Sherlock Holmes - A Case Of Blind Fear!

Following on the success of Scarlet in Gaslight which dramatically pitted Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes against Bram Stoker's Dracula, Martin Powell and Seppo Makinen teamed up once again to take Doyle's great detective in a slightly different direction. This time the antagonist was plucked from the broad  and vivid canon of H.G. Wells, specifically his villainous creation, "The Invisible Man".

A Case of Blind Fear (outstanding title) actually works better as a Sherlock Holmes story than did the earlier Scarlet in Gaslight (which I still adore nonetheless). The super-scientific base for the murderous Griffin is challenging but somewhat less shocking to the 221B Baker Street milieu than the supernatural undead of Bram Stoker. The universe of Wells mingles better with the super-rational universe of Doyle.

Also unlike Scarlet in Gaslight, Holmes this time is in full command of his wits, save for those which are slightly blunted by the confusing absence of Dr. John Watson and the untimely arrival of "The Woman" herself, the beautiful and distracting Irene Adler. In fact it is the personal story of Watson and his wife Mary which is the center of attention this time out, as Watson's old life comes back to literally haunt him. 

Powell's writing is at his usual excellent standard here, if anything firmer and more nimble with loads of echoes from the classic Holmes canon. Makinen's artistic storytelling is improved since the earlier effort, reading cleanly and doing a wonderful job of rendering the hardest thing imaginable, the unseen itself. Making an invisible man a threat can be more difficult in the broad comic book world, but it is accomplished with gusto here. The story also makes superb use of vintage Holmes villain Captain Moran, making him something truly vile and repulsive. The villainy is ripe and potent in this one.

Hard to find, but worth the effort, I heartily recommend A Case of Blind Fear. Here are the covers for the original Eternity Comics limited series (Malibu's black and white brand).

And here's a striking cover for the Caliber Comics 1996 collected version of the tale.

I read this story in Volume One of Moonstone's Sherlock Holmes Mysteries which collects the Powell-Makinen stories. There is a second volume in this set, and I'll be attending to that soon.

NOTE: This is a Dojo Revised Classic Post. 

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Sherlock Holmes - The Martian Menace!

I had high hopes for this 2020 Sherlock Holmes pastiche The Martian Menace. Sadly, the book does not live up to my expectations, but that doesn't mean it's not a worthy effort. The story in this one begins soon after the first Mars invasion, when as we all know the invaders were defeated by the smallest thing God in his wisdom had put upon the Earth -- disease germs. Well, it turns out the Martians came back a few years later and this time they came seeking rapprochement with mankind, claiming the first wave of noxious killers were not representative of the true Martian breed. Still the Martians effectively began colonizing the planet, using their advanced technology to lure mankind into complacency. It's at this moment when a Martian consults the famous detective about the violent death of a high-ranking Martian. Sherlock solves that case swiftly but that's only the beginning of a tale which sees the boys from Baker Street rocket to the Red Planet. And that's the weakness. 

Brown does not present the Martian culture with much imagination. Aside from their bizarre appearance (and that seems to fade away as the tales progresses), they might well pass for an advanced Earth culture. With startling few changes in detail, Holmes and Watson might just as well have been battling Mongo. The communications between species seems much too simple and the nature of the Martian cities seems frankly not alien enough. The Martians feel too much like humans, and not a truly bizarre alien being with thoughts and feelings unlike those of human beings. 

Much of the action of the book is supplied by Holmes and Watson, along with select human allies like C.K. Chesterton and George Bernard Shaw against "Simulacrums" or robotic duplicates of human beings who have been devised by the Martians to help along with humanity's acceptance of the Martian presence. Their ultimate goal is the destroy mankind and take over the planet and that threat is only staved off by a combination of human and Martians who seek to stop this heinous act. 

In its favor is that the novel reads quite swiftly, and events happen with express speed. I didn't get bored reading the novel, but I was always wishing for more invention and novelty. It all seemed too predictable for a book about alien invaders. I suspect too that Sherlock Homes fans will be disappointed too in that the great detective does little actually detecting. On the upside the infamous Professor Moriarty plays an important role in the story as well, many roles as it turns out. 

This is a breezy read, good for passing the time, but like any such fare will be forgotten almost as soon as it is consumed. I cannot recommend it save to those diehards who like Sherlock Holmes or War of the Worlds or both. To those of us in that category it's a novelty to be enjoyed despite its flaws. 

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Martians Illustrated - Part Two!

(Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum)

In 1976 Marvel Comics was publishing a number of new adaptations of a host of classic tales and soon enough War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells was picked to be a part of the run. Dave Cockrum apparently was given the nod to design the tripods for this one though the story itself was written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Yong Montano and Dino Castrillo, two of the reliable cadre of talented Filipino artists who powered through Bronze Age comics.

Below is a glimpse of two of the better splash pages.

Here's a nice peek at Dave Cockrum's own work and his design for the Martians and their awesome war machines.

Marvel adapted three other Wells stories.

NOTE: This is a Dojo Revised Classic Post. 

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Sherlock Holmes - The War Of The Worlds!

I first read this wonderful pastiche two decades ago when I stumbled across the Warner paperback edition in my local library. I was just thumbing through the rather sparse paperback science fiction section and there it was. I knocked out to find two of my favorite things (Sherlock Holmes and War of the Worlds) had been blended together in what seemed a delightful brew. 

A story blending two of my favorite yarns was irresistible. I snatched it up, raced home and read it almost immediately. I confess I contemplated keeping it, but honesty prevailed, and I returned it to the library. But my good deed was not rewarded as alas that library copy, I enjoyed went missing and I was unable to find another until some years ago Titan Books started to reprint some of the more memorable Sherlock Holmes pastiches.

The saga began in 1969 in the pages of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction when Wade Wellman assisted by his famous father Manly W. Wellman wrote "The Adventure of the Martian Client". The younger Wellman had been inspired by the movie A Study in Terror which had the Baker Street sleuth tackling Jack the Ripper. 

Several years later in 1972 they revisited the concept in another issue of TMoFandSF with the story "Venus, Mars, and Baker Street".

The idea seemed too good to let go and so they worked up a few more installments and created the patchwork "novel" Sherlock Holmes - The War of the Worlds which came out from Avon in 1975. This is the edition I first read.

The story reveals its origins in its construction. We first meet Sherlock Holmes when in partnership with Professor Edward Challenger he locates and plumbs the depths of a mysterious crystal egg found in an out of the way curio shop. The pair realize they are seeing a distant location, another world in fact, the world of Mars.

Soon enough the world becomes award of the Martians when the cylinders begin to drop. We follow first Holmes and then later Challenger in separate adventures as try to survive the onslaught of the Martian machines. But all the while they plot what might work to defeat the invaders.

Watson joins the team as the inevitable end of the invasion becomes evident. There are lots of fun bits of business calling back to the classic H.G. Wells story which spawned the fun, but the Wellmans seem to want to present in Holmes and the braggart Challenger a more defiant humanity than does Wells, a humanity who doesn't shrink in times of war but rises to face the challenge.

If you're a fan of either Sherlock Holmes or The War of the Worlds, or like me both, you must read this wonderful saga. It will offer up fascinating insights into both.

And I haven't even mentioned Sherlock's fascinating relationship with Mrs. Hudson. Hoo Boy!

NOTE: This is a Dojo Revised Classic Post. 

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The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen - The War Of The Worlds!

I really enoy War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells and I re-read periodically, so I was a sucker for the second volume of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen which has that intrepid group struggling against the invasion. One of the beauties of this second yarn is that we already know our protagonists (calling them heroes seems a bit off base) so we are all ready for the story to heat up. But Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill do a clever switch in that the story begins on Mars. 

Once again there be spoilers below Maties, so tread with care. 

The first issue of this second volume is set on Mars and features John Carter (from Princess of Mars and many other books by Edgar Rice Burroughs), Gullivar Jones (from Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation by Edwin Lester Jones), and assorted Martians from various literary sources. The story begins with Gullivar using his flying carpet to attend a rendezvous with John Carter and his Thark forces. They are in the midst of a military assault against the aliens who are scheming to attack Earth. The invasion comes from Mars but the aliens who inhabit the tripods are not from there. The Sorns (from Out the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis) show up to assist but it's too late and the invasion of Earth is underway by the end of the story. 

The League is sent to the site of the first landing where they see the great shell unscrew and witness the devastating heat ray at work. The superiority of the invaders causes the Invisible Man to betray his mankid and the world and try to make a deal with them.

Mina discovers Griffin stealing war plans and he gives her a savage beating. The full nature of the threat is soon made obvious to everyone when another shell lands. The deadly tripods appear and begin to wreak havoc. The other League members are enraged when they find Mina beaten and bloody on the floor and Hyde swears vengeance. 

The League is divided. Nemo and Hyde stay to fight the invading tripods using the resources of the Nautilus while Mina and Alan head to Africa to find a mysterious fellow who Mycroft says can help save the planet. The two of them make an attempt to find some affection in the midst of the suffering and Mina reveals for the first time the savage scars around her neck. 

The two reconcile and while in the midst of further lovemaking are confronted by strange hybrid creatures who take them to their master, Dr. Moreau (from The Island of Dr. Moreau by Wells). He shows them his creations and gives them a secret hybrid which is contained in a chest for them to transport to London. Hyde locates Griffen and wreaks a horrible vengeance for his attack on Mina. 

Mina and Alan return to England and Moreau's creation is unleashed. It's a hybrid strain of anthrax and streptococcus which in short order invades the immune systems of the aliens and kills them. Edward Hyde goes forth to battle the tripods and is ultimately burned to death by their weapons. Horrified by the use of diseases to end the threat Nemo rejects the League and leaves. Mina says goodbye to Alan and heads to a commune for women in Scotland. The story ends with Alan Quatermain sitting alone on a bench. 

The text item which ran through this series was The New Traveller's Almanac, an insanely detailed faux tavelogue from 1931 which details many of the more bizarre locations in the world of the League. It begins with the British Isles and then moves to Europe and then America and then across the globe. Moore has done an incredible job of smashing together just about every fantasy location from legend, myth or literature I could imagine. Many I recognize, many I've never heard of. Bizarre creatures abound and even stranger people. The information in his almanac was gleaned from the reports of many folks including members of the League from years past. We have many entries from Mina Murray and in this way, we are witness in some respects to her further adventures as well as the final adventures of Alan Quatermain. We also encounter Orlando for the first time, and he/she will be an important player as the series continues. This is a heady read which requires time, a good deal of patience and really good eyes. 

In addition to the Almanac there are also included several little games, coloring pages and whatnots. They are clever is not exceedingly practical. 

And that's the second installment of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The series becomes even more compelling in what feels like its finale as we lose significant members of the cast. But this is not the end by any means. There is much more to come from the bedazzled minds of Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill when we encounter a raft of new characters in The Black Dossier. That's next week. 

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The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Empire Dreams!

Someone says to you that they will write a story teaming up many famous and infamous characters of the 18th and 19th centuries in a sprawling grand adventure set in a never-never land of world history, and they are incredibly unpleasant to each other to boot. Sounds a little fishy but Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill pulled it off when they gave the world The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The team is composed of a woman who has suffered a savage attack from forces of darkness, a famous white hunter who has become addicted to opium, a timid chap who changes into a man-eating monster, a murderous and lecherous fellow who cannot be seen, and a blood-thirsty pirate driven by revenge. This is a rollicking comic book tale with a stunning approach to grand old characters in that it gives them no respect whatsoever, they are forced to earn the reader's admiration all over again and some actually do.

This title has been out over twenty years, so spoilers seem unnecessary but but tread carefully because I divulge secrets below. 

The story begins with Wilhemina (Mina) Murray (from Bram Stoker's Dracula) being given a mission by the mysterious and rotund Mr. Campion Bond on the behalf of his downright enigmatic boss known only as "M". Her mission to round up a bunch of bizarre men who will form a task force to operate on behalf of M. Her first stop is an opium den where she finds a dissolute Alan Quatermain (of She and other novels by H. Rider Haggard). Next she and a reluctant Quatermain are introduced to Captain Nemo (from Jules Vernes novels 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island) and his enormous vessel the Nautilus which whisks them to Paris to discover another member, the savage Mr. Edward Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson's creation from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). 

After capturing Hyde, who reverts to the meager Dr. Jekyll, the outfit returns to England to visit a girl's school where strange things are afoot. Girls are seemingly being impregnated by supernatural means, but it is shown it is in fact the transparent Hawley Griffin (from H.G. Well's novel The Invisible Man) who is doing the knocking up. 

Fully assembled this "League" is given its mission, to track down and find some lost "Cavorite" (a mineral which defies gravity from Well's From the Earth to the Moon) that has fallen into the hands of an unnamed Asian villain called the "Devil Doctor" (Fu Manchu from many novels by Sax Rohmer). This villain plans to use the Cavorite to power an immense vehicle which give him power in London and elsewhere. 

The League finds the Cavorite and after bloody and ferocious fighting liberate on the behalf of "M". The mysterious M is not Mycroft Holmes as Mina had surmised but the "Napolean of Crime", Professor James Moriarty (Arthur Conan Doyle's creation from his Sherlock Holmes canon). Moriarty wants the Cavorite for his own air vehicle to give him the power and aid him in his battle against the Devil Doctor. 

We learn how Moriarty survived the Reichenbach Falls incident and then we are treated to the details of his scheme. Also listening in was the invisible Griffen who savagely assumes a policeman's identity to travel across London to tell his colleagues. They realize the mistake they have made and prepare to battle Moriarty's forces in defense of London. 

The war between Moriarty's air forces and Fu Manchu's forces spills across the sky of London. The League uses a balloon to infiltrate Moriarty's ship and then proceed to bring down his forces, in a most brutal manner. Moriarty is defeated when clinging to the Cavorite he slips out of sight into the sky. The League is recognized for their valor by Mycroft Holmes who assumes Moriarty's position. They agree to stay together as the skiy is brightened by the harbinger of a Martian invasion. 

Also included in each issue of the six-issue run and combined in the rear of the collection is "Allan and the Sundered Veil". This is prequel of sorts for the League story in which Allan Quatermain is summoned to a remote estate and given a drug which causes him to slip out of sync with time. In this other world of timelessness, he encounters Randolph Carter (H.P. Lovecraft's supernatural hero) and Captain John Carter (the stalwart of many Mars stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs). The former is a seeker of weird mysteries and the latter a Civil War soldier who found himself for a time on the planet Mars. They are joined by a Time Traveler (from the Well's novel of the same name) who travels in a strange vehicle and end up fighting ferocious man-beasts in the future known as Mi-Go or Morlocks. Eventually they are stranded on a giant crystal of time and eventually return to their worlds. Quatermain is quite shattered by his adventure and seeks the solace of Opium where he will be discovered by Mina Murray. 

The League of Extraordinary Gentleman is a delightful brew of the familiar and the bizarre. Moore uses his encyclopedic knowledge of literature to feather the story with all sorts of references. Kevin O'Neill's bizarre but compelling treats these giants of literature with more vigor than respect, making them come alive all over again in this strange and wonderful tale. The story is a brutal one, and not for the faint of heart. It's filled with the whole panoply of passions people get up to, so the reader should be warned that this is not the calm and polite world in which these creatures usually inhabit. It's a raucous world filled enormous buildings and bewildering architecture of all sorts. It's a ton of fun and the best thing is that there is a second volume which to my mind is even better. 

More on that tomorrow. 

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Warrior Of The Worlds!

One of the truly outstanding ideas of Marvel's Bronze Age was when Roy Thomas decided to follow up on H.G.Wells and co-created the Killraven series, called throughout most of its run War of the Worlds. Essentially the notion is that after the Martians lost the first time, they returned a hundred years later and succeeded. Then in 2017 (no longer the distant future) they have established their rule on Earth, one populated with people and other things who work for and against the Martian masters. 

One of the greatest foes is Killraven, a trained gladiator who escaped in Sparticus fashion and leads others in a guerrilla war against the invaders. The notion comes from the novel itself when an Infantryman describes life under the Martian masters and how a few humans could wage an uprising. 

The debut issue which is the eighteenth issue of Amazing Adventures (which earlier hosted The Inhumans, Black Widow, and The Beast) is plotted by Thomas and scripted by Gerry Conway and the first part is drawn by superstar Neal Adams who does a bang-up job. With some polished inking by Frank Charamonte, the pages positively glow with energy and verve. Take a look.

But apparently, Adams couldn't get it finished on time and up-and-comer Howard Chaykin stepped in to finish the story in order for it to see publication.

As you can see, in the story Killraven confronts the "Keeper" who kidnapped him and killed his mother so many years before and learns the history of the Martians and also that he might have some mysterious gifts which will help to defeat them.

In the second installment, written by Gerry Conway with Chaykin returning on pencils. Frank McLaughlin steps in to offer up some sleek and exceedingly good inks. In this one Killraven and his "Freemen" M'Shulla, Hawk, and Arrow confront Martain-mutated women called Sirens who like their mythical namesakes can control men. Killraven is taken back to the gladiatorial ring but fights his way out, and even manages to bring down a Martian walking machine with the Staten Island Ferry during the hair-raising escape.

Set in the environs of New York City in the initial chapters, the saga offers up the usual post-doomsday scenery of a sunken Statue of Liberty and other broken icons of 20th Century existence. The scenario painted is a grim one with the Martian masters firmly in control of a shattered Earth and some people all too willing to work alongside their conquerors who we all know have a special taste for humans.

But this initial burst is a brief one. The series will stumble during its early days and by the next issue Conway and Chaykin are gone, and Killraven even gets a costume change thanks to writer Marv Wolfman and artist Herb Trime, though the design looks like the work of John Romita to me.

Arguably the most important change in the series came with the next issue in which writer Don McGregor arrives. His ornate writing gave the Killraven yarns a flavor all their own, a deep introspection which would only flourish as the series continued. This issue not only gave Killraven's ally M'Shulla a distinctive character but introduced Carmilla Frost, a scientist and new ally. She brought with her the lab-spawned creation "Grok" as well. Old Skull is another member of Killraven's Freemen and his addled mind and great strength are standout details of the series in its early days. 

The setting shifts when Killraven and his allies the Freemen leave NYC and head to Washington DC. One of the things which is great fun about post-apocalyptic stories is the way recognizable icons an locations can be used to enhance a story. So it is with the villain Abraxas selling slaves at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial. We also meet a black warrior henchman who wields a mean sword in the cause of the Martians by the name of "Sabre", not something McGregor would soon forget. 

McGregor's penchant for wacky but memorable names is on display in this issue which showcases the girl with green skin Mint Julep. We also see Killraven stand up his fears as he is assaulted by rats. There's an echo of Orwell's 1984 in this ploy by the Martians. 

In the May issue Killraven and his Freemen come up against the High Overlord, a Martian who uses an anthropomorphic armor to move around. It's a new year and this establishes a conceit in the series of attempting to use real time. By the end Killraven and his mob have demolished the slavery ring at the Lincoln Memorial and get on the Martian's most wanted list. This is artist Herb Trimpe's last regular issue. 

The artistic reins go to Rich Buckler in a story set at the Indianapolis Speedway. It introduces an important villain to the series by the name of Skar who is adept at using the Martian tripods in weird races. Truth told this a very hard comic to read and understand because of Buckler's innovative but sometimes incoherent page design. His pages seem weighed down by McGregor's heavy script which is likely a problem as well and I'd bet the timeframe was short to produce the story. 

Still casting about for a regular artist, this issue features Gene "The Dean" Colan and he pushes out a decent issue though it shows signs of hurry as well. The Freemen go to Battle Creek Michigan where they discover a group of oddly dedicated men defending a mysterious treasure, one that goes snap, crackle and pop. 

At long last with the twenty-seventh issue of Amazing Adventures and the tenth installment of War of the Worlds the artist most associated with the series appears -- P. Craig Russell. Under a dramatic Jim Starlin cover, Russell begins to give us the look that will define the strip. McGregor too seems to have found a partner he cottons to, and his script seems to get even more ponderous as we begin an extended storyline about the Martian outpost in Chicago which is set up to produce humans as livestock. 

This comic is one of the most beautiful that Russell ever drew and it features Volcana Ash who had been introduced in the previous issue. She is one of two sisters and while she was the subject of experimentation to give her the strange powers of heat and fire her sibling was to become of the many Eves who gave birth to children for the benefit of the appetites of the Martians. The Freeman break into the Death-Birth complex its master Atalon the Fear Master and the chief surgeon The Sacrificer. 

In the next issue the Freemen are able to free the captive Adams and Eves and destroy he heinous complex. But Atalon's men pursue them. It's another marvelous looking comic and I only wish Russell had been able to produce all of the issues with this level of quality, though the inker Dan Green gets some credit. With this issue a title change of sorts hits the top of the cover. Although the series has always been Amazing Adventures the feature becomes  known as Killraven Warrior of The Worlds. 

But the stresses of producing the book are too much and the thirtieth issue is a reprint of some of Herb Trimpe's best work blending issues #23 and#24 together with a framing sequence which focuses on the high Overlord. It's to be remembered that the Overlord has dispatched Skar to find the Freemen. Great cover though. 

We get the finale of the Death Breeders saga as both Atalon and the Sacrificer catch up to our heroes under a famous golden arch. There is a singularly ugly monster that some locals worship but in the end Killraven and his associates kill the monster and put down both Atalon and his ally. 

Killraven and his Freemen (made up still of M'Shulla, Hawk, Old Skull, Carmilla Frost, and an injured Grok) have to confront a complex in Nashville which is able to tap into the mind of folks and confront them with their greatest desires. Among the illusions is McGregor's spoof of Sherlock Holmes, namely one Hodiah Twist and his ally Conrad Jeavons. This is yet another beautiful issue to look at though the storytelling is a bit rugged in spots.

Bill Mantlo and Herb Trimpe step in to give us another fill-in issue, this time a new one. In a deep cavern Killraven is separated from his allies and discovers a segregated society of black men and women who had hidden away safely from the Martians. But theri haven is not safe and they leave for the surface world to see what that holds for them. This is my least favorite of the series. 

In a story titled "A Death in the Family" we do indeed lose some of our Freemen as Skar finally catches up to the rebels around Chattanooga. We learn that Grok is indeed the "Clonal Man" as he is a clone of Carmilla's dead father. The battle against Skar is brutal and the resultant deaths are impactful in an era when such things were exceedingly uncommon. One death was somewhat predictable, but the other was a bit of surprise to me, even now on this re-reading of the series. 

We get another Bill Mantlo story but this time it's in the pages of Marvel Team-Up and features a time-traveling Spider-Man as he drops into the dark era of the Martian invasion. Drawn by Sal  Buscema and Mike Esposito this story doesn't really have much to add to our understanding of the of the Killraven series though I'm sure it did its work as an advertisement for the run. 

"The 24-Hour Man" is set in Atlanta and offers up the strange person of Emmanuel who is as far as I can gather a hybrid offspring of human and some odd green creature and like a Mayfly lives out his entire existence in a mere matter of hours and must breed before that time and Carmilla is his chosen. There's some real horror in this bizarre tale. The War of the Worlds logo returns with this issue and will remain until the finale. 

To be honest I had to read "Red Dust Legacy" a few times to figure out what was happening. As far as I can tell Killraven is able to use his talent to enter the mind of a young Martian who has lived its full life on Earth and yearns for the understanding of its home world shared by its elders. Killraven and gang destroy a nursery full of Martian young (the bud off their parent asexually and are collected and put into incubators). It's possible this action of attempted genocide cost Killraven a chance at understanding with the young Martian. 

In the thirty-seventh issue the Freemen reach the Okefenokee Swamp and meet another group who have found safety in the swamp. They take the time to rest, and we learn by stories around the campfire how Old Skull met Killraven and more. McGregor has a bit to say about how the retarded children ae treated in our society. We learn that Old Skull lost his dad on the very first day of the second invasion and was swept up into the gladitorial program of the Martians when his ability to defend himself was noted. 

Bill Mantlo returns with another fill-in issue this one drawn by Keith Giffen and it's a doozy. Killraven enters a strange dome in which he becomes enmeshed in the dreams of a stranded man. Those dreams involve many famous visages from the Marvel Universe. Even President Gerald Ford makes an appearance. This one is really entertaining. 

The thirty-ninth issue is the final issue of Amazing Adventures and the last War of the Worlds story by McGregor and Russel for some time. The go out with a beautiful issue about yet another weird mutant creature called Mourning Prey who is beautiful like a butterfly but deadly nonetheless they think. It's a  nifty little story told in flashbacks that is rather eloquent and ties a bow on the series even if it doesn't really resolve anything. 

The final Killraven story was wrapped in 1976 and it would be seven years later that McGregor and Russell world attempt a true finish to the saga. The format was Marvel's popular Graphic Novels of the decade. The story picks up where it left off in Florida just outside of what was once Cape Canaveral. The Freemen meet a lady named Jenette Miller who was an astronaut in the 1990's before the second Martian invasion. She has stayed hidden from the Martians all this time and gives the Freemen some essential information about the world before the Martians. Carmilla has some news for M'Shulla of a bouncing baby type. We then meet Joshua, Killraven's long-lost brother. But all is not what it seems since Joshua has been prepared by the High Overlord and his minions to be Deathraven a technologically produced werewolf. He poses a lethal threat to the Freemen until Killraven uses his abilities to their maximum for the first time and not enters the mind of a Martian but controls that Martian to kill his own brother. They then proceed to blow up the High Overlord's installation and presumably him with it before the saunter off into the Florida horizon to heal and live life. 

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