Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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It's 1975!
It's February!
And how do we know it's February?
Because the brand new Number One on the UK singles chart is called January!
Clearly, something's gone wrong with time there but the band Pilot aren't complaining. They are, after all, the makers of that classic single.
However, on the UK album chart, change is nowhere in sight, as Elton John's Greatest Hits retains the Number One position it's been gripping since Benny and the Jets were in nursery school.
We all need to hold on to something stable because I do believe I see the beginning of the Schemer storyline.
And that can only mean trouble for our hero.
But, also, for Gwen Stacy who, I think, gets nearly totalled by a lorry. Fortunately, Peter Parker's on hand to save her, with the help of a parking meter.
Iron Man's defeated Titanium Man but Happy Hogan's in hospital and Tony Stark can't visit him immediately, thanks to an urgent need to recharge his chest plate.
Iron Man's defeated Titanium Man but Happy Hogan's in hospital and Tony Stark can't visit him immediately, thanks to an urgent need to recharge his chest plate.
Will Pepper Potts ever forgive his seeming lack of concern for the welfare of his ever-loyal chauffeur?
And it's a right old mess for a bunch of our favourite Asgardians, as they're stuck on Earth, having been stripped of their powers by Odin.
Loki, at least, has a plan to get his powers back but it involves recruiting the help of Karnilla who inadvertently manages to create the Wrecker instead!
History is made when, hot on the heels of his team-up with Shang-Chi, Spider-Man joins forces with Iron Fist to tackle a man from the future who's living his life backwards.
History is made when, hot on the heels of his team-up with Shang-Chi, Spider-Man joins forces with Iron Fist to tackle a man from the future who's living his life backwards.
And things kick up a gear for the Avengers when their butler Jarvis starts acting more than a little oddly and, beneath a demolished tenement, the mysterious Crimson Cowl decides to create the New Masters of Evil.
Dr Strange, meanwhile, discovers that Clea's fallen under the spell of the sinister Asmodeus.
He mostly finds that out when she tries to murder him.
That's followed by a ten-page article dedicated to the Planet of the Apes TV show, its sets and those who work on them.
And we complete the issue with a Stan Lee/Gene Colan tale in which a radar operator turns off Earth's defences when the alien Krill offer him the most beautiful woman in the universe. Sadly, he soon discovers that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
This is, of course, a tale of the Watcher.
And imparts a message we'd all do well to remember.
I certainly shan't forget it.
Things are getting a little fraught for our team of vampire hunters because, while a gang of hypnotised children are attacking them, Dracula sets about raising an army of the undead!
But I do know who Frankenstein's Monster is and I know that, in his strip, the patchwork putz is still in the process of accidentally resurrecting Dracula.
And our last tale is a Lee/Ditko short in which a spy uses shrinking pills to discover military secrets. But, with almost grim inevitability, while on a vital mission, he loses his growth pills and is trapped forever in his tiny form.
It looks like this is the conclusion to the tale in which the Leader's trying to replace the entire American government with humanoid replicas.
Needless to say, he fails in this aim but I do believe Doc Samson loses his super-strength while rescuing the Hulk from the villain's latest super-weapon.
This week's Daredevil yarn is called Unmasked. I am, therefore, going to assume it's the one in which DD disguises himself as Matt Murdock disguising himself as Daredevil, in order that the Boss - who's kidnapped Karen Page - won't realise he really is Daredevil.
I can't help feeling he should have disguised himself as Matt Murdock disguising himself as Mike Murdock disguising himself as Daredevil disguising himself as Thor, disguising himself as Matt Murdock, disguising himself as Daredevil, just to keep things grounded.
And, of course, we get more of the thriller in which Dr Doom's stolen the Silver Surfer's powers!
And, of course, we get more of the thriller in which Dr Doom's stolen the Silver Surfer's powers!
45 comments:
Good heavens! That Hulk story is simply too prescient!
Omg… will Charlie need to relive Gwen’s demise again via SDC?
But Charlie has changed his outlook… He now sees Gwen’s death as a blessing!
This is because Charlie was reading the “Marvel must haves! “ free 80 page monthly comic being given out at the comic book stores now.
In this latest issue, one of the stories, from I am guessing 10 odd years ago, involves Matt Murdoch‘s former (?) wife, Karen Page, who seems to be a drug addicted prostitute (?) selling out DAREDEVIL’s identity in person to the KINGPIN!
It would have broken my heart to see Marvel drench Gwen in such a stench. As it was, having her give birth to Norman Osborne‘s twins was sufficiently bizarre so as to be ignored. But at least Gwen was dead and Marvel couldn’t do anything more tonher. Poor Karen though…. Living in the Marvel universe is its own special hell.
Dunno about that... not sure what RFK Jr is supposed to be a replica of, but he's not a very convincing human.
-sean
I assume that’s Betty Ross on the cover of MWOM. If so, she’s certainly been working out.
Charlie, was DD this a reprint of an early part of the Born Again story? If not, that’s a pretty shameless rip off of the Miller plot point.
DW
this DD a reprint
DW- You are correct! The reprinted cover says DD number 227 and MILLER and Mazzuchelli are on the splash page!
Seems pretty compelling. Worth a read?
Also anyone read RED HULK or SPIDER GWEN?
The Spider Gwen is reliving the whole original GWEN death since Spider Gwen has been relocated to our planet from another universe and planet and… well… she is Gwen Stacy.
But it’s different because KRAVEN just put his knife completely through her and chucked her off the bridge.
Gwen Stacy is Charlie’s bete noir, non?
Charlie:
The Miller/Mazzuchelli “Born Again” storyline is definitely worth reading, IMO.
b.t.
That story sounds rubbish. Kraven had a personal code. He may have tied women up, getting animals to stampede at them, to flush Daredevil/Spidey out; but Kraven killing them in cold blood? Absolutely not ! Modern writers are idiots.
Phillip
Charlie
Born Again is probably one of the all-time best stories from Marvel or DC. Definitely worth a read.
DW
Charlie, I have to agree with our colleague DW, and say 'Born Again' would have to be quite high on any credible short list of the best multi-issue Marvel arcs.
Not only do you get Frank Miller's best Daredevil story - drawn by an artist who could do a much better job than he was capable of - you also have that rarity, a take on Captain America thats worth reading.
Steve, on the subject of replacing the American government, iirc Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew originally appeared in that Hulk story, but the MWOM reprint features Gerald Ford and Henry Kissinger instead. I don't suppose it made much difference. Ooh, a bit of political comment there, I do beg your pardon (geddit?)
-sean
Now I think about, with the way Fearless Frank re-booted Daredevil in 'Born Again' he probably included Captain America in the run because he's the other prominent Irish-American character at Marvel. I can't believe that never occurred to me before.
Funnily enough considering Miller's contemporary work at DC, Batman is Irish too...
-sean
Well, looks like Charlie will troll the library for the DD MILLER run!
Seriously, all 3 stories featured December’s MARVEL MUST HAVES are good stuff!
And whe RED HULK is appearing soon in a
Movie, I guess the DD by Miller is getting a series on cable ( again?) and something is going down with GWEN SPIDEY GIRL too. So there is a rational to these stories being released for free also digitally.
I agree with you guys, Miller/Mazzuchelli was an inspired combo.
They also did Batman Year One, right?
Mazzuchelli was gifted when it came to giving comics a sense of "film noir" and I noticed some other artists adopting a similar style over the years.
M.P.
Until the superheroes turn up at the end it’s a masterpiece.
Shame the new Marvel TV series called ‘Daredevil Born Again’ seems to have almost nothing to do with it.
My first ever issue of Spider-Man Comics Weekly!! This is indeed where The Schemer first appears and challenges The Kingpin but it's finally revealed that The Schemer is really The Kingpin's son (believed dead) wearing a rubber mask - naturally nobody realises he's wearing a rubber mask because in comics all rubber masks look totally lifelike.
Phillip, I too had a slight problem with flies in my house early last year but they weren't cluster flies and they were always by the front door so I think they were coming in through a small gap in the door. I'd see about one fly every day or every other day and they were easy to squash as they didn't seem to move which was rather strange. Anyway they started appearing in early January but by mid-March I never saw any more of them and then last August I had a new front door and back door fitted so there are no more gaps under the doors and this year I haven't seen any flies at all.
Colin - Were your flies relatively small? Cluster flies are blue bottle-like, but slightly smaller (& they don't buzz loudly, like blue bottles!) A previous visit from cluster flies (maybe ten years ago), saw them emerging from the gas fire ( when it was off! ) I think they like chimneys, cupboards, etc.
So far I've only seen one today (touch wood, as they appear mid-morning & afternoon!) - this time in the bathroom. Hopefully, the tape around the cupboard door's working. In a week or so, I'll open the cupboard, & vacuum the dead ones out (at least, that's my plan! )
Phillip
Phillip, my flies seemed ordinary fly-sized.
Wait… so CAPTAIN AMERICA is in that DD-KINGPIN arc and drawn by MILLER?
Any chance he retells his origin? I never tire of a good Cap origin retelling!
Btw… this Miller BATMAN works you gents talk about… did he draw the Batman as a really boxy, square looking character? Not lithe at all? If so, I did read it and I never understood why people were so enamored with the art, but that’s just me personally.
CH
I had food moths in my pantry. Had to wash everything down and throw away (or out inside glass jars) all the grains. I think a bag of Basmati from India was the culprit.
MARIANNE FAITHFUL - can you UK gents provide your thoughts if any?
Legit talent? Groupie? Got lucky? Just happened to be associated with Jagger and the Stones in 1964? One hit wonder?
I know she is really 5-10 years before any of us would be remotely cognizant of her but you guys living there…
CH
Charlie:
On the contrary — in BATMAN: YEAR ONE, Mazzuchelli drew Batman like a genuine human being in a cloth costume, not a bulked-up caricature of a well-muscled man. I think that’s Frank Miller’s DARK KNIGHT RETURNS you’re thinking of. In YEAR ONE, Batman looks more like Ron Ely as Tarzan than Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan. If that makes any sense.
YEAR ONE is another famous comic that I highly recommend reading. It’s been reprinted many times, shouldn’t be hard to find.
b.t.
Oh, and Cap does indeed show up in DD: BORN AGAIN, but drawn by David Mazzuchelli, not Frank Miller. Miller wrote that series, but didn’t draw it.
b.t.
Charlie, Marianne Faithfull always seemed an engaging character and did, as far as I can remember, have a credible and varied music career. I think she can be counted as a proper artist and not just a Rolling Stones hanger-on.
Steve, I completely agree. Marianne Faithfull was great, making varied, interesting records all the way through into the first couple of decades of the 21st century (although admittedly her output was a bit patchy until her 'comeback' in 1979 with 'Broken English').
She did all kinds of stuff, from an album of Brecht & Weill, to starring in Kenneth Anger's legendary underground flick 'Lucifer Rising'. And she was the 'Girl On A Motorcycle'!
There's always going to be some who'll say she only got anywhere because she was Mick Jagger's girlfriend for a while in the 60s, but then they're the kind of people who'll say something similar about Yoko Ono (and she made better records than her other half too).
Here's a cool clip of Marianne with David Bowie in the early 70s -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2DTwK5xysg
Brilliant, eh?
And to convince Charlie - who seems to be something of a Bowie sceptic? - here's her English language vocal for Serge Gainsbourg's 'Lola Rastaquouere' -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDI8-cAQQHk
I love the sound her voice as she got older...
Oh, btw Charlie, here's Serge's original from his late 70s sojourn in Jahmaica - with Revolutionaries dub mix - if you haven't heard it -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzCfVqgxM08
-sean
Oh, before I forget Steve, congratulations to you and all your British readers today, on the fifth anniversary of Brexit.
Its surprising there aren't more celebrations. Or indeed, er... any.
Apparently thats because the government didn't do Brexit properly? It seems to sort it out and reach the sunlit uplands people need to vote in Reform UK plc at the next election.
I do feel like the Americans are getting all the attention at the moment, after actually choosing a second Trump Presidency. Its all very well Sir Keir being useless, but to re-assert the UK's rightful place in the international order you really need someone properly mental to run the country.
Doubling down on Brexit by putting Nigel Farage in Downing St seems like it would do the trick...
-sean
I must admit the only Marianne Faithfull song I've heard of is 'As Tears Go By' which is a nice song and they played a bit of it on Radio 4 last night.
Sean, Nigel Farage will never be PM and I predict Reform UK will get less than 20% of the vote at the next election. Most voters see him as at best a one-trick pony and at worst a Liz Truss-type crank who'd crash the economy. He'll probably just keep splitting the right-wing vote and give Labour a second term. Being Trump's lickspittle is hardly a good look either in a country where most people can't stand Trump.
Sean - That original LOLA RASTAQUERE by Serfe himself has been a fav here as u may imagine (playing it on vinyl too).
But FAITHFUL’s version is smoking!!! Never heard it before!!! That voice… wow! Not the same one that sang “When Tears Go By” 40!years earlier!
And a little googling says this late-in-life voice she acquired helped relaunch her career.
Did she ever work with Serge? I find no information but assume so given she did the song for his tribute album “MR. GAINSBOURG REVISITED” from 2006.
And of course i am off to eBay to find that album because… well… I live in the midwest of the USA and they can’t spell Gainsbourg or France.
Thanks Amigo.
The Charlie Cheval
Is Nigel Farage the “Nigel” XTC was making plans for?
I just advised Mrs. Charlie about “Monsieur GAINSBOURG Revisited “ from 2006 and its all done by Brits in English.
She looked up from her book smiled and said “My… Quelle chance.” And then looked back down not smiling any longer. Might this have been feigned enthusiasm?
I was fairly dismissive of the possibility of Reform in power until quite recently, Colin.
But Labour are so bad even this early on in office, and thats even before you consider that there's likely to be a fairly major economic crisis in the next year or so (did you know that the UK pays a higher rate to borrow than Greece? I mean, Greece ffs... thats how sound a bet the money markets think this country is compared to the rest of Europe).
Its hard to say what could happen.
-sean
I actually have that Faithfull version on a 12" single of Serge's Lola that came out about ten years ago. From the sound of her voice it seemed obvious it wasn't done back when he originally recorded the track...
A quick look at Discogs showed that it did indeed first come out on that 2006 Revisited album you mentioned. Which I wasn't actually previously aware of (some of the selections sound worth checking out - Tricky, Marc Almond - but others... not so much).
-sean
I suppose some kind of Tory/Farage pact or even coalition might happen but I'm pretty confident that Reform UK is unelectable otherwise.
If any UK readers are interested, Archive on 4 on Radio 4 tonight (Feb 1st) at 8pm is all about the history of ITC Entertainment who made such TV shows as The Prisoner, Thunderbirds and Space 1999. Should be interesting!
Sean the vinyl is mucho bucks. I will go the CD route. Reviews on Amazon are actually pretty solid!
That said, i think one may (or may not???) enjoy it more if they know the originals?
The audio is assured many times better being recorded in 2006, 20 years after his death and 40 years after most of the originals (2006 vs mid 60s to mid 70s).
Let me see… We had a white man flying the helicopter, a white man flying the jet, most assuredly, a white man in the air traffic control tower (I know many ATC folks) yet somehow we are to believe that a paralyzed dwarf might possibly have been the root of this per D Tripe. Please god… don’t delay even one second when you decide it’s his time to call him home to your busom.
Has the price of eggs come down in America yet?
Aren't they hitting Canada and Mexico - the main suppliers of agricultural imports to the US - with 25% tariffs today, Colin?
Hard to see how thats going to bring the prices of anything down.
-sean
There's a clear vinyl edition of Serge's 'Histoire de Melody Nelson' available at the moment. If you're going to splash out on anything by him on vinyl that would be the one to go for (its a US import, so I expect it would be more reasonably priced where you are, Charlie).
-sean
Sean, I didn't know Canada and Mexico are the main suppliers of agricultural imports to the US. I'd sort of assumed that America was self-sufficient in agricultural products. I know British farmers are terrified of any trade deal with America because we'll be flooded with cheap agricultural products and our farmers will go bust.
I was listening to Radio 4's From Our Own Correspondent this morning which included a report on Trump's first week. Apparently he was asked what he thought of Keir Starmer and he replied "I like him. He's been doing a great job". This made me smile as GB News, Talk TV and right-wing bloggers on YouTube have been gleefully predicting for months that Trump will destroy Starmer, force Starmer to quit blah, blah.
The price of eggs is being manipulated by a DEI hiring of a trans, gay, hispanic, paralyzed, dwarf of ultra low mental capacity at the FDA. President Bonespur Tripe is sure of it. Just can’t find the little bugger yet! Paralyzed people just have a way of not being discovered. But when we do…. The chickens will be happy and start laying more eggs.
Sean and Steve - thanks for the info on FAITHFUL. You are corrct: she was a talent in her own right. Very interesting readabiut her. (Clearly had trouble making good health choices though.)
My guess is that the “invoked the Mick Jagger conncetion is the only way she got ahead” tag line is lazy writing.
The older I get the more i notice tropes, platitudes, slogans, stereotypes being substituted for thinking.
Time to watch Newcastle- Fulham and enjoy a bit of life now! With a cup of joe since it is only 9:30 In the morning here.
Kind of funny now that I recall… before import beer became a thing around 2000 here, one could indeed find these brown nottles of Newcastle Beer here in Chicago. They must be a mega-brewery to have been distributing to the USA 30 years ago.
Chlorinated chickens, Charlie! ; )
Phillip
Torres and Reform would need to come up with some sort of agreement to share out constituencies and not stand against each other if they're not to split the vote and let Labour in again. Don't see that happening.
What we really need is a single transferable vote at constituency level, even if it mans we probably end up with a split parliament each time.
I could see Reform displacing the Tories as the main party of the right, dangermash. Which probably wouldn't be enough to win, assuming the past is a reliable guide. But is it a reliable guide, post-Brexit?
It wasn't that long ago that Labour got hammered, and the conventional wisdom was that Boris Johnson would have at least two full terms in office before they could recover. And yet here we are, one general election later.
So... who knows?
-sean
Happy Candlemas Day!! This is your last chance to take down your Christmas decorations otherwise they will turn into demons and devour you (I got that nugget of information from Roland Rat on TV-am circa 1985).
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