Marvel's growth knows no end. After publishing 18 new comics last year, the new year begins with yet another new comic, The Monster of Frankenstein. This is in line with Marvel's strategy to publish comics about the monsters of the films made by Universal Studios earlier in the 20th Century: Dracula, the Werewolf, Frankenstein's Monster and the Mummy. The last of these four characters will appear later this year.
There's a subtle change in Marvel's comics this month. In most of this month's comics the colourist is named, which was never done before. The colourist is picked at the last minute before the comic is sent to the publisher, after the inker and the letterer have finished their work.
The Monster of Frankenstein #1
Title: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Mike Ploog
The story takes place in 1898, a hundred years after the events in the novel written by Mary Shelley. Robert Walton IV sails to the Arctic to search for the monster that his great-grandfather accidentally discovered in the previous century. He finds the monster frozen in an ice block which he takes on board.
In a flashback Captain Walton tells a young sailor the events of the novel.
The Incredible Hulk #159
Title: Two Years before the Abomination
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Leader, Rhyno, Abomination
Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot
Let's go back in time and talk about my history as a comic book reader. As a young child my father bought me DC and Marvel comics. Originally he picked them himself and brought them home to me. As I grew older I realised I preferred Marvel, so I went with him to Aldridge Shopping Centre and told him which ones I wanted. In the mid-1960's, 1966, I think, I received pocket money which I could spend independently. I bought quite a lot of comics, but I had to buy them from newsagents, where the supply was erratic. For instance, Captain America comics weren't sold anywhere. I knew they existed, but I never saw them.
While I was in the sixth form (1972 to 1974) I had less interest in comics. I bought hardly any Marvel comics, only a few sporadic issues. When I began university in 1974 my love for comics was rekindled. I discovered a science fiction book shop in Birmingham, Andromeda, that sold a large selection of comics. Soon I was buying almost all of Marvel's comics every month, but not quite all. There still wasn't any Captain America. Apart from that, there were occasional hiccups. Andromeda reserved comics for me, but sometimes the nice sales guy called David said, "Sorry, not all the comics arrived this month", so there were holes in my collection.
In 1977 Birmingham's first comic shop, Nostalgia, opened. Their first store was in a subway that's since been bricked up. I had to walk past it to get to Andromeda, so I discovered it within a few days of it opening. Unlike Andromeda, which only sold new comics, Nostalgia had boxes with old comics, so I started filling the holes in my collection. I didn't like the boss of Nostalgia much. One small anecdote: there were two copies of Giant Size X-Men #1 in the old comics box for 50 pence each (about 40 cents). That might not seem much today, but at the time comics only cost 10 pence (8 cents, much less than the American cover price). I eyed the comics for a few days. Finally I decided to buy a copy. As I was looking at the comics, another customer saw them and bought a copy. I took the other copy, laid it down, and the boss changed the price tag to 75 pence in front of me. "Why did you do that?" I asked. "It's the last copy", he replied, "but you don't have to buy it". I gritted my teeth and paid the 75 pence.
I remained faithful to Andromeda, buying my new comics from Andromeda and only old comics from Nostalgia. A few months later, early 1978, Andromeda said they were going to stop selling comics because they couldn't compete with Nostalgia. I might not have liked Nostalgia's boss – even the employee, another man called Dave, complained that he was just in it for the money, not because he cared about comics – but they were more reliable, and I could buy whatever I wanted. Even Captain America!
But it didn't last. In August 1978 I emigrated to Germany. I couldn't find Marvel comics anywhere. It wasn't until 10 years later that I found a comics shop in Bad Cannstatt, Verleihnix. It was out of my way, an hour for me to reach, so I didn't shop there often. The shop's owner was a nice guy, a long-haired freak, who kept giving me free comics to persuade me to shop more often. A year later I found a small shop, Comics Pur, close to the Stuttgart city centre. The owner didn't give me any free comics, but the shop was more convenient, so it became my only store. I bought comics for a few more years, but then it withered away, because I realised Marvel's quality was rapidly deteriorating.
That's a big off-topic rant, but it's relevant in one respect. It explains to my readers why I'm well acquainted with most of the comics I write about, but some are new to me. The earlier Captain America comics are all new to me. Most of the comics from 1972 to 1973 are new to me. This issue of Incredible Hulk is new to me. I never knew that Steve Englehart wrote the Hulk. Seeing his name in the Credits box surprised me.
Now to the story itself. Bruce Banner steers the Leader's spaceship back to the Earth from Counter-Earth, evading missiles fired by General Ross.
A missile explodes on the ground, waking the Abomination, who's been lying buried by rocks in a coma since Incredible Hulk #139. Still weak after his two-year sleep, he's captured by General Ross's soldiers, who think he's the Hulk. General Ross frees him as long as he captures the Hulk.
The Hulk wins the battle and searches for Betty Ross after hearing that she's on her honeymoon in Niagara Falls.
This is a good story. I'm never disappointed by Steve Englehart.
The colourist is George Roussos. I shan't name the colourists in every comic, apart from this month, because it's something new.
Captain America and the Falcon #157
Title: Veni, Vidi, Vici, Viper!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Viper, Morgan
Regulars: Sharon Carter, Sgt. Muldoon, Leila Taylor
Captain America returns to New York, invited by the police commissioner. He's asked to investigate someone called the Cowled Commander, who has informants high in the police force. The police station is destroyed by an explosion, and Captain America is believed dead.
The Falcon hears about Captain America's death while visiting the crime lord Morgan. When he visits the scene he meets a villain who used to work in advertising, called the Viper. He poisons the Falcon and leaves him to die.
Look at this very high brow racial slur. Instead of using the N word, the Viper refers to the Falcon's "demographic segment".
Captain America arrives, who survived the blast by being protected by his shield. He defeats the Viper and bargains for an antidote if he lets him go free. The Viper is a man of his word, and he hands over the antidote, but when Captain America turns his back he poisons him as well.
The colourist is Petra Goldberg.
Hero For Hire #5
Title: Don't mess with Black Mariah!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Black Mariah
Regulars: David Griffith
And the new writer for Hero For Hire is... drum roll... Steve Englehart. Wow! It doesn't get any better than this. According to information on the letters page, when Archie Goodwin decided to give up the series he asked for Steve Englehart to succeed him, and his wish was granted. That shows that Stainless Steel Steve was getting a reputation in the Marvel Bullpen.
The letters page also states that George Tuska and Billy Graham will be alternating their teamwork in future issues. One month George Tuska will draw and Billy Graham will ink, the next month Billy Graham will draw and George Tuska will ink. That's an unusual strategy, but if it works, why not?
Frank Jenks, a potential client rings Luke Cage and asks to meet him in Gem Theatre on Times Square. Luke arrives just in time to see Frank being murdered.
A fake ambulance comes and collects Frank's body before his wife arrives. It's a racket run by a big woman called Black Mariah. Bodies are collected to steal the corpse's possessions. Luke Cage tracks down the gang and retrieves the body.
Frank Jenks' widow is impressed by Luke Cage's physique, especially the recently permitted nipples. Okay, I admit it, I changed the text in her speech bubble, but it matches her facial expression better than the innocent text that I removed.
The colourist is Mimi Gold.
Avengers #107
Title: The Master Plan of the Space Phantom!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Jim Starlin
Avengers: Captain America, Vision, Black Panther, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch
Villain: Madame Hydra (flashback), Loki (flashback), Space Phantom, Grim Reaper
Guests: Rick Jones(flashback), Jane Foster (flashback)
Jim Starlin is named as the primary artist after doing "additional pencils" for Iron Man #53 last month. In my opinion, he was one of Marvel's best artists, alongside the other Jim, Jim Steranko. As a writer he was erratic, alternating between brilliant stories and curiously bad stories, but his artwork was always first class. My suspicion is that he wrote fantastic stories when he was allowed to do what he wanted, but when his bosses at Marvel told him what to do, the results were poor.
Interestingly, Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin became close friends, a bond much closer than mere work colleagues.
The Space Phantom and the Grim Reaper are partners, but not in full agreement with one another. The Space Phantom wants to kill all the Avengers, but the Grim Reaper wants to spare the Vision.
There's another flashback to a battle against Hydra forgotten by Captain America. This flashback stands out, because it's drawn by a different artist, George Tuska. These are also scenes that took place during Captain America #113. He remembers unmasking the new Supreme Hydra after the death of Madame Hydra, but we don't see his face.
The Vision visits the Grim Reaper to discuss his offer to be given his body back. The Grim Reaper tells him it's a lie, there is no body, but there's an alternative. He relates a mind-bending story that's been taking place behind the scenes for years. I'll publish the three pages here in case I miss anything.
The Space Phantom was lost in limbo after Avengers #2, but Loki freed him during the events of Journey Into Mystery #108. In Captain America #113 The Space Phantom assumed the body of Madame Hydra, so she didn't really die in that issue. And No, nobody guessed it was on page 14, panel 6, not even Jim Steranko when he was writing the story!
The Space Phantom became the new Supreme Hydra, and was unmasked by Captain America.
But the Space Phantom removed Captain America's memories of the events. And now comes another twist (which I admit I don't fully understand, despite reading the page several times). Captain America had faked the death of Steve Rogers in Captain America #111, to pretend that Captain America was someone else, but in Captain America #139 Steve Rogers became a New York policeman, not thinking that his name and appearance would be suspicious. I considered this a mistake by Stan Lee at the time, and probably it was, but now Steve Englehart solves the problems by telling us that the Space Phantom's machines made the whole world forget that Steve Rogers was Captain America. Those are some way out machines, but I'll accept anything that corrects Stan Lee's mistakes!
And Captain America becomes Steve Rogers again.
Now the Grim Reaper offers the Vision Captain America's body to become human. After some hesitation, the Vision agrees.
The colourist is Glynis Wein.
Fantastic Four #130
Title: Battleground: The Baxter Building!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: John Buscema
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Susan Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm
Villain: Frightful Four (Wizard, Trapster, Sandman, Thundra)
Regulars: Franklin Richards, Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Crystal
Roy Thomas is a great writer. His stories for the Avengers were first rate, but I find his stories for the Fantastic Four even better. I remember when reading them in the 1970's. So many of his stories ended on a cliffhanger, and I was desperate to know what would happen next.
In the Great Refuge Black Bolt refuses to let the Human Torch see Crystal, who is living in a high tower. He fights his way past them.
It's interesting that Crystal is still wearing her Fantastic Four costume, despite having left the group in Fantastic Four #95. Is it nostalgia? Or doesn't she have anything else to wear?
The Frightful Four go to the Baxter Building to capture Reed Richards, who's working by himself. They carry the unconscious Thing with them. They defeat Reed Richards easily.
Susan Richards arrives with Franklin on her arm. She is also defeated.
This is the first time that it's revealed Franklin Richards has super-powers. He telepathically awakens the Thing.
Yes, we know, it's clobbering time!
Reed and Susan Richards are also freed, and the Frightful Four flees. Susan is insulted because Reed has repeatedly asked her to leave the others to fight without her.
And Susan leaves. The marriage and the team break up. Johnny Storm left last issue, so now there are only two left.
The colourist is Petra Goldberg.
Amazing Adventures #16
Title: Murder in Mid-Air!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Bob Brown
Villain: Juggernaut
Regulars: Vera
Guests: Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway, Len Wein, Glynis Wein, Roy Thomas, Jeanie Thomas
This is the last issue of Amazing Adventures that I shall review. The next issue is a reprint of the Beast's origin from X-Men #49 to X-Men #53. The rest of the series will contain non-canon science fiction stories.
This is the first comic that Bob Brown has drawn for Marvel since 1956, after spending years working for DC Comics. Now that he's returned to Marvel he will draw many comics, notably a long run of Daredevil comics.
Look who's in the car that the Beast stopped: Steve Englehart is driving his friends Gerry Conway, Len Wein and Glynis Wein from the annual Halloween parade in Rutland, Vermont to Tom Fagan's house for a private party.
The Beast changes into his civilian identity, Hank McCoy, and visits Tom Fagan's party. Roy and Jeanie Thomas are already present.
The Juggernaut, who we last saw in Doctor Strange #182, keeps falling out of the Crimson Cosmos of Cyttorak into Rutland and being drawn back. He feels that it's his destiny to battle the Beast. The Beast pulls his helmet off, and he begins to age fast. He returns to the Crimson Cosmos, the only place he can stay young.
The colourist is Glynis Wein.
Thor #207
Title: Firesword!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Loki, Absorbing Man
Regulars: Sif, Hildegarde, Karnilla
Guests: Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway, Len Wein, Glynis Wein
This story takes place in Rutland, Vermont on the day of the annual Halloween parade. On the splash page we see the guests of honour, Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway, Len Wein and Glynis Wein.
This story is cleverly intertwined with this month's Amazing Adventures #16. The opening scenes take place before Amazing Adventures #16. The main battle with the Absorbing Man takes place somewhere between pages 6 and 15 of Amazing Adventures #15.
Thor defeats the Absorbing Man by throwing him into the water, where he himself is turned into water. Then he has to face Loki, who has transformed Tom Fagan's dogs, Satan and Diablo, into hellbeasts. Thor has spent days without sleep, so he has trouble fighting against Loki.
Karnilla the Norn Queen offers her help to Sif if she will help her find Balder. She agrees, and Karnilla turns the elements against her former ally Loki. Loki is blinded by a lightning strike.
Here's a scene which is shown in both comics from different angles. On page 21 Steve Englehart's car is being stolen.
On page 18 of Amazing Adventures #16 we see that the thief is the Juggernaut.
The colourist is Glynis Wein.
Amazing Spider-Man #116
This is a mess. It's a coloured reprint of Spectacular Spider-Man #1 with various minor changes, because Captain Stacy is now dead.
Unfortunately, Gerry Conway forgot that the mayor candidate Richard Raleigh is also dead. He was killed in Daredevil #42.
Who authorised this junk? It wins my vote for the worst Marvel comic ever. The story will continue for another two issues. Ugh! It's a disgrace that Stan Lee's name has been left in the Credits box.
Strictly non-canon, on the basis that it's a reprint.
Daredevil and the Black Widow #95
Title: Bullfight on the Bay!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Man-Bull, Itch
Regulars: Ivan
The Man-Bull, who was defeated by Daredevil in Daredevil #79, wants revenge. He escapes from prison with the help of a sharpshooter colleague called Itch and travels to San Francisco. First he attacks the Black Widow. Ivan tries to defend her, and he's badly injured.
Daredevil challenges Man-Bull to a fight. During the fight he's shot by Itch and collapses.
On page 4 Gerry Conway apologises about a mistake with the Coit Tower. It took me half an hour of puzzling to figure out what he's apologising for.
This is the mistake, a panel on page 8 of Daredevil #87. The building looks nothing like the Coit Tower in Daredevil #95.
And this is the real Coit Tower. Gene Colan has drawn it correctly in the latest issue. Apart from the shape of the building itself, it isn't part of another building, as it was drawn in Daredevil #87.
However, it's the highest building in the park, so what is Daredevil swinging on in this month's drawing?
Iron Man #54
Title: Sub-Mariner: Target for Death!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Madame MacEvil
Guests: Sub-Mariner
Iron Man's suit is taken under control by a bald woman with a sexy costume and a stupid name who likes to argue with her computer: Madame MacEvil. Mike Friedrich needs to take lessons in naming villains. Stan Lee's villains may have had corny names, but they were never that stupid.
Iron Man is forced to fight Sub-Mariner against his will. Madame MacEvil wants him to capture Sub-Mariner for her, but he breaks free of her control by blasting and almost destroying her ship.
Yes, she looks hot, but she really needs a new name.
Sub-Mariner #57
Title: In the Lap of the Gods!
Writer: Bill Everett
Artist: Bill Everett
Villain: Ares
Regulars: Betty Prentiss, Namorita
Bill Everett returns! Once more he writes a story that's more in the style of the 1950's than the 1970's.
Sub-Mariner rescues a woman from the sea. Her name is Vicki Starr, a university professor. She shows no thanks for her rescue.
It turns out that she's the Goddess Venus, who was a character in comics written by Stan Lee and Bill Everett in the 1940's. She's being attacked by the God Ares. Is this the same Ares that we've seen in various comics already, most recently in Avengers #100? Probably, but he looks very different to the way he's been drawn by other artists.
Ares is the God of War while Venus is the Goddess of Love, which makes them natural enemies. He is trying to start wars on Earth. Venus can only stop him by making him fall in love with her. Sub-Mariner helps her to subdue him, so she can use her divine powers on him.
I enjoy Bill Everett's comics greatly, even if they have a different style to everything else being written at Marvel in the 1970's.
In this comic it's revealed that Namorita is 18 years old. Really? I still think she acts like a ditzy 14-year-old.
The Cat #2
Title: The Owl and the Pussycat!
Writer: Linda Fite
Artist: Marie Severin
Villain: Owl
Dr. Tumolo is lying comatose in hospital. The Owl, who we last saw in Daredevil #81, sends men to steal her body. He has a machine which takes a person's intelligence out of his brain and stores it until it can be fed into someone else's mind. He wants to become the most brilliant man on Earth.
The Cat defeats the Owl, but it's too late to prevent Dr. Tumolo's mind being drained. The Owl escapes.
Linda Fite proves her inexperience as a writer. In this 21-page comic, the recap of last issue's events lasts FIVE pages. That's ridiculous! A good recap lasts one page at most.
The colourist is Marie Severin.
Night Nurse #2
Title: Night of tears, night of truth!
Writer: Jean Thomas
Artist: Winslow Mortimer
Regulars: Christine Palmer, Georgia Jenkins
While Linda Carter is walking home from hospital, she sees a woman being knocked over by a hit-and-run driver. She gives her first aid, then accompanies her in the ambulance back to the hospital. Her friend Christine Palmer is on night duty.
Christine assists in the operation performed by the private consultant, Dr. Bill Sutton. Dr. Sutton is impressed by Christine's performance, so he asks her to become his regular operating assistant. As the days go by a romance develops.
Christine notices that Dr. Sutton drinks too much, even on days before he has to go into hospital. At first she covers for him, but she begins to have a bad conscience.
Linda discovers that Dr. Sutton was the hit-and-run driver in the accident.
In a second operation the girl dies die to bungling by Dr. Sutton. Christine testifies against him.
This is a simple story, but it's very well written.
Captain Marvel #24
Title: Death in high places!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Wayne Boring
Villain: Dr. Mynde, Madame Synn
Regulars: Rick Jones, Lou-Ann Savannah
A mad genius called Dr. Leonard Mynde wants to conquer the world by stealing the weapons arsenal hidden beneath the Pentagon. To do this he captures Rick Jones. He needs Rick to use his Avengers ID to get him into the Pentagon.
Dr. Mynde already knows about Captain Marvel, but this doesn't make him more cautious. In fact, he's looking forward to testing his strength against Captain Marvel.
Silly man.
The Captain Marvel series is still struggling to find its way. It'll get better.
The colourist is George Roussos.
Marvel Feature #7
Title: Paranoia is the Para-Man!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Craig Russell
Villain: Para-Man, Boswell
Regulars: Wasp
This is a strange story. It's not up to Mike Friedrich's usual quality.
A scientist called Boswell builds a robot. The robot is intelligent and makes Boswell his slave. He sends Boswell into the garden to catch some insects. Boswell catches Ant-Man and the Wasp, not recognising that they're tiny humans. Stupid man!
The robot, who calls himself Para-Man, is just as lacking in intelligence. He too doesn't recognise that the two small creatures are humans. Ant-Man escapes and creates an explosion to blow up the house. Only Para-Man's head survives. Boswell takes it, swearing to build a new body for Para-Man.
These are two silly villains that I never want to see again.
Chemicals that spray in the explosion cause Janet Van Dyne to mutate into a wasp. I have a horrible feeling the next issue will be just as bad as this one.
Marvel Premiere #6
Title: The Shambler from the Sea!
Writer: Gardner Fox
Artist: Frank Brunner
Villain: Sligguth, N'Gabthoth
Regulars: Ancient One, Wong, Clea
Doctor Strange is unable to defend himself against Ebora, until the Ancient One gives him strength again. Ebora summons a sea monster called N'Gabthoth to continue the attack.
Wong and Clea arrive in Starksboro and are also captured to be offered as sacrifices.
After defeating N'Gabthoth, Doctor Strange frees his friends. He finds a map that leads to Stonehenge.
The story is lacklustre, but it's outstanding because of the arrival of Frank Brunner at Marvel. He only drew a few comics for Marvel, mostly Doctor Strange, but they were all excellent.
Tomb of Dracula #6
Title: The Moorlands Monster!
Writer: Gardner Fox
Artist: Gene Colan
Regulars: Frank Drake, Rachel Van Helsing, Taj
Kills: One man, one woman (total 11)
Embraces: None (total 3)
Dracula and Lenore emerge from a black mirror in an English moor. Frank Drake, Rachel Van Helsing and Taj return to London through their original black mirror. They locate Dracula by reports of dead bodies on the moors.
There is a monster on the moors, Randolph Dering, the son of Lord and Lady Dering. A hereditary illness causes malformation in sporadic generations.
Frank Drake fires a stake made of white thorn wood at Dracula, which would kill him forever, but he throws his lover Lenore in front of him, and she dies in his place.
Dracula ambushes Frank, Rachel and Taj and throws them in a well. The well is sealed, but the moorlands monster frees them.
Werewolf by Night #3
Title: The Mystery of the Mad Monk!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Mike Ploog
Villain: Aelfric, Dragonus
Regulars: Lissa Russell, Philipp Russell, Buck Cowan
Father Ramon Joquez has been assigned the task of translating the Darkhold. When he finally completes the task he rings Jack Russell, but before the phone ends he's possessed by the spirit of a monk called Aelfric.
Aelfric was burnt at the stake in 1149 because he served Satan. He promised he would return one day. He left behind him scrolls with mystic spells he had learnt from Satan. For the next 800 years, everyone who took the scrolls suffered a violent death, and they were passed to the next person. Finally, Jack Russell's father took possession of the scrolls and bound them into a book: the Darkhold. While reading the book he turned into a werewolf for the first time.
The connection with the werewolf strengthened Aelfric's disembodied spirit, but he had to wait another 35 years until he was finally able to possess the body of the book's next owner, Father Joquez. Now he intends to unleash a plague upon the Earth, the Grey Death.
Jack Russell turns into the Werewolf on the first night of the full moon, but Aelfric overcomes him. The Werewolf escapes. Aelfric summons an undead warrior called Dragonus to defeat him. During the fight Dragonus falls on Aelfric and kills him.
The colourist is Stan Goldberg.
Non-canon comics published this month:
Amazing Spider-Man #116 (Gerry Conway, John Romita)
Marvel Team-Up #6 (Gerry Conway, Gil Kane)
Conan the Barbarian #22 (Roy Thomas, Barry Smith)
Kull the Conqueror #6 (Gerry Conway, Marie Severin)
My Love #21 (Stan Lee, Gene Colan)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #106 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Red Wolf #5 (Gardner Fox, Syd Shores)
Creatures on the Loose #21 (George Effinger, Gray Morrow)
Chamber of Chills #2 (Gardner Fox, Frank Brunner)
Spoof #3 (Stu Schwartzberg, Stu Schwartzberg)
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