Marvel Comics | Magazines and Monsters!

Valentines Day Special! “Panel Love”

Posted on February 14, 2015 by billyd75

In honor of Valentine’s Day, this post will show all the love in the Marvel Universe! No rhyme or reason (OK, other than starting and finishing with the Black Knight), just some good old-fashioned panels showing heroes and heroines of all different walks getting their love on! I found quite a few Fantastic Four panels, and believe it or not, some horror panels, but the variety is here for everyone! People all over the world…join hands…start a love train.., love train! Enjoy!

Art by Tony DeZuniga

Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer

Art by Jack ‘King’ Kirby & Joe Sinnott

Art by Jack ‘King’ Kirby & Frank Giacoia

Art by ‘Big’ John Buscema & Dan Adkins

Art by George Tuska & Vince Colletta

Art by Gil Kane & Joe Sinnott

Art by Jack ‘King’ Kirby & Vince Colletta

Art by Tom Sutton & Ernie Chan

Art by Gene Colan

Art by Gene Colan & Tom Palmer

Art by ‘Big’ John Buscema & Jose Marzan

Marvel Spotlight #25, 1975 “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad”

Posted on February 7, 2015 by billyd75

In honor of one of my favorite filmmakers (yeah, I know he was just labeled as the “special effects” guy, but get real, those movies wouldn’t exist without him), Ray Harryhausen, I’ll be taking a look at Marvel Spotlight #25 (1975)! In this issue, we see an adaptation of “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad,” which was one of Ray’s crowning achievements, in this bloggers humble opinion. Marvel decided to put that incredible movie into comic book format, and it delivers! We join Sinbad on the high seas, then see him battle a giant Cyclops, an unbelievable, fire-breathing dragon, and even a skeleton! Any fan of this movie must own this comic book!

Marvel selected quite a solid creative team for this one, and although these creators aren’t the biggest names from that decade, anyone that cares to research them will find out that they did some phenomenal work over their careers! Writer – John Warner (Son of Satan, Rampaging Hulk), pencils & inks – Sonny Trinidad (Marvel Classics, Marvel B&W Mags), colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by Jim Novak, edited by Marv Wolfman, and cover by Gil Kane! Take a look at these awesome pages!

Marvel Super Action #3, 1977 “The Sleeper Strikes!”

Posted on January 29, 2015 by billyd75

Any chance I get to grab some of Jack Kirby’s work, I don’t hesitate. I know some people are sticklers for original stuff, but I’m just fine with grabbing a fifty-cent copy of a reprint title like this one. Yeah, sometimes there are slight alterations to the covers, but typically, the interiors are the same. So, instead of trying to save up my pennies and buy a copy of Captain America #102 (1968), I’ll just look at my copy of this book (Marvel Super Action #3, 1977), and enjoy reading about the exploits of Captain America, and his fight against the Nazi weapon, the Sleeper! A guest appearance by Colonel Nick Fury, the love of Steve’s life, Sharon Carter, and the machinations of the Red Skull!

Of course, the story was scripted by Stan Lee, but the wondrous work of Jack ‘King’ Kirby is the draw. His style is perfect for a villain like the Red Skull, and the way he draws the Sleeper, is very frightening. Of course, you get the usual, brilliance with Kirby drawing Cap and the beautiful Sharon Carter (A.K.A. Agent 13), and the standard that Kirby set for that character will always be remembered! The inks are by Syd Shores, and letters by ‘Adorable’ Artie Simek.

Marvel Spotlight #4, 1972 “Island of the Damned!”

Posted on January 27, 2015 by billyd75

Although there’s no specific reference in the comic book itself, Marvel Spotlight #4 (1972) is definitely an homage to the H.G. Wells book “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” That fantastic story has been adapted to the big screen a few times, with varying results, but in this case, it was a resounding success. The issue is only the third appearance of this character (Jack Russell/ the werewolf), and his supporting cast, but you already feel attached to him and his troubled life even in that short amount of time. The story follows Jack to an island, almost like the very same one in the Wells book.

If there was ever any doubt about the talent of Gerry Conway (and just for Spider-Man, there shouldn’t be), read his horror work, and you’ll be hard-pressed to not be impressed by his work. As if that wasn’t enough of a selling point, you get the absolutely eerie artwork of Mike Ploog, that is nothing short of a visual feast! Toss in the letters of comic book mainstay, Sam Rosen, and you’ve got one heckuva comic book!

Marvel Two-in-One #19, 1976 “Claws of the Cougar”

Posted on January 19, 2015 by billyd75

My love for Marvel’s comic books of the 1970’s is legendary, and especially their anthology books. The top series being Marvel Two-in-One, but also Marvel Team-Up, is a close second. The latter was good, but the first offered more obscure stories and team-ups, and that is right up my alley. In this crazy story, we start the tale with some mild sexual tension, at least for Tigra, anyway. Ben Grimm doesn’t reciprocate the feelings, but that doesn’t stop her from hitting on him repeatedly. The two must fight together, and defeat a foe that admits he’s mad, and will stop at nothing to increase his power! Let’s start with the cover for once. Typically I give that person(s) credit at the end, but when Jack ‘King’ Kirby is involved, you must lead off with him! The work was inked by ‘Fearless’ Frank Giacoia (with alterations by John Romita), but the Kirby pencils still are very powerful. Not to be overshadowed, is the interior artwork by ‘Our Pal’ Sal Buscema (pencils), and ‘Dashing’ Don Heck (inks) are fantastic in their own right. The plot is from Tony ‘The Tiger’ Isabella, but the script was by ‘Boisterous’ Bill Mantlo! Letters provided by ‘Karefree’ Karen Mantlo, and colors by Petra Goldberg! Definitely give this series a shot, you won’t be disappointed!

Thor #238, 1975 “Night of the Troll”

Posted on January 16, 2015 by billyd75

As everyone knows, one of the best comic books is the mighty Thor! In this issue, we see that Thor has battled Ulik the Troll, and lost! Well, not really, but Ulik was smart enough to capture Jane Foster, so Thor surrenders. Ulik has had some trouble down in the nether regions…of subterranean Earth, and he strong-arms Thor into fighting for his cause. Typically, Ulik is just a villain that antagonizes Thor, and then they fight, so this story was a different angle for him.

Under the keen eyes of editor, Len Wein, Gerry Conway, who would later be followed by Wein as writer, crafted a nice little run on the title. From issue #193- 238, Conway showed the readers that he wasn’t a one-trick-pony with his success on the Amazing Spider-Man, but could forge some new ground with Thor. Not to be outdone, is the man, myth, and legend, ‘Big’ John Buscema. You can just look at his work in any comic, and it screams talent, and professionalism. The man never to a minute off in his work. Inked by the incomparable, Joe Sinnott, colors by Don Warfield, and letters by John Costanza, this swan song of Conway’s is a must have for fans of Thor or the Bronze Age! Cover by the great Gil Kane, with inks by the ever dependable Al Milgrom!

Doctor Strange: From the Marvel Vault #1, 2011 “This Old House”

Posted on December 28, 2014 by billyd75

Contrary to the opinions of some, there a few decent comics books that were published after the 1980’s. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Bronze and Silver Age as a whole, much more than anything that’s come after, but there are some diamonds in the rough, you just have to find them! Case in point, this 2011 offering from Marvel that features a story that Roger Stern wrote many years before, but it was never published. In this story, we see just how the old Doc took up residence on Bleeker street in NYC! At one time the house was considered haunted, and that’s why no one would live there. It just so happens that the Doc has just returned from doing some traveling, and learned a few tricks of his own!

The story from Roger Stern (plot aid from Joe Edkin) is a great one, and really seems like one that you would’ve read back in the Bronze Age. Artists Neil Vokes (pencils) and Jay Geldhof (inks), give us a spectacular job rendering the Doc, and all the demons inside the house! Not to be outdone is colorist, Lee Loughridge, who adds some eerie tones when needed, but also some bright tones that pop very nicely in the more brightly lit panels. A few really good black & white flashback scenes are the icing on the cake! Throw in an awesome cover by Mario Alberti, and you’ve got a gem that must be sought out by any fan of the Sorcerer Supreme! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Doctor Strange #68, 1984 “Sword and Sorcery”

Posted on December 22, 2014 by billyd75

As the month draws closer to the end, so does my spotlight on Doctor Strange. One issue that I must talk about is this one, issue number sixty-eight. It features not only the Doc, but another one of my favorite characters, the Black Knight! Also, the lady named Victoria Bentley, and her relationship with both men. Dane Whitman (the current Black Knight and the one from this story), was just recently released from his curse that had entrapped him in stone, but he seems to now have some type of madness that is deadly for those around him! A duel between the Knight and the Sorcerer Supreme is upon us!

This story was during the fantastic run of Roger Stern. He also wrote the great story that featured the second war between Dr. Strange and Dracula! The artist, Paul Smith, had a brief run on the title, and did a solid job as well. Having a great inker like Terry Austin didn’t hurt either though, and we know all about his exploits with people like John Byrne, for example. Written by Roger Stern, pencils (and cover) by Paul Smith, inks by Terry Austin, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Jim Novak, and edited by Carl Potts! Enjoy!

Dr. Strange King-Size Annual #1, 1976 “and there will be worlds anew!”

Posted on December 10, 2014 by billyd75

Different decades mean different things to all of us, but certain eras are definitely made more spectacular by a select few. A couple of those names for me personally (for the 1970’s) are most certainly Marv Wolfman and P. Craig Russell. Both of these gentleman became big names in the 1970’s, and rightfully so. Wolfman for his work with Marvel Comics horror titles, initially (Tomb of Dracula, and wrote/edited many black & white mags), and Russell with his work also for Marvel, on the title Amazing Adventures featuring Killraven. Of course, both did spot jobs here and there on whatever they could get their hands on, but both have a knack for creating on titles with a supernatural or mystical aspect to them.

In this wild adventure, Dr. Strange must travel to an otherworldly plane to battle for his lover, Clea. The enemy he must face is beautiful as well though, but very dangerous and powerful! Get ready, because this one’s a real head trip! Co-plotted by Russell and Wolfman, scripted by Marv Wolfman, pencils, inks, and colors by P. Craig Russell, letters by John Costanza, and cover by Dave Cockrum! Enjoy!

Doctor Strange #6, 1974 “Lift High The Veil of Fears!”

Posted on December 4, 2014 by billyd75

After just a few issues, the Englehart/Brunner team lost one of its members. The rigors of monthly comics just didn’t suit the style of Frank Brunner, so he stepped aside from that chore (still doing awesome covers like this one). It just so happened that someone else with incredible artistic talents was ready and willing to take up the job! Gene “The Dean” Colan returned to the character that he had worked on before back in the late Silver Age, along with Roy Thomas, Tom Palmer, and others. Colan has done a lot of magnificent work in his lifetime, but other than Tomb of Dracula, I think Dr. Strange was his best work. The character just seemed to fit his style perfectly, and Colan really added a more macabre feeling to the book.

In this issue, the Sorcerer Supreme and Clea are beset by the unyielding powers of Umar and of course, the Dread Dormammu! This fantastic issue was written by Steve Englehart, pencils by ‘Gentleman’ Gene Colan, inks by Mr. Klaus Janson, letters by Sir Tom Orzechowski, colors by the indomitable Petra Goldberg, and edited by ‘Lively’ Len Wein! Enjoy!