Sunday 22 September 2013

This week, I have mostly been reading...

"Steve!" I hear you cry. "What have you been reading lately and when are you going to review it?"

Well, I've been reading quite a lot lately - and I'm going to be reviewing almost none of it.

This isn't because a strange new wave of apathy has swept across my living room. It's because most of the comics I've read lately, I don't have anything to say about that I've not said about other issues in their respective series.

For instance, much as I love Charlton's Midnight Tales, I can't think of anything to say about issues #5 and #12 that I didn't say in my reviews of issues #8 and #9.

Therefore, in the absence of fresh new opinions, I'm going to give you a quick round-up of what I've been looking at.

Defenders #45, Red Rajah

It's the second part of the Red Rajah saga, as the girl Defenders take on the boy Defenders and make a better job of it than the boys ever did.
Jungle Action #6, the Black Panther, Panther's Rage

Don McGregor's Panther's Rage kicks off with T'Challa returning to Wakanda, only to find everyone's a bit fed-up of him.
Justice Inc #3, The Avenger

Jack Kirby's short-lived take on the Avenger gives us men turning into monsters, as the Avenger gains a new sidekick and strikes a blow for racial equality in the pulp era.
Marvel Premiere #2, Warlock, Rhodan

It's like a cross between The Man Who Fell To Earth and Whistle Down The Wind, as Warlock arrives on Counter-Earth and promptly gains a bunch of disciples.

Gil Kane's art's fabby but Roy Thomas lays on the religious allegory so hard it's like being run over by a copy of the Bible.
Modnight Tales #5, Professor Coffin and Arachne

It's more winningly quirky pleasantness from easily my favourite Charlton series, as Professor Coffin and Arachne have a Hellbound diversion.
Midnight Tales #12, Arachne and Professor Coffin, Charlton Comics

And they're back again.
The Shadow #7, Frank Robbins

Reading The Shadow was the first time I ever liked Frank Robbins' artwork.

Here, the scarf-tastic super-doer finds himself mixed up in showbiz shenanigans.
The Shadow #9, Joe Kubert

With Frank Robbins still in charge, the Shadow's up against a smuggling operation at Niagara.
The Shadow #11, The Avenger

It's the Shadow vs the Avenger in the battle to see whose comic's going to be cancelled first. While the strip's still here, there's plenty of lovely E R Cruz artwork to savour.
The Shadow #12, Mike Kaluta

More E R Cruz on the inside and a classic cover by Mike Kaluta on the outside, as the Shadow finds himself up against a town full of Satanists.

Or does he?
Special Marvel Edition #16, Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Midnight

One of my Kung Fu faves, as Shang-Chi finds himself up against his best friend Midnight, from the era when Jim Starlin was still on the art and proving there was more to his repertoire than being Cosmic.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was reading the whole "Panther's Rage" saga only recently in a Marvel Essentials volume. I'd mostly ignored it when it was in Planet Of The Apes in 1975/76 but I'm not sure why, the striking 'splash' pages were unforgettable though.

Steve W. said...

Panther's Rage made a huge impact on me when it was printed in Planet of the Apes. I was most disappointed when it finally came to an end.

Anonymous said...

I recognize a couple of these covers, but my eyeballs perked up right away when I saw that issue of the Defenders! One of my favorite comics of all time! Fantastic art and writing on the inside, and a classic Kirby cover on the outside.

Gey Blabby said...

That Shadow cover by Kaluta is a beauty - not that the other ones are bad, but if ever an artist and character were made for each other it was Michael Kaluta and The Shadow. It's just a shame that he wasn't able to draw more of the stories themselves.