Monsters Unleashed #6 (Marvel Magazine/1974)

Marvel Comics attempt to compete with Warren in the black & white magazine continued with their second launch Monsters Unleashed. This particular issue was a mixture of new material and Atlas era reprints.

Leading with Frankenstein, 1974: Once a Monster -Always a Monster we are treated to one of the most bizarre tales old Frankie could have faced. A rather insane scientist has been experimenting with brain transfers and ended up putting the mind mouse of in Frankenstein's head. Things did not go too well after that. The scientist also happens to be dead, but doesn't realise it. There is more at play here than we realise.

The Strange Children is an Atlas reprint I remember reading elsewhere. Probably in one of those wonderful Alan Class reprint books back in the sixties. Needless to say it's all a bit creepy and a bit more frightening than the Pied Piper ever could be....

Darkflame is an instantly forgettable story about a monster that crawls out of a volcano when a bomb wakes it up, though The Maggots which follows may be another Atlas reprint but is gross when you see the end.

The Scrimshaw Serpent finishes the magazine off with the tales of a witches curse and whalers that doesn't surprise but leaves you with the feeling they just should have left the woman and that boy alone.

Monsters Unleashed lasted just 11 issues, with the Frankenstein strip continuing into the one issue Legion of Monsters magazine..

Supergirl #9 (DC/1974)

Supergirl #9 (DC)

No credits (w) & (a)

Superman's cousin Supergirl finally got her own solo comic in 1972 of which this her penultimate issue and the next issue was the last. DC had begun to struggle a bit in the seventies with rise of Marvel and there was a lot of competition on the racks.

In this issue we see Supergirl rescue a canoodling couple from falling over a cliff only to discover the man was due to be her date for her alter-ego Linda Danvers. Dale turns out to be a right heel as do a other men as Kara decides to leave the world of men behind her as she helps rescue Queen Hippolyta (mother of Wonder Woman) from attack by mutated "shark-men".

Agreeing to become an adopted daughter of the Queen of the Amazons on the island of Themyscira she takes up residence away from "mankind". No sooner has she done this then Supergirl agrees to go on a mission to collect a rare plant which will cure Nubia from her injuries sustained in the recent attack.

On Cologi Island she looks for the cologi plant but when Kara is about to leave she is attacked by three witchmen hidden in false stone heads who steal her powers. Only the timely intervention of a white ape saves her. But all is not as it seems.

The ape is a fake, a costume being worn by a lone chinaman, the last of his people who had settled here....

Of course she gets her powers back eventually and learning her lesson about culture returns to man's world.

A tale reflecting the growing feminism of the seventies.

Sales were just not high enough for this book sadly, however there are 10 issues to collect and enjoy, plus her solo appearances in Adventure Comics.

 

The Super-Heroes #1 (Marvel UK/1975)

In March 1975 Marvel UK added another title to it's expanding range of weekly titles. Stan Lee in a guest editorial said it was down to the demand of British readers that more of their mags were needed. The same week Savage Sword of Conan also launched.

This comic shows how different Marvel comics were to it's British rivals. Just two features. The Silver Surfer and The X-Men both from the first issues of their respective US titles. Some older readers (like myself would remember the X-Men from Fantastic published by Power Comics for just over a year or so back in the sixties. Howver there was now a whole new generation of comics readers to entertain!

 

Readers did notice the differences between the two strips, The Surfer was published in 1968 after Marvel had hit the big time in the US and was far more sophisticated than the X-men published way back in 1963. Despite his cool appearnace the Surfers title had long been cancelled in the states and the X-Men back then was not the phenomenon it has become today.

The first two issues of The Super-Heroes includes the origin of the Silver Surfer and sees Norrin radd offer his services to galactus in order to save his homeworld of Zenn-La, a paradise for the people who lived there.

The X-Men left their training school and confronted Magneto for the very first time to prevent the evil mutant taking over a missile base. At this time the X-Men, despite being mutants were not feared by the public. That was yet to come.

 

Over the next couple of issues the Surfer would confront the lizard like Baddon who had come to conquer earth whilst the X-men confronted the Vanisher.

The content of The Super-Heroes was to change over its short life. In part because Marvel simply ran out of Surfer material (the US comic lasted just 18 issues sadly), but that's a story for the future.

These stories are classic Marvel and help form the foundation of their comics universe today.

Excalibur; Weird War III (GN) (Marvel/1990)

This magazine sized graphic novel is indeed a quite "weird" and is a frankly disturbing tale set on two worlds crossing over into each other. Ours and one ruled by Nazi's.

This different Earth not only has Hitler alive, though not too well as he's in a wheelchair but also introduces us to a rather unpleasant version of Charles Xavier who has created the Lightning Squad to serve the Fuhrer.

Here a very different kind of Holocaust is taking place as the Nazi machine strips the physic souls of the living in it's death camps for use in their quest to make the "X-Man".

The Red Skull is building a "Nullotron" to protect his regime from uprisings such as that led by Magneto in the past.

Now Excalibur enter the Fray. Captain Britain, Meggan, Kitty, Nightcrawler and Phoenix.  The future of two worlds depend on what they do next.

Although I have not read them, this Nazi world had previously appeared in Excalibur #10, The Cross-Time Caper. 

Worth picking up if you see a copy on sale.

Savage Tales featuring Ka-Zar #8 (Marvel Magazine/1974)

Ka-Zar was a hero originally created in 1936 for a short lived "pulp"magazine that eventually found not just his way into comics but into the Marvel Universe and was a well known supporting character who appeared in several of the comic books. A number of attempts have been made to give Ka-Zar his own book and this black & white magazine was one such effort.

Aimed at more mature readers this range of magazines was not restricted bu the Comic Codes Authority and the violence and horror was certainly more to the fore whilst this book with the appearance of SHIELD certainly meant it had connections to the mainstream MU.

Also appearing in this story was Sheena, another late thirties creation who also made it into Marvel.

The Billion Year War was one of three strips contained in this issue. A bizarre tale of a war that came to an end after a millennia of "peace" with Ka-Zar mistaken for the opponent of the monstrous Grond who is released from a capsule being used as a Totem by primitives.

What sets this apart from Tarzan is the simple fact all the jungle action takes place in Antarctica within the hidden land where dinosaurs and other mysteries exist.

Other stories included Brak the Barbarian with all the usual Conan-like wizards and monstrosities and an ancient reprint of Jann of the Jungle. The latter being well, a bit lame to be honest and not that popular if the letter writers are to be believed.

I've always had a soft spot for Ka-Zar and his companion a sabre-toothed tiger so I quite enjoyed this romp.

Savage Tales however was short-lived and lasted just 11 bi-monthly issues. Few of Marvels foray into the magazine market lasted very long, Warren Magazines were the dominant publisher in that world. However Marvel did produce some memorable magazines and the one exception to the failure of it's line was Savage Sword of Conan which ran for 235 issues!

 

DC Super-Stars #3 (DC/1976)

DC Super-Stars #3 (DC)

Jim Shooter (w) Curt Swan (a)

Featuring Superboy & the Legion of Super-Heroes this edition of the reprint title DC Super-Stars brings readers to a different kind of Legion story , one where they are all adults and receive a visit from Superman rather than Superboy.

Reprinted from Adventure Comics #354 & #355 this tells the tale of a traitor in the ranks of the Legion of Super-Heroes or so they are led to think as their secrets are stolen, weapons and spacecraft damaged and sabotaged.




Superman arrives in a later time period than he used to visit as a boy and finds Cosmic Boy now Cosmic Man slightly balding as are other former comrades, many of whom have now left the Legion, married and are settled with kids. A different world to the one readers were used to when Superboy was a lad.

Short of personnel the Legion has had to merge with its "substitutes" to keep the flag flying and despite all the wondrous technology, (some of which we see as Clark traverses the universe meeting up with his old pals) they cannot figure out the mystery of the saboteur.

Needless to say following the old costume "switcheroo" trick they find Kid Ferro's twin brother is responsible. Or is he?

Of course not. Enter the Legion of Super-Villains.

A cracking little tale from the sixties represented for the seventies that's still worth a read today. Sadly the Legion no longer have a comic or it seems a place in the DC universe. The future has changed, for the worse if you followed Justice League 3000/3001.

Hopefully now that books (sadly) cancelled, DC's rebirth will bring back the Legion.

Excalibur #1 (Marvel/1988)

Excalibur #1 (Marvel Comics)

Chris Claremont (w) Alan Davis (a)

A Marvel comic set in the UK featuring Captain Britain with a team of mutants. Phoenix, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Caps girlfriend Meggan. With art by Captain Britain's "definitive" artist whats not to like. And like this series was as it lasted 125 monthly issues!

This first issue is not quite the beginning, that was in the one-shot The Sword is Drawn. Here however the adventures of Marvel UK's greatest creation continues into the world, the multiverse and beyond.

The first issue sees our team begin to gel as they fight the Warhounds who have a rather disgusting habit of using human skin for disguise. These evil hounds kidnap Kitty Pride (shadowcat) thinking she's Phoenix.

Well Kitty is disguised as Phoenix.

It's the third issue that really sees the team "gel" as a unit as Excalibur moves into Brian Braddocks home, a lighthouse which becomes their base of operations and leads inevitable squabbling.

Did I mention there's some odd happenings here. Through the wardrobe doesn't cut it really.

And Cap really should cut down on the whiskey.

The beginning of a great comic book epic that is entertaining, full of action and doesn't take itself too seriously......