I did.  I think I read 178 in the laundromat the other day.

I think Steve Gerber said Roy Thomas had been giving him grief over some of his story names, so for a while he wrote a lot of stories with death, dying, murder etc in the title, after which the criticism stopped.

Oh yeah!! The Shang Chi movie. At the time that I wrote this, I hadn't seen it yet. So, I couldn't make the connection.

September 1974

(Cover Date: December 1974)

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

FOOM #7

On sale September 3, 1974

“Two Flew Over the Owl's Nest!”

Written script by Steve Gerber, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Vince Colletta.
Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito.

Matt explains his absence to Foggy and Candice and then heads to San Francisco to reunite with the Black Widow. Their meeting is interrupted by muggers who, unbeknownst to our heroes, are working for the Owl. The Owl attacks and, thanks to a new poison weapon, captures DD and the Widow.

Since when did this book become a page-turner? Since Steve Gerber started writing it. (I’ll take that plate of crow, now 😏) First Mandrill and Nekra, now he makes the Owl interesting. As I’ve said before, this book is in its best era since its inception. Grade: 8.0



Includes: "The Way of the Tiger." An editorial by Tony Isabella. Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, stars in "Two Goals to Seek/One Path to Glory!" Written by Doug Moench. Art by Keith Pollard and Bob McLeod. "Enter the Letters!" A letters page with readers' thoughts on issue #3. "Kung Fu vs. Karate: Which is Better?" An illustrated fact feature by Frank McLaughlin. "And Men Shall Call Him...Samurai!" A review of the film Lightning Swords of Death by Chris Claremont. "The Casket of Hsien Hang!" A Deadly Hand's exclusive comic. Story by Mary Skrenes. Art by Paul Gulacy and Duffy Vohland. "King Kung Fu!" An article by David Anthony Kraft on the series of paperbacks by Marshall Macao. Plus, Captain America battles Batroc the Leaper in "The Blitzkrieg of Batroc!" Story by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia. Black and white.

Shang Chi: Another “new” Shang Chi story for me. Once again, the character with no job manages to visit another city other than New York. This time, Shang is in Los Angeles where faces an old friend and former assassin for Fu Manchu who is now a Hollywood martial arts actor. Both face Fu’s Si-Fan assassins in what is a predictable, but fun story. A shame that we have Shang Chi and Paul Gulacy in the same book, but not the same story. Grade: 7.5

Written by Len Wein, art by Herb Trimpe.

Cover art by Herb Trimpe.

Hulk befriends homeless man Crackerjack Jackson in the wilds of Canada. What will happen when Jackson is reunited with his long-lost son, “Hammer” Jackson, and his partner Johnny Anvil? First appearance of Hammer and Anvil.

Okay first off, we have two guys chained together whose names just happen to be “Hammer and Anvil”? 😏 Okay, I guess. Basil Elks is somewhere applauding. Next, the two happen to be escaped convicts; one Black, one White and they hate each other. Man, why couldn’t Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis just happen to run into an alien? Would have been a vastly different movie. 😂 Despite those kooky coincidences, this was another great Hulk story. Grade: 8.0


Dr. Sun places the Lord of Vampires in a deathtrap for the remaining fragments of the Chimera statue! Dracula is trapped in an inescapable room with an endless torrent of HOLY WATER gushing toward him! Is this the unholy end of the Lord of Vampires?

Not a lot of action in this one. This is a very conversation-driven issue with a couple of forming subplots. Even still, it’s a fascinating look into Dracula’s way of thinking and how he is a true prince of lies if it serves his purpose. This book continues to impress. Grade: 8.5

"Day of the Grizzly!"

Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt (backgrounds).

Cover by Gil Kane (pencils) and John Romita Sr. (inks).

Peter finds a new apartment in Chelsea but quickly realizes he needs to bolster his income for rent. Soon after taking his job back at the Bugle, the office is attacked by a costumed wrestler called “the Grizzly.” Who is this new costumed menace? And will Peter be able to become Spider-Man in time to save the day? First appearance of the Grizzly.

Maybe the most important debut of all: Mrs. Muggins!!! 😅😂🤣 Seriously, though, the Grizzly wasn’t as cornball as I thought he would be. Much more interesting than the Kangaroo and the Gibbon. A good story made more intriguing by the arrival of...but that would be telling (for the other three or four members that don’t know, lol). Grade: 7.5

CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #180

"The Coming of the Nomad!"

Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Vince Colletta.

The end of Captain America! The awesome origin of Steve Rogers' new identity! Look out evil wrong-doers! Here comes the Nomad! Madame Hydra kills the original Viper taking his name and his costume and reforms the Serpent Squad. The Falcon encounters Roscoe who is looking for Steve Rogers to train him as the new Captain America. First appearance and origin of Nomad (Steve Rogers).

I’ve only read one issue of Steve Rogers as the Nomad and really don’t remember a thing about it except that it had someone named “Roscoe” as Captain America. So, obviously, I’m getting close to that issue. As for this issue, Nomad’s debut vs. the Serpent Squad was fantastic. I’ve always liked Madame Hydra aka the Viper. She may in my top five female supervillains. Great start to the new Serpent Squad story. Grade: 9.0

“Cloak and Dagger”

Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Frank Brunner (final interior art on the series), inks by Dick Giordano.

Cover art by Frank Brunner.

The origin of Silver Dagger is revealed and when he uses the Eye of Agamatto against Strange and Clea, it leads to a deadly situation.

The conclusion to the Silver Dagger story was almost as good as the penultimate chapter. A really good story, but it’s a little bittersweet because it’s Brunner’s last issue. I’m really going to miss him on this book. Grade: 8.0

"The Hell-Bound Hero!"

Written by Tony Isabella. Art by Jim Mooney and Sal Trapani.

Cover by Gil Kane.

Roxanne is seduced by a satanic offer. In his Ghost Rider form, Johnny Blaze discovers a vulnerability that may possess his soul, but who is this mysterious stranger who has other plans?

Who is the “mysterious stranger”, indeed? 🙄 The cover says, “The final, fearful showdown with Satan!” I hope so because, for a character that spawned from the horror comics craze, he’s just not that interesting in that setting. Grade: 6.5

Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Al Milgrom, inks by Klaus Janson.

Cover by Al Milgrom.

The former British Foreign Service agent Black Jack Tarr is back, and he wants Shang Chi's help. The two uneasy partners must travel to South America to stop Chi's sinister father, Fu Manchu, from forming an alliance with a Nazi war criminal.

One of the better stories from the early days of chasing Fu Manchu nonstop. As a diehard fan of this series, of course, I’ve read it a few times. What amazes me is that I never was crazy about it, but it’s another story that resonates with me more now than it did years ago. I even like the Milgrom/Janson artwork more. Grade: 7.5

"A Death Made of Ticky-Tacky”

Written by Steve Gerber and art by Pablo Marcos.
Cover by Earl Norem.

Priestess Layla seeks help to lift the curse of the zombie from Simon Garth who comes under the control of a group of people who want to use the zombie for their own selfish purposes.

Issue also has "Jimmy Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (Story by David Anthony Kraft with some art by Mike Kaluta), "Night of the Hunted" (Script by Larry Lieber and art by Ron Wilson, Mike Esposito, and Frank Giacoia), "Tales of the Happy Humfo" (Article by Chris Claremont), and "Makao's Vengeance" (Script by David Anthony Kraft and art by Alfredo Alcala). All stories are in black and white.

Man, I’m really starting to feel sorry Simon Garth. This is a testament to Steve Gerber because it’s superb writing that causes the reader to feel sympathy in death for a person who was despicable in life. It is the treatment of the Zombie that makes the group controlling him even more despicable. The last couple of pages are what really makes this story worthwhile as the Zombie....but that would be telling, lol!! Quite an issue and the last one for Gerber, I believe, as there are only two more issues left. Grade: 8.0

"The Sky Above...The Pits Below!"

Script by Gerry Conway, pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Joe Sinnott.

Cover pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Joe Sinnott.

Thor flies Hercules to Avengers Mansion, where he has Iron Man try to probe his mind to find out what happened to him, but Hercules comes to and lashes out smashing everything around him. Can Thor stop a mad-with-rage Hercules?

Conway has another one of his multi-part “epics” going. Usually, they start strong, but end a little less than spectacular; at least, in this book. This time, it’s starting off satisfying, but it’s not the exciting beginning that he usually sets up. Two issues in, I’m enjoying it, but not overly so. Maybe this story will be the opposite: a not-so-spectacular beginning with an epic ending! (I’m not holding my breath, however) Grade: 7.5

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

On sale September 17, 1974

"The Reality Problem!"

Written by Steve Englehart. Art by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Joe Staton (finishes).

Cover by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum.

The Avengers return to Vietnam to bury the body of their fallen teammate Swordsman, with the Priests of Pama. However, their trip takes an unexpected turn when the team is greeted by three old enemies: Radioactive Man, Crimson Dynamo, and Titanium Man! Later on, a small-time hood called the Slasher convinces the Titanic Three to attack the Avengers! And suddenly in the streets of Saigon, the battle is joined!

So...Mantis. The definition of a forced character. Englehart has done an outstanding job on CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON, DOCTOR STRANGE, and this book. Yet, he diminishes (just a little) his accomplishments by shoving this character down our throats. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a decent character and that’s about the most that I can give her: decent. I’m just finding it a little difficult to be completely immersed in “The Celestial Madonna” story when I have to sit through an interlude that expounds on nothing. Throwing in the Titanic Three helped, however. Even if that was a little forced, as well. Grade: 7.0


The Defenders face the Wrecking Crew--the Wrecker, Thunderball, Pile-Driver, and Bulldozer! The devastation of the Wrecking Crew continues! Plus, the introduction of a Gamma Bomb raises the stakes! Power-Man guest-stars.

The action never stops this issue. The Wrecking Crew’s debut was sick! I’ve always been a fan of these guys. Their origin is a little hokey, but who wasn’t in those days? Good ol’ good guys vs. bad guys fun. Grade: 9.0



Gil Kane cover pencils. Martine Bancroft is Michael Morbius’ first love… but this romance threatens to end in a pool of blood. Blade cameo.

The final page of this issue “Next Issue: The Cataclysmic Conclusion!” and all I could think was “THANK GOD!!!” Only one more issue of this....dreck. I mean, it’s Gerber, whom I’m finally starting to like, and Moench, whom I’ve always loved. Yet, I cannot muster one ounce of interest in this story. On top of that, I don’t know if this is his first Marvel work, but of the books that I read and reviewed, this is the debut of Frank Robbins. Please make it stop...😢😂 Grade: 3.5



The daughter of one of Dracula's Turkish foes seeks revenge as a town band together to kill Dracula before his next meal!

*Sigh* Why, oh why, couldn’t they have assigned someone other than Heck and Springer to be the art team for this issue? Their average artwork diminishes a fantastic story. Dracula is at his arrogant best in this issue as he proves why he’s playing chess while his opponent is playing checkers. Grade: 9.0



The cries of the dying once again draw the macabre Man-Thing into the world of men.

This is starting to become a hit-or-miss series. Three issues ago, we got a weird, but entertaining tale about jealousy and envy. Last issue felt like an inventory story. This issue’s story felt mailed in. Like Gerber may be running out of ideas for this book. This one kept my interest, but just barely. Grade: 6.5

MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #19
“Demon, Demon--Who's Got the Demon?”

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Mike Esposito.
Cover pencils by Gil Kane.

Daimon battles the Allatou-possessed Alan Manners. The demon possesses Melissa and tortures her and it possesses Daniel.

I must say that I’m going to miss Gerber writing this book (*sigh* dang it! More Gerber praise. What is wrong with me? 😅) When I read this series over a decade ago, I don’t remember enjoying it at all. I know that John Warner takes over when Daimon gets his own book. Those stories really did nothing for me...or will I have another change of heart? For now, I’ll just continue to be pleasantly surprised by these SPOTLIGHT stories. Grade: 8.0

POWER MAN #22
"The Broadway Mayhem of 1974!"

Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Vince Colletta.
Cover by Ron Wilson and Frank Giacoia.

The villain Stiletto has returned to settle the score with Luke Cage, and this time he's not alone. His partner in crime is the man called Discus. Can even Power Man stand against the double assault of two super-foes?

This book continues to be solid. Occasionally great, but never dull. I’ve liked Stiletto and Discus since I first saw them in POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #50. Reading Discus’ first appearance was definitely a treat. Great story. Grade: 8.0

“A Choice of Lions!”

Written by Tony Isabella (co-plot), Val Mayerik (co-plot), and Len Wein (script), pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Dan Adkins.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Al Milgrom.

N'Kantu thinks about his past life and helps an Israeli soldier fight against Egyptian soldiers.

Once again, Mayerik delivers beautiful artwork. Coupled with the always underrated Dan Adkins, I believe these two could have been one of the all-time great comic book art teams had they done more work together. Their artwork is what kept me engaged in this good, but could have been better, story. Grade: 7.0

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

“Dead Reckoning!”

Written by Rich Buckler (Concept, plot and Script) and Doug Moench (Plot), pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Pablo Marcos.

Cover art by Rich Buckler.

Deathlok takes on War-Wolf! In a future where warfare is accomplished through genetically modified soldiers, will Deathlok prove the supreme “super soldier” of them all? Plus, who was War-Wolf before his transformation, and what ties does he have to Deathlok’s past?

I swear, I really want to love this series. I, literally, waited more than half my life to read it. Didn’t get around to it until I was in my 40s. Unfortunately, it didn’t impress me then and it’s still not doing anything for me. Grade: 6.5

FANTASTIC FOUR #153

"Worlds in Collision!"

Written by Tony Isabella. Art by Rich Buckler (layouts) and Jim Mooney (finishes).

Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.

Guest-starring Thundra. It’s a battle of the sexes as the FF travel to the alternate future of Machus to battle Mahkizmo, its chauvinist leader. Has Medusa betrayed her teammates by escaping captivity of this male-dominated world? Or will she come to the guys’ rescue with some serious girl power?

Please understand, while I know that I complain about Gerry Conway’s endings, that doesn’t mean that I don’t like the story overall. The first part of this story was great, while the second part fell off just a tad. The conclusion wasn’t a step back up, but it was still as good as part two, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Great overall story! Grade: 8.0

GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU #2
"The Devil Doctor's Triumph."

Written by Doug Moench. Art by Paul Gulacy and Jack Abel.
Cover by Al Milgrom.

Shang Chi the Master of Kung Fu meets a mysterious woman and is drawn into a tangled web of intrigue and suspense. In this epic adventure, Chi will face challenges beyond any he has ever faced before. He shall come face to face with his hated father, the evil Fu Manchu, and even the specter of death. Will this mystery woman be Chi's new love or the death of him? Plus, a backup tale featuring the arch-villain from the 1950s Yellow Claw.

One of the early Fu Manchu stories that I really liked. See, the problem that I had with the earlier MoKF stories was that they treated Fu Manchu like he was the only villain in the world. All of Shang Chi’s battles were with him directly or indirectly. This issue, we get a little bit of both, but what I like about this issue is that we get to see a little bit more of why he’s the best open-hand fighter in the Marvel Universe. We also see Gulacy evolve. He’s not quite the artist that he’ll go on to be, it’s his best work on this book to date, in my opinion. Grade: 8.5

MARVEL TEAM-UP #28
"The City Stealers!"

Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Jim Mooney. Inks by Vince Colletta.
Cover by Gil Kane and Mike Esposito.

Spider-Man and Hercules partner up when Manhattan is shaken by a supposedly-impossible earthquake.

So, of course, everyone knows the infamous two-page depiction of Hercules’ “13th Labor”. 😏 So, I won’t get into its absurdity. I won’t even get into how Conway has managed to do in a single issue what he’s done in quite a few of his multi-part tales; deliver a weak ending. This may be one of the most forced team-ups ever. Written to give Herc the spotlight, I’m guessing. I had no expectations before reading this, good or bad, and that’s where this story landed: somewhere in between good and bad. Grade: 5.5

STRANGE TALES #177
"There Comes Now Raging Fire!"

Written by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Tony DeZuniga, inks by Steve Austin.
Cover art by Frank Brunner.

A journalistic career on the line is the least of the worries as the various people who discovered the Golem come under attack by the Fire Demons of Kaballa.

So, the saga of the Golem comes to an end; at least, in the pages of STRANGE TALES, that is. While this brief little series intrigued me at times, I must admit I am quite indifferent about the announcement of its ending. Maybe it’s because I know that Starlin returns the next issue with Adam Warlock. Grade: 6.5

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #24

“The Dark Side of Evil”

Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Vince Colletta.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Al Milgrom.

After the Werewolf has battled Atlas, Jack Russell returns to his apartment but learns he's been evicted. Jack and Buck head to the home of scientist Winston Redditch, whom they believe can help Jack with a special Jekyll and Hyde formula the scientist has "perfected". Later, the cops trap the Werewolf.

I really wish that I had kept a scorecard of the Werewolf’s win/loss record. So far, if my memory serves me correctly (and that’s a HUGE “if”, lol), he’s 0 for a lifetime, although this one was a little inconclusive. At this point, I can only guess that they keep him on the losing side because, should win, that means he’s done something really horrible. That never stops them from portraying Dracula as a cold-blooded killer, but then that wouldn’t make the Werewolf a sympathetic character, which, I assume, is the whole point of this series. Anyway, while this series and this story haven’t completely fallen into the Morbius level of doldrum, it’s becoming a little tedious. Grade 7.0


That’s all, folks!!! See ya next week!!!

Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. THE DEFENDERS #18
2. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #180
3. GIANT-SIZE DRACULA #3
4. GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU #2
5. TOMB OF DRACULA #27

Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. FANTASTIC FOUR #153
2. THE AVENGERS #130
3. GHOST RIDER #9
4. DOCTOR STRANGE #5
5. X-MEN #91

When I was a kid, I really didn't like Gerber. "Weird for the sake of being weird" is what I always thought about his work. Now, that I've started this project, I have a newfound respect and appreciation for his writing. I'm not a fan of everything he does, but I truly enjoy much of his work. That said, I sometimes wonder if the nonstop reading and critiquing of these books were affecting my point of view. It's the main reason why I've taken a hiatus from the project. Between 2016 and (I think) May 2023, I read most of the Marvel mainstream books from FF #1 up to the December 1977 issues. I felt a little burnt out from the project and maybe I subconsciously graded some books a bit harsher than it should have been. I don't know. Maybe I'll Look at MAN-THING #12 again. 

That issue of Weird Wonder Tales (#7) is the one that Steve Gerber read and decided to revive the main characters from three of the stories and team them up as villains called The Headmen in an upcoming Defenders story.