Marvel Classics Comics #22 Food of the Gods
Doug Monech (w) Sonny Trinidad (a)
Adapting classic books to comic format was not new when Marvel launched it's versions in the seventies. I recall being given copies of Classics Illustrated when I was younger, though most of these "worthy" titles were of little interest to me. What I didn't realise until I came to post this article was that Classics Illustrated had actually been launched in the early forties and some are reprinted to this day as quick look in Previews shows.
The Marvel editions are in full colour whereas Classics Illustrated were black & white not that this really matters since it's all in the quality. The stories are what they are and will appeal depending your individual tastes. Science fiction has always been my major interest and having read HG Wells War of the Worlds and The Time Machine plus having seen the movies based on them, I thought it was about time I had a look at Food of the Gods.
The story revolves around two scientists who make a breakthrough in isolating the "growth" gene and develop a food based on this formula. Yes I know the word "gene wasn't in use at the time Wells wrote this book, but with the development of science and all this genetic tampering the story does have a meaning in the modern world.
The spread of the "superfood into the wider environment causes ecological disasters with giant weeds, wasps and rats. And feeding this stuff to a number of humans including one of the scientists sons and a Princess. Soon a conflict develops that bodes ill for all mankind small and large.
Since I've not read the original book I'm not in a position to say how accurate the adaptation is to the original story, but I enjoyed this.
Sadly Marvel Classics Comics lasted just 36 issues but there appear to be one or two gems amongst their output. I'll be reviewing another in due course!
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