Starlord Annual 1980

One the more fondly remembered but short-lived comics was Starlord, a science fiction anthology produced to a high standard with some memorable strips such as Strontium Dog and Ro-busters which most readers will be more familiar with in 2000AD.

Starlord lasted just 22 weekly issues before being merged with the lesser selling but cheaper to produce sister title 2000AD.

  

There was one summer special and despite Starlord's short run, no less than three Annuals cover dated between 1980 and 1982.

Promoted as the Sci Fi book of the year this volume is a mix of new and reprinted material from across the Fleetway/IPC back catalogue.

So whilst starting with Strontium Dog and Ro-Jaws, readers also get to meet Captain Condor from the Lion comic in the fifties/early sixties who was created to compete with Dan Dare but never quite achieved Dares iconic status.

Also included were several episodes of Jimmi from Jupiter the tale of a stowaway from Jupiter who was marooned on Earth. This feature also hailed from Lion in 1965.

Other tales included Val Venture in Peril at the Centre of the Earth (from Tiger) which featured giant ants and introduced us to the (almost) indestructable Palpoids. Wonderful stuff.

Invaders from Jupiter finishes off this weighty volume with the RAF fighting back in a reprint whose origin I have been unable to ascertain.

If you can get hold of these annuals they are well worth collecting.

 

House of Mystery #194 (DC/1971)

House of Mystery #194 (DC)

Various (w) & (a)

Dare you enter.. The House of Mystery?

One of DC comics long running anthology titles House of Mystery had started as a "mystery/horror" comic, switched to promoting super-heroes such as the Martian Manhunter and Dial H for Hero but eventually reverted to the original format by the seventies.

Published in 1971 this was the year that DC had switched to a larger format with more pages which meant there were reprints alongside new material. Whilst the horror titles might have proved a good read, the increased price and reprints in their other comics turned out to be a sales loser for the company. It was a move (prompted by Marvel's decision to do the same for just one month) from which DC nearly didn't recover.

This issue is solid enough with four tales leading with Born Loser by Jack Oleck with art from Alex Toth about a man who married for money but was a failure at whatever he turned his hand to, except "black magic".  The tale has a shocking ending. The moral being do not trust the demons you conjure up!

The Human Wave tells a tale of cursed treasure, this time in the form of a sword. Sometimes local legends should be believed.

The Negative Man (nothing to do with the Doom Patrol) is up next and warns the reader of meddling with science. There's no credits on this story but appears to have been drawn by a young Jack Kirby. Any reader know?

The King is Dead written by Jack Oleck with art from N.Redmond finishes the book about a monster who stalks the kingdom but when a new king is on the throne there is a bit of a surprise for his courtiers.

All told a solid read as are most of the issues in this comics latter run.

All introduced by our host, Cain.

 

Dracula Lives (Magazine) #6 (Marvel 1974)

Marvel had a success with Tomb of Dracula in the four colour format so launching a magazine format edition featuring everybody's favourite Count was inevitable. This comic featured stories about Dracula across time plus an adaptation of Bram Stoker's original tale adapted by Roy Thomas and drawn by Dick Giordano.

The main feature was of course the present day adventures of the fanged one with A Death in the Chapel being written by Steve Gerber with art by Gene Colan whom many would consider the definitive artist for Marvel's version of Dracula. Certainly his art fitted the bill in black & white.

Dracula goes to the Vatican in order to confront his most dangerous human enemy, a monk called Montees who has discovered an ancient incantation that can banish vampires including their Lord and and Master from creation. Trouble is the Vatican is no place for a vampire!

Meanwhile back in the days before the French Revolution Dracula plots to gain influence through the King, but falls foul of a trap that nearly destroys him until the peasants storm the Bastille freeing him to fight another day. Shadow over Versailles is written by Tony Isabella with art by John Buscema & Pablo Marcos.

There's even an old reprint from Atlas called Mark of the Vampire to fill the issues quota of vampire goodness.

Dracula Lives ran for 13 issues plus one Annual.

 

Tales of the Zombie #7 (Marvel Magazine/1974)

Mention the word "zombie" and everyone thinks of hordes of mindless flesh-eating cadavers rampaging through the streets munching on the living. Dozens of comics including the highly successful Walking Dead, now a TV series helps maintain that image to todays readers and viewers,but the original "zombies" were quite different.

Tales of the Zombie was part of Marvel Comics foray into the black & white more adult horror comic field.  In this strip Simon Garth had been cursed to rise from the dead and had an individuality given to him in part by a strong"soul" and an amulet that led him on a quest to find the other talisman that would free him from his curse.

In this issue we see a story in which Simon wanders through the bayou but takes a detour to a house in the swamps where an Agatha Christie type murder mystery is taking place, Deciding to help protect a young girl at risk from the murderer the Zombie shuffles into action. Simon kills but doesn't eat his victims.

More traditional Voodoo and black magic than viruses infecting the world this is actually a quite readable tale in a comic that lasted just 10 issues and one "Annual".

 

The Hulk (Magazine) #29 (Marvel/1981)

The Incredible Hulk was a phenomenon back in the late seventies/early eighties and had not just a top selling comic book, but had become a household name after three series of a TV programme. According to the editors Hulk merchandising was second only to Star Wars at that point. No mean achievement for a character that hadn't been that successful at his inception.

This issue was however to be the last of one of the longer running Marvel Magazines which were themselves running out of steam except for the Savage Sword of Conan which lasted well into the nineties.

Originally published as the Rampaging Hulk chronicling the "missed adventures" of ole greenskin between the demise of his first title (which lasted just 6 issues) until his re-appearance in Tales to Astonish, the magazine had been transformed into a glossy colour magazine to take advantage of the TV show. Sadly sales and the fact many stores didn't either stock or know where to put the magazine apparently.

Thus The Hulk reverted to black & white staus but ended with #29.

There are two stories winding up the Hulks adventures in this format. Feudin, which sees Bruce Banner unwittingly kidnapped by a bunch of thieving hillbillies when they hijack a truck unaware who is sleeping in the back. When they discover him and its shipment of mice they are none too happy.

Threatened with death from both the hillbillies and the local beauty's suitor they soon learn that you just don't get the Hulk angry....

There is also a feature on the history of the Hulk up until this point Readers are reminded that the HUlk was originally grey but it wasn't gamma rays that made him green, it was poor colour printing on cheap paper. The original grey was impossible to maintain and green was substituted.

The final story sees the Hulk in Vegas, learning how to get "shiny things" out of slot machines (he doesn't require luck!) and gets involved with a gang feud and becomes a rather unreliable enforcer of sorts.

People never learn.

The Hulks adventures continued (as they do today) in the normal full colour format. And a movie star these days!

The Flintstones #1 (DC)

The Flintstones #1 (DC)

Mark Russell (w) Steve Pugh (a)

Everybody's favourite stone-age family is back. It's not a cartoon (though rumour has it Seth Macfarlane has got the contract) but a comic. And a rather good one at that.

With updated dialogue, seashells as cell-phones old Fred Flintstone has to impress the Boss once more as he gets ordered to take three Cro-Magnon cavemen on a good time in Bedrock. Not that they seem to like their experience very much.

Meanwhile Wilma gets her paintings picked for an art exhibition. She'll feature alongside Andy Warthog and David Rockney. But will her new dress impress.

As you might expect none of this goes well.

Our Cro-Magnon visitors make a poignant observation at the end:

"No offence, but the whole point of civilisation is to get someone else to do your killing for you".

Meanwhile Fred and Wilma console themselves with love.

Highly recommended. And watch out for an alien invasion in issue three out in September!

RIP: Noel Neill, the screens first Lois Lane

Photo: alchetron.com

The actress Noel Neill who played the role of Lois Lane on the big screen in the saturday serials and on the fifties Superman TV shows passed away at the age of 95 on Sunday.

Other roles included the Superboy TV series in the eighties and the film Superman Returns in 2006.

In an odd twist of fate she had planned to follow her father's footsteps to be a journalist but ended up more famous as the fictional reporter.

Her contribution to the world of super-heroes will live on.