Thursday, July 8, 2021

Marvel Comics Presents #9


There's 2 one-and-done stories in this issue. The first has Cloak, from Cloak and Dagger, on a solo adventure. A youngster has disappeared in a cave and the reason for the disappearance has sinister origins. Or does it? Mole Man's Moloids are behind the kidnapping. When it comes to many of their actions, its often due to a sort of culture clash kinda confusion and almost always comical... Not here! 

Writer Marcus McLaurin (The Punisher) has this what should be lighthearted adventure go quite dark.  It just wasn't necessary. Yet, that's the gritty late 80s Marvel for you. DC went light and offbeat. The House of Ideas wanted to be more mature with a social relevance slant. With a story like this, it just doesn't work.

Thankfully, in story #2, the writers do go light! X-Men's Scott Lobdell, who is known for having a bit of a funny bone, spins a yarn about a Marvel superhero so obscure, I've never even heard of him. The Spaniard El Aguila, is a mix of Zorro, Captain America and The Tick. In Lobdell's story, El Aguila returns to his home town, only to find it overrun by a mutant crime lord whose powers are derived from contact with the earth. El Aguila, despite being a mutant himself, is grossly outmatched. But the hero is far from outwitted. This was such a great story. I hated to see it end. I hate even more to find out that Lobdell and El Aguila never got a chance to reteam in some sort of humor action comedy series. 

That's the gritty 80s Marvel for you!

No real changes occur in the very interesting Man-Thing story (that has very little Man-Thing). There's only 1 chapter left in the Wolverine story. Can't wait for something new to take it's place. But I love the cover from Brian Murray. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

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