Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
It's all kicking off in the skies above us. People seem to be shooting at UFOs, wherever you look.
But what of the contents of our Marvel comics, forty years ago?
Were they proving to be out of this world?
Or were they too coming crashing down to Earth?
As far as I can make out, this issue sees Conan almost tricked into being sacrificed to a dragon - and then having to conduct a huge barney with said dragon.
A barney that I predict the barbarian will win.
SHIELD helps Captain America escape Baron Zemo's lair, and our hero heads off to confront Primus who's determined to wreck Steve Rogers' private life - by pretending to be him!
Now Spider-Man's in trouble - because the Stilt Man's back.
And just as stilty as ever!
I must admit I'm struggling to remember just what his plan is. It probably just involves him striding around on his stilts until someone knocks him over.
Come to think of it, I think it might involve him trying to restore his sense of self-respect by defeating Spider-Man who is, seemingly, the only super-hero he's ever beaten in the past.
Exactly when that was, I have no idea.
There's nothing but action, this issue, as Doc Ock and the Owl have their big confrontation over which of them gets control of a nuclear device.
And, just to cloudy up the waters, the Black Cat's back from the dead, and doing her level best to get in the way of everyone concerned.
When the other gods return to Asgard, following their short sojourn in Don Blake's flat, Sif decides to stay behind on Earth but soon finds herself in physical conflict with brand-new villain Megatak. A menace blessed with the power of a video game!
I haven't read this one but, apparently, it's an issue in which Daredevil plays Russian Roulette with a hospitalised Bullseye.
Well, that sounds... ...great.
It almost makes me miss the days of Mike Murdock.
Things are looking bad for Tony Stark. Not only has Obadiah Stane hypnotised a group of international financiers, in a bid to drive Tony Stark out of business but our hero responds to it all by, once more, hitting the bottle.
The saga of the X-Men being infected by the Brood comes to a head, with the mighty mutants bumping off the Brood Queen. That'll teach her.
Hank Pym's life somehow manages to get even worse. No sooner is he put on trial for treason than he's "rescued" by the New New Masters of Evil - on behalf of Egghead who then convinces his emmet-loving enemy to join forces with him.
Grrr! Bruce Banner smash!
Actually, I know very little about this issue but, from that cover, it's obvious the Leader's back and making his latest bid for revenge against our hero.
Reed Richards still hasn't learnt to stop interfering in the Negative Zone.
And because of that, Annihilus manages to slip through the portal into our world and menace poor old Alicia.
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20 comments:
I hope the Americans aren't pissing off any of our potential extraterrestrial overlords by shooting down these UFOs, Steve.
You're not missing much with Daredevil #191.
Starting with DD going a bit crosshatched Ronin on the cover its a one-off, with Frank Miller trying out a few ideas, and meditating on violence, responsibility, consequences, blah blah etc etc.
I don't want to be too down on anyone at least attempting something different in a mainstream super-hero comic - especially when like Miller they'd earned the right try - but its a bit indulgent. I mean, how far can you really question violence and its effects in a genre thats basically about people dressing up to fight each other? (See also: Moon Knight #26 a month or two earlier)
Plus, Miller and Terry Austin are a bit of a weird art combo. Although admittedly the latter's inks are a bit too tight for my taste even at the best of times, which is probably a minority opinion.
-sean
*earned the right TO try...
Duh. Apologies for the typo.
-sean
Regarding Captain America, Primus should have found himself one of those cosmic cubes to swap out identities with Steve Rogers. I mean it worked so well for the red skull about 160 issues earlier lol
Seems like it’s been forever since I’ve actually read DAREDEVIL 191, but I do remember liking it well enough back in the day. I thought the Miller/Austin combo art was a lot more effective than Sean does, apparently, and I remember being particularly struck by Lynn Varley’s colors too. In any case, it’s the last issue of Miller’s celebrated first run, which makes it worthy of note at the very least.
The next few years of the title are weak at best. It’s not going to get genuinely good again until issue 227 when Frank Miller returns to write the ‘Born Again’ storyline — and a lightbulb goes off over David Mazzuchelli’s head and he goes from being a merely competent comic book artist to being a major talent practically overnight.
b.t.
I also really liked Daredevil and thought the art was quite progressive at the time. I prefer Austin's inks to Miller's own inks on Ronin (as will be revealed in a few months, possibly), or Janson's. Austin probably raised his game with it being a single issue, and seemingly Miller's farewell. In fact, having just looked at some of the original art pages, online, this may be my favourite Miller art job until the early Sin City episodes.
The double-sized X-men was also a favourite. I've said many times, I think this Brood storyline was the last time I really enjoyed an extended X-men storyline. I liked the balance of space-opera and horror, and liked the lead role Wolverine played, without his becoming the central character (as he subsequently does - if that makes sense).
DW
BTW., sorry to carry over the discussion from the prior post, however have Marvel confirmed that there'll no longer be a third Gaiman Miracleman chapter (The Dark Age)? I cant see how two more issues will wrap this up. I notice Buckingham now gets a co-write credit. Perhaps Dark Age will now be his solo work?
DW
I should clarify, i'm referring to #191 above, rather than Daredevil generally.
DW
I haven’t read the X-men issue for decades - I recently picked up an omnibus with it in so I’ll give it a go again.
Weighing in inevitably on DD191…
I also really liked it. It feels like a well-earned moment of reflection (especially after the preceding six months of ninja antics). The change of inker and colourist (to give Janson breathing room to get the preceding double-sized issue finished…?) makes it feel unique. And knowing it’s Miller’s last issue gives it some heft - especially as he’s allowed to take it to an unprecedentedly dark place. Jim Shooter must have hated it.
I followed DD right through between this and Born Again, and there were some occasionally good bits amongst the dross. And also I’d argue Mazzuchelli was revealed as a major talent waaaaay earlier -,when he began inking his own work it was an instant revelation. I remember quite liking his pencils but then picking up the last issue of the interminable Micah Sinn story and thinking ‘whoah’. And he carried on improving after that.
I thought I might be in the minority on Terry Austin. Anyway, never mind DD #191, onto more important matters -
DW, thats right about the new Miracleman just being the one book then? I can't remember where I read there wasn't going to be a Dark Age, but its definitely not happening?
I guess its the post-Gaiman MM next. Maybe Marvel are saving the final showdown with Kid Miracleman for their next mega-crossover event...
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/tom-brevoort-says-miracleman-with-the-avengers-is-inevitable/
"If Marvel had owned Watchmen those characters would have been revived and folded into the Marvel universe decades earlier..."
-sean
Going to watch ONE MILLION YEARS BC, BANDALERO, and MOTHER, JUGS, & SPEED, in honor of the late, great Raquel Welch.
-Killdumpster
I'd throw in FANTASTIC VOYAGE, but I just viewed that recently.
-Killdumpster
Killdumpster lives!!!
Hey, Kd's back. How about Hannie Caulder instead, Kd?
DW, it appears I misread your comment about Miracleman earlier, as a statement about Dark Age rather than a question. Apologies.
So anyway, I'm not sure where I read that. I'm starting to wonder if I imagined it. Who knows? It does seem unlikely that the long wait for the rest of Gaiman's continuation was for just four comics...
-sean
I suppose Raquel Welch will be best remembered for 'One Million Years BC' even though it's a teeny weeny bit historically inaccurate...
Sad news about Rachel Welch. She was certainly an icon for kids of the 1960s /1970s. My favourite of her many films has to be "Fantastic Voyage" which i may watch this weekend.
Raquel Welch, Daryl Hannah, Jennifer Beals, et al. are from Chicago. Hmmm… something in that Lake Michigan water?
Sean
I reckon there will be a further 6 issue 'Dark Age' written and illustrated by Buckingham from a Gaiman plot. I'd be happy with that as Bucky appears to be putting in a lot of effort. I cant imagine he'd completely re-draw the first three Silver Age issues if the full story was never going to be completed.
RIP Raquel. She certainly made an impression.
DW
DW -
That would be interesting. I wish I’d known that was a possibility, as I met Bucky late last year at a signing (he was super-nice to everyone, a real gentleman). I would have stressed to him ‘make some stuff actually happen in each episode’.
Sean-
Good call on HANNIE CAULTER. Saw that at the drive-in when I was a little kid. Don't have that in my library, but will soon.
-Killdumpster
Pretty well spot on there with your memories of ASM bs StiltMan, Steve.
StiltMan wants to beat Spider-Man to get his mojo back. Before doing this, though, he needs to steal something from some lab to strengthen his armour and, what do you know, Spider-Man turns up. Spider-Man is knocked out in the fight when he saves StiltMan from some ray gun thing and StiltMan spares his life and recovers his mojo.
StiltMan is one of the daftest Marvel villains ever but the visuals make him something of a treat.
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