To close out August, and Jack Kirby Month, I decided to grab a random book from my Kirby box. I think this was the first Fourth World book I bought back a few years ago before I decided to grab trades. I always loved the character of Orion, mostly because of the Justice League animated series. He seems like a B.A. with a good heart, and at times, we do need people like him. No nonsense, get it done kind of people. Sounds a bit like Kirby himself, no? My copy of this book is in less than awesome shape, but it’s complete and the cover is a great action shot (art by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer).

The issue begins with a prelude, as some baddies watch a cocoon like object glowing. They remark that it is the great Mantis himself, and how with him as a leader, how can they fail? Mantis then emerges from the cocoon, and tells his minions to “prepare for the great destiny that awaits them!” We then get a Forager appearance, followed by some ominous words from my personal favorite New God, Orion!

Huge battle scenes, foolish politicians, Lightray, and all the Kirby madness you can handle await inside this comic! Written and pencilled by Jack “King” Kirby, inks and letters by Mike Royer, and colors by Anthony Tollin!

For some Strange reason, I felt compelled to return to another crazy sci-fi comic from DC. With a title like this one, who can really argue the validity of its awesomeness? This book has three crazy stories in it, and after reading them, you might just wonder what the heck it was that you just read! Just look at this crazy cover by Carmine Infantino and George Roussos!

The first story (“The Guardian Eye“), stars a character that I don’t know very well, but was a recurring one. The Enchantress, a witch apparently, must face off against a huge, demonic creature! At first, she’s incredibly afraid, but she quickly figures out its secret! Written by Zany Bob Haney, with art by Howard Purcell!

Next up is “The Lair of the Dragonfly!” This reprint from the 1950s (House of Secrets 19, 1959) is all kinds of crazy, but fun as well. I mean, cmon, it’s a fire breathing, giant dragonfly. The science and logic in this one are off the charts in the wild category, but again, fun story. Written by Ed Herron, with art by Bernard Baily.

And finally, “The Man with the Comet Head!” This one is pretty simple. A man at an observatory is watching a meteor, but it suddenly heads right for the telescope and hits it while the man is watching! He emerges with his head in flames. The day is saved by science! Yay! Written by Otto Binder, with art by Jack Sparling!

Again, this is the crazy, fun times you have with these books. Sometimes they have a message to them, other times, just craziness. Get out there and buy some DC sci-fi!

In this final installment of the blog for July, I wanted to spotlight another western comic book. Truthfully, as I said last week, westerns aren’t my favorite, but I do think they’ve had good creators on them, that put everything they had into them. The 1950s-1960s was the time of the westerns on television, with shows like Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Bonanza, etc., so it was only natural that comics followed. A very striking cover on this one by Dick Ayers and Frank Giacoia!

There are four stories in this book, and the first one just might be the best! “Draw or Die, Mister!” shows us a true western situation. We get a traveling tough named Splash Spade, and he’s looking to kill someone in a watering hole. But he has one problem, Kid Colt is in this very saloon as well! Written by Stan Lee with art by Jack Keller.

The second story, “Flames Along the Border,” is not only from the cover, but a really cool adventure staring Kid Colt Outlaw! The Kid but stop a group of bandits, but he ends up becoming their prisoner! Writer Joe Gill, art by Jack Keller.

The next one is called “The Iron Giant!” Sorry, no robots here, only one of my favorite things in old comics, a train! A bunch of thieves board the train though, and aim to steal the money on it, but does the train have a mind of its own? Story by (maybe) Stan or Larry Lieber, art by Paul Reinman.

Finally, we get “Trail’s End!” Kid Colt is wounded, and dehydrated so badly he falls off of his horse, but a Native American that he helped once, repays a debt of honor and helps him back to health. Writer Joe Gill, art by Jack Keller!

Hey everybody, just a quick interlude to tell you that for the very first time, Magazines and Monsters has a guest blogger! That’s right, someone other than yours truly will be at the helm of the blog this week, and I couldn’t be more excited! This person needs no introduction, but, well, since it’s his first time, I’ll let you know who it is anyway. This week’s blog post is brought to you by none other than the man behind the Longbox of Darkness podcast, Herman Louw! A little hint before I go on, that you can always check the links on the sidebar of the blog for other fun websites and podcasts including the LoD podcast! Alright, here we go!

Ah, War Comics Month. Lieber Gott, how I have missed you. I wish you could be mein forever. I always hate to bid you auf wiedersehen…

Alright, let’s get serious for a minute here, folks – WAR is nothing to joke about, even in a bad German accent. It’s a harrowing experience for those involved, one that will grind your soul to powder and will almost certainly turn you into a glassy-eyed PTSD zombie if you survive it, or into bloody chunks of meat if you don’t. But you know all this already, don’t you? At least, you would if you’ve been reading Magazines and Monsters for the last few weeks. After all, Billy has been posting write-ups of scintillating WEIRD WAR TALES issues from DC Comics’ Bronze Age pretty regularly of late. And no, before you ask, I am not the esteemed Mister Billy D, Blogmaster Supreme. I’m his podcasting pal Herman from INTO THE WEIRD and The Longbox of Darkness, guest-blogging to commemorate the end of yet another momentous month of comic reading. And what an honor it is to have a post of mine published on Magazines & Monsters, which has been one of my favorite blogs since 2018.

So why, if I’m supposed to be bringing my A-game and making a good impression as a first-time blogger on the site did I choose to start this post with such a flippant and callous statement? After all, WAR is something that should NOT be sought after or enjoyed. So why do so many of us love the hell out of #WarComicsMonth?

Well, the answer to that question is simply this: stories of WAR make for some damn fine comics. Movies too, but that’s a whole other post in the making. And the issue of WWT that I picked for your delectation is certainly no exception to the rule. For those blessed few who have listened to my horror podcast The Longbox of Darkness, you’d know that DC’s WEIRD WAR TALES is my absolute favorite horror anthology comic book. I place it higher than even such titans as EC’s Tales From The Crypt, Warren’s CREEPY, DC’s The House of Mystery, and Marvel’s VAMPIRE TALES. The title has been with me since I first started reading comics as a snot-nosed five-year old, and hopefully I’ll still be reading an issue of it when I check out of this life at the ripe old age of 99.

So without further preamble, let’s look at the cover of the issue I’ve chosen. Feel free to drool over some Joe Kubert splendor while you’re at it.

This is one of Kubert’s most effective covers, as it not only draws you in with the mystery of that bright red Nazi coffin and the pale clawed and gnarled hands opening the lid from within, but also with what it implies. (Just who exactly is in that coffin? Could it be Herr H… Nah!) The expressions on the faces of the sailors are enough to drive the terror home. This definitely won’t be an ordinary voyage, Weird War Lovers.

Before we get into the gist of it, I do have to mention the creative teams involved in this particular story, entitled “Beyond Gotterdammerung”. I specifically selected this issue because blog host Billy loves writer Zany Bob Haney, and this is one of his finest stories. E.R. Cruz supplies the art, and he’s no slouch either. Romeo Tanghal provides the opening splash of WWT Horror Host DEATH who imparts some chillingly resonant comments on the nature of Soldiers and the weapons they wield. Drink in the haunting words and images of these creators, dear readers… and despair!

For anyone familiar with Bram Stoker’s novel DRACULA or the Francis Ford Coppola film, you might remember The Demeter, the Russian sailing ship that carried the dreaded Count from his homeland of Wallachia to Port Whitby in England. You might also recall what happened to the hapless crew of that ship, and how the vessel finally arrived at its destination, spattered with gore and bereft of life, a dead navigator tied to the rudder with a look of hellish fear stamped on his dead features. I daresay after reading the story by Haney that he must have had the Demeter at the forefront of his mind, because the crew of U-Boat 239 suffers almost the exact same fate as those that manned the doomed Demeter.

After learning from an admiral that Germany is kaput, and receiving instructions to ferry precious cargo in the form of a coffin from Europe to South America, Lieutenant Hegel and his faithful crew set off across the Atlantic, avoiding Allied ships, depth charges, sea mines, and submarine nets. Hegel has been given a letter by the admiral who gave him his mission, a letter pertaining to the sinister scarlet coffin onboard, but one that must only be opened when they’ve reached their destination.

When U-239 enters the open sea Hegel becomes aware of sinister happenings on his ship. Crew members start turning up dead, apparent victims of either suicide, horrific machinery accidents, or violent arguments. Not a superstitious man, Hegel thinks nothing of this and writes it off as depression triggered by despair at Germany’s loss, or something akin to survivors guilt. He couldn’t be more wrong.

Hegel soon comes upon a stowaway on his ship. When he realizes the identity of this stowaway the shock is almost too much to bear. The scene eventually culminates in a Sieg Heil from Hegel as he looks upon the face of Germany’s great dictator. Mein Gott, der Führer has returned! Rassistisches Schwein!!

The Führer explains his presence, and Hegel believes every word. That is, until he observes good old Adolf munching on his last crewman’s jugular before tossing his victim overboard like so much sharkbait. Auf wiedersehen, Blutwurst!

After witnessing this fresh horror, Hegel has no choice but to open the envelope and read the letter the admiral had given him. In it he learns of the last hope of Germany, the immortality formula of the sinister Dr. Schlosser, and the resurrection of history’s greatest evil. Hegel also comes to realize that he and his crew were more than ferrymen for the Führer, they were also meant to be his vittles. 

No longer content to be a mere walking bloodbag, Hegel fashions a wooden stake and goes against all his Nazi indoctrination and national pride by ramming it into the Führer’s heart repeatedly, thereby ensuring the irredeemable dictator’s second, and hopefully permanent, death. Wracked with hopelessness and horror, Hegel turns his Luger on himself, and sprawls lifelessly across the twice-dead corpse of his Leader. He died alone, but at least he died with dignity.

The story leaves us with a final twist, as is to be expected of the best stuff Weird War Tales had to offer. As it turns out, the coffin transported by Leutnant Hegel and his brave crew was not the only one! This revelation comes from the mouth of the evil Dr. Schlosser himself, as he prepares to take possession of an entire row of red boxes, dragged up from the holds of deserted U-Boats that mysteriously glided into a South American port…

Huge thanks to Herman for pinch-hitting this week! This concludes #warcomicmonth, but definitely look for it next year and every year in November!

Rolling into week three of my Halloween coverage, this book is an interesting one. First and foremost because the lead story isn’t even (really) horror. But that’s getting ahead of things. The first five issues of this series were all new material, but then it changed to a mixed bag including reprints after that until the last issue (9). This specific issue has only one new story, but it’s a good one! And the reprints are nothing to scoff at either. The creators in this book are outstanding, real storytellers that have a track record for awesome output. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that the cover is by a master like Bernie Wrightson either!

The first story is called “Sanctuary.” It’s about a warrior king named Hamand, who has just conquered a mystical land known as Cybernia (an REH reference?). He seems to have overtaken all the foreign forces, but there is one thing he didn’t count on, and that is sorcery! This crazy sword and sorcery yarn was written, penciled and inked by Wally Wood! He does an excellent job with this quasi-Arthurian tale, and I feel as though the story and art jump off of the page and right into my mind. This is definitely one of my favorite stories by Wood. Letters by Artie Simek.

The next story is one of those quirky stories from the Atlas Age (pre-Marvel Age, 1961). In “Behold! I Am the Master of Time!,” a antique shop owner decides to use an ancient book of black magic to build an occult time machine! He’s going to try and steal antiquities from centuries past to keep his business afloat, but he didn’t count on his machine running on electricity, which doesn’t exist in the 18th century! Art by Steve Ditko (no writer credits found).

Next up is “I Found the Hidden World!” A man awakens from a nightmare, then thinks to himself about a horrible day he had recently when he discovered a portal to another world that’s inhabited by monstrous looking creatures! Written by Stan Lee (or Larry Lieber) with art by Don Heck!

Lastly we get “My Touch Means Doom!” A young man needs to scare up some cash quickly for an operation for his wife. He devises a plan to rob a bank. He evades the police but crashes near a radioactive test site. He begins to glow and anything he touches immediately dies! Can he escape the authorities and get the money to the hospital? Or does he even need to? Written by Stan Lee (or possibly Larry Lieber), with art by Don Heck!

Well, there you have it! A super cool sword and sorcery story by the legend himself, Woody, a strange tale by Sturdy Steve, and a double dose of Dashing Don Heck (at his best as far as creepiness)! Another week and another horror comic! Stay tuned as next week there shall be even more!

I feel like its been quite a long time since I spotlighted a Daredevil book. I grabbed this one recently, and of course it features art by a certain favorite artist of mine! Not only that, but the villain in this issue are off the chain! The cool cover is by none other than Marie Severin and Joe Sinnott!

The story begins with Cobra and Hyde as they’re committing a robbery at the Guggenheim Museum! They mention a partner that is also doing the same on the other side of town. The scene switches to Daredevil, as he’s calling it a night from superheroing, to spend some time with his lady, Karen. The two go out to a club, but Karen isn’t having a good time, as she’s recently learned about Matt’s secret alter-ego, and can’t deal with it. The waiter tells them about the excitement at the museum, so Matt tells Karen it’s time for the date to end. He swings into action, and quickly tracks down the thieving duo. He’s caught off guard though, as their partner, The Jester is there as well!

The story by Roy Thomas isn’t the deepest one he’s ever written, but it is a good bit of fun, and the pathos is there as well with the scene between Karen and Matt. The relationship that exists with Cobra and Hyde is an interesting one. Early on, it seems as though Hyde is the boss, but later on Cobra takes the lead as Hyde’s intelligence seems to waver. Either way they make a good villainous pair. Throw in a crazy character like the Jester, and you’ve got a very fun Silver Age book. The art team is one that most don’t talk about, but was an awesome combination. Gene Colan (pencils) and Syd Shores (inks), were paired together a few times, and probably because of Shores’ ability to ink the pencils of Colan. Toss in the lettering of reliable Sam Rosen, and the book is complete.