Thursday, 13 February 2025

February 15th, 1975 - Marvel UK, 50 years ago this week.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon
***

This week in 1975 was a great one for all fans of creating a post-industrial landscape, as a woman called Margaret Thatcher defeated a man called Edward Heath for the leadership of the UK Conservative Party.

This made Thatcher Britain's first female leader of any political party. She would, of course, not be the last. Other famous female leaders of UK parties, since, have included Liz Truss, Theresa May and Kemi Badenoch.

Marvel UK, Planet of the Apes #17

Inside this epic issue, Jason and Alexander are sentenced to death, by evil mutants. In an arena of death, they join forces with the captured gorilla Warko when they must battle multiple mutated murderous monstrosities.

They're never going to get round to rescuing the Lawgiver, at this rate.

That's followed by a feature on Michael Wilson's re-write of Rod Serling's Planet of the Apes script, and his event-packed career that includes having been on the US communist blacklist.

Then, an ugly man spurned by polite society volunteers to undertake a one-way journey to the centre of the Earth. But, there, he discovers beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

It's yet another Tale of the Watcher. This time, by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and Howard Purcell, reprinted from 1968's Silver Surfer #7 which recycled it from 1962's Amazing Adult Fantasy #12.

And, yes, it does sound remarkably like the origin of the Mole Man.

Mighty World of Marvel #124, Hulk vs the Inheritor

That's all a bit odd. This week's Hulk tale is the second part of his and the Avengers' contretemps with Psyklop but the cover shows him battling the inheritor.

I can only assume someone at Marvel UK thought the Inheritor looked sufficiently like Psyklop that no one reading the book would notice the disparity.

They clearly hadn't counted on my eagle eyes.

Then, it's the second part of the tale in which Daredevil dresses up as Thor in a bid to flush the Cobra and Mr Hyde out into the open.

And, of course, Dr Doom has totally defeated the Fantastic Four, thanks to him now possessing the Silver Surfer's powers.

Marvel UK, the Avengers #74, Masters of Evil

As that cover makes clear, there's nothing but trouble going on for the Avengers. Not only have they been captured by the New Masters of Evil, they then discover the mastermind behind it all isn't even Jarvis.

It's a robot!

After that, we discover a Don Perlin drawn retelling of the origin of Iron Fist.

And, then, Dr Strange can't return to Earth, thanks to a spell placed by Asmodeus. So, to fool that spell, he changes his appearance, meaning it won't be able to recognise him.

And that's how the good doctor gets his notorious full-masked super-hero look.

Sadly, it's not enough to prevent Ymir and Surtur from being released upon the world.

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #105, the Schemer

I'm not sure that's the wisest hiding place for a criminal, what with the blatant danger of hypothermia.

Not to mention the police might start asking questions about why a snowman has a human face and an assault rifle.

Inside this comic, there's a $5,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the Schemer.

And Peter Parker would like that $5,000.

And so he sets out to capture the villain.

However, the villain arrives at the Kingpin's mansion - and then vanishes, along with Mrs Kingpin!

Following that, Adam Austin makes his senses-shattering debut as the brand new penciller for Iron Man.

But what's this? How come none of us have ever heard of Adam Austin? And how come his drawing style looks suspiciously like that of Gene Colan?

Iron Man, meanwhile, goes to visit Happy Hogan in hospital but, as luck would have it, the hapless chauffeur gets kidnapped by the Black Knight. This can only lead to a battle between the armoured foes, in a genuine English castle in the United States.

And, finally, the under-powered Thor loses his fight with the Wrecker.

And that means he may well lose his life, as well!

Marvel UK, Dracula Lives #17, Frankenstein

What a fool I am. A mere seven days ago, I announced that last week's venture was one of the few issues of Dracula Lives I ever owned.

In retrospect, it turns out I didn't own that issue at all.

This was the issue I owned.

Inside, the good news is Frankenstein's Monster escapes a village mob and stakes Dracula right through the ever-loving heart.

The bad news is he also has to do the same to Carmen, thanks to Dracula having turned her into a vampire.

Next, Joshua Kane captures Jack Russell, because he wants the pleasure of hunting a Werewolf.

And, to make matters worse, Lissa finally unearth's Jack's secret.

And we finish off with a Steve Ditko oldie in which a man enters a castle, determined to prove it contains no ghosts - but is soon forced to flee in terror.

However, it turns out the castle does indeed not contain any ghosts. It is, though, inhabited by living suits of armour and animated stone gargoyles.

Tuesday, 11 February 2025

The Marvel Lucky Bag - February 1985.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon
***

What thrilling delights were waiting to greet us when we entered a theatre of kinematographic entertainment in February 1985?

These thrilling delights:

The Breakfast Club, Witness and Turk 182.

I've seen the first two of those movies but not recently enough to know whether they were any good or not. However, I don't recall getting any great enjoyment out of them.

When it comes to the third film in that list, I'm fairly confident I've never encountered it.

Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #10, Dr Doom

I suspect this is the cover of the month, as Dr Doom - now with the power of Galactus - goes fist to fist with the Beyonder.

Can it it be? Is Doom set to be the unlikely saviour of the universe?

No. He isn't.

But he is going to triumph against his foe.

And, surely, that can only mean trouble for everyone.

Timespirits #3

It's issue #3 and the cover's by Tom Yeates.

Sadly, that's all I know.

Power Pack #7, Cloak and Dagger

You can't keep Cloak and Dagger out of other people's comics. From this fact, I can only conclude that someone high up at Marvel likes them.

And someone also seems to like Dragon Man, as he also turns up, this issue.

Beyond that, my knowledge of this one's contents is highly limited but I do know there seem to be plenty of robots in it.

Marvel Graphic Novel #14 - Swords of the Swashbucklers

Yet another Marvel Graphic Novel smashes its way into our lives.

And all I know of this one is it's by Bill Mantlo and Butch Guice and runs to 56 pages.

Starstruck #1

But forget graphic novels. A brand new mag is born and this one is an Elaine Lee/Mike Kaluta serial about something or other, with this first episode being titled Liar's Poker.

The New Mutants #24

At last, we have a comic I can actually tell you something about.

In a packed issue, Cannonball and Mirage tell Professor X their news and Magneto apologises to Aleytys. Meanwhile, Wolfsbane and Sunspot seek assistance from Father Bowen, Wolfsbane rescues Colossus, and Magik tries using sorcery to restore Wolfsbane and Sunspot.

You know who else shows up?

Only Cloak and Dagger.

Marvel Team-Up #150

It's a shock for us all, as we encounter the last-ever issue of Marvel Team-Up. The book that looked like it would go on forever.

Barry Smith gives us a truly terrible cover before Louise Simonson and Greg LaRocque provide a tale in which Juggernaut gives Black Tom the Cyttorak Ruby for his birthday, leading to all sorts of bother.

Needless to say, it takes the intervention of Spidey and the X-Men for normal order to be restored.

Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #4

Wolverine tries to cure Kitty of whatever it is that ails her and also discovers that James Hudson is dead and Storm has lost her powers.

From that cover, I'm  assuming our heroes are still in Japan.

Sunday, 9 February 2025

Forty years ago today - February 1985.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon
***

Here I am again, looking forward to looking backwards.

Thor #352

There's not a huge amount of advancement on last month. The Norse gods, Bungalow Beta-Ray Bill and Earth's mightiest heroes are still fighting the demonic forces of Surtur on the streets of New York while Odin and Thor try to scrap with the fire giant in the streets of Asgard.

Fantastic Four #275

It's a format-busting issue, as a magazine manages to get shots of the She-Hulk sunbathing topless on the roof of the Baxter Building and she sets out to use her legal skills and knuckles to prevent publication.

For some reason, the publisher of that magazine bears a noticeable resemblance to Stan Lee. I'm not sure just what John Byrne is trying to tell us.

The Uncanny X-Men #190

By some means I can't recall, Red Sonja's old foe Kulan Gath has managed to take control of modern-day Manhattan and turned it - and its heroes - into a very loose replica of the Hyborean Age. This forces old enemies to unite in a bid to put a stop to his reign of terror.

The Spectacular Spider-Man #99, the Spot

The recent trend towards Ditkoesque villains in this strip continues, as the Spot bamboozles and bewilders Spider-Man with his inter-dimensional powers.

In possibly more serious news, Spidey's alien costume has managed to flee the Baxter Building and is now loose in the city, trying to find him.

The Incredible Hulk #304

I'm struggling to remember much about the main plot in this one, other than the mindless Hulk manages to befriend another creature who keeps getting attacked by some other creatures.

However, I do recall that, on Earth, the U-Foes manage to escape captivity and, by dumb incompetence, send themselves to the exact spot in the multiverse where the Hulk is.

I suspect this can only lead to trouble for all involved.

Captain America #302, Machete

Batroc ze Leapair seems to 'ave finally learned his, 'ow you say, lesson and, instead of fighting Captain America, himself, has hired a couple of bad hommes to do it pour him.

Frankly, they're just as useless as he is but there are two of them and, between them, they manage to temporarily inconvenience Cap and steal his shield.

A shield that I assume Batroc is looking to sell to someone or other.

The Avengers #252

It's the battle I never expected to see, as US government meddling with equipment discovered in an abandoned base that once belonged to Thanos manages to bring the Blood Brothers back to Earth and they prove more than a handful for the world's mightiest super-team.

Daredevil #215

Daredevil keeps being tormented by dreams about the Two-Gun Kid and, when he discovers an unscrupulous business tycoon wants to build something on Native American land, he starts to realise this is no coincidence and that he must complete a mission the Western hero began 100 years ago.

Conan the Barbarian #167

A notable change in cover style is delivered by Mike Kaluta.

But, inside, it's still John Buscema serving up the pencilling when Conan and Fafnir help a rapidly ageing countess reach the nest of a bird whose egg contains a yolk which can grant her another 1,000 years of life if she bathes in it.

In what's quite a shock to the reader, she doesn't turn out to be evil.

The Amazing Spider-Man #261, the Hobgoblin

Can it be? Has the Hobgoblin succeeded where the original Goblin failed, and defeated Spider-Man?

It looks like he might do when he and the Rose kidnap Liz and MJ to force Harry to hand over his father's secret journals.

Iron Man #191

We all knew it had to happen at some point. Growing ever more concerned by Rhodey's erratic behaviour as Iron Man, Tony Stark's forced to do what he never wanted to do again - and put on a suit of armour.

But it's a lot more primitive than Rhodey's.

And visibly more retro.

Then again, Rhodey's generally useless at being Iron Man. So, the tech disparity probably won't matter.

Thursday, 6 February 2025

February 8th, 1975 - Marvel UK, 50 years ago this week.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon
***

Pilot lead singer David Paton may have been sick and tired of January hanging on him but that month was showing no signs of going away, thanks to the single of the same name still hogging the Number One spot on the UK singles chart.

There was change, however, atop the UK album listings, thanks to the rise to supremacy of Engelbert Humperdinck and His Greatest Hits.

They don't give singers names like that anymore.

January is indisputably a classic but it wasn't alone in making my approved list, that week, because other tracks I approved of on that Top 50 were:

The Bump - Kenny

Angie Baby - Helen Reddy

Streets of London - Ralph McTell

Stardust - David Essex

Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) - Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel

and

Shame, Shame, Shame - Shirley and Company.

If further investigation is required, that week's UK singles chart resides right here.

While its Long Playing counterpart dwells within.

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #104, the Schemer

Fresh from saving his girlfriend from an out-of-control truck, Spider-Man sets out to bring the man responsible - the sinister Schemer - 
to justice.

But just who is the Schemer?

And why does he hold such a grudge against the ever-affable Kingpin?

Elsewhere, no sooner has Iron Man thrilled the Free World by defeating Titanium Man than he has to deal with a new threat.

The Mad Thinker!

It's true. The over-predictive nincompoop has been hired by Countess Stephanie de la Spirosa who's out to discover Iron Man's true identity.

Can Shellhead defeat the bounder?

More to the point, can he defeat the bounder's great big android that has the power to mimic the abilities of his armour?

Finally, in Thor's strip, the Wrecker's blundering around, determined to misuse the power he's been accidentally granted by Karnilla.

Mighty World of Marvel #123, Psyklop

It's an all-time classic, as the Hulk gets abducted by the mysterious Psyklop who snatches him in a bid to please his Lovecraftian masters.

However, the Avengers are hot on his tail and in no mood to mess about.

I do remember being very confused by this tale when I first read it, as I couldn't understand why Goliath was talking like the Thing, instead of like Henry Pym.

And then it's the never-to-be-forgotten tale in which Matt Murdock decides the best way to flush Mr Hyde and the Cobra out into the open is to dress up as the nonexistent Mike Murdock dressed up as Daredevil dressed up as Thor.

With strategic thinking on that level, how could anything possibly go wrong?

And, next, the Fantastic Four find themselves having to confront a Dr Doom blessed with the powers of the Silver Surfer. How can they possibly hope to defeat such power?

They can't.

And they don't.

For now.

Marvel UK, the Avengers #73, Spider-Man and Iron Fist

I do detect the armchair-gripper in which Spidey and Iron Fist must battle a man who's living his life backwards and, therefore, rapidly growing younger with the passage of time.

In all honesty, that sounds like a problem that solves itself.

Regardless, coming mere weeks after Marvel UK published the, "Silvermane de-ages to death," storyline, the web-slinger must be feeling a profound sense of dĂ©jĂ  vu.

Elsewhere, the Avengers have been captured by the mysterious Crimson Cowl and the New Masters of Evil.

But what's this?

At the very climax, they discover just who this mysterious Crimson Cowl is?

And that he's Jarvis the Butler?

Could this have been inspired by that Batman saga in which the dynamic duo discover their new arch-enemy the Outsider is none other than their own dear butler?

Dr Strange, meanwhile, is trapped in a strange dimension, by boss Son of Satannish Asmodeus who intends to inflict the giants Surtur and Ymir upon the planet Earth!

Marvel UK, Planet of the Apes #16

I remember redrawing this cover when I was a boy, having decided I could improve on it.

I don't recall if I succeeded.

I do recall being convinced that I had.

Inside a battle breaks out between Jason and Alexander, gorillas and mutants. But can it be the mutants have kidnapped the Lawgiver?

There's only one way for our two adventurers to find out.

And that's to head straight back into danger.

That's followed by a four-page article titled McDowall: The Man Behind the Mask.

Then, it's the big one. A reprint of The Terror of Tim Boo Ba as related by the Watcher.

I don't know about anyone else but nothing shouts the word, "terror," at me louder than the name Tim.

And the last adventure in this issue is a short one, The Day After the Day the Martians Came, in which it becomes apparent that, while the discovery of inhabitants of the red planet may make no difference to many people on our world, there are those who'll find it changes everything...

Marvel UK, Dracula Lives #16, Frankenstein

This is one of the few issues of Dracula Lives
 I ever owned.

And what a one to own.

Hypnotised children are still attacking our heroes, and Dracula's still using a device to raise an army of the undead.

That's followed by a one-page article about Bela Lugosi.

But, next, as that cover hints, it's the one we all came here for, as Frankenstein's Monster battles the king of vampires!

However, the creature's soon captured by local villagers who blame him for reviving the fiend.

We complete the issue with a man who discovers a race of beings that African natives base their wood carvings on. Needless to say, no one believes his unlikely tale.

Not even an expert on Africa who manages to convince him he's imagining things. 

But is that expert all he claims to be?

And is his face made of rubber?

And is it a mask?

I have noticed there is no Jack Russell in this issue. I am probably inconsolable.

Tuesday, 4 February 2025

The Marvel Lucky Bag - February 1975.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon
***

Not too many films of note were released in February 1975 but the ones of perhaps the most interest were, I suspect, Shampoo, The Stepford Wives and Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

Tragically, of those three, I've only ever seen The Stepford Wives and that was so long ago that I can't recall if it was any good or not. I can, however, confirm that Jacques Brel is no longer alive and well and living in Paris.

The Savage Sword of Conan #4, Iron Shadows in the Moon

It's the first issue of Savage Sword of Conan I ever read - and the first time I became aware of Marvel/Curtis' black and white range.

Not only do we get that classic cover by Boris Vallejo, we also discover a John Buscema/Alfredo Alcala adaptation of Robert E Howard's Shadows in the Moonlight in which our hero must, yet again, battle a giant man-ape. Not to mention pirates, and statues that come to life when the light of our only natural satellite settles upon them. Quite frankly, anyone who doesn't love this tale must be stark-raving mad.

And we don't only get that. We can also thrill to the latest adventure from Gil Kane's Blackmark and to three pages of Richard Corben's take on everyone's favourite barbarian.

Strange Tales #178, Adam Warlock

And here's another big event because Adam Warlock is back and in the mega-capable hands of Jim Starlin.

I can only assume this is the issue in which we're first introduced to the threat of the Magus and his galaxy-wide religion.

But what does that have to do with Warlock?

And what can he do to stop it?

Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4

It looks like the Fantastic Four are faced with manifold mayhem when they must meet the maddening menace of Madrox the Multiple Man.

Apparently, this is his first appearance. Which is a surprise, as I'd always assumed he was originally an X-Men character.

I don't have the slightest clue what he's up to but it seems Professor X puts in an appearance. So, things are at least a little mutanty.

Speaking of which, that story's followed by a reprint of the gang's first encounter with the X-Men, as originally presented in 1964's Fantastic Four #28.

That's the one in which the Puppet Master and Mad Thinker use their abilities to pit the two teams against each other before totally messing the whole thing up.

Weird Wonder Tales #8

Everyone who reads this site knows I must buy any comic that has a skeleton on the front of it. So much for DC's theory that it's gorillas that get books flying off the shelves.

Then again, if they had the sense to put gorilla skeletons on the covers, who knows how stratospheric their sales would become?

Contained within are four tales of terror and mystery.

In the first, following one practical joke too many, a man cuts off his brother's head. To me, this response seems an overreaction.

In the second, a diver kills an old man for his map of a sunken freighter filled with gold but gets his air hose disastrously snagged on his victim's corpse.

Next, a spinster ends up in Seventh Heaven after receiving a prank Valentine sent by a co-worker.

And, finally, a mobster drinks a serum of eternal life, and then falls into a pit of quicksand.

As you might suspect, all of these are reprinted from various 1950s comics.

The Defenders #20, the Thing

Bashful Benjy makes a guest appearance in the mag dedicated to heroes who are all, sort of, making a guest appearance.

I know little of this one, other than the obvious. Which is that he and the Defenders must combat the Nameless Ones and the man they call Van Nyborg.

Marvel Preview #1, Man-Gods from Beyond the Stars

A brand new mag enters our lives.

And does so with a favourite tale from my childhood, as we're treated to Moench, Thomas and Niño's Man-Gods From Beyond the Stars.

Gasp, as space aliens arrive on Earth and interact with the local cave-people in an adventure targeted on the dedicated fan of Erich von Däniken.

And, if you don't believe that's who it's aimed at, we also get articles which bear such titles as Erich von Daniken: The Man Behind a Phenomenon, The Chariots of Erich von Daniken and Facts On "Danikenitis" -- The von Daniken Phenomenon.

There's also a text feature called The Books of the Gods.

And there's a short comic strip destined to appear in Marvel UK's Planet of the Apes. I refer to Good Lord! in which astronauts exploring a world of monsters manage to accidentally shoot and kill God.

Marvel Spotlight #20, the Son of Satan

Daimon Hellstrom continues his battle with everyday evil.

This time, a female student receives a strange tarot card. And that means it can only be a matter of time before Lucifer's offspring gets involved.

Giant-Size Chillers #1

It's a bit of a shock to see this title getting the Giant-Size treatment.

But it does.

And does so with tales called The Gravesend Gorgon, The Monster of Hedgewood Moor!, The Lagoon Creature of Rising Sun, The Fountain, The Girl Who Couldn't Die!, The Borrowed Face!, From Out of the Past!, Gilt-Edged Gnomes and Next Stop Eternity!

Even more surprisingly, the vast majority of these tales appear to be new.

Even more surprisingly, one of them is credited to Dave Gibbons.

Giant-Size Avengers #3

A more predictable candidate for Giant-Sizing greets us when the Avengers get their third stab at the format.

This appears to be Part Six of the Celestial Madonna Saga and features yet more of our heroes' tussle with the Legion of the Unliving in Immortus' Limbo Dimension.

Sadly, despite its name, there is not one instance of limbo dancing in sight. Personally, I want my money back.

And, because that's not enough for us, we also find the team's first encounter with the Space Phantom, as reprinted from 1963's Avengers #2.

Sunday, 2 February 2025

Fifty years ago today - February 1975.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon
***

Let us see what awesome magic awaits us in that strange and foreign land they call, "The Past."

Avengers #132

The Celestial Madonna Saga rumbles on, as our heroes roam around Immortus' back corridors and battle his Legion of the Unliving.

It's strange but this saga never seemed this interminable when I was actually reading it.

Conan the Barbarian #47, Goblins

"The Goblins strike at midnight!" Which is a convenient fact to know if you don't happen to have a clock handy.

Sadly, I can shed no light upon the contents of this one, beyond there being goblins that strike at midnight.

Captain America & the Falcon #182

Nomad continues his fight with the Serpent Squad which only seems to consist of Viper and the Cobra. Maybe it's just me but I'd struggle to call two people a squad.

It would appear that, while Cap is now Nomad, someone called Roscoe is now Captain America.

Daredevil #118, Blackwing

It's all the fun of the fair when Daredevil tries to prevent the Circus of Crime from using a TV appearance at Shea Stadium to rob the good people of New York.

Though I'm not too sure how Blackwing fits into it all.

Fantastic Four #155, the Silver Surfer

I don't have a clue what happens in this one but it does look like the Silver Surfer's causing trouble.

I'm going to suspect Dr Doom may be behind it all, as I know he shows up in the very next issue.

Incredible Hulk #184, Shadows

The Hulk may have defeated many a foe but how can he hope to clobber his own shadow?

You guessed it. This issue sees the return of Warlord Kaa, the shadow creature from outer space who was last seen in the glory days of Marvel's pre-FF monster comics. 1960's Strange Tales #79, to be precise.

Amazing Spider-Man #141, Mysterio

Mysterio is back.

Or is he?

And is he going to succeed in sending Spider-Man mad?

I've a feeling this issue sees the death of the Spider-Mobile when our hero accidentally drives it off a pier, thanks to the bubble-bonced bewilderer of blackguardry, bedazzlement and banjaxicating bonkersness.

Thor #232, Firelord

I know nothing of this story but, from that cover, I'm going to assume Loki's fooled the always reasonable Firelord into attacking the god of thunder.

X-Men #92, Red Raven

I certainly know what happens in this one because it's a reprint of the very first X-Men comic I ever read

In fact, it's one of the very first American super-hero tales I ever encountered, and it sees the Angel escape Magneto's island and set off back to civilisation, looking for help in his quest to free the rest of the X-Men.

Sadly, on the way there, he makes the mistake of resting on a rock in the ocean.

And that leads to a confrontation with Golden Age hero Red Raven who's gone totally mad and is plotting to destroy all humanity.

Adventure Comics #437, the Spectre

That's Marvel's big hitters accounted for.

But what of that outfit's deadliest rival? What will we find in a random sample of DC comics that bear the same cover date?

To be honest, there's not too much that stands out for me but the company does, at least, give us the following books.

Yet another wrongdoer's about to discover it's not wise to arouse the wrath of the Spectre.

And, this time, the wrongdoer's a man who hypnotises innocent people into committing bank robberies on his behalf.

By becoming human bombs!

From what I can remember, this somehow leads to him being eaten by barracudas.

And I'm 100% certain this comic is where I first encountered the word, "barracuda." Proving that, while Michael Fleisher may have his faults, he does, at least, introduce the children of the world to big fish names.

But let's not close this issue prematurely, because Paul Levitz and Mike Grell give us yet another Aquaman tale. This time, involving the Black Manta. However, I'm not sure just what that villain's up to. Is this the story in which he gases the farmers of Atlantis, in order to steal their seaweed?

The Unexpected #161, 100 pages

I don't know if we expected it or not but DC's most surprising title gets the 100-page treatment.

And that means we find such chilling ventures into horror as Has Anyone Seen My Killer?, The Haunted Dollhouse, The Face in the Ball!, The Supernatural Swindler, Ball of String!, Roehmer's Revenge!, The Queen Who Lived Again!, The House That Hate Built!, Death of the Man Who Never Lived, Wake Me Before I Die!, The Menace of Wrecker's Reef!, The Day Nobody Died! and Mis-Judgment Day. Not all of which are reprints.

Weird War Tales #34

The only war comic I've ever felt any affection for offers us its latest proof that war is Hell when it unveils The Common Enemy!, The Flying Coffins and To His Rescue Came a Maiden!

The only one of those I recall is the first, which, I think, involves a Japanese and American soldier having to join forces against an alien menace that appears on the island they're both fighting over.

And, from that cover, I'm going to assume that island is one of the Easter variety.

OMAC #3

OMAC hits his third issue and does it in a tale I've never read but I do, at least, know its title, thanks to that being on the front cover.

I do note that cover proclaims this book to reveal the world that's coming. I do also note that world has not yet managed to come.