BAB Firsts (the 1st Partner Review): The Comics Code Authority: Revised to Relax

This post was originally published on July 13 2009

Amazing Spider-Man #124, September 1973

“The Mark of the Man-Wolf!”

Gerry Conway/Gil Kane & John Romita

Doug: Welcome to our initial installment of an on-going series on post-Code comics. Periodically in the coming weeks and months we’re going to discuss Marvel’s venture into previously forbidden territory: werewolves, zombies, vampires, demons – you name it. If it was too violent or too occult, then it was too much for the Seduction of the Innocent-inspired Comics Code Authority!

Karen: I’m sure everyone knows that the Code was established in 1954, in part in response to the EC Comics of the day, which often featured gruesome stories of the macabre. The Code was very restrictive, and outlawed the depiction of zombies, vampires, werewolves, and so forth. It was not until the Code was revised in 1971 that monsters were again free to prowl the comic racks! At least, vampires and werewolves were; for some reason, zombies were still off-limits (although Marvel got around this by calling them zuvembies!).

Karen: So Marvel decided to jump on the monster bandwagon. Many new monster characters began appearing in the 70s, including the subject of this review, the Man-Wolf. In an interview in Comic Book Artist #13, then-Marvel editor Roy Thomas describes the birth of the Man-Wolf:

“Stan just wanted a character called Man-Wolf. It was that whole Marvel-flooding-the-market- thing! If you’ve got Dracula, you can have Morbius. If you’ve got Werewolf, you can have Man-Wolf. We didn’t have a concept for Man-Wolf, and Gerry (Conway) and John Romita were trying to come up with something. My only contribution was to say, ‘Hey, make it J. Jonah Jameson’s son! He was an astronaut, and he went up in space, and he found a moon rock, and it turns him into a wolf!’ Just like Morbius was a science-fictional vampire, we could make Man-Wolf a science fiction werewolf.”

Doug: As any true Marvelite will know, Amazing Spider-Man #124 comes only two months after the fateful events that concluded in ASM #122 – the deaths of Peter Parker’s long-time love Gwen Stacy and his most dangerous enemy the Green Goblin. In fact, Spidey thinks to himself (and to clue us in) that it’s only been 10 days since those deaths.

Karen: It’s interesting to me how Peter is shown as trying to get past the death of his girlfriend – at one point he thinks, “All I want to do is forget---start my life over again.” I think Conway hit this right on the nose, as I’ve seen this sort of thing in a number of male friends and family who have lost someone. For some, there’s a desire to avoid dealing with the pain and to just begin anew.

Doug: Do you think, though, that when Conway tells us that it’s only been 10 days that there is a slight reconciliation of time problem for the reader – after all, for him/her it had been 60 days! Ah, the old discussion of Marvel-time vs. real-time…

Doug: Conway is at the top of his game in this story. You know, every time I read a Bronze Age-era story, I’m just overcome with joy at the characterization, the amount of words per page, and the use of narration boxes and thought balloons to move the story along. Conway, of course, currently works as a screenwriter and one can see how he cut his teeth back in the day in the storyboard-like genre of comic books. He nails J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson – their verbal sparring is spot on given the way Stan Lee used to write them. Conway also gives us a great deal of emotion in Peter, fully displaying his anguish and insecurity over the events of the past two weeks.

Karen: I know what you mean Doug; you actually have to spend 20 minutes or more reading these old books! When I read a new comic, it’s usually done in 5 minutes! Personally, I like the thought balloons and captions; it gives us a way of seeing in the characters’ heads that’s not afforded by current methods – which apparently are driven by the idea that comics should be like movies, which is ludicrous; they’re two distinctly different art forms.

Doug: The art in this story is by Gil Kane with embellishment by John Romita. This is a nice combination – I’ve often felt that while JR’s Spidey is the quintessential look for the character, Kane brought back a little bit of Ditko-esque presentation to the book. Kane tends to be longer, sinewy, wiry. Romita, while his pencils were graceful, didn’t have quite the same pell-mell look to Spidey that Ditko had begun. Where Romita really adds to Kane’s linework is in cleaning up the faces and giving them a consistent look with which we’d grown familiar.

Karen: Kane was the artist on the title when I began reading it. But I was aware of Romita because of Marvel Tales, and I’ve always thought of Romita when I think of Spidey. That being said, I like Kane’s depiction of Spidey for the same qualities you mention: the leaner look is appealing. I enjoyed Romita’s inks because it also meant I didn’t have to look up everyone’s nose! I never understood Kane’s obsession with that…

Doug: Gil Kane’s noses – no doubt!! Noses were the main thing that put me off toward Kane when I was a kid. As an adult, I’ve really come to appreciate his work (particularly his Silver Age Green Lantern and Atom for DC).

Doug: The basics of the story are this: We are reintroduced to J. Jonah Jameson’s son John. To the best of my knowledge, John was last seen in ASM #42 (which is also the first appearance of Mary Jane Watson), and hadn’t been seen since. John is an astronaut, reportedly the last man to walk on the moon. Jonah is justifiably proud of John, and even more so when introduced to John’s fiancée. But John holds a secret, contained in the necklace he wears. A side observation here, yet pertinent to the story: in his original appearance, John was a redhead but in this book his hair is some shade of gray. But think about it – have you ever seen a red werewolf? Anyway, John does indeed turn into a werewolf, and of course ends up in pitched battle with Spider-Man. We are left with an approaching sequel to that battle as our last-panel cliffhanger.

Karen: I always liked the look of Man-Wolf. I suspect that he was gray so as not to be confused with Marvel’s other lupine hero, Werewolf by Night! Manny also had a more bestial look to me – more of a snout than WBN. But you’re right; Jameson had reddish hair in his previous appearances. He also re-appeared in ASM a few times after ish 42. In issues 55-58 he was the security chief for a special project (“The Nullifier Weapon”!) and even met Robbie Robertson then, something that obviously neither Gerry nor Roy remembered! He showed up for a few panels in issues 71 and 88 as well.

Karen: It occurs to me that Manny is one of the few gray-colored characters to stay that color. Of course the Hulk started as Grayskin and became Greenskin, and the Beast, who had mutated into his furry form just a year before this comic came out, was also originally gray, but quickly became blue – because there are so many blue-furred animals in nature!

Doug: You are a reference goddess, Karen! As you can see, my laziness has arisen to bite me on the behind. So, with minimal effort I will provide a link to the Marvel Wikia, which will give the curious observer not just the above-stated young JJ appearances, but all of his appearances on Earth-616: http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Category:John_Jameson_(Earth-616)/Appearances

Karen: A nice aspect of this story is that it gives us a chance to see Jonah as something other than just a comedic foil for Spidey. Every once in awhile, Stan would show us that there was more to J.J.J. than all his bluster, and Conway does it here too. His feelings towards his son illustrate that he was more than a one-dimensional character.

Doug: Back to the Code for a second – I have to ask, after reading this story: What was so bad about the werewolf angle? There wasn’t any blood, there wasn’t really a graphic use of Man-Wolf’s claws – really nothing that would scare or alarm a reader outside of normal (whatever that is!) super-baddie behavior!

Karen: I think the Code had really been devised for the more gruesome comics of the 50s; under Stan, Marvel books always had action, but very little real violence. In this story, Man-Wolf is no more violent than any other Spidey villain. I don’t think that was necessarily the case with the stuff EC had put out, although I doubt it would have turned kids into psychopaths. I think Werewolf by Night was a little more graphic, with the Werewolf actually attacking people, but again, at least in the color books, the violence was minimal. It was just the way Stan wanted to do things, to keep the comics mild enough for kids.

Karen: Next time we’ll look at the exciting conclusion to our tale!

BAB Classic: The Comics Code Authority: Revised to Relax, Part 7

The Spectacular Spider-Man #2 (November 1968)
Stan Lee-John Romita

NOTE:  This post was originally published on September 18, 2009.

Doug: I think it's important to take a look at one more Spider-Man story before we head into the so-called "drug issues" that were released in Amazing Spider-Man #'s 96-98 from May-July, 1971. Once Marvel got out from under the terrible distribution deal that Martin Goodman had negotiated with National Periodical, that allowed Marvel to only release a small number of books each month, the company was able to aggressively target market shelf space not only for comics, but for magazines as well.

Doug: In 1968 a magazine-sized comic entitled The Spectacular Spider-Man was released. The first issue was written by Stan Lee with pencils/inks/wash by John Romita and featured Spidey against a corrupt politician who had built a giant monster to crush his foes. From the marvelmasterworks.com website:

Spectacular Spider-Man #1 is a rock solid, 64-page extravaganza, including a painted cover and 53-page feature story done in black and white tones by ace artist John Romita! The story pitted Spider-Man against a wicked candidate for high office, Richard Raleigh, who would stop at nothing to get total power! Normally, this would mean stuffing the ballot box or recruiting dead people to vote for you, but in Raleigh's case, it meant employing a mad scientist to create a giant, lumbering Frankenstein-like monster to destroy all his foes! (And if you think that Raleigh's foes will eventually include Spider-Man, no need to renew that MMMS membership card!!!).

This magazine, in particular, is a wonderful showcase of a different side of Jazzy John's repertoire. The black and white tones really add a sense of depth and moodiness that is rarely seen in the more sunny, bright color comics. His girls are still as gorgeous as ever, though, with some tremendous panels of Gwen and MJ included in the mix. This story was later refashioned into the regular continuity of Spider-Man in 1973's Amazing Spider-Man #116-118, with John's art colored for the first time and some story elements adapted by writer Gerry Conway. (Look for this story arc to show up in Spider-Man Masterworks 12-13 or thereabouts!).

Spectacular Spider-Man #2 was an even more amped up tale, and this time in full-color! An out-and-out classic, it is a pinnacle moment in the long history between Peter Parker, Norman Osborn and their super-powered alter egos! Many grace notes from the first Spider-Man movie have their origin in this story, including the time that Norman Osborn invites Peter and his friends over for dinner - not sure what the kids dined on that night, but Norman sure did serve up some weird suspense for desert! This issue is adorned with another gorgeous painted cover, and the comic concludes with a neat little bit of trivia: a next issue advertisement for a next issue that never came! (Above, from the review for Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 7).

Doug: The Spectacular Spider-Man experiment, although a sales figure failure at the time (it's funny how the 35c price tag now seems so small -- but at nearly three times the normal cost of a comic book I suppose it was outrageously expensive!), is significant more for the story that was told in the second issue. Why? Because of the use of psychedelic drugs.

Doug: The story kicks off with several familiar cast members at the New York Executive Club watching a slideshow conducted by Captain George Stacy (The Spectacular Spider-Man #2 takes place at the same time as the ASM #'s 66-67 Mysterio story that was in the spinner racks in Nov-Dec 1968). Stacy relates that the Goblin's identity, despite his apparent death at the hands of Spider-Man, remains a mystery. Norman Osborn, in attendance with his son Harry, begins to perspire, eventually bolting from the room in a frenzy. At this point in the story, Stan and Jazzy Johnny provide a lengthy recap of the events of ASM #'s 39-40. For those of you who have not seen this magazine (or who didn't even know it existed!), keep in mind that the Goblin didn't appear in ASM between that 40th issue and the "drug issues" that began with #96.

Karen: I read this from the reprint in Amazing Spider-Man Annual 9. Despite the fact that Spectacular Spider-Man 2 was published in color, I'd swear that the inking on this was done with the intent of it being published in black and white. The inks are heavy and there seems to be an emphasis on contrast not typically seen in color books. Maybe I'm just seeing things though!

Doug: Harry is obviously distraught, and Peter is concerned -- of course not only for Harry, but for what he now fears is inevitable: a renewed clash with the Green Goblin, who knows Peter is Spider-Man! After more recapping of ASM #40, we see Osborn in a hospital bed with visions of the Goblin and Spidey swirling about his head. Then suddenly, he sits bolt upright and exclaims, "I AM THE GOBLIN!" Osborn dresses himself and bursts past the portable screen around his bed, knocking Harry off a chair and brushing past his doctor. As he stalks out of the hospital, he mutters that his mind is clear, and he knows what he must do.

Doug: Osborn makes his way to one of his many hideouts around the city and once again dons the costume of the Green Goblin -- revenge, he says, is what Spider-Man can now look forward to!

Doug: The story then cuts away to Peter and his friends, notably the ever-beautiful Gwen Stacy. I'll tell you -- when I read Spider-Man stories from this era, I just feel good. While I recognize that what Stan Lee was doing with Jack Kirby over in the Fantastic Four is the pinnacle of Silver Age comics, the collaboration between Stan and John Romita within the Spidey-universe of characters and villains isn't far behind. Just to revisit this comic, which due to its condition I haven't had out of the bag in years (I would grade my copy as G-VG -- it was well-loved before I ever laid hands on it), is a treat. At any rate, obviously Gwen and her dad are still alive, and Mary Jane was still the happy-go-lucky party girl. Great times. Anyway, Peter is dismayed when Harry tells him that Mr. Osborn would like to have Harry and MJ and Gwen and Peter to a little dinner party at the Osborn residence, to celebrate Norman's "release" from the hospital. Uh oh...

Karen: I sort of see ASM in this time period as the flip side to the Lee/Kirby FF. The FF dealt with things on a cosmic scale, their identities were public knowledge (in fact they were celebrities) and with a couple of exceptions, they had plenty of money. Then we have Peter, whose problems are all very much centered around himself -even his enemies in many cases are more of a threat to him than the public at large. In this story he is terrified that Osborn will use his knowledge of Peter's secret identity to bring harm to him or his loved ones. It's not about the Goblin going on a rampage - it's about the Goblin ruining his life!

Doug: Pete swings by Gwen's place to pick her up and has a little conversation with Captain Stacy. I don't know how many people were shocked at the conclusion of ASM #90 when Stacy called Spidey "Peter", but Stan had certainly planted those seeds along the way. After leaving the Stacys', Pete and Gwen head over to the Osborns', where Harry greets them at the door. Romita gives us a great-looking MJ, although sans her long hair. The teens move into the dining room where Norman Osborn greets them. It's pretty much downhill from here for Peter! By the way, it was mentioned above that this scene was used in the first Spider-Man film -- compare for yourself!

Karen: Boy this scene - heck, much of this story - really was incorporated into the first Spider-Man film. Of course, director Sam Raimi is a big fan of the Spidey comics from this era.

Doug: The tension begins to build as Osborn can't contain his madness. Pete excuses himself from the room and tosses a web ball into the fireplace, creating a smoky diversion. As everyone exits the house, Peter changes to Spider-Man and Osborn races to one of his hide-outs. As he leaves, Osborn calls back to Peter that he won't have to look for him -- he'll meet him at his aunt's house! Of course Spidey makes a bee-line out to Forest Hills and engages the Goblin -- who has a new gadget on his glider! They battle furiously (how did this not wake the neighbors??) until Spidey unseats the Goblin from his glider. When he has the opportunity to finish him, of course Peter pulls back. He flees instead, hoping to draw the Goblin after him.

Doug: Osborn follows Spidey, but this time he doesn't attack physically -- instead he launches a pumpkin bomb. He exclaims, "But, just to make certain that you don't accidentally evade me... My harmless-looking Psychedelic Pumpkin will root you to the spot!" And then the gas dispels, leaving Spidey indeed paralyzed and now subject to his worst nightmares.

Karen: The use of the 'psychedelic' bomb was probably the least interesting thing in this story to me, as it reminded me too much of the kind of tricks Mysterio had played on Spidey. But of course I'm reading this many years later - it was probably more novel at the time.

Doug: Spider-Man's spider-strength allows him to regain his sanity. But knowing that despite Osborn's increased strength he doesn't also possess Peter's amazing recuperative powers, he is able to jerk the Goblin again off the glider, pummel hm for a few minutes, lurch for the bag of tricks, and then unleash another psychedelic bomb right in Osborn's face. The hope was that Osborn would face his worst fears and that his mind would close to those ideas (including Peter's secret identity). Spidey's gamble pays off, and Osborn is subdued into a wimpering mass of mental instability.

Doug: After defeating Osborn, Spider-Man changes back to Peter Parker and assists Osborn to the hospital. He phones Aunt May, and alludes to the fact that he's out of danger. Of course, that terrifies her to think that Peter had been anywhere near danger; Pete is able to side-step the potential disaster, and he eventually meets up with Harry, MJ, and Gwen. Trouble averted, and a happy ending as Pete and the girls walk off into the sunset!

Doug: While this is a great story, how does it fit into our discussion of the Code, and how does it fit into the time that it saw publication -- 1968 -- fully three years before the revision of the Comics Code Authority? I think the main issue here is not only the drug use, but that Spider-Man intentionally chooses to subject another person to the mind-altering powers of psychedelic drugs. This is not drug use by a person acting as a free agent -- as we'll see from Harry Osborn, or as Roy Harper was shown to do in the pages of Green Lantern. No, to me this is different. There's no way Peter knew what the outcome of his actions would be. I wonder how much research Stan had done into LSD before writing this story? And what's the message here? Surely that drugs can mess a person up. But, in the whole scheme of things, are the issues raised here much different than Zatanna's mind-wiping of Dr. Light, as revealed in the DC mini-series Identity Crisis?

Karen: You know, I doubt that Stan even gave it a second thought. Sure, we can look at it objectively and say that Peter is committing an ethically troubling act. But if you put yourself in Peter's shoes - which I am sure Stan did -then what other options does he have? He doesn't want to kill Osborn, but on the other hand, the man is too much of a threat to let him go unchecked in some manner. I suppose it was the best option available to Peter, though as you say, he had no way of knowing what the gas would actually do to Osborn. I don't think there's any real message here - the gas was just a convenient way for Stan to put the Goblin in hibernate mode, as it were!

BAB Classic: The Comics Code Authority: Revised to Relax, Part 3

Avengers #151 (September 1976)
“At Last: The Decision!”
Gerry Conway, Jim Shooter, Steve Englehart-George Perez and John Tartag

Avengers #152 (October 1976)
“Nightmare in New Orleans”
Gerry Conway (Englehart plot)-John Buscema and Joe Sinnott

NOTE:  This post was originally published on July 24, 2009.

Doug: We’re back, with another look at Marvel’s expansion of formerly no-no characters and/or characteristics, as laid down by the Comics Code Authority from the mid-1950’s to the early 1970’s. In this installment, we look at the return of Wonder Man to the Avengers – but not in the Superman form he’d shown waaaayy back in Avengers #9. Nope – this time, he was a zuvembie!!

Doug: So what the heck is a zuvembie, you ask? Well, I always thought it was just a made-up term since zombies were on the “can’t” list of the Code. I was wrong. GWThomas.org reports on a 1938 Robert E. Howard (yes, that REH) horror story that used the term. In notes that follow an excerpt from the story, the website says,

NOTES: The zombie-like Zuvembie has the power to control her victims. She places them in a dream-state then commands them. Once in her midst she likes to chop them with hatchet and drink their blood. (http://www.gwthomas.org/zuvembie.htm)

Doug: Over at The All-New, All-Different Howling Curmudgeons blog, there was a nice conversation about this topic. Rather than cut-and-paste their discussion, I’ll leave it to you, the reader, to explore on your own (it really is good stuff to help us along here!!): http://www.whiterose.org/howlingcurmudgeons/archives/011063.html

Karen: I’ve read that Roy Thomas came up with the term “zuvembie” when Marvel did Brother Voodoo in Strange Tales (a few years before this story). It makes sense, since Thomas is such a REH buff.

Doug: So now I am wondering when Marvel started to produce new material featuring Simon Garth, the Zombie? How does that dovetail with this Wonder Man story? According to The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe (a site chock full of fantastic history!) (http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/), the Zombie’s first appearance was in Menace #5 back in 1953; he was seen next in 1973 in Tales of the Zombie – but that was a Marvel B&W magazine and outside the confines of the Code! But did the Zombie not see the light of four-color day? To the best of my knowledge, Simon Garth does not cross over to the Marvel Universe until Daredevil Annual #9 (1993).

Karen: There’s a fun interview between Stan Lee and Roy Thomas in Comic Book Artist #2, where Roy explains how Stan wanted to add more monster mags to the Marvel line, and came up with titles (Vampire Tales and Tales of the Zombie), but no content! In order to fill the magazines, Roy had to act quickly. He had seen that zombie story in Menace by Stan and Bill Everett, and used that as the genesis for the Zombie. Roy apparently came up with the “Simon Garth” name and idea, and then handed it to Steve Gerber to write.

Karen: Oh, Black Talon. What a terrible get-up. He looks like an evil Foghorn Leghorn.

Doug: Avengers #151 is for the most part the conclusion of a tale that began in #150 and was abruptly halted due to the “Dreaded Deadline Doom” – the second half of that issue was a reprint of the second half of Avengers #16. The focus is on a new line-up, and many Avengers and their allies were present for the selection process. The highlight of #’s 150-151 is the art of George Perez, who really gets to cut loose on several key scenes from Avengers history. However, near the end of #151 when Iron Man announces the new roster, a large crate positioned conveniently nearby (wouldn’t you suppose Avengers Mansion would have a freight entrance?) begins to quake. Suddenly it bursts open to reveal Wonder Man!

Doug: “He…did it. He…is the one…the one who stole my mind!” So proclaims Wonder Man, with an accusatory finger wagging toward the Vision. And thus ends the prologue to the story that will be told in issue #152.

Karen: I have to say, Avengers sure had a lot of fill-ins around this time. It was aggravating.

Doug: Issue #152 features a trip to New Orleans to discover the reason Wonder Man is alive. More than that, I was really preoccupied with the upgrade in Wanda’s powers. She seems like a cross-section of Marvel Girl and Zatanna. Her probability-altering powers have been replaced by powers of clairvoyance/discernment, and of “hexes” that generate force. While I thought Gerry Conway wrote everyone “in-character” (why do I feel the need to keep bringing that up today?), it’s a darker Vision we see with the presence now of a revived Simon Williams – whose very brain patterns form the basis for the Vision’s artificial mind.

Karen: Bringing back Wonder Man was a nice way to unsettle what had become a comfortable existence for the Vision. He began questioning his identity all over again.

Doug: The villain du jour is a voodoo priest named the Black Talon – one of many African-American characters created in the 1970’s to bear the name “Black” (Black Lightning, Black Goliath, et al.). He doesn’t get a lot of screen time, and proves to be not much of an obstacle against the Avengers. He summons some dark god, and refers to another whom he (and Wonder Man) serves. The story basically ends with not much resolved, other than Wonder Man is not the only zuvembie.

Doug: So, the verdict on the living dead walking once again among us? That’s just it – there are plenty of walking dead in this story, and I would guess they had been around in other books around this time. Does changing the name from zombie to zuvembie lighten the load? I would say no, and then ask what the big deal was. As we mentioned earlier in our posts on the Man-Wolf, Marvel in this day never really delved into the ramifications of just what a creature like a werewolf or a zombie would do, or mean, or how they would behave, etc. It seems they are more for exploratory purposes at this point, and not for deep introspection by the writers.

Karen: It’s particularly amusing when you consider how many zombie titles are on the market now. To the best of my knowledge, none of the zombies – or zuvembies – in the books we’ve talked about were flesh-eating ghouls. In fact, they were probably not much different from the Frankenstein Monster, who had been appearing in Marvel books for years! The Code was essentially unnecessary at that time for Marvel, as they did a good job of policing themselves. Stan had set certain standards, and at least at that point in time (the mid-1970s), Marvel was standing by them. I wonder what Stan would make of a book like Marvel Zombies?

BAB Frightfest: That Sex Kitten, Tigra... Monsters Unleashed 10

Monsters Unleashed! #10 (February 1975)
""The Serenity Stealers" (4th story, featuring Tigra)
Chris Claremont (script)/Tony Isabella (plot)-Tony DeZuniga

 As a public service, today's review should be considered as falling somewhere between PG-13 and R.

Doug:  Today we end our 5-part "Frightfest" with a foray into the land of the Marvel black & white magazines.  While Marvel certainly filled up the spinner racks with all sorts of ghouls, ghosts, and goblins, it was on the magazine shelves where some real heavy-hitting creatures lurked.  It's only somewhat obligatory that we give this genre its due in this series of posts.

Karen: I have to admit, when I was a kid- say 9 or 10 - a lot of these black and white mags actually scared me. I'd flip through them nervously at the drugstore or wherever and most of the time put them back on the rack. Occasionally I would pick one up. But they kind of freaked me out. What a chicken.

Doug:  You know, that cover illustration (by Jose Antonio Domingo, by the way) is not only scary, but pretty indicative of what lies within today's tale.  And speaking of tales, how about the homophone "tail", as in when did Tigra get a tail?  She doesn't have one in this story, but certainly by the time we got to the Avengers/West Coast Avengers she sure did.  If I recall, in one of those horribly convoluted West Coast Avengers stories she made some sort of deal with the devil so to speak and was made into a real cat.  Or something like that.  Stripes and fur are her coverage in this story, but that fur isn't hiding the fact that it must be a little chilly at the beginning of the story, as artist Tony DeZuniga leaves no doubt that we are indeed reading a magazine published outside the confines of the Comics Code Authority, nipples and all.  Anyway, today's review centers on the cat-lady's second appearance as the were-woman.  Shall we?

Doug:  We begin on the dark streets of Chicago, where Tigra 1st-person narrates a little bit of her history to get new readers up to speed.  The splash page is split, also telling about a cabbie out for a stroll.  He's a family man, who works very hard to make life easy.  As he walks, and Tigra trails him -- not maliciously, apparently, although she does let us know she's "on the prowl".  Suddenly the man turns, seemingly calling out to his wife and children.  We, the readers, see that he is beset by a trio of crazed, knife-wielding assailants.  Tigra sees, and senses, nothing.  Yet the man is visibly stricken, and when the were-woman descends to investigate she is driven back by a horrific odor.

Karen: Should I start by saying I've never been a fan of the various Philipino artists that were so prominent in these mags and many of the comics back in the 70s? I just never cared for that dreamy, soft style of art. Anyway, this is early Chris Claremont, and you can already pick up on his style here, the first-person narration that was also common to Iron Fist and some of his other titles.

Doug:  Claremont's 1st-person format really seemed to get to me in the Wolverine mini-series.  Every issue began with the same dialogue.  C'mon -- it's a mini-series!  There shouldn't be a jumping-on point!

Doug: Tigra at this point in her history lets us know repeatedly that she is struggling with control between her impulsive cat-nature and the remnants of her compassionate humanity.  Seeking to help the man, Tigra is suddenly taken aback by a flash of light from an alley and the emergence of a huge anthropomorphic rat!  Tigra reacts as a cat would, hissing and fur raising on her back.  Yet before she can instinctively attack the rat-thing, it instead leaps upon the corpse.  Draining it of whatever life force remained, the rat stood up and released a Tarzan-like triumph.  A husk was all that remained of what had once been Richard Diaz, and the rat ran.  Tigra gave chase, and in an Alice-like romp the rat eventually disappeared.  Tigra was frustrated.

Karen: That struggle with her inner demons would go on for a long time -- remember the weird stuff with her eating mice in WCA? Or was she under the influence of a demon? I think I blocked it all out. I was right in there with this story until the giant rat-man showed up. I guess in a book about a were-woman I shouldn't scoff, but rats? Oy.

Doug:  We scene-shift to the home of Dr. Joanne Tumolo, the scientist who had originally endowed Greer Nelson with her super-powers.  Tumolo tells Tigra that the Cat-People (wait for it) can't give any information on the recent murders, all following a pattern similar to what Greer had just witnessed.  Tumolo is concerned for Tigra's safety; Tigra is taken back to the day she was transformed, by the afore-mentioned Cat-People (and did I mention that it is also quite cold in Dr. Tumolo's apartment?  If they were to make a film of this story, any episode of Friends could have served as Jennifer Aniston's audition).  Greer Nelson had been dying of radiation poisoning, and the Cat-People knew how to cure her.  Has anyone out there ever read this story, from Giant-Size Creatures #1?  Below is a synopsis, from the Comic Book Database:

Greer Nelson, who had been given superhuman powers and become the costumed heroine known as the Cat, was shot with an "alpha radiation" pistol when she interrupted Hydra agents attempt to kidnap her mentor, Dr, Joanne Tumulo. Dr. Tumulo revealed that she was a member of a race of humanoids mystically evolved from cats. She could save Greer by making her one of them. Greer agreed. They used a serum to transform her body and an incantation to bind one of their souls to her. The combined being resembled a legendary warrior of the Cat People, Tigra, and she took the name as her own. Tigra, aided by the passing Werewolf By Night, helped the Cat People drive off their attackers from Hydra.

Doug:  After another scene-shift we find one Brock Hunter, self-proclaimed stud about to get his.  But what's weird (well, weirder than the last time the big rat appeared), is that we know he's gonna get it -- but he's transformed into a beautiful woman first!  After the switch, our nasty rat-guy appears and it's a repeat of the previous kill.  Tigra happens to be close by and hustles to the scene of the crime.  This time she's not going to let "Ratso" (hey, how annoying was that nickname?) get away.  Tigra tracks him, to -- a rat hole.  They wind and wind, ever downward, until it opens up into a chamber.

Karen: "Brock Hunter"? Really? That's a name right out of a Saturday Night Live sketch! The shift from Tigra's first-person narration to third person was jarring. Or was it still supposed to be Tigra? But  how could she know all those things about him? I'm confused. I'm also confused as to why he turned into a woman. Because he abused women? Loved them and threw them away? But then why did Diaz see his family -- the most important thing in his life? This is not consistent. And Ratso is an annoying nickname, but Claremont has a habit of using annoying nicknames.

Doug:  At the heart of the chamber was a white witch, who called the rat creature "Aeskla".  She was old and haggard, and said that she needed what the rat had.  And then Chris Claremont used the word "mounted" and DeZuniga gave us a bestial missionary position -- the only saving grace for those of us with weak stomachs is the fact that the witch's gown continues to cover her legs.  The rat-creature releases his hold and the witch now rises as a beautiful white queen.  She sends Aeskla off again, to kill -- the life essence that he brings to her is in effect, her Lazarus Pit.  Tigra hides as the rat exits, and then makes herself known to the woman -- Surisha, revealed as the Mistress of the Dark Circle.

Karen: Although he uses the word "Mounted" there appears to be some sort of material passing from the creature's mouth to the old woman's. It is still unpleasant though. Actually "mounted" was used when the creature attacked Diaz too.

Doug:  Claremont and DeZuniga then use a "split-screen" view to show the next kill, but juxtaposed with Tigra's battle against Surisha.  The next target is a younger man who has just been let go of his job, yet tries to remain self-confident.  Surisha tells Tigra that it is the serenity of a man that she craves, as a vampire craves blood.  The target begins to be drained, as we've seen twice before; but as Tigra battles, the queen finds that her powers do not affect the were-woman.  The cat-side in control, Tigra cannot be tamed.  As the rat moves in for the draining, Tigra slashes Surisha, and draws human blood.  Surisha summons Aeskla, and the man is instantly healed.

Karen: Again, this secondary narration just doesn't work for me -- it's a broken story mechanism. And this time Ratso/Aeskla is talking -why didn't it talk before? The whole serenity of man idea seems a bit off too. And sloppiness -'Aeskla' become "Aekslos' at the end.

Doug:  As Aeskla arrives back in the bowels of the Chicago sewer system, Tigra grabs the queen's sword.  But at that instant, the rat turned away from Tigra and back toward Surisha -- whose serenity was fading.  The rat sensed that, and did what he did -- drained her of her life force.  Trouble was, he hadn't taken into consideration that she was half of his own symbiotic relationship... no more "Ratso".  With that, Tigra gave us one of those Silver Age DC-type explanations, where she told us that her half-human, half-cat status threw her own serenity into question -- the witch didn't know what to do with her and was consequently thrown all out of whack.

Karen: Say what?

Doug:  Exactly.  Well, where to begin with this one?  For starters, if this was supposed to be the second life of Greer Nelson and a better selling point than her first four-color foray as the Cat, I'm not sure today's tale is exactly a sales jump-starter.  On the positive side, Tony DeZuniga's art is pretty good -- for the plot he had to work with.  The rat-creature is pretty scary-looking, and the "mistress of the Dark Circle" is at once ugly and then beautiful.  As we've said several times at the top, the story is heavily over-sexed.  So that would bring us to the words portion of the story.  Tony Isabella's plot seems average at best -- this isn't a terrible story, but there are certainly some holes in it.  The serenity angle is weird to me, first off.  How was it that Tigra just happened to be at the point of the crime?  How did Surisha get in the Chicago sewers (if that is indeed where she was located), and was Aeskla always a rat, or a transformed man?  Did Aeskla impart the life essence to Surisha actually through sexual intercourse, or was that just implied and betrayed by the art?  And lastly, Chris Claremont was not at his finest hour in the dialogue department -- I got very tired of Tigra referring to her nemesis as "Ratso".  And that she didn't recoil at his first appearance -- yeah, I know she's a cat, a were-woman, etc. -- seemed just a bit off to me.  But let's hear my partner's critique...

Karen: Oh, I agree with you, this seemed like a real mess, and I didn't even really care for the art that much. So Surisha feeds off a man's sense of worth -- so Diaz's worth came from his family, Hunter's from his sexual prowess and Edwards from his youth (?) -- OK, I can buy it. But I still don't feel like there's anything here really interesting or exciting. We never do really understand how Tigra found Diaz -- she knows murders have been going on, but apparently the first real lead was finding the rat. It just feels incomplete to me. I think the story could have benefited from some editing.  Of course, it's probably good to remember that these guys were trying to fill up these mags with stories so they were probably just cranking these things out pretty quickly. And it shows.

Wasn't Everyone Happy With the Relaxation of the Comics Code Authority?

Doug: Last week, while preparing our review of Thor #222, I paused for a few minutes to read the letter column. I don't always do that when writing for the blog, but the yellow box in the top left corner caught my eye. As I read, the tone of it dragged me right in. Check it out for yourself (clicking on the image will get you a larger size -- all the better for our readers' middle-aged eyeballs!), and we'd invite your reflections in our comments section. Thanks!

The Comics Code Authority: Revised to Relax, Part 10

Amazing Spider-Man #98 (July 1971)

“The Goblin’s Last Gasp!”

Stan Lee/Gil Kane-Frank Giacoia

Doug: Welcome back to another issue focusing on the Comics Code Authority – in fact, this is the last episode in our marathon examination of some of the do’s/don’ts that surrounded the Code in the early 1970’s. At the conclusion of this post, we’ll throw in our two cents toward an evaluation of this whole situation.

Doug: ASM #98 concludes the three-part Green Goblin storyline, subsequently known as the “drug issues”. Allegedly Stan Lee was contacted by the federal government and asked to write a story that would help to influence young Americans to stay away from drugs. Stan chose to publish ASM #’s 96-98 without the Comics Code seal on the covers of the comics. While I don’t have sales figures handy, nor do I know if these books were widely popular at the time, history has shown that they are among the Silver and Bronze Age issues of The Amazing Spider-Man that collectors seek out.

Karen: As I’ve said a million times now, ASM 98 was the first ASM I ever owned. Although I could read, the story went right over my head. I wasn’t interested in drugs – just Spidey! As a matter of fact, I never noticed that the Comics Code stamp was missing from the cover. I did however notice that Spidey’s red spider was missing from his back! Tsk tsk.

Doug: I complained at the beginning of our ASM #97 post that I felt Stan wrote Peter as somewhat of a doofus – “forgetting” how dangerous the Goblin was, etc. Well, he’s at it again. In this story’s third panel, AFTER the Goblin has called him “Parker”, the Goblin threatens to reveal Spider-Man’s secret identity – to which Peter thinks “I… I’d almost forgotten about that!” What the?!? Did Stan just think he needed a dialogue balloon there? How stupid.

Karen: I agree, I don’t really care for this exposition which makes the characters look stupid. But on the other hand, I suppose Stan felt he needed to provide some background for readers who might be new to the book. After all, in those days, the splash page wasn't a full recap of the last 6 issues!

Karen: What really drove me crazy with this issue was the weird punctuation! There were the typical exclamation points, but no punctuation at all at the end of sentences. Old pro Artie Simek is credited as letterer, so I’m a bit surprised about the sloppiness.

Doug: Peter is able to drive the Goblin away by showing him the passed out Harry – apparently Norman Osborn forgets his “civilian” life while do-badding. The shock of seeing Harry in Peter’s arms becomes too uncomfortable for Osborn, so he flees. Pete then calls an ambulance to take Harry to the hospital.

Karen: After Pete takes Harry to the hospital he reflects on Harry’s condition, noting that “he was just too weak”. I think it was acceptable back then to assume someone on drugs was ‘weak’ – that they had a character flaw. You’d never hear comments like that now. It seems as though society as a whole tries to excuse such behavior by blaming it on outside forces. I found that remark somewhat refreshing, to be honest.

Doug: There’s a bit of time spent on the feelings of Gwen and Peter since their break-up. It’s pretty typical soap opera drama, but good nonetheless. Stan had crafted a Spider-verse, and taking a page to deal with Gwen’s feelings was fine with me.

Karen: You know it’s scenes like these, which show how much these two kids cared for each other, that make me even more upset by the later revision with Gwen’s affair with Osborne! I realize that the writer’s original intent was that Gwen was pregnant with Peter’s kids, but how editorial could have thought it would ‘fix’ that by making it Osborne’s kids, I’ll never know! I think it’s just another sign that many of our current comics pros are clueless when it comes to the history of the characters they work on.

Doug: This issue’s drug focus was on the pusher who sold Harry the pills in the previous issue. The guy strikes up a conversation with Pete and makes light of the fact that he sold the drugs to Harry. Peter steps toward the pusher, and a couple of heavies emerge. Of course, Pete handles the three of them with ease. My exception to this scene, particularly in light of the fact that the pusher is packing heat, is that this sends the wrong message to children reading this story. My suggestion to my two sons would be to totally ignore thugs like this, and to get themselves into a crowd of people as soon as possible. I guess the parent in me would worry that kids might feel that because Pete stood up for himself and Harry that they should do likewise. That’s a potentially life-threatening course of action to anyone not imbued with spider-strength and spider-agility, and I don’t mean to be flip by saying that.

Karen: I can understand your concern. But since it’s a comic book, I’m sure Stan felt having Pete walk away wouldn’t be nearly dramatic enough! And Stan does have Peter think how he has to hold back, because his great strength might really hurt someone.

Doug: What did you make of the scene between Jonah and Robbie, concerning running a story about Harry’s hospitalization?

Karen: I thought that was more of Stan’s social conscience coming through. It was similar to the scene the issue before, where Joe’s son Robby made statements that drugs were not just a black problem. Stan was just hammering the point home. He also got to show that Jameson, despite his clownish exterior, was at heart a journalist.

Doug: Spidey takes to the rooftops in search of the Goblin. Amazingly, in a city the size of Manhattan, it doesn’t take long before they are fully engaged in battle. Osborn has concocted some new chemicals that erase Spider-Man’s ability to cling to walls. While Spidey retains his other powers, his fighting prowess is certainly modified. Couple that with empty web-shooters (whatever happened to the spare cartridges in his belt??), and the Goblin has the upper hand.

Karen: A bit contrived, to be sure, but I still thought the sequence, with Spidey running and jumping across the Manhattan rooftops, was pretty exciting. Kane sure knew how to tell a story! And of course, we get the happy ending, with Gwen and Peter reunited!

Doug: I’m curious about an ongoing plot device in Spidey comics of this era, and that is the constant holding back against his foes. First of all, it leads one to believe that Spidey’s as strong as Superman. Secondly, it negates the fact that Peter Parker is an incredibly bright person and makes him seemingly incapable of creativity in problem solving. Just in our examination of these Spider-Man books, he’s had to hold himself back against the Man-Wolf (Jameson’s son), the Lizard (aka Dr. Curt Connors, Spidey’s friend), and the Goblin (Harry’s father). Who in the world does he cut loose against then? I mean, you can’t fight the Scorpion every day!

Karen: As you point out, a number of his foes are also people he knows and/or cares about. So he has the dilemma of dealing with them without really harming them. The way I read it, it’s not necessarily because he’s so much more powerful than them (certainly not the case with the Lizard!) but his conscience won’t let him hurt them. I think that was a plot Stan felt was unique (at the time) and boy did he milk it!

Doug: So how would I assess this period in Marvel’s history, as it pushed the limits of the Comics Code, and then operated in its revisionist era? First off, I’d laud Stan for taking the chances he did with these drug issues, which had a lot more teeth to them than anything Marvel attempted to do with zombies, werewolves, or vampires after 1972. Secondly, I wonder if he wasn’t pushing the envelope a bit with The Spectacular Spider-Man #2, testing the waters with a “relevant” story about the effects of LSD-trips (albeit in the form of a pumpkin bomb). And third, I think most of the entire discussion of the Code was much ado about nothing. Other than the presence of Morbius or the Man-Wolf as formerly-banned types of characters, the stories they were in were not bloody or with any adult themes beyond what would have been printed if it was a story with the Porcupine as the baddie-of-the-day.

Karen: At the time, Marvel took a stand and it was commendable. However, today it seems fairly ridiculous that these books couldn’t go out with code approval. There’s certainly nothing here that glorifies drug use.

Karen: As we’ve discussed before the Marvel monsters were also non-issues. Other than being called vampires or zombies or werewolves, they had very little in common with the supernatural legends of the past. As a regular reader of Marvel comics in the 70s, I can say that there was very little to disturb or upset a youngster in those books.

Doug: However, I will say that the true fall-out of the Code wouldn’t be felt for another 5-6 years, as Wolverine and the Punisher began to be explored and pushed. Then a few years after that Frank Miller set the comics world on its ear with the publication of The Dark Knight Returns. Comic books, for better or worse, have never recovered the innocence that they had before 1985.

The Comics Code Authority: Revised to Relax, Part 9

Amazing Spider-Man #97 (June 1971)

“In the Grip of the Goblin!”

Stan Lee/Gil Kane-Frank Giacoia (John Romita is credited as “Artist Emeritus”)

Doug: I hate to kick this one off on a negative note, but Stan’s writing is certainly sub-par this time out. The issue starts out well enough, with a full-scale brouhaha between Spidey and the Green Goblin (by the way, John Romita’s cover is beautiful – a quintessential shot of a fully-engaged Spider-Man and the Green Goblin) in the theatre where only hours earlier the gang had enjoyed MJ’s off-Broadway debut. However, at the top of page 2, as the Goblin escalates the action, Spidey remarks to himself, “Oh no! I forgot his weapons… in his Goblin bag!” Well, duh! Isn’t he supposed to be your greatest foe ever?? You see, this speaks again (we discussed this in Part 8) to Stan’s ignoring of the story from The Spectacular Spider-Man #2; in this continuity, it’s been all the way back to ASM #40 since these two have battled. But still…

Doug: What’s even more maddening to me is that at the bottom of page 2, Osborn pops the plug on a pumpkin bomb, but instead of it exploding a hallucinogenic gas is released. So Stan used the same plot device in two consecutive Goblin appearances… except that we’re supposed to forget the former one. Bro-ther…

Karen: Yeah, Stan wasn’t above recycling ideas!

Doug: OK, on to something positive – feeling a little grumpy today, I guess. This middle part of our “drug issues” trilogy is a nice bridge from intro. to conclusion. Here we get an all-out battle, more characterization, some Stan Lee angst-writing, and a cliffhanger ending. What’s truly not to love?

Doug: The battle spreads to the city, and Spidey turns himself into a minor-leaguer in this contest, due in large part to his reluctance to go all-out against Osborn. With great responsibility come a certain nobility that seems to supersede Spidey’s responsibility to his friends as well as to society. His hesitancy allows the Goblin to get away, albeit only after a ruse whereby the Goblin thinks Spider-Man has fallen to his death.

Karen: On the other hand, it seems like Pete is less concerned with the damage the Goblin might cause than he is with him revealing his secret identity. But his angst over not wanting to hurt Osborn is admirable.

Doug: In this issue Frank Giacoia begins his run as series inker over Gil Kane’s pencils. We commented back in the Morbius issues (ASM #’s 100-102) that Kane suffered from Giacoia’s treatment, as opposed to the much smoother, more familiar lines of John Romita. An issue-to-issue comparison between ASM 96 and 97 really brings this to light. I will laud Kane, though, for his storytelling abilities – one would not necessarily need Stan’s words to understand what is transpiring on any given page. That’s why despite the nasal upshots, Kane is still considered one of the masters.

Karen: I don’t care that much for the Giacoia inks, and maybe it’s just me, but it seemed like there were an awful lot of panels with no or minimal backgrounds. The bullpen bulletins in this issue mentions that Kane is taking over Spidey, while Romita is moving on to Captain America. I remember that time, because my first Captain America comic (#138) was Romita’s first issue – guest-starring Spidey himself!

Doug: Mary Jane is written for the most part in-character – flitting from Harry to Peter in the wake of Pete’s break-up with Gwen, happy-go-lucky, seemingly unconcerned for the fall-out from any of her actions or attitudes. While this fits, it is exactly what to this day makes it difficult for me to think of Pete and MJ together; still wish it had been Gwen.

Karen: Isn’t it weird? I know I mentioned this last time around too. It seems like after Gwen died many of her characteristics were transferred over to Mary Jane. Of course, one could attribute this to MJ becoming more mature too – but I think the former is more likely. She had to stop being a conniving bitch and become more lovable for fans to accept her as Pete’s new flame.

Doug: So how does Stan work drugs into this plot? Last issue we saw a fellow fall almost-to-his-death while under the influence of pills. In this episode, it’s Harry Osborn who falls victim. Harry is much edgier, weaker – unable to solve his problems and placing blame for them on all but himself. His solution is to escape his feelings through a series of uppers and downers. Pete is aware of this, but makes little effort to stop Harry. Instead he soliloquizes to himself about the dangers of drugs. A good message, but again, lacking the “great responsibility” that is Spider-Man’s mantra.

Karen: The scene where the “pusher” sells Harry the drugs is so bizarre – the guy looks really goofy, with his blond hair and black mustache, and no actual money is exchanged for the pills. Since he calls Harry by name, I guess we’re to conclude he knows him – has he sold to him before? It’s unclear to me. What’s really odd is that he looks like one of the audience members at Mary Jane’s show from the previous issue, #96! Was this planned? I’m curious what the thinking was here.

Doug: If this issue was a film, a viewer might remark at the number of edits. This is a fast-paced, dramatic 20 pages! Stan’s words, despite the 2-3 dopey (no pun intended) lines, is solid, the scene changes every page or so, there’re layers being added to the plot and to characterization constantly, and then a big pay-off sets up the concluding chapter. All in all, a page-turning Bronze Age masterpiece!

Karen: Sometimes I forget how big and melodramatic comics used to be. This one is certainly over the top at times, but still entertaining. I’m always amazed at how much is squeezed into these stories - we get fights, internal monologues, character interaction, moralizing – If this story was done today, it’d be 6 issues long!