Tuesday 7 August 2018

The Marvel Lucky Bag - August 1968.

Once more a first Tuesday of the month has imposed itself upon us and thus must I inspect what the less high-profile comics published by Marvel in the late 1960s were up to.

Dr Strange #171

I do believe that, in this tale, Strange and Victoria Bentley are in a deadly dimension, on the hunt for Clea but have to contend with Dormammu if they want her back again.

There may be nothing unique about Dormammu showing up in a Clea-related tale, or in Strange having to venture to another realm to rescue a damsel but I've a suspicion this may be the only comic I've ever read that was pencilled by Tom Palmer.

Captain Marvel #4, the Sub-Mariner

I'm fairly certain this is the last Gene Colan issue before Don Heck takes over the reins.

But can it be true? Can Captain Marvel really hope to take on the Sub-Mariner and live?

I wouldn't have thought so. You'd expect Subby to totally flatten him. I can only assume Namor is having an off-day if his foe survives this encounter.

My memories of this tale are vague but I suspect that, as always, Marvy has to fight to protect the Earthmen while making it look like he's trying to get them all killed, while Yon-Rogg and the ever-maudlin Una watch on from their home in orbit.

Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD #3

It's a legendary Steranko cover to a comic whose interior I've never seen.

I gather, from other sources, that the tale within is a tribute to The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Admittedly, the cover does somewhat give that away but it's nice to have it confirmed.

Not Brand Echh #9

I've never read an issue of Not Brand Echh but do recall pages from it frequently showing up as filler in Marvel UK comics. From that, I'm aware that Marie Severin's skills as a cartoonist are put to good use in the book.

Silver Surfer #1

It's the comic that had to happen! After two years of turning up in other people's comics and complaining about each and everything he's encountered, the Silver Surfer finally gets the chance to turn up in his own comic and complain about each and everything he encounters.

You can't get round it, Norrin Radd's a major buzzkill but at least we have a load of great John Buscema art to make up for it.

And that's not the only thing we have - because this issue also features a Gene Colan drawn origin for the Watcher which gives us a valuable warning about the dangers of interfering in other people's planets.

This is why I have never interfered in the affairs of another planet and probably never will.

Sub-Mariner #4, Attuma

I don't know what's going on in this tale but Attuma is clearly up to no good.

What matters is it's yet another comic in which John Buscema gets to work his magic. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before but Buscema's run on this strip is my favourite work by him.

8 comments:

Killdumpster said...

I wasn't able to get another issue of Mar-Vell after #4 till the end of the Kree/Skrull war in Avengers. A combination of sporadic visits to " civilization" & slipshod rack-jobbers stocking the magazine racks at the drug/grocery stores.

Almost glad I didn't. Colan vs Heck? That's like a Delmonico steak vs a convienance store chili dog.

That wasn't Marv's last scrap with Namor. I remember seeing a ad for Subby's book. On the cover Marv was in his red & blues, standing in the water off a beach yelling at Namor to come get some. Namor looked like he was afraid of the water.

Do you have any info on that story, Steve?

Killdumpster said...

Hey, just about every active Marvel hero had a go at Namor in the sixties. I remember Daredevil hanging on to Subby's ankle, being beaten and dragged, but refusing to give up.

I believe the Marv, with his intergalactic combat training along with his superpower, before or after "cosmic awareness" & photonic blasts, could give Subby a run for his money.

There will always be only one, in my heart, mind & soul, ONE Captain Marvel!!!

Errr...except the Big red cheese. Just cuz I grew up with him also. I had no problem with the guys sharing the name.

SHAZAM!!!!

I dislike Carl Mangers in the new comics, & will boycott the movie.

Killdumpster said...

Wonder if the sequel, if there is one, will have Carl Manvers trapped in the Negative Zone, and has to switch out with "Riki" Jones by clanking their Nega-ankle bracelets together. Lol.

I feel very strongly on this topic.

Charlie Horse 47 said...

In all seriousness, look at that CM cover. There are no big, bad, bold fists and poses like in Kirby's cover to DD 43 from Sunday or the other heroic poses on the other covers.

No, this cover is not what one would typically see in a Marvel-comics cover.

Rather, it looks like two guys, tangled up in a fight, like we would actually expect to see. Plus Marvel's got his little jets going to propel him since he cannot fly. I mean, to me it is a seriously realistic mash up.

Gene the Dean indeed!!!

(I do hope CM took his air-breathing drug he must take every hour to breathe on earth, lol.)

Killdumpster said...

I can understand a certain amount of Hollywood "poetic license". I also understand the changing of gender & race of characters that were created 50 years ago, when the world was a different place.

Just don't totally bastratize my childhood mythos for the sake of so-called "diversity".

Wonder Woman was a big hit, but she has name recognition & history. Marvel has been pumping up Carl forever and her books usually sell less than 8000 copies WORLDWIDE!

They're throwing her out there in a movie Just because Wonder Woman was a hit, and believed they needed an ultra-powerful female character to compete.

I heard Capt. Marvel is going to be "Superman level". Huh? Oh, yeah. Riiiight..

Ugh.

Killdumpster said...

I would've preferred Disney aquirring Terrytoons. That way Mighty Mouse could've kicked Thano's butt.

Maybe with the help of the Mighty Heroes. Strong man! Tornado Man! Rope Man! Koo-koo Man & DIAPER MAN!!!

Don't know if you folks experienced their cartoons in the kingdom, but they
Were a gas.I can see'em totally messing up an attack on Thanos, him being mildly amused, and them the team pulling an ace outta the hole

A great superhero parody cartoon classic.

Steve W. said...

KIlldumpster, I'm afraid I have no recall of that other Captain Marvel vs Subby cover.

Charlie, Genial Gene really was indeed a totally different beast to Jolly Jack.

TC said...

Hero vs. hero fights usually ended in a draw, because Stan realized that each character was somebody's favorite. So if Daredevil beat Captain America, then Cap's fans would object, and vice versa. That Sub-Mariner vs. DD battle was sort of an exception. They were obviously mismatched, and Namor could easily mop the floor with Daredevil. But DD refused to surrender, and Namor, impressed by his valor, refused to finish him off.

I could tolerate Carl Manvers as the MCU's Captain Marvel, but I'm annoyed by the news that she will be its most powerful character. Not just the most powerful hero, but the most powerful character. Does that mean that, after the Avengers, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy failed, she will go up against Thanos single handed, and take him out with one punch?

Another Mary Sue. Like Rey in The Force Is Woke and The Last SJW.

Besides, if they really want diversity, they should use Monica Rambeau. Maybe Candace Owens could play the part.

For me, there is only one Captain Marvel, regardless of glitches with trademarks and copyrights. And that's Billy Batson.