Tarzan Winter Special 1980 (Byblos)

One of the most enduring of fictional characters is Tarzan. Created by Edgar Rice Burroughs in a series form they started appearing as books from 1912. There have been numerous novels, movies and comics ever since.

This "Winter Special" appeared on newsstands from Italian publishers Byblos in 1980 and was in fact a regular publication with other seasonal specials. The stories appear to be of European origin and have simply been translated for the British market.



There are three stories in this issue starting with The Kigoma Massacre whereby Tarzan sets out to stop a group of white slavers from wiping out the Numkima tribe in Central East Africa. The second features Tarzan helping some gold miners against a crooked property developer in Heart of Gold.

The final feature sees Tarzan fighting a murderous giant ape in The White Ape.

All pretty typical stuff you'd expect from the Lord of the Jungle.

Worth a dip.

Battlestar Galactica #1 (Dynamite Ent)

Battlestar Galactica #1 (Dynamite Entertainment)

Cullen Bunn (w) Alex Sanchez (a)

Dynamite Entertainment have just published the first issue of a new mini-series featuring the original crew of the TV show Battlestar Galactica. In this adventure we see the fleet enter a black hole that appears without warning and though slightly damaged and some losses the remnants of the human race find themselves in an uncharted part of space.

Meanwhile Captain Adama is seemingly in a coma despite his brain showing levels of activity which should mean he's awake. Adama finds himself in what he thinks must be a dream world but is there more to it?

Apollo takes a group of vipers ahead to investigate this unknown region and finds a planet that may hold the key to this mystery. But eyes are upon them as the Cylons relentlessly follow Galactica and it's fragile fleet into the black hole themselves.

But the Cylons are attacked. And their attackers are not human.......

Issue 1 is in comic shops now!

Weird Worlds Vol 2 #3 (Eeire/1971)

One of the shorter lived magazines published the "masters of gore" Eerie was Weird Worlds  a sci-fi based anthology that lasted just five issues in 1970/71 which was a pity really if this one was anything to go by.

There are no less than eight stories in this edition cover dated June 1971, though one, Space Rot is a text feature. Despite it's cover not all the content was actually science-fiction. There are a few horror stories but nothing to complain about..

The magazine leads with a scientists unfortunate drugs trip into his inner mind. Successful but when he returns to reality he's in for more than a wee surprise. The Evil Trip certainly lives up to its name!

The Metal Replacements which follows is one of those robots threatening the future of mankind. And those kids should leave the detritus of war on the rubbish tip where it belongs.

The remaining stories Torture Chamber, Fiends from the Crypt, The Slimey Gargoyle and The Old Cronies Voodoo are traditional horror fare. The stuff from which nightmares are made.

I do confess to rather liking Eerie's publications. I have one more to review in due course. They are not always easy to find and can be a little pricey, but well worth the admission!

 

Tales of Voodoo Vol 3 #5 (Eerie/1970)

In order to get around the censorship of the Comics Code Authority a number of publishers went with a black & white magazine format aimed at the "adult" market. The most famous of these companies was Warren with the long running Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella titles. However there was another competitor on the block, that of Eerie.

I had heard of these but until this week had never purchased or read any of their output. Tales of Voodoo from 1970 had a gruesome cover that promised much therein and considering the era in which they were published were worth a look.

This issue contains no less than eight stories which were all pretty gruesome or disturbing in their own way, Starting with The Demon is a Hangman, the scene is set with a man who gets carried away and obsessed with carrying out the perfect hangings, but will his obsession catch up with him?

The Gutless One tells a tale of a man who cannot stand up to his father and loses the love of his life. Will he finally have the guts to be a man? And whose guts in particular one might ask!

Other stories of note include Terror Unlimited when little men give you all you would wish for what is the price to paid. The fact they had cloven hooves and horns should have rung an alarm bell. Mirror of Madness is about love jealousy and deceit. Nothing supernatural but were the plotters fate pre-destined? They certainly got their just reward.

Ending with a tale of a lonely baboon Man-Beast is more tragic than horror but what would you do given the circumstances.

Eerie published a mixture of new and reprinted material from the pre-code fifties. Worth picking up a copy or two when you find them.

 

Animosity #1 (Aftershock)

Animosity #1 (Aftershock)

Marguerite Bennett (w) Rafael De Latorre (a)

One day something happens.

Something strange. Something wonderful. Something frightening..

The animal world achieves sentience and not only talks, but fights back. How will the animal in your home behave. Will they show love or hate. Whatever it's the end of the world as we know it. No more hamburgers that's for certain.

This story interests, intrigues, disturbs and frightens all in one wonderfully drafted vision of what could be, what might be if animals were like us.

It's also the story of young Jesse and her dog Sandor. He loves her. How will they cope.

A must buy from the new Aftershock comic company. 10/10. Highly recommended.

Bet you'll cry...

Bizarre Adventures #30 (Marvel Magazine/1981)

For some unknown reason Marvel changed the title of Marvel Preview to Bizarre Adventures as of #25. though the content was more or less the same. Sadly it was to only last another 10 issues but there is some interesting material to be found here.

There are four features in this issue, all science-fiction based. The main story is about a future Earth which dominates the solar-system through control of food, which can only be grown on Earth itself. Many inhabitants of other worlds have been genetically altered to work and survive in their new environments. Racism is endemic.

A rebellion is festering and Earths agents are being killed so the call goes out to Paradox, himself genetically engineered but able to maintain a human form, to find the mole disrupting security.  Will he succeed or will Earth lose it's power. Does Paradox even want Earth to win. He has a grudge.

The second feature is Silhouette, a woman who engages a rough trader to help her enrich herself under the noses of the "one true religion" led by the Pope to control the galaxy. Silhouette isn't who she seems either.....

Finished off with a frightening tale of body part control called Honour and a humour strip Bucky Bizarre (which wasn't to my tastes) this is a solid sci-fi issue from the long departed "black & white magazine genre which I for one miss.

Blackhawk # 212 (DC/1965)

Blackhawk #212 (DC)

No credits (w) & (a)

First published by quality comics way back in 1941 the tales of the multinational Blackhawk team were eventually taken over by DC comics and were published continuously until 1984. This year represents the 75th anniversary of the team who regretfully no longer have a comic of their own and are currently in "comics limbo".

There was an attempt to re-launch Blackhawk a few years ago when DC rebooted it's "universe" with the New 52 but it wasn't the best of adaptations and didn't last long.

The Blackhawks consisted of Blackhawk himself plus Hendrickson, Stanislaus, Olaf, Chuck, Andre and "chop-chop". On occasion they would be joined by the glamorous Lady Blackhawk.

By the sixties the team had long stopped fighting world war two and faced the usual range of super villains, monsters and threats that were in vogue.

 

Master of the Mold Monster (that's Mould for British readers) the team faced a series of improbable heists committed by villains who had changed their entire appearance. The perpetrator of this wheeze was The Molder, (who would have guessed) who invented a machine to change people.

We discover that this amazing machine even changes the clothes of the man put in the machine as Thornton, having committed another robbery plans to frame Blackhawk for his crimes. For some reason Blackhawks buddies think it's a good idea to put their leader in the machine when entering the den.

Blackhawk becomes a monster. It was down to the settings.....

Of course they win through in the end and the issue finishes off with a solo tale of Chop-Chop doing his own impersonation to infiltrate a Japanese air force squadron and ends up leading a Kamikaze mission against the Blackhawks. How does he get out of this one?

Morse code from the smoke screen of course.

But this was the sixties.

Finally here's a fan-made tribute to the gang from You Tube. A mixture of cartoons and film serials the sound track is a bit variable but fun nonetheless.