Good morning, everyone. As I continue my break from monthly reviews, here is part four of 1974: The Year in Review. A review of 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. Here are my overall thoughts on....


FANTASTIC FOUR #145-156: Just because the names in the credits are no longer Lee and Kirby, don’t think that this book is no longer capable of creating great stories. True, they don’t come as frequently as the Lee/Kirby heyday, but this series still has a lot of steam. Gerry Conway wrote this series for a little more than half of the year. In that time, he gave us a very good story in the Himalayas as the Torch and Medusa faced off against Ternak. A story that didn’t get better as the rest of the team showed up, but it was still pleasing. In the next three issues, Namor the Sub-Mariner invades the surface world….again. Conway penned a real page-turner with this one. You’d think that Namor invading the surface world would be a “ho-hum” affair, but the twist was he did with the Invisible Girl at his side. However, things weren't quite what they seemed, and I loved that about the story. Conway did not disappoint with this ending to a story that was reminiscent of the Lee/Kirby days. Up next was the 150th issue of the series which started in AVENGERS #127, guest-starring the Avengers and the Inhumans. Too bad such a star-studded cast yielded only a decent story. This one really felt like there should have been a two-issue lead-in so they wouldn't have to stoop to a rushed, deus ex machina conclusion. The second half of the issue was the wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver. The next three issues featured Thundra and the team's battle against Mahkizmo. I was SO prepared to dislike this character because of the corny name, but both he and the story were great. Conway scripted the first two issues of that story and Tony Isabella stepped in to deliver a damn good ending. Issue #154 was, essentially, a reprint with new material framing it. That was disappointing after the last storyline. The year ended on an exceedingly high note as the Silver Surfer battled the FF to free Shalla-Bal from Dr. Doom. The story wasn’t finished by the end of ’74, but that just means an exciting beginning to 1975….I hope, lol!! Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott handled the art chores most of the year with Ross Andru penciling the first two issues of the year. Such an exceptional year for the First Family of superheroes. Average Grade: 8.25

JUNGLE ACTION #9-14: Panther’s Rage is another iconic, critically acclaimed story along the lines of The Kree-Skrull War, The Coming of Galactus, The Thanos War, etc. Like The Celestial Madonna, at times, I wonder how well deserved that status was. Unlike The Celestial Madonna, there have been moments in this story that I’ve genuinely loved. My only issue with is its length and like with Killraven, Don McGregor’s propensity to be overly verbose in his narration. As a bi-monthly book, it feels like enough narration to fill up a monthly title and then some. The first three issues of the year were great despite this. For the most part, McGregor keeps the story engaging, but it’s not without its flaws. One: for a character that fought alongside his fellow Avengers, the Panther doesn’t seem very superheroic in this series. He gets his butt kicked more than the Werewolf by Night. Two: Killmonger shows up and, you guessed it, kicks the Panther’s rear end and he’s rarely seen again in a story that’s as much about him as it is T’Challa. Finally: at times, some of the storyline feels like filler. Not an entire issue, but moments inside an issue where I wondered what the purpose of that scene was. Issue #14 was a classic example of this as there was (what seemed like) a long, drawn-out conversation between Monica Lynn and one of T’Challa’s aids, Taku. The action was flowing nicely, then everything just slowed down with the inclusion of the conversation. As I’ve said in almost every review of the book this year, despite my gripes, I’m still enjoying it. Artistically, Billy Graham handled the pencils all year and did a bang-up job. Much better than his work on POWER MAN. Inking him most of the year was Klaus Janson who always does a spectacular job. The final two issues were inked by P. Craig Russell and Pablo Marcos, respectively. Aside from the final issue, this book continued to grade respectfully. Average Grade: 7.58

KA-ZAR #3-8: There are some characters that I feel like they work best as guest stars. Characters that have their own books like Morbius, Man-Thing, (to some extent) the Black Panther, and…Ka-Zar. Honestly, Ka-Zar is the first character that comes to mind when this subject is broached. Like Englehart and Mantis, I feel like Ka-Zar is a character that is constantly being forced on the audience. In the many LCSs I’ve visited and the gazillion conversations and/or debates in them, I can’t ever recall anyone ever saying that Ka-Zar was their favorite character. This does not mean that he’s no one’s favorite character. I just never understood his appeal as a featured character. The first half of this year continued the Man-Ape/Man-God story that bored me more as the story went on. Mike Friedrich, Don Heck, and Mike Royer were responsible for the continuous tedium of this story. Beginning in issue #1, I saw no reason to drag that story over five issues. The second half was better as a new creative team stepped in. Gerry Conway (oh, boy…here we go 🙄) was now the writer with John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala beautifully handling the art on issue #6. Bob McLeod inked #7 and Alcala returned for #8. This three-parter featured Ka-Zar and a young boy named Kem Horkus and their struggles in the city of Gondora. A good story with some thinly veiled Biblical allegory. The book graded better in the second half, but the damage to the GPA was already done by the first. Average Grade: 6.75

MARVEL TEAM-UP #20-31: MTU was one of my mainstay series when I started really collecting it in 1975. At this point, it’s not at the consistent level of quality that those books had. In fact, only one issue earned an 8.0 grade this year. While it was nowhere near horrible (well, issue #28 with Hercules came close, lol), it always seems to hover between mediocre and very good. The year starts with a fairly good conclusion to the Stegron story that began at the end of ’73. The Spider-Man/Dr. Strange team-up the next issue was the only 8.0 awarded to an issue this year. Those two always seem to make for a great team-up. The next couple of issues were good and that’s about the highest praise that I can give them. #22 featured Spidey and Hawkeye vs Quasimodo. You’d think that two wise-mouths would make for a more entertaining story, but the two really didn’t have that much chemistry. Another disappointing tale was the Human Torch and Iceman vs Equinox the Thermodynamic Man. I loved Equinox’ appearance in MTU #59 & 60. I was expecting much more from this story. As I always say: I liked it, but I didn’t love it. The next two issues were slightly better. Surprising that Spidey and Brother Voodoo meshed a little better than him and Hawkeye, but they made a rather good team. #25 was one of my favorite childhood issues and it was the very first time that I ever saw Daredevil. While I still enjoyed the book, I’m not 9 years old anymore and what was “classic” to me then is just “very good” now. The second half of the year was pretty mediocre as the Torch and Thor faced those boring old Lava Men. Spidey and the Hulk was next, and it was a good story although it’s hard to say “Spider-Man and the Hulk vs the Chameleon” without laughing, lol!!! Issue #28 was the low point of the year (and, maybe, the series) as the infamous Hercules scene is one of the most ridiculous in comics history. The final three issues feature another childhood favorite as the Torch and Iron Man team up against a poor man’s version of the Melter called Infinitus and the year rounds out with so-so stories featuring Spider-Man and the Falcon and Iron Fist. Thankfully, I know that 1975 has greater stories coming. Average Grade: 6.83

MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #3-8: The first full year for MTIO was fairly good, even if it was only six issues. Like most fledgling series, it spent the first year finding its footing and differentiating itself from its sister title MARVEL TEAM-UP. MTIO doesn’t follow the MTU formula of heroes meet, heroes fight, heroes realize that it’s a big misunderstanding, and then team up to bash the bad guys. Everyone knows that Ben Grimm is a hero, unlike Spider-Man whose status always seems to be in question. Gerber was there for all six issues, and he started this year by crossing MTIO into DAREDEVIL as a part of the Mandrill/Nekra/ Black Specter storyline. Next was the best story of the year for this book as Ben and Captain America go to the future to meet the Guardians of the Galaxy (in only their second appearance). While it was the best story, the conclusion felt a little rushed, making for a Gerry Conway-esque type ending. The next two issues featured Ben meeting Dr. Strange and the Valkyrie. Gerber continues to cross storylines from books that he writes over into this one. This time, MTIO crosses over into THE DEFENDERS, but the results aren’t as good as the DAREDEVIL crossover. The year ended with a strange Christmas story starring the Ghost Rider as he and Ben take on the Miracle Man. It’s a little off-beat, but I dug it. Along with Gerber for the entire year was Sal Buscema as the penciler. Mike Esposito handled the majority of the inking with Joe Sinnott and Frank Giacoia handling the inks on the first two issues, respectively. The book graded well, but aside from issue #4, nothing Earth-shaking. Average Grade: 7.58

MASTER OF KUNG FU #17-26: It’s no secret that MASTER OF KUNG FU is my all-time favorite series. Yet, in the beginning, that wasn’t always the case. With the character's debut, Steve Englehart wrote two great stories in SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #15 & 16 and Shang Chi graduated to his own book, keeping the same numeration of S.M.E. In ’74, Englehart started the series off with enjoyable tales, but it wasn’t on the level of his CAPTAIN AMERICA or his AVENGERS work. Issues #17-19 were written by him and neither rated higher than 7.5 which is still very good. All of the stories, like most this year, featured Shang Chi foiling a plot of world domination by his father Fu Manchu. These early issues are still important to the series because they introduced Black Jack Tarr, who is an essential character to the series, and issue #18 introduced artist Paul Gulacy to the series. Gulacy will go on to be even more essential. Doug Moench steps in with issue #20 and will remain the writer up to issue #120. As much as I love Moench and where he took this series, he wasn’t there yet in ’74. He continued to follow the pattern established in very early Marvel books, i.e., have the hero fight his arch-nemesis repeatedly. So, that means that it was Shang Chi vs. his father’s assassins issue after issue. Some of those were really good, but nothing was exceptional. What I find odd was that none of the stories from DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU magazine (now that I’ve started reading the series) were ever referenced in the comic and vice versa. Also, not in top form yet was Gulacy. One of the joys of reading this series is watching the progression of both Moench and Gulacy. Even by issue #50 (his last), Gulacy still wasn’t at his peak and those stories leading up contained some amazing artwork. This series has often graded in the 7.0/7.5 range with only one earning an 8.0 and one below 7.0. 1975 will bring a new direction and it will begin the classic era of this series. Average Grade: 7.30

STRANGE TALES #173-178: STRANGE TALES returned in 1973 with the introduction of Brother Voodoo in issue #169. To start the year, Brother Voodoo’s tenure comes to an end in issue #173. #174 introduced the Golem; a character that is similar to It the Living Colossus, but a bit more interesting even though he doesn’t speak. As I type this, I’ve noticed a pattern that has been repeated at Marvel during this era. There seems to be an influx of characters that start out great, then very quickly fade; as if only the first story was thought out, but the creators struggle to take the characters forward. Brother Voodoo, Deathlok, The Cat, Shanna, Morbius, (to some extent, Shang Chi), and now the Golem. I enjoyed his debut and liked his second issues a little more than the first. Yet, with his third issue, the story stopped being intriguing and, I guess the powers-that-be agreed because that was his last appearance in the book. STRANGE TALES #178 is legendary because it began Jim Starlin’s tenure on the book and the return of Adam Warlock. Easily the highest-graded issue for the year for this series. Speaking of grades, S.T. was very up and down with only the Golem’s final issue scoring below 7.0. Issue #175 was a reprint of some musty old 1950s horror/sci-fi story, so I didn’t even bother to read it. So, the final average is from 5 issues. Average Grade: 7.40

SUB-MARINER #70-72: In the end, it seemed like no one cared about this book anymore and that no one wanted to write it. Most of the stories felt mailed in. So, after 72 inconsistent issues, the book is canceled. Some really great runs on this series were always followed by periods of lackluster stories and bland new ideas. The Llyra story arc was the highlight of this series for me and a truly underrated storyline. As for the last three issues, the year started with a snoozer as Namor took on Piranha and the Men-Fish, whom I think were the same mutated characters that he and Spider-Man faced in MARVEL TEAM-UP #14. The first part was pretty dry, but the second part was actually great, in my opinion. Too little, too late, I suppose. The final issue of the series screamed of a fill-in issue, and it was truly the last nail in the coffin for this series. Average Grade: 6.00

So, that’s it for this week. Next week, the final part of my review and the final ranking for all of the 1974 books that I reviewed. Until then, take care, everyone.

One of the great unsolved mysteries of the universe. There are some things (no pun intended, lol!!!) that just aren't meant for man to know. 

Good morning, everyone. As I continue my break from monthly reviews, here is the final installment of 1974: The Year in Review. A review of the 1974 books as an overall series. I’m closing this with a few odds and ends, plus Marvel’s Giant-Size books and a ranking of the final average grade for each book. So, here are my thoughts on…


CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #29-34: CotL started off the year with the final issue of Thongorr’s run in the book. Since it’s the same old sword and sorcery stuff that I have no interest in, I skipped that run altogether. Issue #30 brought in the Man-Wolf and it, basically, starts where GS SUPERHEROES left off (see below). Also, it brought in Simon Stroud, who once was hunting Morbius in FEAR, but is now on the trail of the Man-Wolf. Of the horror books that Doug Moench writes, his Man-Wolf was very good. He hangs around for only one more issue to be replaced by (who else but…) Tony Isabella. He must have been the hot writer of 1974/75. Yet, he’s only there for that issue and to co-plot the next with the late David Anthony Kraft. Kraft finishes up the Isabella story that has the Man-Wolf squaring off against Kraven the Hunter. While I find the Man-Wolf more interesting and capable than the Werewolf by Night, the constant switch in writers made for an up-and-down year as far as grading was concerned. Nothing was crappy, but everything wasn’t great either. This was an inconsistent, but entertaining year. Average Grade: 7.40


GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #1-3: Rascally Roy Thomas started this Giant-Size series by introducing Nuklo and elements of the series that made this one of my favorites. The Vision and Wanda are now officially in a relationship, the revelation that the Whizzer and Miss America are the parents of Wanda and Pietro and pairing the members to handle various threats. The only disappointing part was the art by Rich Buckler and Dan Adkins. I expected much more from those two. Issue two brings back Englehart and Kang the Conqueror. Honestly, the only thing that Kang conquers is my insomnia. Fortunately, we have Englehart who wrote a fantastic story as the team faced Kang who held his alternated selves, Rama Tut and Immortus, captive. A great story that ends with the death of the Swordsman. (I guess it’s up to Kang alone to cure my insomnia, now) Dave Cockrum handling the art was an extra treat. The year ended with Englehart’s obsession with pushing Mantis onto the audience. While it was fun to see individual members of the Legion of the Unliving, it was yet another less-than-stellar entry to the completely overrated Celestial Madonna story. The first two issues earned high marks with the last issue being the low point. Average Grade: 8.00

GIANT-SIZE CHILLERS/DRACULA #1-4: This book started as GS CHILLERS FEATURING DRACULA #1. A rather good story that sets up events for future TOMB OF DRACULA stories. As this was the only Marv Wolfman written issue, this makes sense. It’s the only issue drawn by Gene Colan, as well. The next two, now simply GIANT-SIZE DRACULA (although the splash page character intro says “CURSE OF DRACULA” each issue), were written by Chris Claremont with one being particularly good and the other excellent. If not for the Don Heck/Frank McLaughlin artwork, the latter may have earned a 9.5 or even a 10.0, it was that good. The final issue of the year was written by our beloved DAK. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of his better stories; at least, not to me, anyway. Heck/Springer art didn’t help. Overall, this book graded well with the sole low mark being the last issue of the year. Average Grade: 7.12

GIANT-SIZE CREATURES #1/WEREWOLF #2-3: Like GS DRACULA, issue #1 of GS WEREWOLF featured the title character, but had another name. Only 3 issues of this series as all of the GS titles are published quarterly and this one didn’t start until April of ’74. While the Werewolf is in GS CREATURES #1, it’s mostly known for the Cat’s transformation into Tigra. A story that would have graded better if not for Don Perlin's artwork. GSW #2 & 3 were better despite Perlin. The Werewolf/Frankenstein Monster clash was really good! Yeah, the ol’ hairball got his butt kicked again, but come on!!! The Monster is no lightweight. Issue #3 was a tragic, but very engaging tale, as well. Two of the books graded in the 8s while issue #1 was a 7.0. Average Grade: 7.83

GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #1-3: GS DEFENDERS started kinda cheesy. Essentially, it’s a collection of reprints with a framing story done by Jim Starlin. The new Starlin stuff was great, of course, but the reprints felt like a cheap way to flesh out a story. The second issue was pretty good with a story that harkens back to the team’s supernatural beginnings. It was fun to have the Son of Satan join the team for this adventure. Issue #3 was the gem of them all as the Grandmaster (whom I’ve always liked) returns and Daredevil guest stars. Of course, with the GM, there’s always a game involved and this time it’s against the Prime Mover. While the story reminded me of the CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS, I loved it anyway. Also, this issue featured the first appearance of Korvac. The first two issues graded more than respectably, and the final issue of the year was a gem. Average Grade: 7.83

GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU #1-3: Like the regular comic, GS MoKF features more of Shang Chi vs. Fu Manchu. Fortunately, these were some of the better ones. While the first one was really good, the next two were excellent. The first issue featured three brand new stories unlike other Giant-Size books that give you one new tale, and the rest are reprints or special features. The problem was that only the first story was excellent and the other two reeked of inventory stories. Issue two was just a fabulous story that shows why he is the master of kung fu. The final issue wasn’t as great as the previous, but it was just a notch below as this introduced Clive Reston; hinted at being the son of James Bond and the great nephew of Sherlock Holmes. Reston is another character that will become integral to the series as well as the return of Dr. Petrie; thought to have been killed by Shang Chi in the latter’s debut. Gulacy is there for all three issues and was inked by Dan Adkins (whom I felt Gulacy best meshed with), Jack Abel, and Vince Colletta, respectively. The books all graded well, and the first issue would have gotten a higher mark if not for the two inventory-like stories. Average Grade: 8.00

GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #1-3: As I’ve mentioned before, GS ASM should have been called GIANT-SIZE MARVEL TEAM-UP since all of the stories here featured a guest star a la MTU. Although, the GS MTU title wouldn’t have worked with the first issue since Spidey and guest star, Dracula, never teamed up. In fact, they never even met in the story. The closest thing to a meeting was Peter Parker literally bumping into Count Dracula. It was a strange, but very enjoyable story. Next, Spidey meets my boy Shang Chi. The two did the obligatory MTU hero vs. hero thing and then went to stop yet another Fu Manchu plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this, but I was really hoping that Fu Manchu would not be the heavy. It would have been nice to see Shang Chi face someone else. The final issue of the year was something of a dud. Doc Savage did nothing for me in his short-lived series and even less in this tale which felt like another inventory story. The first two books graded well, but the clunker dropped the GPA. Average Grade: 7.66

GIANT-SIZE SUPERHEROES #1 (and only): This book, along with GIANT-SIZE SUPERSTARS, kicked off the Giant-Size books at Marvel. 68 pages of new material, a few reprints, and/or pin-ups for 50 cents. This issue features Spider-Man, Morbius, and the Man-Wolf. What I found most interesting about this issue was the use of science-spawned characters that mimicked supernatural ones, i.e., a vampire and a werewolf. While Morbius is not one of my favorite characters, his appearance here works as he makes a pawn of the Man-Wolf and it’s up to Spidey to stop them both. Really a great story. There was an announcement for GIANT-SIZE SUPERHEROES #2, but it never came. So, with only one issue, the average grade is what it was awarded that month. Average Grade: 8.5

GIANT-SIZE SUPERSTARS/FANTASTIC FOUR #1-4: Giant-size madness continues as the Fantastic Four, which is having its best year since the Lee/Kirby Dynasty, start the year in GS SUPERSTARS which becomes GS FANTASTIC FOUR with issue #2. This series starts with the Thing vs. the Hulk: Round….. Okay, so I’ve lost count. Whatever round it was, it was a great one with a twist: Ben Grimm was in the body of the Hulk and vice versa. Loads of fun in this issue! Next issue, it was GSFF #2 featuring a time travel story that has the members meeting famous people in history. A good, but not great story as the FF faced the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Nope, not the ones from future X-books, but a team that I knew nothing about and really don’t need to see again. Issue #4 was the debut of Madrox the Multiple Man and, boy, was that one a riot!! For the most part, GSFF was all that an oversized issue was supposed to be: an event! Three of the four issues graded extremely well and the fourth was still good, if not spectacular. Average Grade: 8.00

GIANT-SIZE SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #1: I was disappointed with this issue because it was, essentially, a reprint of SUB-MARINER #20 and MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #20. There was a framing sequence that was exciting as it set up the next issue of GSSVTU and the subsequent series. Since this debuted in December of 1974, this was the only issue reviewed. Average Grade: 7.00

MARVEL PREMIERE #15-21: With the success of martial arts films here in America at the time and the success of MASTER OF KUNG FU, MARVEL PREMIERE introduces its next martial arts superstar! …Or does it? Issue #15 is the debut of Iron Fist, the Living Weapon. (Marvel really loves “living” things, don’t they? The Living Weapon, the Living Mummy, the Living Pharaoh, the Living Monolith, the Living Laser, the Living Vampire….anywho…) Not that MASTER OF KUNG FU was perfect in these days, but it was much more interesting than Iron Fist. The biggest problem that I have with this book, so far, is that, like Shang Chi, he seems to be just wandering into fight after fight. Also, like Shang Chi, those fights are centered around his father. In Shang’s case, to end his father’s evil plans, and in Iron Fist’s case, to avenge the deaths of his mother and father. There have been moments that I’ve enjoyed in this series, but again, I’m not overly impressed with it. Iron Fist seems like yet another cool-looking character whose story hasn’t really been fleshed out. One parallel that I’ve noticed with such characters is the constant changing of writers. In this case, Roy Thomas writes the debut, co-plots his second appearance with Len Wein, and then both are gone. Doug Moench has his second kung fu book now, but he only hangs around for three issues before Tony Isabella, once again, takes over a book. Gil Kane, Larry Hama, and Arvell Jones were the artists on the book, but none of those guys could give this book the one thing that any of the writers failed to give it: Iron Fist woefully lacks a personality. If “Insipid” was a person, it would be Daniel Rand-Kai. This book continued to grade in the 6.5/7.0 range with only one issue earning a 7.5. I’m hoping that ’75 gets better. Average Grade: 6.85

MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #15-20: It’s hard to believe that some of my favorite series of this era are written by Steve Gerber. The writer that I once despised. Well…maybe “despised” is too strong of a word, but I really did not like the books that he wrote. Once again, 15 years ago, I started purchasing back issues starting from January 1973. This series was one that I read, and it did nothing to change my opinion of him. Now…I look forward to his books. The Son of Satan was another cool-looking character that I really wanted to love, and I’ve truly enjoyed his stint in SPOTLIGHT. This book, pretty much, always graded well with four of the six issues grading at 8.0/8.5. This says a lot about my complete 180 on Gerber because none of my favorite artists worked on the book. The first half was Jim Mooney whose work I’ve always been indifferent towards. Gene Colan takes over for two issues and, although I like him on a dark series, he didn’t blow me away like he does on TOMB OF DRACULA. The last issue was drawn by Sal Buscema who could do any type of series, in my opinion, but his contributions weren’t the reason why issue #20 graded an 8.5. It was Gerber who had been delivering all year. Great year for this book. Average Grade: 7.91

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #16-27: The year started off very promising for this title. There was a great Hunchback of Notre Dame story to start, although it was more analogous than an actual telling of the story. That issue was also the last for Mike Ploog. Next issue begins….*sigh*…the Don Perlin era. I’ve resolved to not bash creators who have accomplished more than I ever will in the medium that I love. So, I’ll just say that his style is not for me and leave it at that. Anyway, from here on, the book is good enough to stay in the 7.0/7.5 range, but honestly, I feel like I may have been a little generous with a couple of those grades. The series is getting a little bland mainly because the Werewolf continuously gets his butt kicked. Plus, the Perlin artwork doesn’t help. For a series that started as one of the big surprises of this project, it’s starting to feel like it has overstayed its welcome. Or maybe it’s because my interest in the horror genre is starting to wane, as I’ve mentioned before. Average Grade: 7.25

Final Ranking:

1. GIANT-SIZE SUPERHEROES – 8.50 (1 ISSUE)
2. CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON – 8.41 (12 ISSUES)
3. TOMB OF DRACULA – 8.36 (11 ISSUES)
4. THE DEFENDERS – 8.27 (9 ISSUES)
5. THE FANTASTIC FOUR – 8.25 (12 ISSUES)
6. POWER MAN – 8.16 (6 ISSUES)
7. TALES OF THE ZOMBIE – 8.10 (5 ISSUES)
8. DR. STRANGE – 8.08 (6 ISSUES)
9. GIANT-SIZE SUPERSTARS/FANTASTIC FOUR – 8.00 (4 ISSUES)
10. GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS – 8.00 (3 ISSUES)
11. GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU – 9.00 (3 ISSUES)
12. IRON MAN – 8.00 (6 ISSUES)
13. MARVEL SPOTLIGHT – 7.91 (6 ISSUES)
14. DAREDEVIL – 7.90 (11 ISSUES)
15. DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU/DHOKF SPECIAL – 7.88 (9 ISSUES)
16. GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS – 7.83 (3 ISSUES)
17. GIANT-SIZE CREATURES/WEREWOLF – 7.83 (3 ISSUES)
18. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN – 7.75 (12 ISSUES)
19. CAPTAIN MARVEL – 7.75 (6 ISSUES)
20. AMAZING ADVENTURES – 7.66 (6 ISSUES)
21. GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN – 7.66 (3 ISSUES)
22. THOR – 7.62 (12 ISSUES)
23. THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER – 7.58 (6 ISSUES)
24. MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE – 7.58 (6 ISSUES)
25. JUNGLE ACTION - 7.58 (6 ISSUES)
26. INCREDIBLE HULK – 7.54 (11 ISSUES)
27. MAN-THING – 7.54 (12 ISSUES)
28. THE AVENGERS – 7.50 (12 ISSUES)
29. SUPERNATURAL THRILLERS – 7.50 (5 ISSUES)
30. CREATURES ON THE LOOSE – 7.40 (5 ISSUES. #29 did not interest me)
31. STRANGE TALES – 7.40 (5 ISSUES. #175 is a reprint)
32. MASTER OF KUNG FU – 7.30 (10 ISSUES)
33. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT – 7.25 (12 ISSUES)
34. GIANT-SIZE CHILLERS/DRACULA – 7.12 (4 ISSUES)
35. GHOST RIDER – 7.00 (6 ISSUES)
36. GIANT-SIZE SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP – 7.00 (1 ISSUE)
37. MARVEL PREMIERE – 6.85 (7 ISSUES)
38. MARVEL TEAM-UP – 6.83 (12 ISSUES)
39. ASTONISHING TALES – 6.41 (6 ISSUES)
40. SUB-MARINER – 6.00 (3 ISSUES)
41. FEAR – 5.66 (6 ISSUES)

Okay, so don’t think for a second that I believe that GIANT-SIZE SUPERHEROES was the #1 book of the year after only one issue, lol!! I just ranked them according to the grade point averages. The clear-cut winner was CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON. That’s the problem with getting averages for books that don’t have the same number of issues. The rankings get skewed. Anyway, 1974 was a blast and some series continued to surprise me. My love for the horror genre is waning and I guess sales reflected that as a lot of those books were canceled in 1975. But worry not. As long as TOMB OF DRACULA maintains the quality, I’ll keep reading. I hope that everyone enjoyed this five-part review. I’ll see you all in July with my thoughts on the January 1975 issues. Take care, everyone!

If Marv Wolfman plotted the story, it may have been drawn before it came to Claremont, so I don't know how much influence Claremont would have had over the pacing, unless he slowed everything down with too many angst-ridden thought balloons.
Ghost Rider had previously teamed up with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up #15 and with Stunt-Master in GR #7, and had appeared in one panel in Avengers #118.

About your Ghost Rider comments, all of that I completely forgot about, and in the case of MTU #15, that’s embarrassing because I love that issue. 

Greetings, everyone. It's been nearly six months since I posted the January 1975 review. So much has been going on in my life that I just haven't had the time to post in this group, and frankly, I didn't anyone was reading these anymore, lol!!!

***ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON AUGUST 18, 2019***

Good morning, everyone. Here is the second installment of my review of Marvel Comics published in 1975; one of my favorite years in comics. None of the great debuts happened this month, but they’re coming. So now, here are my thoughts on the Marvel Comics of February 1975.


As Foggy tries to decide if he should join SHIELD, Hydra attacks, and DD and the Widow fail to prevent the Dreadnaught from capturing D.A. Nelson. Appearances by Nick Fury, SHIELD, El Jaguar, Mentallo, and Silvermane.

Okay, Mr. Isabella. You’re changing my mind about your ability to restore this book to its very brief moment of glory, thus far, that Steve Gerber established. This DD/BW vs Hydra story is a heck of a lot of fun. Although, I have no idea how these two stood up to a Dreadnaught, but....whatever. Like I said, it was a fun read. Grade: 8.0


Eric Prawn takes Ralph and the Frankenstein Monster to Europe to Veronica Frankenstein's home. Criminal organization I.C.O.N. is dead set on perfecting their super soldier program. Unfortunately, Frankenstein’s Monster may pay the price! I.C.O.N. kidnaps the Monster, all in the name of ethically unsound science. Will the monster’s genetics hold the key to I.C.O.N.'s success?

This book feels more like FRANKENSTEIN, THE ANTI-HERO than the “horror” comic it once was. Now, he’s in the Swiss Alps with robots on skis trying to kidnap him for a world-conquering organization called SMERSH...🙄 I’m sorry, I meant I.C.O.N. 😊 I swear, as the skiing robots were approaching, all I could hear was the James Bond theme song in my head. Maybe this is where Moench got the idea to have Shang Chi become a spy. If the Frankenstein Monster can fight criminal organizations, why not a master of kung fu? Grade 7.0

GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING #4

"The Kid's Night Out!"

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Ed Hannigan and Ron Wilson, inks by Frank Springer.
Cover art by Frank Brunner.

Panic in the sky as the most startling slime creature of all stalks the hallowed halls of a terrified high school. Prejudice and hypocrisy play a big part in a kid’s death. "Frog Death!" Written by Steve Gerber, art by Frank Brunner. Howard the Duck falls through the dimensions back to Earth and must face Garko the Man-frog.

Man-Thing: This was a quirky, but tragic tale. It’s a cautionary tale of how bullying can lead to tragic results. In the beginning, it was quite engaging, but then it bogged down a bit with the reading of the dead kid’s diary. As usual, the Man-Thing’s involvement was pivotal and ancillary at the same time. An interesting, thought-provoking story about the effects of bullying. Grade: 7.5

Howard the Duck: HtD was another character that I never quite “got”. I understand that his stories are satirical and all, but the character just never appealed to me. Now that I’ve read his first appearance in FEAR, I’m hoping that my newfound love for Steve Gerber trickles down to Howard. This short story was a great start to winning me over. Garko was an interesting and bizarre character. Too bad how he ended up, lol!! Frank Brunner’s art was as fabulous as it’s ever been. This was quite an enjoyable story. Grade 8.0

“There's a Gremlin in the Works!”

Written by Len Wein, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Joe Staton.
Cover art by Herb Trimpe.

It is revealed that Glenn Talbot is being held captive at a Soviet base in Siberia! Can General Ross, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Nick Fury, and Clay Quartermain save Talbot…without Bruce Banner’s help? Banner stows away on a mission to rescue the captured Talbot, which brings the Hulk into conflict with the Gremlin, who has brainwashed Talbot.

So, ol’ Clay Quartermain and his Roger Ramjet grin are back, huh? This was the first series that I ever saw him in, back when I would sporadically read the HULK. It was a great issue with a twist ending. At the same time, I feel stupid for not seeing it coming, lol!! Grade: 8.0

"And Some Call Him Madness!"

Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Tom Palmer.
Gil Kane/Palmer cover.

Quincy Harker believes he has the necessary deathtraps and accoutrement to kill Dracula. The Lord of Vampires is led through a fatal maze in Harker's estate!

Man, this series is SO good at times. Yes, there are times when it feels a bit slow, but Wolfman always seems to make those slow moments pay off in the end. Dracula is at his arrogant best even as he faces death from the defiant Harker’s home of vampire death traps. This fabulous story continues in the next issue. I can’t wait!!! Grade: 9.0

On the banks of the Seine River inside the Cathedral de Notre Dame, the wondrous wall-crawler battles the Cyclone to save J. Jonah Jameson and Joe Robertson! Stateside, Aunt May sees a young woman who is the spitting image of the deceased Gwen Stacy! Is this a strange apparition? Or has Gwen Stacy returned from the dead? The web-slinger's nightmare is only just beginning. The first (full) appearance of the Gwen Stacy clone. Cameo appearances by Aunt May and Anna Watson. Origin of the Cyclone.

So, once again, I’ve come to a story (or the beginning of one, actually) that is lauded and/or panned, depending on whom from this group that you’re talking to. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, there is the kidnapping of James and Robbie that Spidey deals with without making both suspicious of why Spider-Man was in France. The solution was a little cheesy, but fun at the same time. Next month, the first chapter of the Gwen Stacy clone story. Grade: 7.5

CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #185

"Scream the Scarlet Skull!"

Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Sal Buscema (pages 1 and 2) and Frank Robbins (pages 3-18), inks by Frank Giacoia.
Gil Kane/Giacoia cover.

The Red Skull returns to cause more trouble. With Captain America hopelessly outnumbered, will the Red Skull finally triumph? Prepare for an unbelievable ending!

Englehart is still bringing it on this title. Unfortunately, it has Robbins to interpret this wonderful story. Yet, fortunately, the story is good enough to tolerate Robbins’ awkward style. The Skull is more menacing than he’s ever been in this story and, for once, I’m finding him interesting. Grade: 8.0

MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #9

"When a God goes Mad!"

Plot by Steve Gerber, script by Chris Claremont, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Joe Giella.
Gil Kane cover pencils.

Thor and the Fantastic Four guest star. The sinister Puppet Master wants to destroy the Fantastic Four and he plans to use the power of Thor to do it. Under the thrall of the villain, the Thunder God attacks his friends, and only the Thing is left standing to stop him. Wundarr cameo.

This one was about as formulaic as it gets. That doesn’t mean that it wasn’t entertaining, but it had all the obligatory tropes of a superhero team-up story. Grade: 7.0

MASTER OF KUNG FU #28

"A Small Spirit Slowly Shaped..."

Written by Doug Moench; pencils by Ron Wilson, Ed Hannigan, and Aubrey Bradford; inks by Sal Trapani.
Gil Kane cover pencils.

Sir Denis Nayland Smith has been kidnapped, and an esoteric message on a bamboo scroll is the only lead Shang-Chi has! Shang Chi comes face-to-face with the Shadow-Stalker (last seen in GIANT-SIZED MASTER OF KUNG FU # 3). But this time, is the man who can smash steel here to kill Chi, or help him?

Finally!!! The last of the, seemingly, never-ending Fu Manchu stories. However, this issue centered more around his sister Fah Lo Suee. Again, enjoyable, but nothing special. Next issue, a bold new direction! Grade: 7.0

THOR #235

"Who Lurks Beyond the Labyrinth!"

Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Joe Sinnott.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia.

The Absorbing Man is looking to take the fight to Thor and when he absorbs the power of Mjolnir, he might have enough might to do so. Plus, Hercules and Sif prepare for the threat that is Kamo Tharn.

Like Hawkeye, Hercules has always been one of those characters that was popular enough to keep featuring him in a series, but not popular enough to get his own. He’s been a guest star in this book for quite some time, now, and this issue was as much about him as it was Thor. Maybe even more as he and the Lady Sif battled Kamo Tharn for the Runestaff. It almost felt like Marvel was giving him a “try-out” to see if the fans would petition for a solo series. The result was a great chapter in a story that has been a little lackluster, in my opinion. The return of the Absorbing Man was also quite a treat. This is really odd: A Gerry Conway story that’s getting better as it goes along, lol!!! Grade: 8.5

On sale February 18, 1975

THE AVENGERS #135

"The Torch is Passed!"

Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by George Tuska. Inks by Frank Chiaramonte.
Cover by Jim Starlin and John Romita Sr. (vignettes).

The Vision discovers that Ultron played a significant role in his transformation from human to sentient A.I. Moondragon tells Mantis that she is the runner-up “Celestial Madonna”, should Mantis prove unworthy of the title. Meanwhile, in present-day Vietnam, Moondragon joins Mantis, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Thor, Libra, and the Cotati to uncover the secrets of the Celestial Madonna. Origin of the Vision. Origin of Moondragon.

This was the most interesting part of the Vision’s origin mainly because what came before this chapter has already been explained. Interesting to know that, when the Vision first came to be, he still had the mind of the original Human Torch as well as the body. What does any of this have to do with the overrated Celestial Madonna story, I’m not sure anymore. The new info, while interesting, is a somewhat convoluted chapter to a convoluted story. The best part of this issue is its cover. Thank goodness, there’s only one more chapter. Grade: 6.5

CAPTAIN MARVEL #38

"No Way Out!"

Written by Steve Englehart (co-plot, script) and Al Milgrom (co-plot), pencils by Al Milgrom, and inks by Klaus Janson.
Cover pencils by Al Milgrom, inks by Klaus Janson.

The Lunatic Legion is a group of blue-skinned Kree opposed to their race's intermixing with other species that produced the pink-skinned offshoot and to the Supreme Intelligence that fostered Kree culture away from their conservative ideals and they want to execute Mar-Vell. Before that happens, Mar-Vell must recover from Rick's drug-induced trip and discover the mind-expanding effects that the drug has on his Cosmic Awareness.

So, now Englehart writes elements of the boring Celestial Madonna story into these pages. A skewed retelling of the beginning of the Kree-Skrull enmity. Fortunately, it was only a small part of the story. The clash with the not-so-formidable Lunatic Legion was just a precursor to the Trial of the Watcher. Again, I’m enjoying this a bit more than I did years ago. Grade: 7.5

“Wolfquest”

Written by David Kraft. Art by George Perez and Frank McLaughlin.
Cover by Gil Kane, Tom Palmer, and George Roussos.

The Orbiting Space Station is nearly taken by Hate-Monger and Red Hate! Meanwhile, J. Jonah Jameson takes heat from the FBI as they probe into the disappearance of his son.

DAK is building something here and we all know that it culminates in MARVEL PREMIERE. This is a series that’s getting better and it’s fun to see George Perez growing as an artist. I’ve never been a big fan of the Hate-Monger, but he had some appeal in this issue. A decent series that has only two issues left in this mag. Grade: 7.5

THE DEFENDERS #23

"The Snakes Shall Inherit the Earth!"

Script by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Vince Colletta.
Cover by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson.

The Sons of the Serpent continue their attack. Are the Defenders prepared? Yellowjacket guest stars.

A few of the best stories that I’ve read on this journey involved the Sons of the Serpent. Yes, they’re a little ham-fisted, at times, but I guess that I gravitate towards these stories because they are still relevant today. Gerber tells a great story without sensationalism. 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, it doesn’t matter. It’s a problem here in this country and even in comics, there will never be a clear-cut solution to it. At least, stories like this are not just entertaining but thought-provoking. Looking forward to the next chapter. Grade: 8.5

JUNGLE ACTION #15

“Panther's Rage, Pt 10: Thorns in the Flesh, Thorns in the Mind"

Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Billy Graham, inks by Dan Green.

Cover art by Gil Kane.

The Panther encounters another of Killmonger's assassins, Salamander K'Ruel, in the Forest of Thorns. He also has to fight a killer pterodactyl.

I recently remarked in one of my reviews of this book that the Panther gets his butt kicked nearly as much as the Werewolf by Night. Kicked by Killmonger and whatever crazy aid he has with him. Kicked so much so that he hardly seems like a superhero at all. Yet, in the last two issues, he’s singlehandedly beaten a T-Rex and a pterodactyl. That is the frustration of reading this book, at times. Never mind that we are into part 10 and a half of that felt like well-written filler. Always slowing the pace of the story is the nonstop narration (which I’ve taken to hearing in the voice of the late Roscoe Lee Brown to make it more tolerable, lol), and the cutaway scenes with Monica Lynn and Taku. I am still, somewhat, enjoying this book. But it’s time to wrap this story up. Grade: 7.0

MAN-THING #17

"A Book Burns in Citrusville!"

Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Jim Mooney.
Cover by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer.

Richard finds himself swept up in a war of intolerance and the Man-Thing may be powerless to help.

Not a lot happens in this issue; particularly from the Man-Thing. What does happen is that fear and narrow-mindedness make an entire town go crazy by the end of the issue. Again, not much happens, but I found it fascinating. Grade: 8.0

Cover by Harold Shull.

Special full-length Iron Fist extravaganza. Includes: "Enter the Letters!"
A letters page with readers' thoughts on previous issues.

Iron Fist stars in "Slay Now, Die Later!"
Part 1. Story by Tony Isabella and David Kraft. Art by Frank McLaughlin and Rudy Nebres.
Part 2: "The Origin of Iron Fist!" Story by Doug Moench. Art by Don Perlin.
Part 3: "Iron and Steel!" Story by Tony Isabella and David Kraft. Art by Frank McLaughlin and Rudy Nebres.

Plus, the Sons of the Tiger star in "They Who Dwell Within!"
Story by Bill Mantlo. Art by George Perez and Mike Esposito.

Includes a B&W poster of Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu. Black and white.

Iron Fist: So, apparently there was another Steel Serpent before the one that was introduced in MARVEL TEAM-UP. I didn't know that. This story was better than anything that’s been published in MARVEL PREMIERE, so far. All of the creators involved did a great job on this issue. Iron Fist still doesn’t have much in the way of personality, but at least the story was good. I’m awarding an extra half point for the fantastic artwork by McLaughlin and Nebres. Grade: 8.0

Sons of the Tiger: A very trippy issue, complete with the Sons fighting spiritual versions of themselves. It’s a decent chapter in this, seemingly, never-ending war with the Silent Ones. I love multi-chapter stories, but like Panther’s Rage and the Celestial Madonna, it’s time to wrap this one up, as well. Grade: 7.5


April 2019: The High Overlord is called to his Martian superiors in Washington D.C. to provide a report on the battle between him and Killraven back in January.

Another reprint with a framing sequence of new material. See the December 1973 review for issue #23 and February 1974 for issue #24. As for the framing sequence, it was nothing special. Grade: 6.0

Guest-starring the Inhumans. With the Inhuman royal palace under siege by Xemu of the 5th Dimension, Quicksilver is sent to retrieve Medusa by order of Black Bolt. The rest of the FF head to the Hidden Land to take the palace back. But are they headed straight into a trap?

It occurred to me as I was reading this story that, after 158 issues, a few Annuals, and 3 Giant-Size books, the Invisible Girl MAY have been a part-time member more than she's been a full-time member. Crystal had a lengthy stint and Medusa has been a member since issue #132; just over two years. None of that is germane to the review of this issue. Just a thought that popped into my head. As for the issue, Roy Thomas continues to impress. In my opinion, since Gerry Conway left, the book has nearly returned to its original glory. Grade: 8.0

GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #4

"Let All Men Bring Together!"

Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Don Heck. Inks by John Tartaglione.
Cover by Gil Kane, Al Milgrom, and John Romita (touch-ups).

The story continues from AVENGERS #135. Wedding of the Vision and Scarlet Witch. The Scarlet Witch is imprisoned by the almighty Dormammu- but not if Vision can help it! The Avengers’ resident synthezoid travels to the Dark Dimension to save the woman he loves. But can the Vision, a creation of science, hold battle with Marvel’s mightiest mystic? The Vision and the Scarlet Witch vs. Umar and the hellish Dormammu! Meanwhile, in Vietnam, the Cotati explains the mystery of the Celestial Madonna to Mantis and Moondragon. An extraordinary ending for Earth's Mightiest Heroes!

I really wish you all could have seen my face after reading this. There's not an emoji that can do it justice. Of all the long, overly drawn-out crap that I've ever read, this one takes the cake. HOW is this considered a classic Avengers tale?!! I was really hoping that there would be a big payoff at the end, but it was just more tedium. There were only a couple of decent moments in this story and that's about it. Not garbage by any means, but it was the very definition of mediocre at best. What a disappointment this was. Grade: 5.0


The War of the Super-Villains kicks into high gear as M.O.D.O.K. and the Mad Thinker accept the Black Lama's challenge. The Mad Thinker seizes control of Shell-head's armor and sends Iron Man to kill M.O.D.O.K. Meanwhile, Firebrand escapes from prison. (Note: The series returns to monthly publication with this issue.)

The Black Lama story is starting off extremely interesting. This guy has approached the Red Skull, Dr. Doom, Fu Manchu, and MODOK and lived to tell the tale. Impressive. The supervillain war is also intriguing. I hope that Friedrich doesn’t pull a Gerry Conway and deliver a weak ending to this story because I’m all in, at this point. Grade: 8.0

KA-ZAR #9

"The Man Who Hunted Dinosaur!"

Script by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema (layouts) and Sonny Trinidad (finished art), inks by Sonny Trinidad.
Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita.

A Savage Land tribesman named Tomas hunts to please his father but becomes angry when his father proclaims his brother, Gregor as the chief. He strikes his brother down and in turn, is slain by the mate of the dinosaur he killed.

A story swiped from Cain and Abel in the Bible. Only this "Cain and Abel" are tribesmen in the Savage Land. This was a good one-and-done, but nothing more. I'll say this: even though the stories haven't always been stellar, John Buscema has been a great addition to this series. His work always seems to raise the grade by half a point. Grade: 7.0


The Cult of Kara-Kai strengthens their attack against Iron Fist, and the Ninja joins the fray! On an alternate dimensional plane, the Ninja reveals his Samurai origins. Colleen and Lee Wing learn more about Daniel Rand. 1st appearance of Master Khan.

There may not be much in the way of dialog in this book, but there is plenty of action. Part of what makes superhero comics fun is the constant back-and-forth between the combatants. Yet, this book just bombards you with narration in the second person. Iron Fist is a character that rarely speaks in his own book. Even the taciturn Shang Chi is considered chatty compared to this guy. Anyway, the Ninja storyline is over, and the book seems like it's about to head in a new direction. Hopefully, that new direction (and new writer Chris Claremont) can inject some personality into the character. One more thing: Arvell Jones crushed it with the fight choreography. Grade: 7.5


This story might have been more appropriate for a book called MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE because, while the two characters are in the book, they never really "team up". It's a good story, but it also felt a bit inconclusive. The stars meet but don't team up and the issue of the Looter/Meteor Man is never resolved. I know that there is another part to this story, but if memory serves me correctly, the story just moves on from both of those issues as if they never happened. I’m not sure, really. I guess I’ll find out next month. Good, but an odd little tale. Grade: 7.0

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #29

"A Sister of Hell"

Written by Doug Moench, art by Don Perlin.
Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Klaus Janson.

Jack Russell, as the Werewolf, battles his sister, Lissa, who has become a werewolf. As the battle ensues between the beast-versions of the Russell siblings, Buck and Topaz try to keep the two from killing each other!

Part 3 of "The Amazing Doctor Glitternight" story. Sometimes, I want to drop this book and sometimes I don't. I keep reading because I told myself, good or bad, to stick with a series as long as it's connected to the Marvel Universe. (Even though the Westerns are connected, they became too redundant) This storyline had a really good ending in chapter 2, but it didn't pay off this issue. Just two growling creatures fight and Jack Russell narrating the play-by-play. I believe this story concludes in the next issue. I wish it were the conclusion of Perlin's tenure on the book because he is part of the problem with this book. Grade: 6.0


THANKFULLY, The Celestial Madonna Saga is over!!!!! Once again, only 4 books rated lower than 7.0 and two of them were from that vastly overrated storyline. As I think back on every AVENGERS story that I’ve reviewed, this one is, probably, the worst. So, enough of that. Overall, a very strong month. Nine of the 25 books that I read received an 8.0 or above. Next month: The Gwen Stacy Clone Saga begins, Englehart pens his last CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON issue, the last issues of GS DRACULA and GS MASTER OF KUNG FU, Shang Chi begins his classic era, and last, but not least…THE INVADERS!!! See ya next week, gang, and as always, take care.

Top 5 Books of the Month:

1. TOMB OF DRACULA #32 – 9.0

2. THE DEFENDERS #23 – 8.5

3. THOR #235 – 8.5

4. FANTASTIC FOUR #158 – 8.0

5. IRON MAN #74 – 8.0


Top 5 Covers of the Month:

1. AMAZING ADVENTURES #30

2. GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING #4

3. THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #16

4. JUNGLE ACTION #15

5. THE AVENGERS #135