Showing posts with label David Kraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Kraft. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

BAB Two-In-One: A Little Silver SHIELD in Bronze and A Wolf in Astronaut's Clothing



Doug: Reprint time, friends. Today's offering comes out of the pages of Nick Fury and his Agents of SHIELD #5, which was on the shelves in October 1973. The story originally appeared in Strange Tales #155-156 (April-May 1967) and was scripted by Roy Thomas. Jim Steranko handled the art chores and plotted the story. Steranko received the writing credit for the second of this two-parter, which would have been included in ST #156.

This is one swingin' Sixties spy-extravaganza! Take the best from Bond, U.N.C.L.E., and maybe even the Jetsons or Star Trek, tie it together with Steranko's contemporary pencils and experimental panels and you have a winner. Here's the deal: SHIELD has just developed the Autofac, a device somewhat like the X-Men's Cerebro in that it will ferret out the identity of the Supreme Hydra and allow SHIELD to smash their enemies once and for all.

The main plotline is Fury's new suit. It's a dandy -- bullet proof outer jacket, shirt with buttons that are really oxygen capsules, a pen that magnifies sound 100x, cuff links that emit an electronic charge, and cigars that release different chemicals. To top it all off, Fury's given a ring that will ultimately blow him up three seconds after triggering. Of course, it won't be long before ol' Nick gets to put his new threads to use.
The secondary plotline involves Laura Brown, daughter of the Supreme Hydra. She's been taken aboard the Helicarrier for protection from her father. Problem is, her father's infiltrated SHIELD and is currently in Fury's inner circle, disguised as Agent Bronson. Bronson's given the assignment of transporting Ms. Brown to SHIELD's west coast headquarters. As we later see, Laura suspects that Bronson might be the Supreme Hydra, and talks her way past a guard to check out what Autofac has to say; she's chloroformed by Bronson, who obviously feels no remorse in taking his daughter down.

Meanwhile, as Fury is becoming acquainted with his new outfit, a metal construct called the Dreadknought attacks the Helicarrier with the intent of slaying Nick Fury. A nifty battle rages (Steranko's choreography and camera angles are pretty straightforward, but you can see his genius coming), and Fury luckily h
as everything at his disposal that he needs to put the big blue robot down.

As we move into the second part, I had to crack u
p. Not only is Fury on the "vue-communicator" with LBJ, but he's immediately after introduced to a Professor Anton Trojak, who is a dead-ringer for Col. Harlan Sanders! This one's a tour de force of frenetic Steranko energy. While his art isn't to the point of pushing the standard panel layouts, his writing is passable. This part of the tale is a breath-taker -- it really moves.

Long story short: Trojak is, of course, a Hydra agent sent to kill Fury. I'll tell you, there're more Hydra guys on the Helicarrier than SHIELD agents! Bronson hypnotizes Gabe, Dum Dum, and Sitwell, who later attack Nick while dressed in Hydra outfits. Nick of course manages to subdue everyone, foil every plot, and find Laura Brown (who Bronson clothed in a SHIELD outfit when he put her down earlier). But, because life's gotten crazy on the Helicarrier, LBJ vue-communicates (saying "phoned" would have been easier) Fury again and puts him under house arrest until an investigation into just what the devil has been going on is completed. And oh yeah -- Bronson's put back in charge of transporting Laura Brown. The plot, as they say, thickens!


Karen: I'm picking right up from my previous two-in-one by reviewing Creatures on the Loose# 37 (Sept. 1975) featuring Man-Wolf. This was the final issue of this title. Low sales had taken their toll and the book was cut from production. At the time of its printing, it was clear (from a text piece in the issue by writer David Kraft) that it was uncertain whether the story of the Man-Wolf would ever be continued. Fortunately, it would be, in Marvel Premiere #45-46 - some three years after this issue! Both David Kraft and George Perez would return to finish off the story.

Karen: But back to the issue at hand. "Moonbound", produced by Kraft, Perez, and Fred Kida on the inking chores, picks up from the end of our previous issue, with the mysterious Garth about to cut the moonstone from Man-Wolf's neck. However, he is confronted by armed personnel from the space station and winds up fleeing. The space station people take Wolfy with them - until he snaps out of his stupor and goes bananas. Being even closer to the moon has apparently enhanced his strength and he starts scattering the men like flies. It's only when the station shifts in orbit, so that the earth is between it and the moon, that Man-Wolf falters and is captured.

Karen: Meanwhile on Earth: J. Jonah Jameson is trying to locate his son's missing fiance, Kristine, when he gets caught
up with a mysterious stranger who claims to know where she is. Perhaps this all would have made more sense if I'd read more than the previous issue. In any case, the stranger appears to be not only holding Kristine captive but connected to a previous attack on Man-Wolf by Kraven the Hunter. Jameson is saved in the nick of time by Simon Stroud, who is some sort of government agent. This was all a little confusing to me.

Karen: The enfeebled Man-Wolf is placed into an x-ray room that for some reason has foot-thick steel doors. In there, he reverts to John Jameson. He tries to
convince one of his captors that he is the real Jameson, but it doesn't really matter, as Garth knocks the guy unconscious. Garth frees Jameson and takes him with him as, "The Godstone is one with him!" I thought these guys were calling it the Weirdstone last issue. Oh well....

Karen: As the personnel of the space station pursue Jameson and Garth and h
is companions, Jameson agrees to pilot a spaceship for his captors, although he protests that he will change. Moments later, it is no longer Jameson at the controls but a snarling Man-Wolf! Back on the station, the personnel have discovered via an x-ray taken of Jameson while he was still in wolf-form that the moonstone has extended tendrils throughout his body! The two are in a symbiotic state -"but for what sinister purpose?" !!

Karen: Another fun issue, although it was a bit confusing on some level. Again, if I had read the previous issues it might have made more sense -or not! The biggest drawback to this issue was the inking - it made Perez' art have a very dull, unexciting look. You can still tell it's Perez by the layouts -he has such a distinctive way of telling a story. But the overall look is flat. It's hard to describe, so maybe some of the pictures I've posted will help to explain what I am talking about.

Karen: As mentioned before, a text article by Kraft on the letters page explains about the books' cancellation, and even goes into some detail about the plans the team had for concluding this storyline. It was obvious that the team had not been prepared for the end of the book and had been unable to wrap things up in this issue. I thought it was quite good of Kraft to explain where the story was going -it certainly seemed that he was uncertain whether the conclusion would ever see the light of day. Now to read Marvel Premiere and see how the plan compares to the execution!

Friday, July 9, 2010

BAB Two-In-One: Werewolf Astronauts and Spiders, Panthers, and Dinosaurs -- Oh My!


Karen: My pick today is from Marvel in 1975, which you should know by now means there's a good chance my review will cover a book far from the mainstream. And so it does! Today may I present Creatures on the Loose #36, featuring the marauding Man-Wolf! This issue is brought to us by David Kraft, George Perez, and Frank McLaughlin. Yup, more Perez even in the Two In One reviews!

Karen:We've discussed our buddy the Man-Wolf before - a few times, actually. But always as the antagonist to Spider-Man. Here, he is the star of the show. The story is well-written, although Kraft's narrative style is sometimes over the top ("Then, his consciousness is supplanted by another...a sable mentality that does not intellectualize but, instead, responds directly to stimuli--with consummate and suicidal violence!")but the story moves along well and kept me interested. The young Perez' art here is delicious -McLaughlin's inks go well and bring out the details in the pencils. The Man-Wolf looks sinewy and savage, and Perez shows he's equally adept at high tech scenes with rockets and space stations. It's a beautiful looking book. It also has an exciting Gil Kane/Klaus Janson cover.
Karen: The story is somewhat convoluted, and I seem to be coming in in the middle of it. John Jameson -aka the Man-Wolf - has agreed to pilot a rocket to an orbiting government space station in return for amnesty for his AWOL status. However, as Jameson begins to dock with the station, the rays of the moon hit him and he wolfs out. A mysterious stranger in a spacesuit that looks like a suit of medieval armor comes to his rescue, but is soon treated to a fist full of wolf. There's a nice fight sequence as Man-Wolf battles the knight and a big bruiser named Gorjoon.
Karen: We then get interludes with John Jameson's girlfriend and his dad, J. Jonah Jameson. It's fun seeing Jonah in a situation not dealing with Peter Parker or Spider-Man.
Karen: This issue ends with the space-knight, Garth, managing to use a power cable in the space station to zap Man-Wolf nearly unconscious. He and his companions have seen the moonstone around Man-Wolf's neck, and it has significance to them, as they call it the Weird Stone. The last panel leads us to believe that Garth is going to cut the stone right from Wolfy's neck!
Karen: I had a lot of fun with this issue. It was a solid story, and the Perez art is terrific. It's amazing to think this was a second or even third tier book in its time. However, there were a lot of hidden gems like this that Marvel put out in the 70s. Titles like Iron Fist, Amazing Adventures with Killraven, Warlock....none of these were blockbusters, but they were some of the most unique and exciting titles to be found.


Doug: Yep, after a month-and-a-half hiatus, we're back at the 2-in-1's. My choice today is Marvel Team-Up #20 from April 1974, co-starring the Black Panther and brought to us by Len Wein and the art team of Sal Buscema and inkers Frank Giacoia and Mike Esposito. This tale picks up immediately after the previous issue's Ka-Zar team-up and battle against Stegron in the Savage Land. As we join our cast, ol' Steggy's on an "ark" full of dinosaurs and bearing straight down on New York City! But much to his future-chagrin, the Dinosaur Man has a stowaway/tagalong -- Spider-Man
In spite of that crack creative team, I have to say that there really isn't too much meat to this story. With the set-up above, we basically get the Panther involved (Jarvis hears a report of a strange craft bearing down on Manhattan), who arrives just in time to save Spidey, who's been knocked off the ark by a blow from Stegron's tale. Spidey gets T'Challa up to speed on what's gone down in the Savage Land and how Stegron has a whole lotta lizards to unleash. The heroes visit Dr. Curt Connors -- Stegron had been Connors' assistant before turning himself into a walking dinosaur. Connors begins to work on an antidote, T'Challa helps Spidey develop a stronger web fluid, and Stegron attacks some folks in Central Park.
We cut away to the Daily Bugle, where Mary Jane is asking City Editor Joe Robertson if he's seen Peter Parker lately. Robbie replies that he hasn't, Jonah busts into the conversation railing about dinosaurs in Times Square, and MJ cuts out -- she assumes where there's a Spider-Man, there's a Peter Parker. So we cut away to Times Square to see Spidey and T'Challa engaging the dinosaurs. As Spidey's about to wrap things up, Mary Jane tricks a police officer and sneaks past the barricade line. In a strange scene, she looks right at Spider-Man and calls out Peter's name. Of course, we're at this point over a decade before Peter would reveal his dual identity.
Spidey webs MJ and pulls her out from under a toppling brontosaurus, then gives her a firm tongue-lashing for putting herself in danger. It's Spidey's hope that the gruff treatment would throw her off any trail that Spidey might be Peter Parker, and it does. Dr. Connors arrives to talk some sense into Stegron, Steggy calls a pterodactyl and makes a break for it, and Spider-Man follows. Over the ocean, Spidey slugs Stegron, who falls off his mount and into the drink. The Dinosaur Man sinks to the bottom, not to be seen again until a Lizard two-parter in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man a few years later.
Overall, this issue was OK, and that's about all the kudos I can toss its way. Sal's art is fine, not spectacular, but serviceable. Wein seems off with some of his dialogue. I always "hear" the Panther as very proper -- not stuffy so much, but speaking with respect and etiquette. Hearing him say "wall-crawler" just doesn't sound quite right. Really, the issue is just one big battle that never seemed in doubt. And, like many of the early Marvel Team-Ups, this was probably just a vehicle for some Panther-promotion, as his feature in Jungle Action was taking off. A little cross-pollination, so to speak...
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