Senin, 31 Agustus 2020
Amazon Prime: Reviews of CHEMICAL HEARTS, THE VAST OF NIGHT, BLOW THE MAN DOWN: Rustic Riddles
August 31, 2020
Henry Page (Austin Abrams) was a high school senior in a sleepy suburban community who aspired to be the editor-in-chief of their school paper. However, his adviser unexpectedly informed him that he was going to share the editorial chores with a new girl who just transferred into their school. She was Grace Town (Lili Reinhart), who walked to her house even if she had a limp and used a cane. She was aloof and unsociable, preferring to immerse herself in Neruda's poetry.
Smitten with her beauty and mystery, Henry purposely missed his bus to walk Grace home. She would then allow Henry to drive her car to his house since she was averse to driving a car herself. Steadily with this routine, Grace's walls slowly broke down and she began to share more of her private life with Henry. However, even as they became more intimate, Henry realized that Grace was still holding back a major secret from him.
This was another young adult romance brimming with teenage angst that we have seen many times. The title refers to the chemicals which get activated in the euphoria of love. The damaged character of Grace was suffering from the physical and emotional effects of a terrible past trauma, and her new friend Henry was trying his naive best to help her. To make the metaphor more obvious (and cheesier), Henry just so happened to be into Kintsugi, the Japanese art of fixing broken vases with gold.
This film worked mainly because of the chemistry between the two leads actors which make their romance believable despite some weird details, especially that part about wading in a koi pond in an abandoned building. Otherwise, it was just one of several similar-themed brooding coming-of-age teen romances, nothing really new anymore. 6/10.
This story happened one night sometime in the late 1950s, in the remote town of Cayuga, New Mexico. There was a big basketball game going on at the school gym that night, and almost everybody in town was there watching it. However, 16 year-old switchboard operator Fay Crocker (Sierra McCormick), and her disc jockey friend Everett Sloane (Jake Horowitz) were both working at their respective panels that night.
Fay heard a strange sound that originated from her radio as she was listening to Everett's music show. Everett asked members of his audience to call in if they knew anything about the mysterious sound. Those who called about the sound included Billy, a military man picked up to do a highly classified clean-up mission in the desert, and Mrs. Mabel Blanche (Gail Cronauer), an old eccentric woman who lost her son in strange circumstances.
This compact 89-minute film looked very good with meticulous 1950s era production design and costumes. The crisp filtered cinematography gave a sense of old town nostalgia, as if this was a classic television program -- clearly the effect it was going for based on the bookend scenes. Debuting director Andrew Patterson employed some very long takes in certain scenes, like Fay's frantic duty at the telephone switchboard or that continuous scene where the camera went across town and through the basketball game from Fay to Everett.
Some viewers may be turned off by all the meandering conversations in practically the whole first hour and fifteen minutes of the film when there was nothing actually happening yet. But the impressive style of Patterson with the camera and suspense building, as well as McCormick's electric lead performance, kept me hanging on to the jaw-dropping end. 7/10.
In the desolate fishing town of Easter Cove in Maine, the sisters Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) and Mary Beth (Morgan Saylor) are mourning the death of their mother. The late Mary Margaret Connolly was good friends with her fellow town matriarchs, Susie Gallagher (June Squibb), Doreen Burke (Marceline Hugot) and Gail Maguire (Annette O'Toole). But unlike the others, she was still friends with Enid Norma Devlin (Margo Martindale), the powerful woman who owned the local brothel.
The night of her funeral, an emotional Mary Beth went drinking at a bar where encountered a shady character named Gorski (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). When the guy started getting rough on her, Mary Beth panicked and killed her attacker with a harpoon. Instead of reporting the incident to the police, she told Priscilla who then decided to help her sister stuff the corpse in box and throw it into the sea. Priscilla then discovered that she left an incriminating clue at the crime scene.
Like "Fargo" and "Twin Peaks," this film captured the quirky idiosyncrasy of small American rural town, which was immediately apparent. From the very first scene, and for several interludes within, grizzly fishermen sing mournful songs about the sea, which set the moody tone for the whole film. The cinematography of the restless sea, the cold rain and the secretive townspeople was breathtaking in its melancholy. The unusual acting were all in sync with this cold remote atmosphere, particularly those of veterans Martindale and Squibb.
The build-up of claustrophobic tension and suspense by writer-directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy was very effective. However when it came to the abrupt ending, it felt oddly incomplete, like it was a cliffhanger of sorts. It was as if the whole 90 minute movie we watched was just the pilot episode of a mini-series, instead of a complete film. 7/10.
The Rotting Zombie's Round-up of Horror News for August 2020
This weekend I really have been quite lazy when it comes to my blog, I have not been sleeping grand lately so I put it down to that. My neglected inbox seems full so I imagine this monthly news round-up may be a big one...
Lady Destiny Productions are currently working on a horror film called Christmas Slasher. Actress, director, and owner of the company, Destiny Soria is set to star in, and direct the movie. The film hopes to blend several horror subgenres together, including psychological and the supernatural. Soria plays the lead role of Alita Claus, who along with her friends head to an old childhood hangout for a weekend of partying. Things go quite wrong with the arrival of a killer zombie reindeer, as well as the angry duo of Mr. and Mrs. Claus who have put Alita and her friends on their naughty list. Christmas Slasher is also set to feature Nicholas Brendon and Felissa Rose, and the film is due for release before Christmas 2021.
Mind bending clone-fest Dead Dicks is now out to stream or buy. It can be brought on Amazon, Artsploitation Films and Kino Lorber, while it can be rented on Prime Video, Apple TV and Vimeo. I quite liked this film, time loop stuff always appeals to me. Also from Artsploitation Films comes the news that Happy Times has been acquired for North America. This is a horror comedy about a Shabbat dinner party that spirals out of control. It is slated for a film festival run this autumn, with VOD and DVD to follow.
The official trailer of Italian horror, Caleb is now online. This film by L/D Productions is about a battle between good and evil that unfolds in a small remote town.
Deadly Night Out is due to start filming in September. This is due to be filmed in South Florida, the film aims to be a psychological thriller 'that takes us on a suspenseful journey of a fragile relationship during a difficult time'. It was created by Dominic Giannetti.
Horror comedy Gym of the Dead has released a new poster and announced a cast. The film is to feature Dani Thompson (My Bloody Banjo), Megan Lockhurst (Jurassic Predator), Eve Kathryn Oliver (Edge of Extinction), Jack Hunter (Paranoia Tapes), Robert Bess (Clown Motel 2), Heather Rotten (The Embalmers), Amy Ellen Holbrook (Strix), Pamela Sutch (Trakked), Renee Graham (Backwoods Bubba), Tina Vasile (Day of the Undead), Tamara Jones (Z Dead End), Cayt Feinics (Naked Cannibal Campers) and Monica Hayes (The Gift). The film is going to be a blend of everything eighties and also include zombies. There is currently an Indiegogo campaign running to get funds, that can be found here.
Award-winning filmmaker Scott Lyus has teamed up with actress Natalie Martins (Cruel Summer) and writer/director James L Perkins to produce horror short The Veil of Isolation. This has recently had a successful Kickstarter campaign. The film tackles a current theme, that of lockdown, and this follows a woman who shares her increasingly dark thoughts with the world in the form of a video diary.
Jeff Payne has released a teaser trailer for the third chapter of his The Pale Faced Lady series. The short film, titled In Darkness I Wait is set to be released in September. Payne hopes this will be the payoff for the series. It is to be 25 minutes long, which is more than the first two (The Pale Faced Lady and She Will Return).
Faces of Fear is a horror anthology that is due out on September 29th and will feature Kim Sonderholm (Little Big Boy), Luc Bernier (Home Videos 3, Jason Figgis (Children of a Darker Dawn) and Martin Sonntag (Escaping the Dead) among many others. The anthology is due to include the following short films, Harvest, Facing Face, See Attachment, The Ties That Bind, Cooking with Human Blood, Red Rubber, Callous and Dream. A trailer can be seen here.
Mario Cerrito and Michael Joy have partnered up to make horror film, The House in the Pines. The film is said to be 'an 80's slasher film that is nothing like an 80's slasher film'. The screenplay is complete with casting announcements due to be made in the coming weeks.
On 29th August, Sequanda Films launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the production of The Sawyer Massacre. This is a feature length Texas Chainsaw Massacre fan film that is set several years before the original and aims to give a deeper insight into the murderous family. The campaign is set to run for two months and will feature the usual assortment of perks for donors.
The dual format release of Melancholic has been announced by Third Window Films. This is an award winning Japanese comedic crime thriller that is about a graduate forced to take a job at the local bathhouse, which happens to be used by the yakuza as a place for execution and corpse disposal. This comes out on September 7th and will also be out on various video on demand platforms.
HNN Presents is set to release two new horror films in time for Halloween. Fabula is about a former detective who suffers from a fear of the dark and finds himself hunting a serial killer. Profondo is about a disillusioned man who heads to a small seaside village in search of the mythical 'Red Devil' marine animal. These both release on October 13th and come from Bayview Entertainment.
Denver auteur filmmaker Dakota Ray (The Dark Days of Demetrius, The Acid Sorcerer) has revealed details of his seventh film. Titled Sebastian's Unholy Flesh. A demonic being named Sebastian (Ray) manifests in order to obtain Lucifer's ancient unholy book. However, also in search of the book are shamen/serial killer, The White Spider, and a demon named Nezaah (Nick Benning). Ray's films always have a cool style to them, and I like the synopsis for this one.
Quartz Vein will be the 15th feature film by award-winning director, Jared Masters. In this one a prospector in the year 2047 helps rescue three sisters that are captive of a race of gold injecting vampires. The script has been completed, and the film aims to release Fall 2021. For more details check out the Indiegogo campaign page here.
It wouldn't be a news post without mentioning Terror Films and the end of July has seen the launch of their merchandise store. This includes backpacks, leggings, t-shirts, cups and more, and will feature demons from their original productions: Trace (2015), The Chosen (2015) and Hell House LLC (2015). The shop can be found here. Also from Terror Films comes the critics choice horror anthology 10/31: A Halloween Horror Anthology. This premiered on Kings of Horror YouTube Channel on August 28th. The film will be on there exclusively until October 9th where it will then release on a variety of digital platforms.
Some AMC announcements now. First up, Eli Roth's History of Horror Season Two premieres Tuesday 10th November at 9pm. This new season 'explores the dark power and wicked fun of scary movies, the craft that went into making them, and the ways that horror films reflect the anxieties of their times'. Fear the Walking Dead Season Six premieres Monday 12th October at 9pm. This new season explores what has happened to the unlikely family after being dispersed across Virginia (Colby Minifie) and her Pioneers far-reaching settlements. Also check out the news posts header image for some lovely official key art for season 6. Preacher season 4 continues Mondays at 21:00 until 5th October. Based on the popular comic book franchise of the same name, this final season brings God's endgame for the universe into place. I have some screeners of some of the episodes so shall be covering that in a different blog post. Finally, NOS4A2 Season 2 continues Sundays at 21:00 until the finale on 8th September.
Finally, ending on some music news, Fatality have a new music video for their single Juggernaut. This was filmed and edited by Talon Payne of Gallow Wood Media and it was recorded and produced at Card Trick Music in Essex, UK. Fatality's vocalist Josh says of the song "is about standing tall, getting up when you've been knocked down and giving it your all no matter what you're aiming for in life".
Quick Sips - Beneath Ceaseless Skies #311
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| Art by Alexey Shugurov |
Wine: Nunc Est Bibendum Schwarzriesling
The wine has what I consider to be a typical Schwarzriesling taste. It's dry, rich and fruity. However, it's not a subtle wine. The Schwarzriesling from Eberbach-Schäfer has subtle nuances that can only be noticed if you sip the wine slowly. In contrast, the Nunc Est Bibendum Schwarzriesling is a full frontal assault on the taste buds. Rather than paying close attention to what you're drinking, this is a wine to be enjoyed while laughing and socialising with friends. This is a wine for getting drunk, and I don't say that as a criticism. If I have friends who've never sampled German red wines, this is a good wine to start with.
Minggu, 30 Agustus 2020
Captain America: Civil War (5 Stars)
As most of my readers know, Chadwick Boseman died of cancer two days ago, aged 43. It was a shock to everyone, because he kept his illness secret for years. When I saw it reported on the BBC website yesterday morning, my first reaction was disbelief. I even suspected it of being a hoax. How can someone so young and (seemingly) so fit die so suddenly?
Since he's best known for his role as the Black Panther in four of the MCU films, I've decided to watch at least two of them to remember him, maybe all four. I haven't decided yet.
The Black Panther is a character who was first invented by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, appearing in Fantastic Four #52 in July 1966. He became a member of the Avengers in Avengers #52 (May 1968), while Roy Thomas was the regular writer, but it wasn't until September 1973 that he was presented as a true African super-hero. The unknown young writer Don McGregor started to write solo adventures of the Black Panther in Jungle Action #6 which took place in his homeland of Wakanda, not in America. Readers consider the 13-part Panther's Rage story (Jungle Action #6 to #18) to be one of the best stories ever published by Marvel.
Chadwick Boseman is the living representation of the Black Panther as we see him in the Panther's Rage story. He's strong, he's noble, but above all else he's African. This is most obvious in his solo film, "Black Panther", that I'll be watching tomorrow. "Civil War" is an outstanding action film, but "Black Panther" is an African film.
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| Chadwick Boseman November 29, 1976 – August 28, 2020 |
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Vivarium (2019) - Horror Film Review
As a member of the Fright Meter Awards committee I was in a group chat discussing what films should be up for nomination and someone mentioned Vivarium. After a little look into this I was quite intrigued about the set-up and so felt I needed to check it out. According to the trivia section on IMDB, Vivarium is Latin for 'place of life' and also refers to a simulated habitat for plants or animals, both of which fit in with the creepy story unfolding here. This was directed by Lorcan Finnegan who co-wrote the story with Garret Shanley, their previous film, Without Name I quite enjoyed.
Gemma (Imogen Poots - Green Room, 28 Weeks Later) and her boyfriend, Tom (Jesse Eisenberg - Zombieland, Zombieland: Double Tap) are looking for a house to move into together and so they decide to check out a local estate agents. The weird agent working there (Jonathan Aris - Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) insists they follow him to a brand new housing estate which he promises them will be where they will find their perfect home. They follow him deep into the development, which is a series of streets of identical looking houses, and are soon given a house to look around in. While their attention is elsewhere the man vanishes, and chalking it up to just an odd experience they go to leave. Bizarrely they are unable to find their way out of the estate, their every attempt resulting in them back at the house, eventually the petrol in their car runs out and they are forced to spend the night in the house. After many days spent trying to escape they come to realise they are trapped. It is not long after that they discover a box in the street outside their home, which appears to contain a newborn baby inside. With no way to leave, the couple are forced to live at the house, kept alive by mysterious food parcels which keep turning up, while caring for a child whose rapid aging suggests a species that is not human...
On first reading up about this it sounded like a suburban version of In the Tall Grass, with the fields of grass replaced with the labyrinthian like housing estate. For the film's first act that is an apt comparison, yet the arrival of the child changes things up. The child (mainly played by Senan Jennings - Brute) is both annoying and sinister. It is clear from the films opener of a baby cuckoo being reared by a different species of bird that a similar thing is going on with the couple. The boy always appears to be imitating what he thinks a human should be acting like, the most creepy moments come when he nearly perfectly imitates Gemma and Tom's voices and conversations. This middle act of the film nearly outstayed its welcome, the mystery of why they are trapped fades into the background. As Gemma becomes more and more caring towards the child, Tom becomes obsessed with digging a hole, convinced he will discover answers by what he finds at the bottom. Both actors give a good impression of just what being trapped in such a situation would be like. As the film progresses both characters get more and more depressed and haggard looking, the monotony of their situation grinding them down.
Visually this is quite a dull film once you get used to the setting. This is all very intentional though. the identical looking rows of houses, the sky with the clouds that are suspiciously too perfect looking, the lack of any weather, the food in its bland packaging all create an on paper sense of perfection, but realised in actuality this creates a sense of Hell for the protagonists. In the movie's third act things become a lot more interesting looking, the finale had good use of lighting to really sell some the ideas it was putting out. The story was interesting enough that I wanted to stick around to the end, going by Without Name I figured there would be far more questions than answers by the films conclusion, and I was right. Also, due to how the story is paced out I had a strong idea of how this would end, and I was correct, but I think this was the best way to finish the story.
Vivarium felt like a The Twilight Zone episode developed into a feature length picture, it brought to mind most keenly the episode 'People Are Alike All Over'. I thought this was a pretty good film, maybe the second act could have been cut down a bit, but overall this worked well at creating creepiness by dialing supreme normality up high. Vivarium is currently on Amazon Prime Video to rent or buy.
SCORE:
Netflix: Review of UNKNOWN ORIGINS: Comics-Cloning Crimes
August 30, 2020
Assigned to the case was an idealistic but smug young cop David Valentin (Javier Rey). Much to his annoyance, his boss Norma (Veronica Echegui) decided to partner him with geeky comic store owner Jorge Elias (Brays Efe) to investigate the case. When clues led to a connection with a 20-year old cold case involving David's parents was uncovered, the search became more intensified and personal.
Director and co-writer David Galan Galindo was obviously fans of the comics culture and it was fun to catch all the pop culture references he and his writing partner Fernando Navarro sprinkled generously throughout the course of the film. The aesthetic of the film was similar to David Fincher's "Se7en" in terms of the grotesqueness of the crime scenes. However, since the crimes were based on comic books, there was a balancing sense of silly black humor that ran throughout the whole film.
The mismatched pair of investigators were cast perfectly. Javier Rey was the stuffed-hirt David -- handsome, fit, confident, impeccably groomed, and always smartly dressed. In stark contrast, Brays Efe was the nerdy Jorge -- overweight, unkempt, mousy, totally unmindful of the way he looked and dressed. Of course, the two did not hit it off right away as partners. The haughty David looked down upon Jorge and his colorful friends with derision, only to later be served his generous piece of humble pie.
Veronica Echegui had a blast playing David's no-nonsense superior officer Norma as an active cosplayer who had an affinity for wearing Sailor Moon and other Japanese anime costumes. Ernesto Altiero relished his role as the forensics expert Bruguera, pointing out all the gory details in the corpses and their process of dying. Antonio Resine played Jorge's father and retired detective Cosme, whose character served as the film's emotional core.
All the previous Spanish serial killers film that I had seen all had fanatical religion as a connecting theme. These have all been dark, serious and somber affairs, as would be generally expected of such films. The odd concept of using the comic book superhero genre as the unifying theme of the crimes of a serial killer led to a witty script, campy visuals, and comic culture references galore. This brought in an ironic element of fun for a supposedly grim crime movie, actually turning out to be quite a clever idea. 8/10.
Sabtu, 29 Agustus 2020
Marvel Years 14.09 - September 1974
This month Marvel releases another four new comics. Three are giant-sized versions of regular comics, while the fourth is a black and white magazine published under their Curtis Magazines Imprint.
The first new comic this month is Giant-Size Master Of Kung Fu . It's not quite in sync with the regular series. It takes place on Shang Chi's birthday, which would be one year after Special Marvel Edition #15, his 19th birthday. In his Complete Marvel Reading Order Travis Starnes suggests that this story takes place after Master Of Kung Fu #21, which will be published next month
This comic contains the first stories written by Doug Moench, who will go on to be the regular writer for the series.
The cover promises five all-new stories about Shang-Chi. Someone can't count. There are only three new stories. The issue also contains a reptint of a Yellow Claw story from 1956.
Giant-Size Master Of Kung Fu #1
Title(s): Death Masque
The Enemy Within
The Council of 7
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Paul Gulacy
Villain: Fu Manchu, Ducharme
The first story is a 24-page story split into three chapters with different titles.
It's Shang Chi's birthday, presumably his 20th birthday. His father Fu Manchu sends him messages that this is the day he'll die. He defeats the assassins sent to kill him. He goes to his father's headquarters and defeats his father's best warriors, but Fu Manchu escapes in a helicopter before he can reach him.
Title: Frozen Past, Shattered Memories
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Craig Russell
Villain: Fu Manchu
In the second story Shang Chi is in Miami searching for Fu Manchu. He sees a newspaper report about a valuable Buddha on loan to a local museum. He goes to see it, and he overhears a plot to steal it. He returns at night and easily overcomes the burglars, but while he's fighting with them the Buddha disappears, stolen by his father.
Title: Reflections in a Rippled Pool
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Ron Wilson
Villain: Fu Manchu
In the third story Shang Chi is still in Miami and is looking for somewhere to stay the night. He's refused entrance to a homeless hostel because he's Chinese. Three gunmen attempt to kill him. He defeats them, knowing that they were hired by Fu Manchu.
The second new comic this month is Giant-Size Dracula. It's a replacement for Giant-Size Chillers, so the numbering begins with #2. Whereas Giant-Size Chillers #1 was easy to sync with the regular series, I have absolutely no idea where this story fits in. It has to be after Tomb of Dracula #21, because that story is referenced. Dracula says that he's no longer being hunted, because the vampire hunters think he's dead. That also refers to Tomb Of Dracula #21.
Giant-Size Dracula #2
Title: Call them Triad, call them Death
Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Y'Garon, Triad
Dracula reads in the newspaper omen in Northumbria are being killed. Vampires are blamed for the attacks, but Dracula knows of no vampires in that area, so he flies there to investigate.
The enemy is an ancient group of beings called the Triad, led by Y'Garon. Thousands of years ago they ruled the Earth as the Elder Gods. Y'Garon wants to use the blood of a psychic called Kate Harris to bring all three members back to Earth so they can rule again.
Kate looks identical to Dracula's dead wife Maria. In a trance, he thinks she's Maria and Y'Garon is the Turkish warlord Turac who killed Maria in the 15th Century. He doesn't realise who Y'Garon is until after he's killed him.
Dracula spares Kate because of her similarity to Maria, but he makes her forget him.
The third new comic this month is Giant-Size Conan. It tells stories that take place at the same time as the stories in the regular series. Since they're non-canon, I'll make no attempt to sync them.
Marvel's kung fu craze continues with the fourth new comic this month, a special edition of Deadly Hands Of Kung Fu. Even though I consider it non-canon, like all the Curtis comics, it's definitely worth reading. It's a 34-page story called "The Master Plan of Fu Manchu" divided into three chapters. In the first chapter Iron Fist faces Fu Manchu. In the second chapter the Sons of the Tiger face Fu Manchu. In the third chapter Shang Chi faces and defeats Fu Manchu. Even though it's a single story with a single enemy, the characters in the three chapters don't meet.
Man-Thing #9
Title: Deathwatch!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Mike Ploog
Man-Thing watches Maybelle Tork, an old lady who lives in a house in the swamp. He frightens her, and she suffers a heart attack. Her husband Ezekiel takes a boat to civilisation to get help. On the way he's attacked by a demonically possessed tree, but Man-Thing saves him. Then the demon possesses an alligator, so Man-Thing saves him again. Finally the demon possesses the skeletons of criminals who've died in the swamp. Man-Thing destroys them, but not until after they've killed Ekekiel. Seemingly?
I can understand the controversy about Mike Ploog. His style is very cartoonish, unlike any other artist at Marvel. Personally, I think his style suits Steve Gerber's stories. What do you think?
Daredevil #113
Title: When strikes the Gladiator!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Bob Brown
Villain: Gladiator, Death-Stalker
Regulars: Black Widow, Foggy Nelson, Candace Nelson
Guests: Shanna, Man-Thing, Richard Rory
I enjoyed Gene Colan as Daredevil's regular artist, but just look at this splash page drawn by Bob Brown. It's incredible!
We find out a bit more about Foggy's sister Candace. She's a journalism student. She discovers notes about a connection between her university (Empire State University) and the army. A scientist called Ted Sallis was working on a project to change men into pollution breathing monsters. We all know who Ted Sallis is, don't we?
Wait! Is this true? I thought Ted Sallis was working on the development of a super-soldier serum. The text box says that the pollution serum was mentioned in Adventure Into Fear #16, but I checked that issue and can't find anything.
The FBI come to arrest Candace to cover up the experiments. This anti-government line is typical for Steve Gerber. Before they can take her away, the Gladiator captures her from them. We last saw the Gladiator in Daredevil #85. He's a good villain, he should be used more often.
Matt Murdock goes to Florida to investigate Ted Sallis, who's been reported missing. He's assisted by the local disc jockey Richard Rory. Richard is captured by the Gladiator, assisted by someone called Death-Stalker. Matt changes into Daredevil, but he's knocked unconscious in the fight. Gladiator prepares to kill him as Man-Thing arrives.
Master Of Kung Fu #20
Title(s): Weapon of the Soul
Poison of the Soul
Writer: Gerry Conway & Doug Moench
Artist: Paul Gulacy
Villain: Korain
This is a single story divided into two parts with different titles. The first part is written by Gerry Conway, the second by Doug Moench.
Shang Chi is attacked by assassins on the beach. He easily defeats them. They say that they've been hired to kill him by Demmy Marston, the owner of an offshore casino.
Shang Chi boards the boat. The hired assassin Korain is waiting for him. He's an old samurai warrior who keeps himself young and agile with a potion. His strain in the battle makes him age again, so he needs more of the potion. He overdoses and dies.
Demmy Marston tells Shang Chi that he acted on his own behalf in hiring the assassins. He wanted to kill Shang Chi to gain Fu Manchu's favour.
Avengers #127
Title: Bride and Doom!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Quicksilver
Villain: Maximus, Ultron-7
Regulars: Mantis, Jarvis
Guests: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Medusa, Susan Richards, Franklin Richards, Agatha Harkness, Black Bolt, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Crystal, Lockjaw
Gorgon arrives at the Avengers Mansion to ask if they're ready to attend the wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver. They know nothing about it, because Quicksilver hasn't invited them.
They go to the wedding in their costumes. Is that the usual super-hero dress code?
Quicksilver still doesn't accept his sister's relationship with Vision.
There's an uprising by the Alpha Primitives, led by Omega. It's not the same Omega that we saw in Fantastic Four #132. It's Ultron-7 in disguise, the latest upgrade of Ultron-6, who we last saw in Avengers #68. This story continues in Fantastic Four #150.
Captain America and the Falcon #177
Title: Lucifer be thy name
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Lucifer, Aries, Morgan
Regulars: Sharon Carter
Captain America has quit, and the Falcon can't persuade him to return to duty.
Lucifer, who we last saw in Iron Man #20, manages to return to Earth with a Casadrax mineral, whatever that is. First he occupies the body of a common street criminal. This body isn't strong enough to contain all his energy, so he frees the Zodiac member Aries (last seen in Avengers #122) from prison and occupies his body as well. This means there are now two of him.
The two Lucifers defeat the Falcon, and they leave him unconscious. Then they're hired by Morgan to kill the Falcon.
The Incredible Hulk #179
Title: Re-enter the Missing Link!
Writer: Len Wein
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Lincoln (Missing Mink)
Regulars: General Ross, Betty Ross, Major Talbot
Guests: Recorder
The High Evolutionary gives the Hulk a rocket to return to Earth. Shortly before arriving he smashes a hole in the rocket and falls out. He lands in a small town called Lucifer Falls, where he falls asleep and turns back into Bruce Banner. He's taken in by a religious family, the Brickfords. They've also adopted a deformed monster. Bruce Banner doesn't recognise him, but it's the Missing Link, who fought the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #106. Didn't the Missing Link die? Don't take death too seriously, this is Marvel. He reassembled his body after it was destroyed in an explosion. Now he's tame and works in a mine. The Brickfords call him Lincoln.
One of the children, Jimmy-Jack Brickford, is taken ill. Bruce Banner recognises it as radiation sickness. With the help of a Geiger counter he finds the source of the radiation, Lincoln's body. Bruce tells Lincoln to leave to seek treatment, but Lincoln doesn't believe him, so he pushes Bruce away angrily. Bruce turns back into the Hulk, and they fight. Lincoln falls into a pit. Below the ground his radiation increases to critical mass, and he explodes. This time he isn't destroyed, but it expels his radiation, and he can go home safely.
This is a beautiful story by Len Wein, deep and meaningful.
Amazing Spider-Man #136
Title: The Green Goblin lives again!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Ross Andru
Villain: Green Goblin (Harry Osborn)
Regulars: Betty Brant, Mary Jane Watson
Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson go on a date. Is Peter a kung fu fan, or did he only go to see the kung fu film because Mary Jane persuaded him? I wonder if he reads all of Marvel's new kung fu comics.
When they get back to Peter's apartment, his door has been booby-trapped, and there's an explosion. Mary Jane is badly injured and has to go to hospital. Peter suspects the Green Goblin, even though he died in Amazing Spider-Man #122. He's right. The bomb was planted by the Green Goblin, but it's a new Green Goblin, Peter's room mate Harry Osborn. He wants revenge on Spider-Man for killing his father.
After a close battle, the Green Goblin flies away, threatening to return soon. He knows Spider-Man's secret identity.
Peter asks J. Jonah Jameson for time off work to look after Mary Jane. JJJ refuses, so Peter quits his job as a staff photographer.
Once more, this is a very good story. Why are Gerry Conway's Spider-Man stories so good when everything else he writes is lacklustre?
Fantastic Four #150
This comic contains two short stories that take place after one another. Or are they two parts of the same story? I'll let you decide.
Title: Ultron-7: He'll rule the world!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Rich Buckler
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Medusa
Villain: Maximus, Ultron-7
Regulars: Susan Richards, Franklin Richards, Agatha Harkness, Black Bolt, Gorgon, Karnak,Triton, Crystal
Guests: Thor, Iron Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Mantis, Quicksilver
Ultron-7 threatens to destroy the brains of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and the Inhumans with his mental powers. Nobody can stand against him, until Franklin blasts him in his comatose sleep. This destroys Ultron-7, and it also removes Franklin's powers, making him a normal child.
By the way, why is Susan Richards wearing her Fantastic Four costume? Is she back with the group now, or is it just the super-hero wedding dress code?
Title: The Wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Rich Buckler
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Medusa
Regulars: Susan Richards, Franklin Richards, Agatha Harkness, Black Bolt, Gorgon, Karnak,Triton, Crystal, Alicia Masters
Guests: Thor, Iron Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Mantis, Quicksilver, Whizzer
After the threat of Ultron-7 has been removed, the wedding can take place.
Stan Lee doesn't gate crash this wedding. Or maybe he's still insulted that he wasn't allowed to attend the wedding of Reed and Susan Richards.
Thor #227
Title: In search of Ego!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Rich Buckler
Villain: Galactus, Firelord, Ego
Regulars: Odin, Sif, Hildegarde, Krista, Heimdall
Guests: Hercules
Ego launches an attack and fires at Galactus' ship before it can land. Thor, Hercules and Firelord rush into battle, while Galactus remains behind.
Odin watches the fight. He tells Sif that he could intervene, but he doesn't want to. He says that if Thor is killed he'll mourn first, then take revenge. This is strange. Is he so confident that he can defeat Ego, after he was fearful of Galactus attacking Asgard in previous issues?
Here's another of Gerry Conway's infamous blunders. Odin saddles his horse to inspect Asgard's borders, and then he rides across the Rainbow Bridge. The bridge is at the entrance to Asgard, so he's riding the wrong way.
Thor and his companions fight their way into the heart of Ego where they find his brain. Thor attempts to destroy it. Continued next month.....
Tomb of Dracula #24
Title: A night for the living, a morning for the dead!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Gene Colan
Regulars: Sheila Whittier, Taj Nittal, Rachel Van Helsing, Frank Drake, Blade
Kills: None (total 31)
Embraces: None (total 9)
The vampire hunters are relaxed, because they think that Dracula was killed in Tomb Of Dracula #21. He's actually sitting on top of Big Ben watching them.
A dancer called Trudy is attacked by Dracula. She manages to ward him off with a cross. She runs to Blade's house for help. When Blade leaves his house to investigate, he's attacked by Dracula in bat form. He doesn't realise it's Dracula, because he too thinks he's dead. They fight in a clothing store. Dracula flees after Blade stabs him.
Dracula returns to Castle Dunwick, where Sheila Whittier is waiting for him. They're becoming affectionate to one another.
Werewolf by Night #21
Title: One wolf's cure, another's poison!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Don Perlin
Villain: Lou Hackett
Regulars: Raymond Coker, Buck Cowan
Jack Russell locks himself indoors on the first night of the full moon, but the Werewolf is too strong and escapes. He finds Raymond Coker, who's also in werewolf form. They're now friends, so they go out to hunt together.
Lou Hackett visits Joshua Kan's lawyer to ask about the ring he's been given. The lawyer says that there were two, and Jack Russell stole the other. When he puts on the ring, Lou Hackett becomes a werewolf, and he kills the lawyer.
Then he goes to search for Jack Russell. Jack has trouble fighting him alone, but Raymond knocks him into a vat of molten metal in a steel works. This breaks Raymond's spell, and he's no longer a werewolf.
The Frankenstein Monster #12
Title: A cold and lasting tomb!
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Val Mayerik
Villain: Vincent Frankenstein (flashback)
A new writer, a new direction.
The Frankenstein Monster stumbles away from the castle where Vincent Frankenstein shot him. He expects to die, but he ants to be as far away from the castle as possible. He climbs to the top of an icy mountain peak. The ice breaks, and he falls into the sea. The cold preserves and heals his body. He's frozen in a block of ice for 84 years, until 1974. After being thawed out he's first put on display in a carnival freak show. Then he escapes, and his new adventures in the 20th Century can begin.
Doctor Strange #3
That's a beautiful cover, but this is a Dreaded Deadline Doom (DDD) issue. Without having further details, I put the blame on Frank Brunner. He's a wonderful artist, but he works too slowly.
Iron Man #70
Title: Who shall stop Ultimo?
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Sunfire, Mandarin, Ultimo, Yellow Claw, Black Lama
Regulars: Roxanne Gilbert, Happy Hogan, Pepper Hogan
Iron Man is unconscious and floating into space. His face armour seals, giving him 60 minutes of oxygen. He wakes up and returns to Earth.
Meanwhile, Sunfire is attacking the Mandarin, who is being defended by the giant android Ultimo. Mandarin is attacking his fortress, which is currently being occupied by the Yellow Claw. The Yellow Claw is preparing to battle other super-villains. The Black Lama, who I'd almost forgotten after his brief appearance in Iron Man #53, is offering a prize to the villain who can defeat the other great villains, and the Mandarin is only the first.
It does sound rather cool; a golden globe in which the combination ultimate power and inner peace lies. The text at the bottom suggests that this will happen all over Marvel, but it will remain in the pages of Iron Man.
Yellow Claw kills the Mandarin in battle. Seemingly. His servant Loc Do steals the power rings from the Mandarin's dead body.
Iron Man returns and helps Sunfire defeat Ultimo.
In Vietnam, Eddie March's brother Marty shows Roxanne Gilbert a secret city that he's discovered.
Captain Marvel #34
Title: Blown away!
Writer: Jim Starlin, Steve Englehart
Artist: Jim Starlin
Villain: Nitro
Regulars: Rick Jones, Lou-Ann Savannah, Carol Danvers, Drax, Mentor, Moondragon, Eros
Guests: Iron Man, Vision
A man called Nitro breaks into the air force base where Captain Marvel used to work in his guise as Walt Lawson. Nitro steals a vial containing Compound Thirteen (TM), a nerve gas so toxic that it can kill everyone on the planet. Nitro has the ability to blow himself up and reassemble his body.
Rick Jones has seen every episode of "Kung Fu", starring David Carradine. That's not enough. He needs to read Marvel's kung fu comics every month.
Captain Marvel defeats Nitro by telling Rick Jones to smash his nega-bands together at the moment Nitro is exploding. This gives his explosion too much energy, and he can't reassemble himself.
The vial with Compound Thirteen is damaged by the explosion. Captain Marvel seals it, but the small amount that he inhales knocks him unconscious.
In this issue Rick Jones breaks up with Lou-Ann Savannah.
Sub-Mariner #72
Title: From the void it came!
Writer: Steve Skeates
Artist: Dan Adkins
Villain: Slime-Thing
This is the last issue of Sub-Mariner, and it finishes on a low. The writer Steve Skeates is invited to write this issue. He was best known for writing comedy stories, but he was also responsible for riding DC's Aquaman, a previously successful series, into cancellation. Is it someone's idea of a sick joke that he was hired to hammer the final nails into Sub-Mariner's coffin?
This is a sci-fi monster story, not a super-hero story. A monster floating through space falls into the sea. It's just a floating head, but it builds itself a body. It fights Sub-Mariner, but it's not really evil, it's just someone or something who doesn't know what he's doing. This Slime-Thing defeats Sub-Mariner by blinding him, then leaves the Earth.
While flying through space the creature restores Namor's sight and brings back a man from the dead who was accidentally killed.
What a load of junk!
That's weird. A quote from Adolf Hitler is used to justify a full page drawing with hardly any text. That's not just weird, it's creepy.
Ka-Zar #5
Title(s): A Man-God Unleashed
Be this my destiny?
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Maa-Gor, El Tigre
Regulars: Bobbi Morse
This is a single story divided into two parts with different titles.
Ka-Zar fights against the re-animated Man-Apes, and he can't prevail. There are too many.
While Maa-Gor the Man-God is ranting about wanting to rule the world, El Tigre enters the Savage Land's mystic mists. This changes him so that he looks ugly. He throws himself off a rock to his death.
Maa-Gor comes to investigate. He deduces that the mystic mists cause evolution. He enters the mists again to further increase his power. He finds a machine at the centre. He tries to touch it, and he splits into two beings. One of them kills the other, and then devolves into Maa-Gor's previous primitive state.
It's announced that Mike Friedrich is leaving this comic. I'm glad. He didn't know what direction he wanted to take. He's had no feeling for Ka-Zar from the beginning.
Marvel Spotlight #17
Title: In the Shadow of the Serpent!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Jim Mooney
Villain: Kometes, Spyros (Adam)
Regulars: Katherine Reynolds
Daimon Hellstrom and his companions, Katherine Reynolds and Byron Hyatt, go to Atlantis to speak to Zhered-Na. She's no longer in the city; she's been exiled as a traitor for prophesying that Atlantis will sink into the sea.
They take a boat to the mainland to see her, but she already knows they're coming and makes mental contact. She communes with Daimon on the astral plane.
Zhered-Ma's a big girl. Daimon doesn't know where to look.
She tells Daimon that Kometes isn't the true enemy. He's only a tool of mankind's self-destructive evil. It's part of a cosmic balance. If Daimon wants to tilt the balance, he has to defeat Spyros, the defender of cosmic order. Spyros reveals that he's really Adam, the first man. Daimon fights grudgingly against him. When he defeats him, Kometes is destroyed 20,000 years in the future.
It's a weird story, but what else can we expect from Steve Gerber?
Marvel Premiere #17
Title: Citadel on the Edge of Vengeance
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Larry Hama
Iron Fist visits the headquarters of Meachum Industries to face Harold Meachum, the man who killed his father. He takes the elevator to the 20th floor, then progresses through a series of 13 traps to reach Meachum's office. While the story is enjoyable, it's very artificial. Why would a business tycoon devise such an elaborate series of traps to stop someone who might never come? While reading the story I couldn't help feeling that it has the character of a video game with a series of challenges, something that didn't yet exist in 1974.
Jungle Action #11
Title: Once you slay the Dragon!
Writer: Don McGregor
Artist: Billy Graham
Villain: Baron Macabre, Malice, Lord Kanaj
Regulars: Monica Lynne
Black Panther mounts an attack against Killmonger, but once more he only faces Killmonger's servants, Baron Macabre, Malice and Lord Kanaj. There are long flashbacks that give the battle an almost dreamlike quality. This is yet another excellent comic from Don McGregor.
Non-canon comics published this month:
Savage Tales #6 (Gerry Conway, John Buscema)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #4 (Doug Moench, Mike Vosburg)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu Special (Doug Moench, Frank McLaughlin)
Dracula Lives #8 (Doug Moench, Tony DeZunga)
Tales of the Zombie #7 (Doug Moench, Pablo Marcos)
Haunt of Horror #3 (Doug Moench, Billy Graham)
Defenders #15 (Len Wein, Sal Buscema)
Marvel Team-Up #25 (Len Wein, Jim Mooney)
Marvel Two-In-One #5 (Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema)
Giant-Size Conan #1 (Roy Thomas, Gil Kane)
Conan the Barbarian #42 (Roy Thomas, John Buscema)