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Post by Myke Gee on Sept 13, 2023 21:07:39 GMT -5
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON APRIL 2021 ***
October 1974
(Cover Date: January 1975)On sale October 1, 1974
DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #6 Cover by Bob Larkin. Includes: "The Way of the Tiger." An editorial by Tony Isabella. The Sons of the Tiger star in "The Way of the Jackal!" Written by Jim Dennis. Art by George Perez and Frank Springer. "Enter the Letters!" A letters page with readers' thoughts on issue #4. "Bruce Lee Triple Feature!" Movie reviews on The Chinese Connection, Enter the Dragon, and Fists of Fury by John David Warner. "Karate Foot Attack: Mai Geri (Front Kick)!" A 3-page instructional on the fundamentals of martial arts. "How to Create a Dragon!" An article by Jim Dennis on the creation of Richard Dragon, a new kung fu hero. Plus. Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, stars in "Lesson of the Locust!" Written by Doug Moench. Art by Mike Vosburg and Bob McLeod. Sons of the Tiger: More fantastic martial arts action! Drawn by George Pérez, no less! While he’s not yet the legend that he will go on to be, it was still great to see some of his early work even if was inked by Frank Springer. The story was solid, too, as the Sons continue their search for their sensei’s killer. Grade: 7.5Shang Chi: Another “new” Shang Chi story for me. Shang takes on an L.A. street gang and learns that, sometimes, even he can’t control his rage. While I know that these stories are supposedly set in the Marvel Universe, it’s interesting that none were ever referenced in the full-color comic. DRACULA LIVES was referenced in TOMB OF DRACULA and THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER, basically, crossed over with MONSTERS UNLEASHED. Yet, I don’t recall any of these stories being referenced and MoKF is my all-time favorite book. Ah well, it’s still great to read these. This wasn’t a classic Shang Chi story, but it's still a lot of fun. Grade: 7.5
VAMPIRE TALES #8 Cover by Jose Antonio Domingo
Featuring: “High Midnight” Written by Don McGregor. Art by Mike Vosburg and Frank Chiaramonte. This is it! The final confrontation between Morbius, the Living Vampire, and Demonfire, the cult of death!
“The Vendetta” Written by Carla and Gerry Conway. Art by Joe Staton. “The Inheritance” Written by Carla and Gerry Conway. Art by Alfredo Alcala. “Beware the Legions” Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Tony DeZuniga. Blade, a human/vampire hybrid, stars in his first-ever solo appearance! Meet the Slayer of the Undead and learn his incredible origin!
Morbius the Living Vampire: Mainly, I read this issue for the Blade solo story. But I figured since I was here, why not give the Morbius story a try? Mind you, I had, pretty much, given up on reading Morbius stories in this magazine. I suffer enough reading the full-color comic. So, after reading this, nothing has changed. I just can’t find it in me to like Morbius. Grade: 5.0
Blade the Vampire Slayer: Okay, so the reason why I decided to read this issue did not disappoint. I’ve never read a story with Blade until the 90s NIGHTSTALKERS series. When I read his first appearance in TOMB OF DRACULA, the difference between the two iterations of the character then and the 90s book was night and day. Almost like two completely different characters. His first solo story is starting off great. Can’t wait for the next part. Grade: 8.0ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale October 3, 1974
DAREDEVIL #117 “Mind Tap!” Written by Steve Gerber (plot) and Chris Claremont, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Vince Colletta. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro.
The Owl has captured DD and threatens to sap his mind completely unless the Black Widow captures a very specific woman, Shanna the She-Devil. Gerber continues to transform this book into a respectable series. It’s never been horrible, but it’s never been this good either. The Owl will never be Dr. Doom, but he is quite an enjoyable villain in this story. This issue also marks the final nail in the coffin for the DD/BW partnership. Really enjoyed this story. Grade: 8.5THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #14 “Fury of the Night-Creature!”
Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Dan Green. Cover pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Klaus Janson.
Frankenstein's Monster and the Night-Creature battle, resulting in the death of Janice Caccone. While trying to escape the police, Seven Caccone and the Frankenstein Monster are captured by Cardinal. Wow! This doesn’t even feel like the same book. It’s shifted from a tragic tale of a sympathetic monster to something of an anti-hero who does the right solely based on the circumstances that he finds himself in. Last issue, I likened him to the Man-Thing or the Zombie. Well, we already have those books. Do we need a third? (Fifth, if you count the Werewolf and the Man-Wolf). The story isn’t bad, but it feels like a big drop-off from what it was. Grade: 7.0GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #3 “Games Godlings Play!"
Written by Steve Gerber (script, plot), Jim Starlin (plot), and Len Wein (plot), pencils by Jim Starlin (layouts), Dan Adkins (finished art), Don Newton (finished art), and Jim Mooney (finished art), inks by Dan Adkins (pages 1-7, 10-11, 22-27, 43), Don Newton (pages 14-19, 31-36, 38), and Jim Mooney (pages 8-9, 30, 37, 39, 44); Cover pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Joe Sinnott. The Grandmaster abducts the Defenders and Daredevil to play a gambling game against Prime Mover, whose prize is the fate of the Earth. The only problem is, whoever wins, the Earth will be doomed, making the Defenders and Daredevil desperately seek a solution. 1st appearance of Korvac. The Grandmaster is always fun, and it was good to see the Prime Mover, as well. This was only his second appearance (I really don’t remember his first), but I remember its appearance in the off-beat Shang Chi vs. Doom story. I thought that this was going to be a truly epic story and while it’s not quite epic, it’s a great story. The ending is a bit of an eye-roller, but I still enjoyed it. Grade: 8.5INCREDIBLE HULK #183 "Fury at 50,000 Volts!"
Written by Len Wein, art by Herb Trimpe. Cover art by Herb Trimpe.
Bruce lands a job as a scientist in Chicago! When an experiment goes awry, Zzzax is summoned, absorbing the intellect and feelings of scientist Stan Landers. Will Bruce choose his new life over saving the city of Chicago? Meh...this issue was okay, I guess. As a kid, I’ve always heard about Zzaxx, but never read an issue with him in it (I was a sporadic-at-best Hulk reader) until I read his first appearance back in INCREDIBLE HULK #.. Um...yeah. That’s how memorable that issue was, and I suspect that this one will fall into the same category for me. Grade: 6.0
TOMB OF DRACULA #28 "Madness in the Mind!"
Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. Cover by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer. Blade, Harker, and the rest of Dracula's enemies return for a showdown, but nothing will hit the vampire lord harder than the loss of love. Taj Nitall must reach a difficult decision about his newly transformed son. Dr. Sun continues to abuse his thrall over the Chimera statue. In this issue, for me, Taj was the star. His appearance was brief, as they all are, lately, but the revelation of his son took me by surprise. Dracula continues to give a clinic on arrogance, but it was good to see that arrogance defied. “By whom”, you may ask. Let’s just say that this was a great ending to the Chimera story. Grade: 8.5
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale October 8, 1974
On sale October 10, 1974
AMAZING ADVENTURES #28 "The Death Merchant!"
Written by Don McGregor, art by Craig Russell. Cover by Craig Russell.
April 2019: The Death Breeders, hot in pursuit of human experiments Adam 3,031 and Eve 3,031, fall to the might of Killraven and his freedom fighters! Plus, the origin of Volcana Ash! Killraven was always an acquired taste. Not always the most action-packed book, but always an interesting sci-fi tale. With Russell completely handling the art chores, I’m not as annoyed with the somewhat excessive narration. I truly enjoyed the beautiful renderings of the Freemen taking on the Martians’ Death Breeders. Grade: 8.0
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #140 "...And One Will Fall"
Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt (backgrounds). Cover by Gil Kane and Mike Esposito.
The Jackal and Grizzly kidnap Peter to uncover Spider-Man’s civilian identity. Rigged with a tracking device set to explode upon its removal, Peter wonders if he can ever again become Spider-Man. Plus, J. Jonah Jameson reveals why Grizzly has beef with the Bugle! Origin of the Grizzly. It seems like they were really pushing the Jackal to be the next big Spider-Man foe. Someone along the lines of Doc Ock or the Goblin. He’s a fun character, but I’m gonna wait to see if he’s a character that’s typical of a Conway storyline. As for the Grizzly two-parter, it was pretty good; even if the Grizzly turned out to be a pretender, lol!! Grade: 7.5
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #181 "The Mark of Madness!"
Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Vince Colletta. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Sinnott.
Nomad fights the Serpent Squad and Krang, under the thrall of the Serpent Crown, to stop them from using a Roxxon oil platform to raise Lemuria to the surface. Intro and origin of the new Cap (Roscoe). Mr. Englehart doesn’t appear to be slowing down. To paraphrase a scene from a legendary martial arts film: “The battle between the Nomad and the Serpent Squad was magnificent!” Plus, there’s the Viper! I can’t think of a single story that I’ve read with her that I didn’t like. Still a fantastic book! Grade: 8.5
GIANT-SIZE WEREWOLF #3 "Castle Curse!"
Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer.
The Werewolf roams the nighttime streets of Monterey in search of Topaz. He reaches the castle and finds Topaz inside, but she is merely an illusion that fades as a trapdoor opens beneath his feet. At the bottom, he is accosted by a creature covered with silver spikes. The Werewolf actually gets something of a “win” in this issue! The creature covered with silver spikes was just a portent to another creature waiting in Russoff castle in Europe. A fine story that ends tragically but engaging for the entire tale. *Sigh* Lord, if this book could just get a better artist than Perlin! Grade: 8.0
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #7 "Name that Doom!"
Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Mike Esposito. Cover by
The Asgardian villains Enchantress and the Executioner are up to no good. Does even the Thing have the strength to take down two Norse gods? At least he'll get some help from the Asgardian woman-warrior Valkyrie. Doctor Strange cameo. Last issue, I wondered how the Thing would mesh with the Valkyrie. Well, the results are kind of inconclusive. They barely interacted. This was still a good story, though; albeit a little odd as Mr. Gerber tends to be at times. Grade: 7.0
MASTER OF KUNG FU #24 "Massacre along the Amazon!"
Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Al Milgrom, Jim Starlin, Alan Weiss, and Walt Simonson, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. Shang Chi has arrived in South America in search of his villainous father, Fu Manchu, and winds up in a crossfire between two warring parties. While this is one of the better Fu Manchu stories, I’m really looking forward to the spy era of this book. As it is, the series gives good stories, but a rare great one. Moench is getting better as a writer on this book, but it hasn’t caught fire yet. Grade: 7.5
THOR #231 "A Spectre from the Past!"
Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema (layouts/breakdowns), Dick Giordano, and Terry Austin (finished art), inks by Dick Giordano (figures) and Terry Austin (backgrounds, uncredited). Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita (alterations).
The return of Jane Foster. The spirit of Armak arrears to cause problems for the God of Thunder. Thor flies off to fight Armak. Plus, will Jane Foster recover from her injuries? Armak. It’s the type of name that screams generic strong-guy-would-be-conqueror guy. This is also the type of story that screams “inventory story”. I finished it and immediately thought “Why?” *Sigh* Hopefully, the return of the Firelord next issue will turn out to be much better. Grade: 6.0
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK On sale October 15, 1974
On sale October 17, 1974
AVENGERS #131 "A Quiet Half-Hour in Saigon!"
Written by Steve Englehart. Art by Sal Buscema (breakdowns) and Joe Staton (finishes). Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.
The Avengers remain in Vietnam to help Mantis discover more secrets about her mysterious origins. Meanwhile, in the realm of Limbo, demon lord Immortus has rescued Kang and Rama-Tut from the time stream. Back on earth, Mantis is visited by an astral form of Swordsman, which leaves her both confused and scared. First appearance of the Legion of the Unliving. Okay, so this one isn’t new to me. As a kid, I had a copy of this that had no cover. I, somehow, obtained that copy long after I really started getting into comics. I was mostly intrigued by it because it had Mantis. It was the first time that I’ve ever seen her. Funny that I wasn’t overly impressed with her, then, and that same feeling hasn’t changed now that I’ve seen more of her. As for the story, it feels more like an interlude for the Avengers and a feature for the villains. Kang, Rama Tut and, in only his second appearance, Immortus were the true stars of this issue. Grade: 7.0
CAPTAIN MARVEL #36 "Watching and Waiting”
Written by Steve Englehart, art by Jim Starlin, Alan Weiss, and others. Cover by Al Milgrom.
3 new pages, featuring the Watcher. The remainder of the issue reprints the Capt. Marvel origin by Stan Lee and Gene Colan from MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #12. *Sigh* Seriously! A reprint?!! Well, I don’t remember how I rated this particular issue, but early Captain Marvel stories didn’t do much for me, including his debut, if memory serves me correctly. After reading The Thanos War, this is like going backward. Grade: 6.0
CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #33 "Deathgame!"
Written by David Kraft, co-plot by Tony Isabella, pencils by George Perez, inks by Klaus Janson. Cover by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson.
If Man-Wolf claims Kristine Saunders’s life, the blood will be on John Jameson’s hands! The werewolf edges toward disaster when he targets one of his closest friends… So, now it’s DAK’s turn to write the Man-Wolf’s adventures. Doesn’t seem like the type of story that he would do, but I guess he’s just wrapping up what Doug Moench and Tony Isabella started. Still entertaining, though. The real treat was seeing early Perez artwork. Although Janson’s inks dominated, there were a few signature Perez moments. Grade 7.0
DEFENDERS #19 "Doomball!"
Written by Len Wein (plot) and by Chris Claremont (script), pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Klaus Janson. Cover by Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott.
The Wrecking Crew continues to cause trouble. The Gamma Bomb goes missing and it's a race to find it between the Defenders and the Wrecking Crew! Power Man guest stars. The epic conclusion to the Defenders vs. the Wrecking Crew story!Even though this guy named “Claremont” 😏 steps in to help with the writing chores, this story never misses a beat, and the action never stops! What a fun story! Grade: 9.0
GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #3 "The Yesterday Connection!"
Script by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Mike Esposito. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.
Guest-starring Doc Savage. The legendary crime fighter from the 1930s, Doc Savage, teams up with the web-slinging superhero of the 1970s to battle a strange alien from a parallel dimension to Earth. The bronze hero from the Great Depression battles the treacherous Desinna in 1934, while the Spectacular Spider-Man fights her in 1974! How can the duo team up 40 years apart? Interesting concept that works to some extent. It’s a story that could have been better if the villain were more interesting. It’s bad enough that I just don’t get Doc Savage but having him and Spidey “team up” to face a, somewhat, generic bad guy makes this feel like an abandoned MTU story. Grade: 6.5
JUNGLE ACTION #13 “Panther's Rage Pt 8: The God Killer”
Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Billy Graham, inks by Craig Russell. Cover by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson.
The Panther fights and defeats one of the once-thought-mythical white gorillas. Introduction of Chandra, Kono, Jakak and Wenzori. Pin-ups: The Black Panther from Avengers 73 by Frank Giacoia/Sam Grainger, and Venomm by Graham. Sssooo...much...narration. I mention that a lot with this series, but I never explain why it bothers me. I love comics and I love novels. But they are two different kinds of storytelling. The novelist has to be overly descriptive because, unlike comics, there are no pictures. One would think that the comic medium would free a writer of that need. Graham and Russell did an incredible job with the artwork. Yet, it’s mostly covered with words. In my opinion, that disrupts the flow of the artwork. McGregor is a fine writer, but at times, it seems as if he’s working too hard to prove it. Panther’s Rage is one of the great storylines of the 70s. Maybe it would be even greater if the storytelling weren’t so verbose. Grade: 7.5
MAN-THING #13 "Red Sails at 40,000 Feet!"
Written by Steve Gerber. Art by John Buscema and Tom Sutton. Cover by Gil Kane.
The Man-Thing leaves the solitude of the swamp and is drawn to the heart of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle! Coincidentally, the next issue I read after JUNGLE ACTION #13 was this one. Here’s a character that doesn’t even speak and yet Gerber isn’t overly descriptive in his narration. He brings us a great story ( and after the last few good, but unspectacular stories, he was due) without being excessively wordy. Yet, this is Gerber. So, a story about a swamp creature vs. mystical pirates may be strange, but strange is what Gerber does so well. This one was really entertaining. Grade: 8.5
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale October 22, 1974
PLANET OF THE APES #3 Cover art by Bob Larkin.
“Spawn of the Mutant Pits--Terror on the Planet of the Apes” Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Mike Ploog, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. “The Abomination Arena--Terror on the Planet of the Apes” Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Mike Ploog, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. “Manhunt--Planet of the Apes” Written by Doug Moench, pencils by George Tuska, inks by Mike Esposito. Based on the movie series. Roddy McDowall interview.
Reading this series has been interesting, but it feels somewhat “out of place”, for lack of a better term. I suppose that it’s because it’s not a part of the Marvel Universe. I will return to this series later. Grade: Incomplete
On sale October 24, 1974 FANTASTIC FOUR #154 "The Man in the Mystery Mask!"
Written by Stan Lee and Len Wein. Pencils by Dick Ayers and Bob Brown. Inks by Paul Reinman, Frank Giacoia, and Mike Esposito. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.
Reed, Ben, and Johnny are returning to the Baxter Building after their triumph on Machus when suddenly a most unexpected foe attack! But before the FF retaliates, the Human Torch recalls his prior battle against a similarly dressed villain in STRANGE TALES #127. Who is this man challenging the Fantastic Four? Guest-starring Nick Fury. So, this is essentially another reprint this month with a framing story that feels like an inventory story. Even though I read the original ST story, I barely remember it. Reading it again, I wonder what my original grade was. 🙂 As for my overall thoughts on this issue, it feels like something that was thrown together to meet a deadline. Grade: 6.5
IRON MAN #72 "Convention of Fear!"
Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by George Tuska and Vince Colletta. Cover by Gil Kane.
While on a business trip to Southern California, Tony Stark decides to attend the San Diego Comics Convention...and he goes incognito as Iron Man! However, the Black Lama is lurking in the shadows at the convention and convinces Man-Bull, the Melter, and Whiplash to fight Shell-head. I really thought that this issue would be a lot more fun than it was. Not saying that it was a bad issue because it wasn’t. I was just a little disappointed, that’s all. Side note: It never ceases to amaze me when a villain is such a badass that it takes the hero two or three issues to defeat him. Yet, when two or more of said badasses team up, they get taken out in one issue, lol!!! Grade: 7.0
KA-ZAR #7 "Revenge of the River Gods."
Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Bob McLeod. John Buscema cover.
The conclusion to the Tandarr-Kaa story. A solid issue. One might think that Ka-Zar gets by because he has a huge sabre-tooth tiger at his side. But in this issue, Ka-Zar shows why he’s the Lord of the Savage Land. Grade: 7.0
MARVEL PREMIERE #20 “Batroc and Other Assassins!”
Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Arvell Jones, inks by Dan Green. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Sinnott.
Iron Fist finds himself (again), under the attack of the Cult of Kara-Kai. Will Iron Fist ever be able to clear his name with Joy Meachum? Uncle Ward Meachum calls in a big gun to eliminate Iron Fist…Batroc the Leaper! Plus, what does Lee Wing have that the Ninja wants for himself? One of the better Iron Fist issues, so far. The battle between Iron Fist and Batroc is spectacular! Batroc is a villain that I’ve always wanted to like, but he never quite did anything for me. He and the Fist put on quite a show courtesy of Arvell Jones. Hopefully, this is the beginning of an upswing with this series. Grade: 7.5
MARVEL TEAM-UP #29 "Beware the Coming of Infinitus!...or How Can You Stop the Reincarnated Man?!"
Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Jim Mooney. Inks by Vince Colletta. Cover by John Romita.
Iron Man needs help and summons the Fantastic Four -- but for some reason, only the Human Torch bothers to show up! Iron Man and the Torch battle Infinitus! Another one of the earliest comics that I remember owning. Unlike the Spider-Man and Daredevil team-up in issue #25, I don’t remember much about this story. What I did find interesting is that the Torch used his mind more than his powers. Something rarely seen in the FANTASTIC FOUR series. Aside from that little tidbit, it was typical MTU fare. Heroes meet, (in this case) heroes argue (not fight), heroes take down the bad guy. Speaking of which, Infinitus turned out to be just a poor man’s version of the Melter. Grade: 6.5
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #25 “An Eclipse of Evil”
Written by Doug Moench, art by Don Perlin. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito.
After putting Redditch in a coma, can Jack convince the scientist to allow him to try his formula to cure him of his lycanthropy? Plus, the Werewolf battles DePrayve and the Hangman. OMG! The Werewolf was actually winning a fight. Then, circumstances sort of made the outcome inconclusive again. Good story, but one thing that blows my mind is how every cop at the L.A.P.D. doesn’t know that Jack Russell is the Werewolf. The next issue is a showdown with the Hangman. Let’s see if he actually gets a win. Grade: 7.0
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale October 31, 1974
That’s it for this week. Hope that you enjoyed this one. I hope to have November’s review up next Saturday, but I can’t make any promises. Until next time, take care.
Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. DEFENDERS #19
2. TOMB OF DRACULA #28
3. DAREDEVIL #117
4. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #1815. GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #3
Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #332. CHAMBER OF CHILLS #14
3. MARVEL PREMIERE #204. JUNGLE ACTION #135. MARVEL TEAM-UP #29 |
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Post by Calidore on Sept 13, 2023 21:33:14 GMT -5
It's strange, because Russell complained in an interview about Roy Thomas covering up his art with words in their Elric collaboration, which was at least one factor in Russell's leaving. But he seemed to have no problem with McGregor doing it.
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Post by kirby101 on Sept 13, 2023 21:53:28 GMT -5
It's strange, because Russell complained in an interview about Roy Thomas covering up his art with words in their Elric collaboration, which was at least one factor in Russell's leaving. But he seemed to have no problem with McGregor doing it. We don't know if McGregor wrote the cover copy. That is usually the editor |
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Post by Myke Gee on Sept 16, 2023 14:49:53 GMT -5
*** ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON APRIL 24, 2021 ***
November 1974 (Cover Date: February 1975) Hey, everyone. I got up a little early to read and review the last 4 or 5 books. Couldn’t sleep anyway, lol!! So, here are my thoughts on the Marvel Comics published in November 1974.
On sale November 5, 1974 DAREDEVIL #118
“Circus Spelled Sideways is Death!”
Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Don Heck. Inks by Vince Colletta.
Cover art by John Romita. The Ringmaster returns! The leader of The Circus of Crime has been secretly filming Daredevil…but to what end? DD tries to stop the Circus of Crime from using a televised performance at Shea Stadium as a chance to rob New York blind. First appearance of Blackwing. If there is such thing as a “one and done villain(s)”, the Circus of Crime is exhibit A. I can’t imagine any hero struggling with this group of dweebs. To think that they once fought Thor. Even with Thor at half-strength, the Circus was a joke. Even with adding a new member, they’ve just added another joke. Cool name and all. So, in case I wasn’t clear, I’m not a fan of the Circus of Crime. This is a step down from the Gerber stories. Grade: 6.5
DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #7 Cover by Earl Norem.
Includes: Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, stars in "The Past-Assassins!" Story by Doug Moench. Art by Mike Vosburg and Al Milgrom. "Enter the Letters!" A letters page with readers' thoughts on issue #4 (again), and a readers' poll. "The Way of the Dragon vs. the Mass-Sell Menace!" An in-depth article on the Bruce Lee movie Return of the Dragon, co-starring Chuck Norris, by Don McGregor. "The Basic Technique of Blocking!" A 3-page instructional on the fundamentals of martial arts. Plus, the Sons of the Tiger star in "Tigers in a Mind-Cage!" Story by Bill Mantlo. Art by George Perez and Bob McLeod. Includes a poster of Bruce Lee. Black and white. Shang Chi: Another story where Shang mysteriously travels from city to city despite not having a job, lol!! Now, he’s traveled from Los Angeles to San Francisco to fight a city mob boss and, of course, more of his father’s assassins. I have no idea where these stories take place continuity-wise. It’s just fun reading stories of my favorite character that I’ve never read before. Grade: 7.0
Sons of the Tiger: The Sons face a former ally of Master Kee who betrays them and conducts a set of mind tricks to defeat them. It’s a good story made great by the excellent artwork of Perez and McLeod. Grade: 7.5
GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING #3
“The Blood of Kings”
Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Alfredo Alcala.
Cover by John Romita, Klaus Janson, and Gil Kane.
INCREDIBLE HULK #184
"Shadow on the Land!”
Written by Len Wein. Art by Herb Trimpe.
Cover art by Herb Trimpe. The Hulk must battle…his own shadow? Meanwhile, more shady business unravels at the Hulkbuster Base in New Mexico.The Hulk battles the Warlord Kaa whom I remember from THE CHAMPIONS series. It was a simple, but satisfying story as Kaa was, yet another would-be conqueror from outer space who had the misfortune of running into the green goliath. There are some subplots that I hope end up more interesting than they began. Otherwise, a good issue. Grade: 7.0
TOMB OF DRACULA #29
"'Vengeance is Mine!' Sayeth the Vampire!"
Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer.
Cover by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer. When the Lord of Vampires goes berserk, the world of man trembles! A ravenous and mad Dracula takes another female victim! Taj reflects on the night of his son's vampiric transformation. Plus, two main cast members perish!!! Such a great issue! Dracula’s aristocratic arrogance was on full display here. Like Dr. Doom and Thanos, Dracula loves to let you know who the lord and master is. His psychological torture is as deadly as his physical and, sometimes, I find myself almost rooting for him; at the very least, intrigued enough to see what heinous act he’ll commit next, lol!! Wolfman, Colan, and Palmer form one of the all-time great creative teams. Yet, I feel like this team is constantly overlooked when the discussion is broached. This book slows down sometimes, but when it’s on, it’s fire!!! Grade: 9.0
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale November 12, 1974
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #141
“The Man's Name Appears to Be...Mysterio!"
Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt (backgrounds).
Cover by John Romita.
The return of Mysterio! Meet the second incarnation of Spider-Man’s most dastardly villain. How is Mysterio back from the dead? And what is this new Mysterio’s connection to the Daily Bugle? First appearance of the second Mysterio. From the moment I saw him in the 1960s cartoon, I was a fan of Mysterio. I tend to get excited when he shows up. Seeing him return and the demise(?) of the Spider-Mobile was worth the price of admission; if there was one, that is. Interesting that both the Spider-Mobile and Mysterio didn’t make as many appearances as I thought before I started this project. At any rate, I’m hoping that Conway sustain this pretty good start. He usually does with Spider-Man stories. Grade 8.0
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #182
"Inferno!"
Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Frank Robbins. Inks by Joe Giella.
Cover by Ron Wilson and John Romita. See the man called Nomad trapped in an inferno! Plus, the end of the sinister Serpent Squad! Roscoe continues as the new Captain America. Red Skull cameo.Sort of like two stories here. The first half features the Nomad vs. a demented Viper and Cobra who’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The rest is the Falcon and Roscoe, the new “Cap’n America”, foiling a bank robbery. Unfortunately, both halves were drawn by Frank Robbins. I’m not going to pile on with the Robbins-bashing. Like many in the group, I don’t like his artwork. Englehart continues to be great, but the Robbins artwork diminishes the overall effect of the book. Grade: 7.5
DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 2, #6
“Life High the Veil of Fears!”
Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Gene Colan. Inks by Klaus Janson.
Cover art by Frank Brunner. Dormammu and Umar return. Umar the Unrelenting has returned to the earthly plane and is up to her usual sorcery. Will Strange uncover her true purpose in New York? Also, Mother Earth warns Clea of an unnatural growth, & Dormammu emerges from the Earth. Unfortunately, I really don’t remember much about Umar’s first appearance, but it was good to see her because, ever since I first read her entry in the OHOTMU, she’s intrigued me. This issue seems like a setup for a new and grand Dormammu tale. Hope that it doesn’t disappoint. The real story of this issue is the return of Gene Colan. While I’m not his biggest fan, he works well on “dark” series like this and TOMB OF DRACULA. This is, also, the first time that I can recall seeing him inked by Klaus Janson. On some panels, they work well together. Others, not so much. Can’t wait to see how they grow as a team, assuming that they remain together for any length of time. Grade: 7.5
GHOST RIDER VOL. 2, #10
"Ghost Rider!"
Written by Gary Friedrich. Art by Mike Ploog.
Cover by Ron Wilson and Joe Sinnott. This issue reprints Ghost Rider's origin tale from the pages of MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #5. NOTE: The Hulk appears on the cover but is not inside this issue. The next issue contains a note from Marvel explaining that the cover for this fill-in issue went to press before they realized the planned story was not ready yet. The Hulk does appear in GHOST RIDER #11. As everyone knows, this issue was a reprint. My original thoughts on this story are in my May 1972 review. So, there’s no need to rehash them here. Moving right along to...
MASTER OF KUNG FU #25
“Rites of Courage, Fists of Death!"
Written by Doug Moench. Pencils by Paul Gulacy, inks by Sal Trapani.
Cover by Ron Wilson and Joe Sinnott. Shang-Chi, Sir Denis, and Black Jack Tarr have managed to keep Fu Manchu from getting his hands on a nuclear weapon, but they now face a long walk home through the remote wilderness of the Amazon…where a tribe of brutal headhunters is sure to complicate things! When Shang Chi rescues an infant from the jaws of death, he finds himself at odds with a tribe of natives. Shang Chi’s Amazon adventure comes to a close as Gulacy starts to come into his own as an artist on this book. He’s not quite the polished product that he will become, but he’s getting much better at fight choreography and overall storytelling. Moench continues to write Shang Chi as a force. Occasionally, Moench shows that he wants to take the character in a different direction, but he’s not quite there yet. Even still, this was a great issue. Grade: 8.0
TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #9 "Simon Garth Lives Again “
Written by Tony Isabella and Chris Claremont. Art by Virgilio Redondo, Yong Montano, Alfredo Alcala, Ron Wilson, and Pablo Marcos. Cover by Earl Norem. With a sacrifice by Priestess Layla, the zombie curse is lifted for 24 hours and Simon Garth, now human, has a chance to amend some wrongs in his life.
The issue also has "Herbie the Liar Said It Wouldn't Hurt." Script by Doug Moench and art by Alfredo Alcala. All stories are in black and white.
This is the final chapter of the story of the Zombie, but not the last issue of the series. Strange. The funny thing is that, for the majority of this series, I’ve always felt a little sorry for the Zombie. Mainly used as a pawn, it was good to see him be his own man for once; a better man (to some extent) than he was in his previous life. Great closing chapter. Grade: 8.0
THOR #232
"Lo, The Raging Battle!"
Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by John Buscema (layouts/breakdowns), Dick Giordano (finished art), and Terry Austin (finished art). Inks by Dick Giordano (figures) and Terry Austin (backgrounds).
Cover pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Tom Palmer. On Earth, Firelord discovers a mysterious cube. When he enters, he is confronted by a gigantic ominous being. Hercules and Sif go on a quest for the Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn. Later, Firelord attacks the God of Thunder! And the puppet master pulling Firelord's strings is none other than Loki!Cool!!! A good ol’ hero vs. “hero” fight, if you can call Firelord a hero. Of course, this was the highlight of the book. Thank goodness that they stopped, or they would have wrecked an entire city. Also cool for me is that I finally get to read the Kamo Tharnn story that was referenced in a “future” issue of THE CHAMPIONS. Another good start by Conway. I’ll...leave it at that. Grade 7.5
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale November 19, 1974
AVENGERS #132
"Kang War II"
Plot by Steve Englehart. Script by Roy Thomas. Art by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Joe Staton (finishes).
Cover by Ron Wilson and Frank Giacoia. The Celestial Madonna is Mantis! The Avengers are still stuck in the realm of Limbo, with the newly-formed Legion of the Unliving. This legion consists of villainous foes past and present who have been resurrected by Immortus.Another chapter in The Celestial Madonna story that, for all its star power, I find myself enjoying, but not as much as I believed that I would due to its “legendary” status. The Legion of the Unliving was fun and the story is fast-paced, but it’s just not blowing me away. Grade: 7.5
DEFENDERS #20 “The Woman She Was...!”
Written by Steve Gerber. Pencils by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Vince Colletta (finished art). Inks by Vince Colletta. Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita.
The ever-lovin' Thing joins forces with the Defenders to save a Valkyrie ambushed by the Undying Ones and Van Nyborg. Continues from MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #7. The team-up of the Thing, Dr. Strange, and the Valkyrie from MTIO #6 & 7 comes to a bizarre ending in this issue. It wasn’t a story that I was overly impressed with and the ending didn’t do much to change my mind. Coming off the spectacular Wrecking Crew story, this was really something of a letdown. The next issue, the Headman debut and I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully, the book rebounds from this less-than-special story. Grade: 7.0
FEAR #26
"A Stillborn Genesis!"
Script by Doug Moench. Pencils by Frank Robbins. Inks by Frank Giacoia.
Cover by Gil Kane and Dan Adkins.
Morbius stars in the final undoing of the Caretakers of Arcturus! Reprint backup: "A World Gone Mad!" (from ADVENTURE INTO MYSTERY #3). For me, this may be the most appropriately named book that I have ever read; at least, since Morbius became its star. In each issue, I’m afraid of how tedious and uninteresting the story is going to be. All this and Frank Robbins, too. 🙄 At least, the ending to this story was a tad bit better than what preceded it. Grade: 4.0
GIANT-SIZE FANTASTIC FOUR #4
"Madrox the Multiple Man!"
Written by Len Wein and Chris Claremont. Art by John Buscema, Chic Stone, and Joe Sinnott.
Cover by Rich Bickler and Joe Sinnott. Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters are on their way to a Jets football game when they encounter the mysterious Madrox! In search of a fix to his malfunctioning suit, "Multiple Man" returns to New York City and battles the Fantastic Four. Guest-starring Professor Xavier. First appearance and origin of Jamie Madrox.I found myself actually grinning as I started to read this story because I’ve always liked the Multiple Man; what little I’ve seen of him, that is. Yet, he comes off way more powerful than I’ve ever seen him in this issue. At any rate, this is what these Giant-Size books are supposed to be: a heck of a good time. Some don’t live up to the Giant-Size status. This one certainly did. Grade: 8.5
MAN-THING #14
"Tower of the Satyr!"
Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Alfredo Alcala.
Cover by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer. Who or what is Khordes? What is the secret of Maura Spinner? What will become of the Man-Thing when he hits Earth's atmosphere?! I’ve never been a huge fan of pirate stories, but this one was pretty darn good! No, Captain Fate won’t ever be counted among my favorite villains, but he was kind of fun. It just occurred to me that Gerber continues to write great Man-Thing stories that really aren’t about the Man-Thing. Alcala is always underrated as a penciler and especially as an inker. He handles both this issue and, though I prefer his black & white stuff, this was rather good. Grade: 8.5
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #20
“The Fool's Path!”
Written by Steve Gerber. Pencils by Sal Buscema. Inks by Al McWilliams.
Cover pencils by Gil Kane. When one of Dr. Reynold's students receives a tarot card of Death and an invitation to visit a fortuneteller named Madam Swabada, Hellstrom decides to accompany to girl and Reynolds to investigate the fortuneteller further. However, the visit ends up turning into a trap for Hellstrom, who soon gets involved in a series of bizarre attempts against his life.Once again, Gerber had me page-turning; dying to see what comes next. The Son of Satan had always been a complicated character and a difficult one to like. But I’ll be damned if I don’t love him under Gerber’s guidance. Fantastic story, so far. Grade: 8.5
POWER MAN #23
"Welcome to Security City!"
Written by Tony Isabella. Pencils by Ron Wilson. Inks by Dave Hunt.
Cover by Ron Wilson and Klaus Janson. As Luke Cage and Glen make their way across the country, they are attacked by a cadre of high-tech thugs. Things go from bad to worse when Power Man comes face-to-face with their puppet master, the iron-fisted Gideon Mace.This, I believe, was my second POWER MAN issue. Read it to death as a kid. I really liked this story then and nothing has changed today. Grade: 7.5
SUPERNATURAL THRILLERS #11
“The Asp's Big Score!”
Written by Tony Isabella and Val Mayerik. Art by Val Mayerik.
Cover art by Frank Brunner. Zephyr finds the Mummy and restores him to health. The two then seek out the Asp and Miles Olddan for the scarlet scarab. I was really into this book when the Living Mummy became the featured character. Even though Mayerik continues to put out incredible artwork, the story isn’t holding up its end of the deal. Not a bad story, but a little on the boring side. Since there are only four issues left, there’s no point in jumping ship. I may as well see this to the end. Grade: 6.5
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale November 26, 1974
ASTONISHING TALES #28
“Five to One, Deathlok...One in Five...No One Here Gets Out Alive!”
Written and art by Rich Buckler.
Cover art by Rich Buckler.
Deathlok wanders far from the land he calls home to find Simon Ryker and kill him. However, Ryker can foresee Deathlok’s arrival and sends out armored tanks to defeat his creation-gone-rogue.Interesting that I recently posted some thoughts on the Ghost Rider, then read this next. Deathlok, like Ghost Rider, is a cool-looking character rife with potential, but poorly executed. I wanted to love both series, but unfortunately, the stories are so insipid, I can barely get through them, at times. Unlike GR, Deathlok has an arch-villain. A boring one. Buckler is a huge step above Perlin, but it’s not enough. I was truly hoping that Buckler could be the next Starlin. But art is clearly his forte and not writing. Grade: 5.5
FANTASTIC FOUR #155
"Battle Royal!"
Written by Len Wein. Art by Rich Buckler (layouts) and Joe Sinnott (finishes).
Cover by Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott. Guest-starring the Silver Surfer. The Fantastic Four's afternoon walk through Central Park is interrupted...first, by a gang of thugs, and then by the Silver Surfer! Why is the former herald of Galactus attacking the FF? The surfer reveals in a surprising development that he's located his beloved Shalla Bal in a castle in the Balkans! Two major problems though: the castle is located in Latveria...and the castle is occupied by Doctor Doom! Will the Silver Surfer betray the FF to free Shalla Bal? Well, this one’s off to a rousing start! For some reason, I always love it when the Surfer shows up in this book. Add Doom and it’s, pretty much, guaranteed to be a great story. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Grade: 9.0
GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #3
"What Time Hath Put Asunder!"
Written by Steve Englehart. Art by Dave Cockrum and Joe Giella.
Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. The story continues from AVENGERS #132 and finds the Avengers in the midst of a desperate battle in Immortus' Labyrinth of Limbo! The golden avenger has perished, and the Vision appears mortally wounded! Only Hawkeye, Mantis, and Thor remain to fight Kang's Legion of the Unliving! However, the battle begins to turn, when two members of Kang's legion, Frankenstein's Monster, and the original Human Torch, have second thoughts about fighting the Avengers! If Hawkeye can defeat Baron Zemo and free Rama-Tut and Immortus, the good guys just might win! Story continues in AVENGERS #133.I keep waiting for The Celestial Madonna story to blow me away, but it’s just not happening. Again, it’s a good story, but not a great one. Certainly not the tale that its legendary status credits it to be. While I am enjoying it, I was expecting so much more. One big plus, for me, is seeing Cockrum art that I’ve never seen before. Good stuff! Oh, and Kang is still boring. 😂 Grade: 7.5
MARVEL TEAM-UP #30
"All That Glitters Is Not Gold!"
Script by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Jim Mooney. Inks by Vince Colletta.
Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.
Featuring Spider-Man and the Falcon. Glory Grant is in danger! Spidey and Falcon must engage in mortal combat against the mysterious Midas! A pretty formulaic story. While Spidey and the Falcon don’t fight each other, this is a typical team-up story. The “mysterious Midas” wasn’t all that mysterious, and I found it odd that the heroes fought him in his true identity and not his costumed one. An above-average story, but nothing more. Grade: 6.0
STRANGE TALES #178
"Who Is Adam Warlock?"
Written and art by Jim Starlin.
Cover art by Jim Starlin. Sphinxor retells the Origin of Warlock, his encounters with Thor and the High Evolutionary, the Creation of Counter-Earth, and Warlock's Battle against the Man-Beast. First appearance of the Magus. So, in The Celestial Madonna story, Kang faces a future version of himself (2 actually) and in this issue, Adam Warlock returns to face his future self. I never noticed that. Of course, I’m reading The Celestial Madonna for the first time and I’ve read Starlin’s Warlock quite a few times. Like his Captain Marvel (which I’ve also read a few times), Starlin’s Warlock is still as fresh as it was when I first read the Special Edition back in 1983. Having finally read Warlock’s first series, I can see the changes to the character already starting this first issue; particularly to the Soul Gem. Great to see that this story still holds up...so far. Grade: 8.5
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #26 “A Crusade of Murder”
Written by Doug Moench. Art by Don Perlin. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Klaus Janson.
Buck gets his hands on Redditch's "good formula", and Jack chugs the mixture! The Werewolf gets into a skirmish with the Hangman and DePrayve.While reading this, I couldn’t help but think that, if the Hangman ever met the Foolkiller, what a conversation that would be! 😂😂 This story takes something of an amusing turn as the Werewolf is, again, actually winning a fight against Deprayve when he (Deprayve) flees with the Werewolf following and the Hangman behind him yelling all sorts of crazy nonsense, lol!! Not sure if the humor was intentional, but I found it funny. Grade: 7.0
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
That’s all for this week gang. Hopefully, next week I can bring 1974 to a close. Until then, as always, take care, everyone.
Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. TOMB OF DRACULA #292. FANTASTIC FOUR #155
3. STRANGE TALES #1784. MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #205. MAN-THING #14
Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. AARRGH! #2
2. STRANGE TALES #1783. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1414. DR. STRANGE #85. X-MEN #92 |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Sept 17, 2023 8:30:42 GMT -5
I'm not a fan of Trimpe's work from around this time. His style seems to have changed a lot since the Englehart era and not for the better. TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #9 "Simon Garth Lives Again “ Written by Tony Isabella and Chris Claremont. Art by Virgilio Redondo, Yong Montano, Alfredo Alcala, Rong Wilson, and Pablo Marcos. Yong and Rong? |
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Post by Myke Gee on Sept 17, 2023 11:52:13 GMT -5
I'm not a fan of Trimpe's work from around this time. His style seems to have changed a lot since the Englehart era and not for the better. TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #9 "Simon Garth Lives Again “ Written by Tony Isabella and Chris Claremont. Art by Virgilio Redondo, Yong Montano, Alfredo Alcala, Rong Wilson, and Pablo Marcos. Yong and Rong? Another one of those cut-and-paste jobs, lol!! However, that's no excuse. I should have caught that one. Montano's name is Yong, but everyone knows Ron Wilson. How did I miss that? |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Sept 17, 2023 12:55:49 GMT -5
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #7 "Name that Doom!"
Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Mike Esposito. Cover by
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Post by berkley on Sept 17, 2023 16:42:41 GMT -5
As far as I remember, I'm one of the few people here that really likes Don Perlin's artwork when he does his own inks. I don't remember how it looks in this specific issue off the top of my head but from the credits #25 was the first time in the series when that was the case, so I'm curious - did you, Mike, or anyone else notice a big difference in Perlin's art in this issue from his previous WbN work, which was inked by other people? Or did it seem much the same to you?
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Post by chaykinstevens on Sept 17, 2023 17:12:49 GMT -5
Don Perlin had also inked his own pencils in his first issue of WBN, #17. I preferred his own inking to Vinnie Colletta's, which I thought made everything look blurry and bland, but was never very keen on Perlin. I probably liked Perlin best on the Defenders, when Kim DeMulder was inking it in a style that seemed to be influenced by Tom Palmer, and his work in the Valiant house style when they were trying to pass him off as a new artist, D David Perlin.
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Post by berkley on Sept 18, 2023 18:46:23 GMT -5
Don Perlin had also inked his own pencils in his first issue of WBN, #17. I preferred his own inking to Vinnie Colletta's, which I thought made everything look blurry and bland, but was never very keen on Perlin. I probably liked Perlin best on the Defenders, when Kim DeMulder was inking it in a style that seemed to be influenced by Tom Palmer, and his work in the Valiant house style when they were trying to pass him off as a new artist, D David Perlin.
I'll have to look back and see the review and comments on #17. I don't remember it well myself, as it was an issue I didn't read until years later. After having read some of the very early issues form the Ploog era, I didn't get back to the series until around #26 or #27, when Perlin was doing pencils and inks every issue, so I missed almost all the in-between stuff. |
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Post by Myke Gee on Nov 16, 2023 20:46:17 GMT -5
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON MAY 15, 2021
December 1974
(Cover Dated: March 1975) Good morning, everyone! It took me a while, but I finally finished the final month of 1974. Hope you all enjoy it. F.O.O.M. #8
***** On sale December 3, 1974 DAREDEVIL #119 “They're Tearing Down Fogwell's Gym!”
Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Don Heck. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Jim Mooney.
DD battles a boxer who has enhanced himself with the power of the Crusher in the gym where his father trained. Cameos by Iron Man, the old Crusher, the Fixer, and Battlin’ Jack Murdock. First appearance of the new Crusher. I never in a million years thought that I would ever write these words: I miss Steve Gerber. He made DAREDEVIL an exciting book; more exciting than it’s been since its inception. Isabella has been on the book for two issues and, while neither was bad, neither were as exciting as the Gerber stories. However, it was good to see the Crusher again. Grade: 7.0DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #8 Includes:
"Enter the Letters!" A letters page with readers' thoughts on previous issues. Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, stars in "A Hatred for All Seasons!" Written by Doug Moench. Art by Mike Vosburg and Jack Abel. Shang Chi sets himself up as a target for death to a modern-day Jack the Ripper! “Swords for Hire!" Movie reviews for Five Fingers of Death, Enter the Dragon, and The Sacred Knives of Vengeance by John David Warner. "Kung Fu in Paperbacks!" An overview of martial arts fiction by David Anthony Kraft. Plus, the Sons of the Tiger star in "A Storm of Vengeance!" Written by Bill Mantlo. Art by George Perez and Al Milgrom. A madman, a giant Sumo wrestler, the Silent Ones - and the woman who brings the whole thing down on the Sons of the Tiger. Black and White.Shang Chi: One of those stories with a moral. A great story with an ending that could have come in today’s headlines. Grade: 6.5Sons of the Tiger: The Sons of the Tiger started as a lot of fun, but it’s starting to slow down a bit. The search for the Silent Ones who killed their sensei is starting to feel a bit drawn out. There’s plenty of action, but not much story, it seems at times. I’m in for the long haul, but it’s time to wrap this chapter up and move on to something else. Grade: 7.0THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #15 “Tactics of Death!”
Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Val Mayerik, and inks by Klaus Janson. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito. The Monster gets a violent education in the modern world when the Jigsaw Nightmare comes out to play! These clone creatures have Frankenstein’s creation reeling- has the Monster met his match? Well...as I’ve complained before, this just doesn’t feel like the same book. This isn’t the same book! But I’ve decided to move on from what has been and really try to give this new incarnation a shot. Again, I think that they made a huge mistake by taking away the Monster’s ability to speak. Now, Moench has him taking on a criminal organization called I.C.O.N. (International Crime Organizations Nexus). I guess A.I.M. was busy this month. 😏 This issue was, actually, entertaining now that I’ve (somewhat??) put my biases aside. I imagine that it was a bit more palatable because of the great artwork by Mayerik and Janson. Grade 7.5GIANT-SIZE SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #1 "Encounter at Land's End!"
(Framing sequences) Written by Roy Thomas. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by Ron Wilson and Frank Giacoia. Following his defeat in FANTASTIC FOUR #144, Doctor Doom crash-lands in the ocean and is discovered by none other than the King of Atlantis! Will Namor play nice with a still-incapacitated Doom? The answer will surprise you! The beginning of a new alliance between two of Marvel’s heaviest hitters! This was, essentially, a reprint of SUB-MARINER #20 and MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #20. In the framing sequences, Namor is broaching the subject of an alliance with Doom and the reverie (reprints) begins. The framing sequences are exciting and sets up the next GSSVTU and the subsequent series. However, I was a little disappointed that this was mostly reprinted stories. Grade: 7.0
INCREDIBLE HULK #185 "Deathknell”
Written by Len Wein, art by Herb Trimpe. Cover art by Herb Trimpe. A visit from President Gerald Ford turns ugly when Armbruster’s suspicions about Glenn Talbot are confirmed! Betty is conflicted when a battle breaks out between her father and the Hulk. Normally, I’m not a fan of the Hulk fighting soldiers, robots, or people dressed up like robots. It’s like watching the Japanese military take on Godzilla. Why?!! But this was a good issue mostly because we learn what Glen Talbot’s been up to if that was really Talbot. Looking forward to the next issue. Grade: 8.0TOMB OF DRACULA #30 "Memories on a Mourning's Night!"
Written by Marv Wolfman. Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. Cover by Gil Kane and Top Palmer. Blade declares war on Dracula! Plus, wracked by grief over Sheila’s suicide, Dracula recalls past occurrences where he was similarly bereft. Blade the Vampire Hunter guest stars! If I had to label the type of issue this was, I’d call it an “interlude issue”. Not much happens, but Dracula gives an interesting retrospective on past betrayals. Great story. Grade: 8.0VAMPIRE TALES #9 Blade the Vampire Slayer in "Blood Moon" Written by Chris Claremont, plotted by Marv Wolfman, art by Tony DeZuniga. Blade, Vampire Hunter, continues his quest to take down endless legions of the UNLIVING DEAD! JAD (Jose Antonio Domingo) painted cover. Black and white. Claremont can craft a great vampire story as well as a mutant story, I see. Of course, at this point, he hasn’t written any mutant stories yet. Yet, the pacing of this story has his name written all over it. Another great story this month! Grade: 8.5
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale December 10, 1974
AMAZING ADVENTURES #29 "The Hell Destroyers”
Written by Don McGregor, art by Craig Russell. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Craig Russell. Chicago, April 2019: Killraven and the Freemen obliterate Death-Birth, a Martian stronghold, and rescue the pregnant Eve 3,031 from Atalon the Fear Master and the Sacrificer. Russell is completely handling the art chores and the results are amazing. He's definitely one of the most underrated comic artists ever. His art enhances an action-packed story that, for once, isn’t overly excessive in narration. Grade: 8.0
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #142 "Dead Man's Bluff"
Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Ross Andru (breakdowns), Frank Giacoia (finishes), and Dave Hunt (backgrounds). Cover by John Romita. An angry wall-crawler scours Manhattan looking for Mysterio! The web-slinger's long-time foe has made the grave mistake of using the late Gwen Stacy as one of his illusions! And that's stepping way over the line! But what if Peter's sighting of Gwen was genuine? Hold on, that's impossible! Gwen died several months ago! Or did she? Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will dive into that mystery soon enough! But in the meantime, he's giving a piece of his mind to Mysterio! First (cameo) appearance of the Gwen Stacy clone. Well, this story was pretty bizarre. The overall story was good, but this second part felt kind of rushed. One minute, Spidey thinks that he’s going crazy. In the next panel, he got it all figured out and created a device to help wrap up this caper. Also, as I said last review, I really like Mysterio. However, his replacement is somewhat disappointing. Or was it the rushed manner in which this story ends? Hmm... I don’t know. Fun story with a strange ending. Grade: 7.5
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #183 "Nomad: No More!"
Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Frank Robbins, inks by Frank Giacoia. Gil Kane/Joe Sinnott cover. The death of a hero! Can Steve Rogers move on from his old life? Or will the death of a comrade suck him back into the world of Captain America?!! Englehart is still churning out great stories, but the disproportionate, disjointed, disfigured....figures that passes for “artwork” by Robbins really detracts from the overall story. Grade: 7.5
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #8 "Silent Night...Deadly Night!"
Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Mike Esposito. Gil Kane cover pencils. It's Christmas and unless Thing and the Spirit of Vengeance known as Ghost Rider can stop the nefarious Miracle Man, it'll be the last Christmas. Fantastic Four cameo. A couple of things stood out to me before I even read this story. 1)This issue, the Ghost Rider is “formally” brought into the Marvel Universe. His adventures in his own book never crossed over to a part of the MU that I can recall. Yes, he’s met the Son of Satan, but he hasn’t interacted in the MU either. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. 2) This issue, unceremoniously, debuts the Skull Cycle. He calls it that in the book, nothing is mentioned about how he acquired it. One other thing, this story seems to be where the Ghost Rider goes from being, yet another, sympathetic horror character to a fledgling superhero. To start this off, he and the Thing take on the Miracle Man who, apparently, still has all the power that gave the entire FF fits. Gerber crafts another off-beat, but enjoyable tale. Grade: 7.5
MASTER OF KUNG FU #26 "Daughter of Darkness!"
Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Keith Pollard, inks by Sal Trapani. Gil Kane cover pencils, Tom Palmer cover inks. Sir Denis is after the long-lost Golden Beetle relic of the pharaoh Seth-Amon -- a legend relayed to him in a dream by none other than Fah Lo Suee…Shang-Chi's sister. It's martial arts madness, Marvel-style, in the Middle East as Shang Chi comes face-to-face with the deadly daughter of Fu Manchu.More of the same as Shang Chi, once again, joins Sir Denys in some far-off land to stop his father’s evil plans. This is just part one of a predictable story. This issue, also, features the first full-color artwork from Keith Pollard. Grade: 6.5
THOR #233 "Midgard Aflame!"
Script by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Chic Stone. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Sinnott and Marie Severin. Loki's armies attack Earth and Thor has to marshal the US Army to defend our world. Plus, where has Odin gone?Hey!!! Bring back Firelord!!! The former Herald of Galactus was conspicuously absent from this issue. Thor vs Loki is so old hat. I don’t know. I enjoyed the issue, but this book is starting to get a little stale. Grade: 7.0
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale December 17, 1974
AVENGERS #133
"Yesterday and Beyond…"
Written by Steve Englehart. Art by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Joe Staton (finishes). Cover by Gil Kane, Dave Cockrum, and Frank Giacoia. The Celestial Madonna saga continues after the Avengers narrowly defeated Kang in GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #3. As a reward for thwarting the Conqueror, Immortus sends Mantis and the Vision on separate journeys through time to discover their respective origins. The Vision's path of discovery starts in the laboratory of Dr. Phineas T. Horton during the early days of marvel World War II. While Mantis' history lesson begins eons ago on Hala, the home planet of the Kree. Meanwhile, inside Avengers Mansion, the Scarlet Witch trains with Agatha Harkness to hone her mutant powers. Origin of the Vision. Origin of Mantis. As The Celestial Madonna saga continues, I grow less interested. At least, this issue has me feeling that way. The so-called “origin of Mantis” barely moved the needle for me, and the Vision origin revealed nothing new. At this point, I’m ready for this story to be done because it’s truly overrated. Grade: 6.5
CAPTAIN MARVEL #37 "Lift-Off!"
Written by Steve Englehart (co-plot, script) and Al Milgrom (co-plot), pencils by Al Milgrom, inks by Klaus Janson. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Klaus Janson. The most cosmic superhero of them all takes off beyond the skies! While battling the Watcher, Mar-Vell must overcome the side effects of a hallucinogen Rick has taken in the Negative Zone. Featuring Ant-Man & the Wasp! When I filled in the gap between issue #34 and #53 about 15 years ago, I couldn’t get past the Starlin era. Englehart, whose work I usually love, just didn’t bring it like Starlin did. That whole gap-bridging run was brutal to read back then. So far, 2 1/2 issues removed from Starlin (the last issue was a partial reprint), I’m enjoying the book a bit more than I remembered from 15 years ago. Interesting pairing of Milgrom and Janson. Grade: 7.0
CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #34
"Nightflight."
Written by Dave Kraft, pencils by George Perez, inks by Frank McLaughlin. George Perez/John Romita Sr. & Tony Mortellaro cover. John finds security with Joel and Mary, but it doesn’t last long when Man-Wolf’s apprehended by a gang of crooks! J. Jonah Jameson shows up, and he has a few pointers for his son, (don’t kill anyone). This month, it’s Kraft without Tony Isabella co-plotting and still feels like he’s mopping up the Moench storyline. While I find the Man-Wolf more interesting than the Werewolf, the same cannot be said about John Jameson. His dad is a character that you love to hate, but John is kinda Snoresville. Hopefully, DAK can inject some personality into him in the next three and final issues of this book. Grade 7.0
DEFENDERS #21 “Enter: The Headmen!”
Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Sal Trapani. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Klaus Janson. The Headmen turn the citizens of New York into enraged rioters. Can the Defenders stop Manhattan from descending into madness? I’ve always found the Headmen to be a bizarrely entertaining group of villains. Of course, it would be Gerber that creates them. This issue was, mostly, fragmented scenes that introduced the villainous group and their strange schemes as well as continuing to mystery of the Valkyrie. Grade 7.5
GIANT-SIZE DRACULA #4
"Let It Bleed!"
Written by David Kraft, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Frank Springer. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer.
Dracula crosses the Atlantic puddle. Watch out America…Dracula is seeking opportunity in a new land…and is on the hunt for a new feeding ground! Plus, an ancient evil possesses a North Dakota town in the early 20th century. I tried, but I really couldn’t get into this story. It started out interesting enough, but the more I read, the more I became bored. Plus, the Heck/Springer artwork did not help. Grade: 4.5
JUNGLE ACTION #14 “Panther's Rage part 9: There are Serpents Lurking in Paradise”
Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Billy Graham, inks by Pablo Marcos. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Pablo Marcos.
The Panther pursues Killmonger and his assassins into Serpent Valley, where he fights and kills a theropod-like dinosaur. Not one of my favorite chapters of Panther’s Rage. This one felt a little “slow”; bogged down by what felt like a few overly lengthy conversations. As usual, Graham is killing it artistically. But, having T’Challa fight a T-Rex was a bit much. Grade: 6.5
MAN-THING #15 "A Candle for Saint Cloud!"
Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Rico Rival. Cover by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer. The most macabre Man-Thing tale yet! So, the brief synopsis of the books that I review are just cut-and-paste jobs. I’m too long-winded to write them and these reviews are long enough with so many books. The above-italized sentence was all that I could find regarding this issue. I don’t know about “macabre”, but this one was definitely bizarre! Another Gerber tale that makes me think that some illegal substances were involved in the creation of this story. Grade: 6.5
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale December 24, 1974
FANTASTIC FOUR #156
"Middle Game!"
Written by Roy Thomas and Len Wein. Art by Rich Buckler (breakdowns) and Joe Sinnott (finishes). Cover by Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott.
Guest-starring the Silver Surfer. The Fantastic Four are handed over to Doctor Doom by the Silver Surfer! But the Doctor has bigger plans for the FF and Surfer before eliminating them. After all, Doom does have a point to prove! A great story that continues to be very impressive! Doom is at the height of his arrogance and the Surfer continues to be a force that only circumstances can keep in check. It’s going to be a blast when those circumstances no longer exist. Yes, this story is truly about Doom vs the Surfer despite the name on the front cover. Can’t wait for the conclusion! Grade: 9.0
GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU #3
"Fires of Rebirth."
Written by Doug Moench. Art by Paul Gulacy and Vinnie Colletta.
Cover by Gil Kane and tom Palmer. A failed assassination attempt on his life sends Shang Chi on a danger-laden trip around the globe in search of those responsible. It is a journey that will bring him face to face with his father, the diabolical Fu Manchu, and the Shadow Stalker.The first thing that caught my attention when I first read this years ago was Colletta inking Gulacy. Nnnoooooooo!!!!! 😂😂😂 However, he didn’t do a bad job at all. Neither did Moench as he reintroduces an old character and two new ones. For those that may not have read this series, I won’t reveal the old character, but Clive Reston was one of the new and Shadow Stalker the other. For a character with such a cool name, he was something of a joke once he faced Shang Chi. Even still, this was enjoyable, and guess what? Fu Manchu got away again. 😂 Grade: 8.0
IRON MAN #73 "Turnabout: A Most Foul Play!"
Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by Arvell Jones, Keith Pollard, and Jim Mooney. Cover by Gil Kane. When Iron Man's friends are held captive, the Golden Avenger rockets into action! Facing the combined forces of the Crimson Dynamo and Kuan Set, Iron Man must use wit and strength to save the day! Also, Stark Industries officially changed its name to Stark International.So, the Vietnam story finally comes to an end. With the book being bi-monthly, it feels like it went on forever. Although, this was more like an action-packed epilogue. Solid issue. Grade 7.5
KA-ZAR #8 "Down into the Volcano!"
Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema (layouts, breakdowns) and Alfredo Alcala (finished art), inks by Alfredo Alcala. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer. Ka-Zar must rescue Zabu from the decadent city of Gondora before its mysterious high priest sacrifices him at midnight. A thinly disguised version of the Biblical story of Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. “Gondora" is a semi-portmanteau of "Sodom" and "Gomorrah". Other apparent parallels: "Tul" is the one kindly citizen of the city who offers Ka-Zar shelter, lust-stricken residents of the city try to force their way into the tavern after Tul's daughters and are struck down by Ka-Zar, the city is destroyed in a fiery conflagration, and Tul's wife is turned into a statue of ash by the heat when she is the only one to look behind as they flee. While I am not a fan of Biblical allegory, I did enjoy this story. Buscema and Alcala continue to be an impressive art team. Grade: 7.5
MARVEL PREMIERE #21 “Daughters of the Death-Goddess”
Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Arvell Jones, inks by Vince Colletta. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer. Danny receives a mystical vision at the Temple of Kali. Who are the Living Goddesses, and what do they want with Colleen Wing? Colleen and her father are in grave danger, but an ancient text may hold the key to their freedom. The Ninja reveals his true identity! A brief appearance by Batroc. What I hoped would be the beginning of an upswing in this series last issue, was just an enjoyable interlude amid the tedium. I’m a huge fan of martial arts-based characters and street-level heroes, but this series isn’t really impressing me, so far. Grade: 6.5
MARVEL TEAM-UP #31 "For A Few Fists More!"
Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Jim Mooney. Inks by Vince Colletta. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. Iron Fist gains the attention of Spider-Man! In one of their strangest battles yet, the two street-level heroes go toe-to-toe against Drom, a villain who is aging in reverse.I really wanted to like this story far more than I actually did. Seems like that’s the same thing I’ve been saying about Iron Fist’s own series over in PREMIERE. TEAM-UP is typically good just to see Spidey’s interactions with other heroes; to see what type of chemistry, if any, develops. Unfortunately, none developed at all in this story, and it made me realize why Iron Fist isn’t really grabbing me in his own series and this story. At this point, he is seriously lacking a personality. So, while It had some minor moments, it was just an average story. Grade: 6.0
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #27 “The Amazing Dr. Glitternight” Written by Doug Moench, art by Don Perlin. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer. Story continued in part from GIANT-SIZE WEREWOLF #3. A menace dwells within the beach caves of Los Angeles, and he possesses Topaz's soul in an egg-shaped stone!Sometimes, I think that the Werewolf was created just to see a lead character get the crap kicked out of him every month. Even in victory, which he achieved this month (a rarity, indeed), he still takes some brutal beatings. That said, that wasn’t what made me....(I don’t want to say “dislike” because that’s too strong of a word)...indifferent, I guess, to this issue. I didn’t seem to really care about what was going on. This issue introduced Dr. Glitternight whose motivations, at least for the moment, are vague and uninteresting. I love Moench’s work on MASTER OF KUNG FU and other stuff, but his horror books (FEAR feat. Morbius, THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER, and this series) leave a lot to be desired. Grade: 5.5
ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK
On sale December 29, 1974
UNKNOWN WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION #2
On sale December 31, 1974
CRAZY MAGAZINE #9
1974 ends on something of a low note as I cannot remember the last time I rated so many books in the 6.0/6.5 range or lower. Also, it may not be the first time, but it’s probably been quite a while since only one book received a 9.0 rating. Anyway, my apologies for taking so long to finish 1974. As usual, I’m gonna take a break between years to try to regain my four-month cushion. The last time I took a break between years, I did a review of every series that I read from the beginning up to the end of 1973. I plan on reviewing each series for 1974. We’ll see how much time I have. 1975 reviews will begin in July. Until then, take care, everyone.Grading Chart:Top 5 Books of the Month:
1. FANTASTIC FOUR #1562. VAMPIRE TALES #9 (BLADE STORY)3. TOMB OF DRACULA #304. INCREDIBLE HULK #1855. GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU #3
Top 5 Covers of the Month:
1. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #1832. AMAZING ADVENTURES #293. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1424. CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #315. IRON MAN #73 |
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Post by Calidore on Nov 17, 2023 10:08:50 GMT -5
As a Chicago resident in 2019, I don't remember this happening at all. 
Nice to see you posting again! I always look forward to these.
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Post by Myke Gee on Nov 17, 2023 19:22:12 GMT -5
As a Chicago resident in 2019, I don't remember this happening at all.
Nice to see you posting again! I always look forward to these.
Martian Government cover-up!!!  Thanks!!! Glad that you enjoyed it!!! |
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Post by Myke Gee on Nov 17, 2023 20:08:38 GMT -5
***ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON MAY 22, 2021***
1974: The Year in Review, Pt. I
Hey, everyone. As usual, I’m taking a short sabbatical from my reviews as 1974 is done and I’m gearing up for the 1975 books. I’m really looking forward to those books because, while I had a few books from ‘72-’73, 1975 is when I started buying any and everything that I could find and afford. Anyway, later for that. In the interim, I decided to take the next four to six weeks to review the 1974 books overall as a series. Due to the Christmas/New Year’s schedule, some monthly books were released late, and the result was that some books only had 11 issues that year. Bi-monthly books were not affected. So, let’s get into it.
DAREDEVIL #109-119: DAREDEVIL was bi-monthly by the end of 1973, so there is no January 1974 issue. However, from February ’74 on, the book was monthly for the remaining 11 months. This year started off really well as Steve Gerber had DD and the Black Widow (who was still in and out of the series) take on the Mandrill and Nekra with some help from Shanna the She-Devil. I was never a fan of Mandrill and Nekra, but I really like them in this story. A strong start to the year was followed by the return of the Gladiator, a “team-up” with the Man-Thing, and even a good story featuring the Owl. All of this, plus his work on MAN-THING and THE DEFENDERS has made me completely turn the corner on Gerber who was never a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, Gerber was gone after issue #117 and Gerry Conway and Tony Isabella brought the “property values” down with the last two issues of the year after this book spent the majority of the year receiving the best continuous grades of the series from me. Bob Brown and Gene Colan handed the majority of the artwork this year. Good stuff, but not great as they both were paired with Vinnie Colletta a lot, as well as a few other inkers that didn’t mesh so well with them. It was an outstanding year for this book that faded in the last couple of months. Average Grade: 7.90
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INCREDIBLE HULK #175-185: Growing up, I was never really a big fan of the Hulk’s solo book. I always liked when he showed up in other books, but his manner of speaking was a little off-putting to me. Sometimes, it feels like writers don’t know what to do with the series, at times. This year had great some issues, but it wasn’t, particularly, a great year. Of course, the highlight of the year was his battle with the Wendigo which led to the introduction of a short, feisty Canadian with claws. An encounter with the Inhumans led to a meeting with Adam Warlock on Counter-Earth. This story, basically, ties up some loose ends from the latter’s ill-fated series. The Warlord Kaa and Hammer and Anvil were introduced this year and the Missing Link and Zzaxx returned. All stories with varying degrees of enjoyment. It was an up-and-down year for ol’ Jade Jaws, but the one consistency was Herb Trimpe handling the penciling chores. Many in this group are fans of his and that’s fine. I usually refrain from commenting on his work because I know that his daughter is a member, and I don’t want to be disrespectful to her and a man who has accomplished far more than I ever will in comics. But his style just has never been for me. So, an up-and-down year as I said. Nothing higher than an 8.0 this year. That played a part in the GPA. Average Grade: 7.54
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IRON MAN #68-73: As I said last week in my review for IRON MAN #73, it’s hard to believe that this character’s book was once bi-monthly. I guess that only supports one member’s theory that, before the films, Iron Man wasn’t an A-list character. That’s a hard pill to swallow because I always considered him one of Marvel’s “big guns”. At any rate, the majority of his six issues were great this year. He spent most of the year in Vietnam looking for Roxanne Gilbert and Eddie March’s brother. That sojourn led to confrontations with the Mandarin, the Yellow Claw, Sunfire, the Titanium Man, Ultimo, and the always underrated Unicorn. Star power alone isn’t what earned those issues high grades, but a damn good storyline. The brief interlude to that storyline in #72 had him at the San Diego Comicon fighting Man-Bull, the Melter, and Whiplash. That issue wasn’t as good as the other five, but it wasn’t horrible. A really strong year for IRON MAN….despite George Tuska’s artwork, lol!!! Average Grade: 8.00
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TOMB OF DRACULA #20-30: As I’ve stated on numerous occasions, I read superhero comics and I make no apologies for that. Boots and capes were my first comic book loves. I cared nothing for westerns, horror, and any other genre that didn’t have boots and capes. Since I started this project, I’ve gained a new appreciation for Western and horror comics. (Still no love for war, so-called humor, and teen romance books) TOMB OF DRACULA, early FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER, and WEREWOLF BY NIGHT played a huge part in that. Especially TOD. Consistently well written, it’s been a treat nearly every month. This year, the diabolical Dr. Sun and the Lord of the Undead pit their massive egos against each other for a great story that I may have to revisit when I have the time. GS DRACULA introduced Sheila who became close with the Lord of the Undead and was a key figure in the fabulous Chimera storyline. Sharp characterization propels this book above the other horror books as Rachel Van Helsing, Quincy Harker, and, especially this year, Taj Nital. Also, I can’t forget Blade who shows up from time to time. All of this is rendered beautifully by the atmospheric artwork of Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. I’ve never been a Colan fan, but I cannot imagine anyone else working on this book. This may be the only book that rated no lower than an 8.0 every month this year. Average Grade: 8.36
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VAMPIRE TALES #4-9: Honestly, I didn’t even read every issue of this magazine this year. After reading issue #4, I was done with the book. I just cannot get into Morbius. So, I skipped #5 but read issue #6 because Lilith was featured, and I really dug her first appearance. Skipped #7 and on to #8 because there was a Blade solo story written by Chris Claremont. I even gave Morbius another shot in issue #8 and regretted it halfway into the story. However, the Blade stories in issues #8 and #9 were a lot of fun. Those received high marks as well as the Lilith story. Yet, because I didn’t read every issue of this mag this year, it’s only fair that I give this season an “incomplete” as a final grade. Average Grade: INC
So, that’s it for this week. As always, I hope that you enjoyed this. See you next week.
Rest in Paradise David Anthony Kraft whom all comics fans affectionately know as DAK.
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Post by Myke Gee on Nov 30, 2023 20:30:43 GMT -5
***ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON MAY 29,2021***
1974: The Year in Review, Pt. II
Hey, everyone! Here is part two of 1974: The Year in Review. A review of the 1974 books overall as a series. Due to the Christmas/New Year schedule, some monthly books were released late, and the result was that some books only had 11 issues that year. Bi-monthly books were not affected. Here are my overall thoughts on....
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #131-142: When I reviewed issues #1-130 (AMAZING FANTASY #15, as well) during my last break, this was the highest-rated series of all the series that I read from FF#1 and up. This year was good, but nowhere near what it once was. I’ve never given this series so many ratings in the 7’s. 6 of the 12 issues rated below 8.0, but fortunately, nothing below 7.0. The year started with the, somewhat, hokey Doc Ock/Aunt May wedding story. It was enjoyable despite the goofy premise, but not the high-quality stuff from before. The Molten Man was up next, and it was a really good story which made me more of a fan of MM than his original appearance did. Next, the second appearance of the Punisher and the debut of the Tarantula which set up the debut of Harry Osborne as the second Green Goblin. A story that started great and fizzled a little as a lot of Conway’s stories do, but usually not with ASM. Issue #138 was the low point for me with the so-so Mindworm story. Speaking of “so-so”, the Grizzly story wasn’t the greatest, but enjoyable in its own way. A particularly good Mysterio story brought an end to the year and an end to the Spider-Mobile. So, this was a year where half of the stories were good, and the other half were great. Only one issue rated a 9.0 with me and that’s rare for this series. Artistically, Ross Andru was there for all but one issue and, honestly, I just don’t understand why so many in this group don’t like him. You could do a lot worse. Average Grade: 7.75
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AVENGERS #122-133: THE AVENGERS started 1974 off in grand fashion. First up was the excellent conclusion to the Zodiac story. Afterward, things got a little…“iffy”. To paraphrase Jack Nicholson from1989’s BATMAN film: “I have given a name to my pain, and it is Mantis”. Or rather Steve Englehart’s incessive need to force this character down the book’s audience’s collective throats. As I’ve stated before, I don’t think that she’s a bad character. She’s just not as interesting as Englehart, clearly, thinks that she is. Most of this year’s issues center around events that lead to the overrated Celestial Madonna story, which started really well, in my opinion, and ends the year (but not the storyline) with the revelation that Zodiac’s Libra was Mantis’ father. But as group member, Allen Ulrich, pointed out, it’s like Englehart had no idea how he was going to end this story, but he just kept cramming in stuff and stalling until a good idea came to him. As of this writing, The Celestial Madonna story is not over. I only wish that it was. The artwork was handled mostly by the Buscema brothers, plus Bob Brown, and one issue by Dave Cockrum. None of which compensated for the, somewhat, dry story. A year that started off with a 9.0 deteriorated, slightly, to a book that consistently posted in the 7’s. Looking for a better 1975 from this mag. Average Grade: 7.5
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CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #172-183: In ’74, Englehart kept the good times rolling on this book. This year started with the continuation of the Secret Empire story which treated us to the return of the original X-Men (in their original uniforms, for some reason) and the return of the Banshee. The ending of that storyline resulted in Steve Roger giving up the Captain America identity and, briefly, becoming the Nomad. The Falcon got to shine a little as he took on Lucifer and mentored Roscoe, the new Captain America. Also, this year debuted the original Serpent Squad. As I’ve said before, Englehart has written the definitive version of this character, thus far. At no time since this book continued from TALES OF SUSPENSE has this series been as good; and, yes, that includes the brief and overrated (yeah, I said it) Steranko era (he says ducking the stones, lol!!!). A pity that it’s coming to an end. Even more the pity that I have to suffer through Frank Robbins' artwork for the last few issues. This book was full of high marks this year, but in the last two months, the grades dropped slightly because of Robbins. Average Grade: 8.41
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DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 2, #1-6: I’ve said this before, and I may need to really give this some more detailed thought: I think I like the idea of Dr. Strange more than I do the character itself. I couldn’t stay with CONAN THE BARBARIAN because I’m not into the sword & sorcery genre. Strange doesn’t have a sword, but he does have the sorcery which leads to a bunch of demons with unpronounceable names and vague motivation. That said, I truly enjoyed this year. Englehart crafted some very good stories that were beautifully rendered by Frank Brunner. Most of this year featured the Silver Dagger story with a reprinted STRANGE TALES story interrupting. That saga ended with issue #5 with Brunner penciling his last story. I was really sad to see him go. Gene Colan took over with issue #6 and Umar returned. As stated, I’m not a fan of Colan, but he works so well on these dark, supernatural series. Five issues, including the reprint, all received an 8.0 or better. Admittedly, most of those high marks came from my love of Brunner’s artwork. So, it’s not a mystery why #6 received a 7.5. Still, it was a great year for this book. Average Grade: 8.08
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FEAR #21-26: When I first saw Morbius, my first thought was “WOW!!! What a cool-looking character!!!” My fascination grew when I found out he was a vampire (don’t ask me why, lol). Growing up, I read very few stories with him. As I started reading these books, I was less than impressed with his debut in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #101. Same with subsequent guest appearances. Even still, I really wanted to like him. Then comes his stint in this book. This year started with only his second appearance in this book, and it wasn’t bad. Wasn’t great either, but not bad. From there on, it plateaued for a couple of issues, then it just deteriorated to the end of the year. The best part about this series is that it’s bi-monthly. Artistically, I had no problem with Gil Kane and Rich Buckler in the first two issues and P. Craig Russell did great work with the next two. *SSSIIIIGGGHHHH* Unfortunately, the last two issues were drawn by Frank Robbins. That guy can kill a GPA. Average Grade: 5.66
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FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #10-15: 1974 started off great, as usual, for this series, thus far. The Last Frankenstein story was a continuation of what I feel was Gary Friedrich’s best work that I’ve read from him. High marks on his last two issues. This series tied into issues #2, 4 & 6 of MONSTER’S UNLEASHED as the groundwork for Doug Moench’s take on this Monster was laid, with issues #2 & 6 giving me hopes that his tenure on the book would be just as great. Moench’s changed the Monster from a creature that somewhat deserves some sympathy to something of an anti-hero that fights on the side of right because he finds himself in circumstances that call for him to do so. He even befriends a young boy a la INCREDIBLE HULK #1 who is the main reason that the Monster is faced with said circumstances. Towards the end, I’ve decided to try to put my biases aside and enjoy the book for what it’s worth. It’s decent and the artwork by Val Mayerik makes it much more tolerable. Average Grade: 7.58
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MAN-THING #4-15: The thing that makes the Man-Thing series work (as so many of you have told me) is the people and situations that surround him. It’s funny because, as the lead character, he is mostly incidental to the story. Yet, his presence has an impact. Just sharing a thought that popped into my head. This year started great as Gerber, the writer that I’ve finally turned the corner on, makes me turn the corner on the character the Foolkiller. Such a great story. Next was a story that drove home my opening thought. The story of Darrel the Clown was really bizarre but fascinating and quite enjoyable. Darrel was the star of that story and Manny was just along for the ride. There were some odd stories this year, as well. Stories like the weird, but engaging tale of swamp spirit invading the lives of an old couple living in the Everglades (which was, sadly, Mike Ploog’s final issue) and the not-so-enjoyable “A Candle for St. Cloud” story at the end of the year. Yet, in between that, there was a spectacular story in the Bermuda Triangle which features ghost pirates, of all things. Great stuff. There were some up and down moments this year and the gradings reflected it. A good year, but not up to the standards set when Man-Thing was the star of FEAR. Average Grade: 7.54
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THOR #222-233: Thor. Hercules. Pluto. Ego the Living Planet. Galactus. Firelord. The Destroyer armor. One would think that with such a grandiose cast of characters, THOR would be a top-rated book every month. Au contraire!! At best, it has its moments. Ever since Gerry Conway has been writing this book, he’s had the propensity to start strong and fade in the end. The battle with Pluto at the beginning of the year was really good and the coming of Firelord was fabulous….to a point. It was yet another storyline that had me riveted, then it fizzled out in the end. THOR is still a good book, but, as I said in one of the later reviews of the year, it’s getting a little stale. Maybe it’s time for Conway to move on. Artistically, John Buscema has been great, as usual, with Rich Buckler and Arvell Jones lending a hand at times. The marks this year were mostly in the 7.0/7.5 range with some strong earlier ratings boosting the final average. Average Grade: 7.62
And that's it for this week, people. As always, I hope that you enjoyed it. See ya next week for Part III!!! Until then, take care.
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Um...yeah. That’s how memorable that issue was, and I suspect that this one will fall into the same category for me. Grade: 6.0
Thanks!!! Glad that you enjoyed it!!!
