue, he gets beaten up by the leader of a biker gang. He didn’t want to use his hellfire because it would expose what he was, but what appears to be missing is his super strength. He definitely doesn’t have the ability to create and ride flaming motorcycles. Clearly, this character hasn’t been fleshed out, yet. Still, it was a mildly entertaining issue. They teased him throughout the book, but SPOTLIGHT #12 is the big reveal of the Son of Satan. Time for some whiny melodrama. Grade: 7.5
INCREDIBLE HULK #168. “The Hate of the Harpy!” - Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Jack Abel. Cover art by Herb Trimpe. M.O.D.O.K. exposes Betty to a heavy dose of gamma radiation and turns her into the Harpy. Lashing out at the jade giant for having a hand in her husband's death, the Harpy takes down the Hulk by playing on his sympathies and then blasting him. Meanwhile, officials at the Pentagon relieve Thunderbolt Ross of his duties and place Colonel Armbruster in charge of Project Greenskin. After all the issues of this book that I’ve read up to this point, I don’t think that I’ve ever commented on how bland and one-dimensional Betty Ross is. Seems like Englehart agreed and tried to do something to add some life to the character. An insane, mutated Betty is much more fun than her regular personality (or lack thereof). Grade: 8.5
IRON MAN #63. "Enter: Dr. Spectrum" - Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by George Tuska and Mike Esposito. Cover by Gil Kane and Mike Esposito. Tony Stark returns to Detroit to oversee the reconstruction of the space shuttle when Dr. Spectrum attacks with his power prism! Can Iron Man defeat the prism-wielding villain? And who is the mysterious Dr. Obatu? (Note: This is the Dr. Spectrum from the Squadron Sinister -- last seen in AVENGERS #70) This month, Marvel gives us two DC Comics analogs. Superman in FEAR #17 and Green Lantern in this issue. Plus, the return of Eddie March and Happy Hogan, but the latter is sure to be drama-filled. Great action and a good story. Grade: 8.5
VAMPIRE TALES #2. José Antonio Domingo painted cover. “The Blood Sacrifice of Amanda Saint" - Written by Don McGregor, art by Rich Buckler and Pablo Marcos. Morbius finds himself rescuing a young woman when she's nabbed by a mysterious coven. "Witch Hunt!" Story credits: unknown, art by Mannie Banks. In 1600s Salem, Massachusetts a young woman tries to escape a bloodthirsty mob after she's wrongfully accused of being a witch. An article about Bela Lugosi's other vampire roles aside from Dracula by Doug Moench. "Five Claws to Tryphon" - Written by Gardner Fox, art by Jesus Blasco and John Romita. An adventurer named Simon Majors enters another dimension that serves a powerful being. Article by Chris Claremont. "Satana" - Produced by Roy Thomas and John Romita. First appearance of Satana, the Devil's Daughter. This is just a four-page intro to the character. The Son of Satan and the Devil’s Daughter in the same month. "At the Stroke of Midnight" - Written and drawn by Jim Steranko. Lou and Marie Fowler search for a secret fortune in a creepy house once owned by Lou's late uncle, but they get more than they bargained for. "The Praying Mantis Principle" - Written by Don McGregor, art by Rick Buckler. Hodiah Twist investigates the death of a man who's been killed by vampires. Once again, I only have an interest in the stories that are connected to the Marvel Universe. So, my apologies for a partial reaction to this mag. First off, Morbius continues to be very interesting. That’s a big deal since I’ve never cared much for the character. Interesting how his science-based affliction brings him into the world of the occult. Even more interesting is how he acts heroic, but his affliction makes him do monstrous things. Love the dichotomy. Grade: 7.5
• CHILI #25
• KID COLT: OUTLAW #175
• MARVEL SPECTACULAR #3
• MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #39
• MIGHTY MARVEL WESTERN #27
• MILLIE THE MODEL #205
• MONSTERS ON THE PROWL #26
• OUTLAW KID #18
• S.H.I.E.L.D. VOL 2, #5
• WESTERN GUNFIGHTERS #18
• WHERE MONSTERS DWELL #24
On sale July 10, 1973 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #125. "Wolfhunt!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro. Cover by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro. Man-Wolf continues to play predator in the streets of NYC. Will Peter discover the true identity of his foe before Man-Wolf strikes again? Can the amazing one save Jonah, Kristine, and himself from the madness of John's savage alter ego? Or will they all be thrown to the (man) wolves? Always a good read, this series. Spider-Man may have the greatest rogue’s gallery in comics history. The Man-Wolf’s first storyline was top-notch. Can’t wait for his next appearance. Speaking of “next appearances”, just as I praise Spidey’s rogue’s gallery, next issue is the return of the Kangaroo. *Sigh* Grade: 8.5
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #166. "Night of the Lurking Dead!" - Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Frank McLaughlin. Cover pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Frank Giacoia. Cap, Fury, and the Falcon face off with the seemingly never-ending horde of zombies! Who will survive the night of the lurking dead? I’ve gotta admit while I am enjoying this storyline, I find the Claw to be somewhat boring. Visually, he’s cool, but, as a master villain, he doesn’t move the needle much, for me and I cannot help but to feel like he should. Maybe he’ll do something more interesting next issue other than rant in villainous monologues. Grade: 7.5
DOC SAVAGE #7. "Brand of the Werewolf” - Written by Gardner F. Fox and Tony Isabella and art by Ross Andru and Frank Springer. Part one of an adaptation of the Kenneth Robeson novel of the same name in which Doc and his team investigate the murder of his uncle who was supposedly killed by a werewolf. With my newfound interest in werewolves, vampires, and such, this issue was a bit more interesting than usual. Even if the narration reads like it was written by Richard Crenna as “Col. Troutman”, lol!! Doc has the biggest butt-kissing crew I’ve ever seen, lol!!! One more issue. Hopefully, it will go out with a bang. Grade: 7.5
THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #6. "--In Search of the Last Frankenstein!" - Written by Gary Friedrich. Plot, art, and cover by Mike Ploog. Despairing and aimless, Frankenstein’s Monster travels to Ingolstadt hoping to find Victor’s family. But what begins as a journey to the past quickly becomes a struggle in the present! The Monster may be part of a feeding frenzy…with a giant spider! An aberration of science meets another abomination. This is the first issue of this series that didn’t exactly “wow” me. What did absolutely floor me was Ploog’s artwork. Ploog seems to be one of those artists that are at their best when inking their own pencils. Beautiful work, here. Unfortunately, Frankenstein vs the Giant Spider didn’t match the artwork. This was one of the reasons why I dropped CONAN THE BARBARIAN. He fought every giant creature imaginable. While not horrible, this story just didn’t do much for me. I’m giving this an extra half point for the Ploog artwork. Grade: 7.0
STRANGE TALES #170. "Baptism of Fire!" - Written by Len Wein, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Dan Adkins. Cover pencils by Gil Kane. In the second book of Brother Voodoo's origin, Jericho Drumm seeks vengeance for his brother Daniel's murder. After completing his training from Papa Jambo, Jericho performs a spirit dance. Upon its completion, he is joined with his brother’s spirit and acquires the trademarks of Brother Voodoo. Jericho then sets out to get his revenge on the man who brought about his brother’s doom, Damballah the Serpent God, but first, he must go up against the Council Supreme. Solid start to this series. I know it’s only the first two issues, but I’ve seen other series whose first two issues weren’t this good run much longer than the span of this brief series. At any rate, I liked this issue. Hopefully, the next issue is just as good. Grade: 8.0
SUB-MARINER #66. "Rise, Thou Killer Whale” - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Don Perlin. Cover pencils by Gil Kane and John Romita (alterations), inks by Mike Esposito and John Romita (alterations). Namor at long last has the upper hand against Virago and her forces, but she suddenly gets an unexpected ally - ORKA, the Human Killer Whale! Can Atlantis survive a combined onslaught? Tales of Atlantis backup story “The Sword in the Throne!" Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Jim Mooney, inks by Joe Sinnott. Man, only 6 issues left, and this book appears to be heating up again. Okra is back and, along with Virago, is giving Namor a battle unlike any he’s faced in the entire series. Only Tiger Shark has battled him as fiercely. I’m really digging this story. Grade: 8.5
THOR #216. "Where Chaos Rules!" - Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema (layouts) and Jim Mooney (finished art), inks by Jim Mooney. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita. Xorr bites off more than he can chew. He has begun consuming a star, but it is too much, and he explodes, and the Mercurians begin collecting the debris. Back in Avengers Mansion on Earth, Balder has come to his senses, and he and Volstagg return to Asgard, but a new mystery awaits them. Sometimes, I think that this book should be about Odin, lol! Thor brings you the action, yes. But, Odin almost always seems to bring home the victory. No wonder he and his son are always at odds, lol! Anyway, I wasn’t too crazy about Xorr, but Mercurio was pretty cool. Grade: 8.0
• CRAZY MAGAZINE #1
• CRYPT OF SHADOWS #6
• MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION #14
• MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #45
• SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #13
• TWO-GUN KID #113
• VAULT OF EVIL #6
• X-MEN #84
On sale July 17, 1973 ASTONISHING TALES #20. “The Final Battle!” - Written by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Marie Severin and Werner Roth, inks by Frank Giacoia. Cover art by John Romita. The fight between Ka-Zar and Victorius continues with Victorius momentarily stopping Ka-Zar. Zabu distracts Victorius until Ka-Zar recovers. Ka-Zar again refuses to take the super-soldier serum, this time destroying it. Action-packed from top to bottom, but not an epic story. However, it’s still very enjoyable. Grade: 8.0
AVENGERS #116. "Betrayal!" - Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Bob Brown. Inks by Mike Esposito. Cover by John Romita and Mike Esposito. (Story continues from DEFENDERS #8) Earth's Mightiest Heroes visit Dr. Strange's townhouse in Greenwich Village and request permission to enter, but Wong slams the door in their faces! After an angry Thor breaks down the door, the Avengers storm inside, but a mystic spell sweeps them back out onto the street! Meanwhile gathered around the Orb of Agamotto, the Defenders put together a plan to find the six pieces of the Evil Eye. However, in the dark realm, Loki has grown suspicious of his dreadful ally! And contacts the Avengers to tell them about the Defenders' search for the ancient instrument from Avalon! So, the die is cast, and the blockbuster battles are about to begin! Next Chapter: "The Silver Surfer vs. the Vision and the Scarlet Witch" The Silver Surfer arrives in French Polynesia and plunges into the island's indigenous volcano to look for the Evil Eye. But the cosmic sky-rider's probing triggers a volcanic eruption! The fiery blast knocks a passing quinjet out of the sky and nearly kills the Scarlet Witch! Needless to say, this act enrages the synthezoid avenger! And in the heart of the raging volcano, the Vision and the Silver Surfer fight for the Evil Eye! Story continues in DEFENDERS #9. Classic Englehart! He’s always been good at hero vs hero tales and I’m always a sucker for them. The Avengers/Defenders Clash ramps up this issue. As I type this, however, it just hit me how similar the premise of 1982’s CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS is to this story. Despite that, I’m really digging this story! Grade: 9.0
FEAR #17. "It Came Out of the Sky!" - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover art by Frank Brunner. Man-Thing has an extraterrestrial encounter when he meets Wundarr, an alien man-child from a faraway planet. Wundarr has been raised without any education or comfort. When he begins terrorizing Citrusville with his superhuman powers, Man-Thing must step in! But does Wundarr understand the havoc he wreaks? This was pretty fascinating. Like a WHAT IF..?! story featuring an analog of a certain DC COMICS character with abilities far beyond mortal men. In this issue, Wundarr seemed to be almost as mighty as his counterpart, but I don’t remember him being that powerful. I’m definitely gonna be looking out for his next appearance. I’ve always been curious about him since I first saw him in MS. MARVEL #15. Grade: 8.5
RENO JONES, GUNHAWK #7. “Rodeo Doom-Day!” - Written by Gardner Fox. Pencils by Dick Ayers. Inks by Frank Giacoia. Cover by Larry Lieber and Vince Colletta. On the run and wrongfully accused of the murder of Kid Cassidy, Reno enters a rodeo to win money to continue his search for the woman he loves. Unfortunately, other bigoted contestants plan on making sure that that doesn’t happen. The final issue of the GUNHAWKS series ended rather strangely as nothing was settled by the end of this issue. Apparently, the conclusion is slated for WESTERN TEAM-UP as he’s supposed to team up with the Rawhide Kid. I hope that it happens in issue #1 because there was never an issue #2 of WTU. Entertaining enough issue despite the cliffhanger. Grade: 7.5
LUKE CAGE: HERO FOR HIRE #14. "Retribution!" - Written by Steve Englehart and Billy Graham. Art by Billy Graham. Two of Cage’s old cellmates from Seagate Prison break out! At the Gem Theater, Big Ben Donovan pays Cage a violent visit. The two duke it out while Cage’s old cellmates make advancements toward exposing the hero as a felon! Plus, Claire learns the truth about Luke's past. Comanche and Shades have to be the two goofiest-looking villains EVER! 😆 Despite that, this is the first part of, what looks like, a surprisingly good story. “Surprisingly” because I thought that this book was about to go into a decline. I’m glad to be wrong. Grade: 8.0
TOMB OF DRACULA #13. "To Kill a Vampire!" - Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. The slayers have finally tracked Dracula back to his layer, but can even this fierce team of vampire hunters destroy the most powerful vampire to ever stalk the earth? Plus, the origin of Blade! While this series has been highly...surprisingly enjoyable up to this point, I do have one gripe. The problem with a book that features the “villain” as the star is that the stories can seem kind of rehashed, at times. Every time his pursuers seem to get close to capturing him, something goes wrong. This issue ends with what seems to be Dracula’s death. Of course, we know that it isn’t, but it’s a classic example of what I’m talking about. I’m really curious to see if this becomes boring to me. So far, though, this series has been great! Grade: 8.0
• COMBAT KELLY #9
• CONAN THE BARBARIAN #31
• MARVEL TALES #46
• MONSTERS UNLEASHED
• RAWHIDE KID #116
On sale July 24, 1973 DEFENDERS #9. "Divide and Conquer" - Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Sal Buscema. Inks by Frank McLaughlin. Cover by Sal Buscema. Story continues from AVENGERS #116. The one-on-one battles for the Evil Eye continue! Iron Man checks in at the local university and finds the professor who is safekeeping the Evil Eye. But before Shell-Head can secure the eye, it's stolen by a defender! Which one? Why it's the Avengers' former ace archer, Hawkeye! And just like old times, Hawkeye and Iron Man throw down in the streets of Monterrey! Next Chapter: "Dr. Strange vs. the Black Panther and Mantis!" The next piece of the Evil Eye rests in the heartland of America! Could one of the battles to save the world take place in an Indiana cornfield? Doctor Strange arrives in the Midwest first and locates the Evil Eye. The Sorcerer Supreme hopes to make a quick getaway. However, he can't escape the sharp detection skills of T'Challa and Mantis! So, the two avengers have found the Master of the Mystic Arts, but now can they beat him in a pitched battle? Story continues in AVENGERS #117. Iron Man vs Hawkeye made me wonder for the first time: who makes Hawkeye’s trick arrows? Clint Barton has never shown any munitions engineering skill that I can recall. At any rate, his battle with Iron Man was great. Strange vs the Panther and Mantis was good, but I kept feeling like “You can end this at any time, Doc”. The Avengers/Defenders Clash is living up to the hype. Grade: 9.0
FANTASTIC FOUR #139. "Target: Tomorrow!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Art by John Buscema (breakdowns) and Joe Sinnott (finishes). Cover by John Buscema and Frank Giacoia. The Fantastic Four, trapped in a chasm of death! Wyatt Wingfoot’s entire tribe has been swallowed up by Miracle Man’s pit- along with Johnny, Medusa, and the Thing. Meanwhile, at the Baxter Building, a warning from the Negative Zone goes unnoticed by Reed… to his own doom. The Miracle Man continues his newfound trend of badassary (yep. “Badassary” 😏) Anyway, like the last issue, MM looks pretty unstoppable. My problem is how he was stopped. Dues Ex Machina, anyone?! Also, Conway seems to really like inserting seeds for the next storyline in the middle of the action. I noticed that he did that on THOR this month. Still, you’ll have fun with this one. Grade 8.0
MARVEL PREMIERE #11. “Homecoming!” - Written by Steve Englehart, art by Frank Brunner. Cover art by Frank Brunner. Strange goes to the home of the Ancient One and tells Hamir the Hermit about how he killed the Ancient One to destroy Shuma-Gorath, and of the Ancient One's rebirth as One with the Universe. Strange is now Sorcerer Supreme. “The Origin of Dr. Strange” - Written by Stan Lee, art by Steve Ditko. Reprinted from STRANGE TALES #115. “The Many Traps of Baron Mordo” - Art by Steve Ditko. Mordo traps Strange in an enchanted cylinder. Strange escapes by traveling down through the Earth and poses as Ancient One to thwart Mordo's attack. Reprinted from STRANGE TALES #117. The framing story is interesting to give a grade, I guess. Even though, it’s only 3 pages in total. Grade: 7.0
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #12. “The Son of Satan” - Written by Gary Friedrich, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. Cover pencils by Herb Trimpe. Sam Silvercloud and Snake free Daimon Hellstrom from his self-imposed imprisonment. The Son of Satan seeks out Witch Woman and Ghost Rider and is attacked by his father’s minions. The origin and second appearance of The Son of Satan! Story continued from GHOST RIDER (1973 series) #2. To think that this book spawned two horror-based heroes/series. Three, really, with the Werewolf. Unlike the Werewolf, neither Ghost Rider nor the Son of Satan “wowed” me right out the gate. Ghost Rider suffers from just-above-bland stories while I’ve always found SoS a bit whiny. It’s been a very long time since I’ve read this series and I’ve only read it once. I didn’t think much of it, then. I’m hoping that this second reading changes my mind. So far, I’m not blown away. Grade: 6.5
MARVEL TEAM-UP #14. "Mayhem is the Men-Fish!" - Written by Len Wein. Pencils by Gil Kane. Inks by Wayne Howard. Cover by Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott. It's underwater mayhem as Spider-Man and Namor must stop the evil plans of Tiger Shark and Dr. Dorcas! When I thought about Spidey and Namor teaming up, I didn’t envision them having much chemistry. The always clowning web-slinger and the arrogant, humorless sea prince. Yet, they worked well together; well enough, anyway. (Funny how Namor has so much trouble with Tiger Shark in his own book but had no real problem handling him in this story.) Grade: 7.5
WARLOCK #8. "Confrontation!" - Written by Mike Friedrich, art by Bob Brown. Cover pencils by John Buscema, inks by Frank Giacoia. President Rex Carpenter continues to terrorize Warlock, despite his public approval of the hero. Followers of Warlock meet a tragic end following a demon attack. The concluding issue to Warlock’s series, closed with a cliffhanger you have to read to believe! The story continues in INCREDIBLE HULK #176. (WARLOCK #9 will not appear for another two years, in 1975.) Man, I would have been ticked if I had bought this off the rack. It’s been a so-so series, as it is, but to end it on a cliffhanger?!! While it will continue in INCREDIBLE HULK #176, keep in mind that his book is only up to #168 as of this month. Ah well, again, this series was pretty average will some pretty good moments, much like this issue. Grade: 7.0
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #10. “The Sinister Secret of Sarnak!” - Written by Gerry Conway, art by Tom Sutton. Cover art by Tom Sutton. Will the Werewolf by Night defeat Sarnak to save his sister and the city of Los Angeles before the Legion of Fear can destroy it? I was drawn to this story because of Tatterdemalion. I remember him from a MARVEL TEAM-UP story, but, as it turns out, he’s more of a lackey for Sarnak; the Master of Sound who works for the Committee. He’s something of a sympathetic villain, as revealed in the end. Yet, this is another story that started better than it ended. Grade: 7.5
• JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY VOL 2, #7
• OUR LOVE STORY #25
• SGT FURY #115
The real treat for me this month was the Avengers/Defenders Clash. This was my first time reading and I’m so happy that such an endlessly hyped storyline did not disappoint. This month, we also said goodbye to GUNHAWKS and WARLOCK. At least, in WARLOCK’s case, it was more like “see ya later”. Also, ASTONISHING TALES said goodbye to Ka-Zar as his solo book will soon debut. Some really good marks this month. Most books graded as they usually do with the lone exception of THE MONSTER OF FRANKENSTEIN. Hopefully, it will return to form next month. So, that’s it for this month. See you next week and, until then, take care.
Grading Chart:
• 10.0 = Classic (rarely given)
• 9.0 – 9.5 = Excellent
• 8.0 – 8.5 = Great
• 7.0 – 7.5 = Good
• 6.0 – 6.5 = Above Average
• 5.0 – 5.5 = Average
• 4.0 – 4.5 = Below Average
• 3.0 – 3.5 = Poor
• 2.0 – 2.5 = Very Poor
• 1.0 – 1.5 = Utter Shite
• 0.0 – 0.5 = Not worth the paper it’s printed on
Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. AVENGERS #116
2. DEFENDERS #9
3. FEAR #17
4. SUB-MARINER #66
5. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #125
Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. F.O.O.M. #2
2. AVENGERS #116
3. STRANGE TALES #170
4. VAULT OF EVIL #6
5. FEAR #17
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Post by EdoBosnar on Mar 13, 2023 5:49:47 GMT -5
(....)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #125. "Wolfhunt!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro. Cover by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro. Man-Wolf continues to play predator in the streets of NYC. Will Peter discover the true identity of his foe before Man-Wolf strikes again? Can the amazing one save Jonah, Kristine, and himself from the madness of John's savage alter ego? Or will they all be thrown to the (man) wolves? Always a good read, this series. Spider-Man may have the greatest rogue’s gallery in comics history. The Man-Wolf’s first storyline was top-notch. Can’t wait for his next appearance. Speaking of “next appearances”, just as I praise Spidey’s rogue’s gallery, next issue is the return of the Kangaroo. *Sigh* Grade: 8.5
(...)
This is indeed a good (origin) story. I first encountered it in the Power Records episode that features a condensed version of ASM 124-125, and only then read the complete story when it was reprinted in Marvel Tales. And I've had a soft spot for Man-Wolf ever since, esp. after reading the excellent two-parter in Marvel Premiere #45-46, in which he's a sword-wielding bad-ass with his human intelligence intact. |
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Post by Myke Gee on Mar 13, 2023 20:44:48 GMT -5
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON OCTOBER 31, 2020 *** AUGUST 1973 (Cover Date: November 1973)
Hello, everyone!!! Here are my thoughts on Marvel Comics released in August 1973.
On sale July 31, 1973 DAREDEVIL AND THE BLACK WIDOW #105. “Menace from the Moons of Saturn!” - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Don Heck (pages 1-16, third tier of 26, 27-32) and Jim Starlin (pages 17-26 except bottom tier of 26), inks by Don Perlin. Cover pencils by John Romita, inks by Mike Esposito. Kraven throws Daredevil off of a cliff to his death but, horn-head disappears before he strikes the bottom. Daredevil finds himself in an elaborate underwater domain inhabited by Moondragon. She accuses him of being a thrall of Thanos and then tells him her origin to let him know what this means. Touching DD's mind, Moondragon discovers that she has been lied to and that Daredevil is one of the good guys. The real villain appears, and he gloats as he unleashes Terrex on the world. Thanos War tie-in. I read this one quite a few times when I was a kid. This is one of those miscellaneous comics that I always seemed to acquire; that helped me to fall in love with the medium. Although I first discovered DD in MARVEL TEAM-UP #25, I read this afterward. This was a prized possession of mine, lol! Reading it today...? Well, maybe it’s nostalgia. Maybe it’s just because of its tie-in to the Thanos story. I don’t know, but I still love this issue. Grade: 8.5
INCREDIBLE HULK #169. “Calamity in the Clouds!” - Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Jack Abel. Cover art by Herb Trimpe. Will the Harpy triumph over Hulk? If Betty Ross isn’t reverted to her former self soon, she may inadvertently kill the man she loves! Plus, the attack of the Bi-Beast! First appearance of the Bi-Beast! Man, this one flew by, for me. A great read packed with action! Grade: 9.0
IRON MAN #64. "Rokk Cometh!" - Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by George Tuska and Mike Esposito. It's round two between Iron Man and Doctor Spectrum! After being defeated in the previous issue, Shell-head utilizes his ultraviolet ray to force Dr. Spectrum to retreat. Meanwhile, Tony Stark and Happy Hogan come to blows over Pepper. In this chapter, Dr. Spectrum takes a backseat to Rock...sort of. 😏 It’s a cool story with a nice twist at the end. Continues next issue. Grade: 7.5
• KID COLT: OUTLAW #176
• MARVEL SPECTACULAR #4
• MARVEL SUPERHEROES #40
• MIGHTY MARVEL WESTERN #28
• MILLIE THE MODEL #206
• MONSTERS ON THE PROWL #27
• WESTERN GUNFIGHTERS #19
• WHERE MONSTERS DWELL #25
• WORLDS UNKNOWN #4
On sale August 7, 1973 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #126. "The Kangaroo Bounces Back!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Jim Mooney. Cover by John Romita. Peter’s aloof behavior draws concern from his classmates at ESU. Plus, Spider-Man encounters a few shadowy figures claiming to be someone they’re not. Why is the Kangaroo searching for Spider-Man? And what maniacal plans has he already launched into action? Okay, let’s look at this: the Toad, the Leapfrog, and the Kangaroo. Y’all finished laughing? You could find all three names in a scratch-off and still haven’t found the menacing super-villain. Fortunately, there’s a rather good story here. I’m not sure if this is the beginning of the Ross Andru era, but I’ve always liked him. Fine work, this issue. Grade: 7.5
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #167. "Ashes to Ashes!” - Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Frank Giacoia. This is it! The final fatal Showdown with the Yellow Claw! Finally, with the Yellow Claw within their grasp, Cap and the Falcon are foiled again. Will they be able to get their act together in time to stop him, or will his dastardly plans come to fruition? Welp! The Yellow Claw story is over and, while it was enjoyable, I still find the Claw to be a boring villain. I really wanted to like him, but he came off so....”meh”. Fortunately, Englehart crafted a particularly good story despite his choice of villain. Grade: 7.0
THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #7. “The Fury of a Fiend!” - Written by Gary Friedrich, pencils by John Buscema, inks by John Verpoorten. Cover pencils by John Buscema, inks by Frank Giacoia. The Frankenstein Monster joins a group of gypsy entertainers and is tricked into helping one of them return Dracula to life. Second story: “The Executioner!” - pencils by Dunling, inks by Grogar. I know that, at some point, like RED WOLF, this series shifts to “modern-day”. But, for now, it’s still set in the 1800s. So, this meeting takes place before the TOMB OF DRACULA series. I’m hoping that they meet again in “modern times”. This story was pretty exciting, for me, mainly because of my anticipation of their meeting. Of course, Dracula would show up on the final page. Grade: 8.5
SUB-MARINER #67. “Seawinds of Change!” - Written by Steve Gerber. Pencils by Don Heck. Inks by Frank Bolle. Cover by John Romita and Mike Esposito. The mighty Sub-Mariner is broken. Forced to flee by the evil Virago and Orka, Namor has been horribly injured and is now unable to breathe on land. Only one man has the genius to save him - his greatest rival, Reed Richards! Namor gets the infamous black (or dark blue, depending on whom you ask) costume in this issue. Personally, I love it. This is one of those “bold new direction” issues and I, usually, get a little nervous when I see those three words together. But the series has been uneven its entire run. So, I can understand the need for a new direction. As for this issue, only the costume is new. The rest is Namor and the FF at each other’s throats over some perceived slight only to have it sorted out after the punches have been thrown. Doesn’t mean that it cannot still be fun. Grade: 7.5
THOR #217. "All Swords Against Them!" - Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema (layouts) and Sal Buscema (finished art), inks by Sal Buscema. Cover by John Romita. Returning from their journeys, Odin, Thor, and their companions find that impostors have taken their place in Asgard. Who are these imposters of the gods? Just what is going on here? Thank goodness that this wasn’t the beginning of another long, drawn-out saga. Not that I have been a problem with them, but this book has had a lot of them, lately. However, it did feel more like a standalone epilogue to the previous saga, and the ending of this issue, maybe, foreshadows a multi-part tale featuring the Colonizers of Rigel. I’ll know soon enough, I guess. Good issue. Grade: 8.0
• BEWARE #5
• CHAMBER OF CHILLS #7
• CRYPT OF SHADOWS #7
• MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION #15
• MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #46
• SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #14
• TWO-GUN KID #114
• VAULT OF EVIL #7
On sale August 14, 1973 AMAZING ADVENTURES #21. "The Mutant Slayers!" - Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Yolande Pijcke. Cover by Herb Trimpe. The Warlord and Carmilla Frost, a molecular biologist, watch Killraven fighting off their soldiers in their Alteration Division lab. Frost sends a squad of mutants into the fray, but they fare a little better. Warlord steps in and brings Killraven down with a metal fist. Doctors operate on Killraven with a laser scalpel. McGregor’s first issue is full of action...and words, lol!! Not as verbose as it will become, but he does tend to write like he’s paid by each letter. Having watched the THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN cartoon before I ever read an issue of War of the Worlds, I cannot help but draw parallels between the two series. As it is, Killraven, in my head, even sounds like Thundarr. This issue also introduces the rest of his Freemen; Old Skull, Hawk, Carmilla Frost, and the Grokk. Good stuff! Grade: 8.0
AVENGERS #117. "Holocaust" - Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Bob Brown. Inks by Mike Esposito and Frank McLaughlin. Cover by John Romita and Mike Esposito. Story continues from DEFENDERS #9. Viewing from the Dark Dimension, Loki and Dormammu watch the battle raging between the Avengers and the Defenders over the fragments of the Evil Eye. Dormammu is furious over the Defenders’ interference, and Loki plays dumb, not wanting Dormammu to learn that it was he who tipped the Avengers off to a version of Dormammu's plot. Guest starring Sunfire. Story continues in DEFENDERS #10. I’ve never been a fan of the Swordsman, but I did enjoy his battle with the Valkyrie. Fighting in a castle let him get his “Swashbuckle” on, lol!!! For once, he was kinda cool. Cap vs the Sub-Mariner was good, too, but the highlight of this chapter was Sunfire. I love when he shows up with all of his superior arrogance, lol! (Funny that I never find his arrogance annoying, but Namor’s frequently gets on my nerves. 🤔) Grade: 9.5
FEAR #18. “A Question of Survival!" - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover art by John Romita. A horrific car crash beckons Man-Thing out of hiding. What events led to this devastation? Jennifer Kale has an unusual date night with Jaxon. Man-Thing proves an indifferent hero when four victims’ lives are in his hands. Very much a story of its time. One character is a former Vietnam P.O.W., and another is a conscientious objector. The third is a young nurse on vacation and the fourth is an unconscious boy. Also, the driver that caused the crash survived, as well, and what a piece of work he is. All survived the crash and find themselves debating the state of America as they walk through the swamp to the nearest town for help. The conversations are more interesting than the action as 1973 isn’t much different from 2020, it would seem. Very well written. Grade: 9.0
LUKE CAGE: HERO FOR HIRE #15. "Retribution!" - Written by Billy Graham and Tony Isabella. Art by Billy Graham. A guard from Seagate Prison plans to blackmail Luke Cage, but when he winds up dead, Claire is wrongly accused of his murder. Can Cage clear her name and still remain a free man himself? Plus, the Sub-Mariner stars in the Golden Age adventure "Invasion!" By Bill Everett. I felt like I was reading “Super-Shaft: P.I.”, lol! Blaxploitation meets superheroics meets private eye. All of that (if any of that made any sense, lol) added up to a cool second chapter to this story. (I have no idea why an old Golden Age Sub-Mariner story is reprinted here) Grade: 8.5
MARVEL FEATURE #12. "The Bite of the Blood Brothers!" - Written by Mike Friedrich. Pencils by Jim Starlin. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by Jim Starlin and John Romita. After the events of the last issue, The Thing was abandoned in the desert by The Hulk. While complaining about his long walk home, he is overflown by Iron Man who doesn't even acknowledge him. Iron Man is rushing to investigate a secret mountain base that was previously used by Thanos. The Thing and Iron Man battle against the Blood Brothers, who were kept waiting there by Thanos for a possible rematch with Iron Man. The final issue of the series features a tie-in to the legendary Captain Marvel/Thanos saga. This one I’ve read a few times in reprints, but I could have sworn that it was an issue of MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE, which I’m sure was inspired by the last two issues of this book. Great story that continues to be enjoyable each time it’s read. Grade: 8.5
SUPERNATURAL THRILLERS #6. “The Headless Horseman Rides Again!” - Written by Gary Friedrich, pencils by George Tuska, inks by Jack Abel. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Ernie Chan. Duke Durbano discovers who killed his friend Matt Carter and tracks down Bones Bullinger. But who is posing as the Headless Horseman? As predictable as this story was, it was still a lot of fun. That’s a huge plus because I honestly thought that it would be some crap, lol!!! The Living Mummy returns next issue, but the book goes on a four-month hiatus. The next issue isn’t until March 1974. Grade: 8.0
TOMB OF DRACULA #14. "Dracula is Dead!" - Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. Cover by Gil Kane. At Last! Blade, Drake, and their allies have finally slain Dracula! But the Lord of Vampires is a hard creature of the night to keep down. Will Dracula rise again? And if so, what will it mean for our team of monster hunters? Never let your guard down...! This one started a little slow but became quite the page-turner. If you ever wondered what would happen if Dracula ever faced a group of cross-wielding Christians, you’ll get your answer in this issue. Sometimes, Dracula seems like quite the unstoppable foe. Grade: 8.0
WESTERN TEAM-UP #1. “Ride the Lawless Land!" - Written and pencils by Larry Lieber, inks by Vince Colletta. Origin and first appearance of the Dakota Kid. Guest starring the Rawhide Kid. Reprint: "The Gunsmoke Kid." Art by Jack Davis. I figured that, since this is the one and only issue of this series, I might as well give it a try. Unfortunately, it read just like all the other Western comics that I loved when I first started this project but moved on from because of their predictability. Not bad, but nothing special. Grade: 6.5
• CONAN THE BARBARIAN #32
• MARVEL TALES #47
• RAWHIDE KID #117
• RINGO KID #23
• WAR IS HELL #6
On sale August 21, 1973 CAPTAIN MARVEL #29. "Metamorphosis!" - Written by Jim Starlin. Pencils by Jim Starlin. Inks by Al Milgrom. Cover by Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom, and John Romita (Captain Marvel's head). Summoned by the cosmic entity Eon, Captain Marvel is forced to examine the events of his life, as well as the previous events occurring in the Thanos War. According to Eon, the universe needs a protector, and it is up to Captain Marvel to fill that role. Granted new powers and a sense of cosmic awareness, will Captain Marvel have what it takes to stop Thanos? This isn’t the first time that the powers-that-be have tried to “fix” Mar-Vell. He’s had new powers before and a new costume, etc, etc. However, this was the revamp that worked and stuck. While sometimes pretentious, this issue really works because the changes had a purpose behind them whereas the upgrade from Zo was a bit ham-fisted and it felt like it was done just for the sake of doing it. Yet another excellent chapter of a classic storyline. Grade: 9.0
DEFENDERS #10. "Breakthrough" - Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Sal Buscema. Inks by Frank Bolle. Cover by John Romita. Story continues from AVENGERS #117. The sixth and final superhero battle of the Avengers-Defenders Clash! And as shown on the cover, it's a matchup of true Marvel heavyweights! The Green Goliath rumbles thru the streets of Los Angeles looking for the Evil Eye. And lo and behold he finds it! However, the Avengers have also sent a team member to the city of angels! The Prince of Asgard! When the thunder god confronts the gamma-radiated defender, the epic clash of the titans erupts! Wow, the Mighty Thor vs. the Incredible Hulk! A battle for the ages! Next Chapter: "United We Stand!" In Greenwich Village, the Defenders gather around the four pieces of the Evil Eye that they have recovered. When Prince Namor joins his teammates, he brings with him the fifth piece of the eye plus the Avengers! Whoa! Not exactly what Doctor Strange was expecting! Is another battle on the horizon? Or have the superheroes finally realized who's been orchestrating the events? Story continues in AVENGERS #118. The main of this storyline event ticked me off a little. The typical inconclusive ending to the battle between Thor and the Hulk was so anti-climactic. A fabulous story, still, that continues to live up to its legendary status. Can’t wait for the conclusion. Grade: 9.5
FANTASTIC FOUR #140. "Annihilus Revealed!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Art by John Buscema (breakdowns) and Joe Sinnott (finishes). Cover by Rich Buckler and Frank Giacoia. An old villain from the Negative Zone hatches a new plot to destroy the Fantastic Four! When Reed Richards receives a distress call from his wife in Pennsylvania, the FF makes a beeline to the keystone state! But when they arrive Sue and Franklin are missing! After detecting radiation traces from the Negative Zone. Mister Fantastic, Medusa, the Human Torch, and the Thing rush back to the Baxter Building...however, Annihilus is waiting inside to spring an ambush! Origin of Annihilus. As a kid, Annihilus used to creep me out. I rarely ever read FF, but I remember grabbing an issue and he was in it and everyone seemed to be terrified of him. So, I thought he was one of the baddest of the bad. While he’s no pushover, he wasn’t quite the unbeatable foe that I thought. Even still, he usually makes for a great story (MTIO #75 aside). This issue, he’s as interesting as ever, but the origin tale seemed a little drawn out, to me. It took just a little something away from the overall story. Grade: 8.0
JUNGLE ACTION #7. “Death Regiments Beneath Wakanda” - Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Klaus Janson. Cover pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Klaus Janson. Panther’s Rage continues as the Panther learns that there is a great deal of rebel activity near Warrior Falls. He goes there and discovers an entrance to an illegal vibranium mine. There, he is met and attacked by Venomm. “The Fury of the Tusk!” (reprinted from LORNA, THE JUNGLE GIRL #22, December 1956), script by Don Rico, art by Syd Shores. This is another one of those books that were among the stack of comics that my dad, surprisingly, gave me. I remember thinking as a kid that it had way too much narration and not enough dialogue. At 55 years old, I still, sort of, feel that way. McGregor is notoriously wordy and that’s fine, at times. Comics is a visual medium and everything doesn’t have to be explained in minute detail. That’s why you have an artist. I want to hear from the characters more and the writer less, if that makes any sense. Fortunately, McGregor is good at what he does. So, this method of storytelling isn’t so bad....for now. Grade: 7.5
MARVEL PREMIERE #12. “Portal to the Past!” - Written by Steve Englehart (co-plot, script pages 1-17), Mike Friedrich (script pages 18-32), and Frank Brunner (co-plot), pencils by Frank Brunner, inks by Crusty Bunkers (part Neal Adams inks). Cover art by Frank Brunner. Strange chooses Clea to be his disciple. He goes to make peace with Baron Mordo and is entranced by the Gypsy Queen, from whom Mordo stole the Book of Cagliostro. Strange follows Mordo into the past. In my days of hanging out at the LCS, there were many conversations about great comic book artists. You know what name that was rarely mentioned: Frank Brunner. Even in this group of extremely knowledgeable members, Brunner’s name is rarely brought up. A shame, too, because his work is sensational! Just had to acknowledge his underrated contributions. Oh, and the story was good, too. 😆 Grade: 8.0
MARVEL TEAM-UP #15. "If an Eye Offend Thee” - Written by Len Wein. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Don Perlin. Cover by Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, and John Romita. Ghost Rider blazes a fiery trail into Spider-Man's path in an effort to stop the entrancing Orb! First meeting between Spider-Man and Ghost Rider. Origin and first appearance of the Orb. I’m beginning to think that the Ghost Rider works best as a guest star. So far, his own book is lukewarm, at best. Yet, when he was in THE CHAMPIONS, I loved him. Not to mention his two guest appearances in TEAM-UP. Don’t even start me on his fabulous guest appearance in AVENGERS #214! Although I feel like they shouldn’t, he and Spidey had pretty good chemistry. I really enjoyed the one. Grade: 8.0
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #11. “Comes the Hangman!” - Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Sutton. Cover pencils by John Romita. The Werewolf battles the Hangman at Venice Beach, who thinks he is actually saving Lissa from our hero! The Hangman is a character that I’ve never cared about or been curious about. Reading his first appearance, he’s just another nutcase with a mask and a gimmick. That doesn’t mean that I hate him, though. This not-so-special character is saved by an interesting story and nice artwork from Kane and Sutton. Although, it got really “scratchy” at times. Grade: 7.5
• CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #26
• KULL THE DESTROYER #11
• MY LOVE #26
• SGT FURY #116
The Avengers/Defenders Clash continues to impress and, of course, The Thanos War is legendary as is Panther’s Rage. Stop and think about that for a moment. Three legendary Marvel sagas and they were all, for the most part, happening at the same time!!! Not to mention the great stories that were being produced in Marvel’s horror line. There was only one book in the average range and that was WESTERN TEAM-UP #1 (and only!). Yessir!! This month put a huge smile on my face. See ya next week, everyone, and take care.
Grading Chart:
• 10.0 = Classic (rarely given)
• 9.0 – 9.5 = Excellent
• 8.0 – 8.5 = Great
• 7.0 – 7.5 = Good
• 6.0 – 6.5 = Above Average
• 5.0 – 5.5 = Average
• 4.0 – 4.5 = Below Average
• 3.0 – 3.5 = Poor
• 2.0 – 2.5 = Very Poor
• 1.0 – 1.5 = Utter Shite
• 0.0 – 0.5 = Not worth the paper it’s printed on
Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. AVENGERS #117
2. DEFENDERS #10
3. CAPTAIN MARVEL #29
4. INCREDIBLE HULK #169
5. DAREDEVIL & THE BLACK WIDOW #105
Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. CAPTAIN MARVEL #29
2. JUNGLE ACTION #7
3. DAREDEVIL & THE BLACK WIDOW #105
4. CREATURE ON THE LOOSE #26
5. CONAN THE BARBARIAN #32    |
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Post by Myke Gee on Mar 15, 2023 12:44:42 GMT -5
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON NOVEMBER 7, 2020 *** SEPTEMBER 1973
(Cover Dated: December 1973)
Hello, everyone. Back with my thoughts on the Marvel Comics on sale in the month of September 1973. This month, there are two reviews for DAREDEVIL AND THE BLACK WIDOW and the INCREDIBLE HULK books. Marvel released the in the first and final weeks of the month. Normally, I would have put the final week with next month’s titles, but it wasn’t late enough in the month to do that. At any rate, that gives us 24 books that were reviewed. So, my apologies for the length. (Yes, I know that there are three books that are from last month.)
On sale August 28, 1973 DAREDEVIL AND THE BLACK WIDOW #106. “Life Be Not Proud!” - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by John Romita Sr. Kerwin J. Broderick gloats about his part in sending a whole batch of new villains into DD's life and his plans to become King of San Francisco right before he shoots Moondragon and DD with a ray gun. With an impenetrable force field around the city, Broderick activates his agents to cause mayhem. DD takes Moondragon into a healing chamber but cannot see the colors he needs to work the controls. Moondragon restores his sight and DD heals her. As DD, Moondragon and the Widow battle the Dark Messiah, Ramrod, and Angar, Daredevil discovers that his newfound sight messes up his fighting abilities. He has Moondragon make him blind again, just as Broderick arrives with the monstrous Terrex. Thanos War tie-in. This is an issue that I read when I was a kid. It wasn’t my first time seeing Daredevil, but one of the earliest issues that I remember reading of his book. I remember loving it as a kid because, just as I like heroes teaming up to fight the bad guys, like when the bad guys team up, too. Nostalgia reigns supreme as I feel like I’m 8 or 9 years old again. Grade: 8.0
INCREDIBLE HULK #170. “Death from On High!” - Written by Steve Englehart (plot) and Chris Claremont (plot, script), pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Jack Abel. Cover art by Herb Trimpe. Bruce and Betty are falling from eight miles high in the sky, but Bruce is able to turn into the Hulk and cushion their fall. They end up on an island where Hulk does his best to nurse Betty back to health. This includes saving her from a gang of volcano monsters who try their best to squish her. Eventually, Betty is picked up by a passing military helicopter and Hulk secretly hitches a ride. Normally, this is the type of Hulk story that does nothing for me. The Hulk versus generic giant monsters is usually “ho-hum”, for me, but this beauty and the beast approach was oddly satisfying. Grade: 7.5
IRON MAN #65. "The Cutting Edge of Death!" - Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by George Tuska and Mike Esposito. Iron Man wins a desperate battle vs. Doctor Spectrum but falls victim to the entity inside the power prism. Iron Man is possessed by the prism and goes on a rampage! Also, in this issue, Pepper learns that Tony Stark is Iron Man. Cameo appearances by Luke Cage and Thor. We, also, learn the origin of Dr. Spectrum. As a Green Lantern analog, I was expecting a similar origin. An entertaining enough story, but its conclusion is what I’m waiting for. Grade: 7.5
• CHILI #26
• KID COLT: OUTLAW #177
• MILLIE THE MODEL #207
• OUTLAW KID #19
• WEIRD WONDER TALES #1
On sale September 4, 1973 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #127. “The Dark Wings of Death!” - Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by Ross Andru inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt. Cover by John Romita Sr. Peter encounters a murder scene outside of Mary Jane’s apartment. Although M.J. is a first-hand witness, she refuses to call the police out of fear of retaliation. Spider-Man is attacked by his winged enemy Vulture. Could Vulture be behind the murder of a young woman? And if not, who is? First appearance of the third Vulture (Dr. Clifton Shallot). Confession time. Most of the synopses of these issues are cut-and-paste jobs. I found that my synopses were too wordy. So, this issue’s synopsis says that this is the first appearance of the third Vulture. While he’s drawn to look like Adrian Toomes, he certainly doesn’t act like him. This guy is bloodthirsty as hell and I love it! An action-packed great story! Grade: 9.0
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #168. “And a Phoenix Shall Arise!" - Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by John Tartaglione and George Roussos. Buscema/John Verpoorten cover. Read about the origin of Baron Zemo and his family. Meanwhile, who is the Phoenix? You'll gasp when you learn his startling secret identity! Pretty good stand-alone issue. The debut of the Phoenix was interesting enough, but I’m waiting for when he returns as the second Baron Zemo. Grade: 7.5
DOC SAVAGE #8. “Werewolf's Lair” - Part two of an adaptation of the Kenneth Robeson novel "Brand of the Werewolf”. Written by Tony Isabella and art by Rich Buckler, Tom Palmer, and Jack Abel. Doc and his team continue their investigation of his uncle's death, which leads them to the werewolf's lair and treasure. Last issue of the series. As I stated when I first started reading this series, I just don’t get Doc Savage. I get that he’s physically a peak-level human being with a genius IQ. I’m still trying to figure out the bronze skin. It is the result of.....what, exactly? Even Doc’s cousin has bronze skin. I don’t know. I really wanted to like this series because “Doc Savage” is a really cool name, lol! I think there was one issue that I liked a lot, but, alas, the stories were okay, at best. It didn’t help that the narration was like listening to Col. Troutmann talk about a John Rambo. The series, like this issue, was just....meh. Grade: 6.0
SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #15. “Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu!” - Written by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin. Art and cover by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom. Shang Chi, making his first appearance, is a master of martial arts and the son of Fu Manchu, a Chinese mandarin and scientist. Fu Manchu sends Shang Chi to England in order to assassinate the evil Dr. Petrie for the common good. Shang Chi reluctantly agrees, but after the deed is done he is confronted by Sir Denis Nayland Smith, a former British intelligence officer who tells him the truth about Fu Manchu; that he is a nearly immortal evil mastermind. Shang Chi travels back to his father's secret lair in New York and renounces him. In the early 70s, Marvel capitalized on the popularity of the Universal and Hammer films with its new line of horror-based characters. Now, it’s time to cash in on the “new” martial arts craze. It’s no secret from anyone who has read my comments throughout my years in this group that MASTER OF KUNG FU is my all-time favorite book. The legendary creators started this series off beautifully. Yet, while this is my all-time favorite, you all might be surprised at some of my grades for some of the early issues. Some may call my rating of this issue biased and, probably, rightfully so. But I loved everything about this issue. Grade: 10
TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #3. "When the Gods Crave Flesh” - Written by Steve Gerber and art by Pablo Marcos. The zombie has to intervene when a movie maker tries to film a voodoo cult. The issue also has "With the Dawn Comes…Death" (Written by Chris Claremont), "Net Result" (Written and art credits unknown), "Warrior's Burden" (Written by Tony Isabella and art by Vicente Alcazar), an article on the movie "Night of the Living Dead”, “I Won't Stay Dead" (Art by Bill Walton), and "Jilimbi's Word" (Written by Doug Moench and art by Enrique Badia). What struck me as I read this Zombie story is how similar it was to a Man-Thing story. As a reader who isn’t really fond of characters that don’t speak, I’m really starting to appreciate the way Gerber can keep me engaged despite my misgivings. It also helps that Pablos Marcos continues to turn in stunning artwork. In fact, every artist turned in outstanding art. Grade: 8.0
THOR #218. “Where Pass the Black Stars, There Also Passes... Death!" - Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Jim Mooney. Cover pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Joe Sinnott. Odin's grave warning of an invasion from beyond threatens all of Asgard. Who, or what has Thor returning to planet Rigel? The mystery of the Black Stars is revealed. Another good issue of a series that I’ve never been a fan of. While these multi-part, “modern” epics fall a bit short of the classic Lee/Kirby epics, they’re still pretty good. The current issue is no exception. Grade: 7.5
• DEAD OF NIGHT #1
• TWO-GUN KID #115
• VAULT OF EVIL #8
• X-MEN #85
On sale September 11, 1973 ASTONISHING TALES #21. “It!” - Written by Tony Isabella, art by Dick Ayers. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito. Bob O'Bryan is a successful special effects man whose legs are broken by a vengeful actor on his series. He then finds that he can take over the body of It, the Living Colossus when it is kidnapped from his set by Dr. Vault. Second story: “The Man Who Captured Death!” Written by Stan Lee, art by Steve Ditko. A dying man traps Death to save himself but soon finds that Death actually brings peace to things and is needed to keep things running smoothly. Yet another book that I read as a kid. I have no idea how I got ahold of this one as a kid because it wasn’t in the infamous stack of comics that my dad gave me. As a kid, there was something about this story that I loved. When I bought this book again around 15 years ago, I wasn’t as impressed as I was at 8 or 9. However, reading it once again, I genuinely enjoyed it. It’s goofy in some parts, but it captures the spirit of those old 50s sci-fi films nicely. Grade: 7.0
AVENGERS #118. "To the Death!" - Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Bob Brown. Inks by Mike Esposito and Frank Giacoia. Cover by Bob Brown and John Romita. One of the classic Avengers issues of the bronze age! Story continues from DEFENDERS #10. At last, the truth stands revealed! Dormammu and Loki have tricked the Avengers and Defenders into gathering the Evil Eye! And now Dormammu has the Evil Eye and is using it to merge his dark dimension with Earth's! The fourteen superheroes have one hour to beat the powerful supervillains before chaos envelopes the universe! Man, this was as classic as it was billed to be! I loved this so much, I actually became conscious of the fact that I was grinning while reading it. I couldn’t help but think at, if this were done today or in the 90s, even, it would have been this huge crossover event. Thankfully, in those days, it was enough just to have cameo appearances of other heroes fighting in the same war. This was just incredible! I’m still grinning, lol!! Grade: 10.0
FEAR #19. “The Enchanter's Apprentice!" - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Ernie Chan. The Nexus of All Realities has been disturbed, and Jennifer Kale’s dreams portend a dark future. A barbarian named Korrek is launched into our dimension through a jar of peanut butter. You may be laughing now, but you won’t be by the end of this issue! Man-Thing stories continue in MAN-THING #1. First appearance of Howard the Duck! When I read the last issue, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking “FEAR #19. Something special happened in that issue”, but I couldn’t think of what it was. After reading it, of course! Howard the Duck! Another character that I never quite got. So, I guess I’m about to find out what all the fuss is about. I will say that his first appearance didn’t exactly blow my mind, but the story was good enough. Onward now to Manny’s own book. Next issue, Morbius takes over. Grade: 7.5
GHOST RIDER #3. "Wheels on Fire!" - Written by Gary Friedrich. Art by Jim Mooney and John Tartaglione. Cover by John Romita, Sr. With his Spirit of Vengeance dwindling, Johnny Blaze races through the night to save Roxanne from Big Daddy Dawson. Upon their return to Earth, Witch-Woman teaches Ghost Rider a new trick. Guest-starring Daimon Hellstrom (Son of Satan). In this issue, Johnny learns to create his flaming motorcycle which is a good thing because he just wasn’t that exciting a character. I mean, the nighttime transformation bit is just old and corny at this point. It only makes sense for the Werewolf by Night. I know that the fleshing out of the character is a work in progress. I like this issue and the step forward into becoming the character that I remember. Grade: 7.5
LUKE CAGE: HERO FOR HIRE #16. "Shake Hands with Stiletto!" - Written by Tony Isabella. Art by Billy Graham and Frank McLaughlin. Flea delivers Luke Cage to Comanche and Shades! After the convicts tell Cage how they escaped from prison, the four of them team up to take down Rackham! Little do they know they are being stalked by a costumed man named Stiletto! NOTE: This is the last issue to be titled LUKE CAGE: HERO FOR HIRE. A more-than-solid conclusion to the Comanche and Shades trilogy. Great artwork from Graham and McLaughlin. A highly entertaining storyline! Next issue: LUKE CAGE, POWER MAN! Grade: 8.0
TOMB OF DRACULA #15. "Fear is the Name of the Game!" - Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. In the wake of his last death, Dracula looks back on other times in his past when he faced the cold touch of death only to rise once again to plague mankind. Blade cameo. A truly interesting introspective. I found myself engrossed in this tale. I, also, noticed that Colan is starting to draw Dracula to resemble Jack Palance a little. I remember reading an article where he says that that’s whom his Dracula is based on. Grade: 8.5
• CONAN THE BARBARIAN #33
• MARVEL DOUBLE FEATURE #1
• MARVEL TALES #48
On sale September 18, 1973 DEFENDERS #11. "A Dark and Stormy Knight." - Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Sal Buscema. Inks by Frank Bolle. Cover by John Romita. Story continues from AVENGERS #118. The epic battle vs. Dormammu is over and Earth has survived! But there's one more mission remaining for the Defenders! Return the Black Knight's stone body back to flesh and blood. To that end, six defenders along with the Evil Eye travel back in time to the 12th century and find Dane Whitman smack dab in the middle of the Crusades! This is another that I remember owning, but nothing else. As an epilogue to the classic Avengers/Defenders Clash, it was a little underwhelming. Not a bad tale, at all, but compared to the last chapter of the remarkable storyline, it’s just a little unremarkable. Grade: 7.5
FANTASTIC FOUR #141. "The End of the Fantastic Four!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Art by John Buscema (breakdowns) and Joe Sinnott (finishes). Cover by John Romita. The Fantastic Four and Wyatt Wingfoot find themselves trapped in the lair of Annihilus, where he also has Sue, Agatha, and young Franklin as his hostages! Can Reed and his FF teammates save their captive comrades before it’s too late? I’ve seen flashbacks to this story several times. This might be the first of a repeated FF trope, but I’m not sure. The team undergoes a traumatic moment that forces them to disband. Annihilus is one of my favorite villains even though I’ve not read many stories with him. Yet, he always seems to bring with him an overwhelming sense of dread; like something really bad is going to happen. In this case, Franklin was the sacrifice.....sort of. Really good story. Grade: 8.0
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #13. “When Satan Walked the Earth” - Written by Gary Friedrich, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. Cover art by John Romita. Daimon goes home to Fire Lake and finds that demons have crossed the portal to Hell that is in his basement. The origin of Daimon Hellstrom. Continued from GHOST RIDER #3. In this issue, we learn the origin of the Son of Satan. A fairly entertaining tale about how he took up arms against his father. Interesting coincidence that this story is published the same month as the debut of Shang Chi, who also became enemies with his father. Grade: 7.5
MARVEL TEAM-UP #16. “Beware the Basilisk, My Son!" - Written by Len Wein. Pencils by Gil Kane. Inks by Jim Mooney and Dave Hunt. Cover by John Romita and Frank Giacoia. An ancient Kree weapon unites Spider-Man and Captain Marvel to stop the pending destruction! First appearance of the Basilisk. Reading this, I forgot that this is a two-parter. This is one of those that I read years ago. I would assume that this story takes place after the Thanos War. The chemistry between Spidey and Mar-Vell was pretty good. That’s one of the things that I look at with team-ups. Basilisk’s origin is rather goofy, but then, most of them are, lol!!! A fun little issue that continues next month. Grade: 8.0
STRANGE TALES #171. "March of the Dead” - Written by Len Wein, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Frank Giacoia. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia. Brother Voodoo has been summoned to Haiti to investigate reports of Zuvembies attacking factories across the island. Going to a local graveyard he is attacked by these apparent undead soldiers and their leader: Baron Samedi. During the fight, Brother Voodoo is knocked out. While he is unconscious he reflects back on the events that brought him to Haiti, and on the Zuvembie that was in captivity by the local authorities. This issue wasn’t as good as Brother Voodoo’s first two appearances. I don’t know why, but something about the inclusion of A.I.M. scientists took away from the story. I wanted his adversary to be supernatural in nature, but I was disappointed a little to see that it was scientific. A decent issue, still. Grade: 6.5
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #12. “Cry Werewolf!” - Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Don Perlin. Cover pencils by John Romita. The Werewolf squares off with the Hangman and releases the villain's captives! I’m beginning to wonder if my fascination with the horror genre is starting to wane or if it’s just this book. Probably the latter, because I’m still crazy about the FRANKENSTEIN book and TOMB OF DRACULA has been quite enjoyable overall. While I’ve given respectable grades to past issues, I wonder why I’m never excited to read this book. It’s written well enough, for the most part, but I struggle to find the anticipation to read this every month. Anyway, this issue wasn’t a page-turner, but it had some good moments. Grade: 6.5
• DRACULA LIVES #4
• JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY VOL. 2, #8
• OUR LOVE STORY #26
• UNCANNY TALES #1
On sale September 24, 1973
DAREDEVIL AND THE BLACK WIDOW #107. “Blind Man's Bluff!” - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Sal Buscema. Cover pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Al Milgrom. Broderick merges with the monster Terrex and orders the city of San Francisco to surrender to him or he will kill everyone. Captain Marvel joins the battle, and our heroes formulate a plan to stop Terrex but the whole shebang hinges on the work of blind attorney Matthew Murdock and the psychotic Angar the Screamer. Thanos War tie-in. The next issue begins a bi-monthly schedule and drops the Black Widow name from the masthead. This is the second DD issue this month. I remember owning this book as a kid and I remembered some bits and pieces from it. 8-year-old Mike Graham absolutely loved this story. 55-year-old Mike thinks that it’s really good but not as good as my childhood memories. Grade: 7.5
INCREDIBLE HULK #171. “Revenge!” - Written by Steve Englehart (plot) and Gerry Conway (script), pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Jack Abel. Cover art by Herb Trimpe. The Hulkbuster base has been captured by Abomination and the Rhino, and the villains have Jack Armbruster, Colonel Ross, and Betty as their captives! Normally, I’m giddy when the Abomination shows up and, this time, the Rhino is with him! Yet, the battle between the Hulk and the bad guys is secondary to Jim Wilson’s part in the story. I found myself caring more about his role than the star of the book. It was a good story, but I was really hoping for a bit more. Grade 7.5
KA-ZAR #1. “Return to the Savage Land!" - Written by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Paul Reinman, inks by Mike Royer. Cover art by John Buscema. The son of an English nobleman, Ka-Zar grew up in the Savage Land alongside his loyal tiger Zabu after the death of his parents. Read his unbelievable origin here! Shanna the She-Devil cameo. At first, I thought “Here comes another dull origin story”, but it wasn’t. It was enjoyable as was the savage battle between Ka-Zar and Maa-Gor the Man-Ape. Good to see that Shanna the She-Devil is salvaged after her ill-fated series. I bought this series off of eBay about 15 years ago, but I remember very little about it; particularly, this first issue. Grade: 7.0
• KID COLT: OUTLAW #178
• MARVEL SPECTACULAR #5
• MARVEL SUPERHEROES #41
• MIGHTY MARVEL WESTERN #29
• WESTERN GUNFIGHTERS #20
• WHERE MONSTERS DWELL #26
While books like WEREWOLF BY NIGHT, STRANGE TALES, and DOC SAVAGE brought the GPA down this month, we did get two, yes TWO classic ratings this month!! DOC SAVAGE, mercifully, came to an end this month, but there were some new beginnings. This will always be a special month for me, not because of the two perfect scores, but because it was the debut of my all-time favorite series. We, also, got Ka-Zar graduating to his own title with Man-Thing right behind him. The Marvel Age of Comics is in high gear these days. Can’t wait for next month’s issues. Until then, take care, everyone.
Grading Chart:
• 10.0 = Classic (rarely given)
• 9.0 – 9.5 = Excellent
• 8.0 – 8.5 = Great
• 7.0 – 7.5 = Good
• 6.0 – 6.5 = Above Average
• 5.0 – 5.5 = Average
• 4.0 – 4.5 = Below Average
• 3.0 – 3.5 = Poor
• 2.0 – 2.5 = Very Poor
• 1.0 – 1.5 = Utter Shite
• 0.0 – 0.5 = Not worth the paper it’s printed on
Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. AVENGERS #118
2. SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #15
3. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #127
4. TOMB OF DRACULA #15
5. TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #3
Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #13
2. STRANGE TALES #171
3. UNCANNY TALES #1
4. VAULT OF EVIL #8
5. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #12   |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Mar 15, 2023 13:24:23 GMT -5
(...)
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #168. “And a Phoenix Shall Arise!" - Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by John Tartaglione and George Roussos. Buscema/John Verpoorten cover. Read about the origin of Baron Zemo and his family. Meanwhile, who is the Phoenix? You'll gasp when you learn his startling secret identity! Pretty good stand-alone issue. The debut of the Phoenix was interesting enough, but I’m waiting for when he returns as the second Baron Zemo. Grade: 7.5
This is another story I first encountered thanks to Power Records. Some bits of the dialogue are burned into my memory, like that bit when Cap and Falcon first encounter Zemo Jr.: "Then know that your treacherous eyes gaze upon the face and form of - the Phoenix!"
I have this story as reprinted in Giant-size Power Man #1. Agreed on all counts: it's a very entertaining story, and the art is top-notch.
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Post by Myke Gee on Apr 12, 2023 19:48:36 GMT -5
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON NOVEMBER 14, 2020 ***
October 1973 (Cover Dated: January 1974)
Hello, everyone! Once again, I’m back voicing my opinion on Marvel Comics published in the month of October 1973. I hope that you enjoy this review.
On sale October 1, 1973
• FOOM #3
On sale October 2, 1973
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #128. “The Vulture Hangs High!” - Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt. Cover by John Romita Sr. Spider-Man uses his last reserve of webbing after being dropped from the sky by the (third) Vulture! After narrowly avoiding death, Spidey returns to ESU’s campus to uncover the motives behind an innocent woman’s death. In a twisted web of mistaken identities, will Spider-Man solve this murder mystery before there’s a second victim? I don’t usually think of Spider-Man as the go-to guy to solve a murder mystery and, honestly, that’s probably a bit unfair. Peter Parker has a fine mind and, while deductive reasoning isn’t exactly his forte, he’s proven to be one of the most resourceful heroes in all of comics. While I was salivating over the action-packed first part, its conclusion, kinda, bogged down a bit with all the sleuthing. Still, it’s a solid story. Grade: 7.5
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #169. "When a Legend Dies!" - Written by Steve Englehart and Mike Friedrich, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Frank McLaughlin. Captain America may be a trained gymnast, but he's no match for the Tumbler! Plus, find out why the Falcon and the Black Panther meet when a legend dies! Red Skull cameo. A lot happens in this issue. Cap is being discredited by an organization called the Committee to Regain American Principles. (First thing that I noticed was that its acronym spells C.R.A.P. 🤣 You cannot tell me that that was not intentional, lol!!!) Next, the Falcon is tired of living in Cap’s shadow and he reaches out to T’Challa, who will give him his wings. The love triangle between Cap, Sharon, and Peggy continues and, in the end, Cap gets set up for murder. Fabulous chapter in this series. This book is still on fire! Grade: 9.0
SUB-MARINER #68. “On the Brink of Madness!" - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Jim Mooney. Cover by John Romita. Namor returns to his underworld realm to find it devastated in the wake of the nerve gas contamination. The fate of his entire people rests in Namor's hands, and he'll have to do the unthinkable to save them! But first, he'll have to survive the attack of the villain known only as Force! Once again, this is a book that I remember owning, but I cannot recall a thing about it prior to me reading it. Interesting how I remember having certain books and recollecting whether I liked it or not, but nothing about the details. I remember liking this issue a lot and the villain Force. I, also, remember being excited when shows up years later in IRON MAN. Reading this issue, I’m wondering why? The revamped character was much more interesting than this incarnation. He and this issue were rather bland. Grade: 6.5
THOR #219. "A Galaxy Consumed!" - Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Mike Esposito. Cover by John Buscema. Thor and his group go to the Black Stars, where they are attacked by Avalon, who then tells Thor that he was just testing them and that his people are robotic slaves to the masters of the Black Stars. They all begin to talk when they are attacked by the Protector, but it is destroyed by Thor. They then see the masters of the Black Stars, against which, Thor is microscopic. Gerry Conway’s THOR always seems to hover around the “good” to “very good” range with a rare “great” or “excellent” story. He creates these long, multi-part (wannabe) epics that are, again, good to very good. Nothing about that has changed, so far, with this story. Grade: 7.5
TOMB OF DRACULA #16. "Return from the Grave!" - Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. The Lord of Vampires will soon learn that he is not the only creature of the night to return from the grave as Dracula battles the spirit of a man who refuses to die. Plus, who is Doctor Sun and why will he go on to become one of Dracula's greatest adversaries? A rare mediocre story in this series. I found the subplot with Dr. Sun much more interesting. Can’t wait for that story to be told. Grade: 6.5
• BEWARE #6
• CHAMBER OF CHILLS #8
• CRYPT OF SHADOWS #8
• MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION #16
• MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #47
On sale October 9, 1973
AMAZING ADVENTURES #22. "Washington Nightmare!" - Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Frank Chiaramonte (as Frank Chiarmonte). Cover by Herb Trimpe. While on a mission in Washington, D.C., Killraven and his men become merchandise in an alien slave market! Reprint backup story: "The Man Who Went Too Far!", art by Richard Doxsee. A scientist invents a cosmic magnet that brings down a ghost-like inhabitant of space. Most intriguing to me about this story is the introduction of the swashbuckling villain, Sabre, who bears a resemblance to McGregor’s swashbuckling hero of the same name from Eclipse Comics. Also cool was the villain Abraxas, aka Charles Santana who sided with the Martians after losing his ability to play guitar! 😂😂😂 Just kidding. While Abraxas is a cool villain, the rest is.....just me being me, 😀 Otherwise, it’s more post-apocalyptic fun. Grade: 7.5
AVENGERS #119. "Night of the Collector" - Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Bob Brown. Inks by Don Heck. Cover by John Romita. The Avengers' cataclysmic confrontation with Dormammu is over, and now the team is ready for rest and relaxation. The Avengers end up at a dangerous Halloween party where they are kidnapped by their host, Tom Fagan. Fagan is actually the Collector, a galactic super-villain who wants to acquire the “earthling” heroes as part of his museum of oddities. Meanwhile, Black Panther and Mantis find time to bond. Thank goodness that the stories have been enjoyable because the Brown/Heck art team just doesn’t work for me. Also, it was good to see Rutland and the Collector again. He’s always enjoyable, for me. Grade: 8.0
MAN-THING #1. "Battle for the Palace of the Gods!" - Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Val Mayerik and Sal Trapani. Cover by Frank Brunner. Now in its own magazine - the macabre Man-Thing, the most startling swamp creature of all! While guarding the Nexus of All Realties, Marvel’s resident muck-man encounters an overeager duck from Duckworld, and Korrek the Barbarian! Will this unlikely trio be able to save the time stream from the likes of Thog the Nether-Spawn? One thing that I’ve noticed about Gerber scripts is that there’s always the “WTH is going on?” factor, lol!! A strange, but entertaining tale that comes to a cool conclusion. Grade: 7.5
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1. "Vengeance of the Molecule Man!" - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita, Sr. It's monster vs. monster as the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing battles the macabre Man-Thing. Plus, the malevolent Molecule Man shows up to make things even worse for our rocky hero. This was an odd little story. It had some really great moments like when the Molecule Man transformed, both, the Thing and Man-Thing back into their human counterparts. Yet, something wasn’t as spectacular as I’d hoped. I have a feeling that I know what it is, but I need to read more issues before I reveal what I’m thinking. Grade: 7.5
• CONAN THE BARBARIAN #34
• CRAZY MAGAZINE #2
• MY LOVE #27
On sale October 16, 1973
CAPTAIN MARVEL #30. “To Be Free from Control!" - Written and pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Al Milgrom. Starlin cover pencils. With his new Cosmic Awareness, Captain Marvel tracks down the Controller, seeking to defeat him and release Rick Jones' girlfriend from the Controller's power! Even with his new power, Captain Marvel still struggles against the Controller, until Thanos intervenes and destroys the Controller. Now, Captain Marvel must seek out other heroes that he can rally against Thanos. His first stop... Avengers mansion! The Thanos War continues to stand the test of time. Even after repeated reading. Mar-Vell’s battle with the Controller is epic! Super hyped because Drax returns next issue! Grade: 9.5
FANTASTIC FOUR #142. "No Friend Beside Him!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Rich Buckler (breakdowns) and Joe Sinnott (finishes). Cover by Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott. The Fantastic Four reach the lowest point of their history following the shocking events of the previous issue. The team has been torn apart by the crisis with Franklin, and now the team members begin to go their separate ways. Upon reading a note from his girlfriend Alicia Masters, the Thing hops on an airplane and flies to the Balkans to rendezvous with her. Once Ben arrives, he is attacked by Darkoth, the Death-Demon! It's an awesome slugfest between the blue-eyed idol of millions and Darkoth! Meanwhile back in New York City, Mr. Fantastic and Medusa attend Reed's college reunion. Considering that one of Reed's classmates went on to become the monarch of a Balkan country...and also one of the most feared super-villains on the face of the Earth...perhaps Reed should have declined that invitation! I first saw Darkoth in FF #193 & 194. I loved everything about him. Such a cool villain. Great story, but Ben should have realized who is behind this latest attack rather quickly. Grade: 9.0
THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #8. “My Name is Dracula!" - Written by Gary Friedrich, pencils by John Buscema, inks by John Verpoorten. The two most horrifying creatures in English literature, head-to-head! Frankenstein’s Monster vs. Count Dracula! Or are they on the same team? The Lord of Vampires must feed, and a nearby village is on the menu. Back-up reprint, "The Man Who Can't Be Stopped" with beautiful art by Joe Orlando. Buscema cover? 😮😮😮 WOW! What did I just read?!! As I always say, I’m a sucker for a hero vs hero battle. In this case, Universal Studios style!! This was a fantastic issue! My only gripe is the artwork. Not some of Big John’s best stuff. Grade: 9.0
JUNGLE ACTION #8. "Malice by Crimson Moonlight” - Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Klaus Janson. Cover pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Frank Giacoia. Panther’s Rage continues as Malice attacks the palace in an effort to free Venomm. Four-page backup feature, "Black Panther Artistry” reprints previous art of the character, including panels by John Buscema/George Klein, Barry Windsor-Smith/Johnny Craig, Jack Kirby/Joe Sinnott, Herb Trimpe, and Buckler/Janson. Map of the Land of Wakanda by Don McGregor. Central Wakanda's Palace Royal illustration. McGregor is loquacious and seems to prefer more narrative-driven stories versus dialogue-driven ones. Fortunately, he’s good at it. The more that I read this saga, the more I realize that I don’t remember much about it, which is a treat because it feels like a fresh perspective again. Grade: 8.0
MARVEL PREMIERE #13. “Time Doom” - Written by Steve Englehart (plot; script) and Frank Brunner (plot), pencils by Frank Brunner, inks by Crusty Bunkers (part Neal Adams inks). Cover art by Frank Brunner. Strange follows Mordo to 18th-century Paris to confront Cagliostro, who is revealed as Sise-Neg, a magician from the 30th century. Sise-Neg is traveling back through time, controlling mystical energy to become God. I want to love Dr. Strange’s stories as much as I love the unbelievably stunning artwork of Brunner and Adams. Yet, the mystical stuff has always been only mildly enjoyable for me. However, this tale is one of the few of that genre that had me on the edge of my seat. Great story. Grade: 8.5
MARVEL TEAM-UP #17. “Chaos at the Earth's Core!" - Written by Len Wein. Pencils by Gil Kane. Inks by Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, and Sal Trapani. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. Following the events of last issue and FANTASTIC FOUR #141, Mister Fantastic and Spider-Man journey to the center of the Earth to battle the Basilisk & Mole Man, and rescue Captain Marvel. I don’t remember much from the first time I read this, which was about 10+ years ago. I do remember the Basilisk’s return a couple of years later in the TEAM-UP/TWO-IN-ONE crossover. Despite the too-on-the-nose dual identities, he’s kind of a cool villain. I, also, loved the indirect connection to The Thanos War as this tale is set just before Mar-Vell arrives in DAREDEVIL AND THE BLACK WIDOW #107. Grade: 8.0
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #13. “His Name Is Taboo” - Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Mike Ploog, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. Cover art by Mike Ploog. Jack Russell is captured by Taboo and his helper Topaz. Topaz turns on Taboo and helps Jack. After 5 issues, Mike Ploog returns!!! He and Chiaramonte do a bang-up job artistically and the story was nearly as good. A step up from the last issue. Grade: 7.5
• CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #27
• RAWHIDE KID #118
• SGT. FURY #117
On sale October 23, 1973
INCREDIBLE HULK #172. “And Canst Thou Slay... the Juggernaut?” - Written by Steve Englehart (plot) and Tony Isabella (script), pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Jack Abel. Cover art by Herb Trimpe. Hulk has been captured and put in a holding cell at Hulkbuster base. As he quickly dismantles his prison walls, Armbruster calls on Peter Corbeau who brings a ray to teleport the Hulk to another dimension. Hulk is blasted away but the Hulkbusters find themselves facing the Juggernaut in his place. When they try to use the ray again, the Hulk returns as well, and the two powerhouses quickly bust out and get away. Hulk quickly finds he does not like his new ally and the two battle. The X-Men show up to capture Juggernaut but allow the Hulk to escape. As always, Hulk stories work best when he faces a comparable force. Watching the Hulk kick military butts got old a long time ago, but a powerhouse like the Juggernaut is a great foe for him. Grade: 8.0
IRON MAN #66. "Night of the Thunder God!" - Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by George Tuska and Mike Esposito. Iron Man's body is under the thrall of the Skrull outcast Krimonn. The villainous alien is using Shell-Head's own power to wreak havoc on the innocent citizens of Detroit. That is until the Mighty Thor arrives on the scene. Can Tony get back control of his body before his teammate batters it senseless? First thing of note: IRON MAN is now bi-monthly! Further proof, in my mind, that, at least in these days, he’s not the A-list character that I thought him to be. As for my hero vs hero battle goes....well...we got gypped, somewhat. I won’t spoil what I mean by that for the other three people that probably haven’t read this yet. The Dr. Spectrum four-parter was entertaining enough, but, for whatever reason, I was expecting more. Grade: 8.0
TOMB OF DRACULA #17. "Death Rides the Rails!" - Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. Cover by Gil Kane. First, Blade tracks Dracula back to his hidden lair, but the Daywalker will soon learn that no lone slayer is a match for the Lord of Vampires! Then, Dracula descends upon a fast-moving bullet train and gets caught up in the intrigue playing out within. Very good story a la “Murder on the Orient Express” without the whodunnit angle. The intrigue lies with a mysterious passenger who is fleeing for his life along with his bodyguard. Whom he’s fleeing from is revealed to be part of an interesting subplot that I cannot wait to unfold. As for the stars of the book, Dracula continues to beat up on people that he could have easily killed long ago. Despite that, a great issue. Grade: 8.5
• KID COLT #179
• MARVEL TALES #49
• OUR LOVE STORY #27
• OUTLAW KID #20
• SAVAGE TALES #3
• WEIRD WONDER TALES #2
• WORLDS UNKNOWN #5
Marvel published two issues of TOMB OF DRACULA this month for whatever reason. Maybe the second one was to make up for the mediocrity of the first one. Fortunately, there was only one other book other than TOD #16 that received an average to mediocre grade this month and that was SUB-MARINER #68 which grades much higher in my childhood memory than it does with me as an adult. Otherwise, another great month of comics. I’m enjoying this while I can because I know that the spectacular runs on CAPTAIN MARVEL and CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON are about to end. In the meantime, there’s always next month. Until then, thanks for the support, and take care.
Grading Chart:
10.0 = Classic (rarely given)
9.0 – 9.5 = Excellent
8.0 – 8.5 = Great
7.0 – 7.5 = Good
6.0 – 6.5 = Above Average
5.0 – 5.5 = Average
4.0 – 4.5 = Below Average
3.0 – 3.5 = Poor
2.0 – 2.5 = Very Poor
1.0 – 1.5 = Utter Shite
0.0 – 0.5 = Not worth the paper it’s printed on
Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. CAPTAIN MARVEL #30
2. THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #8
3. FANTASTIC FOUR #142
4. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #169
5. TOMB OF DRACULA #7
Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #13
2. CHAMBER OF CHILLS #8
3. CRYPT OF SHADOWS #8
4. AVENGERS #119
5. MARVEL PREMIERE #13   |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Apr 14, 2023 2:12:29 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #169. "When a Legend Dies!" - Written by Steve Englehart and Mike Friedrich, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Frank McLaughlin. Captain America may be a trained gymnast, but he's no match for the Tumbler! Plus, find out why the Falcon and the Black Panther meet when a legend dies! Red Skull cameo. A lot happens in this issue. Cap is being discredited by an organization called the Committee to Regain American Principles. (First thing that I noticed was that its acronym spells C.R.A.P. 🤣 You cannot tell me that that was not intentional, lol!!!) Next, the Falcon is tired of living in Cap’s shadow and he reaches out to T’Challa, who will give him his wings. The love triangle between Cap, Sharon, and Peggy continues and, in the end, Cap gets set up for murder. Fabulous chapter in this series. This book is still on fire! Grade: 9.0
I think C.R.A.P. was Englehart's comment on the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, Richard Nixon, which was widely mocked with the acronym C.R.E.E.P. |
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Post by Myke Gee on Apr 14, 2023 22:22:34 GMT -5
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON NOVEMBER 21, 2020 *** NOVEMBER 1973 (Cover Dated: February 1974)
Good morning, all!! It’s the penultimate month of 1973 and Marvel isn’t coming close to slowing down. Here are my thoughts on the Marvel Comics published the month of November 1973.
On sale October 30, 1973
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #129. "The Punisher Strikes Twice!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt (backgrounds). Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita. One of the landmark issues of the bronze age! The Punisher, the legendary gun-toting vigilante, makes his first appearance in the Marvel Universe! And his first target...is none other than your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! But before Frank Castle can locate the web-slinger, he needs directions from a mysterious new super-villain called the Jackal! Once the dastardly Jackal tells the sharpshooting anti-hero where to find the wall-crawler, the inaugural battle between the Punisher and the Amazing Spider-Man erupts! The first of many classic confrontations! Another iconic story that I’m reading for the first time. Of course, I know quite a bit about the Punisher, but I know absolutely nothing about the Jackal aside from his true identity. Can’t wait for the next part because this was fun! Grade: 8.5
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #170. “J'Accuse” - Written by Steve Englehart and Mike Friedrich, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Vince Colletta. Gil Kane/John Romita Sr. cover. The Star-Spangled Avenger finds himself on the other side of the law in this issue! Find out why Captain America is a wanted criminal! Plus, the Black Panther helps design a spiffy new costume for the Falcon. I feel like this book is losing just a little bit of its steam. (Maybe it’s because Englehart is just plotting, now) Fortunately, it has some steam to give. No shame in dropping from an excellent book to a great one (according to my grading scale, anyway). So yeah, another great story from a book that I was about to drop. Grade: 8.5
THOR #220. "Behold! The Land of Doom!" - Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Mike Esposito. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Dan Adkins. Entering the chief planet of the Black Stars, which are greedily eating up galaxies for fuel, Thor and his companions must stop these destructive giant beings and free the androids that they have enslaved. Well, this was a letdown. Once again, Conway spends the previous few issues building up the drama for the big payoff. Only this time, it doesn’t come. Thor was barely a factor in this story’s outcome. That’s kind of refreshing, but at least, make the alternative interesting. A subpar ending to a fairly entertaining story. Grade: 6.5
• DEAD OF NIGHT #2
• KULL THE DESTROYER #12
• TWO-GUN KID #116
• VAULT OF EVIL #9
• X-MEN #86
On sale November 6, 1973
ASTONISHING TALES #22. “...We, the Gargoyles!” - Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Dick Ayers and Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers. Cover art by John Romita. Flashback story of Gorgolla reprised from STRANGE TALES #74 - “Gorgolla! The Living Gargoyle!!” Lord Granitor is finally able to leave Stonus Five and go to conquer Earth. Magnor, who is among a rebel group of Gargoyles on Earth, warns Bob O'Bryan of the coming invasion. Bob takes over the body of It, the Living Colossus to try to stop Lord Granitor. Editorial about the origins of It, the Living Colossus. Not bad. This series continues to capture the spirit of 1950s sci-fi films. I really want to like this series more because the 8-year-old me loved the last issue. However, the 55-year-old me thinks that it’s decent and nothing more. Grade: 7.0
AVENGERS #120. "Death-Stars of the Zodiac!" - Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Bob Brown. Inks by Don Heck. Cover by Jim Starlin and Frank Giacoia. The Gemini twins of the Zodiac use their joint powers to create a death ray that will kill every NYC citizen born under a specific star sign. The Avengers must stop the Zodiac crime cartel before it’s too late. I’ve never been a fan of this incarnation of the Zodiac Cartel. Honestly, I’ve never read many stories with them, but something about them activated my “cornball sense” because they just came off as corny, to me. I’ve got to admit, they were pretty badass in this issue. Definitely looking forward to the next chapter of this story. Grade: 8.5
FEAR #20. "Morbius the Living Vampire!" - Written by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Paul Gulacy, inks by Jack Abel. Gil Kane cover pencils. The first issue starring Morbius the Living Vampire! Now a vagrant wandering the streets of Los Angeles, Morbius is reminded of his eternal condition after feasting on a young woman. Cameos by Spider-Man and the Human Torch. Brief X-Men appearance. Reprint backup story: "Midnight in the Wax Museum!" with art by Richard Doxsee. Morbius takes over the series from the Man-Thing. Pretty good start even though I’ve read this before, but don’t remember a thing about it. Someone fact-check me if I’m wrong, but I believe that this is Gulacy’s first work for Marvel. Whether it is or not, he’s definitely not the artist that he will go on to be, at this point. I’ve seen him and Abel together on MASTER OF KUNG FU and this issue flashes some hints of what’s to come, but barely. Grade: 7.5
GHOST RIDER VOL. 2, #4. "Death Stalks Demolition Derby!" - Written by Gary Friedrich. Art by Jim Mooney and Vince Colletta. Cover by John Romita, Sr. The Ghost Rider is an unstoppable supernatural force, but at sunrise, he reverts back to Johnny Blaze and discovers that the injuries he sustained have returned. But he won't have long to dwell as the Spirit of Vengeance is needed to stop an assassin from taking the life of a Las Vegas demolition derby driver. One of the better Ghost Rider stories. These earlier issues really haven’t knocked my socks off, but this was pretty entertaining. Grade: 7.0
MAN-THING #2. "Nowhere to Go but Down!" - Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Val Mayerik and Sal Trapani. Young Richard Rory is down on his luck after facing a gator attack in the Florida swamps. But his innocence grants him the protection of Man-Thing! F. A. Schist advances his plan of building an airport- a plan that involves the destruction of Man-Thing. Kind of a goofy story that involves a loser, a biker gang, and a poor man’s version of Murderworld to kill the Man-Thing. Even the ending was kinda goofy, but believe it or not, I enjoyed the Hell out of this goofy story! 😆 Grade: 8.0
POWER MAN #17. "Rich Man: Iron Man, Power Man: Thief!" - Written by Len Wein. Art by George Tuska and Billy Graham. A man in a suit and tie comes as a representative for Tony Stark to hire Luke Cage to test the security at Stark International. This puts Power Man in direct conflict with Stark's bodyguard, the Invincible Iron Man. Plus, what happens when Shell-Head reveals that nobody at Stark International hired Cage? Can these two iron-fisted heroes stop beating on each other long enough to catch the culprit behind it all? NOTE: This is the first issue to be titled POWER MAN. Yet another comic that I owned as a kid and don’t remember much about it. I remember the broad strokes, but that’s it. At any rate, I’ve read it again and thoroughly enjoyed it. I got a superhero slugfest out of it, so of course I liked it. Grade: 8.0
VAMPIRE TALES #3. Painted cover art by Luis Dominguez. "The Kiss of Death” - Written by Gerry Conway, art by Esteban Maroto. Satana, the Daughter of the Devil, fights a group of people whose fighting against the cultists of Satan. "The Collection” Written by Bhob Stewart, pencils by Paul Reinman, inks by Russ Jones and Bhob Stewart (backgrounds). "Don't Try to Outsmart the Devil” Written by Stan Lee, pencils by Carmine Infantino. An evil man makes a bargain with Satan that his heart will never stop beating so that he will live forever, but Satan merely arranges it so that his heart continues to beat after his body has rotted away. "Bat's Belfry” Written by Don McGregor, art by Vicente Alcazar. Adapted from August Derleth's first published short story. "Vampires in Time and Space" one-page story, written by Tony Isabella, and art by Pablo Marcos. "Demon Fire” Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Klaus Janson. Morbius fights a spider-demon that likes to suck out the insides of its victims. Fortunately, for Morbius, the pseudo-vampire disagrees with the spider-demon. It dies and the cult HQ it was living in collapses. This issue starts with an intriguing tale starring Satana. It’s a short teaser that’s longer than her introductory feature, but not quite a full-length story. Interesting enough to make you want more. Maroto artwork is stunning! Grade: 8.0. In between that and the Morbius story are 3 short stories with great artwork, but not my cup of tea. On to Morbius: I didn’t really pay attention to who wrote this, but about three pages into it, I realized something. So, I go back to the credits and, of course, it’s McGregor. The man does not believe in dialogue. Even still, his battle against the cult reached a satisfying ending. “Satisfying” is about the best compliment that I can give it. Grade: 7.0
• CONAN THE BARBARIAN #35
• MARVEL DOUBLE FEATURE #2
On sale November 13, 1973
DEFENDERS #12. “The Titan Strikes Back!” - Written by Len Wein, pencils by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Jack Abel (finished art), inks by Jack Abel. Cover art by John Romita. When Xemnu the Titan takes out the Hulk, it's up to the might of the Defenders to defeat the alien menace. Despite the incredible Avengers/Defenders Clash storyline, like IRON MAN, THE DEFENDERS is also a bi-monthly book, now. I know that both will return to monthly status and great stories like this will be the reason why. Grade: 8.5
FANTASTIC FOUR #143. "The Terrible Triumph of Doctor Doom!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Rich Buckler. Inks by Frank Giacoia. Cover by Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott. Victor Von Doom crashes his college reunion and captures Mr. Fantastic and Medusa! And now the Latverian monarch is set to unleash Operation Babel (and the vibration bomb) on Earth's population! The rocket-launched bomb will destroy the personality of every person on the globe and transform them into a mindless subject of Doctor Doom! However, the FF's long-time foe may have made a critical mistake by bringing Darkoth and Ben Grimm back from the Balkans in order to witness his stateside triumph! Could there be a traitor in the midst? Meanwhile, in upstate New York, Wyatt Wingfoot and Johnny Storm run into trouble with the local police and end up in jail. Doom and his schemes...😂 While most of them are kind of hair-brained (like this one, lol), he always makes for a fun story. Only Thanos rivals him in arrogance, but that’s one of the things that makes him so likable. Grade: 8.5
MARVEL TEAM-UP #18. "Where Bombs the Bomb!" - Written by Len Wein. Pencils by Gil Kane. Inks by Mike Esposito and Frank Giacoia. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. The Human Torch, Wyatt Wingfoot, and the Hulk battle Blastaar, the Living Bomb-Burst! This one was a lot of fun. It was good to lose Spidey for a month. As I’ve been on this journey, I’ve become less of a Human Torch fan, but I still enjoyed this story. Also, it’s always good to see Blastaar! Grade: 8.0
SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #16. “Midnight Brings Dark Death!” - Written by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin (co-plot), pencils by Jim Starlin (layouts, credited as "artist"), Al Milgrom (finished art, credited as "co-artist"), inks by Al Milgrom. Cover art by Jim Starlin. Shang-Chi reunites with M'Nai, an old friend, but the circumstances are less than ideal -- M'Nai has been ordered by Fu Manchu to assassinate Shang-Chi! The final issue of the series. Story continues in MASTER OF KUNG FU #17. First appearance of the character, Midnight, he stayed in limbo for quite a while until Englehart dug him up for an AVENGERS story and, much later, resurrected him as Midnight Sun in SILVER SURFER, Vol. 3. He’s a really cool character and nearly a match for Shang Chi. An enjoyable story that still holds up. Grade: 8.5
STRANGE TALES #172. "Fiend in the Fog” - Written by Len Wein, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Dick Giordano. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia. Outside his home in New Orleans, Brother Voodoo spots a young girl being swept away in the Mississippi River. Diving into the water, Voodoo manages to save the girl and bring her back to his home. There he learns that she is Loralee Tate, daughter of Samuel Tate the local chief of police. She tells Brother Voodoo that she has been stalked by a group called the Cult of the Darklord. 2nd Story: The reprint of a weird old story, "Voodoo” Written by Carl Wessler, art by Gene Colan. There’s a part of me that really wants to love Brother Voodoo. I don’t think that he’s a bad character, just a, somewhat, bland one; at least, as he’s being written so far in this series. The stories are good, but there’s something about him that only halfway works for me. Grade: 7.0
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #14. “Lo, The Monster Strikes!” - Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Mike Ploog, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. Cover art by Mike Ploog. Jack and Topaz return the mind of Phillip Russell to his own body and defeat Taboo and Algon. Jack learns that Phillip Russell did not have Jack's mother murdered as he suspected. A really good conclusion to this two-parter. Taboo made for a great villain and Topaz continues to hold my interest. Also, more great artwork from Ploog and Chiaramonte, although, I still prefer Ploog inking himself. Grade: 8.0
• JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY, VOL. 2, #9
• UNCANNY TALES #2
On sale November 20, 1973
DAREDEVIL #108. “Cry...Beetle!” - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by John Romita (Daredevil figure on page 1) and Paul Gulacy. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita Sr. Matt learns that Foggy has been shot and returns to New York without the Black Widow. Matt learns from the injured Foggy that he was investigating a plot called Black Spectre. Plus, DD stops the Beetle who is attempting to steal government plates but Black Spectre members interfere and make off with the plates. Welp! The “...and the Black Widow” is gone from the cover, but Natasha is in the corner box. She’s seen her last days as a co-star of this book. Although, at times, writers seemed to forget that she was the co-star. She’s a great character, but not so much these days because writers didn’t seem to know what to do with her. Rarely was she depicted as an equal co-star. It’s not until THE CHAMPIONS that she seems to hit her stride. So, farewell Natasha. Now, Daredevil is back in New York (thus, Matt Murdock is, too) and no one makes the connection!!! Anyway, a good issue if for no other reason than it’s the last time we see Moondragon as a likable character. Grade: 7.5
INCREDIBLE HULK #173. “Anybody Out There Remember...the Cobalt Man?” - Written by Roy Thomas, art by Herb Trimpe. Cover art by Herb Trimpe. Ralph Roberts stands in close proximity to a nuclear blast so he can once again have the power to become Cobalt Man. The Hulk battles Cobalt Man on board a ship but their fracas sinks the boat, just as Hulk begins to turn into puny Banner. I remember that the Cobalt Man debuted in the X-MEN, but I don’t recall a thing about that story. I like the redesign of the armor and he appears to be a pretty formidable foe. The type that I like to see the Hulk and his ilk battle, but again, this is one of those stories where something seemed to be missing. Maybe the next chapter will make up for it. Grade: 7.5
TOMB OF DRACULA #18. "Enter: Werewolf by Night!" - Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. Cover by Gil Kane. It's the battle for the night as the power of Dracula is pitted against the savage might of the werewolf! Guest-starring Jack Russel (Werewolf by Night). Blade cameo. Story continues in WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #15. Wow! Reading this, I suddenly feel like I’m an 8-year-old kid watching Creature Feature on Saturday night TV, lol!!! Although Jack Russell isn’t based on the Lawrence Talbot werewolf from 1941, it was still great to two classic creatures go at it. Looking forward to the next part. Grade: 8.5
• KID COLT: OUTLAW #180
• MARVEL SPECTACULAR #6
• MARVEL SUPERHEROES #42
• MIGHTY MARVEL WESTERN #30
• MONSTERS UNLEASHED #4
• WESTERN GUNFIGHTERS #21
• WHERE MONSTERS DWELL #27
Nothing earned a 9.0/9.5 this month. Even still, this was a great month of comics! Shockingly, only THOR received a mediocre grade. The highlight of the month was, once again, the horror books. Having just recently watched “Abbott & Costello Meets Frankenstein”, seeing these iconic horror characters meet this month was a treat. Next week, it’s the final review for 1973. This continues to be a blast; especially as I get closer to my era of collecting comics. So, until next week, take care, everyone!
Grading Chart:
10.0 = Classic (rarely given)
9.0 – 9.5 = Excellent
8.0 – 8.5 = Great
7.0 – 7.5 = Good
6.0 – 6.5 = Above Average
5.0 – 5.5 = Average
4.0 – 4.5 = Below Average
3.0 – 3.5 = Poor
2.0 – 2.5 = Very Poor
1.0 – 1.5 = Utter Shite
0.0 – 0.5 = Not worth the paper it’s printed on
Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. AVENGERS #120
2. TOMB OF DRACULA #18
3. SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #16
4. FANTASTIC FOUR #143
5. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #129
Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #129
2. CONAN THE BARBARIAN #35
3. POWER MAN #17
4. SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #16
5. STRANGE TALES #172   |
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Post by Myke Gee on Apr 15, 2023 13:57:52 GMT -5
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON NOVEMBER 28, 2020 *** DECEMBER 1973 (Cover Dated: March 1974)
Good morning, everyone!!! Well, this is it!! The final review of 1973! So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on the December 1973 books. I hope that you enjoy them.
On sale November 27, 1973
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #130. "Betrayed!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt (backgrounds). Cover by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro. It's the first appearance of the Spider-Mobile! The web-slinger's new toy to fight crime! But while Spidey speeds around town in his fresh set of wheels; the Jackal, Hammerhead, and Doctor Octopus separately plot his demise! By the time the wall-crawler slows down, he realizes that his dear Aunt May is about to make the biggest mistake of her life...with Doc Ock! This is one of those issues where quite a few things happen that sets up other things for later: particularly, the wedding of Aunt May and Doc Ok. Yet, there’s just enough action to keep you into it. One thing that didn’t make sense to me is, if he has the Spider-Mobile, why did he choose to swing to Westchester where May is staying instead of driving? Grade: 8.0
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #171. "Bust-Out!" - Written by Steve Englehart (story idea) and Mike Friedrich, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Vinnie Colletta. Cover pencils by John Romita, inks by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro. Cap's in jail and accused of murder! He's been set up by the malicious Committee to Regain America's Principles and its super-figurehead, Moonstone-and Cap's unable to prove his innocence! Plus, the Falcon gets new wings! For me, one of the signs of how much I’m enjoying a book is how quickly I read it. If I blow through it, it either has very little narration/dialogue or it’s entertaining as Hell. The latter was the case with this one as this story continues to find Cap and now, the Falcon in deeper trouble thanks to the Committee to Regain American Principles aka C.R.A.P. 😂 (Sorry. That’s still funny to me 😄) Grade: 9.0
SUB-MARINER #69. “Two Worlds and Dark Destiny!” - Written by Steve Gerber. Pencils by George Tuska. Inks by Vince Colletta. Cover by John Romita. The Avenging Son rampages through Empire State University! Why? Because he’s trying to locate an ESU professor that can save Atlantis and her comatose citizens! But a certain web-slinging student isn’t fond of Prince Namor wrecking his favorite campus! Once Spider-Man corrals the Sub-Mariner, he directs the Prince of Atlantis to the right place! And there the Avenging Son learns that he must find and defeat Force (again) to protect his undersea kingdom! Spider-Man on the cover is a tad bit misleading. It, sort of, implies that the two are going to fight or team up, but they don’t. Even still, round two with Force was worth the money. Grade: 8.0
THOR #221. "Hercules Enraged!” - Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Mike Esposito. Cover pencils by John Buscema, inks by John Romita. Thor is in Olympus, battling the guards, to see Hercules. In an extended flashback, we see the Asgardians return home, only to be greeted by an upset Hildegarde. She had gone to Odin to find Krista and sees her in Pluto's underworld as a slave and standing over her are Pluto and Hercules. Back in Olympus, Thor and Hercules battle after confronting him over Krista’s fate, with Herc claiming that he doesn't know what Thor is talking about. During the battle, Ares sneaks away to meet Snatos and confirm that the plan proceeds accordingly. It would seem like Marvel has tried a few times to make Ares, God of War a big-time villain, but he doesn’t do much for me. In fact, he doesn’t do much in this issue. The real attraction is Thor vs Hercules! A fine superhero battle, indeed. Grade: 8.5
• BEWARE #7
• CHAMBER OF CHILLS #9
• CRYPT OF SHADOWS #9
• MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION #17
• MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #48
On sale December 4, 1973
AMAZING ADVENTURES #23. "The Legend Assassins!" - Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. Cover by Herb Trimpe. The Martians capture Killraven and plan to broadcast his death to every human slave, destroying his legend. Reprint backup story: "Face of Fear!" art by Tom Cooke. A take on the Twilight Zone's "Eye of the Beholder." Killraven faces off against a pack of rodents led by their master.......*sigh*.....Rattack. 🙄 Yes, I said Rattack. This is also the first appearance of Mint Julep. Yep! That’s her name. 😏 Cornball names aside, this is a decent issue. Still waiting on the arrival of P. Craig Russell. He makes this series a much easier read. Grade: 7.5
AVENGERS #121. "Houses Divided Cannot Stand!" - Written by Steve Englehart. Art by John Buscema (layouts) and Don Heck (finishes). Cover by Ron Wilson and John Romita. The Avengers trace the Zodiac death ray to the World Trade Center, but the battle ends abruptly when Mantis nearly falls to her death. Cornelius Van Lunt, a.k.a Taurus, meets with his Zodiac compatriots and devises a new plan that will destroy the Avengers. Man, how golden was Englehart in these days? He was on fire in the early 70s. Turning out great scripts on CAPTAIN AMERICA. Guiding the Avengers through one of its greatest eras. The legendary Avengers/Defenders Clash. Co-creating Shang Chi. Resurrecting Dr. Strange in MARVEL PREMIERE. Seems like the man could do no wrong. I mean, three of my highest-rated books this month were written by him. Grade: 9.0
CAPTAIN MARVEL #31. "The Beginning of the End!" - Written by Jim Starlin. Pencils by Jim Starlin. Inks by Dan Green and Al Milgrom. Cover by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom (with John Romita touch-ups). Drax the Destroyer arrives at Avengers Mansion with a dire warning: Thanos possesses the cosmic cube! And now the entire universe faces annihilation! Once Captain Marvel and Moondragon appear at the mansion as well, the eleven assembled superheroes plot their course of action! However back on Titan, the near omnipotent Thanos eavesdrops on the Kree warrior's conversation with the Avengers! With the aid of the cosmic cube, the mad lover of Death teleports his adversaries to Titan for a blockbuster battle! And a blockbuster battle it was! I never understood why Starlin killed off such a spectacular villain. His are the most grandiose schemes ever, far surpassing Dr. Doom’s. A real shame that Starlin didn’t remain on this book longer. Grade: 9.5
FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #9. "The Vampire Killers!" - Written by Gary Friedrich, pencils by John Verpoorten, inks by John Verpoorten. The Monster threatens to give in to his bestial nature, despite pleas for mercy from innocent villagers. Has Count Dracula sated his thirst? Young gypsy Carmen is at risk of being the vampire’s next meal, but Frankenstein’s Monster has other plans! Back-up story: “Seeing Eye." C.A. Winter art. The conclusion town excellent story. Marvel’s modern-day clash between their versions of the Universal Studios classic creatures works. Interesting sidebar: Universal Studios never made a Dracula Vs/Meets Frankenstein film, although they did meet. Neither did Hammer Films. The one film with that title was done by Independent-International Pictures. How did those two other studios resist such an obvious pairing? Grade: 8.5
MAN-THING #3. "Day of the Killer, Night of the Fool!" - Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Val Mayerik and Jack Abel. Foolkiller is hot on Man-Thing’s trail- but why? Richard and Ruth find love with each other, while F.A. Schist and Hargood strengthen their plot against Man-Thing. Plus, a daring rescue from the mouths of angry alligators! First appearance of the first Foolkiller. Foolkiller is one of those characters that I instantly hated simply because of his name. Pretty stupid, I thought. Now, after reading his debut, I get it. Only a person as insane as this nut would call himself that, lol!!! MAN-THING and Steve Gerber continue to surprise me. I was never a fan of either, but this series continues to be really good. Grade: 8.5
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #14. “Ice and Hellfire!” - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Jim Mooney, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover inks by John Romita. Daimon Hellstrom returns home after a night out as the Son of Satan. Katherine Reynolds writes a letter to him telling him about the supernatural happenings at the Communications Building. As a result of his investigation, he battles an ice creature. An action-packed story from beginning to end despite our hero battling some silly named demon. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Grade: 8.5
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #2. "Manhunters from the Stars!" - Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Romita, Sr. When the stranger named Wundarr falls from the heavens he is discovered by the beautiful Atlantean Namorita, cousin to the Savage Sub-Mariner. A misunderstanding sets the powerful Wundarr against the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing. Then, when the Monarch of the Seven Seas shows up, things just get worse from there. I’ve always liked Wundarr from the moment I first saw him in MS. MARVEL #15. Just a fun character. This issue seems like one of those books where the guest star’s (Namor) book is about to be canceled (which it is) and he’s thrown to a potentially new audience to boost sales. Obviously, this didn’t work, but it still gave us a really good story. Grade: 8.5
TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #4. "The Law and Phillip Bliss" and "Dead Man's Judgment” Written by Steve Gerber and art by Pablo Marcos. The Amulet of Damballah calls Simon Garth back to New Orleans for a devastating day in court. The issue also has "James Bond Meets Baron Samedi or Live and Let Die Revisited" (an article about the movie by Don McGregor), "The Drums of Doom" (Written by Gerry Conway, and art by Rich Buckler, Vic Martin, and Win Mortimer), an article about witchcraft by Lin Carter, "Courtship By Voodoo" (Written by Tony Isabella and art by Ron Wilson), "Nightfilth Rising" (Written by Doug Moench and art by Win Mortimer), and "Four Daughters of Satan" (Written by John Albano and art by Ernie Chua). The saga of Simon Garth is truly a tragic one. I sometimes find myself feeling sorry for the character. A jackass in life, he’s truly paying for it in death. Fascinating story and a huge, pleasant surprise. Grade: 8.5
• CONAN THE BARBARIAN #36
On sale December 11, 1973
FANTASTIC FOUR #144. "Attack!" - Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Rich Buckler. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott. The board is set - thus Doom makes his move! Before the FF can fully recover from his last attack, Doom unleashes a new evil to destroy them - a deadly android known only as the Seeker! The Darkoth trilogy is over and, having read his appearance in issue #194, I found this version to be a bit different from the character in that issue. I know that he returns a couple of times before then. So, I guess he’ll evolve into the character that I’m familiar with. Even still, this was a fun trilogy. Grade: 8.0
KA-ZAR #2. "The Fall of the Red Wizard” - Written by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Jack Abel. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita. Ka-Zar and Shanna aren't too keen on the idea of becoming human sacrifices. But when a triceratops rampages through their village, the Fall People are convinced Ka-Zar's blasphemy is to blame. The Shanna story continues in DAREDEVIL #109. Recently in the group, there was a topic about forced characters and I’ve always felt that Ka-Zar was a character that Marvel constantly forced on the fans. He’s always interesting as a guest star but hit or miss a feature character. It doesn’t help that he was inconsistently written before his ASTONISHING TALES stint. One moment, his speech is Tarzan-esque. The next, it’s not. I say this because now we have Shanna. After a failed 5-issue series, she pops up here. I’d like to think that she’s not another forced character. If nothing else, she’s more of an obvious co-star for Ka-Zar than the Black Widow was for Daredevil. Grade: 7.5
MARVEL PREMIERE #14. “Sise-Neg Genesis” - Written by Steve Englehart (plot; script) and Frank Brunner (plot), pencils by Frank Brunner, inks by Dick Giordano. Cover art by Frank Brunner. Sise-Neg journeys back to the dawn of Creation, absorbing all mystical power. Mordo schemes to be a disciple. Strange implores Sise-Neg not to abandon mankind. Sise-Neg becomes Genesis and recreates the universe. You know, this month we witnessed Thanos’ attempt to become a God. Welp, right across the cosmos Sise-neg achieves this goal. A great story with incredible art, but never mentioned with the same reverence that The Thanos War, if at all, and that’s a shame because this was a great story! Grade: 9.5
MARVEL TEAM-UP #19. "The Coming of Stegron the Dinosaur Man!" - Written by Len Wein. Pencils by Gil Kane. Inks by Mike Esposito and Frank Giacoia. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. Spider-Man and Ka-Zar battle Stegron the Dinosaur Man in the Savage Land. First appearance of Stegron. If this month’s MTIO was meant to draw new readers to a dying SUB-MARINER book, then maybe, MTU must be trying to get new fans over to the new KA-ZAR series. (Hmm....what was I saying about Ka-Zar being forced on fans? 😏) Interesting how some characters Spidey seems to gel with and, with others, there’s almost no chemistry. Fortunately, in the couple of times that I’ve seen them together, Spidey and Ka-Zar make a good team. A good story this month even though they faced a man named “Stegron” who happens to become a human dinosaur. 🙄 Ah well, it’s comics. 😆 Grade: 8.0
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #15. “Death of A Monster!” - Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Mike Ploog, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. Cover art by Mike Ploog. A flashback reveals how Baron Russoff became a Werewolf and began the curse on his family. In the present, Dracula attacks Jack and Topaz to retrieve a book that belonged to the Baron. A very good, but not great conclusion to the Dracula/Werewolf crossover. For whatever reason, this didn’t grab me as the first part did. Grade: 7.5
• CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #28
• RAWHIDE KID #119
• SGT. FURY #118
On sale December 18, 1973
INCREDIBLE HULK #174. “Doomsday--Down Under!” - Written by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Jack Abel. Cover art by Herb Trimpe. Trouble down under! The Cobalt Man is destroying Sydney with his nuclear powers! Can Betty and Ted free Bruce from his tranquilized captivity? I was hoping that the conclusion worked far surpass the beginning, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Even still it was not a bad story, at all. Grade: 7.0
IRON MAN #67. "Return of the Freak!" - Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by George Tuska and Mike Esposito. Cover by Gil Kane and Mike Esposito. Eddie March is near death after his heroic effort to stop Dr. Spectrum in the previous issue. Tony Stark and Dr. Don Blake use the enervator to try to save Eddie's life, but the procedure goes awry, and Eddie becomes the Freak! Now Iron Man has to stop his friend's rampage! The Freak was always a, somewhat, interesting character when Happy was changed. However, having Eddie become the Freak feels like they’ve run out of ideas for the character and series. It feels like an inventory story. Which doesn’t mean that it’s bad, by the way. Grade: 6.5
TOMB OF DRACULA #19. "Snowbound in Hell!" - Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. Rachel Van Helsing has finally gotten the drop on the Lord of Vampires, but if she slays Dracula, she will surely perish. Blade cameo. I’ve to hand it to them. Wolfman keeps coming up with ways to keep the vampire hunters alive, lol! What the synopsis says is that she needs Dracula to live, but did he really need her? 😏 While I enjoyed the story, watching Wolfman come up with reasons for Dracula to not kill his pursuers is becoming something of an eye-roller, lol!!! Grade: 7.5
• DRACULA LIVES #5
• KID COLT: OUTLAW #181
• MARVEL TALES #50
• OUTLAW KID #21
• WEIRD WONDER TALES #3
• WORLDS UNKNOWN #6
So, if you all haven’t figured this out already, as long as Jim Starlin is working on CAPTAIN MARVEL, it’s going to be the #1 book of the month, lol!!! It is rivaled only by CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON. A shame that both magnificent series’ heyday is coming to an end. Ironically, Englehart takes over CAPTAIN MARVEL, but, in my opinion, he never captures that magic that he brought to C.A. & THE FALCON. Also great was Dr. Strange’s final appearance in MARVEL PREMIERE. Fantastic story!!! 1973 goes out with a bang, but, as usual, when I finish a year, I take a break. December is here next week and so are the holidays. Also, for me, another surgery. Nothing major, but I will be relaxing for a couple of weeks. Reviews will be back on January 2, 2021. Next: the conclusion of the Zodiac saga, the debut of the MASTER OF KUNG FU series, and guest appearances by Hercules and the X-Men. Until then, take care, everyone!
Grading Chart:
10.0 = Classic (rarely given)
9.0 – 9.5 = Excellent
8.0 – 8.5 = Great
7.0 – 7.5 = Good
6.0 – 6.5 = Above Average
5.0 – 5.5 = Average
4.0 – 4.5 = Below Average
3.0 – 3.5 = Poor
2.0 – 2.5 = Very Poor
1.0 – 1.5 = Utter Shite
0.0 – 0.5 = Not worth the paper it’s printed on
Top Books of the Month:
1. CAPTAIN MARVEL #31
2. MARVEL PREMIERE #14
3. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #171
4. AVENGERS #121
5. FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #9
Top Covers of the Month:
1. CAPTAIN MARVEL #31
2. CHAMBER OF CHILLS #6
3. MARVEL PREMIERE #14
4. MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #14
5. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #171
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Post by Myke Gee on Apr 18, 2023 18:05:06 GMT -5
When I started this project, I would normally take a month off from reviewing before starting a new year of comics. I've always wanted to do a Year in Review post, but at this point, I was 11 years into the project. However, I decided to say to heck with it and review each series that I read up to this point. From here on, there will be a Year in Review post at the end of each year. For now, I hope that you enjoy my review of these series. This is Part One...
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON DECEMBER 5, 2020 ***
THE FANTASTIC FOUR (#1-144)
I must say that, at the beginning of this series, I wasn’t that impressed. One thing I had to adjust to was the style of storytelling of that era. Even after I got past that, the first 24 issues of the series were kind of mediocre, in my opinion. While I did enjoy them, I was expecting a bit more from the first appearance of the Sub-Mariner and Dr. Doom. The first Thing/Hulk battle was good, too. Issue #25 (the Thing/Hulk battle: Round 2) was when this book really took off, for me. From this point on, it seemed like Mr. Lee and Mr. Kirby could do no wrong. The meetings between the Avengers and the X-Men, the introduction of the Frightful Four and the Inhumans, the incredible team-up with Daredevil vs Dr. Doom (STILL my favorite FF story), the coming of the Silver Surfer and Galactus, the introduction of the Black Panther, the introduction on the Kree, Adam Warlock (as Him) and so much more. I began to understand why this was the flagship series of Marvel Comics. As the Kirby days were winding down, the book fell into something of a lull; especially around #96-100. #100 was so bad, I almost felt guilty about the scathing review that I wrote, but it is what is. In the next 44 issues, the book bounced back to some really good stories, but the glory of the Lee/Kirby days was gone. Still, there were some spectacular moments like the Air Walker story and the Overmind saga. So far, this series has been nearly perfect…nearly. Grade: 9.0
*****
MARVEL’S WESTERN COMICS (KID COLT: OUTLAW/GUNSMOKE WESTERN/THE RAWHIDE KID/THE TWO-GUN KID/GHOST RIDER/RED WOLF/GUNHAWKS)
The reason why I lump all of these together is that, while the Westerns were biggest and the most pleasant surprise of this venture, they all suffered from the same thing: predictable and formulaic stories. However, as Marvel was establishing its superhero universe, the Westerns were continuations of series that started in the 1950s. GUNSMOKE WESTERN was the first to be canceled, but it was soon replaced by THE TWO-GUN KID. Yet, with the addition of that series, we weren’t seeing anything new. As more superhero series appeared, I dropped the Westerns but picked up the new Western series GHOST RIDER and RED WOLF because of the superhero aspects of the characters. GUNHAWKS didn’t have that aspect, but I was always curious about that book. So, I read those, as well. None of the three lasted longer than 9 issues and, by the time the last issue of any of those came along, my interest in the Westerns was gone. As of December 1973, Marvel continues to publish KID COLT, RAWHIDE, and TWO-GUN, as well as the anthology books MIGHTY MARVEL WESTERN and WESTERN GUNFIGHTERS; both of which feature new and reprinted material. But again, my interest is gone. As I said, they were the biggest surprise of this journey and I’ll always have fond memories of those books. Because they were all so remarkably similar, I collectively give them…Grade: 7.5
*****
TALES TO ASTONISH #27-69 (The Ant-Man Series)
One thing that I never knew and was shocked to discover was that Henry Pym was the second character to be introduced in the Marvel Universe. Originally introduced in issue #27, I didn’t think much of that issue. The next few issues were reprints of 50s sci-fi stories which did nothing for me. However, I got excited I saw that Pym was returning in issue #35 and in his new Ant-Man identity. That excitement….died quickly, lol!! The stories were very reminiscent of DC Comics stories in that they, sometimes, felt like they were written for kids by kids. It didn’t help that the villains were straight from Loserville! The Wasp is introduced early into the series and that didn’t help either. So, eventually, THE AVENGERS debut, and Pym adjusts his power set to compete with the big boys. However, that still didn’t make for better stories. This series proved to me that Hank and Jan, while highly beloved members of the Avengers, were not strong enough characters to carry a series on their own. After issue #69, Hank and Jan were replaced by The Hulk and the Sub-Mariner. However, this is not the last you will see of the Ant-Man. Stay tuned…. Grade: 5.0
*****
INCREDIBLE HULK VOL. 1, #1-6
*Sigh* Where do I start with this one? This series was all over the place. First, he starts off as gray. Next, he’s green, which I understand had something to do with the printing. Okay, fine. However, you can’t blame the printing on the obvious lack of direction that this series displayed. None of the trademark characteristics of the Hulk that we all know and love are here. Originally, he changed at night like a gamma-radiated lycanthrope. Then, he used some machine to cause the change. *SMH* Villains were a big part of the problem. When the best villain is Tyrannus, the others have got to be pretty lame. On a positive note, this series did give us Rick Jones and Gen. “Thunderbolt” Ross. Grade: 4.0
*****
STRANGE TALES #90-134 (The Human Torch/Human Torch & the Thing Series)
When the FANTASTIC FOUR debuted in August of 1961, STRANGE TALES #90 was on sale, and it was yet another anthology book that reprinted sci-fi stories of the 1950s. The FF was such a smash, the team’s most flamboyant member, the Human Torch, took over as the star of that book in issue #101. He starred in eight-page stories that were responsible for giving us villains like Paste-Pot Pete and the Asbestos Man. There were a couple of fun issues that guest-starred the Sub-Mariner and the Iceman, but nothing that really moved the needle, for me. I guess Marvel was discovering that the Torch, also, wasn’t a strong enough character to support a book on his own, so they added the Thing to the book to star alongside the Torch. A series that was already floundering really jumped the shark when the Torch and the Thing met the Beatles, lol!!! After issue #134, they were replaced by Dr. Strange (who had already debuted in the book and was the backup feature) and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. While I enjoyed their series a tad bit more than the Ant-Man/Giant-Man/Wasp series, I cannot say that I was sad to see them go, lol!!! Grade: 5.5
*****
That’s all for now. Next, I’ll be giving my opinion of AMAZING FANTASY #15/AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY/THOR, TALES OF SUSPENSE/IRON MAN, and TALES OF SUSPENSE/CAPTAIN AMERICA. See ya, then!!
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Post by Rob Allen on Apr 18, 2023 19:55:29 GMT -5
Originally introduced in issue #27, I didn’t think much of that issue. The next few issues were reprints of 50s sci-fi stories which did nothing for me. [...] STRANGE TALES #90 was on sale, and it was yet another anthology book that reprinted sci-fi stories of the 1950s. Those 1961 fantasy titles - Strange Tales, Journey into Mystery, Tales to Astonish and Tales of Suspense, weren't reprints. They were similar to the stories done in the 50s, but they were new. A typical issue would have a Kirby cover and story, one by Ditko, and one by Heck, with others like Paul Reinman showing up occasionally. |
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Post by Myke Gee on Apr 18, 2023 22:14:45 GMT -5
Originally introduced in issue #27, I didn’t think much of that issue. The next few issues were reprints of 50s sci-fi stories which did nothing for me. [...] STRANGE TALES #90 was on sale, and it was yet another anthology book that reprinted sci-fi stories of the 1950s. Those 1961 fantasy titles - Strange Tales, Journey into Mystery, Tales to Astonish and Tales of Suspense, weren't reprints. They were similar to the stories done in the 50s, but they were new. A typical issue would have a Kirby cover and story, one by Ditko, and one by Heck, with others like Paul Reinman showing up occasionally. Oh, okay. I thought for sure that they were reprints. They’re not the type of stories that I like to read, so I never bothered. |
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Post by berkley on Apr 18, 2023 23:35:42 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #169. "When a Legend Dies!" - Written by Steve Englehart and Mike Friedrich, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Frank McLaughlin. Captain America may be a trained gymnast, but he's no match for the Tumbler! Plus, find out why the Falcon and the Black Panther meet when a legend dies! Red Skull cameo. A lot happens in this issue. Cap is being discredited by an organization called the Committee to Regain American Principles. (First thing that I noticed was that its acronym spells C.R.A.P. 🤣 You cannot tell me that that was not intentional, lol!!!) Next, the Falcon is tired of living in Cap’s shadow and he reaches out to T’Challa, who will give him his wings. The love triangle between Cap, Sharon, and Peggy continues and, in the end, Cap gets set up for murder. Fabulous chapter in this series. This book is still on fire! Grade: 9.0
I think C.R.A.P. was Englehart's comment on the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, Richard Nixon, which was widely mocked with the acronym C.R.E.E.P.
I find the concept of "Regain American Principles" eerily prescient of Trump's "Make America Great Again".
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Post by Myke Gee on Apr 19, 2023 18:49:09 GMT -5
When I started this project, I would normally take a month off from reviewing before starting a new year of comics. I've always wanted to do a Year in Review post, but at this point, I was 11 years into the project. However, I decided to say to heck with it and review each series that I read up to this point. From here on, there will be a Year in Review post at the end of each year. For now, I hope that you enjoy my review of these series. This is Part Two. I hope you enjoy it.
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON DECEMBER 12, 2020 *** Good morning, everyone. Last week, I decided to post my opinions on Marvel’s individual series that I’ve read over the last three years. Yes. I’ve spent the last three years reading the Marvel Universe from FANTASTIC FOUR #1! So far, that’s August 1961 through December 1973!! This week, I’ll continue with a few more. Next up…
***** AMAZING FANTASY #15/AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1-130
Everyone likes Spider-Man, right? (At least, I think that everyone does…) Growing up, I was a huge fan of the 1960s cartoon. So, you would think that I would buy ASM, right? Wrong. I got my Spider-Man fix from MARVEL TEAM-UP because I’m a huge fan of super teams and team-ups. So, this series starts in early June 1962 in the final issue of what was called AMAZING ADULT FANTASY. Hmm…sounds a bit risqué for those days. With issue #15, the “ADULT” was dropped, and it debuted the Web-Slinger. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko just made history! AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 hit the stands in December of 1962 and that history continued. ASM #1-38 featured some of the most legendary Spider-Man stories ever. It is during this run that the greatest of Spidey’s Rogue’s Gallery was introduced. Dr. Octopus, the Vulture, Electro, the Green Goblin, Mysterio, the Sandman, and many others all debuted during this period. Spidey, also, had his first meetings with the Human Torch and Daredevil in these days. After #38, Ditko was gone and in comes, yet, another Marvel legend, John Romita Sr. This is why I say “go jump” to ALL the Stan-bashers who claim that he never wrote anything. He and Romita collaborated on some of the greatest Spider-Man stories ever told. The highlight, for me, was The Tablet Saga. Incredible story!!! What I’ve witnessed over 131 issues, plus a couple of Annuals, is the most consistently well-written series that, maybe, I’ve ever read. I am hard press to find a bad issue in this run!! (Well, there were the Kangaroo and the Gibbon stories, lol, and those weren’t really bad bad. Just not my favorites) So, up to this point, I’ve got to give this series a… Grade: 10
***** JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #83-125/THOR #126-221
If you had a quarter in your pocket on June 5, 1962, and you happened to pass a spinner rack on that day, you could have bought the first appearance of TWO Marvel mainstays: the Amazing Spider-Man and the Mighty Thor!! As legendary as the Mighty Thor is, his early issues were far from that. In fact, they were, nearly, unreadable. I understand that Marvel, as a company, was still finding its footing and that was never more evident than with this title. Stan, Jack, and Larry Leiber did JIM #83, and Lee and Leiber co-wrote stories up to issue #91 with Kirby drawing the book intermittently. Otherwise, Joe Sinnott, Don Heck, and Leiber would handle the artwork. Robert Bernstein (Under the name “Robert Bern”) co-wrote issues #92-96 along with Stan. Bottom line is that those were the issues that were hard to bear. A lot of DC Comics-like stuff going on. I’m still trying to get over the moment that Thor’s hammer “tingled” like a spider-sense, lol!! With issue #97, Lee took over the writing chores alone and the book got a lot better. Jack joined him permanently with issue #101. Chic Stone was the inker. Some really good stories came on this run, but the definitive creative team was Lee, Kirby, and Vince Colletta. Yes, I said Vince Colletta!!! LOL!!! My only gripe about the J.I.M. era was the number of times Thor fought Loki. Some great villains had been established during this era like the Growing Man, the Grey Gargoyle, Cobra and Mr. Hyde, the Radioactive Man, and others. That team continued the greatness in Thor’s own book, and they started doing multi-part mega epics that are some of the most classic Thor sagas. When Kirby left Marvel, Lee wrote a handful of Thor stories with John Buscema handling the artwork and they were all fantastic!! Again, that’s why I just roll my eyes at the Stan-bashers because he continued writing good stories even after he was separated from Ditko and Kirby. Next up was Gerry Conway with issue #193. Conway, by no means, is a bad writer, but something was missing with his Thor stories. Maybe it’s just that Lee, Kirby, and Colletta set the bar so high, that even good stories pale in comparison. I don’t know. This book, somewhat, parallels the FF series in that it had a rocky start, then achieved epic status, and finally, a drop in quality, but still consistently good. Honestly, I was never a fan of solo Thor stories, but this venture has changed my mind. Grade: 8.5
***** TALES OF SUSPENSE #39-99/IRON MAN #1-67
There was a brief discussion in the group (or somewhere) that, until the MCU, Iron Man was not an A-list character. Let’s examine that. Personally, I was stunned to read that. Then, I read his stint in TOS and, later, in his own book. Like a few Marvel books, back then, there was a huge anti-communism theme going on and Iron Man seems to be the hero created specifically to fight that threat. Some of his oldest foes were the Crimson Dynamo, the Red Barbarian, and his arch-nemesis, the Mandarin, who was such a goofy character, I had an awfully hard time taking him seriously. I mean, he had 10 enormously powerful rings, but always wanted to fight Iron Man with martial arts, lol!!! His stint in TOS was particularly good, but, outside of his epic battle with the Titanium Man, he didn’t have many epic stories, in my opinion. He did have some great supporting characters like “Happy” Hogan, “Pepper” Potts, and Sen. Harrington Byrd; somewhat of a precursor to Henry Peter Gyrich, but nowhere near as A-hole-ish. However, this series did give us Hawkeye and the Black Widow. In 1968, Iron Man graduated to his own series with Captain America’s series continuing the numeration of TOS. In his solo series, it was more of the same, in my eyes. A lot of good stories, and maybe a couple of great ones here and there. But nothing epic. I may even go so far as to say that the definitive Iron Man story wasn’t written until Michelinie/Romita Jr/Layton era. Apparently, the powers-that-be and the readers share this assessment of the series because, by the end of 1973, IRON MAN has been relegated to bi-monthly status. So, I guess, in those days, Iron Man, an Avengers mainstay and one of the team’s “Big Three”, was indeed not an A-list character and not an A-list series, as well. Grade: 7.5
***** AVENGERS #1-121
If ever there was a “highly anticipated” series, for me, this was it. THE AVENGERS was one of the books that made me fall in love with comics. As I delved into the beginning of this series, like the FF, I was a little disappointed. Again, once I got past the way comics were written back then, I realized that the stories were good, but quickly became formulaic. Gone quickly was the Hulk and in came Captain America. The team had some good adventures, but nothing that was mind-blowing. Then came Cap’s Kooky Quartet. This was a very bold move. The whole super-team dynamic was completely tossed out the window. No flyer. No strong guy. No energy projector. Nothing that the other current teams had. What they lacked in raw power, they made up for with teamwork. While this worked for a while, by issue #28, Giant-Man (now Goliath) and, eventually, the Wasp returned and added some much-needed power to the team. Even for a comic book, it was asking a lot to accept that Cap’s lineup could beat the likes of Dr. Doom, Attuma, and even boring ol’ Kang. Even Hercules and the Black Knight joined for short stints. More really good stories came with that lineup, but, they were quickly gone, and in came the Black Panther. In MY mind, the Avengers became THE Avengers when the Vision was introduced in issue #57. It was this lineup and this era that made the AVENGERS a great book. Further tweaks were Hank Pym adopting the Yellow Jacket I.D. and Hawkeye becoming the new Goliath. This led to fabulous stories that included the Squadron Supreme, Arkon the Magnificent, and the amazing and legendary Kree-Skrull War. Marvel’s milestone issues, obviously, were not a big deal back then and they left a lot to be desired (see FF #100, DAREDEVIL #100, etc.). AVENGERS #100 was no different. While not as bad as the others, it did subject us to Hawkeye’s new costume and the book seemed like it was looking for its new direction. The Sentinels, the Grim Reaper, and Magneto all provided great stories, but it was The Avengers/Defenders Clash that gave this book yet another epic, legendary tale. As the early 70s continues, so does the greatness as Zodiac proved to be a very formidable opponent for the team (although, I don’t know how, lol!!). Great stuff to end the year. Overall, the AVENGERS has been a great series. Having two legendary tales help and, honestly, since I’m writing this from memory, I probably forgot a couple. With that, I still give this series a…..Grade: 9.0
***** X-MEN #1-66
The X-Men’s original run was the very definition of “hit or miss”. Yet, another series that I genuinely wanted to love mainly because of my fondness for the “All-New, All-Different” team. The series starts off by introducing the team’s arch nemesis Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Such simpler times back then that a name like that would fly. Everything was so absolute. Black & white, good & evil. The series, also, introduced the not-so-evil Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. One more thing that it introduced was the easiest origin story that you can give a character. Mutants: people that were born with their powers. The fear and hatred of mutants were there in those days, but not at the level it was in the late 70s/early 80s. What struck me was the C-level list of villains that came through this book. When I read UNCANNY X-MEN #138, “Elegy”, I thought that those villains played a major role in the team’s lives, but some of them were seen only once. Magneto and the Juggernaut were, probably, the two with the highest profile. Others like Mekano and El Tigre were Snoresville. Grotesk had potential, I thought, but you don’t see him again until the MS. MARVEL series. Even the Steranko issues didn’t do much for me as I’ve concluded that he’s a far better artist than a writer (see next week’s TALES OF SUSPENSE/CAPTAIN AMERICA review for more on that). Truly, the highlight of this series was the Roy Thomas/Neal Adams/Tom Palmer run from issue #56 through #63. After suffering so many Werner Roth issues, Steranko and Adams were Godsends. Unfortunately (artistically for Steranko, at least), both runs were noticeably short. After #63, Adams left for an issue and we were subjected to Don Heck. Adams Returned the next issue, but Thomas was gone. Thomas was back in #66 and Adams was gone once again and, apparently, so were the fans and the powers-that-be’s patience. The X-MEN wasn’t canceled but it was relegated to a bi-monthly reprint book and that’s what it remains as of December 1973. Some really great moments in this series like the Factor Three story arc and the battles with the Juggernaut. Otherwise, it was an above-average series with rare moments of grandeur. Grade: 7.5
***** Next up: STRANGE TALES/DR. STRANGE VOL. 1, STRANGE TALES/S.H.I.E.L.D., DAREDEVIL, TALES OF SUSPENSE/CAPTAIN AMERICA, TALES TO ASTONISH/INCREDIBLE HULK and TALES TO ASTONISH/SUB-MARINER. See ya, then, and take care.
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Post by Myke Gee on Apr 21, 2023 18:45:57 GMT -5
When I started this project, I would normally take a month off from reviewing before starting a new year of comics. I've always wanted to do a Year in Review post, but at this point, I was 11 years into the project. However, I decided to say to heck with it and review each series that I read up to this point. From here on, there will be a Year in Review post at the end of each year. For now, I hope that you enjoy my review of these series. This is Part Three. I hope you enjoy it.
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON DECEMBER 19, 2020 *** Good morning, everyone. Once again, I’m here to share my opinion of a few Marvel Comics series that I’ve read over the last three years. For those that don’t know, I started reading Marvel Comics chronologically starting with FANTASTIC FOUR #1. At this point, I’ve read up to December 1973. Here’s my overall summation of the following series…
STRANGE TALES #110 – 168/DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 1, #169 – 183  ***** STRANGE TALES #135 – 168/NICK FURY: AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 – 18 
***** DAREDEVIL/DAREDEVIL & THE BLACK WIDOW #1 – 108 
***** TALES TO ASTONISH #59 – 101/INCREDIBLE HULK #102 – 174
After the rudderless ship that was his first series and after his latest appearance in FANTASTIC FOUR #25, the Hulk became the co-star in TTA. Once again, writers were still fleshing out the character. While his appearance in TTA #59 was, technically, a guest appearance, his debut as the co-star to Giant-Man was the very next issue and it was written by Stan Lee with art by Steve Ditko and George Bell. The first two things that you notice even from the original 6-issue series are: 1) he doesn’t talk about himself in the third person. He’s not dimwitted and childlike as he will go on to be. 2) He’s not as powerful as he will eventually be. Oh yeah, make that 3 things: he had a secret identity back then, lol!! So much was different back then, but one of the first changes was his transformation now comes from high stress or excitement. The book was still all over the place as they were just trying things out to see what work with the character. One of those things is creating an arch-villain and having him battle him repeatedly. (We’ve seen this before, I believe) Of course, there was, also, the Abomination, but we didn’t see nearly enough of him. Like Iron Man, Cap, and Namor, the Hulk was awarded his own series where his character was fleshed out even more. The book can be hit or miss, at times (mostly hit). I’ve always felt that characters like the Hulk, Thor, and Namor work best when the threat is just as powerful as our heroes and that’s never been more evident than in this book. My boredom sense really kicks in watching him fight the military or some random R.B.R. (Really Big Robot). Since his own book started, he’s a bunch of great villains and some heroes, as well. At this point, I really don’t have a signature storyline that I’m overly crazy about, but I have genuinely enjoyed this series much more than I thought that I would. Grade: 8.5
***** TALES OF SUSPENSE #58 - 99/CAPTAIN AMERICA/CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #100 - #171 
***** So, that’s it, people. Next up: TALES TO ASTONISH/SUB-MARINER, SGT. FURY & HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS, MARVEL SUPER-HEROES/CAPTAIN MARVEL, THE SILVER SURFER, AMAZING ADVENTURES, and ASTONISHING TALES. See ya next week!
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