This month Marvel has published three new comics, and one of the previously non-canon comics joins the canon. The first new comic is Giant-Size Spider-Man. Despite the comic's name, it's not a giant-size version of Amazing Spider-Man, it's a giant-size version of Marvel Team-Up, as the yellow box on the cover admits. This means it's a non-canon comic.
The second new comic this month is Giant-Size Defenders. I've considered the Defenders comics to be non-canon since Steve Englehart left the series in Defenders #11, due to the way that the authors after him portray Doctor Strange.
What makes this comic embarrassing is that it's a DDD issue (Dreaded Deadline Doom). It reprints old stories, awkwardly linked by Clea casting a spell. The Silver Surfer story promised on the cover isn't included. I believe this is the only time a first issue was ever hit by the Dreaded Deadline Doom. Marvel needs to get its act together. This never happened when Stan Lee was the editor-in-chief.
The third new comic this month is Giant-Size Creatures. It was probably intended to be an ongoing series, but only one issue was published.
Giant-Size Creatures #1
Title(s): She stalks in beauty like the night
A Warrior Reborn!
Some day the world will die!
Writer: Tony Isabella
Artist: Don Perlin
Villain: Hydra
Guests: Tigra (The Cat, Greer Grant)
This comic contains a single 25-page story, split into three chapters with different titles. It features Jack Russell, the Werewolf, and Greer Grant, the Cat, who we last say in The Cat #4.
It's impossible to sync this story with the regular Werewolf By Night series, because Jack Russell is in Mexico, far away from his usual activities in Los Angeles. If I thought of this comic as a Team-Up comic, I'd designate it non-canon, but it's important as showing an important development in Greer Grant's life. Usually the Team-Up comics are just throwaway action stories, which don't donate anything to character development.
Shortly after the events of The Cat #4, Hydra agents attempted to kidnap Dr. Tumolo. They'd discovered that she's a member of the cat people, a secret not even known to Greer. Greer changed into the Cat and drove the Hydra agents away, but she was badly wounded. Dr. Tumolo took her to the lair of the cat people, an intelligent race descended from cats. Greer was given a serum mixed with mystic powers to make her change into one of the cat people.
While on holiday in Mexico, Jack Russell sees Greer Grant fleeing from Hydra agents. She changes into a feline, werewolf-ish form to battle them. The sun sets, and Jack becomes the Werewolf. He fights with the woman, until their battle is stopped by a Sonic Shatter Cone (TM) fired by Hydra. The Hydra agents carry Greer Grant away and leave the Werewolf unconscious on the beach.
Hydra wants a deadly weapon, the Final Secret (TM). The cat people used it hundreds of years ago, but it was too deadly to use again. The only way to defeat Hydra is to use this weapon against them. It's a gas that creates the black plague. In the middle ages it wiped out half of the world's population.
Greer Grant finds that she can no longer change back to a human form. She now has the form of one of the cat people permanently, and she calls herself Tigra.
But what's with this policy of dividing the stories in the Giant-Size comics into chapters? It's not like they're three times as long as the regular comics. They're only a few pages longer. It gives the comics a retro look, like the early 1960's Fantastic Four comics.
Until now, Creatures On The Loose has featured various non-canon stories, not all of them about creatures. It's just a name, after all. Now it turns to the regular stories of the astronaut John Jameson, better known as the Man-Wolf.
Creatures On The Loose #30
Title: Full Moon, Dark Fear!
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: George Tuska
Regulars: J. Jonah Jameson, Simon Stroud
J. Jonah Jameson is still hiding his son. John Jameson can't remove the moonstone pendant any more, because it was grafted onto his neck by Morbius in Giant-Size Super-Heroes #1.
A police investigator called Simon Stroud is given the task of finding the Man-Wolf. He deduces that it's John Jameson from fragments of clothing that's only issued to astronauts. He follow the Man-Wolf to the Statue of Liberty, but the Man-Wolf leaps into the water and escapes.
Man-Thing #7
Title: The old die young!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Mike Ploog
Regulars: Richard Rory, Ruth Hart
The F. A. Schist construction site is being dismantled. Because of the energy crisis, no new airport is needed, so the swamp no longer needs to be drained.
Mr. Schist confides in his scientist, Dr. Wickham, that he has a personal interest in the swamp. He believes that it contains a fountain of eternal youth.
Man-Thing is trapped in a net by Spanish soldiers. He frees himself and chases them back to a building in the swamp. When he enters, he finds a complete city built around a fountain.
Is that the fountain that Schist is searching for? Possibly.
The soldiers try to drive Man-Thing out, but he's too strong for them. A woman throws water from the fountain at him, hoping to calm him, but it burns him, so he runs back into the swamp. The swamp refreshes him, but he's still badly weakened. Schist approaches him in a boat and attempts to run him over.
Daredevil #111
Title: Sword of the Samurai!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Bob Brown
Villain: Nekra, Mandrill, Silver Samurai, Black Spectre
Regulars: Black Widow, Foggy Nelson, Candace Nelson
Guests: Shanna
That's interesting. Last month the Black Widow was featured on the cover (next to the title), this month it's Shanna. Daredevil passes seamlessly from one woman to the next. I thought Candace Nelson would be his new love interest. And what about his blind man's crush on Moon Dragon. What does he have that I don't? (No, readers, please don't make a list).
Daredevil visits Shanna at 3 am to tell her his latest discoveries about Black Spectre and Mandrill. Couldn't it have waited till morning? When he leaves he's attacked by a warrior called the Silver Samurai. Shanna arrives and saves him.
Later in the day, after a good night's sleep, Daredevil and Shanna visit Foggy Nelson in hospital. They're attacked by Silver Samurai and Black Spectre. They capture Shanna. Mandrill wants to find out why she's the only woman who can resist his mutant powers.
Daredevil defeats Silver Samurai and starts to climb up the ladder to Mandrill's flying blimp.
Captain America and the Falcon #175
Title: Before the Dawn!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Secret Empire, Moonstone, Viper, Number One
Regulars: Gabe Jones, Peggy Carter
Guests: Professor X, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Hulk (flashback), Sub-Mariner (flashback)
This story had the potential to become the second most controversial story written by Marvel (after Marvel Premiere #14), but Steve Englehart held himself back at the last moment. Or maybe he was held back by Roy Thomas and Stan Lee? After the shocking story in Marvel Premiere #14, I'm sure that everyone above him in the Marvel hierarchy was looking closely over his shoulder.
Captain America, the Falcon, Professor X, Cyclops and Marvel Girl are seemingly dead. Their bodies are carried away. Surprisingly, they wake up. The Atomic Annihilator (TM) had been set to stun by the Secret Empire member, who reveals himself to be Gabe Jones of SHIELD in disguise. Peggy Carter is also undercover.
Moonstone is at the White House to be honoured for his services as a super-hero. President Nixon is absent, supposedly at a retreat. (The Watergate crisis is mentioned in this story, a plausible explanation for his absence). A flying saucer lands on the White House lawn. A fighter emerges and demands that America surrender to the Secret Empire. Moonstone attacks him, but allows himself to be easily defeated. He's carried into the flying saucer. Then he comes out and tells everyone that the fight is hopeless, they should surrender.
Captain America arrives and defeats Moonstone. Number One flees into the White House and enters the Oval Office.
Captain America rips off Number One's hood and is shocked at who he sees. Who is it? Steve Englehart says he intended it to be President Nixon, attempting to become America's dictator, but the person's identity is left open. That would have been too politically controversial for Marvel, even in the middle of the Watergate affair.
Also, the unnamed person below Number One's mask kills himself. This would have caused a problem, because this was long before the concept of Earth-616 was invented. Captain America's adventures were taking place in our universe, Earth-1218.
Captain America walks away, totally disillusioned with the America that he's loved all his life.
This story's title is the second part of a proverb begun in last month's issue: "It's always darkest before the dawn".
Avengers #125
Title: The Power of Babel!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: John Buscema
Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Black Panther, Captain America
Villain: Thanos
Regulars: Mantis, Libra
Guests: Captain Marvel, Drax (flashback), Moon Dragon (flashback), Lou-Ann Savannah
This comic is cleverly woven around the recent Captain Marvel stories. The first three pages take place before Captain Marvel #27 and lead up to the arrival of Lou-Ann Savannah. The fourth page is a recap of Captain Marvel #27 to Captain Marvel #31. Or is it Captain Marvel #32? I'm not sure.
The Avengers battle a space armada attacking Earth. They make the aliens powerless by destroying the Universal Language Equalizer (TM) which enables the aliens to communicate with one another. After the space armada has been destroyed, Thanos says that it was only a distraction.
The Incredible Hulk #177
Title: Peril of the Plural Planet!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Man-Beast
Guests: Adam Warlock, Recorder
Bruce Banner has been captured. The New Men recognise him, but they think he's an imposter, because the famous scientist they know is currently in the desert.
In the 1970's it was common for comics to have lengthy recaps of what had happened before. This was often annoying. But just look at this two-page recap of previous events drawn by Herb Trimpe! It's an artistic masterpiece!
Bruce Banner turns back into the Hulk and escapes. He meets Adam Warlock's disciples, who take him back to Warlock, requesting his help in the coming revolution.
This is Herb Trimpe's depiction of the Last Supper. I don't think it's as good as Jim Starlin's picture in Captain Marvel #31, but it's still impressive.
In previous issues of Warlock's own magazine, it seemed like President Rex Carpenter was the Man-Beast. Here we see that they're two distinct people. Rex Carpenter and his sister are being held prisoner in the White House. The Man-Beast can control him and speak through him whenever he needs to.
The Man-Beast has a "weapon" that turns the Hulk back into Bruce Banner. That would be useful. Bruce should take it back to Earth with him. The Man-Beast captures Adam Warlock and sentences him to death, speaking though President Carpenter.
The religious symbolism is laid on really thick in the comic's last two pages. It's done very effectively. I don't like Gerry Conway's stories, as I've repeated many times, but this is excellent writing. Roy Thomas himself couldn't have done better.
Warlock dies on the cross, but he'll rise again.
Amazing Spider-Man #134
Title: Danger is a man named Tarantula!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Ross Andru
Villain: Tarantula, Juan, Hildago, Punisher
Regulars: J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Betty Brant, Liz Allan, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson, Harry Osborn
Flashbacks: Aunt May, Anna Watson, Doctor Octopus, Molten Man
Peter Parker goes on a boat trip with his friends Flash Thompson, Liz Allan and Mary Jane Watson. They want to cheer him up after Gwen Stacy's death, which he's still taking hard. The ship is hijacked by a costumed villain called Tarantula, with henchmen called Juan and Hildago. They want one million dollars ransom.
Peter Parker changes to Spider-Man, but he's short of web fluid, so he has to rush back to his apartment to get refills.
Harry Osborn sees him come in, so now he knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.
Flash Thompson also has his suspicions.
And just look at what Mary Jane is wearing. It's not a dress, it's just a long shirt. That's enough to make Peter Parker's spider-sense tingle.
Spider-Man is stronger than Tarantula, but he doesn't reckon with the poisonous stings in Tarantula's boots. He's too weak to stand. Then the Punisher arrives, and he points his gun at Spider-Man, not Tarantula. Silly me! I thought they parted as friends in Amazing Spider-Man #129.
Fantastic Four #148
Title: War on the thirty-sixth floor!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Rich Buckler
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Medusa
Villain: Wizard, Trapster, Sandman, Thundra, Sub-Mariner, Susan Richards
The Frightful Four invade the Baster Building. Actually, they're only the Frightful Three. The cover gives the impression that Thundra is still a member of the group, but she left them after the Frightful Four's battle in Fantastic Four #133. She attacked the Thing in Giant-Size Super-Stars #1, but now she steps in to protect him from the Sandman. She says that she's the only one allowed to defeat the Thing.
The Thing doesn't let himself be distracted. He yells his battle cry: It's clobbering time!
After defeating the Frightful Three with Thundra's help, Sub-Mariner and Susan Richards attack the Baxter Building as the first step in a war against the human race.
Thor #225
Title: The Coming of the Firelord!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Destroyer, Galactus, Firelord
Regulars: Krista, Odin, Sif, Hildegarde
Guests: Hercules
Thor retrieves his hammer from the Destroyer seconds before he's due to turn back into Donald Blake. The battle continues.
Somehow Hercules finds the body of Clement Holmes, the man whose soul is powering the Destroyer, How did he even know who it was? A lucky guess? Please, Gerry Conway, you should think your stories through better.
After defeating the Destroyer, Firelord comes to Earth to seek out two people, Thor and Hercules. He's the latest herald of Galactus, who was tricked into entering the Negative Zone in Fantastic Four #123.
I admit that I'm confused. Why should Galactus want to contact Thor? I hope it will be cleared up next month. Even more, why Hercules? How does Galactus even know that Hercules exists?
Gerry.....!
Tomb of Dracula #22
Title: In death we join!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Gorna
Regulars: Quincy Harker, Rachel Van Helsing, Frank Drake
Kills: Two men, one woman (total 31)
Embraces: None (total 8)
This story takes place in a village called Kamenka, There are several places with this name in Russia, Ukraine and other eastern European countries, but I assume it's meant to be a fictional village in Transylvania.
While Gorna Storski was alive he was a jealous husband, always suspecting his wife of seeing other men. Now he's undead after being bitten by an unnamed vampire, and he wants his wife to become a vampire as well.
Dracula meets Gorna in a cemetery, and Gorna refuses to obey him. Dracula chases Gorna, who can fly faster than him. Gorna attacks his wife again, but her parents drive him away with a burning stake. Dracula catches and kills him.
This is an interesting little story. I suspect it's a filler story before something bigger happens.
Werewolf by Night #19
Title: Vampires on the Moon!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Don Perlin
Villain: Louis Belski, Liza Pyne
Regulars: Raymond Coker
Raymond Coker approaches Jack Russell and tells him that he now knows they're both werewolves. Raymond is a different type; he retains his intelligence and can talk. Raymond doesn't trust Jack.
Night falls while Jack Russell is in the film studio investigating a chest of mystic artefacts. He turns into the Werewolf. He's attacked by two young vampires, Louis Belski and Liza Pyne. Raymond comes to his aid. Together they manage to stake the vampires.
At dawn Jack and Raymond find a book in the chest. It says that the only way for a werewolf to cure himself is to kill another werewolf beneath the full moon.
The Frankenstein Monster #11
Title: And in the end?
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Bob Brown
Villain: Vincent Frankenstein, Ivan
The Frankenstein Monster's adventures in the 19th Century (1890) continue.
Vincent Frankenstein wants to implant Ivan's brain into the Monster's head. Ivan protests, because he considers the Monster his friend and doesn't want him to die.
Vincent has to leave, because his wife is sick. While he's gone, Ivan cuts the Monster free, but when the Monster wakes up and sees the knife in Ivan's hand he misunderstands his intentions. The two fight. When Vincent returns, he sees the fight and shoots Ivan in the back. The Monster lunges at Vincent, so he shoots him too.
The maid returns to tell Vincent his wife has died. She blames him for her death, so she shoots him. The Monster recovers and leaves. We find out that Vimcent's wife died in childbirth, and the maid will raise him without anyone knowing that he's a Frankenstein.
Captain Marvel #33
Title: The God Himself!
Writer: Jim Starlin, Steve Englehart
Artist: Jim Starlin
Villain: Thanos, Death
Regulars: Rick Jones, Lou-Ann Savannah, Drax, Mentor
Guests: Moondragon (Moon Dragon), Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther, Thor, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Mantis
Yet again, Jim Starlin wins the Comic Of The Month award. I find it curious that Steve Englehart wrote the script, after Jim Starlin did everything else. Were there complaints about his dialogue?
Thanos easily defeats Captain Marvel. This battle takes place at the same time as pages 5 to 18 of this month's Avengers #125. After the battle Thanos places the Avengers slightly out of phase with Earth, where they can't reach him. Only Mantis is able to communicate with Captain Marvel, because she has complete control of her body. I feel tempted to make a sexual remark, but I'll refrain.
After talking to Mantis, Captain Marvel suspects that the discarded Cosmic Cube might be the key to defeating Thanos. He smashes the Cube, and Thanos' power disappears.
This is the first comic in which Moondragon's name is spelt as one word. From now on it's the standard spelling.
Sub-Mariner #71
Title: Comes the Piranha!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Piranha
Note that the word Piranha is spelt correctly on the cover, but wrong on the splash page. Charlotte Jetter slipped up. In the rest of the comic the the word is spelt alternately correctly and wrong. She's lucky that Stan Lee doesn't make fun of the letterers any more.
Sub-Mariner defeats the Piranha and finds the vial he needs to heal his people.
Normally I don't consider a story non-canon just because it's bad, but the Sub-Mariner stories are so abysmal that I feel ashamed of them. If I had to name a watermark I'd say it's Sub-Mariner #61. The series started to fall apart when Steve Gerber took over as writer. As much as I enjoy his other comics, I have to say that he had no feeling for the character or the series. Marv Wolfman took over in Sub-Mariner #70, but it was too late to put the mess right. All the major plotlines, such as the new race of amphibians, the destruction of Atlantis, the suspended animation of the Atlanteans and Namor's new inability to breathe out of water are depressing. I feel tempted to end Sub-Mariner's canon with Sub-Mariner #60. I still haven't decided.
Ka-Zar #4
Title: Into the Shadows of Chaos!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Maa-Gor, El Tigre
Regulars: Bobbi Morse
Guests: Nick Fury
Maa-Gor's powers have become so strong that he now calls himself Man-God. He can speak to everyone on Earth simultaneously. He leaves Ka-Zar with El Tigre, but El Tigre isn't strong enough or experienced enough to keep Ka-Zar captive.
Maa-Gor brings his tripe of Man-Apes back from the dead to attack K-Zar.
This is another soulless story from Mike Friedrich. I've never considered him a very good writer. His work on Iron Man is acceptable, but Ka-Zar's stories are aimless. The best thing about this comic is the terrific cover by Frank Brunner. He wasn't a very prolific artist, but whatever he did was first class.
Marvel Spotlight #16
Title: 4000 Holes in Forest Park!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Jim Mooney
Villain: Kometes
Regulars: Katherine Reynolds
Marvel Spotlight is continuing with the insanity that Steve Gerber has already brought to Man-Thing. 4000 holes spontaneously appear in a park in St. Louis, Missouri. This attracts crazy people, cultists and conspiracy theorists, from all over the country. Daimon Hellstrom goes to investigate. A fire demon called Kometes appears from the holes. This demon last appeared on Earth the day before Atlantis sank into the sea, so it means a new cataclysm is imminent. Daimon returns in time to speak to the priestess Zhered-Na, the only person who has ever dealt with Kometes.
Marvel Premiere #16
Title: Heart of the Dragon!
Writer: Len Wein
Artist: Larry Hama
Villain: Scythe
Interesting... I've never seen a new artist introduced as enthusiastically as Larry Hama. He was still a beginner at the time, only 24 years old, but he's praised as if he were an industry veteran. His artwork is good, but nothing outstanding. He's no Frank Brunner.
This story is better than the first issue. It borrows a lot from the Kung Fu TV series, but I don't say that as a criticism. It's done well. We're told the story of Danny Rand's training in martial arts. After his training was complete, he was given the choice between returning to the outside world and eternal life in K'Un-Lun. I would have chosen option B, but after all this time he still wants revenge on Harold Meachum, the man who killed his parents. "Revenge is a weapon that cuts two ways and cuts deep". His years of training weren't enough for him to accept these words from his teacher.
Danny Rand goes to New York as Iron Fist to find Meachum. Various thugs and a fighter called Scythe have been hired by Meachum to kill him. How did Meachum know he was coming? Let's hope this question is answered next issue.
Jungle Action #10
Title: King Cadaver is dead and living in Wakanda!
Writer: Don McGregor
Artist: Billy Graham
Villain: Baron Macabre, King Cadaver
Regulars: Monica Lynne
There's something very special about this series. It's different to anything else Marvel is publishing at the moment. It's also different to the portrayal of Black Panther in the past, whether it was his origins in the Fantastic Four comics or his membership of the Avengers. Don McGregor has managed to write a truly African comic. In previous comics Wakanda seemed to be a western country with a bit of African culture in the background. In Jungle Action Wakanda is an African nation through and through. The advanced technology is present, but it's kept in the background to keep the nation looking African.
The stories are excellent, and the arrival of Billy Graham is a welcome surprise. Rich Buckler drew excellent art for the comic, and I didn't think it could be bettered, but Billy Graham has proved me wrong. I enjoyed his artwork for Luke Cage, but in Jungle Action he's risen to a new level. Just look at the splash page above and the two-page drawing below.
Black Panther is searching for proof that his lover Monica Lynne has been framed for murder. This brings him into contact with Baron Thunder and King Cadaver, who are working for Killmonger. I have to say, I like the way Killmonger is being hidden behind the scenes for issue after issue. The suspense is slowly building up. These are some of the best comics ever written by Marvel. Thank you, Don McGregor.
Non-canon comics published this month:
Savage Tales #5 (Roy Thomas, Jim Starlin)
Dracula Lives #7 (Gerry Conway, Vincente Alcazar)
Tales of the Zombie #6 (Steve Gerber, Pablo Marcos)
Haunt of Horror #2 (Doug Moench, Billy Graham)
Defenders #14 (Len Wein, Sal Buscema)
Marvel Team-Up #23 (Len Wein, Gil Kane)
Marvel Two-In-One #4 (Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema)
Giant-Size Spider-Man #1 (Len Wein, Ross Andru)
Giant-Size Defenders (DDD)
Conan the Barbarian #40 (Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #120 (Larry Lieber, Dick Ayers)
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