Weird Western Tales #50 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Weird Western Tales actually started out as the second volume of the fan favorite anthology series All-Star Western. The first issues featured some basic historical characters like Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill, and Davy Crockett. DC creations such as Pow Wow Smith and Bat Lash made appearances as well as the demon possessed gunslinger known as El Diablo. In issue #10, readers were introduced to the mysterious bounty hunter, Jonah Hex.                                             

A former Confederate soldier turned bounty hunter, Hex's visage was disfigured by a Native American shaman for allegedly violating rules of combat. This brand was called the 'mark of the demon'. While Hex didn't have any supernatural powers, his stories tended to have an element of the strange and macabre due the nature of his facial injury. 

During this time period, the Comics Code was lessening its rules on horror tales. As a result, DC Comics created the wildly popular Weird War Tales in 1971. Seeing dollar signs, the editors at DC and publisher Carmine Infantino made the call to switch All-Star Western's format and title. The book was renamed Weird Western Tales with issue #12 (June, 1972). 

For the first half dozen issues El Diablo and Jonah Hex rotated as the star of Weird Western Tales. Assorted Western themed horror tales rounded out the issue. Issue #17 saw Jonah Hex becoming the main feature of the series and within another dozen issues, Weird Western Tales dropped the back-up features. Hex's last appearance in the series was in issue #38. Readers fell in love with the character and by April of 1977, Jonah Hex was starring in his own self-titled issue. 

Issue #39 saw the character of Scalphunter becoming the star of Weird Western Tales. In his debut we learn that the Scalphunter was a white man named Brian Savage. Abducted by the Kiowa Indians as a child, the Native Americans raised Brian under the name Ke-Wok-No-Tay, meaning 'He Who Is Less Than Human'. Skilled at combat, Brian left the tribe going by the name of Scalphunter. 

Scalphunter eventually learned that he had a little sister and that's where this issue picks up. Heading over to Atlanta, Scalphunter follows up on a tip that takes him to a Confederate Army occupied mansion. Inside, he finds numerous members of a prominent family placed under house arrest under suspicion of being a spy for the North; including a pair of criminal who tried to kill Scalphunter previous in New Orleans and his baby sister, Samantha Savage!

Featuring artwork by Dick Ayers (Rawhide Kid), the script was written by Gerry Conway (Superman). Cover artwork by Ross Andru and Marvel Fanfare's  Al Milgrom.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #47 (A Western) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Marvel Team-Up #127

It appears that it's going to be a nice, quiet Christmas for Peter Parker. That is until he's visited by Uatu The Watcher! Now, Spider-Man must race the clock to save a young woman whose managed to get in way over her head.

THIS IS THE TYPE OF CHRISTMAS SPECIAL I WANT! 

Last night, I reviewed DC's latest holiday offering. It was far from superior. Here's a book from 1983 and it blows Tis The Season To Be Freezin' out of the water- even with the Paul Dini penned Batman story included. 

There was so much talent involved in this book. JM DeMatteis (Justice League) wrote the story. Al Milgrom (Marvel Fanfare) illustrated the cover along with Ed Hannigan. Glynis Wein was the colorist. And my Candy Crush buddy, Tom DeFalco, was the editor. Oh- and don't forget! The Editor-In-Chief was Giant Jim Shooter! 

Man, this was a great line-up!

When it came to it's portrayal of social norms; the book was far from perfect. Sure, there were drugs, domestic violence and other types of debauchery. But this story entertained. And it had a happy ending. I'd rather have comics that are flawed (and maybe a pinch outdated) compared to the guilt-tripping modern drivel that is disguised as a Christmas comic. Holiday books are all about the feels and this special issue of Marvel Team-Up is a feel good treat!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #4

Al Milgrom's Fear Eater saga concludes in this issue. After facing the Silver Surfer, Steve Rogers and the ever lovin' blue-eyed Thing, the parasite decides to feast on Thor, The God of Thunder!  point of near-starvation, the Fear Eater must succeed, least he waste away to nothing.

The Fear Eater sidelines the Asgardian with a mild malady while summoning up the foretold Ragnarok. Unable to join his warrior brothers, Thor despairs. It looks like the Fear Eater is finding going to munch on a Marvel Super Hero!

The stories starring Wolverine, The Master of Kung-Fu and Man-Thing continue. All of them are rather good. Logan gets the literal crap slapped out of him with a foe called Razorfist. 

The Shang-Chi story starts to finally build up steam. But with the motive of that stories baddie being tied in with Iran-Contra just as the Man-Thing story, it just seems to me that the editors should have spread things out a little bit. It makes for what is supposed to be a fresh collection of anthology tales feeling a little bit stale. 

And once again- where in the frick is Man-Thing? Never before have I experienced a story where the main character is such a non-entity. Good thing that the 'supporting cast' is so interesting. But, Geez...

Oh- and that twist ending to the Fear Eater story! CLASSIC!!!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #2

In the second issue of Marvel Comics Presents, Wolverine survives his first taste of the Madripoor nightlife only to come face-to-face with an old friend. Then in the political saga involving the Man-Thing, we get lots of conspiracy and intrigue but very little-to-no Man-Thing. Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung-Fu, is reunited with a lost love. But things appear complicated with a new mystery man added to the reunite clandestine team's line-up. The fact that the paramour gets kidnapped by thugs doesn't help thing either. 

Lastly, in the lone stand alone story, Al Milgrom brings back the Fear Eater. On the menu today is The Captain. Not Captain America. Just The Captain. But it's still Steve Rogers and with the former World War II non-com comes the baggage of the death of sidekick Bucky Barnes. It's that sort of grief that makes for some tasty vittles for the Fear Eater!

A good second issue. No sophomore slump here. The Wolverine story is that sort of gritty B-movie action flick stuff you'd expect from the late 80s. But it's intriguing. The Shang-Chi story has the titillating edge found with adventure flicks filled with femme fatales. And Al Milgrom's Fear Eater stories are great.

I just can't put my finger on the Man-Thing story. Why is he even in this thing? It's a good story. But with Man-Thing maybe appearing in one or two panels- what's the point of having him in this tale? I think people would have read this minus a main Marvel character's inclusion. But what do I know? I've only been reading comic books my whole life...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #1

I'm not sure if it just finally took me forever to collect this entire anthology series from the 80s and 90s or I just had to finally will myself to knuckle under and buy those final pesky issues. I know I had to dig deep into my pocket for a copy of the final issue as #175 cost me one green-hued portrait of Andrew Jackson.

The series starts off with 4 stories. The first 3 tales are the opening chapters of multi-parters. The cover story sees Wolverine in Madripoor seeking to fulfill the last wishes of a dying man; only to become embroiled in a gang war.

The mindless Man-Thing finds itself in the middle of a political scandal that hearkens to Iran-Contra. Only I don't seem to recall demon worship being a part of Ollie North's guns for hostages plans.

Shang-Chi- The Master of Kung-Fu, returns to Hong Kong and is immediately targeted by old enemies made by both his infamous father and himself.

The last story is a stand alone adventure about a cosmic baddie called the Fear Eater. This guy is a parasite and he's tired of feasting on your standard fear of dying. So the Fear Eater sets his sights on the Silver Surfer! Naturally, a bad idea!

Featuring a host of legendary talent including Al Milgrom, Klaus Janson, and Dave Cockrum. I hope you love anthology comics and Marvel characters. Because you'll going to see a slew of reviews coming your way as I work my way through another 174 issues!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

ROM #23

Continuing from Power Man and Iron Fist #73, ROM the Spaceknight has followed a Dire Wraith into the Baxter Building. Now, ROM is convinced that one of the first family of Marvel is secretly one of his most deadly foes in disguised. Knowing that the fortress of the Fantastic Four is heavily guarded by the top security systems in existence, the Heroes For Hire decide to assist ROM in his quest. It helps that Luke Cage still has a security access card from his days as a security consultant and back-up to The Thing when he was stuck as Ben Grimm. 

Bill Mantlo takes over for Jo Duffy on this issue as the writer with Sal Buscema on art. Al Milgrom did the cover and I was a bit nonplussed with his offering compared to what Frank Miller did on the Power Man/Iron Fist opener. 

This issue was quite funny. Very exciting. And proof that despite the fact that I probably don't have very many companion issues to the ROM series from Marvel, it's worth finally reading!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

US1 #2

(1983-1984) Marvel Comics. Story and Art by Al Milgrom.

A badly injured trucker is given an experimental metal plate in his head. As a result, when his tongue touches the fillings in his teeth, he can access any CB radio channel. That's it. That's the guy's superpower- thanks to some spit and a spark of electricity, our book's hero is a living breathing Sony Walkman.

Add a fight at a truck stop, a deadly villain with a bullwhip, and some impossible driving techniques (motorcycles cannot drive balanced atop guard rails!) and you've got a real stinker. Not one of Jim Shooter's best ideas.

Really awesome cover. If anyone knows who did it, please let me know!

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Fanfare #1

In the premiere issue of this 1980s Marvel anthology series, Editor Al Milgrom and Chief Jim Shooter look to use Grade A talent and rising stars to making essentially their dream stories. 

In the very first multi-issue arc, Peter Parker is sent on assignment to the Savage Land to follow the Angel and a very desperate woman on a quest to find a man named Lykos. This Lykos guy has a habit of turning into a mutated pteradon named Sauron. Written by Chris Claremont, I am not sure why the editors didn’t roll out their best-selling characters, the X-Men.

In the second tale, Daredevil makes a rather ho-hum stroll through Hell’s Kitchen. The story and the art aren't that memorable.

Not a bad first issue. I hope it doesn’t become a place where miniseries that don’t get the green light go to die. Instead, I hope it’s filled with quality stories and art by those longing to work with characters and situations that they’ve never gotten a chance to work on prior.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.