Karen: That's right kids, it's time to celebrate our illogical love of being scared. What is it about having your heart pounding and the hairs raising up on the back of your neck that somehow fulfills some twisted need?
Karen: Well, who cares! Let's start our Halloween off right with some clips from some great scary films.
Karen: If you have the time, here's part one of an excellent documentary on the Universal horror films:
The Frankenstein Monster#6 (Oct. 1973) "In Search of the Last Frankenstein!" Writer: Gary Friedrich Plot and art: Mike Ploog
Karen: Marvel was monster-crazy in the early 70s, and Mike Ploog was the undisputed king of monster artists at the time. His work on Werewolf By Night, Ghost Rider, and Man-Thing was perfectly suited to those books. But today we're going to look at his work on another interesting, if short-lived monster book, The Frankenstein Monster. This would be Ploog's last issue of the title, but he goes out with a bang. His layouts and panel design are innovative and fresh. Of course, it goes without saying that he manages to give the story an appropriate mood and feel -much like a classic Universal film.
Karen: The Monster is seeking out the last of the Frankensteins and returns to his creator's birthplace, Ingolstadt. Before he reaches the dilapidated ancestral castle, he comes across a young lieutenant from the village. The soldier is investigating some missing prisoners and suspects they might be in the castle. Although the Monster means the man no harm, he finds himself attacked and fights back. The soldier is knocked unconscious and the Monster enters the castle.
Karen: For those of you who haven't read any issues from this series, it should be mentioned that the Monster here is not the dull brute of popular culture but a thoughtful and articulate being, more in line with the novel. Karen: Inside the castle, the Monster finds nothing but ruins. He's about to give up when he hears a sound and spies a group of strange men marching along a dark corridor. The men are deformed and frightening -he concludes that they must be the work of a Frankenstein. They carry a bound man, whom they drop in a pit. Suddenly a man in a uniform with a visored helmet shows up, barking orders. The Monster decides to confront him, convinced he must be his creator's descendant. The masked man sics his servants on the Monster, and despite his strength, their sheer numbers bring him down. Just before he blacks out, he falls to the edge of the pit- and sees a gigantic spider! Ploog's art here is very strong; he gives the Monster an expressive if horrific face, and the twisted men are creepy as heck. One nit-pick: the spider has 6 legs! I suppose it could be a mutant... Karen: The Monster awakens, chained to a wall in the cellar. His captor tells him that he too will become a mindless servant; the spider feeds on men's souls, leaving them husks of men with no wills of their own. The man leaves and the Monster struggles with his chains. Ploog does a great job conveying the Monster's power as he struggles against his restraints. He manages to pull loose one of the stones he is chained to, but when he does, a stream of water squirts through a crack! The Monster is stuck to wonder whether he should risk flooding the cellar with water or waiting until the man returns to take him back to the pit. As he ponders this, the young lieutenant he faced at the beginning of our story arrives on the scene. None too bright, he accuses the chained monster of killing the missing prisoners. The Monster tells him about his captor and the spider in the pit. The soldier sees the spider but refuses to believe a Frankenstein is responsible. "Jason Frankenstein left here more than 20 years ago!"
Karen: Right at that moment the mysterious masked man re-appears with his mob of soulless men. He is quickly revealed to be the colonel in charge of the prison. The colonel and the lieutenant engage in a sword fight while the Monster strains to break his chains. As water begins pouring into the chamber, the spider crawls out of its pit and comes towards the two men. The colonel, completely insane, believes he can control it. The young soldier implores him to leave with him but he ignores him. The Monster urges the young man out, telling him he will take care of the spider, even if it costs him his life. With that he makes a terrific effort -it reminded me somewhat of Spider-Man's struggle to raise the giant piece of machinery that pinned him in Amazing Spider-Man #33- and the wall comes tearing apart, with a huge wave of water instantly filling the room. Ploog's depiction of the water and underwater scenes are masterful -I would have liked to see what his Sub-Mariner would have looked like! Karen: The colonel is carried down by the weight of his helmet and drowns. But the spider survives and grabs the Monster, squeezing him and carrying him back under. After several panels the Monster manages to break free of the arachnid's clutches and he wraps his chains about it, choking off its oxygen supply. But all is not peachy for the Monster -he needs air and he needs it fast. Things are looking grim -can a dead man die again? - when suddenly the chamber explodes in a great water spout that hurls the Monster up and out. Now free of the castle, the Monster looks back and wonders where he will find the last Frankenstein.
Karen: This was a really solid, done in one story. The search for the last Frankenstein was on-going of course, but you didn't need to know what came before to enjoy this book -which is good, because I don't have issues 1-5! I know many might argue that Gene Colan was Marvel's premiere horror artist, and while I respect his work on Tomb of Dracula, he really didn't handle any of the other horror books. Ploog did nearly all of them at one time or another and his work always has the proper tone and atmosphere -there's an eeriness to his art that can't be matched. Just look at some of these characters when handled by others -obviously, Don Perlin on Werewolf comes instantly to mind. There's simply no comparison. So here's to Mike Ploog, monster artist supreme!
Batman #237 (December 1971) "Night of the Reaper!" Denny O'Neil-Neal Adams/Dick Giordano
Doug: Welcome back to our third annual trip to those Halloween days of yore, as celebrated in Rutland, Vermont. The early 1970's were filled with stories about the legendary Halloween parties and parades hosted by Tom Fagan. So far we've visited this town with the Defenders, and twice with the Avengers. Today we drop in on the Dark Knight Detective and his young ward, Robin. As you see from the creator credits, this was produced by the Hall of Fame crew that revitalized the Batman in the post-TV show days. A note to our readers -- while at one time I had this book, I'll be reading and scanning from Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams, volume 3. You'll notice that the images have been recolored, an act that Adams insisted on when these hardcovers were pitched to him.
Doug: We open with a quite-ominous splash page -- the Batman, staked through the heart to a tree! In the background, a darkened manse on a hill, and a sense of a windy chill in the air. Cue the next page, and elsewhere on this night the Halloween parade through Rutland, Vermont is taking place, and Dick Grayson and some college friends are there to see it. One of the fellows seems to be tripping on the lights and sounds. As the boys make their way along, eventually deciding to head to a party, they come upon a mugging in progress. As they approach, they see a group of thugs beating a youth in a Robin costume. Dick takes over, but the trippin' fool stumbles into him, leaving him wide open for a blow from a blackjack. The thugs run off as the boys lick their wounds.
Doug: Robin loses the guys, and we next see him in his fighting togs. Looking for clues as to why a professional hit squad would be working a small town like Rutland, Robin begins to explore the surroundings. He sees a familiar figure in the distance leaning next to a tree; upon moving closer, he sees the same Batman we'd seen on the title page -- a man in costume with a stake through his heart! As Robin squats to inspect for footprints, a shadow sweeps over him and a grim reaper appears, scythe swinging! Robin ducks, but rising to maneuver out of the way, he loses his balance and plunges over a cliff. He lands face down on the rocky shore of a brook. Suddenly the Batman swoops down from a nearby tree, turning the youth over to free his lungs from the rippling water. Scooping up his young ward, the Dark Knight carries him to the home of Tom Fagan, where a doctor friend is staying.
Doug: Batman's friend is a Doctor Gruener, who is a Nazi concentration camp survivor. Batman explains that he has come to Rutland not by chance, but to assist the doctor in finding and bringing to justice Colonel Kurt Schloss, known during the War as the Butcher! Schloss was accused of atrocities in the camps, notably the deaths of Dr. Gruener's family. The Colonel has allegedy been sighted in the Rutland area -- he has a fetish for masquerade parties and was known to have purchased a pirate costume. Batman and the doctor tell Robin that the goons the boys had tangled with might be the former henchmen of Schloss -- tracking him for his stolen Nazi gold. Batman decides to move among Fagan's party-goers (the shot of a Thor with a colander for a helmet is priceless), to see if he can pick up any clues.
Doug: We cut to the outside where Dick's "stoned" friend continues to stumble about. He comes across a dead body while being drawn toward a large house with a red beacon. The reaper appears again and our guy runs off. He's quickly intercepted by the Batman, who decides to head toward the light -- having eyeballed it for a few seconds, he ascertained that the beacon was sending Morse code! Arriving, Batman takes out one hood and then moves to the belltower. But unseen, Col. Schloss (replete with pirate doo-rag) sneaks out. In the tower, Batman accosts the light operator, tossing him onto the roof. Grabbing him and doing his best Michael Keaton impression, Batman gets some information -- the goons are indeed after Schloss, but not as allies. They feel that he's held out on them with the stolen gold, and want their cut. As a means of revenge, a car bomb has been set; and it's at that point that Batman hears an auto start and shift into gear.
Doug: After the explosion, Batman is despondent over the loss of life -- and of legal justice. Robin attempts to encourage his mentor, but Batman brushes him off. He chastises Robin not seeing the bigger picture -- why would the Nazis off the man dressed as Batman, and rough up the kid dressed as Robin, if they were looking for Schloss? Batman is convinced that the reaper is still at large and sets off to find him. It doesn't take long, and Batman confronts the man in the flowing purple robes -- a man he knows as Dr. Gruener! Batman tells him that he deduced that the thugs had no way of knowing that Batman or Robin would be in the area unless they'd been tipped -- which Gruener arranged. Gruener then admitted that he had done that, because he'd decided that his revenge would be personal, and not through the Batman or through the courts. The reaper would make Schloss pay for the loss of Gruener's family. Batman begins to close on Gruener, they scuffle, and Gruener is able to get away. We see Dick's wayward friend one more time, talking with other kids on top of the local dam, and as fate would have it he is directly in the path of the fleeing reaper. There is contact, and as the youth falls his necklace becomes wrapped around the reaper's scythe. Dangling before his eyes is a Star of David, and Gruener questions what he has become. Next we see him fall/leap from the dam, apparently landing on his own weapon.
Doug: This was a well-done done-in-one. Denny O'Neil's words are straightforward and solid -- the mystery is good, and not obvious. Of course Neal Adams is incredible, and moody. Recently some of our commenters have questioned whether Adams was good on heroes like Thor, or the FF; I could enter that argument, but for the sake of staying on topic here, I'll offer that he is perhaps the best Batman artist -- ever. His long, lithe figurework perfectly suits the Dark Knight, and his Joker several stories later in "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge!" is a classic. Toss in the fact that Adams had his finger on the pulse of fashion during the times he was at his peak, and you really have a complete artist. The recoloring is nice, and adds to the feel of the story. Adams is of course a perfectionist and I see care in his move to recoloring; others have likened it to interference, akin to George Lucas' meddling with the Star Wars films. Overall, a great example of the O'Neil/Adams/Giordano collaboration that is truly one of the highlights of the early '70's.
Doug: Incidentally, this isn't Neal Adams' only foray into material dealing with the Holocaust. Adams, along with Joe Kubert and hundreds of other comic book/strip artists, went to the defense of Dina Babbitt against the museum at Auschwitz. Babbitt, while a prisoner, was commissioned by Dr. Joseph Mengele (the "Angel of Death") to paint portraits of Sinti and Roma (Gypsy) prisoners. She did, and it saved her life as well as the life of her mother. In her later years, Babbitt worked tirelessly to get the artwork returned to her; the museum has steadfastly refused. Adams and others, attempting to drum up support, created a graphic novel telling of Babbitt's plight. You can see one version of it below:
Doug: We love 'em! That single-issue tale that is just perfect -- no sub-plots, little background knowledge required, and no baggage to move forward. So let's hear a shout-out today for those stories of yore that have left a lasting impression on you. Toss out the title and issue name, some "here's why you just have to read this" thoughts, and maybe a "this is my 1A", too. As always, thanks in advance for your participation!
Avengers 92 (Sept 1971) "All Things Must End!" writer: Roy Thomas artist: Sal Buscema inker: George Roussos Karen: We've had some complaints about the covers of the previous issues in this multi-part review. But I think I can safely say, this is a fantastic cover. The sense of shame and rejection in the departing Avengers, the haughtiness of the old guard, and the use of color to show the setting sun, all add up to a very memorable cover. This was the first issue of Avengers I ever had, and it is burned into my mind. Doug: I couldn't agree more, on all points. I am looking forward to further conversation in the coming weeks on the merits (or demerits) of Neal Adams' pencils. But I'll stand by all of your comments above, and add the word "majesty" to your description of the Founders.
Karen: Our tale opens with the Avengering trio of the Vision, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch all hanging out in the mansion in civilian attire. It's really odd to see the Vision wearing a turtleneck sweater and slacks apparently over his costume! Jarvis comes bursting through the door, alarmed, nearly knocking Wanda over. He shows the team a newspaper article. The technicians whom the team had rescued have gone public about the Kree plot the Avengers foiled. Pietro is furious -they had sworn the men to secrecy, fearing that news of an alien invasion might cause a panic. Goliath shows up and they turn on the TV to see Senator H. Warren Craddock, who has been appointed the head of the new Alien Activities Commission. He states that he has a list of 153 "model citizens" who are actually alien spies...uh oh. Doug: I'm wondering if Roy and Sal got together on the "when" of this story. Not only is the Vision wearing a turtleneck, but Pietro has long sleeves on as well. Guess Manhattan in July can be chilly? I thought the banter in this scene was strange -- we just don't see the Avengers in this situation very often. I thought it seemed more appropriate for the X-Men or the Fantastic Four. And why is Clint super-sized throughout this issue? While I've criticized the couture of our heroes, seeing a giant always big is a pet peeve of mine akin to seeing heroes always in costume (which we thankfully don't in this story). By the way, did you think seeing Vizh with regular clothes on (how about that he still had his gauntlets on??) was any weirder than seeing him strutting his stuff in only a Speedo when he and Wanda were on their honeymoon (#140 maybe?)?
Karen: I guess that was the first time I realized he was red all over!
Doug: This whole Craddock thing already smacks of the McCarthy era here in the States. I'm certain that's what Roy was going for.
Karen: Oh, without a doubt. As the Avengers steam over Craddock's comments, Rick Jones and Captain Marvel enter the room. The good Captain suggests that he should give himself up and not sully the team's good name. But Wanda and Pietro are having none of that, even remarking that Mar-Vell helped save the Earth. But then good old Clint jumps in. He figures maybe Mar-Vell should turn himself in, thinking it would calm down the populace and then the team could root out the real spies. The Vision quickly shows him the folly of his thinking, saying that if Mar-Vell can be held for no reason other than the fact that he's an alien, what's to prevent that from happening to anyone? It's not surprising that a team of misfits would side to protect the innocent Captain.
Doug: I've thought that Roy has changed Clint's "voice" from his former Hawkeye-brashness. This Clint Barton is a bit more mature. It hasn't set well with me, as the clothes should not make the man.
Karen: Although safe within the mansion -which apparently is outside the reach of the law, federal or local - Marvel chafes at being there, when he should be either freeing his people from Ronan's oppression or battling the Skrulls with them. Suddenly a crowd of protestors appear outside the mansion, demanding that the Captain be handed over. A helicopter attempts a landing on the mansion roof but is coming in too fast. Mar-Vell leaps out to try to prevent it from crashing, but he's unable to do it. The Vision becomes intangible and flies right out of his clothes and through the roof, using his own body to stop the copter from crashing through. The pilot turns out to be Carol Danvers, the Air Force officer the team met the previous issue. She's fine, but Wanda is upset -where's the Vision? He soon pops up, none the worse for wear. But the mutant girl frets over the Vision, who tells her she is "far too emotional about...certain things." Here we get our first glimpse of Pietro's temper towards the Vision, as he nearly starts a fight with the android over his response to his sister. However this is interrupted by SHIELD planes buzzing over head. Doug: Yeah, what was the deal with that whole jurisdiction stuff? Do you think that was ammunition for the whole Gyrich storyline a few years later? I thought it was typical Pietro that he was joking with the Vision at the beginning of the tale, but turned on him in a flat second when he felt Wanda was threatened. Vizh's defense mechanisms betrayed the fact that on the inside he really did feel as a human feels. By the way, had you ever seen that SHIELD insignia before?
Karen: That was a weird insignia -I don't think it was seen before or after this issue! But did you notice that Fury was without his trademark eyepatch in the inset circle?
Doug: This is as good a time as any for our artwork interlude. Is it just me, or was Sal at times channeling his inner Don Heck? I just saw some Heck-like figurework (and even facial expressions). I didn't think George Roussos served Sal as well as Sal had served himself, or even as well as Sam Grainger. Admittedly, I have been reading from the trade paperback and the coloring, etc., may add to my opinion. Karen: I'm using the TPB too, but I didn't get any real Heck-flashes from Sal here. The planes climb up and out of sight. Carol Danvers says she has a farm upstate where Marvel could stay until things settle down. The Avengers agree that this is a good idea and provide them with a quinjet. The two fly off and easily escape from Nick Fury and his SHIELD jets. Fury gets a reprimand from Craddock on his 'vizeo' screen. Dum Dum Dugan questions Fury as to why they flew in such a loose formation. Fury responds that he saw Japanese-American relocation camps during the war, and how they affected the people on both sides of the fences. "I didn't do that for Marvel, ya old walrus. I did it for America!"
Doug: God bless Nick Fury.
Karen: In the meantime the Avengers are served a summons and show up at the city courthouse, which is surrounded by anti-Avengers protestors. The Alien Activities Commission has called for a special hearing. Craddock states that the commission is concerned that the nation has been infiltrated by aliens, and that certain humans -"and others"- may be aiding them. The three Alaskan technicians testify first. They tell about the Kree plans to devolve humanity, and also question why the Avengers made them promise to keep quiet. Next up, are Mr. Fantastic and the Thing, the first Earth men to encounter the Kree. Richards backs the Avengers up, saying he trusts their judgment. However the Thing is uncharacteristically harsh, saying these aren't the Avengers he knows, and that even if Captain Marvel is innocent they still should have made him show up at court. "Super-heroes like them four, we don't need!" This comment sets off Goliath and he has to be restrained. It just amuses the Thing, who casually says, "Let the big man go. I ain't punched out a giant in a spell."
Doug: How about a summons that makes you testify on the same day? That's a speedy trial if I've ever heard of one! I can understand why the scientists would have been upset; not sure why they wouldn't have trusted the Avengers' judgement. But hey, being turned into a caveman would be traumatic, no? Something amiss with the FF? Ben was gruff, but I always felt he'd be somewhat of a "superhero fraternity" sort of guy.
Karen: Next the Vision takes the stand, but Craddock questions the value of his testimony, as he is a robot who could be told what to say. Thomas does a nice job here as the Vision makes an impassioned plea for Craddock to "call off this witch hunt" before it does "irreparable harm!" He seems to be reaching the crowd, but Craddock calls the room to order. In the midst of all this, Rick recalls a dream he had the night before, where Mar-Vell was attacked by something at Carol's farm. he suddenly feels that it was no dream, that Mar-Vell is in real danger. He bolts out of the court room, and Craddock demands his return, and adjourns the court.
Doug: There's some real growth taking place in the Vision in this storyline. We saw some comments on our last review about the change from standard word balloons, to the polygon-shaped word balloons with the heavy borders. This is good stuff. Craddock's a flipping idiot.
Karen: The Avengers return to the mansion to find broken windows and a huge mess, both on the outside and the inside. Jarvis apologizes for what has happened, saying he turned off the security systems so none of the protestors would be harmed. The Avengers tell him he did the right thing. Suddenly a voice booms and says, "But you four did not!" Startled, they turn to see the Big Three -Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America, who tells the team that they have disgraced them, and therefore they are disbanding the team -"For all time." The shell-shocked quartet staggers out of their former home. Can things get any worse?
Doug: Hey, in regard to the smash-up of the mansion -- wow, did this story really happen all in the space of one day? I know we live in the era of decompressed storytelling (not that I care any more), but this baby was on fast-forward the whole way. I thought the entrance of the Founders was a surprise, and the finish was so abrupt that it felt to me like Roy just ran out of pages. Now, I'll give you that it is certainly shockingly impactful executed in this manner. But it did feel like the book crashed to a halt.
Karen: The story is really picking up steam now. The Craddock plot dominated this issue and really made you feel for this oddball Avengers team. These heroes were definitely the anti-establishment team; it was genius to have the original 'old guard' show up and tear them down. In some ways, this feels almost like an X-Men story, with the heroes being hated by the public they serve.
Doug: And we've seen this series of events in some FF books we've reviewed as well. I'm looking forward to Neal Adams coming on board next issue. If you believe his take on his role in the Kree/Skrull War, he served as co-plotter. I guess if they did it with the Marvel Method, then maybe Adams was even more than that. We shall see...
Discuss characters who began with one personality, but morphed over the years to something far astray.
Doug: Hey, 2-for-1 today, kiddies! I was just catching up on Marvel's tpb/hardcover solicitations and spied this beauty. And I just knew everyone out there in BAB Land would be all over it! From what I can tell, this will be in color. You can read the full specs, as well as take note of some other Bronze Age goodness by clicking here. But don't forget to leave us a comment on the main post above!
UPDATE: I didn't realize there had been a 1960's version of this book (of course, most of us have those stories reprinted in a gazillion forms). There are details for that book, as well as a cover image and details for the second volume of the 1970's book -- all available at Amazon.
Doug: Interesting question today, and one that's the subject of criticisms of certain artists from time to time -- does your mind's eye require backgrounds in a panel, or are you generally OK with just plain colors?
Doug: Certainly when the boys from Image were getting rolling, one of the knocks on Mr. Liefeld was his lack of not only feet on his characters, but often the lack of the insertion of background pencils behind those same characters -- speed lines, cross-hatching, and general smokiness don't count in my book. Now I know that those sorts of details can be a bit tedious in a major-deadline sort of way, but we also know that in the past some artists have gotten up-and-comers to cut their teeth doing solely detail work. With the sort of cash those Marvel-leavers were generating, they certainly could have afforded to find a way to make it right. If you're unsure of what I'm speaking, run your eye down the main page of our blog and check out some of Sal Buscema's panel work. In fact, other than the Gil Kane Tales of Suspense sample near the bottom, just about all of our examples contain backgrounds.
Doug: So you can tell I'm a guy that would like "the whole picture". I'd also like it to be accurate when necessary -- quite a while ago we reviewed Fantastic Four #167, where the Hulk and Thing battle atop St. Louis' Gateway Arch. The art team of George Perez and Joe Sinnott inaccurately depicted the Arch, which is metal, as being made of concrete. Uh uh -- definite no-no. Do some research.
Doug: So sound off, and thanks in advance as always!
Doug: Doc Owen over at Action Figure Times has been reviewing the Legion of Super-Heroes box set from Mattel -- these went on sale yesterday at 11:00 am CT. After only 45 minutes I noticed that the web page had a note reading "Almost gone". When I checked after school at 3:45, they were "Sold Out!" Karen had previewed these babies back in July.
Doug: The figures are 6" scale and run in the DC Universe Classics line. They are exceptionally well done from the images I've seen, and I'd dearly love to have them. Yes, the MSRP on them is $180, and I understand that does not include shipping and handling. You can already find the box set, as well as figures listed individually, hitting eBay. However, I was also told by a reliable source that the extra money I made this fall running the clock/doing the PA at my son's varsity soccer games is going toward a new dishwasher. A pity... Anyway, drool, and enjoy!
Doug: And, for conversational purposes, who do you wish they would have made, and who would you have replaced? For me, Mon-el!!! While I like the sculpt on Matter-Eater Lad, there's no way he should have been included over Mon. And what about some more ladies?
Avengers 91 (August 1971) "Take One Giant Step -- Backward!" Roy Thomas-Sal Buscema/Buscema
Doug: If you recall the end of our previous issue, Janet had passed out in the battle against the now-possessed Goliath and Sentry-459. Fallen, she was discovered by a primal man -- her husband Yellowjacket! As we join the story this week, Ronan the Accuser gloats over various monitor screens as he rants to Captain Mar-Vell about his plan to de-evolve life on Earth.
Doug: It was Ronan's intent that ol' Caveman Hank would kill the Wasp, but instead he scoops her up and takes her away... for later. Elsewhere, the battle continues to rage as the Avengers fight for their lives against the two giants. Ronan gloats how the tower in the middle of the icecap will continue to melt the surroundings, revealing a primordial forest. But if Rick Jones has anything to say about, the big plan is going to be delayed! Rick throws a large rock at the Sentry's head, at the same instant Wanda surrounds the Sentry's noggin with a hex sphere. OK, stop it -- Sue Richards doing something like this, yes. Wanda? Lordy, but every time we review a story she's in we see her do something different. I guess that's why later they'd call her powers "chaos magic". While the Sentry is disoriented, Vizh moves on Clint. Poor ol' Goliath gets the intangible-slightly tangible system disruption from the Vision's hand. Pietro squawks about it, but marvels at the synthezoid's precision in not permanently damaging their Avenging teammate.
Karen: It was a little bold to show Caveman Hank hauling Jan off "for later." Wanda's ever-mysterious hex powers seemed to be the perfect deus ex machina for Thomas and every other writer who worked with the character. As comics fans became more insistent upon consistency and quantification of powers (look at the Marvel Universe Handbooks for an example of this), a heroine with such a poorly defined power became a real problem. We would see many attempts to define her and some would be contradictory. And once again -the Vision saves the day! This was getting ridiculous. I know Roy was proud of the character, but it's feeling a little too much like favoritism -the same thing we've accused Steve Englehart of with Mantis in prior reviews.
Doug: The Sentry is able to free himself very shortly thereafter; the Vision moves in quickly. But alas, the same trick that felled Clint Barton doesn't work on the android body of the Kree Sentry -- the backlash instead fells the Vision. Wanda goes next, zapped as she moved in to check on her friend. Quicksilver began to fall into histrionics; he found the better part of valor, however, and scooped up Rick to flee with the intent to regroup later. Ronan watches it on his monitors -- he also sees three scientists who were at the ice cap when these Kree arrived and were the first to fall under the effects of the de-evolution ray. The Sentry arrives with the unconscious Goliath, and we see Mar-Vell, the Vision, and the Scarlet Witch bound. And then...
Karen: Here it comes - a scene that would change everything....
Doug: Vision and Wanda both awaken from their time in la-la land. Vision notes that Wanda, too, was captured. Wanda says that nothing matters, as long as the Vision wasn't harmed. And then -- in a scene very clumsily rendered -- Wanda's lips (more like wide-open mouth) move close to the Vision's. Vizh suddenly recoils, yelling that it cannot be, that he's an android. And Ronan busts out laughing, the very thought of an android and a mutant born of the atom together tickling his funny bone in a most sadistic way. And that's it. We move immediately to Jan and her caveman. Karen?
Karen: Well, some faint hints had been dropped here and there for a couple of years, but this scene made it very clear: these two were in love. I had asked Thomas via email a few years ago why he had let the budding romance sit unmentioned for months at a time, and he really didn't have an answer. But this was it, the tipping point. This sub-plot, the forbidden love, became a major one not only during the Kree-Skrull War but until Steve Englehart decided to have the two characters finally get together during his run immediately following Roy's.
Doug: Hank fights for Jan against the three former scientists. One has to wonder if there remains any of the former Yellowjacket within that thick skull, or if this Hank is merely acting on instinct in defense of his mate. At any rate, he pushes the attackers back. Back inside the citadel, Ronan continues to torment Mar-Vell, showing the Kree Captain how he will end life as we know it on Earth -- by de-evolving it the state of an amoeba. Mar-Vell slumps, seemingly defeated. Our next vignette is of Quicksilver and Rick Jones, who now attempt to breach the citadel. In a page from the Flash, Pietro takes a spear and tornadoes himself right through the wall of the fortress. Once inside, he becomes enough of a distraction that Rick is able to free Mar-Vell, who in turn frees the Avengers.
Karen: Don't those cavemen look a lot like Sal's Hulk? I just kept thinking of the Hulk whenever I saw them. Ronan comes across as particularly vicious, reveling in his sadism like an old silent movie villain. A bit over the top for today, but back then things were much more black and white -at least in comics. Pietro's stunt with the spear is impressive and really seems like something we'd see the Flash do. I never was clear on how fast Pietro was; of course years later they quantified his speed for the previously-mentioned Marvel handbook and I think his top running speed was listed as 175 mph, which seemed kind of low -certainly when compared to his DC counterpart, who could run at light-speed!
Doug: Rick's actions have weakened the fortress and it begins to come apart. Ronan and the Sentry move against our heroes, but suddenly an alert from afar permeates the room -- an SOS from the Kree galaxy is transmitted and received -- the Skrulls have attacked! Ronan leaves immediately. The Sentry, however, declares that he has no further programming, so must remain at his original post -- the now-crumbling citadel. The Avengers realize that this is going to end badly, and in a hurry. They hustle outside, to find that ice is reclaiming the jungle that had been supported by the citadel. Hank and Jan our there, Hank back to his normal self (as are the three scientists). Stranded, the team nonetheless manages to squeeze in a bombshell and some philosophy on the last couple of panels -- Hank quits the team (a routine we'll see over and over in the next several years), and Clint of all people vows that if enemies arise again, the Avengers will be there to confront them, with a prayer.
Karen: Although both androids, we see the difference here between the Sentry and the Vision - the Sentry is only a servant, a being in need of direction and not in charge of his own fate. The Vision is clearly more than that. Hank's abrupt declaration of resigning from the leotard set would last all of one issue -we see him again (albeit in a different costume) in issue 93. But the die is cast: a cosmic war has been declared. Did any reader really think the Avengers wouldn't become involved?
Doug: This seemed more like an ending than part three of a 9-part epic. Roy seemed to tie up some elements of the previous two issues, while dropping the "Vision loves Wanda" bomb, as well as the opening salvo of the Kree/Skrull War. So I'll be very interested as we head into the next installment. One more thing -- I thought Sal Buscema was pretty solid both this issue and last, inking his own pencils. In the comments section after we ranAvengers #89, I remarked that I thought Sam Grainger's inks were a bit heavy. There's none of that with Sal embellishing himself.
Karen: Sal did a very commendable job on these issues. It's solid work, although unfortunately it suffers some when compared to the later work of either his big brother John or Neal Adams.
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Bronze Age Babies -- Be On the Look-Out!
Upcoming Reading List:
In May, it's the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Pyms! Avengers 140 (5/27)
In June we're going to hang out with the mad Titan, Thanos! Detective Comics 569 (5/31) Detective Comics 570 (6/1) Marvel Feature 12 (6/3) Captain Marvel 32 (6/10) Bizarre Adventures 27 (Phoenix story) (6/14) Avengers 125 (6/17) Captain Marvel 33 (6/24)
And all of our regular conversation starters!
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Urlacher Calls It Quits After 13 Seasons
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[image: http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/Url914.jpg]Brian Urlacher went out
on his own terms and he went out wearing just one jersey. Those are two
things t...
Dig Karen's Work Here? Then You Should Check Her Out in Back Issue!
BI #44 is available for digital download and in print. I've read Karen's article on reader reaction to Gerry Conway's ASM #121-122, and it's excellent. This entire magazine was fun! -- Doug
Back Issue #45
As if Karen's work on Spidey in the Bronze Age wasn't awesome enough, she's at it again with a look at the romance of the Vision and the Scarlet Witch in Back Issue's "Odd Couples" issue -- from TwoMorrows!
Karen's talking the Mighty Thor in the Bronze Age!
Click the cover to order a print or digital copy of Back Issue! #53, shipping NOW!
he Monster tells him about his captor and the spider in the pit. The soldier sees the spider but refuses to believe a Frankenstein is responsible. "Jason Frankenstein left here more than 20 years ago!"
uge wave of water instantly filling the room. Ploog's depiction of the water and underwater scenes are masterful -I would have liked to see what his Sub-Mariner would have looked like!
So far we've visited this town with the Defenders, and twice with the Avengers. Today we drop in on the Dark Knight Detective and his young ward, Robin. As you see from the creator credits, this was produced by the Hall of Fame crew that revitalized the Batman in the post-TV show days. A note to our readers -- while at one time I had this book, I'll be reading and scanning from Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams, volume 3. You'll notice that the images have been recolored, an act that Adams insisted on when these hardcovers were pitched to him.
Dick takes over, but the trippin' fool stumbles into him, leaving him wide open for a blow from a blackjack. The thugs run off as the boys lick their wounds.
Schloss was accused of atrocities in the camps, notably the deaths of Dr. Gruener's family. The Colonel has allegedy been sighted in the Rutland area -- he has a fetish for masquerade parties and was known to have purchased a pirate costume. Batman and the doctor tell Robin that the goons the boys had tangled with might be the former henchmen of Schloss -- tracking him for his stolen Nazi gold. Batman decides to move among Fagan's party-goers (the shot of a Thor with a colander for a helmet is priceless), to see if he can pick up any clues.
Arriving, Batman takes out one hood and then moves to the belltower. But unseen, Col. Schloss (replete with pirate doo-rag) sneaks out. In the tower, Batman accosts the light operator, tossing him onto the roof. Grabbing him and doing his best Michael Keaton impression, Batman gets some information -- the goons are indeed after Schloss, but not as allies. They feel that he's held out on them with the stolen gold, and want their cut. As a means of revenge, a car bomb has been set; and it's at that point that Batman hears an auto start and shift into gear.
Gruener then admitted that he had done that, because he'd decided that his revenge would be personal, and not through the Batman or through the courts. The reaper would make Schloss pay for the loss of Gruener's family. Batman begins to close on Gruener, they scuffle, and Gruener is able to get away. We see Dick's wayward friend one more time, talking with other kids on top of the local dam, and as fate would have it he is directly in the path of the fleeing reaper. There is contact, and as the youth falls his necklace becomes wrapped around the reaper's scythe. Dangling before his eyes is a Star of David, and Gruener questions what he has become. Next we see him fall/leap from the dam, apparently landing on his own weapon.
Of course Neal Adams is incredible, and moody. Recently some of our commenters have questioned whether Adams was good on heroes like Thor, or the FF; I could enter that argument, but for the sake of staying on topic here, I'll offer that he is perhaps the best Batman artist -- ever. His long, lithe figurework perfectly suits the Dark Knight, and his Joker several stories later in "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge!" is a classic. Toss in the fact that Adams had his finger on the pulse of fashion during the times he was at his peak, and you really have a complete artist. The recoloring is nice, and adds to the feel of the story. Adams is of course a perfectionist and I see care in his move to recoloring; others have likened it to interference, akin to George Lucas' meddling with the Star Wars films. Overall, a great example of the O'Neil/Adams/Giordano collaboration that is truly one of the highlights of the early '70's.
Doug: We love 'em! That single-issue tale that is just perfect -- no sub-plots, little background knowledge required, and no baggage to move forward. So let's hear a shout-out today for those stories of yore that have left a lasting impression on you. Toss out the title and issue name, some "here's why you just have to read this" thoughts, and maybe a "this is my 1A", too. As always, thanks in advance for your participation!
ery often. I thought it seemed more appropriate for the X-Men or the Fantastic Four. And why is Clint super-sized throughout this issue? While I've criticized the couture of our heroes, seeing a giant always big is a pet peeve of mine akin to seeing heroes always in costume (which we thankfully don't in this story). By the way, did you think seeing Vizh with regular clothes on (how about that he still had his gauntlets on??) was any weirder than seeing him strutting his stuff in only a Speedo when he and Wanda were on their honeymoon (#140 maybe?)?
hould give himself up and not sully the team's good name. But Wanda and Pietro are having none of that, even remarking that Mar-Vell helped save the Earth. But then good old Clint jumps in. He figures maybe Mar-Vell should turn himself in, thinking it would calm down the populace and then the team could root out the real spies. The Vision quickly shows him the folly of his thinking, saying that if Mar-Vell can be held for no reason other than the fact that he's an alien, what's to prevent that from happening to anyone? It's not surprising that a team of misfits would side to protect the innocent Captain.
o do it. The Vision becomes intangible and flies right out of his clothes and through the roof, using his own body to stop the copter from crashing through. The pilot turns out to be Carol Danvers, the Air Force officer the team met the previous issue. She's fine, but Wanda is upset -where's the Vision? He soon pops up, none the worse for wear. But the mutant girl frets over the Vision, who tells her she is "far too emotional about...certain things." Here we get our first glimpse of Pietro's temper towards the Vision, as he nearly starts a fight with the android over his response to his sister. However this is interrupted by SHIELD planes buzzing over head.
paperback and the coloring, etc., may add to my opinion.
s made them promise to keep quiet. Next up, are Mr. Fantastic and the Thing, the first Earth men to encounter the Kree. Richards backs the Avengers up, saying he trusts their judgment. However the Thing is uncharacteristically harsh, saying these aren't the Avengers he knows, and that even if Captain Marvel is innocent they still should have made him show up at court. "Super-heroes like them four, we don't need!" This comment sets off Goliath and he has to be restrained. It just amuses the Thing, who casually says, "Let the big man go. I ain't punched out a giant in a spell."
p steam now. The Craddock plot dominated this issue and really made you feel for this oddball Avengers team. These heroes were definitely the anti-establishment team; it was genius to have the original 'old guard' show up and tear them down. In some ways, this feels almost like an X-Men story, with the heroes being hated by the public they serve.
Doug: Interesting question today, and one that's the subject of criticisms of certain artists from time to time -- does your mind's eye require backgrounds in a panel, or are you generally OK with just plain colors?
Now I know that those sorts of details can be a bit tedious in a major-deadline sort of way, but we also know that in the past some artists have gotten up-and-comers to cut their teeth doing solely detail work. With the sort of cash those Marvel-leavers were generating, they certainly could have afforded to find a way to make it right. If you're unsure of what I'm speaking, run your eye down the main page of our blog and check out some of Sal Buscema's panel work. In fact, other than the Gil Kane Tales of Suspense sample near the bottom, just about all of our examples contain backgrounds.
As we join the story this week, Ronan the Accuser gloats over various monitor screens as he rants to Captain Mar-Vell about his plan to de-evolve life on Earth.
Lordy, but every time we review a story she's in we see her do something different. I guess that's why later they'd call her powers "chaos magic". While the Sentry is disoriented, Vizh moves on Clint. Poor ol' Goliath gets the intangible-slightly tangible system disruption from the Vision's hand. Pietro squawks about it, but marvels at the synthezoid's precision in not permanently damaging their Avenging teammate.
We would see many attempts to define her and some would be contradictory. And once again -the Vision saves the day! This was getting ridiculous. I know Roy was proud of the character, but it's feeling a little too much like favoritism -the same thing we've accused Steve Englehart of with Mantis in prior reviews.
Back inside the citadel, Ronan continues to torment Mar-Vell, showing the Kree Captain how he will end life as we know it on Earth -- by de-evolving it the state of an amoeba. Mar-Vell slumps, seemingly defeated. Our next vignette is of Quicksilver and Rick Jones, who now attempt to breach the citadel. In a page from the Flash, Pietro takes a spear and tornadoes himself right through the wall of the fortress. Once inside, he becomes enough of a distraction that Rick is able to free Mar-Vell, who in turn frees the Avengers.
Ronan leaves immediately. The Sentry, however, declares that he has no further programming, so must remain at his original post -- the now-crumbling citadel. The Avengers realize that this is going to end badly, and in a hurry. They hustle outside, to find that ice is reclaiming the jungle that had been supported by the citadel. Hank and Jan our there, Hank back to his normal self (as are the three scientists). Stranded, the team nonetheless manages to squeeze in a bombshell and some philosophy on the last couple of panels -- Hank quits the team (a routine we'll see over and over in the next several years), and Clint of all people vows that if enemies arise again, the Avengers will be there to confront them, with a prayer.
Did any reader really think the Avengers wouldn't become involved?
