Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
***
Another month has gone past.
And the strange thing is that, forty years ago this month, another month had also gone past. With coincidences like that, it can only be a sign from the gods that I have to look at what Marvel was publishing with a cover date of October 1982.
And who am I to defy the comic book gods?
Sadly, that's all the information I can impart about this issue, other than that it's the product of Bruce Jones and Val Mayerik.
Sadly, that effort turns out to be for naught and Sam gives his life to thwart Strucker's attempts to use a B-52 for nefarious purposes.
By a B-52, I mean the bomber, of course. Not a band member of the B-52's.
I can officially confirm that no members of the B-52's were harmed during the making of this comic.
Now it's trouble for Daredevil, as his strengths become his weaknesses and his super-senses go out of control.
Fortunately, there's always Stick to give him advice on such things.
Not so fortunately, the Black Widow's fatally poisoned during her latest mission for SHIELD. Can this be the end for the rascally Russian?
Can Marvel's finest family really be in league with Dr Doom?
Yes, they can, as they battle to help him regain control of his kingdom.
But, of course, they haven't reckoned with their enemy's new, improved intellect.
I do believe Betty Ross, Rick Jones and Bereet are also contained within this tale and I have no doubt they prove invaluable to our hero in his battle.
Speaking of which, I've a feeling that much of this issue is taken up with the Wasp getting to know Don Blake.
But could that villain also be responsible for the menacing robots known as The Chessmen?
I'm sure he or she can but I can't recall just who he or she is.
Wolverine must single-handedly defeat the Brood in a tale I remember as being somewhat confusing, with Wolvie not really speaking or thinking like himself.
Scott Lang tries to break Yellowjacket out of the cell he's being held in for the crimes Egghead trapped him into committing.
However, Hank's determined to do the right thing and not escape.
But then he finds out Jan's carrying-on with Tony Stark.
Under the burden of such news, can it be long before Hank breaks out and unleashes the full fury of his awesome powers?
Only losers do!
Winners only need a pair of shoes, in order to spread terror.
It's true! The Tarantula's back!
The trouble is I can't remember what he actually gets up to.
Then again, judging by that cover, it seems he doesn't have the chance to get up to anything.
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15 comments:
HI All!
As Oor Wullie would say, "Go forth and Conker!!!
And Charlie did that Conker that month in 1982! Though in his early 20s and likely hanging on for dear life taking yet another mind-numbing class in Thermodynamics he managed to read two of those comics!
Is the FF one where Doom is actually shrunk down and stuffed into the equivalent of a city in a bottle and it ends with him being chased by his own doom bots??? IIRC the FF had been initially stuck in said bottle?
No Charlie, its the one with the second part of the story where the FF have to accept their effort at 'regime change' was a disaster, and they help Dr Doom become ruler of Latveria again.
Steve, its been ages since I've read any of that X-Men run, but wasn't Wolverine under the influence of his healing factor rejecting the Brood egg inside him or something like that?
Anyway, cover of the month: Daredevil #187. Simple, but eye catching.
Although its also nice to see Doom towering over the FF.
-sean
For a bit of context, the only interesting coming out of DC in October '82 was Night Force #3 by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. Unless you happen to like the pre-Moore Saga of the Swamp Thing, which hit #6.
But it was a good month for the new independents, with -
Ms Mystic #1 by the late, great Neal Adams, making a return to monthly comics (although arguably he might have been better off just doing it as an artist, and not a writer too)
Pacific Presents #1, featuring the Rocketeer
Sabre #2 by Dauntless Don McGregor and - sorry, I don't know what his alliterative adjective was - Paul Gulacy
Cerebus #43 'Election Night'
And - milestone alert - the Hernandez brothers' Love & Rockets #1.
-sean
Daredevil and X-men for me, as usual. I really enjoyed The Brood storyline in X-men and reckon it was the last great run before I gave the title away (just shy of #200). Yes Wolverine was impacted as he healed after rejecting the embryo placed inside him and was visually scarred during this issue. He's also had a very Miller-esque internal narrative which, with hindsight, was probably due to this issue being written in parallel with the Claremont/Miller Wolverine mini-series. I also thought Dave Cockrum went out on a high with this, and the following two issues, before Paul Smith took over the title.
Sean, I think mentioning Ms. Mystic and monthly in the same sentence is fraught with peril. Didn't the 2nd issue come out in 1984? Also it was a bit... you know. Agree, however, that Love & Rockets was a game changer. I didn't come on board a for a couple of years but the eventual impact the title had was immense.
DW
You're quite right DW, I should have used an expression like 'four colour' comics rather than 'monthly' for Ms Mystic. As you point out, it wasn't even an annual - the third issue didn't come out til early '89!
And yes, it was a bit... you know. Or rather, a lot... you know. Although to be fair, at least it wasn't Skateman.
-sean
A despised leader is ousted but returns. Trump? Boris?
Seeing as the Brits have gone back to the early 70s Colin, I say bring back Galactus. He would have done a better job than Edward Heath, thats for sure.
https://www.djfood.org/vote-galactus/
-sean
I dunno, Sean — I think BATMAN ANNUAL 8 is the bestest DC comic this month. The story is nothing to write home about , but Trevor Von Eeden’s art is stylish as hell.
Not to brag, but I was on board with LOVE AND ROCKETS right out of the gate. I was a regular reader of THE COMICS JOURNAL, and it was hard to miss their promos for the comic. I think they may have given the first self-published issue a rave review too? Anyhow, I got the first issue hot off the mag rack at the American Comic Book Company in Studio City, loved it, bought every subsequent issue for decades.
Of these Marvels, once again, I think the only ones I bought at the time were FF and DD. Actually, I may have stopped getting FF by then, so maybe just the DD…?
b.t.
BT - Did you also read the buyers guide for comic fandom? I was a devoted reader for many many years up until the end about 10 years ago?
Fair point on the Bats annual b.t.
The first Love & Rockets I got was #3. I remember ads for the first one in the Kitchen Sink Spirit mag, and was curious but gave it a miss when I saw it it in the comic shop because.... well, money. An unfortunate but inevitable limitation, and obviously I regretted it.
But just to be clear, I didn't pass on L&R #1 so I could get the first issue of Ms Mystic!
More likely the latest Heavy Metal. I think this was the era when they featured Kaluta's Starstruck, and a lot of Berni Wrightson. Possibly even the start of the Ranxerox.
The original self-published L&R #1 is on Ebay if you're interested. A mere grand and a half...
-sean
Hulk's first battle with the U-Foes was entertaining, but I never read this one.
Amazing (pun intended) that a mag would show the hero, Spider--Man, clocking out the villain on the cover. I wouldn't think it was a great sales move. The editors were lax on that one.
The Cap tale might have been boosted by the appearance of the B-52's. Then they could've had Flock Of Seagulls become the new Masters Of Evil.
-Killdumpster
Anonymous up yonder (Charlie? Phillip?) :
Yes, I did read the Comics Buyers’s Guide regularly for a few years. I even bought my first few pieces of comics art from one of the sellers there, three pages from CONAN THE BARBARIAN 27 by Buscema and Chan. IIRC, they were around 40 bucks apiece, which seemed like a hefty sum at the time. But now it makes me sad that I didn’t buy MORE of ‘em!
I also bought my first copy of WEIRD TALES from a Buyer’s Guide seller, the December 1934 issue, featuring ‘ A Witch Shall Be Born’ by REH, plus a Jirel of Joiry story by C.L. Moore and and a Zothique story by Clark Ashton Smith — so, a pretty damn good issue. Don’t remember how much I paid for it at the time, but it seemed very reasonable.
b.t.
There was a copy of that self-published Love & Rockets still on the shelf in one of the Brisbane comics shops, when I arrived in the mid 90s. I wish I could report I bought it. I think my first issue of L&R was either #14 or #15, although I managed to get most back to #2, pretty much at cover price. I sold them prior to leaving England, which is probably why I didn't immediately jump at the self published issue when I saw it.
I did have the first two Ms. Mystic, Skate-man#1 and Megalith #1, should he ever launch 'Steve Does Regretful Purchases' :-) I'll be all over that...
DW
b.t. - Anonymous is Charlie, not me! The only pulp magazine I've got ( I can't remember if it's Weird Tales or not - nor can I find it, right now!) featured an Abraham Merritt story, so it's obviously not the same one! Three "hits" in one issue is exactly what magazine buyers - particularly lapsed ones - are looking for!
Phillip
Any thoughts on Alan Moore's rant, yesterday?
Phillip
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