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Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books - Geek
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The Shadow #6 (Aug.-Sep., 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
Last November, we took a look at the third issue of DC Comics' The Shadow -- the first issue by the team of writer/editor Denny O'Neil and artist Michael W. Kaluta to carry a credit for another creative talent. In this case, it was Kaluta's friend and fellow artist, Bernie Wrightson, who stepped in to…
Doctor Strange #2 (August, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
Behind a very nice (if somewhat misleading -- we'll get to why a bit later) cover pencilled, inked, and colored by Frank Brunner, the second issue of the newly revived Doctor Strange title picks up where the first one left off. In other words, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme is still dead. Oh, all right. Nearly dead. …
Astonishing Tales #25 (August, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
Marvel Comics' first official mention of the feature that would eventually become known as "Deathlok the Demolisher" seems to have been a brief blurb in the fourth issue of the company's self-produced fanzine FOOM (cover-dated "Winter, 1973", but bearing a date of "Winter, 1974" in its indicia; Mike's Amazing World of Comics offers an "approximate…
Captain America #176 (August, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
In his 2016 introduction to Marvel Masterworks -- Captain America, Vol. 9, Steve Englehart refers to the cover John Romita produced for the subject of today's post as "iconic". That's become a rather overused word in today's culture, I grant you; all the same, I find it hard to disagree with him. For this grizzled…
Hulk #178 (August, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
As regular readers of this blog may recall, I was never a regular buyer of The Incredible Hulk, back in the day. While I always enjoyed the character when he appeared as a guest star, or in a team setting à la the Defenders, for whatever reason his Jekyll & Hyde-cum-Frankenstein premise never had much…
Captain Marvel #33 (July, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
Behind a cover both pencilled and inked by Jim Starlin (his first such since coming on board the Captain Marvel title with issue #25), this issue featured the conclusion of the epic "Thanos War" storyline that the creator had inaugurated a year and a half earlier with the 55th issue of Iron Man, and which…
Avengers #125 (July, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
I suppose that Ron Wilson and John Romita's cover for this issue of Avengers might be taken as misleading by some readers, since, as we'll soon see, Earth's Mightiest Heroes never directly confront Thanos himself anywhere within its pages (indeed, the Mad Titan only puts in a personal appearance on a couple of them). I'm…
Defenders #14 (July, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
When we last left the Defenders, back in September, the Defenders themselves were, well, leaving. Most of them, anyway. As was the writer who'd been chronicling their adventures since they'd graduated from Marvel Feature into their own title some sixteen months earlier: Steve Englehart. Just in case you missed it, Englehart had concluded his double-title,…
Captain America #175 (July, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
With this 175th issue of Captain America, the "Secret Empire" saga that had dominated the series' pages for over half a year finally reached its climax. And as our storytellers picked up their narrative right where the previous month's episode had left us readers hanging, you could hardly accuse writer Steve Englehart of underselling the…
Savage Tales #4 (May, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
As we previously discussed in our post about Savage Tales #3 last October, back in the fall of 1973 it seemed that Marvel's one-and-only sword-and-sorcery-centric black-and-white comics magazine was about to be cancelled -- for the second time. The first incarnation of Savage Tales had seen but one issue published in January, 1971 before Marvel's…
Avengers #124 (June, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
It's been a minute since we last checked in what the Avengers were up to half a century ago -- since the aftermath of the Avengers/Defenders War, in fact, and we put that multi-issue epic to bed back in September. Given that consideration -- as well as the fact that the issue we're focusing on…
Doctor Strange #1 (June, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
I have to confess, that as fond as I am of the comic that's the subject of today's blog post, I've always had a little trouble thinking of it as a "real" first issue. After all, Doctor Strange had already had a first issue of his own solo title all the way back in 1968…
Captain America #174 (June, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
When we last saw Captain America and the Falcon at the tail end of last month's post about CA #173, our heroes had seemingly been successful in their subterfuge against the sinister Secret Empire -- the clandestine organization behind both Cap's recent woes (which include first having his reputation smeared by an ad campaign, then…
Dracula Lives #6 (May, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
In March, 1974, Marvel Comics' black-and-white magazine Dracula Lives entered its second year of publication with a format relatively little changed from its first issue -- meaning that it featured three all-new stories of the titular vampire (one set in the present, two set in the past), supplemented by illustrated text features and a reprint…
Marvel Premiere #15 (May, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
In early 1974, when a slot for a new continuing feature opened up in Marvel Premiere (due to the previous tenant Dr. Strange having vacated the premises to return to headlining his own title), it must have seemed a virtual no-brainer to offer it to a character who could help Marvel Comics cash in even…
Captain Marvel #32 (May, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
Behind a splendid cover pencilled by Jim Starlin and inked by Klaus Janson (and evidently not touched up by Marvel Comics' art director John Romita, as had sometimes been the case with the covers for this title of late) -- the 32nd issue of Captain Marvel picks up right where the 31st had left off: …
Swamp Thing #10 (May-Jun., 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
With the publication of the subject of today's blog post fifty years ago, the collaboration between writer Len Wein, artist Bernie Wrightson, and editor Joe Orlando on Swamp Thing that had begun with a one-off short story in House of Secrets #92 (Jun.-Jul., 1971) came to a close. According to an interview Wein gave The…
Captain America #173 (May, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
In February, 1974, the X-Men hadn't appeared in a new story in their own title in over four years -- but while gone, they were hardly forgotten. (Actually, they weren't even gone, since their book had been resurrected as a reprint title by Marvel's then-publisher, Martin Goodman, eight months after he'd cancelled the series with…
The Brave and the Bold #112 (Apr.-May, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
By my reckoning, DC Comics' The Brave and the Bold was one of the first comic book titles I ever spent my own money on (for the record, it was preceded only by Superman, Detective Comics, Green Lantern, Justice League of America, Flash, and Lois Lane). I bought my first issue, #64, in December, 1965…
Master of Kung Fu #17 (April, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
In August, 1973, the "Bullpen Bulletins" column that ran in Marvel Comics' offerings each month opened with a self-congratulatory note about what an eventful summer the company had been having, citing the launches of new ongoing series for the Thing and the Black Panther as well as the debuts of such brand new characters as…
Conan the Barbarian #37 (April, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
At the time the topic of today's blog post was originally published, January, 1974, new interior comic book art by Neal Adams wasn't yet as rare as hen's teeth -- not quite. Still, it was a good bit rarer than it had been just a year or so earlier, and thus it was a treat…
Captain America #172 (April, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
The ostensible main topic of today's post, Captain America #172, is the first issue of the series in which writer Steve Englehart and artist Sal Buscema's "Secret Empire" saga has the center stage completely to itself. But the storyline may be said to have properly started three issues before this, in #169; and its earliest…
Batman #255 (Mar.-Apr., 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
As of December, 1973, it had been seventeen months since my younger self had bought an issue of Batman. For the record, that issue had been #245, in which the lead story (as well as the cover) had been drawn by Neal Adams. The last issue I'd bought before that had been #244, which had…
Werewolf by Night #15 (March, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
The second and concluding chapter of Marvel Comics' 1973 crossover between Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf by Night introduces itself with a spectacular cover by Mike Ploog: one that epitomizes Marvel's early-'70s horror trend as well or better than any other I can think of; and, truth be told, one of my very favorite covers…
Marvel Premiere #14 (March, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
In December, 1973, the lead feature spot in Marvel Premiere was about to become vacant, as Doctor Strange's 20-month, 12-issue tenancy as the publication's headliner neared its end. For the Master of the Mystic Arts -- and his fans -- it was a happy occasion, as he was about to return to starring in his…
Justice League of America #110 (Mar.-Apr., 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
From a creative standpoint, 1973 had been a very stable year for Justice League of America. Everyone who'd been working on the book as the year began -- writer Len Wein, penciller Dick Dillin, inker Dick Giordano, cover artist Nick Cardy, and (of course) editor Julius Schwartz -- remained in place as 1973 neared its…
Captain Marvel #31 (March, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
We're going to start this post off a little differently than any other among the 405 (!) that have preceded it, as before we can proceed to our discussion of Captain Marvel #31, your humble blogger has an apology -- and a correction -- to make regarding our Captain Marvel #30 post from October. You…
Marvel Two-in-One #2 (March, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
As we covered here back in August, the twelfth -- and final -- issue of Marvel Feature ended with Benjamin J. Grimm (aka the Thing), stranded in a desert in the American Southwest. But we Marvel Comics readers of 1973 had no need to worry over the fate of our rocky orange hero, since just…
Detective Comics #439 (Feb.-Mar., 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
As of November, 1973, it had been twenty-seven months since the last time I bought an issue of Detective Comics. (For the record, that issue was #416, featuring the fourth appearance of Man-Bat.) There hadn't been any conscious "drop" decision involved in this long dry spell between purchases; like a lot of other titles, Detective…
Tomb of Dracula #18 (March, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
I suppose we should probably begin today's post by acknowledging that the battle between two of Marvel Comics' biggest horror stars -- the vampiric Count Dracula and the lycanthropic Jack Russell -- that ran through that duo's respective titles in November and December of 1973 wasn't quite the first time that two of Marvel Comics'…
The Shadow #3 (Feb.-Mar., 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
In November, 1973, the third bimonthly issue of DC Comics' The Shadow arrived on newsstands as scheduled, sporting yet another instantly-classic cover by regular series artist Michael W. Kaluta and colorist/washtone-process master Jack Adler. Turning to the opening splash page, a prospective buyer might have noted that the creative lineup for the book's interior contents…
Werewolf by Night #14 (February, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
It's been over a year since we last looked in on our favorite teenage werewolf, Jack Russell, so we have a bit of catching up to do before we get into our discussion of today's main topic. Following issue #3's conclusion of the extended plotline concerning the Darkhold -- the mystical bound volume that had…
Mister Miracle #18 (Feb.-Mar., 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
Has it really been only fifteen months since I last wrote about Jack Kirby's Fourth World? Somehow it feels like a lot longer. Which is a little odd, since I'm pretty sure the time between the release of New Gods #11 in August, 1972, and that of Mister Miracle #18 in November, 1973, practically flew…
Adventure Comics #431 (January, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
It may be hard to believe, but despite having been a DC Comics reader since August, 1965, I'd never bought a single issue of Adventure Comics -- the second comic-book series ever to have been released by the publisher, way back in 1935, and one of its longest running -- prior to October, 1973. What…
Amazing Spider-Man #129 (February, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
I don't suppose I need to explain to anyone reading this just why the topic of today's post is so significant. After all, even if you didn't know anything about the 129th issue of Amazing Spider-Man before you arrived here, just a look at the comic's iconic cover by Gil Kane and John Romita would…
Savage Tales #3 (February, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
As we covered in our discussion of Savage Tales #2 back in June, the promise made on that magazine's last page -- that the following issue would be on "on sale September 25 A.D. 1973 in this the Marvel age of swords and sorcery" -- turned out to be off by almost exactly one month. …
Demon #16 (January, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
DC Comics appears to have had high hopes for The Demon when the title was first launched, back in June, 1972. After just one issue -- well before any reliable sales figures could have become available -- the publisher increased the book's frequency from bi-monthly to monthly with Demon #2, which was released in August. …
Marvel Premiere #13 (January, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
Back in August, we took a look at Marvel Premiere #12, featuring the initial chapter of a multi-part "Doctor Strange" adventure by the creative team of co-plotter/scripter Steve Englehart (joined for that single issue by co-scripter Mike Friedrich) and co-plotter/artist Frank Brunner. Having begun their run on the feature half a year earlier by taking…
Captain Marvel #30 (January, 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
By the time Captain Marvel #30 came out in October, 1973, Marvel Comics readers had already had a couple of opportunities to see the newly-enhanced (as of issue #29) "Most Cosmic Superhero of All" in action -- namely, in Marvel Team-Up #16 and Daredevil #107. But the subject of our discussion today was the first…
Justice League of America #109 (Jan.-Feb., 1974) | Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books
Nick Cardy's cover for Justice League of America #109 is interesting in that it completely ignores the conflict that drives roughly 80% of the plot of this issue's story. Rather, it seeks to hook the prospective buyer by way of a tantalizing mystery -- who is leaving the team? It's not a bad strategy, really,…