From Chicago to Wakanda to Plaszow to Selma - Doug's Summer Reading List

Doug: With yesterday's observance of Labor Day here in the States, summer has unofficially come to an end. And as we've done in the past around here, we like to query the reading lists of friends and discuss that of your hosts. I always look forward to these times to get recommendations and really to just get a finger on the pulse of our readers' preferences inside and outside the comics/graphic novel genre.

I was really floored when I set to gathering images for today's post. I knew I'd been somewhat prolific since May -- way more than in the past several summers -- but I had no idea how ravenous an appetite for reading I'd had. So in chronological order (because I'm a history guy, you know...), here are my accomplishments.

In May I actually finished a book I'd started in the fall of 2015. Having lived in the Chicago area for 95% of my life, my wife and I have an interest in Chicago history. So last year, while she read The Devil in the White City, I started Sin in the Second City. You can see from the taglines on the book's cover what it is basically about. It centers on a pair of sisters who arrive in town with the goal of setting up the best brothel in America. The Everleigh (get it?) Club was notorious, and the circumstances around its existence and demise were compelling reading.

I followed that book with a biography of Eliot Ness. I probably haven't seen but one or two episodes of the 1959-63 television show The Untouchables, but I love the 1986 film of the same name that starred Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia, and Robert DeNiro. Last year my wife and I toured Union Station, site of the most memorable scene from that film. So I've had this closet interest in Ness, and upon seeing the book for sale at the Chicago History Museum I purchased it. Like all people and events, lives and circumstances tend to be romanticized over time. This would definitely be true of the history of the Untouchables, a story actually promoted by Ness himself. I had not known that after Prohibition ended Ness landed in Cleveland and became that city's Public Safety Director. Ness led an interesting, and conflicted, life to be sure. It was a good read.

When I headed to Washington, DC in mid-July I wanted to read something that could probably be conquered in the four-plus hours (round-trip) of flight time. Having recently downloaded a file of all the Tarzan novels to my Kindle, I chose Jungle Tales of Tarzan. It was my third read of that book, and its format as a collection of short stories was perfect. This also helped to set my mind for seeing the Tarzan film, which I did after my return.

For light reading while in Washington, because being immersed in the Holocaust definitely requires a mental break, I took my copy of the the Black Panther Marvel Masterworks. I've long been reporting that a storyline I'd never read but needed to was "Panther's Rage". I actually read the first three issues (of 13) while away from home, and then finished it upon my return. I have something in the works for later this fall in terms of a review of the story. Footnote: As Marvel is soon releasing a paperback Epic Collection version of the "Panther's Rage" story, and with the Marvel Premiere BP stories also included, I decided to sell my Masterworks and pre-order the softcover as a replacement. My copy sold on eBay last month for $120, so it was a wise decision financially.

While at the Holocaust Museum, a colleague recommended I read My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me. You can see the tagline on the cover. But the kicker is that the author's grandfather was not some obscure Nazi lost to the sands of time. No... Jennifer Teege's grandfather was none other than Amon Goth, commandant of the Plaszow Labor Camp and immortalized in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List. Goth and his mistress, shown a couple of times in the film, had a baby girl just months before the War ended and Goth was hanged for his crimes. That baby girl grew up and had a relationship with a man of African descent which bore a daughter, Jennifer. Ms. Teege did not know the full truth about her background until she was an adult and how that new knowledge turned her life upside down is the theme of the book. Fascinating reading.

I felt like I needed something a little lighter to help balance the Teege book. On Amazon's Kindle Store, books that have fallen to the public domain are offered for a free download. While browsing I found the first Lone Ranger book and snatched it up. It was OK -- I found it perhaps more sociologically interesting in terms of the attitudes and stereotypes than I found it to be any sort of high literature. But I'm glad I read it. Funny, because I could "see" Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels in my head the entire time I read it and much of the dialogue seemed like it could have been used later in the television program.

 

I mentioned to a Twitter friend a few weeks ago, as he was on his way to hear Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) speak that I regretted passing on a rally in DC after the Dallas shootings. Lewis was to be the main speaker at a rally on the Capitol lawn. If you are not aware, John Lewis remains a major figure in the Civil Rights Movement, and is the last living person who spoke at the March on Washington on 28 August 1963 (site of Dr. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech). Lewis has authored a memoir in the graphic novel format. March has been issued in three volumes. I have read the first two and am awaiting the third installment, which will arrive with the Black Panther book I mentioned above. Highly recommended!

While reading March I was also reading Robert E. Howard's only full-length Conan novel, Conan the Conqueror. I read it from a Kindle file of Howard's complete Conan stories. It was a solid read, and a nice balance to the themes of Lewis's memoir. I'll recommend any Howard Conan, and follow it up with a tip of the hat to the way Marvel (notably Roy Thomas) handled the character in the Bronze Age.

So summer's over and I've begun reading Viktor Frankl's Holocaust memoir Man's Search for Meaning. But you know I'll have to have a mental diversion from those difficult events and themes, so from the Kindle I will also soon begin Johnston McCulley's The Mark of Zorro. That, and all the comics I read so that I can bring the reviews your way for consideration are on the horizon.

Now, how about you?

 

BAB Classic: Sweet Christmas, but Luke Cage used to be Cool!

Hero for Hire #1 (June 1972)
"Out of Hell -- a Hero!"
Archie Goodwin-George Tuska/Billy Graham (with plot and design assists from Roy Thomas and John Romita)

Note: This post was originally run on February 3, 2010.

Doug: Luke Cage has really sort of stuck in my craw over these past years. Not that I don't care for the character, his look, or anything else. I just don't like the way Brian Michael Bendis shoved him down my throat in the pages of New Avengers -- Luke Cage may be many things, but an Avenger he is not. Now I'm pretty old school about my comics -- not that change isn't OK. But the Cage Bendis writes isn't the Luke Cage I cut my teeth on. So, my pal Karen and I decided to head back to the character's roots and see what we could recall.

Doug: My Luke Cage experience came not so much from the Hero for Hire series, but from his stint as a member of the Fantastic Four, his appearance in Marvel Two-in-One, and also in the Defenders. So while I wasn't a regular follower of the character, I did have a fair handle on who he was and what he was about. I'll admit that my reading of today's book for this post was my first.

Karen: I know I had a few issues of Hero for Hire, and later Power Man, but like you Doug, I think most of my exposure to Cage was through other titles. I bought Hero for Hire #1 on ebay a few years ago.

Doug: I want to start off with the interior art. We had maligned George Tuska's Iron Man work some weeks ago, but I want to go on record and say that whatever he was doing here it was different and it worked well. There was an edginess to the art -- the black characters were distinguishable from the white characters (not always done well -- see Sal Buscema as an example), but not caricatured. The pacing was well done, the backgrounds were thoroughly done, etc. I can't comment on how much impact inker Billy Graham had on this aspect of the story (Graham is black), but something was surely improved over Tuska's work on Iron Man.

Karen: There was a textured sense to Graham's inks here; it reminds me of some of the black and white work we've seen. I still don't care much for Tuska's work however. I really like the Romita cover though - almost like a movie poster! It also appeared to me that Romita may have drawn Diamondback's face on the final page (see below).

Doug: The story opens in Seagate Prison, known by the inmates as "little Alcatraz", and even Hell. We are immediately introduced to Lucas, a tough who often finds himself in solitary confinement. Upon release from his most recent stint in the brig, he almost-immediately gets into a fight and finds himself back in deep trouble. We're introduced also to corrupt guard Quirt, as well as the equally-corrupt Captain Rackham. Lucas is offered the opportunity to make his life in Seagate easier by informing on one of the prison's gangs. He refuses, Rackham sends him back to solitary, and orders Quirt to break Lucas -- any way he can.

Doug: Quirt administers a severe beating to Lucas, who doesn't fight back. However, unbeknownst to Quirt, the prison's new warden has entered and been alerted of the disturbance. Sneaking into the cell, he turns the tables on Quirt -- Quirt's fired on the spot and then left inside the cell with a now somewhat-liberated Lucas. What happens next is off-camera, and probably for the better.

Doug: The next to feel the wrath of the new warden is Rackham, who is immediately demoted to guard duty. It's clear at this point that the corruption that had been a way of life at Seagate is on the way out. Lucas is visited by Dr. Noah Burstein who cares for him and makes him an offer: subject himself to a new process that might eventually lead to human cell regeneration. But first we get to see Lucas' backstory -- in a way, the origin of the man and how he came to be at Seagate.

Karen: Cage is yet another of the anti-heroes we would see come along in the 70s. While he was framed for heroin possession/dealing, it's clear that he had been involved in muggings and robberies. He was no angel. However, by making it clear that he preferred to use his fists, while his partner used a knife, we are made to look upon him in a more sympathetic light.

Doug: This sequence was really well done. I just felt like the entire story played out like a film -- and of course this was years before Hollywood-types infiltrated the ranks of comics scribes. Goodwin seemed to have a great handle on this tale, the dialogue was believable and not too over-the-top, and Tuska's art (although distinctively his work) was quite appropriate to the mood of the book.

Karen: The whole thing could've come right out of one of the many black exploitation films of the day. I'm sure many of the bullpen writers and artists saw those flicks -along with the films of the kung fu craze, the voodoo/possession films, etc. Marvel took it's inspiration from many sources!

Doug: Lucas agrees to participate in Burstein's experiment, and as he settles into the vestibule of chemicals, who should enter but Rackham --out for his final revenge against Lucas. Rackham sabotages the experiment, locking Lucas inside the compartment filled with chemicals and electricity. Lucas is nearly overcome by pain, but something transforms him into a powerhouse; he bursts out of the container and metes his justice on Rackham. The next day Lucas discovers that his hands are as hard as steel and uses them to pound through his cell wall and escape Seagate.

Doug: Lucas soon determines that his skin is bullet-proof. He begins to work his way up the East coast, back toward New York -- to Harlem. Lucas has a score to settle with an old friend -- the friend who framed him and put him in Seagate in the first place: Willis Stryker. Inspired by the thanks he got for stopping a two-bit robber, Lucas decides to go straight and become a hero -- a Hero for Hire. Changing his name to Luke Cage and adopting the familiar yellow and blue togs I used to love him in, Cage sets himself up for a battle against his former friend Stryker, now the villain known as Diamondback!

Karen: This ending feels more like a middle! Now I have to read issue 2 to discover the conclusion - Sweet Christmas!

Left in the Lurch: Jungle Action #22

Jungle Action #22 (July 1976)
"Death Riders on the Horizon!"
Don McGregor-Rich Buckler/Billy Graham/Bob McLeod/Jim Mooney

Doug: Uh oh. The teaser at the end of Jungle Action #21 said T'Challa was going back to 1876 to fight the Klan. In the midst of a story about social justice, can that be good? And what's more, when I look at the credits, I see that Billy Graham is not alone on the art chores -- witness Rich Buckler and Jim Mooney creeping into our cast of creators. Something is amiss here in part four of our look at the mid-'70's Black Panther series.

Karen: The switch from the Graham-McLeod art to the Buckler-Mooney art is jarring. I have to say most of my problem is with Mooney's inks. After McLeod's tight, detailed inking, Mooney's thick brush-strokes look odd.

Doug: And, right from the splash page I'm a little disarmed. We see T'Challa leaping onto the Lynne's front porch, from a Wakandan cruiser. And piloting the cruiser? Monica Lynne, along with intrepid reporter Kevin Trublood. OK, this isn't cool. We've come through three issues of somewhat-urban action with T'Challa -- no tech, no overt superhero powers. Just a guy wanting to set things right against the evil of the Ku Klux Klan. That seemed to be the way to go in telling that story. But now? Easy boy... OK, I'll try to be civil as we go through this.

Karen: It was kind of an odd choice, but then again, we've also discussed how it seems strange to have the Panther in his costume all the time.

Doug: As we turn the page, there's just some simple banter among the Lynnes (including Monica, now landed), Trublood, and T'Challa. It's actually sort of fun, the slice-of-life aspect of it. Monica and her mother remark how they used to get together as a family all the time, to roast marshmallows and tell stories of the past. Monica thinks back to a story about a Cousin Caleb, and his fate after the Civil War. Momma looks pensive as Monica urges her to tell it now.

Doug: McGregor now weaves a strange tale, each part told on two pages: on the left, history as Mrs. Lynne remembered it. But on the right side of the magazine, we see Monica begin to daydream, and fantasize, about the same story. And here is where Buckler and Mooney come in (the eyes are where you find Jim Mooney's inks -- unmistakable!): they illustrate Monica's version of the story, which includes T'Challa in the Old South, to save the day.

Karen: Hey, wouldn't it have been cool if they'd had Graham and McLeod illustrate the 'real' story while Buckler and Mooney did the 'imaginary' one?

Doug: OK, just to give our readers a look inside the BAB editorial offices: if you'll notice above, I said that Buckler and Mooney illustrated Monica's version of the story. Karen duly noted that they actually illustrate both halves of the 19th century story! Man, I so had Graham/McLeod on the left-hand pages and Buckler/Mooney doing the right-hand pages. But nope -- a "look again", as well as confirmation of my fading skills of artist deduction from the Grand Comics Database proves my eagle-eyed partner correct! Back to the synopsis --

Doug: Caleb was now a freedman in 1867, yet without education or much to show in his name. One day a band of hooded men rode near his home, a beaten down old shack. Monica saw a nice homestead, complete iwth windows and a cellar. And as the Klan arrived, the Black Panther was waiting to greet them.

Karen: Monica's idea of Caleb's 'shack' looks very much like her own home.

Doug: Caleb was afraid of these riders. And they yelled at him and warned him not to go to the Freedman's Bureau or the Loyal League. If he did, he'd know the wrath of the Soul Strangler. Monica saw Caleb stand up to the Klan, and as they rose to strike him down, a black bolt descended like a missile from the trees.

Karen: Monica's Caleb is also tall and muscular, much like her super-hero boyfriend.

Doug: Caleb made his way to the Freedman's Bureau anyway. Surely someone would help him. But what he found were two white men who only wanted his vote. Now able to cast a ballot, the black vote became worth something to white politicians seeking to better only themselves. Monica saw Caleb being taken advantage of, but a hero burst into the room and put the white men in their place -- depositing them on coat hooks to dangle there while Caleb and the Panther had a laugh -- and exited declaring that they'd confront the Klan as individuals.

Doug: Caleb and his wife and their kids hurried back to their home, trying to make it before darkness fell. The sound of horses overtook them before they even got close. Monica closes her eyes -- if T'Challa had been there, the Klan would never have had a chance.

Doug: A man in a red robe and hood rode up to Caleb, and extended a skeletal hand. Caleb took his hand. The man informed him that he had died at Shiloh, and that he and the rest of his men were spirits. Caleb was then to turn around and meet his executors. Monica knew the Panther wouldn't back down from this Soul Strangler, and he didn't.

Karen: I thought it was a nice touch that in Monica's fantasy, the Soul Strangler's horse was red and aflame.

Doug: Caleb was shot in the shoulder, and as he fell as rope was tied about his neck. The Soul Strangler took the end of the rope, righted Caleb, and began to ride. Caleb's wife stepped forward and was beaten. The Panther had none of that, and as a noose was slipped around his neck...

Doug: The Soul Strangler dragged Caleb over to a tree, where the rope was thrown over a strong branch. Caleb's body was pulled higher and higher, and tied off. It was there that he died. Monica knew the Panther would work against the noose, and find a way to defeat the Soul Strangler and his henchmen. T'Challa beat the men into submission.

Karen: Monica gives her version a nice happy ending, something that unfortunately never happened for Caleb and many like him.

Doug: Before we wrap this one, I have to ask -- what did you think of this dichotomous story? To be frank, I found it offensive. I think I know what McGregor was going for, but it comes off as a real slap in the face to a people who were powerless to change the course of their history. Monica attests that she was indeed having a fantasy, but it's still a bit distasteful to me.

Karen: Hmm, I didn't actually have a problem with it. I took it on face value -Monica simply couldn't handle this terribly sad story, so in her mind, she re-wrote it, making her ancestors triumph in the end. It's simplistic but I think it's not unrealistic -haven't we all rewritten some episode from the past in our minds, as a daydream, trying to turn failure into success, or sorrow into joy? I don't feel any sense of disgust or contempt for Caleb -we all know that in the real world, these things happened and their was nothing one man could really do. I'm actually more concerned that this issue does nothing to move the Klan storyline ahead. That would have been fine, if we were going to get back to the story in the next issue. But that didn't happen.
Doug: I don't know that I have any contempt for Caleb -- he played the hand he was dealt. I guess I'd like to know if Don McGregor was making any criticism of his own, through Monica. It just struck a chord with me, I guess.

Doug: Well, as some of our commenters have mentioned previously, this one didn't get finished before Jungle Action was cancelled. Although Jungle Action lasted two more issues, #23 was a reprint of Daredevil #68 and #24 began a new tale -- yet written by McGregor! And what's even more puzzling is the fact that the ending didn't appear for another 3 1/2 years! And, when wrapped up, it was written by Ed Hannigan and drawn by Jerry Bingham -- I'm talking about Marvel Premiere #'s 51-53. Weird... I don't have any of those (although at one time I did have #51 -- I recall that it was actually the conclusion of JA #24 with a dude named Wind Eagle), so any of you who do and want to give us a quick synopsis, feel free! It would be welcome!

Karen: The Wind Eagle story does include the Dragon Circle, and gives some more insight into Angela's death, but that's it. Now I feel like I need to find those Marvel Premieres. I also feel that perhaps we need to review some of the Panther's Rage issues, seeing as how that storyline is so highly regarded.

Checkin' In With Billy Graham: Hero For Hire #15

Hero for Hire #15 (November 1973)
"Retribution, Part II"
Tony Isabella/Billy Graham/Steve Englehart-Graham/Graham

Doug: I can't tell you how cool it's been spelunking through the two reader lots I've won over the past few years on eBay. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of those, bringing Bronze Age love to you every so often. Here's one -- we've been digging on Billy Graham's pencils in our 4-part look at the Black Panther in Jungle Action. I saw this one in the pile, noticed Billy credited, and grabbed it. Let's see what he looked like on Luke Cage a few years prior to the arc with T'Challa we've been enjoying. By the way, how about the writing credits? Three guys? Hmmm... wonder if there will be too many cooks in the kitchen? We shall see.

Doug: To begin, I always like to do a quick page-through, mainly to see the organization of the book, see where the Bullpen Bulletins and letters pages are, check on the Marvel Value Stamp when applicable, etc. I was very surprised to see that this has two stories in it, and one's a reprint (a 1954 Sub-Mariner yarn by Bill Everett, of all things)! As this is part two of a story, and upon checking I found that the previous issue was all one tale, I wondered if perhaps this story may have been intended for a Giant-Size book. Well, so you don't have to look it up, I did. I found that Giant-Size Power Man (the book is still Hero for Hire here) wasn't published until 1975, but did indeed include this entire story! How's that for irony? Not bad when you can be right and wrong with the same thought! And before we even get into the story, I'm going to say up front that Graham's art doesn't look as polished as it did in the Jungle Action books -- here it seems to have a bit of a caricature-look and feel. I'm not saying that's bad -- just my first impression, that it's different. OK, enough pontification.

Doug: Wow. Just wow. After the splash page, I'm wishing I had the previous issue. This one looks like it's going to be good. Seems everything that's gone on in Luke Cage's life has come to a head at the same time, and it's not looking so hot for him. Complicated, but not positive. The writers really tell a rapid-fire story. The evil guard from Seagate Prison, Rackham, has come to New York to ruin Cage's life. He's brought along a Dr. Fox, but apparently in the last issue Rackham accidentally killed Fox. They had kidnapped a young black lady who they thought was Cage's girlfriend; she saw Rackham kill Fox. After Rackham had fled with the girl, Cage's real girlfriend, Dr. Claire Temple stumbled on Fox's body at (you guessed it) the exact moment the police arrived. So she's taken to jail. And on top of all of that, the second and third men to ever bust out of Seagate are on the prowl as well, and about to break into a liquor store in Harlem.

Doug: So Cage, in his office, gets word that Claire's in jail. He ain't happy, so heads to the precinct. The cop on duty gives him the business and refuses to let Cage see Claire. Moving outside, Cage goes to the top of the building across the street from the lock-up, and leaps from one roof to the other. Then making like Spider-Man, he climbs down the wall to the 6th-floor, where he knows Claire is held. Cage gets lucky and finds Claire pretty quickly. She is able to tell him what really happened with Fox's death, but as they talk a guard comes by her cell. Startled, Cage loses his grip on the bars and falls the six stories to the ground (shouting "Christmas!" as he takes his leave) -- but fortunately lands on the roof of a passing bus.

Doug: In a series of events far-too-convoluted for this jumping-on reader, Cage goes around town looking for information that will lead him to the killer of Fox. There are attorney names, informants, etc. Finally, he lands at a diner shortly after 8:00 am. His associate, Flea, tells him that he'd heard about Claire and figured that after putting 2 and 2 together that it all had something to do with Seagate Prison. Flea then took Cage a short distance to a liquor store -- the store that Cage's old prison mates had just knocked off. This doesn't look good...

Doug: And that's where it ends! Man, why isn't this story longer than 11 pages? It does conclude in Hero for Hire #16, which is the last issue before the title switches to Power Man. So, I am soliciting any of our readers who can fill us in on the before and after of this short tale. It was really engrossing, albeit a bit confusing since I was literally dropped right into the middle of it. Help a brother out, please!

Doug: Oh, I'd better finish my evaluation of the art. It is definitely different from what we've been seeing in Jungle Action, but it's not bad. It's funny, because I sometimes associate Luke Cage with George Tuska -- there's a bit of a Tuska feel to this. I actually got a little Frank Robbins vibe. But it's pretty good stuff. The writing is fun, too -- you can feel the "blaxploitation" era, for sure!

Panther, Panther, Burning Bright... Jungle Action #21

Jungle Action #21 (May 1976)
"A Cross Burning Darkly, Blackening the Night!"
Don McGregor-Billy Graham/Bob McLeod

Doug: What about the cover of this comic? Attributed to Jazzy Johnny Romita, it's quite powerful. Billy Graham's splash page echoes the scene, which seems to take place mere seconds after the conclusion of our last issue. So what say we dive headlong into part three of our look at T'Challa versus the Klan!

Doug: Scribe Don McGregor makes no bones about the flames licking at the Panther as being very real and very painful. No, his suit won't save him, no mystical herbs from his homeland will save him -- this is the Panther bound, and ablaze! McGregor and Graham again juxtapose a conversation between Kevin Trublood and Monica Lynne with T'Challa's struggles against his white-hooded adversaries. This time Trublood and Monica worry about the Panther, as they know that he'd gone to engage the Klan. Monica also wonders aloud about the continuing role of the seemingly-splinter group, the purple-robed Dragon Circle Soldiers. Finally they decide it might be prudent to journey out to the Devouring Swamp, where the alleged Klan meeting was to have taken place.

Karen: This opening sequence is nicely done. I like the way Graham has drawn a huge pale moon behind the Panther as he burns on the cross -it's very dramatic. One thing I have noticed after reading some of these stories is how McGregor connects T'Challa to the night, just as a cat is often thought of as a creature of the night. He talks here of the cat's instinctive fear of fire and it comes across right. The back and forth between T'Challa and his friends is handled well.

Doug: At the swamp, T'Challa struggles against the ropes that bind him. The fire has grown so hot and has been burning so long, that he is able to rip his legs free. He swings them up, gathering enough momentum that he is able to break the top of the cross on which he hangs. Swinging back down and forward hard, the Panther snaps the cross right below his waist! Now I don't know about you, but while the visuals are striking, I don't know about all of this in light of the injuries T'Challa has surely suffered! McGregor tells of of the burns, and as I said -- we're led to believe that there's been very little to no insulation from boots, gloves, or the costume in general. So I'm puzzled here...

Karen: I know, burns are pretty seriously debilitating and it's hard to imagine that anyone in such pain could do anything other than scream. But the Panther is our hero, right? Overcoming adversity is what heroes do. I guess we just have to accept that. Although later on we do get the explanation that his recovery is sped up due to his panther rituals.

Doug: T'Challa spooks the Klan members, who now fear him as supernatural. After they scatter, the Panther is able to stagger, albeit quickly, into the swamp, where he slumps and extinguishes the flames. We are told that his injuries are numerous and serious. Trublood and Monica have embarked on the search mission, but are unable to locate T'Challa. Rather, long before the era of cell phones, Monica pulls over to use a pay phone to call her mother for an update. She's informed that T'Challa has been found, and is in the hospital. Heading there, the entire cast of this adventure meets up. As the days go by, and T'Challa is up for a large crowd of visitors, Mr. Lynne admonishes him for making life dangerous for Monica. He remarks that as it's not clear yet whether his other daughter was murdered or committed suicide, he'd like to keep Monica around. T'Challa assures him that while he sympathizes with the loss, he will not run from the trouble.

Karen: T'Challa gets a little wordy here and like Mr. Lynne, I felt it was a bit much. And what about Mrs. Lynne? She's pretty much a non-factor in the story.

Doug: Trublood and T'Challa plan to show up at a Klan rally -- one that is being held by the books, permit and all. Sheriff Tate cautions them against causing trouble, as that would force his hand to actually protect the Klan. Tate then reveals information from the investigation into the death of Angela Lynne. In a nicely-rendered two-page spread, we see the details of the last several minutes of Angela's life. A suitor is involved, although never placed at her death scene. A single gunshot wound to the head, in her office at 2:06 am. According to the sheriff, his office was alerted by a "mysterious call" at 3:15 am. But that's where the story ends.

Karen: I'm really curious now what the heck this land scheme is -it sure must be some valuable land!

Doug: Our next scene is at the KKK rally, and Trublood and T'Challa hold to their word to break it up. As one of the Klan leaders rails on with his white supremacist megalomania, our heroes approach and attempt to drown him out. Trublood rebukes the Klan's comments, and tells them to let people make up their own minds. He asks the Klan if the assembled crowd might like to see T'Challa's burned flesh, as a testimonial to what the KKK is all about. When a gun is pulled, the Panther swings into action. After a brief brouhaha, which is surprisingly broken up by Mr. Lynne shooting his playing cards at an assailant who had the drop on T'Challa, the Klan members are arrested. The story ends with Mr. Lynne -- who to this point has been reluctant to get too involved -- patting himself on the back and stating that he's been inspired by the actions of Terublood and the Black Panther.

Karen: Were they arrested? It seemed like they were just standing around in the last panel.

Doug: Hmmm... Well, I guess my interpretation was that they were arrested. The one guy displayed a gun and was shooting it. I suppose even if it was argued that Trublood and T'Challa "started it", there was still the gunplay. But I guess I don't know for certain. Having already read the next issue, I can report that it's not dealt with further.

Doug: This installment seemed to have a bit more meat to it. Whereas I thought there was a little meandering in the first two chapter, this issue seemed to move forward all the time. It was good to finally get something concrete on the death of Angela Lynne, but I'm still uncertain of where this is going. Not seeing the Dragon Circle Soldiers was confusing as well -- it makes me wonder if they've been dropped as a plot vehicle (although as we said above, they were mentioned). So, knowing there is only one more issue in this series, I'll be very interested to see how McGregor ties this up.

Karen: There feels like there's a lot of promise to the story, but at this stage I'm uncertain if it will be fulfilled. Again, I can't help but think that maybe McGregor had too many elements to balance, and that the Dragon Circle is going to fall through the cracks. But I will say that I'm impressed by how openly the creators approached the whole subject of the Klan and their vicious racism. There aren't any punches pulled here.

Cat on a Cross: Jungle Action #20

Jungle Action #20 (March 1976)
"They Told Me a Myth I Wanted to Believe"
Don McGregor-Billy Graham/Bob McLeod

Doug: Welcome back to part two of our four-part review of the Klan story that ended the Black Panther's run in Jungle Action. As you'll recall from last Monday's review, we loved Billy Graham's (and Bob McLeod's) art, but were a little dismayed by the amount of words used by scribe Don McGregor! Yeah, the dude can tell as story... but it's like War and Peace! This one's no exception to that, so let's dig right in and see what this installment has in store.

Doug: First off, I do want to take issue with the cover, which has absolutely nothing to do with the interior story. Our setting is not a city, but a small town in Georgia. Secondly, there are two big fights in this issue, neither of which classifies as a "Slaughter in the Streets!" Perhaps this was a stock image; Rich Buckler did a ton of covers for Marvel in the mid-'70's, so it's possible. Anyway, maybe I'm just griping too much -- lord knows covers nowadays have nothing to do with the inside. I'd also say, on the positive side, that the art is again very good and McGregor's script -- while much longer than I am used to -- is really very good. He seems to accomplish politically what Denny O'Neil struggled with in our series of Green Lantern/Green Arrow stories. McGregor's soapboxing just seems more cogent.

Karen: Yeah, I flipped back to the cover after I started reading the story, just to be sure I had really seen it. It has nothing to do with the story. One could easily assume Marvel wanted to avoid Klan imagery, except they had no problem with it on the cover of the previous issue. Maybe there was a time crunch and they had to use a stock cover?

Doug: It does make one wonder... So Monica Lynne and T'Challa are at the supermarket, and the Panther's in his fightin' togs. I'm sorry... as we both said last issue, we get the idea that they are not super-heroes all of the time. I can handle seeing the Wakandan in some jeans and a t-shirt once in a while. But his garb seems to be the impetus for what comes next, which is a free-for-all. As a bunch of catfood cans begin to topple on an old lady, T'Challa springs to her aid; at the same time, two thugs approach Monica and put a knife to her throat. T'Challa, in my mind, takes a huge risk and attacks one of the accomplices. Now, I'm no SWAT-team strategist, but I'm thinking in a hostage situation that involves a serrated knife, cool and calm might be the orders of the day.

Karen: Yes, wearing his costume here makes no sense. It feels contrived. Also, as I mentioned previously, while I think the art is beautiful and very detailed, I think the story-telling aspect is somewhat lacking. We never see exactly what happened with the old lady and the cat food falling on her. I flipped back a page to see if I'd skipped one, but no. Also, it strikes me as unbelievable that the men attacking Monica would have so much time -they spout off a litany of threats -while the Panther is saving the ungrateful old cat-lady.

Doug: I have felt that some of the scenes play out "long". In a way, it's like the art is decompressed. But boy, there sure are words! McGregor continues to spin this web of intrigue. As the assailants grab Monica, they discuss that "the reverend" has spoken -- that our baddies will grab Monica Lynne and speak a warning to her. What's weird, however, is that they tell her the Klan is a danger to her... but they also remark on the events that took place in the cemetery that involved our purple-hooded thugs (the Dragon Circle Soldiers). As they say, the plot thickens.

Doug: Back to the fight, T'Challa is ripped across the forehead by the old lady he'd just helped. As he staggers, some among the other customers pile on. Then the small town's finest arrive, and they are just typical comic book cops -- these fellows could have been formerly employed in a Spidey mag. They pistol-whip the Panther, and it's really not looking good before the sheriff of last issue arrives. He gets everyone calmed down, and then cracks some bad jokes. It's all a bit bizarre. As Monica assists T'Challa out of the store (they do finish their shopping, by the way), T'Challa and the sheriff both note that the goons who attacked earlier are most likely not affiliated with the Klan -- yet in the midst of everything, they revealed where a Klan meeting is to be held!

Karen: I have to say, the whole thing has me confused. Again, I'm hoping the eventual resolution will explain it all.

Doug: Later in the evening, T'Challa and Monica stroll by a plantation that Monica once had fantasies of owning. We learn that Monica's sister had allegedly committed suicide; previously we'd been led to believe it was a murder. Yet more details emerge, as we learn that she died at her office, at 2:00 in the morning. Most passing strange. We also learn that Monica's sister wrote in 1968 that while at college she had friends involved in campus protests, and that she hated guns. Monica then asks T'Challa to hold her.

Karen: At least he lifts his mask to kiss her. I suppose the mystery of the land deal will also be revealed soon.

Doug: The remainder of the book is an outstanding juxtaposition of soliloquy from our reporter friend, Kevin Trublood, and the infiltration of the Klan meeting by the Panther. Trublood is at the Lynne household and begins to rant about his morals, and how he still believes in American values. He discusses how he's dreamed of writing an expose' on the Klan, and how it probably won't make much difference. He's dreamed of the Pulitzer Prize yet understands the risks involved. And even though people think he's a fool, he remains fearful for his family but steadfast in his beliefs that the United States is a great country. While this goes on, T'Challa moves through the trees as Tarzan would, then drops smack in the middle of a heavily-armed band of Klansmen at a cross-burning! He fights bravely, but succumbs to the overwhelming numbers. I have to say, he takes a severe beating in the process. As he falls, we see his body lifted and tied to a cross... a cross which is then righted, and set ablaze!

Karen: Trublood's monolog reminded me very much of the things going on with Captain America in his title during the Steve Englehart years, which were published a few years prior to this. Of course America was still suffering from the fallout of Watergate and Viet Nam, and confidence in the nation was shattered. But the idea that the ideals of America still had value was something people could hold on to, and fight for.

Doug: This is a different Black Panther than I'm used to. I've not read the "Panther's Rage" storyline yet; when I had Panther solo books as a kid, it was this very four-issue arc that we're reviewing. So the way Steve Englehart and Jim Shooter (heck, even Stan Lee) had written T'Challa was markedly different from the personality grafted to him by McGregor. I'd say that this is a guy who takes chances, somewhat rashly. He's not the calm, polished monarch as he was so often portrayed in the pages of the Avengers. But I'm really liking this take on him. And I'll say, too, that as we've commented on the sheer magnitude of the words used by Don McGregor, this mystery is really a slow reveal that I'm gripped by. I am enjoying this series, as I really don't recall too much of this from my first read 35 years ago.

Southern Inhospitality: Jungle Action #19

Jungle Action #19 (January 1976)
"Blood and Sacrifices!"
Don McGregor-Billy Graham/Bob McLeod

Doug: Your favorite Bronze Age commentators, volunteers as we are, are from time-to-time willing to lay out some hard-earned cash just to keep you, our loyal readers, fully apprised of all things beautiful from the 1970's. Today's, and for the next three weeks, fare is one such example of this -- and here's a recommendation for all of you: If you don't own the original comics already, then go find yourself a decently-priced copy of Marvel Masterworks #141. Said volume reprints the entire Black Panther run from Jungle Action #'s 6-24 (excluding #23, which was a reprint of Daredevil #69). In that volume you'll find Don McGregor's magnum opus, "Panther's Rage", and also his excellent four-parter featuring the Ku Klux Klan. It's the latter story we embark on now.

Doug: We pick this one up in a somber setting: T'Challa's girlfriend, Monica Lynne, has come home to the American South to mourn her recently-deceased sister. It's at her gravesite that we join the story. But as Monica is silent in from of the monument, she is approached by a silent mob -- a mob wearing purple cloaks and pointed hoods over their heads. The Klan has come! In the trees, however, watches the Black Panther and he doesn't like what he's seeing. T'Challa springs from the tree the moment he sees a knife's blade glint in the light. Monica, no slouch herself, reacts with equal force. The wild card in the fracas is an arriving vehicle; T'Challa puts one of the goons right through its windshield. What seems at first to be an accomplice or getaway car turns out to be an ally -- a reporter from the local paper. As the dust settles, Monica checks on the reporter, Kevin Trublood, who has broken his hand assisting against the Klan. As they talk, T'Challa leaps to a tree where he'd deposited one of the thugs. Despite this talk of the Klan, and Trublood told Monica that the Klan may have had a hand in her sister's death, T'Challa tells that there is more to the story -- one of their would-be hooded assailants... is black!

Karen: I have to say, this opening sequence was pretty confusing. Obviously these weren't your typical Klan members -but who were they? Still, the graveyard sequence was effectively moody. The insight into Monica's childhood via her memory of fighting with her sister, was well done. The Panther's athleticism is also nicely on display here.

Doug: I was stunned that one of the "Klansmen" was an African-American. Even when I was a kid -- and I'm sure I was pretty ignorant of the Klan for the most part -- this didn't make sense to me.

Doug: After gathering up the mess, Trublood provides his car as transport to take the bad guys down to the local precinct. Along the way, scribe Don McGregor provides the reader with a quick synopsis of what the Klan was all about. I also learned something -- tell me if you knew this: the T in T'Challa is silent. I always pronounced it as Trublood is admonished for pronouncing it -- Ta-Challa. Nope. Once at the station, the sheriff tells our heroes that the four attackers are locals and not Klan members. And in spite of that fact, they'll get no special treatment. They are given the chance to tell their story, but all decline. We are told that they gather strength from their numbers, and from the indoctrination they've received.

Karen: Yes, the plot thickens as we see more of this cult. I have to say, I was expecting the sheriff to be a stereotypical prejudiced redneck but McGregor surprises by having him be a decent man. And no, I didn't know the T was silent!

Doug: Years later, when "In the Heat of the Night" was on television, I could have seen this sheriff as akin to Carroll O'Connor's character. Although the tv version was softened quite a bit compared to the original character in the film of the same name.

Doug: We then head to the countryside, to the family home of Monica. We meet her parents and the Panther attempts to learn a bit more about her sister. But Mr. and Mrs. Lynne aren't really willing to discuss it. T'Challa goes over the previous attack, and the mystery surrounding the men with Klan symbols and even a Klan newspaper -- but certainly due to their racial integration, they aren't Klan! While the family talks, we see now white-robed men approach, with guns drawn. One of them lights a Molotov cocktail and hurls it toward the home. T'Challa catches the light and leaps through the picture window. In a single motion he grabs it and hurls it back from whenst it came. Exploding at the feet of two men on horseback and another on a motorcycle, the Panther engages! Then it gets a bit weird -- help me out here: there are suddenly two of our purple-cloaked guys looking at the white-robed "real" Klan. Then we're back to T'Challa kicking butts but taking prisoners. He manages to round up two white-hoods while a much larger number flee into the night. As the Panther drags them back to the house, Mr. Lynne informs him that he's not one to shy away from trouble... and that's good, because the Panther's brought down a whole heap of trouble!

Karen: I have to admit that while exciting, I felt this whole attack on the Lynne household was very confusing. Besides the two groups, I also felt that the art didn't do a good enough job of explaining what was going on. Don't get me wrong, the art itself is gorgeous, but this sequence just didn't quite work for me. However, once we learn more about what's going on, that may be less of an issue. One last thing: didn't it seem odd how T'Challa is lounging around the place in his costume? He's unmasked as he eats dinner but then puts his mask back on as he hangs out with his girlfriend and her parents!

Doug: It did seem somewhat out-of-the-blue, but I suppose these guys have it in not only for Monica's sister, but by extension Monica herself. And yes, T'Challa in full costume was a bit odd. Sometimes I think that's really overkill on the part of the creators -- even as a kid, I could grasp that these men and women were not always superheroes.

Doug: When you break the story down to the three synopsizing paragraphs above, it seems like not much happened in this issue. However, McGregor's script is so wordy that it took me longer than my standard 20 minutes to read! There is just detail and character development on every page, and he's woven this mystery of Monica's sister's death throughout every page. I don't know about you, but I'm hooked for the second part. And hey -- how about a tip-of-the-hat for Billy Graham and Bob McLeod? What a nice-looking book. I remember reading this arc off the spinner racks when I was 9; my current re-read holds up just fine!

Karen: Seeing as how every page is smothered in words, I actually timed myself on this to see how long it took me to read it: 25 minutes! At times it seems a bit much, but I enjoy how McGregor is building the story, and the tension. The art is really exceptional; I particularly like the faces -very distinctive, individual -no cookie cutter features. I'm looking forward to part two.