...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS

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berkley
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Posts: 10,273

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Jun 22, 2024 2:40:24 GMT -5 Roquefort Raider and kirby101 like this

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Post by berkley on Jun 22, 2024 2:40:24 GMT -5

I like this thread a lot too. I sort of skim the posts because these are the years, the late 60s to late 70s, that I grew up reading comics and thus they hold enormous nostalgia for me. But for the most part I haven't re-read them for a long, long time - several decades, in almost every case. So I'm kind of trying to keep away from this era until I can really plunge into it deeply - because I know that when I do, it'll probably take over most of my reading.

Myke Gee
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Posts: 286

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Jun 26, 2024 14:52:48 GMT -5 kirby101, berkley, and 1 more like this

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Post by Myke Gee on Jun 26, 2024 14:52:48 GMT -5

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

MARCH 1975
(Cover Date: June 1975)

Good morning, everyone! It’s the 3rd installment of the 1975 year of Marvel Comics. Hard to believe that I started this project in 2017 by reading select issues published in August of 1961, which included FANTASTIC FOUR #1. I’m giddy because I’ve finally come to the year that really got into comics. Anyway, here are my thoughts on the March 1975 books from THE MARVEL COMICS GROUP.

On sale March 1, 1975

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On sale March 4, 1975

DAREDEVIL #122

“HYDRA-And-Seek”

Written by Bob Brown (co-plot) and Tony Isabella, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Vince Colletta.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito.

It's an all-out manhunt as DD, the Widow and SHIELD search for the Hydra accosted Foggy. Daredevil battles Blackwing while the Widow takes on El Jaguar. Appearances by Silvermane and Blackwing.

I love that I’m enjoying some of these books I read for the first time 15 years ago. I only read them once and quite a few didn’t impress me. This DD story was one of them. This second time around, they seem much better, for some reason. Blackwing is a fun character. I’ve always liked his look, but I was disappointed when I first read these stories with him. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why that is because I’m really digging him now. At any rate, I’m really enjoying this story. Grade: 8.0

GIANT-SIZE SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #2

"To Bestride the World!"

Written by Roy Thomas. Pencils by Mike Sekowsky. Inks by Sam Grainger.

Cover by Gil Kane and Al Milgrom.

To forge an alliance with Namor, Doctor Doom employs some unusual methods. Will Namor listen to the “reason” of Doom after Atlantis is attacked? Doctor Doom and Namor versus hordes of human androids! The story continues in SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #1. Cameo appearances by the Thing and Lockjaw.

I had, pretty much, the same overall feeling about this issue as I did about GSSVTU #1. Issue #1 was, essentially, reprints of MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #20 and SUB-MARINER #20. This issue was all new material and, after reading it, I can only surmise that, because of the success of MARVEL TEAM-UP and MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE, the powers that be decided to give the villains a shot at this. Like Warlock and Ghost Rider, I saw nothing in the initial outing that warranted an ongoing series. Grade: 7.0

INCREDIBLE HULK #188

"Mind over Mayhem!"

Written by Len Wein. Pencils and cover by Herb Trimpe. Inks by Joe Staton.

Thunderbolt Ross, Quartermain, and the Hulk are at the mercy of the diminutive creature called the Gremlin. And, soon the Emerald Giant will have to pit his matchless strength against the Gremlin's house pet, the prehistoric creature known as Droog. It’s a mad rush to defeat the Gremlin and get out of Bitterfrost because S.H.I.E.L.D. has timed the fortress to explode!

The great story with the twist ending that started last issue ended with a knockdown, drag-out fight between the Hulk and Droog; a talking dinosaur-looking creature with a penchant for speaking in rhyme, lol!!! I kid you not, lol!!! Characters that talk in rhyme always annoy me a little and, for that reason alone, this issue grades a little lower than the last. Grade: 7.0

TOMB OF DRACULA #33

"Blood on My Hands!"

Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Tom Palmer.

Gil Kane/Palmer cover.

Rachel van Helsing is held hostage by two of Dracula's vampires. And Quincy Harker is smack in the center of the ultimatum! Plus, the story of Dracula's first battle with Quincy Harker. This book just continues to the definition of quality.

Marv Wolfman seems to really enjoy writing Dracula. Sometimes, Dracula can be the evilest character in comics. Characters like Doom and Thanos pale in comparison, at times. I mention this because there is one moment in this issue that had my eyes wide, and my jaw dropped as the Prince of Evil displayed why that title is not just hyperbole. Great story! Grade: 8.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS MONTH

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On sale March 11, 1975

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #145

"Gwen Stacy is Alive...and, Well...?!"

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

Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita.

The return of Gwen Stacy! Upon his return from France, Peter learns that Gwen is not only alive and well but waiting for him in his apartment! Mac Gargan, A.K.A. Scorpion, gains access to his Scorpion armor and returns to a life of crime. Will Spider-Man be able to solve the mystery of Gwen’s return, and take down Scorpion?

Because of the 1960s cartoon, the Scorpion is one of those villains that I assumed was often a major thorn in Spidey’s side. But reading this issue made me realize that he really hasn’t fought Spider-Man much; at least, up to this point. Good to see him back in the book. As for the return of “Gwen Stacy”, this is one of those times when knowing where the story goes works against me despite never having read it. I’m enjoying it, but I don’t feel like I’m enjoying it as much as you guys who bought this off the spinner rack. It must have driven you all crazy to wait for the next issue. Grade: 8.0

CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #186

"Mind Cage!"

Written by Steve Englehart (plot; script pages 3-11) and John Warner (script pages 1-2, 12-18), pencils by Frank Robbins, inks by Mike Esposito.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane and John Romita (alterations), inks by Joe Sinnott and John Romita.

Revealed at last! The facts behind the origin of the Falcon! The Red Skull reveals that Sam Wilson was, in reality, a criminal named "Snap" Wilson. Seeing an opportunity to defeat Captain America using a sleeper agent, the Red Skull used the Cosmic Cube to give Wilson a new personality, a new set of memories, and a superhuman link with Redwing. Will this be the end of the Dynamic Duo? Yellowjacket cameo.

Last month, Glenn Talbot betrayed his rescue team at the end of INCREDIBLE HULK #187 and the Falcon betrayed Cap at the end of the last issue. Odd little coincidence... Anyway, so we’re up to the Falcon origin that reveals that he was once a criminal named “Snap” Wilson. I remember reading about this and I was never crazy about the idea. Yet, it helps to make sense of why he was on the Exiles’ island. Despite my misgivings (and Frank Robbins), this was another great Englehart story with the help of Warner. Grade: 8.0

DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 2, #8

“Rights of Passage”

Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Tom Palmer.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer.

The story continues from GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #4. Dr. Strange and Clea battle Dormammu and Umar. Clea confronts her father Orini. The Master of the Mystic Arts and Clea team up against the G'uranthic Guardian! Strange's ward gains new abilities. Clea origin.

Okay, so let me tell you what helped me enjoy this issue a bit more: “hearing” the narration in the voice of Vincent Price, lol!!! Last issue, Clea was the standout and was again this issue. She was in badass mode wielding the powers of Dr. Strange, albeit briefly. The other interesting thing was Marvel’s continuum. This story surrounded the events in GSA #4, but none of it felt like part of The Celestial Madonna story (thankfully). So, the battle continues with Dormammu next issue, and I hope that it continues to get better as it has been. Grade: 8.0

GIANT-SIZE INVADERS #1

"The Coming of the Invaders!"

Written by Roy Thomas. Art by Frank Robbins and Vince Colletta.
Cover by Frank Robbins and John Romita.

Long before the Avengers, there were the Invaders. Captain America, the world's first super soldier, Prince Namor, the world's first mutant, and the Human Torch, the world's first android, and their sidekicks Bucky and Toro form the Invaders. The greatest heroes of the Golden Age unite to win World War II and take down the Axis Powers once and for all. Their first mission: the Invaders race against the clock to save the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, from an assassination plot. 1st appearance of Master Man.

When I was a kid, there were only two villains that really scared me, for some reason: Diamondhead and Master Man. They both were just so mean for the sake of being mean. I’m fairly sure I read this back when I “updated” my back issues, but I don’t remember anything about it. A lot of cringe-worthy dialogue, but I suppose that’s how they talked in the 1940s. It was a fun issue to read, but not to see. I’ll let you all figure that out. Grade: 7.5

MASTER OF KUNG FU #29

"The Crystal Connection!"

Written by Doug Moench, art by Paul Gulacy.
Cover by Gil Kane and Al Milgrom.

It's an exciting new direction for the Master of Kung Fu, Shang Chi. But will this new adventure be his last? Sir Denis has a proposal for Shang-Chi on how best to use his extraordinary martial arts skills (besides attacking his dad). It's Fists of Fury versus slashing Swords of Death as the deadly assassin Razor-Fist rampages onto the scene. First appearance of Razor Fist and Carlton Velcro.

To say that I’ve read this a few times would be a huge understatement. Yet, I still got tremendous enjoyment from reading this issue. As I recently mentioned in a group thread, this is the true beginning of this series, in my opinion. This was the beginning of the classic era of the series. By 1975, the James Bond film series was up to The Man With the Golden Gun, and martial arts films were still popular. It was a brilliant move by Moench to intertwine the two genres into one story. I could go on and on about this issue and the upcoming stories, but I’ll stifle my enthusiasm. I’m simply happy that my joy for this era has not waned. Grade: 9.0

THOR #236

"One Life to Give!"

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

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Al Milgrom.

Powered by Mjolnir, the Absorbing Man just may be unstoppable. Can Thor use his wits to outduel the overpowered menace? And who will make a major sacrifice to ensure the life of Jane Foster?

Who, indeed? Well, far be it from me to spoil the ending. However, I will say that this was another great Thor/Absorbing Man battle. Crusher Creel is one of those villains that a writer has to get creative with. His power set makes him potentially one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe. Too bad his powers don’t make him just as intelligent. It’s his downfall every time. This time, his defeat was somewhat amusing, lol!! For once, Conway delivers a fine ending to a story that, honestly, wasn’t too impressive overall. Grade: 8.0

ALSO ON SALE THIS MONTH

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On sale March 18, 1975

THE AVENGERS #136

"Iron Man: D.O.A."

Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by Tom Sutton. Inks by Mike Ploog.

Cover by Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott. Cover vignettes by John Romita, Sr., and Mike Esposito.

THE AVENGERS series takes a one-issue hiatus from current events to reprint AMAZING ADVENTURES VOL. 2, #12 (with pages two and three omitted). Note: The cover of AVENGERS #136 was updated to show the "blue" Beast. In the actual story, the Beast is colored gray. See the February 1972 post for my full review of AMAZING ADVENTURES #12. Grade: N/A

THE DEFENDERS #24

"In the Jaws of the Serpent!"

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, Bob McLeod inks.

Gil Kane cover pencils (Klaus Janson cover inks?).

Bruce Banner gathers a group of fill-in Defenders to help rescue his kidnapped teammates. Daredevil, Luke Cage Power Man, and the Son of Satan join the Defenders in battling the Sons of the Serpent.

While I’ve always liked when the Sons of the Serpent showed up, I find it a little hard to swallow that a bunch of normal guys, no matter how unconventional their weapons are, pose a real threat to a team that has the Hulk, Dr. Strange, and the Valkyrie. Think about it: Gen. Ross, with millions of government dollars backing him, could never craft a weapon strong enough to defeat the Hulk. Doc faces Dormammu regularly and Val has Asgardian strength. This is a great story, but that one aspect bothers me a little. Grade: 8.5

FEAR #28

“The Doorway Screaming Into Hell!"

Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Frank Robbins, inks by Vince Colletta.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito.

Morbius may have been able to shake the mercenary Simon Stroud… but now he’s got Helleyes to contend with! Morbius enters a mystic portal in an old, haunted house that takes him to an aspect of Hell ruled by a many-eyed monster.

Wow! For the second issue in a row, this was surprisingly good. Usually, I absolutely dread reading a Morbius story and the only reason why I have not dropped it is because it only has a few issues left. This issue took a strange turn with the introduction of Hell-Eyes, but I’m actually curious to see how this ends up. I’m truly shocked that I’m enjoying this. Grade: 7.5

GHOST RIDER VOL. 2, #12

"Phantom of the Killer Skies!"

Written by Tony Isabella. Art by Frank Robbins, Frank Giacoia, and Mike Esposito.

Cover by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson.

Guest-starring the Phantom Eagle! A former World War I fighter pilot is trapped in a loop from his past and is now seeking vengeance against the evil Hermann von Reitberger!

After reading this series up to this point, I’m convinced that Tony Isabella is making the right decision to steer this book away from its “horror” origins. At this point, he’s sort of a reluctant hero, but you can see that superheroics is where the book was heading, which is fine with me. Now that he has his “Batmobile” in the Skull Cycle, the overhaul is nearly complete. I can’t wait for Isabella to ditch the hackneyed “only changes at night” aspect. As for this issue, it was a bit odd but very enjoyable. Grade: 7.5

GIANT-SIZE DRACULA #5

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer.

New Dracula story: "The Art of Dying" - Written by David Kraft, pencils by Virgilio Redondo, inks by Dan Adkins. Dracula's plans to secretly control early 20th-century France are foiled by a French intelligence agent. New backup story: "Dark Asylum" - Written by Tony Isabella and David Kraft, pencils by John Byrne (1st art at Marvel), inks by Rudy Nebres. The final issue of the series.

I don’t know why, but this short series never quite measured up to the TOMB OF DRACULA series. Much like this issue, the five-issue run felt like inventory stories that were to be used in TOD in case of deadline problems. Even the one issue (issue #1) written by regular TOD writer, Marv Wolfman, felt like a collection of ideas that he intended to use later in TOD. Fortunately, that was still a good issue. Amazing to me that a series that had Wolfman, Chris Claremont, and David Anthony Kraft as writers turned out to be mediocre. Grade: 5.0

MAN-THING #18

"Chaos on the Campus!"

Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Jim Mooney.
Cover by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson.

A city in flames! Chaos in the streets! The final fate of the Viking! A fear-fraught finale that leads into a macabre new beginning!

Sometimes, it amazes me how something that was written decades ago is still relevant today. The fear-fraught people of this story really remind me of some of the people in this country today. So full of fear. So full of self-righteous indignation. So convinced that their way of thinking is right and anyone who opposes it is evil and/or wrong. It, also, amazes me that a book titled MAN-THING really isn’t about the title character and I still enjoy it. Yeah, I guess you can say that I’m now officially a Steve Gerber fan. Grade: 8.0

MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #22

“Journey Into Himself!”

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Bob McLeod.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane and John Romita (extensive revisions), inks by Vince Colletta and John Romita (extensive revisions).

Daimon Hellstrom, trapped in a coma by Madam Swabada, is brought to the police station. Swabada attacks Daimon in the astral plane. Daimon is sent on a strange trip in which he is attacked by an assortment of friends and enemies. Guest appearances by the Ghost Rider and Satana (sort of).

This was a far more interesting story than I anticipated. However, while the first two chapters were great, this final chapter fell off just slightly. A good ending, but I was hoping for something a little bit more, I guess. Grade: 7.5

POWER MAN #25

"Crime and Circuses!"

Written by Tony Isabella (plot) and Bill Mantlo (script), pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Fred Kida.
Cover by Gil Kane and Mike Esposito.

Guest-starring Goliath (Bill Foster). Luke Cage and Goliath must set aside their differences and confront the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime.

I never understood why the Circus of Crime just didn’t call it quits after their first outing. As super-villain teams go, they may be the lamest ever!!! The Enforcers laugh at them, lol!!! Yet, even after Spider-Man, Thor (even at half-strength), and Daredevil (did I leave anyone out up to this point?) kicked the crap out of them, they keep coming back. Oh well, bad enough that the two heroes had to contend with each other. No point in having them face a true threat, I guess, lol!!! Grade: 7.0

SUPERNATURAL THRILLERS #13

“A Separate War”

Written by Tony Isabella (plot, script) and Val Mayerik (plot), pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Dan Green.
Cover by Gil Kane and Mike Esposito.

The war becomes worse when Ron--an anthropologist--begins to take on a warrior's demeanor, and Hydron lords over the people of Cairo. But The Mummy, Ron, The Asp, Olddan, and Zephyr combine their skills to escape from the ancient Lord of Waters.

The Elementals were pretty interesting when they debuted in issue #8. Maybe that’s part of the problem because it’s been 6 issues, and their storyline hasn’t been resolved yet. Six issues in a bi-monthly book make for a long, drawn-out story if it’s not super exciting. And this story does feel drawn out. There are moments that I’m genuinely enjoying the story and then, there are times that have me blank-faced with indifference. This issue was somewhere in the middle. Grade: 6.0

ALSO ON SALE THIS MONTH

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On sale March 20, 1975

DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #11

Cover by Neal Adams.

Special Billy Jack issue. Includes: "Enter the Letters!" A letters page with readers' thoughts on previous issues. Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, stars in “A Different Lesson in Blood Unchanged!" - Written by Doug Moench. Art by Mike Vosburg and Jack Abel. "Death is a Loner!" Scott Edelman's reaction to the philosophy and phenomenon of Billy Jack. "Verdict on The Trial of Billy Jack!" A review of the sequel featuring kung fu hero Billy JackA review of the sequel featuring kung fu hero Billy Jack by Don McGregor. Plus, the Sons of the Tiger star in "They Who Dwell Within!" - Written by Bill Mantlo. Art by George Perez and Tony DeZuniga. Includes a B&W poster of The Trial of Billy Jack. Black and white.

Shang Chi: This issue featured a lot of articles about the Billy Jack films, but no stories. So, I just read what I always do in this book; namely, Shang Chi stories that I’ve never read. This one has him still in California and on a college campus that has students threatening to take over the Administrative building to have their demands about the type of education they want heard. Shang’s naïveté of Western culture is painfully on display as he tries to prevent another Kent State from happening. Solid story. Grade: 7.5

Sons of the Tiger: The story of the Silent Ones is finally over, and my only thoughts are, “WTF did I just read?!!” After all this time, the story culminates with a battle with an unnamed giant who gives an odd history lesson about war and Adam & Eve, more battles with the now-revealed Silent Ones who looked like Kung Fu zombies, and the cornball raising an army to fight on behalf of the Sons against the Silent Ones. Such a strange ending. The artwork by Peréz made it fun to look at, but Mantlo’s story left a lot to be desired. Hopefully, now that the Silent Ones story is done, the series will go on to something more interesting. Grade: 6.0

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On sale March 25, 1975

ASTONISHING TALES #30

“The Soft Parade...of Slow, Sliding Death!”

Written by Rich Buckler (Script, pages 1-3; Plot) and Doug Moench (Script, pages 4-18), pencils by Rich Buckler, Keith Pollard, and Arvell Jones, inks by Al McWilliams.
Cover art by Rich Buckler.

Deathlok continues to battle Ryker’s men but meets a true foe in a massive tank powered by Nina’s mind. Meanwhile, Mike Travers escapes his cell and continues his hunt for Deathlok.

Hmm. This issue wasn’t that bad. Wasn’t that good either, but I got some enjoyment from it. The problem that I have with this series is Deathlok’s motivations. Of course, he wants revenge on Ryker for turning him into a cyborg and destroying his life. Yet, for a being with his abilities, he does nothing to exact that revenge. He just complains a lot and runs. I don’t know. Again, I absolutely wanted to love this series and, right now, I just tolerate it. Grade: 6.5

FANTASTIC FOUR #159

"Havoc in the Hidden Land!"

Written by Roy Thomas. Art by Rich Buckler (breakdowns) and Joe Sinnott (finishes).

Cover by Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott.

Guest-starring the Inhumans. One of the best Fantastic Four covers of the bronze age as the FF storm into the Great Refuge to free the royal family! Can the fabulous foursome accomplish their mission before Xemu forces Black Bolt to speak into the Thunder Horn? An invisible stowaway on the flight to the Hidden Land holds the key to victory!

So far, Roy Thomas’ FF is my favorite work from him. He wrote some great stories in his AVENGERS days, but he’s revitalized this book in my opinion. Gerry Conway was good on the series, but Thomas is great...so far. He seems to be taking the book back to its roots; meaning, Sue is a full-time member again and the team all wear blue uniforms again. Xemu was a decent villain for this story, but he seemed kind of secondary to restoring the FF to its original glory. Grade: 8.0

GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU #4

"Why a Tiger-Claw?!"

Written by Doug Moench. Art by Keith Pollard and Sal Trapani.
Cover by Gil Kane and Dan Adkins.

Can even Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, stand against the mighty Tiger-Claw? Plus, reprints a chapter from YELLOW CLAW #2 by Jack Kirby. Final issue of GSMoKF.

Ok, I’m just gonna come out and say this: I DO NOT find the Marx Brothers funny at all. I remember liking A Night at the Opera when I was a very little kid, but that moment of madness went away, fortunately, lol!!! I love Moench’s writing and MoKF is my favorite series, but some writers aren’t suited for every kind of writing. In other words, Moench is not funny. In this issue, he introduces Rufus T. Hackstabber; a character that looks and talks like Groucho Marx…unfortunately. His inane gibbering must have affected the Moench’s mind because, while Hackstabber was intentionally meant to call our hero “Chang Shee”, other characters would say his name wrong, as well. Where was the editor on this? Ah well, this is the last GS issue of the series, and I was hoping that it would have gone out with a bang. Instead, it was a dud. Grade: 4.0

IRON MAN #75

"Slave to the Power Imperious!"

Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by Arvell Jones and Chic Stone.

Cover by Gil Kane.

The War of the Super-Villains rages on as MODOK scores a victory over the Mad Thinker. Next up: MODOK vs. the Yellow Claw. And, of course, Iron Man is caught in the middle of all the action! The battle for the Golden Globe continues! But in the end, only the Black Lama shall triumph! Can Iron Man end this mad war of villains? Find out in this action-packed issue!

The war of the supervillains continues, and the mystery of the Black Lama thickens. Honestly, I’d never heard of this guy before I started this project. He continues to interest me as does this storyline. It’s fun to see the bad guys at each other’s throats for a change. Grade: 7.5

MARVEL TEAM-UP #34

"Beware the Death Crusade!"

Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Vince Colletta (finishes).

Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.

Meteor Man has arrived and he’s making short work of Spider-Man! Nighthawk recruits fellow Defender Valkyrie to take down the menace! But is Kyle Richmond’s meteor fragment lost forever?

Okay, so my memory of this story was wrong. The tale of the Meteor Man did continue in this issue. So far, the Thing and now Spider-Man have teamed up with the Valkyrie with less than stellar results. At least this issue avoided the “heroes meet, heroes fight” trope. There’s a more intriguing subplot in this story which involves a religious nut named Jeremiah. I’m more curious as to where that story goes. Grade: 6.5

STRANGE TALES #180

"The Judgment!"

Written by Jim Starlin (as Sam Jiltirn), pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Jim Starlin (as J.L. Minirats) and Alan Weiss.

Cover art by Jim Starlin.

After trying to remove his Soul Gem, Warlock is invited by the Matriarch to the Sacred Palace. An obvious trap, but since she claims that she knew that the gem would become a danger even to Warlock himself, Warlock decides to accept the invitation and ditches Pip. First appearance of Gamora.

The difference between Starlin’s WARLOCK and the original 8-issue run is night and day. Visually stunning in ways that the original series could never match, it is in this issue that Starlin really begins to soar artistically starting with altering Warlock’s costume to the classic caped combo that we all love. Story-wise, Warlock learns an unexpected reality about members of the Matriarch and Universal Church of Truth and his Soul Gem. Still having as much fun reading this as I did years ago. Grade: 8.0

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #30

"Red Slash Across Midnight!"

Written by Doug Moench. Art by Don Perlin.
Cover by Gil Kane and Dan Adkins.

The city trembles as a were-beast stalks the streets! And it's not Jack Russell. Plus, an unlikely sacrifice frees Lissa from her lycanthropic curse!

I am SO glad that the Dr. Glitternight story is over. Bad enough that it’s a dry story but suffering through Perlin's art does not help. The Glitternight story is another that had good moments, but as an overall tale, it failed to be continuously entertaining. I’m hanging in there with this series and, honestly, I’m just waiting for the debut of Moon Knight. I’m not sure if I’m going to stay with the book after that. Grade: 4.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS MONTH

Seven of the 26 books that I read this month rated less than 7.0, which is where the good ratings start. So, that means that the majority of the books rated, at least, “Good” on my rating chart. Up a little, this month, are the number of books that rated 8.0 or better. 11 of them compared to last month’s 9. Another highly enjoyable month from Marvel. Next: The Avengers hold tryouts, the Defenders meet the Guardians of the Galaxy, the first Punisher solo story, introducing Dominic Fortune, and introducing Storm, Nightcrawler, Thunderbird, and Colossus!! See ya next week and, as always, take care.

THIS MONTH’S RANKINGS:
1. Master of Kung Fu #29 – 9.0
2. Tomb of Dracula #33 – 8.5
3. The Defenders #24 – 8.5
4. Daredevil #122 – 8.0
5. Doctor Strange Vol. 2, #8 – 8.0
6. Strange Tales #180 – 8.0
7. Fantastic Four #159 – 8.0
8. Captain America and the Falcon #186 – 8.0
9. Amazing Spider-Man #145 – 8.0
10. Thor #236 – 8.0
11. Man-Thing #18 – 8.0
12. Iron Man #75 – 7.5
13. Ghost Rider Vol. 2, #12 – 7.5
14. Giant-Size Invaders #1 – 7.5
15. Fear #28 – 7.5
16. Marvel Spotlight #22 – 7.5
17. Incredible Hulk #188 – 7.0
18. Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up #2 – 7.0
19. Power Man #25 – 7.0
20. Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #11 – 6.75 (Average Of 2 Stories)
21. Marvel Team-Up #34 – 6.5
22. Astonishing Tales #30 – 6.5
23. Supernatural Thrillers #13 – 6.0
24. Giant-Size Dracula #5 – 5.0
25. Werewolf By Night #30 – 4.5
26. Giant-Size Master Of Kung Fu #4 – 4.0

TOP 5 COVERS OF THE MONTH:
1. Fantastic Four #159
2. Werewolf By Night #30
3. Strange Tales #180
4. Daredevil #122
5. Weird Wonder Tales #10

Last Edit: Jul 11, 2024 18:51:11 GMT -5 by Myke Gee

chaykinstevens
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Posts: 3,048

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Jun 26, 2024 16:21:44 GMT -5

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Post by chaykinstevens on Jun 26, 2024 16:21:44 GMT -5

Jun 26, 2024 14:52:48 GMT -5 Myke Gee said:

GHOST RIDER VOL. 2, #12
"Phantom of the Killer Skies!"

Written by Tony Isabella. Art by Frank Robbins, Frank Giacoia, and Mark Esposito.
Cover by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson.

I think this issue was co-inked by Mike Esposito, not his son, and Tom Palmer inked the cover.

Jun 26, 2024 14:52:48 GMT -5 Myke Gee said:

TOP 5 COVERS OF THE MONTH:
1. Fantastic Four #159
2. Werewolf By Night #30
3. Strange Tales #180
4. Daredevil #122

What was #5?

EdoBosnar The Power Cosmic! Posts: 9,020	...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Jun 26, 2024 16:22:31 GMT -5 Myke Gee likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by EdoBosnar on Jun 26, 2024 16:22:31 GMT -5 Jun 26, 2024 14:52:48 GMT -5 Myke Gee said: (...) ...and this is where it all started for me: my first ever comic book.

Myke Gee
Full Member

Posts: 286

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Jun 26, 2024 21:08:11 GMT -5 chaykinstevens likes this

Quote

Post by Myke Gee on Jun 26, 2024 21:08:11 GMT -5

Jun 26, 2024 16:21:44 GMT -5 chaykinstevens said:

Jun 26, 2024 14:52:48 GMT -5 Myke Gee said:

GHOST RIDER VOL. 2, #12
"Phantom of the Killer Skies!"

Written by Tony Isabella. Art by Frank Robbins, Frank Giacoia, and Mark Esposito.
Cover by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson.

I think this issue was co-inked by Mike Esposito, not his son, and Tom Palmer inked the cover.

Jun 26, 2024 14:52:48 GMT -5 Myke Gee said:

TOP 5 COVERS OF THE MONTH:
1. Fantastic Four #159
2. Werewolf By Night #30
3. Strange Tales #180
4. Daredevil #122

What was #5?

As I've mentioned before, the issue blurbs are cut & paste jobs. I've got to do a better job of proofreading those before I post. Thanks for catching that. Also, #5 has been posted. WEIRD WONDER TALES #10.

Last Edit: Jun 26, 2024 21:09:19 GMT -5 by Myke Gee

Rob Allen The Power Cosmic! Posts: 9,654	...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Jun 28, 2024 13:23:13 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Rob Allen on Jun 28, 2024 13:23:13 GMT -5 This must be the era when Roy steered all of the cover jobs to Gil Kane because Gil needed the income. It looks like Kane did every cover this month except Warlock by Starlin.
	-- Rob Allen This signature conforms to the original standard for signatures on Usenet.

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Posts: 17,399

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Jun 28, 2024 15:52:52 GMT -5

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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jun 28, 2024 15:52:52 GMT -5

Jun 28, 2024 13:23:13 GMT -5 Rob Allen said:

This must be the era when Roy steered all of the cover jobs to Gil Kane because Gil needed the income. It looks like Kane did every cover this month except Warlock by Starlin.

I believe so. I remember Kane saying in an interview that doing multiple covers brought him more money than pencilling whole stories.

To me as a reader, though, that meant getting an exciting cover... and finding Frank Robbins art inside!

_________________________________
People in white coats is where I put my humorous science cartoons.
Roquefort Raider is where you can see some of my more serious stuff. Feel welcome to drop by!
Éditions Roquefort is my publishing house.

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Posts: 286

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Jul 10, 2024 15:16:41 GMT -5 Roquefort Raider and berkley like this

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Post by Myke Gee on Jul 10, 2024 15:16:41 GMT -5

***ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON AUGUST 28, 2021***

APRIL 1975

(Cover Dated: July 1975)

Good morning, everyone. I’m continuing my journey through the Marvel Universe by sharing my thoughts on the April 1975 books published by the MARVEL COMICS GROUP. So, without further delay…

On Sale April 1, 1975:

DAREDEVIL #123
“Holocaust In the Halls of HYDRA!”

Written by Bob Brown (plot) and Tony Isabella (plot, script), pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Vince Colletta.
Cover art by Sal Buscema.

The rescue of Foggy concludes as the heroes clash with Hydra! Appearances by Silvermane, Blackwing, Man-Killer, El Jaguar, Dreadnaught, Mentallo, and Jackhammer.

It's a particularly good conclusion to a really good storyline. Good ol’ superhero action like I like it. It's good to see Man-Killer back in action. Grade: 8.0

*****

THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #17
“A Phoenix Berserk!”

Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Bob McLeod.
Cover: Ed Hannigan and Dan Adkins

The Frankenstein Monster stalks off into the Alps to try to find out who he is; the Berserker is fixed and pursues the monster into the Alps where after battling the Berserker decides to join the monster on his quest.

This has truly become an odd book. It’s so far away from its horror roots. As he continues his fight against the criminal organization called I.C.O.N., it’s round two with the robot called the Berzerker who looks like a combination of DC’s Robotman and Hanna-Barbera’s Frankenstein Jr. A decent fight, but an unexpected ending. At least Mayerik and McLeod are doing a fine job. Grade: 7.0

*****

GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1
"Second Genesis"

Written by Len Wein (plot, script) and Chris Claremont (plot assist, uncredited), art by Dave Cockrum.
Cover pencils by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum (original X-Men figures), inks by Dave Cockrum.

The old X-Men are captured by Krakoa, the Living Island, and Professor X forms a new team to rescue them. 1st appearance of the new X-Men. 1st appearances of Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Thunderbird. 2nd full appearance of Wolverine after INCREDIBLE HULK #181. Appearances of Cyclops, Iceman, the Angel, Marvel Girl, the Banshee, Sunfire, Havok, and Lorna Dane. Continued in X-MEN #94.

Honestly, I really didn’t need to read this one. I’ve read it so many times that I nearly know the entire script, lol! I read this because it is a test of whether I can tame my nostalgic influence. I first read that when I was 17 and it was reprinted. The 17-year-old me would have given it a 10.0, but I’m dropping it just a little because the new characters haven’t been fleshed out yet and Krakoa isn't as interesting a villain as I remembered it to be. Grade 9.5

*****

INCREDIBLE HULK #189
"None Are So Blind...!"

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

Hulk must save a serum that will restore the sight of a little Russian girl. But will the Mole Man and his Moloids foil Hulk’s mission?

Shang Chi narrates his stories and it’s highly effective. Even Jack Russell’s first-person narrations seem to work for the WEREWOLF BY NIGHT. However, having the Hulk narrate his story is a bit…strange. Fortunately, this was a good story and it made up for the awkwardness of the method of storytelling. Grade: 7.5

*****

TOMB OF DRACULA #34
"Showdown of Blood!"

Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Tom Palmer.
Cover: Gil Kane and Tom Palmer

Quincy Harker attempts to track Dracula's next move. Designer Daphne von Wilkinson has a run-in with a seriously depleted Dracula, giving her the upper hand in her quest for revenge. A brief appearance by Brother Voodoo.

As I read this series, I’m beginning to re-think my take on Marv Wolfman. I’ve always liked him, but he was never one of my favorites. Slowly, my stance is reversing. Wolfman creates great characters that do exactly what they are meant to do. In this case, von Wilkinson is a power-mad, conniving man-hater. Not likable at all, but that’s what makes her a good character and I looking forward to seeing how she continues to manipulate Dracula and....how long he allows it. Grade: 8.0

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

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

On Sale April 8, 1975:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #146
"Scorpion...Where is thy Sting?"

Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by John Romita Sr., John Romita, Jr., Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, and John Tartaglione.
Cover by John Romita Sr.

Scorpion continues his rampage, as he breaks into the home of renowned crime boss Santonio. Plus, Spider-Man must confront his feelings for Gwen after she asks for his love. Spidey discovers the Scorpion’s next plot, but will he make it to the scene of the crime before it’s’ too late? Elements of the story continue in GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #5.

You know what I really enjoyed about this issue? Seeing Spidey not holding back. It reinforces many people’s theory that he never uses the full extent of his strength. After threatening Aunt May, the Scorpion was no contest for an enraged Spider-Man. Also returning this issue was the Jackal. Again, it seems like Conway is pushing him to be a major villain in Spidey’s life, but he’s just not that interesting. Grade: 8.0

*****

CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #187
"The Madness Maze!"

Written by John Warner, pencils by Frank Robbins, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita.

Captain America finds himself overwhelmed by the Demon-Druid's death trap! Can Steve Rogers survive the Murder-Maze? Find out in this awesome issue!

This story really took a left turn. One minute, he’s fighting the Red Skull to free the Falcon from his control. The next, he’s in a maze fighting the many traps and cronies of Demon Druid. Maybe that’s because Steve Englehart is, suddenly, gone. Despite the left turn, it works. Plus, this is no mere action-packed interlude. This chapter continues in the next issue as Cap faces the Alchemoid. John Warner keeps this book rolling. And then there’s Robbins…..*ssiiiiiggghhhh!!!” Grade: 8.0

*****

GIANT-SIZE WEREWOLF #5
"The Plunder of Paingloss"

Written by Doug Moench, art by Yong Montaño. Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer.

Jack Russell learns the true extent of the Biphasians’ power when he is forced into battle with Paingloss! Final issue of GIANT-SIZE WEREWOLF.

One of the most pleasant surprises since I started this project isn’t so pleasant anymore. Yong Montaño is a step up from Don Perlin, but he wasn’t enough to make me enjoy this story. It started quite interesting, then quickly nose-dived Into insipidity. Well, at least this is the last issue of GSW. Besides WEREWOLF BY NIGHT and TOMB OF DRACULA, all of the horror-based comics are ending this year. I’m hoping that WBN becomes interesting again and that is the reason why it didn’t get to axe along with the others. Right now, it’s a struggle to maintain interest. Grade: 4.0

*****

MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #10
"Is this the Day the World Ends?"

Written by Chris Claremont, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Klaus Janson.
Gil Kane cover pencils.

A secret criminal organization plans to destroy life on Earth as we know it and only the Thing and the super spy known as the Black Widow can stop them.

The credits alone told me that I was going to enjoy this one. Seems like whenever Claremont gets his hands on the Black Widow, she becomes more interesting. She and Ben attempt to stop a plan called “Operation: Poseidon”; a code name that is a reference to the movie THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. I always complain about the lack of chemistry between the Thing and his co-star, but not this time. He and the Widow worked well together in this highly entertaining one-and-done. Grade: 8.0

*****

MASTER OF KUNG FU #30
"A Gulf of Lions!"

Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Paul Gulacy, inks by Dan Adkins.
Gil Kane cover pencils.

Shang-Chi busts into Carlton Velcro's castle to bring down the heroin ring. However, he must battle one of his deadliest adversaries, Razor Fist, in the Pit of Lions.

Talk about lightning in a bottle!! Amazing how these last two issues were more exciting than the previous 14 combined. The James Bond meets Enter the Dragon angle was pure genius. Take two extremely popular genres of the time and combine them to make a decent comic book series a great one. I’m still highly enjoying this after all these years! Grade: 9.0

*****

THOR #237
"Ulik Unchained"

Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Joe Sinnott.
Cover pencils by Gil Kane and John Romita (alterations), inks by Al Milgrom and John Romita (alterations).

In New York, the trolls begin attacking the surface. An invasion of trolls can mean only one thing: Ulik the Troll has returned! While Thor is distracted battling Ulik, other trolls capture Jane.

As a person who rarely read this book before I started this project, I’ve grown to like some of the villains that have graced these pages. Ulik is one of them. He brings the kind of power and menace that Thor should be facing. As always, I’m hoping that Conway can deliver a great conclusion to his great start. Grade: 8.0

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

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

On Sale April 10, 1975:

DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #12
Cover by Neal Adams

Special James Bond issue. Includes: "Enter the Letters!" A letters page with readers' thoughts on previous issues. Shang-Chi dives into mystic territory in “Blood from a Golden Dragon!” Written by Doug Moench. Art by Rudy Nebres. "The Man with the Golden Gun Shoots Blanks!" A review of the latest James Bond movie, starring Roger Moore as 007, by Don McGregor. Plus, the Sons of the Dragon star in "Crack of the Whip!" Written by Bill Mantlo. Art by George Perez and Rico Rival. Includes a B&W poster of Roger Moore as James Bond. Black and white.

Shang Chi: Just as the full-color comic embarks on a new direction, Shang Chi’s B&W series boasts the same, yet it’s not the same direction as the comic. While the comic transformed into an action-packed spy novel, so far, the magazine continues to present Shang as wandering from adventure to adventure. Not much of a new direction. This is also the first time that one of the magazine stories is continued next issue. Maybe that “new direction” will begin then. Grade: 7.5

Sons of the Tiger: Abe Brown gets a solo story (sort of) that was decent. He witnesses a murder in broad daylight and teams up with a private investigator named Nathan Alexander Byrd aka “Blackbyrd”. 🙄 The story takes the two on an investigation of a corrupt organization called “Gaxon”. It’s pretty straightforward and, If you’re paying attention, you might see the twist ending coming. Grade: 7.0

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

On Sale April 15, 1975:

THE AVENGERS #137
"We Do Seek Out New Avengers!"

Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by George Tuska. Inks by Vince Colletta.
Cover by John Romita.

The Celestial Madonna Saga has concluded in GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #4. With Swordsman and Mantis gone, and Vision and Scarlet Witch taking time off for married life, the Avengers must recruit some new heroes! After extending invites to past members Yellowjacket and Wasp, the Avengers decide to hold an open call at Shea Stadium. While testing potential member Beast, the Avengers are attacked by The Stranger, an alien creature seeking the Scarlet Witch. Meanwhile, the Vision and the Scarlet Witch enjoy their honeymoon in French Polynesia and Hawkeye leaves the Avengers to go back in time to find the Black Knight.

Another one that I didn’t have to read. I’ve read it dozens of times. Even though #141 was my first AVENGERS comic, I managed to get a few back issues even before the advent of the LCS. For years, this is where my AVENGERS collection started. Even as a kid, I knew this wasn’t a classic, but I loved this issue just the same. Reading it again, I’m still a fan because it still feels like a great starting point for new fans and it’s also the beginning of the Beast’s membership. Too bad Tuska and Colletta were the art team. Grade: 7.5

*****

CAPTAIN MARVEL #39
"The Trial Of The Watcher"

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

Captain Marvel follows the Watchers' teleportation beam back to their home world. Mar-Vell insists on speaking in Uatu's defense at his trial, but the other Watchers refuse to acknowledge him and imprison him in a stasis field so he can't follow, then leave him in the jungle clearing where they arrived. This is witnessed from the shadows by a young Watcher named Aron as well as a jungle predator called a Rackcat.

This story is somewhat of an epilogue to The Celestial Madonna Saga. Much of that story felt purposely prolonged until a resolution could be thought up. This story makes me believe that even more. The star above Avengers Mansion appeared long before Englehart took over CAPTAIN MARVEL and yes, I know that these books are done months in advance. But it seemed as if Englehart used this book to clean up some loose ends to a story that was a good example of “winging it”. A shame because The Trial of the Watcher was pretty good up to this point. Grade: 6.5

*****

CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #36
"Weird Stone."

Written by David Kraft, pencils by George Perez, inks by Frank McLaughlin.
Cover by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson

Harrisyn Turk lays his slippery groundwork with Kristine, while Man-Wolf faces death by oblivion in space! Appearances by Nick Fury and J. Jonah Jameson.

The beginning of a very underrated Man-Wolf story. This issue and the next begins Man-Wolf’s transformation into the Star-God. I never read the first two chapters in COTL, but I read the conclusion in MARVEL PREMIERE several times. A great start to one of my favorite stories. Grade: 8:0

*****

THE DEFENDERS #25
“The Serpent Sheds its Skin”

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Jack Abel.
Cover pencils by Gil Kane and John Romita (alterations).

As half the team battles the Sons of the Serpent to free Valkyrie, the others make a shocking discovery of who is actually behind their organization! The Elf with a Gun (1st appearance) kills Tom and Linda Pritchett.

Although I figured out who was leading the Sons of the Serpent, I never realized the one thing about him that makes him the last person you would suspect to lead them. I won’t spoil the story, but I’ll admit, it took me by surprise. Grade: 8.5

*****

GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #5
"Beware the Path of the Monster!"

Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Mike Esposito and Dave Hunt (backgrounds).
Cover by Gil Kane.

Guest-starring the Man-Thing. Man-Thing meets one of Spidey’s fiercest foes…the reptilian-minded Lizard! Get ready for a splash in the swamps – it’s Spider-Man and Man-Thing vs. an army of crocs! The three-way battle among the Lizard, Man-Thing, and the Amazing Spider-Man is awesome! Also in this issue, Peter consoles the confused clone of Gwen Stacy. (Note: This story takes place between AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #146 & #147).

Even though there is a GSSM #6, this is the last issue of original material. As usual, this GS series uses the format used in MARVEL TEAM-UP. The two leads have a very brief scuffle, but both end up taking on the Lizard. The only thing that I have an issue with is how characters that seem quite formidable become such an easy outing. The Lizard just didn’t seem like his usual badass self. Still, it was a fun issue. Grade: 7.5

*****

JUNGLE ACTION #16
“Panther's Rage Pt. 11: And All Our Past Decades Have Seen Revolutions"

Written by Don McGregor, art by Billy Graham.
Cover art by Gil Kane.

After Venomm escapes from his cell, it’s round two between him and the Black Panther. Cameo by the Avengers.

While I love Chris Claremont’s X-MEN, I remember thinking while reading it “Nobody talks like his characters talk”. After reading McGregor’s Black Panther, Claremont’s characters sound like they’re speaking in slang, lol!!! Flowery though it may be, it was good to have some dialogue. Yes, there are a million words in this issue, but half of it was engaging dialogue; particularly between Venomm and Taku. When I read this storyline, it blew my 21-year-old mind. Not so much today, but the story does have some really good chapters and this was one of them. Grade: 8.0

*****

MAN-THING #19
"The Scavenger of Atlanta!"

Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Jim Mooney and Frank Springer.
Cover: Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia

Not keen to return to his swamp, Man-Thing joins Richard and Carol on their travels to Atlanta. There, they face the menace of the Scavenger. The concrete jungle may never be the same again.

What I found a bit...odd about this story is that Atlanta, which isn’t exactly the superhero Mecca, has a super-villain and, in definitive Gerber/Foolkiller style, he’s a complete nut-case. Just as odd was getting over the idea that the Man-Thing not only got in the back of a minivan but rode to Atlanta in it, lol!!! I tell you, that Gerber was a strange one. 😀 Grade: 7.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

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

On Sale April 22, 1975

AMAZING ADVENTURES #31
"The Day the Monuments Shattered"

Written by Don McGregor, art by Craig Russell.
Cover by Craig Russell and John Romita (alterations).

As Eve 3031 is about to give birth to her child, Killraven and his Freemen fight off an attack made by the Death-Birth's Death Trackers which have come to destroy them. As the Freemen fight off the creatures, Sacrificer and Atalon have their troops prepare for their next attack. While in Milwaukee, Skar continues his hunt for Killraven.

McGregor can really drag a story out. It’s sometimes hard to choose which book has the most drawn-out story: Killraven or the Black Panther. At least, with the Panther, there’s obviously a continuous storyline. At this point, I sometimes wonder what Killraven and the Freemen’s end goal is. Of course, it’s freeing the Earth from Martian oppression, but there doesn’t seem to be a real “game plan”, for lack of a better term. Just aimless wandering, looking for the next Martian plot to destroy. This is another series that I’m not enjoying as much as when I first read it. However, I’m not saying that it is bad. Grade: 7.5

*****

FANTASTIC FOUR #160
"In One World and Out the Other!"

Written by Roy Thomas. Art by John Buscema (breakdowns) and Chic Stone (finishes).
Cover by Gil Kane and Al Milgrom.

With an alternate Thing on the loose, Ben Grimm must travel to an alternate reality to set everything straight. Meanwhile, Reed informs Sue and Johnny of a disastrous business model concerning Fantastic Four Incorporated. Reed’s decision has been made, and the Storm siblings couldn’t be more furious! Featuring Arkon the Imperion. Cameo appearances by Crystal and Quicksilver. (Notes: This alternate Earth first appeared in the second story of FANTASTIC FOUR #118 and was later designated Earth-721)

I really don’t remember the second story from FF #118. I had to look back on it to jog my memory a little. Although I don’t remember much about it, I still enjoyed this because I always loved it when Arkon showed up. His appearance was brief, but I’m still highly anticipating the next chapter of this story. Roy Thomas continues to churn out great stories for this book, so far. Grade: 8.0

*****

GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #5
"Eelar Moves in Mysterious Ways!"

Plot by Chris Claremont, Gerry Conway, Scott Edelman, Steve Gerber, Roger Slifer, and Len Wein. Script by Steve Gerber.
Pencils by Don Heck. Inks by Jim Mooney, Mike Esposito, and Dave Hunt.
Cover by Ron Wilson and Al Milgrom.

Guest-starring the Guardians of the Galaxy. Somewhere in the middle of New York Harbor, the Master of the Mystic Arts senses a disturbance in the Earth's time-stream! Valkyrie and the Hulk join Dr. Strange's search and discover a bizarre creature called Eelar! Meanwhile, in Upstate New York, Nighthawk investigates the mysterious crash of a spaceship! A spaceship that belongs to the Guardians of the Galaxy Why have the 31st-century guardians come to the 20th century? Cameo appearance by the adolescent Vance Astro.

One of my most treasured childhood memories is discovering the Guardians of the Galaxy. Anything that had them in it, I would read. Same thing today. I was so eager to read this, but alas, I was a tad bit disappointed. Maybe because Eelar was a disappointing antagonist. The story was decent once it explained what he was, but I would have liked to see a villain that was worthy of the combined might of the Defenders and the Guardians. Also, sitting through Don Heck's artwork did not help. Grade: 7.0

*****

KA-ZAR #10
"Beyond the Vale of Savage Time."

Written by Gerry Conway and Doug Moench, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Fred Kida.
Gil Kane cover.

After getting knocked out while fighting a carnivorous ape, Ka-Zar and Zabu are discovered by a princess from a hidden city and taken there to recover. Thanks to the machinations of one conniving priest, the high priest's son (fiancee to the woman who brought Ka-Zar here) is sentenced to death as punishment for allowing the outsider Ka-Zar into the city.

This is one of those stories where the cover is just a very small part of what took place inside. That aside, this was one of the more enjoyable Ka-Zar stories that I’ve read in a while. I’m genuinely anticipating the next chapter of this stranger in a strange land story. A great story that could be better if Alfredo Alcala returned as the inker. He and Big John make a great team. Grade: 8.0

*****

MARVEL PREMIERE #23
“The Name Is...Warhawk”

Written by Chris Claremont, pencils by Pat Broderick, inks by Bob McLeod.
Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Bob McLeod.

Danny and Colleen are taking a walk in the park when a sniper begins picking off the people around them. Warhawk, a merc who still thinks he is fighting in Viet Nam, captures Colleen and Iron Fist has to get her back.

When I first read UNCANNY X-MEN #110, I thought that Warhawk was a new character. I later learned that he debuted in this issue along with Claremont as the writer. With one issue, Danny has already shown more personality than he has since he was created. That has been my biggest problem with this book. John Byrne is coming soon, so hopefully, this series will make a rapid turnaround. Grade: 7.5

*****

MARVEL TEAM-UP #35
"Blood Church!"

Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Vince Colletta (finishes).
Cover by Gil Kane and Al Milgrom.

Unless Dr. Strange and the Human Torch defeat the demonic hordes of the deranged, self-styled prophet Jeremiah, Valkyrie will die! Can the Master of the Mystic Arts and old Hot-Head free Valkyrie in time? Cameo appearance by Clea.

Jeremiah is a character that had potential, in my opinion. They teased him for a couple of issues and, once he was fully revealed, he wasn’t a pushover. (Well, to Dr. Strange, he was...but anyway 😏) I would have loved to see more interaction between the Torch and Strange, but their team-up was more in passing than anything. Still, a good story! Grade: 7.0

*****

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #31
"Death in White!"

Written by Doug Moench and Don Perlin. Art by Don Perlin.
Cover by Gil Kane.

A child lost in a blizzard with a werewolf!!! Buck must defend the little girl, Buttons, against his Werewolf best friend! What follows next could haunt Jack Russell for the rest of his unnatural cursed life.

So, I went into this one thinking, “Alright, let’s get this over with. Let’s get to Moon Knight’s first appearance.” Surprisingly, this turned out to be a really good story. This month, the Hulk fought viciously to save a little girl. In contrast, the Werewolf was all terror in issue as he
mindlessly and viciously fought his best friend in an attempt to get the little girl. I was riveted to this one. A hugely pleasant surprise. Grade: 8.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

(Reprint of IRON MAN #9)

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On Sale April 29, 1975

MARVEL PREVIEW #2
“Death Sentence”
Cover art by Gray Morrow

Written by Gerry Conway, art by Tony DeZuniga. What happens when a man watches as his family is gunned down in front of him? In Frank Castle's case, he seeks vengeance and punishment. First origin story for the Punisher. “The Executioner Speaks Out!” The Executioner Speaks Out!” text article by David Anthony Kraft. “The Power Broker Resolution!” starring Dominic Fortune. Written by Len Wein, art by Howard Chaykin. 1st appearance of Dominic Fortune. Black & White.

The Punisher: Stories like this convince me even more that the Punisher doesn’t belong in the world of superheroes. He’s not a hero. He’s an insane man who truly believes that he’s doing what’s right. He’s Paul Kersey in a costume. The psychological aspect of this character is endlessly fascinating. Yet, no one out of Frank Miller’s Daredevil dared to explore it. And even he seemed to work to make the character cool instead of complex. I don’t know if this will be his only appearance in this magazine, but if he does return, I’ll be here. Grade: 7.5

Dominic Fortune: The best part of this tale was the exquisite artwork by Chaykin. He’s a legendary comic book artist, but honestly, I haven’t seen much of his work at all. Damn good stuff! The same can be said about Dominic Fortune. I read his one appearance in MARVEL TEAM-UP and that’s it. He seems to be a lot of fun. Looking forward to seeing more of him. Grade: 8.0

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

So, there you have it. I don’t think that anyone is shocked by my #1; although, I know that everyone isn’t crazy about the new bunch of merry mutants. Yet, you can’t deny that this was something of a game changer and it, probably, saved the title from flat-out cancellation, as many books were canceled in ’75 to be replaced by new ones. Overall, this was a very strong month. Only two books rated below 7.0. I was quite pleased with this month’s offerings. Next: Three new ongoing series, the Gwen Stacy Clone saga continues, and introducing the Scarecrow. Until next week, everyone, take care.

THIS MONTH’S RANKINGS:
1. GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1 – 9.5
2. MASTER OF KUNG FU #30 – 9.0
3. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #31 – 8.5
4. THE DEFENDERS #25 – 8.5
5. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #146 – 8.0
6. DAREDEVIL #123 – 8.0
7. TOMB OF DRACULA #34 – 8.0
8. FANTASTIC FOUR #160 – 8.0
9. CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #36 – 8.0
10. MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #10 – 8.0
11. KA-ZAR #10 – 8.0
12. JUNGLE ACTION #16 – 8.0
13. THOR #237 – 8.0
14. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #187 – 8.0
15. MARVEL PREVIEW #2 – 7.75 (Average of 2 Stories)
16. THE AVENGERS #137 – 7.5
17. MAN-THING #19 – 7.5
18. INCREDIBLE HULK #189 – 7.5
19. MARVEL PREMIERE #23 – 7.5
20. AMAZING ADVENTURES #31 – 7.5
21. GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #5 – 7.5
22. DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #12 – 7.25 (Average of 2 Stories)
23. GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #5 – 7.0
24. MARVEL TEAM-UP #35 – 7.0
25. THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #17 – 7.0
26. CAPTAIN MARVEL #39 – 6.5
27. GIANT-SIZE WEREWOLF #5 – 4.0

THIS MONTH’S TOP 5 COVERS:
1. AMAZING ADVENTURES #31
2. GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1
3. THE AVENGERS #137
4. THE DEFENDERS #25
5. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #31

Last Edit: Jul 10, 2024 19:02:31 GMT -5 by Myke Gee

Myke Gee
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Posts: 286

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Aug 3, 2024 14:48:51 GMT -5 Roquefort Raider and chaykinstevens like this

Quote

Post by Myke Gee on Aug 3, 2024 14:48:51 GMT -5

***ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2021***

May 1975
(Cover Dated: August 1975)

Gooooood mornin’, everyone!!! As always, Saturday morning is when I share my thoughts on the comics that we all know and love.
This week, I’m sharing my thoughts on the May 1975 issues published by the MARVEL COMICS GROUP. So, without further delay…

On sale May 1, 1975

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On sale May 6, 1975

DAREDEVIL #124

“In the Coils of the Copperhead!”

Written by Len Wein (pages 1-8) and Marv Wolfman (pages 9-18), pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Klaus Janson.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia.

An old pulp hero shows up in the modern day and starts killing criminals. Plus, the Widow dumps DD. First appearance of the Copperhead.

I remember seeing Copperhead in a couple of issues of THE HUMAN FLY and I thought that he was an interesting villain. I know that the one in THF was not the same person, but for all intents and purposes, it's the same character. Like most of these issues that I read 15 years ago or so, I'm enjoying them more now than I did then. While I'm still not a fan of Gene Colan on a superhero book, this was still a more than solid story. Grade: 7.5

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THE INCREDIBLE HULK #190

"The Man Who Came Down on a Rainbow!"

Written by Len Wein. Pencils by Herb Trimpe. Inks by Marie Severin.

Cover by Herb Trimpe

Glorian and the Shaper of Worlds bestow a gift upon Hulk- a perfect, paradisiac world! Betty confronts the tragic reality that her husband Glenn is brain-dead.

Two characters that have always intrigued me were the Shaper of Worlds and Glorian. Not really sure why with the latter, but ever since I read WHAT IF..?! #32, I thought that the Shaper was pretty cool. This month’s issue was a great one as I’m not overly crazy about this series and I never have been. A great story was enhanced by the outstanding artwork of Trimpe and Marie Severin. She may be the best inker that I’ve seen with him as I’m not really a fan of his style either. For the first time in a while, I’m highly anticipating the next issue. Grade: 8.0

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SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #1

"Slayers from the Sea!"

Written by Tony Isabella. Pencils by George Tuska and Bill Everett (chapter 1) and George Evans (chapter 2). Inks by Fred Kida (chapter 1) and Frank Springer (chapter 2).

Cover by Ron Wilson and Frank Giacoia.

Story continues from GIANT-SIZE SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #2. Will Doctor Doom and Sub-Mariner continue to be partners in crime? Their recent heists have fizzled in failure, and the two baddies have an ugly falling out. But will their alliance be renewed when Sub-Mariner falls into trouble and requires Doom's aid?

They had me at Tiger Shark!!! LOL!!! Yes, my favorite (one of them, anyway) ill-tempered villain is back along with Attuma and Dr. Dorcas. Namor is always more interesting when he’s battling ol’ Todd. As for Doom…well, those two didn’t exactly “team-up” as they start the issue arguing over the events from GSSVTU #2. Still, it was a very enjoyable start to the series. I’m hoping that I like the overall series more than my memories of it. Grade: 8.0

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TOMB OF DRACULA #35

"Hell Hath No Fury."

Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Tom Palmer.

Cover by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer.

Brother Voodoo guest stars. While Dracula searches for answers about Dr. Sun, Frank Drake and Brother Voodoo face off against an army of the undead!

Dammit, Marv Wolfman!!! How do you keep churning out these fantastic stories?!! This one is really sort of a typical Dracula story outside of him being “manipulated” by the woman Daphne von Wilkinson. What makes this such a great story is the ending and I could kick myself for not seeing it coming. Wolfman dropped the clues, and, in my case, they didn’t click until the moment happened at the end. Dracula proves why he will always be the master manipulator. Beautiful storytelling! Grade: 9.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

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On sale May 8, 1975

DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #13

Cover by Luis Dominguez.

"Enter the Letters!"
A letters page with readers' thoughts on previous issues.

Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, stars in "The Dragon Dies at Midnight!"
Written by Doug Moench. Art by Rudy Nebres.

"Legend of the Black Tiger!"
An exclusive interview with martial arts master Ron Van Clief by John David Warner and Mary Skrenes.

"Kiai - How it Began!"
The genesis of an action packed paperback series by the creators, Piers Anthony, and Roberto Fuentes.

Plus, the Sons of the Dragon star in "Death is my Co-Star!"
Written by Bill Mantlo. Art by George Perez and Jack Abel.

Includes a B&W poster of the Sons of the Tiger. Black and white.

Shang Chi: Part two of Golden Dragon story that began last issue. He attempts to help a Chinese agent named Shareen recover a priceless statue called the Golden Dragon to return to a Chinese museum. Reading this one, I couldn’t help but to wonder why Shang would involve himself in this affair. Aside from being attacked by a ninja called the Shadow Thief, there’s really no reason for supposed pacifist to get involved. My only conclusion is that he’s somewhat of a sucker for a pretty face. He’s shown this in GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU with the girl Sandy and will, later, show the same with Leiko Wu and Juliette. This chapter is much more enjoyable than the last, but I couldn’t escape that thought while reading this. Grade: 8.0

Sons of the Tiger: It’s Bob Diamond’s turn to star in a solo story (sort of). He and Lotus try to solve a murder mystery on the set of a film set in Chinatown. This one has all the stereotypes including the hotheaded beat-cop assigned to Chinatown (Italian, of course), Chinatown’s hatred of strangers and another twist ending that you can see coming a mile away. This doesn’t mean that it wasn’t enjoyable, just predictable. Grade: 7.5

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On sale May 13, 1975

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #147

"The Tarantula is a Very Deadly Beast!"

Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Mike Esposito and Dave Hunt (backgrounds).

Cover by John Romita Sr.

Following his adventure in the Everglades (in GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #5), the wondrous wall-crawler returns to New York City! The Tarantula gets crafty as he plots an escape from prison. Spider-Man entertains the thought that Gwen Stacy could be a clone. The Jackal reveals the truth behind Gwen’s reappearance, and it will leave Spider-Man, and readers, reeling!

For all my gripes about Gerry Conway, he writes some pretty cool Spider-Man stories. Even if he’s, obviously, trying to make the Jackal a Green Goblin-level foe of the Web-Slinger. The problem is that, so far, the Jackal has someone else doing his fighting for him whereas the Goblin or Doc Ock, two characters that I didn’t like at one time, goes toe-to-toe. Because of the OFFICIAL HANDBOOK, I know who the Jackal is, but I’m still hoping that the revelation of his true identity next month will be a dramatic one. So far, this continues to be a good story. Grade: 8.0

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CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #188

"Druid-War"

Written by John Warner, pencils by Sal Buscema (breakdowns), inks by Vinnie Colletta (finished art).

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito.

Battle after battle, Captain America faces the never ending army of villainy! With Sam Wilson out of commission, can Steve Rogers face the Alchemoid alone?

I really don’t know much at all about John Warner. I first saw his name when I bought the 8 issues run of the SON OF SATAN. I wondered if that might have been a pen-name for an already established writer. What I do remember is that I wasn’t too fond of his SoS series. Now, two issues into his CAPTAIN AMERICA stint, he’s picking up where Steve Englehart left off. The Demon Druid story was really good, and he’s dangled an interesting subplot that follows up on the Falcon/Red Skull connection that was revealed. Again, a great start to his tenure on the book. He’s gonna have to keep this up to make me not miss Englehart. Grade: 8:0

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DEAD OF NIGHT #11

“Enter: The Scarecrow”

Written by Scott Edelman, art by Rico Rival.
Cover by Gil Kane and Bernie Wrightson.

Meet The Scarecrow for the very first time! Be wary, he is much more powerful than you would ever imagine! A scarecrow with supernatural powers apparently emerges from a painting to battle an evil cult. First appearance of Scarecrow (now called the Straw Man). The story of the Scarecrow continues in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #26.

Interesting that a series ends with the introduction of a brand new character. I really don’t know how to feel about this character. He’s one of those characters that doesn’t speak. He appears to something of a good guy with a brutal sense of justice. From what I understand, his story continues in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT. I’m curious to see the character will become. As for the story, it was enjoyable, but nothing special. Grade: 7.0

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DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 2, #9

“Consummation”

Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Frank Chiaramonte.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Dan Adkins.

Dormammu emerges in Arizona, & Umar steals his strength. Strange transfers power to Clea, who frees Mother Earth. Mother Earth bonds the power of all creatures of Earth (including you, the reader) against Dormammu. Plus, Umar’s origin.

I freely admit that, when it comes to Dr. Strange as a solo character, I’m hot and cold. I love him in THE DEFENDERS and when he shows up as a guest star. But I’m never eager to read his book. This is true about this issue, but sometimes the undertaking pays off and this was one of those times. A fabulous ending to his battle with Dormammu and Umar. Also, Englehart seems to have a fascination with revealing parents out of left field. He did it with Mantis and Libra, and for the sake of spoilers to others that may not know, I’ll refrain from mentioning this revelation. Really a great story. Grade: 9.0

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THE INVADERS #1

"The Ring of the Nebulas!"

Written by Roy Thomas. Art by Frank Robbins and Vince Colletta.
Cover by John Romita.

The greatest heroes of the Golden Age, Captain America, Human Torch, and Prince Namor alongside their sidekicks Bucky and Toro, unite to win World War II and take down the Axis Powers once and for all. But when Captain America rescues a mysterious woman of great beauty, the Invaders suddenly find themselves confronted with a threat greater than anything they've ever faced before.

Another thing that I freely admit is that history was never my favorite or best subject. My knowledge of WW II is fleeting at best. This book already has references that are way over my head. That doesn’t stop me from enjoying the story, though. It seemed like Roy Thomas had stopped writing for a little while, but he’s back and his FF is great. I’m hoping that this series is just as good. Grade: 7.5

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MASTER OF KUNG FU #31

"Snow Buster!"

Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Paul Gulacy, inks by Dan Adkins.

Cover by Gil Kane and Dan Adkins.

It's the conclusion to Shang Chi's most epic adventure yet. Shang-Chi, Black Jack Tarr and Clive Reston try to disarm Velcro's stockpile of nukes! Can the Master of Kung Fu and his allies stop the villains' mad scheme before it's too late?

Ian Fleming would be proud, I think. If Bruce Lee ever played James Bond, this is what the movie might have looked like, lol!!! An exotic locale. A cultured, eccentric villain with plans of world conquest. Beautiful woman such as Pavane. A big bad henchman above all henchmen. This book had all of the trademarks of the classic Bond films with martial arts at its center. Damn good story! Grade: 9.0

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THOR #238

"Night of the Troll!"

Written by Gerry Conway, layouts by John Buscema, finished art by Joe Sinnott.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane and John Romita (alterations), inks by Al Milgrom (signed) and John Romita (alterations).

Thor has surrendered to Ulik to save the life of Jane Foster and is taken below the Earth. How will Thor and Jane overcome an angry group of trolls?

As always, THOR is a better book when the Thunder God faces a foe that’s, at least, close to his class. This month, he faces Zotarr; a giant “troll” that serves Geirrodur, the King of the Trolls. It was a great battle, but I’m waiting for the next round between him and Ulik. Grade: 7.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

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On sale May 20, 1975

THE AVENGERS #138

"Stranger in a Strange Man!"

Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by George Tuska. Inks by Vince Colletta.

Cover by Gil Kane and Mike Esposito.

Earth's Mightiest Heroes crave revenge after the Stranger seriously injured the Wasp last issue. But the Avengers must locate the cosmic-powered giant first! The Stranger seems to be obsessed with finding the Scarlet Witch. Could that be a clue to his whereabouts and motives? Thor and Iron Man think so! And along with Moondragon, Yellowjacket, and the Beast, the golden avenger and the Thunder God begin their quest for payback against “the Stranger”!

Quite an enjoyable issue this is, but Englehart seems to be stalling until he can come up with the next epic. He’s also using this time to construct my favorite lineup of the team. So, resisting my nostalgic urges to overrate this, I’m giving this... Grade: 7.5

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THE DEFENDERS #26

“Savage Time!”

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Vince Colletta (finished art), inks by Vince Colletta.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita.

The Guardians of the Galaxy guest-star (this appearance predates MARVEL PRESENTS #3). When young Vance Astro meets his 31st century self, the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy has some explaining to do! Meanwhile, Val and Jack argue while the Guardians of the Galaxy discuss their origin and future!

In the very few early issues of THE DEFENDERS that I’ve read, I’ve always found Jack Norriss to be highly annoying. That has not changed. Moving right along. While there wasn’t a lot of action, the history lesson of the Deathlok/Killraven/Guardians’ timeline was quite engrossing. I always wondered how characters from the future don’t remember these incidents when they return to the past and Gerber, realizing the roster, used the most obvious solution. Next month: The One Who Knows arrives!!! Can’t wait!!! Grade: 8.0

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FEAR #29

"Through a Helleyes Darkly!"

Written by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Bob McLeod.

Cover by Ron Wilson and Mike Esposito.

Simon Stroud continues his tireless pursuit of the Living Vampire! But who can get past the ever-watchful gaze of Helleyes?

The first two parts of the Helleyes story was pretty good. Something was a little “off” with this chapter. Maybe it was the shift in writers from Doug Moench to Bill Mantlo this issue. Not bad, but I was hoping to, at least, get the same quality as the last two issues. Grade : 7.0

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GHOST RIDER VOL. 2, #13

"You've Got a Second Chance, Johnny Blaze!"

Written by Tony Isabella. Art by George Tuska and Vince Colletta.

Cover by Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott.

Guest-starring Stunt Master and Karen Page. Johnny Blaze accepts a job on a television show, but when the Trapster kidnaps Karen Page, Ghost Rider is needed once more.

Yes!!! This is what I like to see the Ghost Rider do: play superhero! His origins may be in the horror genre, but when I was first introduced to the character he was already “the most supernatural superhero of all” and I loved it. It was loads of fun seeing him square off against the Trapster. I’m so glad that Isabella changed the direction and tone of this book. Grade: 8.0

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GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING #5

"Fear Times Three!"

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Ed Hannigan, inks by Dan Adkins.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Dan Adkins.

While at a Citrusville carnival, a fortune teller informs Ted Sallis about his future as Man-Thing…and relays three strange tales about his monstrous fate.

"There's a Party in 6G!"

Written by Steve Gerber, art by Tom Sutton.

Man-Thing goes up against satanists.

"The Sins of the Fathers..."

Written by Len Wein, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Frank Springer.

Two kids secretly meet out in the swamp because their fathers hate each other.

"Lifeline!"

Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Ed Hannigan, inks by Tom Sutton.

A mad multimillionaire sends his well-trained commandos to take revenge on Man-Thing.

Editorial explaining this is the final issue to be replaced by

GIANT-SIZE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, a title that instead became a regular sized comic when the Giant-Size line was phased out.

The most interesting thing about this issue is that the fortune teller is Madame Swabada from the Son of Satan series in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT. They were three random tales that may have been inventory stories. The first was interesting enough and the second was only a perfunctory look at Ted Sallis’ future as the Man-Thing. Some great artwork from Ed Hannigan, but otherwise, a good issue at best. Grade: 6.5

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MAN-THING #20

"The Nightmare Box!"

Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Jim Mooney.

Cover by John Romita.

Guest-starring Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Thing, and Shang-Chi. After parting ways with Richard and Carol, Man-Thing is chased by demons as he runs through Atlanta with the Nightmare Box. The Man-Thing must fight its way through a gauntlet of masked avengers. But can the world's most bizarre creature stand against the might of the Web-Slinger, the Man without Fear, the Master of Kung Fu and the ever-lovin' blue-eyed idol of millions?!

A sure sign that a book is in trouble? Throw a bunch of popular characters on the cover. I say “the cover” because they’re not in the book. At least, not as you expect them to be. What started as a superbly entertaining series hard bogged down to weirdness, it seems, for the sake of weirdness; the very description that I used to use to describe Gerber. Maybe he’s just running out of ideas for the character. Ah well. Two issues to go. Grade: 6.0

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MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #23

“In This Light, Darkness!”

Written by Steve Gerber and Mike Friedrich, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Dan Green.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito.

Father Darklyte, leader of the Legion of Nihilists, attacks Son of Satan, who has just returned home from being with the Defenders. Darklyte creates a griffin and a creature called Trog to battle Daimon.

The Son of Satan’s run in this book is coming to an end just as Gerber’s stewardship of the character has. This issue has made one thing clear (if it hasn’t always been): Daimon Hellstrom is not a superhero. After the events of this issue, one might say that he’s a demonic version of the Punisher. Over the course of the series, Gerber has often shown Daimon’s dark side, but never to point of killing his human opponents. Several of them, this issue. After next issue, Hellstrom is off to his own book written by John Warner, who will have much to live up to. Like this series, this issue wasn’t perfect. But it was still quite enjoyable. Grade: 7.5

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POWER MAN #26

"The Night Shocker!"

Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by George Tuska, inks by Vince Colletta.

Cover by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson.

A scream in the night brings Luke Cage running. But is Power Man ready for the truth of what he finds. Can he accept the reality that Vampires stalk the night?

The splash page mentions that this is an inventory story written because of the success of the made-for-TV movie and subsequent TV series, “Kolchak: The Night Stalker”. While it was interesting to see Luke play sleuth for a change, there were moments after the big reveal that made preceding moment not make a lot of sense. Still, it was fun in its own way, but nothing close to an epic Power Man story. Grade: 7.0

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SUPERNATURAL THRILLERS #14

“All These Great Pawns”

Written by Val Mayerik (plot) and John Warner (plot, script), pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Al McWilliams.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer.

The war reaches an apex when Dr. Skarab makes contact with Dann the Warrior and Nephrus via the scarlet scarab, leading to a showdown with the Elementals.

Another series that’s down to its final issues. Mayerik seems to have taken control of this book with John Warner writing the script. If there’s one thing good to say about this issue is that I got through it rather quickly without realizing that I’ve reached the end, which is my sign to myself that I’m genuinely enjoying the book. Yet, I can’t help but to wish that this storyline was over. It’s been going on too long for a bi-monthly series. Grade: 7.0

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

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On sale May 27, 1975

ASTONISHING TALES #31

“Twice Removed From Yesterday...”

Written by Rich Buckler (Plot) and Doug Moench, pencils by Rich Buckler (Layouts) and Keith Pollard, inks by Klaus Janson.

Cover pencils by Ed Hannigan, inks by Bernie Wrightson.

Mike Travers and Deathlok meet face-to-face! Deathlok discovers that Travers, aka War-Wolf, married his wife six months ago. Enraged, Deathlok is about to kill the man when he remembers the time War-Wolf spared his life. Deathlok continues his hunt for Ryker, but the surgeon has called in help from the mob. Will Deathlok find the revenge he desperately longs for?

Deathlok the Demolisher. The series where so much happens and yet, it feels like nothing happens. One of the biggest problems with this series is that he spends most of his time fighting nameless, faceless nobodies. There are no colorful arch enemies. There is Ryker, but I did say “colorful”. This issue was no different. Deathlok kicks the crap out of a bunch of nobodies. Such a disappointing series. Grade: 6.0

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THE FANTASTIC FOUR #161

"All the World Wars at Once!"

Written by Roy Thomas. Art by Rich Buckler (breakdowns) and Joe Sinnott (finishes).

Cover by Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott.

Worlds will collide, as the Fantastic Four’s reality falls under attack by the 5th Dimension- led by Johnny Storm! Will Mister Fantastic be able to defend all he holds dear…when he secretly knows his powers are dwindling away?

This book continues to smoke with Thomas as its writer. This inter-dimensional war is shaping up to be another FF epic. Another interesting thing is that Nelson Rockefeller is the President on one of the inter-dimensional Earths just as he was on the Squadron Supreme’s Earth. I wonder if it’s the same Earth? Anyway, I’m enjoying this story and I’m eagerly awaiting the next chapter. Grade: 8.5

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IRON MAN #77

"I Cry: Revenge!"

Written by Mike Friedrich. Art by Arvell Jones and Chic Stone.

Cover by Gil Kane and Al Milgrom.

The War of the Super-Villains resumes after a one-issue hiatus. Iron Man battles the Mad Thinker, the Yellow Claw, and Firebrand to determine the winner of the Black Lama's golden globe. Who will win the war?

After a reprint last issue, the Super-Villain War continues. This book is another one that’s been outstanding, lately. The mystery of the Black Lama continues to fascinate me. I have to resist the urge to look forward to seeing who he is. However, this issue was so action packed that it made resisting that urge. All three battles were highly entertaining. Each one better than the last. The war is over, but not the storyline. For once, I’m excited to read the next issue. Grade: 8.5

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MARVEL TEAM-UP #36

"Once Upon a Time, in a Castle"

Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Vince Colletta (finishes).

Cover by Ed Hannigan and Mike Esposito.

Starring Spider-Man and the Frankenstein Monster. Spider-Man vs. an immortal foe! Ludwig von Shtupf is the Monster-Maker, a scientist brimming with insane ideas and an even zanier disposition. When Spidey awakens next to Frankenstein’s Monster in a shadowy castle, the two must make a narrow escape…or risk becoming Shtupf’s next science project! Cameo appearance by the Man-Wolf.

I’ve always felt that this issue is where MTU’s heyday begins. Over the next four or five years, some of the best MTU stories will be told beginning with this one. Not a classic by any means, but a solid story that avoids the Team-Up trope of heroes meet/heroes fight. I’m sure that the off-beat selection of Frankenstein’s Monster as the guest star had a lot do with his own book on the verge of cancellation. Same with next issue’s guest, the Man-Wolf. I’ve read this story a couple of times and I’m still enjoying it as contrived as it is. Grade: 7.5

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SKULL THE SLAYER #1

“The Coming of Skull the Slayer”

Witten by Marv Wolfman, art by Steve Gan.

Cover by Gil Kane and Al Milgrom.

The saga of the Skull begins here! James Scully is a man down on his luck; a freed POW of Vietnam, he returns home to a life he barely recognizes. Scully’s brother has turned to drugs, his parents have died from grief believing their son to be dead, and his wife has left him for another man. But when James ends up on the lam for a crime he didn’t commit, his downtrodden life takes a turn for the unexpected. Witness the birth of Skull the Slayer, a man trapped 250 million years in the past! First appearance of Skull the Slayer.

Ironically enough, I wrote a review of this entire eight issue series 6 years ago this month. (I can repost it if anyone is interested) As I re-read my review, my opinion hasn’t changed much after reading this first issue. Some beautiful artwork by Steve Gan (whom I’ve never seen before or since) is somewhat wasted on characters that aren’t very likable, including the star of the book. I’ve had a change of heart with a couple of series that I’m now reading again, but the stars may not be aligned with this one. We’ll see. Grade: 6.0

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STRANGE TALES #181

"1000 Clowns!"

Written and pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Al Milgrom.

Cover pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Alan Weiss.

Warlock discovers that there is no escape from the Madness monster! Warlock finds himself in a strange place and considers, that this is just an illusion but decides, that he is in a Reality unlike any he has ever seen before.

Of all the issues of the Magus Saga, this one was the one that I never liked that much. I never thought that this was a bad story, just a bit odd. Reading it again, I now see how brilliant it is. In succeeding in breaking the Universal Church of Truth’s attempt at reconditioning, his success leads him further down the road to becoming the Magus. I noticed that Starlin, subtly, gave Warlock a bit of insight similar to Mar-Vell’s cosmic awareness. The madness reconditioning was Adam’s Eon. Great stuff. I love it when I pick up on things that I didn’t before. Artistically, Starlin and Milgrom continue to make comics history as one of its greatest artistic pairings. Grade: 9.0

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WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #32

"The Stalker Called Moon Knight!"

Written by Doug Moench. Art by Don Perlin.

Cover by Gil Kane.

In the light of the moon, the Werewolf battles a mysterious stalker known as Moon Knight. But how did Moon Knight come to possess his silver weaponry? After a crowd begins to gather, the battle is postponed. For three nights in a row, it’s Jack Russell vs. Moon Knight! First appearance of Moon Knight.

As big of a fan of Moon Knight that I am, I cannot believe that this is the very first time that I’ve read his first appearance. Quite different from the origin that was later presented. Quite an enjoyable issue despite the fact that the Werewolf gets his behind kicked, yet again. Grade: 7.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

That’s it, folks. Another strong month from the House of Ideas. Some really good first issues. Only three books rated below 7.0. Yes indeed, another great month and it feels like Marvel’s just warming up. Which leads me to… Next Month: The return of Doc Savage, the return of the X-Men as ongoing series of new stories, and the end of two series. See ya next week, guys. Take care.

THIS MONTH’S RANKINGS:

1. TOMB OF DRACULA #35 – 9.5

2. MASTER OF KUNG FU #31 – 9.0

3. STRANGE TALES #181 – 9.0

4. DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 2, #9 – 9.0

5. IRON MAN #77 - 8.5

6. THE FANTASTIC FOUR #161 - 8.5

7. THE DEFENDERS #26 – 8.0

8. THE INCREDIBLE HULK #190 – 8.0

9. GHOST RIDER VOL. 2, #13 – 8.0

10. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #147 – 8.0

11. SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #1 – 8.0

12. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #188 – 8.0

13. DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #13 – 7.75 (Avg. of 2 Stories)

14. DAREDEVIL #124 – 7.5

15. THE AVENGERS #138 – 7.5

16. THE INVADERS #1 – 7.5

17. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #32 – 7.5

18. MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #23 – 7.5

19. THOR #238 – 7.5

20. FEAR #29 – 7.5

21. POWER MAN #26 – 7.0

22. SUPERNATURAL THRILLERS #14 – 7.0

23. DEAD OF NIGHT #11 – 7.0

24. GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING #5 – 6.5

25. MAN-THING #20 – 6.0

26. ASTONISHING TALES #31 - 6.0

TOP 5 COVERS OF THE MONTH:

1. ASTONISHING TALES #31

2. STRANGE TALES #181

3. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #32

4. MARVEL DOUBLE FEATURE #11

5. DEAD OF NIGHT #11

Last Edit: Aug 4, 2024 8:36:44 GMT -5 by Myke Gee

Roquefort Raider
CCF Mod Squad

Modus omnibus in rebus

Posts: 17,399

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Aug 3, 2024 16:21:28 GMT -5 berkley likes this

Quote

Post by Roquefort Raider on Aug 3, 2024 16:21:28 GMT -5

Looking at those old covers, I am struck by how they still trigger a "I WANT THAT!" reaction in me. I don't know if it's the colours, the action scenes or the bombastic dialogs, but I know none of the mostly wordless from the mid 80s onward had that effect.

berkley
Fortress of Solitude member

Posts: 10,273

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Aug 3, 2024 20:58:23 GMT -5 Roquefort Raider likes this

Quote

Post by berkley on Aug 3, 2024 20:58:23 GMT -5

Aug 3, 2024 16:21:28 GMT -5 Roquefort Raider said:

Yes, I notice the same effect when I look through Mike's newsstand galleries. After a certain point in the 80s my eyes tend to glaze over and they don't really take in what I'm seeing - it seems like just a mass of samey-looking stuff and increasingly so as the galleries progress through the 90s and 2000s. I imagine this is at least in part a subjective effect and that readers from later generations who were first exposed to comics in the late 80s and onwards would see them differently.

Myke Gee
Full Member

Posts: 286

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Aug 4, 2024 11:25:37 GMT -5 berkley and chaykinstevens like this

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Post by Myke Gee on Aug 4, 2024 11:25:37 GMT -5

***ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2021***

JUNE 1975

(Cover Dated: September 1975)

Good morning, everyone. It’s the halfway point of 1975 and here are my thoughts on the June 1975 books published by the MARVEL COMICS GROUP.

On sale June 3, 1975

DAREDEVIL #125

“Vengeance Is the Copperhead!”

Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Klaus Janson.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Klaus Janson.

Daredevil takes on an old pulp hero who puts pennies on the eyes of the criminals he kills. Copperhead finds himself with the upper hand over Daredevil, but it is unknown who will find themselves six feet under by the end… First appearance of Copperhead.

Copperhead is a really cool villain. A nut job, but pretty cool, lol! Wolfman shifts the feel of the book from the high-energy/high-action stories that Steve Gerber and Tony Isabella wrote to a calmer murder mystery. With the Torpedo debuting in the next issue, I doubt that this is the direction it will continue. But I’ll be right here as this is no longer a book that I dread reading. Grade: 8.0

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THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #18

“Lady of the House!”

Written by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Val Mayerik,
inks by Val Mayerik and Dan Adkins (pgs. 9, 11, and 15).

Cover pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Bernie Wrightson.

Veronica Frankenstein’s “children” unleashed! The great-granddaughter of Victor, Veronica is no stranger to her family’s legacy of disastrous experiments. Berserker falls to the Children of the Damned! Will the Monster be next? Note: This was the final issue without any notice. The last page even announces, "Next issue: the Baroness!"

*Sssiiiiggghhh* It’s good that this book ended. This is a mockery of the first twelve issues. Those were some of the best comics that I’ve ever read. The Monster was treated with some level of dignity and respect. Now, they have him fighting androids on skis. Before, he spoke quite eloquently, but then they took away his ability to speak. Now that it’s restored, he speaks in Hulk-like sentences. Why? Did his inability to speak spread to his mind so that he was no longer an intelligent and eloquent thinker? Again, I’m glad that this series ended. If they’re not going to do it right, why bother? Grade: 6.0

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THE INCREDIBLE HULK #191

"The Triumph of the Toad!"

Written by Len Wein. Pencils by Herb Trimpe. Inks by Joe Staton.

Cover by Herb Trimpe and Dan Adkins.

Guest-starring the Shaper of Worlds and Glorian. Kidnapped by the alien Toad Men, the Hulk has been brought before the mighty King Torkon to help these malevolent creatures enslave more worlds. Plus, the Shaper of Worlds offers Hulk the paradise he always dreamed of, but is the price too high?

Honestly, I sometimes think about dropping this book from my reading list. It’s just a book that I, somewhat, like, but definitely do not love. Even when there are guest-starring characters that interest me, I still come away with a “Mmm’yeah, it was good, BUT...” feeling about the issue. And, for the life of me, I can never figure out what the “but” is. Growing up, I was always indifferent towards this book, and I see that nothing has changed as an adult. Do I feel this way about every issue? No, but as an overall series....? Mmm’yeah, it’s good, BUT..... Grade: 7.0

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TOMB OF DRACULA #36

"Flight of Fear!"

Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Tom Palmer.

Gil Kane/Palmer cover.

Dracula arrives in America. The hunt for Dracula continues, as the Lord of the Undead makes his first-ever trip to the United States of America! Brief Brother Voodoo appearance.

As the tale of Dracula’s journey to America is told, you can feel Marv Wolfman setting up the next story. I love that this book can contain minimum action, yet still be quite entertaining. Grade: 7.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

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

On sale June 8, 1975

DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #14

Cover by Neal Adams.

Special Bruce Lee issue. Includes:

"Enter the Letters!" A letters page with readers' thoughts on previous issues.

Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, stars in "Thief in Golden Shadows!"

Written by Doug Moench. Art by Rudy Nebres.

"Bruce Lee Again-For Better or Worse!"

An article about the legendary martial artist by Wan Chang O'Shaughnessy.

"The Art and Non-Science of Jeet Kune Do!"

An article An article by James Glenn on the martial arts technique developed by Bruce Lee.

"The Way of the Weapon!"

An article on Bruce Lee's mastery of weapons in martial arts by Thomas Sciacca.

Plus, the Sons of the Tiger star in "The Valley of the Ancestors!"

Written by Bill Mantlo. Art by George Perez and Dan Adkins.

Black and white. Includes a B&W poster of Bruce Lee. Black and white.

Shang Chi: It would appear that only half of DHoKF is Marvel Universe canon and that would be the Sons of the Tiger stories. The Shang Chi stories seem to have no ties to the full-color comic and vice versa. Interesting considering that Moench writes both books. I wonder where the current Golden Dragon story would fit in the timeline. Ah well, it’s still fun to read “new” Shang Chi stories. The current story is rather good, but so far, nothing to compare to Shang Chi’s classic era of MoKF. Grade: 7.5

Sons of the Tigers: Lin Sun gets his solo shot in an action-filled story that features quite a bit of fortune cookie inspired dialogue. I was so sure that I was going to read “When you can take the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave” at some point in this story, lol! Fortunately, that didn’t happen. What did happen was an enjoyable kung fu tale with a message about life and death. Grade: 7.5

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DOC SAVAGE #1

Cover by Roger Kastel.

Magazine-size edition of comic book adaptation of the classic pulp magazine hero Doc Savage.

This issue features "The Doom on Thunder Isle"

Written by Doug Moench and art by John Buscema & Tony DeZuniga.

Doc Savage and his team face the bizarre menace known as the Silver Ziggurat and the deadly Manimals.

Also, "The Man Who Shot Doc Savage”.

An interview with George Pal, writer and producer of the 1970s Doc Savage film.

Photos from the film on the cover and inside the magazine.

So, I decided to give ol’ Doc another shot. Maybe the black & white magazine format will be more entertaining than the full-color comic. Well, it was...but not enough for me to continue. As I said before, I just don’t “get” the character. I’m still not sure if he has superpowers or if he’s a peak-level human-like Captain America. As I’ve also said, he seems like Dr. Benton Quest and Race Bannon rolled up in Captain America’s body. At any rate, Buscema was the best part of this issue because Moench’s narration sounded like John Rambo’s personal hype-man, Col. Troutman. Ah well, I tried. Grade: 6.0

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

On sale June 10, 1984

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #148

"Jackal, Jackal...Who's Got the Jackal?"

Written by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Mike Esposito and Dave Hunt (backgrounds).

Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita Sr.

Spider-Man tossed off the Brooklyn Bridge! Spidey must make a daring escape from the NYPD when his identity is threatened. Peter and Ned Leeds team up to discover the origin of Gwen Stacy’s clone. Plus, the Jackal’s true identity is revealed!

As I mentioned before, I already know the Jackal’s true identity. I was just hoping for a fairly dramatic revelation in this issue. Then I thought: “How dramatic can it be since I know what’s coming?” At any rate, it was a great issue. Although, I was a little irked by the inconsistency of how his Spider-Sense works. It didn’t register the Jackal as a threat because, in his true identity (and I won’t reveal that here for the other two people who have never read this issue or the Official Handbook), the Jackal is something of a friend. In fact, it obviously took the issue off because it didn’t respond to the Tarantula either. Despite this, I enjoyed this issue. Grade: 8:0

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CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #189

"Arena For A Fallen Hero!"

Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Frank Robbins, inks by Frank Chiaramonte.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito.

The Falcon recovers from his coma with his original "Snap" Wilson persona intact. Unless Captain America can defeat an army of supervillains, the Falcon fights no more!

Okay, I’ll admit it. I did not see that ending coming. Later for that, though. So, now Sam Wilson talks like Luke Cage. Again, I’ve got to admit that I’m not crazy about that. Why does every Black man in the Marvel Universe who doesn’t have a PhD like Bill Foster or Elliott Franklin have to be inarticulate and speak with street slang? Sam was fairly articulate and free of those stereotypes, for the most part (he had his moments, I'll admit). Now, he’s, nearly, the poster child for the stereotypical Black American male. That gripe aside, this was a great issue. Tony Isabella takes over from the rather brief tenure of John Warner. It’s the character that shows up at the end that has me excited. I don’t know much about this character, but I’m eager to see what she’s (clue!) all about. One other thing, while I’m not a fan at all of Frank Robbins, I must admit that he has quite a flare for action sequences. I just wish that his characters didn’t look so awkward. Grade: 8.5

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MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #11

"The Thing Goes South!"

Plot by Roy Thomas, script by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Jack Abel.

Gil Kane cover pencils.

The Thing has plans to take a vacation to Disney World! However, he must first match his brawn against the enigmatic creature of legend, the stone-faced Golem.

You gotta love the days before THE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE. The days when characters were as strong as the writers needed them to be. I mention this because there was nothing that I can recall from his stint in STRANGE TALES that led me to believe that the Golem was much stronger than the Thing. Yet, Ben couldn’t beat him. At any rate, this was mostly an attempt to bring some closure to the Golem’s abruptly ended stint in STRANGE TALES. Grade: 7.0

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MASTER OF KUNG FU #32

"Assault on an Angry Sea!"

Written by Doug Moench, breakdowns by Sal Buscema, finished art by Mike Esposito.

Gil Kane cover pencils, Esposito cover inks.

Sir Denis puts Shang-Chi and Black Jack Tarr on a boat to London for their next mission! When Shang Chi and his friends board a freighter, a terrible storm rages outside. Meanwhile, a conspiracy of murder threatens those within.

There is no question that MoKF #29-50 was the classic era of this series. Yet, one somewhat annoying thing about that era was that all 22 issues weren’t created by both its primary creators, Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy. Moench wrote every issue, but Gulacy would take an issue or two off here and there. This was one of those issues. Fortunately, Moench penned an interesting who-done-it to make up for Gulacy’s absence. Grade: 7.5

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THOR #239

"Time Quake!"

Written by Roy Thomas, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Joe Sinnott.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Dan Adkins.

Can Thor and Jane escape Ulik and the trolls and return to the surface world? Plus, the search for Odin continues!

A few things happen in this one. For starters, the epic battle between Thor and Ulik that was anticipated was anything but epic. Thor dealt the troll a humiliating beatdown. Shortly afterward, after a lengthy stint as, essentially, the co-star of the book, Hercules leaves for California. Does anyone want to guess what happens once he gets there? Finally, we have the Odin on Earth subplot that Gerry Conway was dangling for months. I don’t know if his plans were for him to meet the Heliopolis Gods, but that’s what Roy Thomas is doing with it. Just as he’s done with FANTASTIC FOUR, Thomas is finishing up Conway’s stories and setting up new tales and directions, it seems. Looking forward to the Heliopolis story. I’ve never seen them, so this should be fun. Grade: 8.0

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THE X-MEN #94

"The Doomsmith Scenario!"

Written by Chris Claremont and Len Wein. Art by Dave Cockrum and Bob McLeod.

Cover by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum.

Professor X gathers his team of mutants to congratulate them on a successful battle. No sooner do the words leave his mouth, when several X-Men put in their two weeks' notice! Will the team stay together with the sudden absence of several members? And which will stay united for the cause of peaceful co-existence? However, will their first mission be their last? The new X-Men must stop the sinister madman Count Nefaria who has seized control of the United States' strategic missile force. First appearance of Dragonfly.

Man, how many times have I read this one? This issue brings back a few old villains in Count Nefaria and the Ani-Men. This issue was, also, one of the few times you’ve seen the team act as typical superheroes; i.e., answering a call for help a la the FF or Avengers. This is also the last prelude to THE CHAMPIONS (the previous ones were seen in DAREDEVIL #124, GHOST RIDER #13, and in the above THOR issue) as Jean Grey, Havok, Polaris, as well as, the Angel and the Iceman all leave the team. The latter two are off to the Champions book. Fantastic start to an incredible series. Grade: 8.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

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

On sale June 17, 1975

THE AVENGERS #139

"Prescription: Violence!!"

Written by Steve Englehart. Pencils by George Tuska. Inks by Vince Colletta.

Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita.

The concerned Avengers visit a still-recovering Wasp in the hospital. Concerned about Hawkeye’s disappearance, Iron Man and Moondragon travel to Doom’s castle in Latveria. Plus, Whirlwind, a villain with an obsessive crush on Wasp, makes an attempt on her life.

This one feels like another stall tactic until he comes up with another idea. Yes, we get some great Yellow Jacket vs Whirlwind scenes, but this issue also has some random scenes masquerading as subplots of future issues; particularly, the Vision and Wanda’s honeymoon. Those scenes really feel like filler and they don't seem to do much to move the story forward. A pretty good issue, but Tuska and Colletta draw a mangy-looking Beast. Grade: 7.5

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CAPTAIN MARVEL #40

"Rocky Mountain 'Bye!"

Written by Steve Englehart (plot, script) and Al Milgrom (plot),
pencils by Al Milgrom, inks by Al McWilliams.

Cover pencils by Al Milgrom, inks by Klaus Janson.

Captain Marvel battles a space creature that has animated the body of his dead lover, Una. After the battle, Captain Marvel and Rick Jones agree there is nothing left on Earth for them and decide to explore outer space. Appearances by Carol Danvers and the Watcher.

After a lackluster ending to The Trial of the Watcher, Englehart follows up with a slightly better issue that looks to set up future adventures for Mar-Vell and Rick Jones. The battle between Mar-Vell and the reanimated Una was supposed to heart-wrenching, I suppose, but it fell flat, in my opinion. Grade: 7.0

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CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #37

"Moonbound"

Written by David Kraft, pencils by George Perez, inks by Fred Kida.

Kane/Tom Palmer cover.

Man-Wolf faces a “frenzy in freefall” when he takes on an entire satellite’s crew…in Zero-G! Will Jameson lose sight of his lunar mission? The series was, unfortunately, canceled during a story arc. The story continues in MARVEL PREMIERE #45.

Dang it!!! Just as it was getting really good…as the saying goes. At the beginning of Man-Wolf’s tenure in this series, I wasn’t exactly clamoring for the next issue. Let’s just file those issues under “I’m reading them just for the review”. Yet, slowly, it was getting better. Honestly, I don’t know if it was because it was getting closer to the two-issue finale of the Man-Wolf story in MARVEL PREMIERE (which I thoroughly enjoyed as a teen) or if was genuinely getting better. I just know that now I’m a little sad to see the book end. At the time, it may have been a cliffhanger, but at least it was a good one. Grade: 7.5

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THE DEFENDERS #27

“Three Worlds to Conquer!”

Written by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Vince Colletta (finished art), inks by Vince Colletta.

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita.

The Defenders voyage to the future to aid the Guardians against the Badoon! In an attack on the Guardian, duos of Defenders and Guardians of the Galaxy are sent to different worlds to fend off the evil alien Badoon! Vance Astro and Valkyrie to one planet, Yondu, and Hulk to another. First appearance of Starhawk.

So, Starhawk is here even if he goes unnamed in this issue. I was hoping for a good team-up between the Defenders and the Guardians' individual members, the chapter with Vance and Valkyrie wasn’t very interesting, in my opinion. Yet, in typical Gerber style, we had the rather odd pairing of the Hulk and Yondu versus some nondescript robots on an extremely peculiar world. It was entertaining enough, I guess, but what’s bothering me about this story is what has bothered me about many stories that feature powerful heroes: the villains (in this case the Badoon) are Snoresville. Considering the concentration of power assembled between the two teams, I was hoping for a near-Thanos-level threat or, at least, a charismatic villain. The Badoon are just another Hell-bent-on-conquering-the-galaxy alien race. I know that it sounds like I disliked the issue, but I didn’t. I just was hoping for epic, and I got very good. Grade: 7.5

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JUNGLE ACTION #17

“Panther's Rage part 12: Of Shadows and Rages"

Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Billy Graham, inks by Billy Graham and Virgilio Redondo (uncredited).

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia.

Killmonger invades Central Wakanda with his army, his assassins, and his dinosaurs. The Panther meets him in final battle at Warrior Falls.

I say again, a 12-part story is too long for a bi-monthly book. Think about it, June 1975 is the end of a story that started in June of 1973. When I first read this I loved it because I had the benefit of reading consecutive issues at my leisure. It must have been either maddening or indifference to collect this storyline bi-monthly over two years. Nonetheless, it is over and my affection for this story is less than it was back in the mid-80s. Even still, it’s a good ending to a drawn-out story. Grade: 7.5

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MAN-THING #21

"A Lunatic on Every Corner!"

Written by Steve Gerber. Art by Jim Mooney.

Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.

A mad accountant and his dreams of glory lead to a terrible end. The origin of the Scavenger! Plus, suspecting they’re all on the same side, the police target Man-Thing, and the demons of Thog!

Well, this series still has a little juice left. The Thog storyline is decent, and the Scavenger is a strange but interesting villain. His healing factor (which was never called that in this issue) seems like a blueprint for later Wolverine powers. However, "a little juice” is not enough juice to keep this book afloat. Much like the, now, canceled SUB-MARINER book, this series’ ebbs and flows, pretty much, spelled the end of it. So, a good issue, but only one to go. Grade: 7.0

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

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

On sale June 24, 1975

AMAZING ADVENTURES #32

"Only the Computer Shows Me Any Respect!"

Written by Don McGregor, pencils by Craig Russell, inks by Dan Green.

Cover by Craig Russell.

June 2019, Nashville Tennessee: Killraven and his Freemen have arrived before the Octotympanum-Viewscope building; a device that could make your fantasies a reality. Realizing that Old Skull has ventured into the device, Killraven goes after him to find that the device has created a menacing dragon to attack the both of them. Plus, Hawk shares his pre-Martian history with the Freemen.

So, they finally gave Hawk something to do other than whine and complain. *Sigh* Anyway, when I first saw Killraven in a house ad, I thought that he looked like an interesting character. Then, he guest-starred in MARVEL TEAM-UP and he piqued my curiosity even more. Sometime in the late 80s, I bought and read this entire run and I thoroughly enjoyed it when I had the benefit of reading it all at once. But, like the Black Panther in JUNGLE ACTION, bi-monthly is not the format for long, drawn-out stories that have chapters that feel like filler. That’s what this issue feels like. It feels like what Steve Englehart was doing in the Celestial Madonna story. Like stuff (not stories) was being thrown out just to stall until the writer figured out where he wanted to go. Funny how it didn’t feel like that when I was able to binge it. Let’s pick this up, McGregor!!! Grade: 6.0

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THE FANTASTIC FOUR #162

"The Shape of Things to Come!"

Written by Roy Thomas. Art by Rich Buckler (breakdowns) and Joe Sinnott (finishes).

Cover by Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott.

With three worlds battling against each other, team members must match up with their Earth-A counterparts to stop the incoming attack from the 5th Dimension! And it’s an all-out slugfest!

So, my first experience with Arkon was X-MEN ANNUAL #3. In that story and the follow-up in X-MEN ANNUAL #5, Arkon was a barbarian, but he was, also, a man of honor. Although not seen in this issue, this incarnation is behind the scenes and manipulating this Three World War in a less-than-honorable fashion. I’m hoping that there is some justification for his actions and that he turns out to be the character that I remember. This is a great story and it’s shaping up for a fun finale...despite the appearance of Gaard at the end. I guess the name Goli was taken. Grade: 8.0

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IRON MAN #78

"Long Time Gone"

Written by Bill Mantlo. Art by George Tuska and Vince Colletta.

Cover by Gil Kane.

An Avenger exposed! Learn the soul-searing secret hidden in Iron Man's past! In this flashback issue, Tony Stark reflects on one of his early Iron Man adventures in Vietnam.

So, this one read, pretty much, as I expected it to: as an inventory story. The weird part is that inventory stories are, usually, stories that take the place of a scheduled story at the last minute. This story was announced at the end of the last issue. The War of the Super-Villains ends and a new storyline with the Firebrand is to begin, but they throw this filler masking as an interlude in between. *Sigh* Thank goodness that the story was passable. More insight into the mind of Tony Stark and the reason why he abandoned the manufacturing of munitions. As I said, passable. Grade: 7.0

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MARVEL PREMIERE #24

“Summerkill”

Written by Chris Claremont, pencils by Pat Broderick and Marie Severin (uncredited, assorted headshots on pages 15-17), inks by Vince Colletta and Marie Severin (uncredited, assorted headshots on pages 15-17).

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita.

Attack of the Monstroid! During a softball game, Danny and Rafael Scarfe face an attack by a horrific robot! Who is behind this engineered terror? Colleen Wing proves her mettle while sparring with the Immortal Iron Fist. First appearance of Master Kahn.

Thank you, Chris Claremont, for bringing some fresh air to this stale book. For adding some semblance of a personality to a character that was sorely lacking one. You even dug up old Ballox from MARVEL TEAM-UP #5. Again, thank you, because I was this close to saying “To Hell with this! I’ll be back when Byrne gets here”. Now, I know that Byrne arrives next issue, but let’s give some praise to the always-underrated Pat Broderick. He did a great job despite Colletta’s inks. Unlike many, I like Colletta to some extent. He just doesn’t mesh well with some artists. His results with Broderick are mixed, but the two weren’t bad at all. A really solid issue overall. Grade: 7.5

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MARVEL TEAM-UP #37

"Snow Death!"

Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Vince Colletta (finishes).

Cover by Ed Hannigan and John Romita.

It’s a monster mash-up when Man-Wolf joins the fray! The Monster-Maker is intent on creating the most horrific being known to man. Luckily, Spider-Man and Frankenstein’s Monster are on the case! S.H.I.E.L.D. intervenes in a big way. Man-Wolf takes a hit.

Last issue, Spidey met the Frankenstein Monster; a character whose own book was on its last leg. Now, we have the Man-Wolf and, as fate (and the powers-that-be) would have it, both of their respective books saw their final issues this month. So, I guess that this is something of an epilogue to their series. Although, I’m not quite sure where this story fits into Man-Wolf’s CREATURES ON THE LOOSE continuity. Not even close to the upcoming stories that this series will produce, but it is still a good issue. Grade: 7.0

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WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #33

"Wolf-Beast vs. Moon Knight!"

Written by Doug Moench. Art by Don Perlin and Howie Perlin.

Cover by Gil Kane.

Moon Knight has apprehended the Werewolf at long last! Before he can get his prey to the Moon-Chopper, the police fire a few rounds of their own. What does Moon Knight have in store for Jack Russell? Will Werewolf ever escape the clutches of his masked stalker?

Not bad. Not bad, at all. As I mentioned last week, this Moon Knight is a little different from the character that I grew to love. Obviously, he’s not quite fleshed out yet. I imagine that that’s because his origins were probably a little similar to Alpha Flight’s; namely, he was created just to survive a fight with the Werewolf as Alpha was created to battle the X-Men. Not much else to say about this issue except that it was better than most of the stuff that has been printed in this book lately. Grade: 7.5

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

A Good to Outstanding set of books this month, but nothing exceptional or above, and, as always, I’ll take it. It was truly sad to see THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER deteriorate into a parody of itself. I don’t think that any series was as big of a pleasant surprise as this one. But as I said, don’t bother to do it if it’s not done right. We also say goodbye to CREATURES ON THE LOOSE. Not a but that I will mourn. While I read its first issue (titled TOWER OF SHADOWS then) and the really cool story by Jim Steranko, I had no interest in the 1950s horror reprints. As the name changed to COTL, the reprints continued until Gulliver Jones started his 6 issue run. A couple of good issues, but mostly a mediocre run. I, also, had no interest in the sword and sorcery barbarian series Thongorr. However, Man-Wolf took over and grew to be a pretty good series. I can’t wait to get to the conclusion in MARVEL PREMIERE. I haven’t read that one in a while. Next month: Marvel publishes 76…yep, I said 76 books in July 1975. Don’t worry. I’m not gonna post the War and Peace of reviews next week, lol!! Only 37 of those were read and I’m going to split that month into two parts. Some fabulous firsts and some woeful finales. See ya next week, gang. Take care.

THIS MONTH’S RANKINGS:

1. THE X-MEN #94 – 8.5

2. CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #189 – 8.5

3. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #148 – 8.0

4. THE FANTASTIC FOUR #162 – 8.0

5. THOR #239 – 8.0

6. DAREDEVIL #125 – 8.0

7. MARVEL PREMIERE #24 – 7.5

8. TOMB OF DRACULA #36 – 7.5

9. CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #37 – 7.5

10. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #33 – 7.5

11. JUNGLE ACTION #17 – 7.5

12. THE DEFENDERS #27 – 7.5

13. THE AVENGERS #139 – 7.5

14. MASTER OF KUNG FU #32 – 7.5

15. DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #14 – 7.5

16. MARVEL TEAM-UP #37 – 7.0

17. THE INCREDIBLE HULK #191 – 7.0

18. CAPTAIN MARVEL #40 – 7.0

19. IRON MAN #78 – 7.0

20. MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #11 – 7.0

21. MAN-THING #21 – 7.0

22. DOC SAVAGE #1 – 6.0

23. AMAZING ADVENTURES #32 – 6.0

24. THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #18 – 6.0

TOP 5 COVERS OF THE MONTH:

1. MARVEL TREASURY EDITION #6

2. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #33

3. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #148

4. AMAZING ADVENTURES #32

5. GIANT-SIZE THOR #1

Last Edit: Sept 23, 2024 0:27:05 GMT -5 by Myke Gee

chaykinstevens
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...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Aug 4, 2024 14:18:14 GMT -5 Myke Gee likes this

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Post by chaykinstevens on Aug 4, 2024 14:18:14 GMT -5

Aug 3, 2024 14:48:51 GMT -5 Myke Gee said:

ASTONISHING TALES #31

Whoever this plot description is copied and pasted from seems to have misunderstood AT #27, as Travers was never War-Wolf. That was just something Ryker told Deathlok to mess with his head.

chaykinstevens
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Posts: 3,048

...VAINLY NAMED MIKE G'S COMIC REVIEWS Aug 4, 2024 15:20:43 GMT -5 Myke Gee likes this

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Post by chaykinstevens on Aug 4, 2024 15:20:43 GMT -5

Aug 4, 2024 11:25:37 GMT -5 Myke Gee said:

DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #14

Plus, the Sons of the Tiger star in "The Valley of the Ancestors!"

Written by Bill Mantlo. Art by George Perez and San Adkins.

I think that should be Dan Adkins. The Marvel Chronology Project places this Shang-Chi storyline between MOKF #35 & 36.

Aug 4, 2024 11:25:37 GMT -5 Myke Gee said:

MARVEL PREMIERE #24

First appearance of Master Kahn.

Master Khan had appeared previously in a five-pager in Strange Tales #77;

Aug 4, 2024 11:25:37 GMT -5 Myke Gee said:

MARVEL TEAM-UP #37

Although, I’m not quite sure where this story fits into Man-Wolf’s CREATURES ON THE LOOSE continuity.

The Marvel Chronology Project has it between Marvel Premiere #46 and Amazing Spider-Man #190.

Aug 4, 2024 11:25:37 GMT -5 Myke Gee said:

THIS MONTH’S RANKINGS:

1. THE X-MEN #94 – 8.5

In your review, you only gave this one 8.0.

Myke Gee
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Post by Myke Gee on Sept 27, 2024 7:59:32 GMT -5

***ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2021***

JULY 1975, Part One
(Cover Dated: October 1975)

Hello, everyone! The second half of the 1975 year of MARVEL COMICS begins. Because the company published 76 books (33 of which I read) this month, I am breaking this month’s reviews into two parts. So, without further delay, here are my thoughts on the July 1975 books from the MARVEL COMICS GROUP….

On sale July 1, 1975

DAREDEVIL #126

“Flight of the Torpedo!”

Written by Marv Wolfman

Pencils by Bob Brown (layouts/breakdowns) and Klaus Janson (finished art)

Inks by Klaus Janson

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia

DD takes on the high-flying Torpedo. When the villain is crushed by a falling wall, however, pro quarterback turned insurance salesman, Brock Jones, decides to fulfill a dying man's last request and takes his costume to do so. Ironically, DD can't tell that his opponent has switched identities as he cannot see the color of his hair. First appearance of Heather Glenn and the Torpedo II and III.

The Torpedo is another one of those characters that I know very little about and I’ve always wanted to read more stories with him. I read this issue around 15 years ago or so and I don’t remember being overly impressed with it. Nothing has changed over time, but I did like it, at least. I’m eagerly awaiting the next issue to see the beginning of Brock Jones’ new career as a superhero. Grade: 7.5

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DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #15

Super Annual Issue! Cover by Nick Cardy.

Reprints issues of MASTER OF KUNG FU and Iron Fist from MARVEL PREMIERE. Grade: N/A

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THE INVADERS #2

"The Twilight of the Star-Gods!"

Written by Roy Thomas

Art by Frank Robbins and Vince Colletta
Cover by John Romita

Can even Captain America the Sentinel of Liberty, the Savage Sub-Mariner, and the fiery super android the original Human Torch stand up to the power of Donar the god of thunder, Froh the lord of lightning and Loga the god of fire?! Plus, who is the mysterious Hilda? And is she a friend or foe?

As a kid, I was never the biggest fan of the Invaders. Cool name, but I never quite got the appeal. As I admitted last issue, I’m not the best student of history and that’s probably why I didn’t buy this book regularly. Plus, the quirky artwork of Frank Robbins didn’t help. Yet, it, obviously, had its fans because of all the superhero teams that debuted in 1975, only X-MEN ran longer. That said, this story is a great start toward me reversing my opinion of this series. I even enjoyed Robbins to some extent. Despite the awkwardness of the characters, his style seems suited for this series. Grade: 7.5

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SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #2

"In the Midst of Life!"

Written by Tony Isabella

Art by Sal Buscema (breakdowns) and Fred Kida (finishes)

Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia

Namor is captured by Dr. Dorcas, Attuma, and Tiger Shark! Will Doctor Doom be able to spring the King of Atlantis to uphold his promise to the Atlanteans?

Damn. I can’t wait for the next issue because, after what happens at the end, Dorcas, Tiger Shark, and Attuma are in big trouble! Two issues into this series and I’m starting to rethink my stance that SVTU and THE INVADERS are just Marvel’s attempts to keep Namor relevant (Yeah, the thought had crossed my mind a time or two). This issue was far better than I anticipated. Grade: 8.0

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TOMB OF DRACULA #37

“The Vampire is Coming! The Vampire is Coming!"

Written by Marv Wolfman

Pencils by Gene Colan

Inks by Tom Palmer

Cover by Gil Kane & Palmer

The stage is set! Dracula stalks the streets of Boston, Frank Drake returns to the U.S., and Dr. Sun summons a new servant with which to destroy Dracula once and for all! Brief Brother Voodoo appearance. First appearance of Harold H. Harold.

One thing about this series is that, for its entire run, so far, it has been, pretty much, devoid of humor. Enter Harold H. Harold. He spends most of his tenure in this book providing levity in some very intense stories. Again, proving that Wolfman is great at creating “people” and not just characters. Continued excellence from this series. Grade: 8.0

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

Final Issue

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

On sale July 8, 1975

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #149

"Even If I Live, I Die!"

Written by Gerry Conway

Pencils by Ross Andru

Inks by Mike Esposito and Dave Hunt (backgrounds)

Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia

One of the classic web-slinger issues of the bronze age! At Shea Stadium in Queens, the master plan of the Jackal finally comes together! On the infield grass, the Amazing Spider-Man fights to the finish against a carbon copy of himself - the Spider-Clone! With Ned Leeds in mortal danger, can the wondrous wall-crawler triumph over his clone and the Jackal too? But even if he wins, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man may still lose Gwen once again. An emotional ending for all. Origins of the Jackal and the Gwen Stacy clone. First appearance of the Spider-Man Clone.

This issue completes Gerry Conway's unforgettable 3-year run as the writer of the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN title - highlighted by the death of Gwen Stacy, the creation of the Punisher, and the Spider-Clone Saga. So, I imagine that many of you who read this walked away with the same question that I have: is this really Spider-Man or the clone in the end? The key thing that Miles Warren said is that both think that they’re the real thing. While there were two shades of blue on the cover, there was nothing inside to distinguish the real Spider-Man from the clone. The next issue blurb indicates that this will be explored further. I give Conway a lot of flack about the other books that he writes, but ASM was his most consistent series. The next writer has a lot to live up to following Stan and Gerry. Grade: 8.0

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CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #190

"Nightshade Is Deadlier the Second Time Around!"

Written by Tony Isabella

Pencils by Frank Robbins

Inks by Vince Colletta

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Sinnott

Get ready for an all-action issue! Cap and the Falcon take on S.H.E.I.L.D., Night Shade, and the deadliest robot assassin of all time! Captain America and the Falcon battle Deadly Nightshade who has taken control of all the male S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in order to conquer America. Yellow Claw and Nick Fury cameos.

Isabella keeps the action going in this series. Deadly Nightshade is pretty interesting. This is only my second time reading a story with her and I cannot wait for the third. I found her a little bit on the goofy side, honestly, but she was still enjoyable. As for this “Snap” Wilson thing? Meh. It feels like a shake-up just for the sake of shaking things up. Next is The Trial of the Falcon. Hopefully, it will help to make some sense of the “Snap” backstory. Grade: 7.5

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DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 2, #10

“Alone Against Eternity!”

Written by Steve Englehart

Pencils by Gene Colan

Inks by Frank Chiaramonte

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer

Baron Mordo is back! Mordo awakens into madness as he faces a threat from inside his own mind. Who, or what, is Nightmare? Plus, Eternity appears and announces the End of the World.

Say what you will about this book, but it’s never about a superhero taking on super-villains; at least, not on a mundane level. I always say that

Thor, Namor, the Hulk, and other powerhouses are at their best when they’re in stories that feature worthy opponents. Strange always seems to be up against the heavy hitters. This month, he faces Mordo, Nightmare, and Eternity! No, he’s not battling them all, but this is the only book where you’ll find such an assemblage. It’s a bit daunting, at times. Daunting and yet, despite all of this star power, sometimes dull. This issue was somewhere in between as this issue seems to be setting up another big story. Grade: 7.0

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KA-ZAR #11

"The Devil-God of Sylitha"

Written by Doug Moench

Pencils by Don Heck

Inks by Frank Springer

Cover by Gil Kane

Ka-Zar must save the son of the High Priest of Tordon-na from being sacrificed by one of his fellow priests.

The conclusion to this story which began 3 months ago for this bi-monthly book. It wasn’t bad (well…the Don Heck art was, lol), but this book is in trouble. At the end of issue #5, we got: “A New writer! A new artist! You’ve made KA-ZAR a hit, people…now he’s taking off!” Now, 6 issues later, it’s: “The dawning of a new era of exciting jungle action and exotic mystique! Dynamic new characters and stunning visuals…” blah, blah, blah!!! As

I’ve always said, Ka-Zar is a character that is better as a guest star. There are 9 issues left and I’m not going anywhere, but this is definitely a book that I would have dropped if I was buying these of the spinner rack. Grade: 6.0

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MARVEL CHILLERS #1

"Magic is Alive!"

Written by Marv Wolfman (inspiration) and Bill Mantlo

Pencils by Ed Hannigan (page 1) and Yong Montano

Inks by John Romita (page 1), Frank Giacoia (page 1), and Yong Montano

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer

Janet Lyton and Grant Whittacker dug a tunnel to try and find the lost tower of Darkhold in England. They work through a storm, which washes out the supports of their tunnel, causing it to cave. In the adjoining chamber, they find what they believe is a perfectly preserved human body in a tomb dating back to the Dark Ages. The man comes to life, revealing himself to be Modred, master of the Darkhold. The mystic man from the Dark Ages proclaims to have secret knowledge of the book’s truest evil, recalling an encounter from his days at Camelot. 1st appearance of Modred the Mystic.

“What If...Dr. Strange Spoke Like Thor?”

That’s what I felt like I just read. Visually more appealing than it was to read, it tells the story of yet another time-displaced man. While it doesn’t go into the many man-out-of-time tropes, it does recount the unspectacular origin of Modred. Outside of AVENGERS #185-187, my boredom sense usually goes off when I hear the word “Darkhold”. I wasn’t bored this time out, but neither was I clamoring for the next issue of Modred the Mystic. Grade: 6.5

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MARVEL PREMIERE #25

“Morning of the Mindstorm!”

Written by Chris Claremont

Pencils by John Byrne

Inks by Al McWilliams

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Dan Adkins

Iron Fist arrives at the Wings to discover Colleen missing and Lee raving like a madman. Danny and Scarfe try to track down Colleen but are assaulted by illusions courtesy of Angar the Screamer. Beating Angar down, Iron Fist discovers a Stark International I.D. card on the villain and figures the company is behind the disappearance of his friend. Continued in IRON FIST #1. First John Byrne Iron Fist.

There’s a huge difference between the last three issues of Claremont’s Iron Fist and all the previous ones. He’s taken an above-average character severely lacking in anything remotely resembling a personality and turned him into the opposite. At times, his personality is still a little bland, but it’s immeasurably better than what it was before. This story was action-packed and beautifully rendered by John Byrne. Al McWilliams’ inks were a little “scratchy”, but it was good to see Byrne’s 2nd assignment for Marvel (his 1st was in GS DRACULA #5). Great issue! Grade: 8.0

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MASTER OF KUNG FU #33

"Wicked Messenger of Madness!"

Written by Doug Moench

Pencils by Paul Gulacy

Inks by Dan Adkins

Cover by Gil Kane

Shang Chi meets the woman who will become the love of his life, Leiko Wu. This beautiful spy has a knack for intrigue and danger and may just be the death of the Master of Kung Fu. Plus, Clive Reston sends a car to pick up Shang-Chi and Black Jack Tarr, but they have barely set foot in England when a robot attacks them! Can martial arts stand up to the power of a robotic assassin? First appearance of Leiko Wu. First appearance of Mordillo.

Gulacy returns this issue as we meet the final member of the Shang Chi cast, Leiko Wu. Lots of dialogue in this issue as Sir Denys and his agents explain the threat of Mordillo to Shang Chi. Continuing in the James Bond vein, the agents are tasked to stop him from using a weapon that can harness the power of the sun to kill many people at once. Lol!!! Such an Ian Fleming-like story. Good set-up issue, though not a lot of action. Grade: 7.5

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THOR #240

"When the Gods Make War!"

Written by Roy Thomas (plot) and Bill Mantlo (script)

Pencils by Sal Buscema

Inks by Klaus Janson

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Klaus Janson

Thor returns to Asgard for clues to Odin's disappearance. They consult Mimir to find Odin, and he reveals the pyramid in California. Mimir tells the Asgardians about the gods of Egypt. Have they finally located Odin at last? And what do the gods of Egypt have to do with it?

The first half of this issue dragged on a little, but it was still an enjoyable story. The Egyptian gods were really cool. Despite the way the story is going, they seem to be quite noble. I hope that this remains so until the end of the story. Artistically, I’ve always liked the duo of Sal Buscema and Klaus Janson. The battle between Thor and Horus was beautifully rendered. Once again, I’m eagerly awaiting the next chapter. Grade: 8.0

ALSO ON SALE THIS WEEK

Final Issue

**********

That’s it for this week. Next Week: The second half of July 1975, three 1st issues, one final issue (of the books that I’ve been reading, that is), a hero's final featured appearance before he gets his own book, a hero returns to his own book, and the final rankings and Top 5 covers. Take care, everyone!!

Last Edit: Sept 27, 2024 9:31:17 GMT -5 by Myke Gee

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