...and the Living Pharaohe, the Living Laser, and the Living Totem, lol!!!

*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON JANUARY 23, 2021 ***

Good morning, everyone. Continuing my journey through the Marvel Universe, here are my thoughts on Marvel Comics published in March of 1974. (As always, for those that are new to my reviews, these are all first-time reads except where indicated)


Continued from MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #3. The Thing returns DD to New York after their failed attempt to defeat Black Spectre. Daredevil tangles with the evil organization once again and discovers that all of their soldiers are women with strange tattoos. The Widow is brainwashed into working for Black Spectre.
DD discovers that the Spectre's leader is Mandrill and is told an origin story of violence and intolerance of a white boy who was black (Mandrill) and a black girl who was white (Nekra). The Black Widow and Shanna the She-Devil appear.

And just like that, DAREDEVIL is back to being a monthly comic again! This issue, we learn the origin of Mandrill and Nekra. Without getting socio-political, their story could have been written today instead of 47 years ago....unfortunately. This may be my second or third time reading this story and, for some reason, I’m enjoying it more than I remember. Grade: 7.5




Thanks to the Inhumans, Hulk finds himself on Counter-Earth where he is promptly beaten and gassed by the Man-Beast's New Men. The Recorder finds the stasis chamber containing Adam Warlock and wakes him up. Meanwhile, back on regular Earth, Glenn Talbot escapes from his Soviet captors--or does he? Continued from WARLOCK #8.

It amazes me the situations that the Hulk finds himself in. He’s been blasted into space on more than one occasion (and he’s still able to breathe and talk, but that’s another topic 🙄). Now, for the second time, he’s on Counter-Earth and, this time, he will face Adam Warlock. Of course, this issue was just a setup for that meeting and it, loosely, fills in a few blanks between WARLOCK #8 and now. Eagerly awaiting the next issue. Grade: 7.5




Tony Stark follows Roxanne Gilbert to Vietnam in an attempt to find Eddie March's brother, who is listed as MIA after the war. But instead, Iron Man finds Sunfire, the Mandarin, and the Unicorn! First, Sunfire attacks Iron Man, and then the Mandarin abducts Sunfire! What is going on? The story features a 1-page retelling of Iron Man's origin.

This story was really good. One of the better ones despite Tuska’s stereotypical drawing of “buck-toothed Asians”. Legend has it that Iron Man’s nose helmet came about because Stan asked, “Where’s his nose?” or something like that. Interesting that a reason for the nose helmet was incorporated into the story, lol!! As always, it’s good to see Sunfire. Grade: 8.0




The diabolical scheme of Doctor Sun revealed! Plus, vampire battle vampire in a sinister duel of the unliving! Brief Blade cameo.

One of the things that makes this book fun is Dracula’s arrogance, lol!! It’s on par with Dr. Doom’s and Thanos’. Dr. Sun isn’t exactly lacking in confidence either. He’s a fascinating character and one that looks to give the Lord of Vampires fits for quite some time. As I type this, it just hit me: like Thor and the Hulk, this book is more interesting (and it’s been really good, so far) when Dracula faces an antagonist that is truly a match for him. Harker, Van Helsing, and Drake are alive only because it amuses Dracula and that’s already starting to wear a bit thin for me. If this book is to continue to hold my interest, it’s going to need more characters like Dr. Sun. Grade: 9.0




Ned Leeds and Spider-Man are sickened by Molten Man’s irradiated bursts. MJ finds out about Molten Man’s past through her friend, Liz Allan. Who was Mark Raxton before he was a villain? And what is he seeking from Spider-Man?

Another villain that is, somewhat, sympathetic. Yes, he’s a bit of a lunatic, but this time, his actions are kinda “justified”; at least, I think so. The man is just trying to live before his powers kill him. Good story, but it could have been better. Grade: 7.5




Captain America and the Falcon are disguised as employees of the Secret Empire to gain entry into their secret base. They are discovered and almost executed by laser beams. They escape down an exhaust vent and let in Professor X, Cyclops, and Marvel Girl, who are looking for lost X-Men and X-Men villains. They locate Beast, Iceman, Angel, Lorna Dane, Havok, Mastermind, Blob, Unus, and Mesmero.

Man, this one was so good, I almost read the next issue! But I’ll wait until next month’s books are up. For the umpteenth time, I’m really gonna miss Englehart on this book. Great story that even managed to tie in the Watergate scandal and provide an explanation for why the X-Men are wearing their original uniforms. Steve’s thought of it all!! Grade: 9.0



Behold, True Believers! Doc Strange casts a new spell in his second ongoing series. Silver Dagger has infiltrated the Sanctum Sanctorum...and claims the Sorcerer Supreme is actually a demon in disguise! First appearance of the Silver Dagger in the beginning of a classic Dr. Strange storyline.

Fantastic start!! I’ve liked the Silver Dagger ever since I first saw him in MARVEL TEAM-UP. For the most part, I tend to get bored with the magic stuff, but Englehart has been bringing the good stuff to this series over in MARVEL PREMIERE. Good to see that he’s continuing his excellent work. Grade: 8.5


Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. Giving Dracula diplomatic immunity seems like a dangerous thing…but it would go a long way toward keeping cops from hunting him down whenever he hunts in London! Origin and 1st appearance of Lilith (Dracula's daughter). Two-page text history of Dracula in Marvel Comics by Wolfman. Reprints: "Have You Ever Seen a Huge, Black Vampire" (script by Stan Lee, art by John Romita Sr. from MYSTIC #25); "The Village Graveyard" (art by Russ Heath from WEIRD WORLDS #4). Romita cover. The title becomes GIANT-SIZE DRACULA with # 2.

This story is all over the place and it seems like it only exists to set up future stories for TOMB OF DRACULA. By no means am I saying that it’s a bad issue. It’s just that it sometimes feels like fragments of multiple stories. Grade: 7.5

TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #5

"Palace of Black Magic”

Written by Steve Gerber and art by Pablo Marcos. The zombie faces a deadly enemy who goes by the name Papa Shorty! This issue also has "White Zombie: Faithful unto Death" (Story by Doug Moench), "Who Walks with a Zombie?" (art by Russ Heath), "With the Dawn Comes Death" (Written m. by Chris Claremont), an article about Brother Voodoo, "Voodoo War!" (Written by Tony Isabella and art by Syd Shores, Dick Ayers, and Mike Esposito), and "Death's Bleak Birth" (Written by Doug Moench and art by Frank Springer). All stories are in black and white.

The Zombie: One of the things that I find interesting is that the stories are, mostly, set in New Orleans and not New York. I think what I like about this is that, while it’s set in the Marvel Universe, it shows that everything in that universe doesn’t happen in New York. There are elements of this series that are so similar to the Man-Thing series. Both wander aimlessly and mindlessly, but both can become distracted and inquisitive about something that they see from their former lives. I know that I’m not saying much (or anything) about this issue’s story, but believe me, I enjoyed it. A great scene has Simon Garth recognizing the company that he built and he breaks in and goes to his old office to sit in his chair. The king returns to the throne. Cool stuff. Marcos’, whom I’ve always liked as an inker, once again, does a stellar job artistically. Grade: 8.0




Hercules and Thor have taken Krista to a hospital, and Thor changes to Don Blake. He then reveals to Hercules that he is Thor. On another street in Manhattan, a scientist reactivates the Destroyer, which he discovered in Peru, and begins to go on a rampage, to which Hercules responds. After the operation, Thor flies to help Hercules.

In these days, I never understood the appeal of Hercules. Yes, he has the strength to rival Thor and the Hulk, but despite his blowhard personality, he was kinda bland. In THE CHAMPIONS, he was my least favorite character, yet I couldn’t imagine the team without him. Most of what I described was on display in this issue. His strength, his bravado and boorishness, and his one-dimensional character. It wasn’t until Bob Layton turned him into a caricature of himself that he became interesting. Okay, so none of that really explains whether I enjoyed this issue or not, I know, lol!! Actually, I did, but Hercules’ inclusion felt like “filler” until Thor was able to show up, lol!!! Grade: 8.0



Fin Fang Foom is again controlled by Dr. Vault and he attacks It forcing him to slip away before he is defeated. Bob O'Bryan then sends his mind back to his body where he wakes up before they can perform an autopsy on him.

This four-issue series had some fun and interesting moments, but I’m glad that it’s over. The Living Colossus was actually interesting, but I don’t care what anyone says, Fin Fang Foom is as silly as his name. I mean, in this issue, they actually had him draw a recognizable face in the sand. Yes, I’ve definitely had enough of It, the Living Colossus. Grade: 6.0




The monster inside the Priests of Pama's temple stands revealed! It's the Star-Stalker! The ion-fueled creature from beyond the stars thrashes Earth's Mightiest Heroes and sends them running from the temple! The Avengers and Libra know they need more firepower, so the Black Panther arranges for Taurus' star-blaster to be flown to Vietnam! But when the Star-Stalker emerges from his cocoon, he crushes the powerful weapon and gets back to pounding the Avengers! Does this awesome beast have any weaknesses? If so, Mantis and the Vision better find it fast!

The mystery of Mantis is interesting and boring at the same time. Interesting enough to keep me reading, but what I learn is somewhat boring. Same thing this issue. The Star-Stalker is a badass, no doubt. But his origin as it’s tied to Mantis’ isn’t really making my socks go up and down. Man, her marrying a tree had better be a huge payoff! 😅 Grade: 7.0


The demonic Balkatar has Morbius cornered… but refuses to make a kill. King Gerark welcomes Morbius to his kingdom.

If I’m not mistaken, the Cat People in this story are the same ones that turn up years later in WEST COAST AVENGERS. I wasn’t overly fond of that storyline and this one is only mildly entertaining. Grade: 6.5



A mentally disturbed man threatens Roxanne's life and tries to force Johnny Blaze to track down the Zodiac. However, the Ghost Rider has other plans.

I think I’ve finally figured out what I’m not feeling about this series. The villains. Hard to believe that Satan is boring, but he is, lol!!! The same can be said for Witch-Woman and Roulette. Now, I know that I’ve said the same about the Zodiac in my AVENGERS reviews, but they are boring when fighting Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (except in their latest battle with them). Ghost Rider may be a bit more in their lane. No way should they have been fighting the Avengers. Isabella seems to be slowly steering this book on a positive course. Grade: 8.0




The life of Darrel the Clown reenacted! In an effort to put his spirit to rest, members of Garvey’s circus play out the clown’s life from childhood to death. The strange and twisted saga culminates in final judgment from The Critics.

Man, Gerber can be so...strange, at times. Although the Man-Thing is in the book, of course, this story is all about Darrell the Clown. An interesting tale about what drives a man to certain points in his life. An odd, but interesting story. Grade: 7.5




Luke Cage arrives at the office of Hero for Hire to find a package waiting for him. When he opens it, deadly serpents spring out. Luckily for our hero, their fangs can't penetrate his diamond-hard skin. This little gift was a calling card from the new player in town. A man who is every bit as strong as Power Man and probably deadlier, the gangster known as Cottonmouth.

Man, Blaxploitation is alive and well and living in these pages, lol!!! Cage is a great street-level hero. While I enjoyed his trip to Latveria, the streets are where he works best. Although Cottonmouth, obviously, possesses superpowers, he’s still, essentially, a street-level “businessman”. It makes sense that Cage would face guys like him and Morgan. Blaxploitation may be full of annoying stereotypes, but some of them can be a lot of fun. Grade: 8.5


The Mummy awakens in New York City and tries to discover what he has become and where he is at. He is then attacked by the police.


An escaped convict meets a man from the future who describes the wonders of his world and offers to switch places.

Of course, my only interest is in the Living Mummy story. While it was quite enjoyable, my only issue with it was setting it in New York City. Like Shang Chi in MASTER OF KUNG FU, the stranger in a strange land bit only goes but so far; at least, with me, anyway. Shang Chi was, eventually, moved to England and, hopefully, N’Kantu’s tales will move to a more suitable setting. Grade: 8.5



One of the classic FF covers of the bronze age! Shock follows shock for the Fantastic Four! First, Mr. Fantastic receives divorce papers from his estranged wife, the Invisible Girl and second, Prince Namor reveals that both Sue and Franklin are now under the protection of the Avenging Son! And in-between those revolting developments, the Human Torch and the Thing fight a fierce battle vs. the Sub-Mariner! Wow, can things get any worse for the FF?!

What is about Gerry Conway’s writing that works on FF and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, but is so hit or miss on THOR? Not that all of his stories in that book are average, but they aren’t consistent like ASM and this book. I enjoyed the Hell out of this story and I’m eagerly awaiting the next part. Namor is at his savage best in this issue. He always seems to be more interesting in other books than in his own. A page-turner reminiscent of the Lee/Kirby days. Grade: 9.0



Hawkeye and Spider-Man find themselves at odds but that may just the opening these mysterious metal men need to destroy the heroes! Spider-Man and Hawkeye battle Quasimodo the Living Computer.

This one runs true to form. Heroes meet. Heroes fight (briefly). Heroes compare notes. Heroes team up and beat up the bad guy. Nothing epic just a fun done-in-one story. Grade: 7.0



Shang Chi comes face-to-face with his diabolical father, Fu Manchu. But can even the Master of Kung Fu defeat his father's super-henchman with his hands tied behind his back?

While Englehart’s CAPTAIN AMERICA has been nothing short of spectacular, his MASTER OF KUNG FU is now starting to slow down after four issues. It’s not that the stories are bad, but he seems to be trying to determine where to take the character next. Even still, a very solid issue. Grade: 7.5



In the vast deserts of the Middle East, a professor embarks on an archaeology expedition to uncover the lost relic of the living statue, Golem. But have the sands of time-worn away any trace of this hidden wonder? First appearance and origin of the Golem.

A greedy landlord torches his building to collect the insurance but forgets one little detail in his plan.

The Golem reminds me of It, the Living Colossus over in ASTONISHING TALES. In fact, if I’m reading this issue correctly, then it’s a remarkably similar story to the Colossus. Both are inanimate statues brought to life by men controlling them. Although in the Golem’s case, this animated statue is a bit more brutal. An interesting story, to say the least. Not the type that I’m generally interested in, but I’ll stick with it to see where it goes. Grade: 7.0



Jack discovers that his stand-offish neighbor Raymond Coker also possesses powerful werewolf powers!

This was a really good story, but it had one problem. The fight started with Jack changing into the Werewolf right in front of an agent of the Committee (I won’t say who it is for spoiler’s sake). Then, that battle leads directly to the confrontation with the other werewolf which ends with the sunrise and both werewolves going their separate ways. A battle that went from sunset to sunrise?!! There’s no way that they battled for hours, lol!! Other than that little goof, there’s more than enough to keep you hooked. Grade: 8.5


So, that’s another month completed. Seems like the usual suspects continue to be great. I want Morbius to be better than it is, but unfortunately, it is what it is. The only book that I’m really disappointed in is GHOST RIDER. I thought that these early issues would be much better than this. While it had a great story this month, overall, I expected more. Even still, I’m hanging in there. So, that’s it for this week. Thanks for the support, as usual. See ya next week. Take care.

Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. FANTASTIC FOUR #147
2. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #174
3. TOMB OF DRACULA #21
4. POWER MAN #19
5. DOCTOR STRANGE #1

Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. DOCTOR STRANGE #1
2. FANTASTIC FOUR #147
3. CONAN THE BARBARIAN #39
4. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #133
5. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #18

I look forward to these posts and am bummed that we haven't seen a new one for a few weeks now. Everything okay, Myke Gee?

*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON FEBRUARY 21, 2021 ***

June 1974

(Cover Date: April 1974)

Good morning, everyone!! Continuing my journey through the Marvel Universe from its inception with FF #1. This week, I’m sharing my thoughts on Marvel comics for the month of June 1974. All books are first-time reads except where indicated.

On sale June 1, 1974

• FOOM #6

************************
On sale June 4, 1974

DAREDEVIL #113
“When Strikes the Gladiator!”

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Bob Brown, and inks by Vince Colletta. Cover pencils by John Romita, inks by John Romita and Frank Giacoia.

The Gladiator kidnaps Candice Nelson for doing a story on work by Ted Sallis. DD heads to the Florida Everglades looking for Ted and runs across the Gladiator who got there first. Plus, Matt Murdock investigates the disappearance of Sallis, and gains intel on the Floridian swamp creature known as the Man-Thing. Appearances by the Black Widow and Shanna the She-Devil. First appearance of Death-Stalker (cameo).

My two favorite DD villains in this issue!! “I am not a Gerber fan! I am not a Gerber fan!” Sorry. That’s me in denial that I’ve done a complete 180 Gerber. He’s really turning this book around. Grade: 8.0

*****

DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #3

Cover by Neal Adams

Includes: "Under the Pagoda!" A Deadly Hand's scoop by John David Warner. The Sons of the Tiger star in "The Trail of the Ninja!" Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Dick Giordano. "Black Belt Jones!" A movie review about the movie starring Jim Kelly, who also co-starred in “Enter the Dragon”, by Tony Isabella. "Angela Mao - A New Superstar Rises!" An in-depth report on the female kung fu sensation by John David Warner. "Sweep your Way to Victory: Deashi Herai (Advanced Foot Sweep)!" A 4-page instructional on the fundamentals of martial arts. "The Dragon Has Entered!" Part 2. Continuing the most incisive commentary on the movie “Enter the Dragon” by Don McGregor[/b]. Plus, Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, stars in "Web of Bleeding Vipers!" Written by Doug Moench. Art by Paul Gulacy and Al Milgrom. Black and white. [/font]

Sons of the Tiger: The Sons continue to intrigue me. The parallels to Enter the Dragon are interesting. Lin Sun, the Asian character, is the most driven much like Bruce Lee in ETD. Abe Brown is similar to Jim Kelly in that he doesn’t really want any part of this adventure, but he does have a conscience and he does what is necessary. Bob Diamond is the frivolous one like John Saxon’s character, to some extent. So far, I really like this series. I’m not crazy about the “no evil shall escape my sight” chant that enhances their abilities. A bit on the corny side, lol! Grade: 8.0

Shang Chi: What was really special, for me, was that I just read a “brand new” Shang Chi story! Well...new to me, anyway. A few years ago, I purchased a few DHOKF magazines, but circumstances caused me to sell my collection before I got to read them. While it was a treat, this story takes place when Shang seemed to be wandering aimlessly; before the “Shang Chi: 007” days. It was a good story, but nothing special, unfortunately. Grade: 7.5

Bruce winds up in the Appalachian Mountains where he meets Lincoln, a radioactive monstrosity. And Lincoln’s radioactivity is killing the rest of his town.

I don’t remember what rating I gave to the first Missing Link story, but I do remember liking it. I’m a sucker for sympathetic villains. This story did a good job of bringing him back. I hope to see more of him. Grade: 7.5


Blade the Vampire Slayer returns to help a young starlet plagued by the undead. Meanwhile, Frank Drake makes a decision that will change his life forever. This issue is something of an interlude after the big battle with Dr. Sun. With everyone believing him dead, Dracula makes plans and the first on the list is to deal with Blade.

Great action as he fights Blade in the form of a bat and, believing Dracula to be dead, he has no idea that he’s fighting the Lord of Vampires, himself. Meanwhile, Frank Drake’s “big decision” is also based on the belief of Dracula’s death. Plus, there’s a mysterious development with Taj in his homeland. This book continues to impress. Grade: 8.0

VAMPIRE TALES #6

Cover art by Boris Vallejo

"The Axe Man” Written by Marv Wolfman (plot) and Steve Gerber, pencils by Bob Brown, and inks by Tom Palmer. Lilith, Daughter of Dracula: A mugging is avenged. Martin Gold is arrested for murdering his girlfriend and is released because two more murders happened while he was in jail. As Martin starts to lose his grip on reality he meets Angel O'Hara (Lilith) and takes her to his apartment. "A Novel Way to Die!" Dracula article by Chris Claremont, art by Pablo Marcos. "Angie's Soul” Written by Chris Claremont, art by Andres Balcells. Angie Freeman and Jimmy Sarran investigate the murder of a junkie (drug addict) and find others. Angie believes it is the work of a vampire. "Blood Death” Written by Doug Moench, art by Alfredo Alcala. George is getting old and contemplates how to live forever. He sees an ad in the paper for an attractive vampiress seeking a warm-blooded man. “Dark Shadows” article by Gerry Boudreau with photos from the show. "The Color of Crimson Gold” Written by Doug Moench, art by Vicente Alcazar. A peasant buys a treasure map from a crippled beggar. Tevye wants twice as much gold to continue to supply victims to a group of vampires. Tevye sells a copy of the map to Tovarr. After being warned of vampires in the treasure's cave, Tovarr cautiously enters the cave and hears Tevye and the vampires talking. Article of preview paragraphs of upcoming movies and books by Carla Joseph.

So far, in the two stories that I’ve read with her, Lilith seems like an interesting character. Definitely not a hero or anti-hero. The story was a little confusing in the beginning but became clearer as it went on. Brown and Palmer did a great job with the artwork. Grade: 7.5

On sale June 11, 1974

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #136

"The Green Goblin Lives Again”

The return of Green Goblin! After a fulfilling Sunday together, Peter and MJ decide to spend a quiet evening at his and Harry’s apartment. But as Peter opens the door, an explosion is set off! Who has rigged Peter’s apartment? And is his secret identity as Spider-Man a secret no longer? First appearance of Harry Osborn as the new Green Goblin.

“I hate the Green Goblin! I hate the Green Goblin!” Sorry. That’s me in denial that I’ve done a complete 180 on the character. A lot of denial, lately. For some reason, issues that feature him are some of Spidey’s best. This issue included. Grade: 9.0

Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Vinnie Colletta. Cover art by John Romita

Despite argument from the Falcon, Steve Rogers remains convicted not to continue as Captain America. Harlem is terrorized when the super-powered alien Lucifer arrives. To stay anchored in Earth's dimension, Lucifer merges his essence with Rafe Michel and the super-powered Aries. Perhaps the most action-packed Cap thriller of them all! Read, as the world asks, "Where is Captain America!"

I cannot help but wonder if Marvel (or Englehart) was testing the waters for a Falcon solo book. I get that Steve giving up his Capt. America identity is the major storyline, but it sure helps to give the Falcon some “screen time”. At any rate, I’m soaking up every fantastic Englehart Captain America story that I can before he departs, and this is another one. Grade: 8.0

DR. STRANGE VOL. 2, #3

I don’t, generally, review reprints, but since I cannot find the original review, it can’t hurt to say a few words about this early Dr. Strange story. I don’t remember what I originally gave this story. In fact, at the time that I was reading these stories, I don’t think that I was awarding grades. Yet, this was a fine tale that gives us the debut of Dormammu. Dr. Strange stories were so different from the standard superhero fare. He wasn’t as powerful in these days (as most of Marvel’s characters weren’t) and it was fun to see him take on foes at this level. However, it is in this story that Strange receives the Cloak of Levitation and the Eye of Aggamottoto. Ditko was turning in some of his best work on this book; completely dwarfing his work on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. Great flashback. Grade: 8.0

THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #12

“A Cold and Lasting Tomb!”

Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Vince Colletta. Cover pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Ernie Chan (as Ernie Chua).

Out of the frying pan and into…the mouths of hungry wolves? The Monster escapes Castle Frankenstein only to be bait for the savage wilderness. An icy hibernation begins. The Frankenstein Monster is frozen in ice and re-awakens in the present.

So, I had to go back and read MONSTERS UNLEASHED #’s 2, 4 & 6 to fill in the gaps of this, somewhat, choppy story. The details in those magazines really helped this issue to feel less rushed, even though I got the gist of this story. Mayerik continues to become one of my favorite artists. He does great work, here, despite Colletta’s scratchy inks detracting from the overall effort, at times. Grade: 8.0

GIANT-SIZE DRACULA #2

"Call Them Triad... Call Them Death!"

Dracula runs amok throughout the streets of London! Who will be his next victim? Find out as Dracula and Kate Fraser battle the elder gods Triad.

And here I thought that Claremont wrote a Dracula story for the first time in UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #6. In fact, Claremont is writing about mutants and mutant hatred a year before he starts his legendary stint on that title. (I’ve gotta check to see if Kate Fraser is ever seen again) Claremont’s Dracula is a bit different from Wolfman’s. In this story, he’s, somewhat, a victim and, therefore, he must play the role of the hero for Fraser’s sake. Interesting to see a couple of concepts and ideas here that are mentioned in UNCANNY X-MEN explored here. If I’m not mistaken, the idea that a cross can hurt a vampire only if the person holding genuinely believes in God hasn’t been introduced yet in this series. The Sa’arpool that one of the characters mentioned also is later used in UNCANNY X-MEN and in DR. STRANGE. This one, also, has done some Conan concepts, as well. All of this makes for an interesting story that is taken down a notch because of Heck’s artwork. Where’s Gene Colan when you need him? 😁 Grade: 7.5

THOR #227

“In Search of...Ego!"

Thor finds unlikely allies in Galactus and Firelord. With the combined might of these two, will Thor and Herc be able to neutralize Ego, the Living Planet? The splash page has before the credits “Now a return to former glory...”.

It’s just as fast-paced as the first two parts, but it’s not as interesting. For some reason, it actually felt like they were trying too hard to do a Lee/Kirby-like story. There’s even a full-page splash in the middle of the story like Kirby used to do. Obvious aping aside, it was still the least interesting of the three parts. Hoping for a fantastic ending next issue. Grade: 7.0

***************************

Battle Creek, Michigan, late February 2019. The freemen, on their way to Yellowstone, come across a group of characters with strange names like Pstun-Rage, Foropulist, and Rangolar who guard a mysterious treasure.

This one I didn’t really need to read again. This odd, but interesting, story is one from this series that always stuck in my mind. The clues to the “mysterious treasure” lie in rearranging the strange names of the characters. This a rather unusual take on the concept of “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. Yep! This was a bizarre tale, but enjoyable. Grade: 7.5

It's a surprise wedding issue! The Avengers' dinner is interrupted by Gorgon, a member of the Inhuman royal family, who extends an invitation to the wedding of Quicksilver and Crystal! However, the Avengers were kept unaware of the wedding! The team drops everything and transports to watch their fellow Avenger be wed in holy Inhuman matrimony. But will the wedding go off without a sneak attack? Guest-starring the Fantastic Four and the Inhumans. Continued in FANTASTIC FOUR #150.

It’s pretty easy to write a story with this much star power, I imagine. More than likely, I’m probably wrong. I can’t imagine balancing so many characters while giving the necessary ones their time to shine. Yet, this seems to be when Englehart is at his best. This was a great story that I cannot wait to read its conclusion. Fortunately, it concludes this month in FF. Grade: 8.5

CAPTAIN MARVEL #34

"Blown Away!"

Captain Marvel stops the Lunatic Legion's Nitro from getting away with Compound 13 nerve gas! Appearances by Carl Danvers and Rick Jones. Cameos by Moon Dragon, Drax the Destroyer, and Iron Man. First appearance of Nitro.

😢 The end of a legendary era. These last nine issues rank right up there with the best multi-part comic book storylines. Starlin’s tenth issue finds him plotting and penciling as he hands the reigns over to Englehart. Unfortunately, this story’s repercussions are far more memorable than the story. It’s not a bad story. It’s just that you can sense that Starlin has done what he wanted to do with the character. Still, it’s a pivotal issue in this series. Grade: 7.0

Written by Len Wein. Art by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Klaus Janson (finishes). Cover by John Buscema, Mike Esposito, and John Romita (touch-ups)

It's an epic encounter beneath the Carlsbad Caverns as Professor X, Dr. Strange, Nighthawk (in his new costume), Valkyrie, and the Hulk battle the Blob, Lorelei, Mastermind, Unus, and Magneto! Guest-starring Professor Xavier.

What I find fascinating is how differently Magneto was written prior to Chris Claremont’s resurrection of the character. In these days, he was the full-on megalomaniacal super-villain, hell-bent on world domination and the subjugation of humankind. In the beginning, Claremont kept the world domination aspect, but there was an air of sophistication that was never in the character before. None of that is present in this incarnation. Magneto is the typical bad guy and there’s no doubt about it. Another great story. Grade: 8.5

Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Mike Ploog. Cover by Ploog

The Man-Thing meets a swamp-dwelling couple and suddenly finds itself drawn into a desperate game of survival against a sinister swamp spirit.

Okay, so Gerber may have been using some mind-altering substances when he wrote this, lol!!! I just read a story where the Man-Thing fought a possessed alligator and a possessed TREE! Don’t know why that bothers me. After all, I’m reading a book that stars a walking mass of slime. 😂 Yet, despite my criticism, it was still an engaging tale and I look forward to its conclusion. (I feel like I’m gonna fail a drug test, lol!!) Grade: 7.5

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Jim Mooney, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover inks by John Romita

Hellstrom travels back in time to when Atlantis still existed to meet Zhered-Na, whom he believes has the solution to stop the demonic snake Kometes from destroying the world in the present time.

One of the things that I’ve never mentioned about this series comes in the form of a question: who sets a superhero series in St. Louis, Missouri?!? LOL!!! I laugh, but, as I’ve mentioned before in another review, it’s kind of refreshing to stage a series in places other than New York and Los Angeles. This story shifts from St. Louis to pre-cataclysmic Atlantis. Another good story that featured the last guest star that I would ever imagine appearing in a comic book. Grade: 7.5

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Mike Esposito. Cover by John Buscema and Mike Esposito

The Thing and Captain America are trapped in the 31st Century and at the mercy of humanity's reptilian masters, the Brotherhood of Badoon. Now, their only hope lies in the hands of the futuristic freedom fighters known as the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Unfortunately, the conclusion to this two-parter wasn’t as good as the first part. It felt rushed and as if they tried to cram too much into 17 pages. The scale of this story was better suited for an Annual, in my opinion. Still, it’s not like it was without its fun moments. Grade: 7.5

Written by Gerry Conway & Doug Moench, pencils by Paul Gulacy, inks by Al Milgrom

Small-time hood Demmy Marston wants to collect the reward on Shang-Chi's head and hires Korain the samurai, a former affiliate of Fu Manchu's to carry out the job!

Shang Chi’s Miami adventures continue. Yet, he wanders aimlessly as Fu Manchu continues to send assassins after him. This issue is a little different as Fu is not directly responsible for this assassin. An interesting story with Gulacy already showing growth artistically. Grade: 7.5

Written by Steve Skeates, pencils by Dan Adkins, inks by Vince Colletta. Cover pencils by Larry Lieber

Namor vs. the SLIME-THING! What is this mysterious creature, and why does it have a vendetta against the Sub-Mariner? The final issue of the series.

Sheesh! Talk about going out with a whimper. It seems like no one wanted to write this book in the end. This has that inventory story feeling to it and not one of the good ones. I mean, Namor battles a slime-thing from outer space. *Sigh* Even the artwork of the underrated Dan Adkins is diluted by Colletta’s inks. Yet, this final issue is indicative of this entire series. Great for a few issues, then mediocre at best for a few. Grade: 4.0


John Jameson sees the impact his debilitating condition has on his life. Meanwhile, NASA comes to collect their AWOL astronaut! This was an odd little issue.

The story starts, literally, where the last issue ends. He’s falling off the Statue of Liberty and lands in the Hudson River then washes ashore and changes back to John Jameson. He goes to see his father and fiancée where he’s arrested for being AWOL from the military. He changes back into the Man-Wolf in the rear of the police car and runs off. .....Aanndd that’s it!!! After two issues, Man-Wolf is headlining with backup stories following. This story really felt partially completed. Not bad, just incomplete. Grade: 7.0

Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Rich Buckler. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia

Story continues from AVENGERS #127. The bells stop chiming when an uninvited guest crashes the wedding of Quicksilver and Crystal. The Fantastic Four and the Inhuman Royal Family must spring into action to save the nuptials without having their minds wiped! Will another unexpected guest save the bride’s big day? Guest-starring the Avengers and the Inhumans.

The dictionary defines deus ex machina as “any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot.” I define it as Gerry Conway being a little lazy in writing a decent ending to what should have been an epic tale featuring the Avengers, the FF, and the Inhumans vs Ultron-7. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike the story. It’s just that I’m getting a little tired of Conway missing the mark for an epic ending to epic stories. The last part of the book is the wedding of Quicksilver and Crystal. Most notable about this is how Buckler and Sinnott embraced their inner Kirby artistically. Overall, a particularly good issue that could have been so much more. Grade 7.5

GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU #1

"Death Masque!"

Written by Doug Moench. Art by Paul Gulacy and Dan Adkins. The first of five stories starring Shang Chi the Master of Kung Fu. On Shang Chi's birthday, he is hounded and accosted on all sides by agents of his hated father who seeks Chi's death. "Frozen Past, Shattered Memories." Written by Doug Moench. Art by Craig Russell. Shang Chi finds mystery and suspense in Miami. Includes a two-page demonstration of Shaolin Boxing with Iron Fist and a reprinting of the first appearance of the arch-villain from the 1950s Yellow Claw. Finally, the backup tale "Reflections in a Rippled Pool!'' Written by Doug Moench. Art by Ron Wilson and Mike Esposito.

The first story is an excellent, action-filled tale set in New York of Shang Chi taking on various assassins sent by his father to kill him. Then, the next story inexplicably finds him in Miami where he stops three thieves from stealing a statue from a museum. This one has inventory story written all over it. It didn’t help that it featured some highly substandard artwork from P. Craig Russell. Still in Miami, the third story is as short and not any better than the second story. Overall, despite the two average backup stories, this was quite an enjoyable issue. Grade: 7.5

Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by George Tuska and Mike Esposito

Iron Man's epic battle with the Mandarin continues! If he's got any chance of winning he's going to have to make the unlikeliest alliance yet! Sunfire and the Golden Avenger against the Mandarin! Ultimo lives, but will our heroes?

Honestly, what was more interesting than Iron Man/Sunfire team-up was the villain vs villain battle. The Mandarin vs the Yellow Claw was the highlight of this issue and, for some reason, I found myself rooting for the Mandarin. It was a lot of fun. Much more than Iron Man and Sunfire beating up RBR (Really Big Robot) #432. That got old a long time ago. Grade: 8.0

Written by Don McGregor, breakdowns by Billy Graham, and finished art by Klaus Janson. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Dan Adkins.

The Panther and his security forces invade the village of N'jadaka. The Panther solves the murder of Zatama. Plus, Malice, Baron Macabre, and Lord Karnaj! Summary of murder clues; panels reprinted from JUNGLE ACTION #9 and 10.

Another action-packed issue. Lots of narration instead of dialogue, but both are quite entertaining. Also, not to be overlooked is the great artwork by Graham and Janson. Grade: 8.0

Ka-Zar and Bobbi battle the Man-Apes while Man-God goes forth intent on world domination. He encounters El Tigre who barely escaped from the Fall People and dismisses his pleas for help. Man-God investigates the Mists to find the source of power—an alien machine that splits him into two beings.

*Sigh* So, the Man-Ape/Man-God saga is over. Thank goodness!!! God or ape, Maa-Gor is one boring character. The “Next Issue...” blurb announces a new writer and artist. While I’ve read this series once before, I’ll be darned if I remember who they are, which is cool. I like surprises. 😀 Grade: 5.0

Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Larry Hama, inks by Dick Giordano. Cover pencils by Gil Kane and John Romita (alterations), inks by Dick Giordano and John Romita (alterations)

Harold Meachum wants Iron Fist dead, and he isn’t afraid to lay a few Kung Fu traps to get what he wants! Iron Fist goes after the man who placed a bounty on his head. Enter the Ninja, a mysterious hand-on-hand combatant who may prove an ally to Iron Fist!

This story reminds me of the original premise of Bruce Lee’s “Game of Death”. The original concept was to ascend to the top of a pagoda in which each level contained a master of a different style of martial art. In this case, the masters were replaced by deadly traps a bit more sophisticated than the poor man’s Murderworld seen in MAN-THING #2. The action sequences are good enough and it comes nonstop, but it struck me I got to the final that Iron Fist has not said one word until the final page. If this were MASTER OF KUNG FU, we would have narration in the 1st person to give us some insight, but this series narrates from the 2nd person, which makes for a lukewarm experience. Grade: 6.5

Written by Len Wein. Pencils by Jim Mooney. Inks by Frank Giacoia. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia

Spider-Man sees Cat-Man with a briefcase and suspects he's up to something. Daredevil intervenes and, he and Spider-man mix it up with Ape-Man, Bird-Man, and Cat-Man at Coney Island, while the life of a young lady hangs in the balance!

This one is really near and dear to me. It’s one of the very first Marvel comics that I remember owning. I read this a gazillion times as a kid. So much so that I still remember lines from the story. It’s, also, the type of comic that I’ve been dreading reading. One that I feared that nostalgia would cloud my judgment. However, nostalgia aside, I still enjoyed this. Maybe not as much as my 9-year-old self, but it was good, formulaic MTU fun. Grade: 7.5

PLANET OF THE APES #1
Cover by Bob Larkin

"Terror on the Planet of the Apes" Written by Doug Moench from an idea by Gerry Conway, art by Mike Ploog. The first original Apes comic starts here! Segregation, bigotry, violence - they're all there! There's also the beginning of an adaptation of the "Planet of the Apes" movie (written by Moench, pencils by George Tuska, inks by Mike Esposito). The rest of the issue consists of articles (with photos) and an interview with Rod Serling (who wrote the screenplay for the first Apes movie). 

I read this not because of any ties to the Marvel Universe, but because I’ve always been a big fan of the films. This was absolutely fantastic and if this first story is indicative of what’s to come, then it’s no wonder why the magazine ran longer than most of the black & whites. Speaking of the b&w’s, one thing that I like about them is that the artists really get to show how good they are. Ploog gives us his best work outside of the FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER series. A fine start to this series! Grade: 9.0


In the battle of Werewolves, who will emerge triumphant and free of the curse?

One thing that really irks me about this series is how it depicts the Werewolf as being capable of ripping metal bars from a brick wall (as he does on this issue’s splash page), but he gets his behind kicked on a regular basis. How does this constantly happen to a creature with superhuman strength and claws that could rip you to shreds? Anyway, as for the story, itself, you can see the ending coming a mile away if you’ve been paying attention to the last few issues. By no means is this a bad issue. It’s still enjoyable despite being very predictable. Grade: 7.5

YES!!! Although MAN-THING was the first (and only) book to have this feature last month, this month was the month that all (well…most) of Marvel’s comics featured the character intros at the top of the splash page. Of the books that I’ve read this month, only MASTER OF KUNG FU, INCREDIBLE HULK, CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON, AMAZING ADVENTURES, CAPTAIN MARVEL, JUNGLE ACTION, THE DEFENDERS, TOMB OF DRACULA, and THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER didn’t have them. When I first started collecting comics, the was a banner across the cover that read “THE MARVEL COMICS GROUP” and the character intros at the top of the splash page. It feels good that I’m knocking on the door of MY Marvel, lol!!! Okay, enough of that. Hope you all enjoyed this month’s review. See ya next week. Until then, take care.

Top Books of the Month:
1. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #136
2. PLANET OF THE APES #1
3. THE DEFENDERS #15
4. THE AVENGERS #127
5. DAREDEVIL #113

Top Covers of the Month:
1. AVENGERS #127
2. CAPTAIN MARVEL #34
3. DR. STRANGE #3
4. FANTASTIC FOUR #150
5. GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU #1
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Congrats on the new job!