It's Friday once again folks which means I will be having a bit of an in-depth look at a few of my 'Birthday Books' which are books that I share a birthday with, that being September 1969.
Metal Men #39
Story - Mike Sekowsky
Art - Mike Sekowsky/George Roussos
Cover - Mike Sekowsky
Grade - ?
The characters first appeared in Showcase #37 and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciller Ross Andru. Apparently they were added to the book as a last minute filler!
The Beauty of the Beast
This is ostensibly a retelling of the old Phantom of the Opera story but set in a movie studio. I'm not too familiar with the original story but I get the feeling this is just the same as that.
In this book Doc Magnus is in a coma and their new boss is Mr Conan, who sends them to do some work in the newly reopened Magna Studio. It's a monster movie of some type and the monster actor is killed by a hideous beast that's been hiding out in the studio who kidnaps Tina (Platinum) and the guys and the police try to find her. We find out that the monster was a stunt-man Hugo Stark who was horribly disfigured when a stunt went wrong. He has fallen in love with Tina who sympathises with the fact that he only wanted human companionship after years alone whilst reflecting "Poor, poor Hugo-- How can I tell you-- I'm not human-- I'm a robot!"
This happens at a point in the lives of the Metal Men that I knew nothing about, they basically no longer look robot-like but instead are mostly human but are still able to use the abilities of their metal namesakes though they have to do this covertly as the Metal Men are supposed to be dead.
This story ends in tragedy when the spooked Stark's action start a fire that ends up consuming both himself and the studio.
There is a letters section in this book split 50/50 between people who hate the Metal Men's new look and those who love it.
The Amazing Spider-Man #76
Story - Stan Lee
Art - John Buscema/Jim Mooney
Cover - John Romita
Grade - VG+ (4.5)
The Lizard Lives!
When I got this book I wondered if it might be the 1st appearance of The Lizard but I doubted it would have been and in fact old Lizard-chops debuted 70 issues earlier, way back in #6 (1963)
This is a classic Spidey story, we see how his hero role interrupts his normal life; he's not been calling his Aunt May like he should and he has to rush out on his room mate Harry Osborn. Later Captain Stacey wants to pick Peter's brains about what he knows about the Spider-Man and Gwen Stacey asks him to share his secret, she wants to know why he is constantly ducking out on her. This time it's as he's in a rush to confront The Lizard, the monstrous alter-ego of his friend Curt Connors. He has promised Curt's wife and child that he will apprehend him and change him back to human, but his desire to not hurt him leads to him being bested by the feral fiend for The Lizard has no compunctions against hurting Spidey. In fact his Lizard brain remembers losing to our hero before and thirsts for revenge.
With his super strength, wall walking ability, razor sharp web cutting claws, thick hide and powerful tail The Lizard is a formidable foe and I love this old-school, one-on-one, roof-top battle, with Spidey's inner dialogue assessing the fight and his tactics whilst his mouth spouts off his usual witticisms. In the end his lack of viciousness lets the villain win, but Spidey formulates a plan, one he does not explain in the book, where he plays possum and lets Lizard throw him off the building. However just then the Human Torch shows up and spoils the plan by catching him as he plummets and deposits him back up on the rooftop where the Lizard is. This leaves Spidey worried that Torch, (Johnny Storm), will hurt Curt with his flame powers. What happens next? I need to pick up the next issue to find out!
Action Comics #380
The Lizard Lives!
When I got this book I wondered if it might be the 1st appearance of The Lizard but I doubted it would have been and in fact old Lizard-chops debuted 70 issues earlier, way back in #6 (1963)
This is a classic Spidey story, we see how his hero role interrupts his normal life; he's not been calling his Aunt May like he should and he has to rush out on his room mate Harry Osborn. Later Captain Stacey wants to pick Peter's brains about what he knows about the Spider-Man and Gwen Stacey asks him to share his secret, she wants to know why he is constantly ducking out on her. This time it's as he's in a rush to confront The Lizard, the monstrous alter-ego of his friend Curt Connors. He has promised Curt's wife and child that he will apprehend him and change him back to human, but his desire to not hurt him leads to him being bested by the feral fiend for The Lizard has no compunctions against hurting Spidey. In fact his Lizard brain remembers losing to our hero before and thirsts for revenge.
With his super strength, wall walking ability, razor sharp web cutting claws, thick hide and powerful tail The Lizard is a formidable foe and I love this old-school, one-on-one, roof-top battle, with Spidey's inner dialogue assessing the fight and his tactics whilst his mouth spouts off his usual witticisms. In the end his lack of viciousness lets the villain win, but Spidey formulates a plan, one he does not explain in the book, where he plays possum and lets Lizard throw him off the building. However just then the Human Torch shows up and spoils the plan by catching him as he plummets and deposits him back up on the rooftop where the Lizard is. This leaves Spidey worried that Torch, (Johnny Storm), will hurt Curt with his flame powers. What happens next? I need to pick up the next issue to find out!
Action Comics #380
Cover - Curt Swan/Murphy Anderson
Grade - VG/VG+
Comparing this back to back with the Spidey comic you can see the different attitudes between the companies at this time. Marvel seems a lot more gritty and relatable compared to DC zaniness. Maybe that was just a Superman thing though.
The Confessions of Superman
Story - Leo Dorfman
Grade - VG/VG+
Comparing this back to back with the Spidey comic you can see the different attitudes between the companies at this time. Marvel seems a lot more gritty and relatable compared to DC zaniness. Maybe that was just a Superman thing though.
The Confessions of Superman
Story - Leo Dorfman
Art - Curt Swan/George Roussos
I do love the quirkiness of the cover to this, what I call Silver Age madness with bizarre things going on that pique your interest to see what the heck is going on!
The story starts with some heavy bondage as Supergirl chains Superman to a table so he can tell if he's been going out and committing supercrimes in his sleep. Things have been going on that have him doubting himself. As a reader we get to find out straight away that this is the work of 2 members of the Superman Revenge Squad known as The Liquidators. Using a rock of artificial Red Kryptonite they hope to convince Kal-El that he is a criminal. The Red K they infect him with has a Conscience Syndrome Effect, they then stage a number of crimes and acts of vandalism to make it seem that our hero could be the only culprit. Racked with doubt he meets with Supergirl at the Fortress of Solitude and enters a Red K detecting machine, Supergirl says there is no Red K in his system despite the fact that we the readers can see that there definitely is. After chaining Superman down Supergirl flies off and is revealed to be a member of the Superman Revenge Squad in disguise! As he sleeps the chains, which are treated with a chemical, break and he awakens to discover another act of Superman-like vandalism and begins to type up his crime confessions submitting them to a sobbing Lois Lane to print up in the Daily Planet. The villains expected Kal to fly off into space away from Earth so he can no longer commit crimes there but instead he returns to the Fortress and prepares to open his case containing Gold Kryptonite that will permanently rid him of his awesome powers!
Half a Legionaire
I do love the quirkiness of the cover to this, what I call Silver Age madness with bizarre things going on that pique your interest to see what the heck is going on!
The story starts with some heavy bondage as Supergirl chains Superman to a table so he can tell if he's been going out and committing supercrimes in his sleep. Things have been going on that have him doubting himself. As a reader we get to find out straight away that this is the work of 2 members of the Superman Revenge Squad known as The Liquidators. Using a rock of artificial Red Kryptonite they hope to convince Kal-El that he is a criminal. The Red K they infect him with has a Conscience Syndrome Effect, they then stage a number of crimes and acts of vandalism to make it seem that our hero could be the only culprit. Racked with doubt he meets with Supergirl at the Fortress of Solitude and enters a Red K detecting machine, Supergirl says there is no Red K in his system despite the fact that we the readers can see that there definitely is. After chaining Superman down Supergirl flies off and is revealed to be a member of the Superman Revenge Squad in disguise! As he sleeps the chains, which are treated with a chemical, break and he awakens to discover another act of Superman-like vandalism and begins to type up his crime confessions submitting them to a sobbing Lois Lane to print up in the Daily Planet. The villains expected Kal to fly off into space away from Earth so he can no longer commit crimes there but instead he returns to the Fortress and prepares to open his case containing Gold Kryptonite that will permanently rid him of his awesome powers!
Half a Legionaire
Story - Jim Shooter
Art - Win Mortimer/Jack Abel
Art - Win Mortimer/Jack Abel
The back-up story focuses of Duo Damsel, (Luorno Durgo), of the Legion of Super-Heroes. She used to be Triplicate Girl before one of her was killed by Computo the Conqueror. After taking down a deranged sniper Mon-el orders her to make a delivery to the planet Ikro, she decides to split up, with Luorno I staying home to relax and take in a movie at the Astro-cinema with her beau Bouncing Boy whilst II makes the delivery. As time goes by I is worried at how long II is taking with her task but is sent out to investigate a spate of crimes in Metropolis. Upon arrival they find Luorno II and her new Fiance the super powered Nam'Lor, when the 2 Luornos merge I gets an insight into II's recent activities and how she met Nam'Lor on Ikro. Things are different between the Luorno pair, where before their thoughts were the same now they are different with II loving Nam'Lor whilst I fears him. II is changed and I is worried. Later I and Bouncing Boy encounter the Metropolis thieves, a male and female masked in shadow, she shoots and numbs the villainess' leg but they escape. When I merges with her other self later she realises that she has a numb leg, this triggers the realisation that II is acting with her fiance as the Metropolis criminals. I and Bouncy figure that Nam'Lor has somehow controlled II to acts of crime, they confront them but can not best Nam'Lor's power, II urges her fiance to kill Bouncing Boy but he refuses. He explains that his Hyper-Aura has been effecting Luorna II making her a criminal and he has been going along with her plot, humouring her as he loves her so, hoping that she would go back to normal. He realises now that if he loves her he has to leave her so she can return to her normal self.
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