The Brave and the Bold #17 (November 2008)

The DC Universe is a funny place. Mainly because of its history. You see, the DCU's history has undergone many a reboot and retcon over the decades of its existence. From Crisis on Infinite Earths to Zero Hour to Infinite Crisis, he DCU's history has been rewritten and retconned many times over. But one thing that has never really been explored is the effect it can have on regular people. Imagine having this history of your family been changed and rewritten several times. Relatives being retconned out, then suddenly put back, events being changed. Imagine the effect that would have on you. Well, one young man in the DCU would go through this, and he'd end up crossing paths with a Kryptonian and an empath. This is The Brave and the Bold #17!

The cover is a Phil Winslade piece. It depicts Supergirl and Raven over the Golden Gate Bridge, a big head of Zor-El (Kara Zor-El's dad) evilly grinning at her. I have to admit, I'm not overly fond of the logo they gave Raven for this comic.

"Fathers... Part 1: Past Tense"
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Penciler: Phil Winslade
Inker: Phil Winslade
Colorist: Chris Chuckry
Letterer: Unknown
Editor: Unknown
Executive Editor: Dan DiDio

The story begins with...a flashback.

The flashback is of a woman talking to her son. He's curious as to who his father was. She tells him that she is unaware of his identity. She doesn't even remember being pregnant with their son. The next panel, she says he should forget about him. And then she says that he was a hero, the greatest of them all.

If you're confused by this, trust me, you are not insane. She is then shown in a coffin, with the lid being closed. We next see Supergirl, aka Kara Zor-El. She is not new to this book, having last appeared in issue #2. She is being haunted by images of her father telling her to find Kal-El (aka Superman)...and kill him. Yeah, there is an explanation for this.

Gladly. In Supergirl #4 (February 2006), after Supergirl was split into a good self and evil self thanks to exposure to Black Kryptonite, the evil Supergirl claimed that she was intended to kill Kal-El. He used a special crystal to alter her personality and give her the persona of an "innocent". And the "innocent" persona became dominant. The two Supergirls would merge back together, but as this story shows, she's a bit shaken up by this. Anyway, she's screaming at him to leave her alone.

This was a horrible dream she was having. She realizes that she needs to talk to someone about this. And since the DC Universe has no equivalent of Doc Samson, she'll have to talk to another superhero. She can't talk to Kal about this, and definitely not Batman. As she brushes her teeth, she's hit with some inspiration. She'll go talk to Nightwing.

We get another flashback, a woman saying that a boy named Jonny's father was handsome, just like him. We then get a look in on Sausalito State University.

"They're also putting LSD in the food court Jello!"

A young man is holding a protest, screaming that the university is developing weapons with a nuclear reactor right in the campus. Two of the protestors are wondering if this is the right course of action. Maybe they should at least try talking to Dean Wilton about this. The leader refuses, saying she's a pencil pusher. The leader asks Christie if she trusts him now. After all, she has before. And he helps...convince her.

"Wow, that crick in my neck is gone!"

Yeah, there is something scarier going on here. Dean Wilton explains to the police that the protester's leader is named Jonathan Mitchell. Basically, she tells him something that we already have seen. Detective Hambly's called for a negotiator, and wants everyone to stay cool. After all, panicking could cause further problems right now.  

The group of students make their way to a large metal door. Jonathan refuses to give up, using his powers to melt his way through. It clearly takes a toll on him. Another flashback to his mother says we don't talk about his father. Christie tries to get him to stop, but Jonathan refuses. He has a goal, and he has to achieve it. Make things right. Like he would have. 

The scene then shifts over to Strages Academy. It's a private school located in San Francisco. It's there we meet another player in this little scenario.

"...you could just say you can't, Raven."

Rachel Roth, aka Raven. Yeah, she died, spent some time as a golden spirit, and in Teen Titans #10 (June 2004), she was resurrected in the body of a teenaged girl. That was a whole thing.

Supergirl grabs Raven and takes her to the top of the building to talk. She says she went to the empath because Nightwing suggested it, as he saw the two as somewhat alike. It's understandable why he'd think that. Both girls had fathers who saw them as weapons. As instruments of destruction. Raven had been taught to resist Trigon's influence from birth and asks if Supergirl really wants her help. The Maid of Might admits that...yes. Yes, she does. Raven tries to help her meditate, but it doesn't go well.

We get another flashback of Jonathan's mother telling him she doesn't know how he was born as she had not been with a man for ages. 

Jonathan and his group continue through the building, the man himself feeling weak and woozy from using too much energy. But they can't stop now. He knows the police are here. He can sense there are at least two dozen cops out there. And all of them are fully armed. Hank asks how he knows that, but we can assume that this is part of his power set. Christie advises that Jonathan should rest. The young metahuman angrily refuses this, even going as far as grabbing Christie's throat. Hank is able to get him to calm down. A campus guard points his gun at them, telling them their journey is at an end. A smirking Jonathan counters that it is not. 

At the Golden Gate Bridge, Supergirl complains that she can't center her mind because she has a million thoughts blazing through her head. Maybe she's not meant to have any peace of mind, being intended as a weapon, after all. Thingis, Raven naturally thinks that's nonsense. After all, Raven was born to be a weapon herself. By Trigon. She was able to overcome it, so can Kara. 

We get another flashback, Jonathan's mother saying there were times she thought that her pregnancy was spontaneous. Hambly and some officers make their way into the university and find the security guard, now dead. 

Another flashback with Jonny's mom. She tells him his father vanished, and was never seen again. 

Hank, another one of Jonny's party, tells him this has gone too far and he's out.

Can't blame him. Jonathan has killed someone. They're likely going to go jail for this. Jonathan threatens him, his hands glowing. Christie also objects, but Jon uses his power to make her compliant again.

Supergirl and Raven end up in Azarath, Raven's birthplace. They meet up with the priests of the goddess Azar, who helped raise Raven and taught her to control her emotions, lest they bring Trigon on the world. They can help Kara, but it's going to hurt. 

Back in California, Jonathan reveals that all his life, he's wondered who his father was. Who he is. His mother kept giving contradictory stories about him. He was a lost hero. He was a villain. He didn't exist. It's here that it's revealed that Jonathan Mitchell is the long-lost son of a hero named William MacIntyre, who also was known by another name: Triumph.

First appearing in Justice League America #91 (August 1994), created by Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn, and Howard Porter, he was conceived as a lost founding member of the Justice League, who got wiped from all memory and existence saving the world. The events of Zero Hour brought him back, but he ended up...struggling thanks to being forgotten and being a non-entity. His tendency to treat others as pawns and arrogance would later get him kicked out of the League. Eventually, he'd fall under the spell of an evil genie, get turned into an ice statue, and then get blown up. Of course, nowadays, the canonicity of this is...uncertain. 

Anyway, Hambly finds Jonathan hooked up to a machine, his friends standing beside him. They all seem to be in a trance of some kind. 

"Sir, we're at a critical point in this experiment. Please calm down."

Hambly approaches Mitchell, who says hello. And then, with an evil grin and glowing eyes, tells him "Goodbye".

A flashback to his mother, lying in a hospital bed (implying she was dying), saying that all that matters is that he's here, and he's not his father's son. 

The glowing Jonathan, standing in around the destroyed room and the dead bodies, proclaims that he is finally his father's son. Over in Azarath, the monks are helping Supergirl meditate. Raven senses the carnage Mitchell caused, and implores the monks to wake her up.

The monks tell her that's an unwise move. If she awakens now, she will never have peace for the rest of her life.

And that is how the story ends.

I did enjoy this story. The contradictory flashbacks of Jonathan's mother regarding his father is something that can only make sense in the DC Universe, again, thanks to its history getting retconned and rebooted several times over. I'm surprised more DC stories haven't explored the idea of people having all these contradictory memories of various versions of their lives. I can imagine that must be confusing and maddening at the same time. 

Jonathan Mitchell is a great foil to Supergirl and Raven. Like them, he is haunted by Triumph. But whereas they are haunted by their fathers using them as instruments of their own evil, Mitchell is haunted by the contradictory nature of his existence: a hero turned villain who was erased from existence, restored, and then his history being thrown into uncertainty again thanks to events like Infinite Crisis. Mitchell's darker nature also makes sense when you keep in mind he's the son of Triumph. William MacIntyre was an arrogant man who saw himself as better than everyone else. You can see a bit of that in Jonathan as well. He is truly his father's son: a man who is after something, and is willing to do anything to get it, even put other people's lives in danger to do so.

I do wish that the story did give us a bit more explanation of who Triumph was, though. He's not exactly a famous character, and a bit of a primer would have been handy for new readers. Who knows, maybe the next issue will educate the reader. I would have loved a bit more exploration of Jonathan's mindset as well. I would have liked to have seen how those contradictory memories of his father affected him growing up. 

The only other major issue I had with this story is one that's not the comic's fault: it's one of those stories that's better enjoyed collected as part of a trade than on its own. That's part of the nature of an ongoing serialized series. And that's does not mean the comic is bad on its own. Far from it, a good comic can still be enjoyed better as part of a trade.

I also like the art. Phil Winslade's pencils and Chris Chuckry's colors give the story a moody feel, and the flashbacks of Jonathan's mother being in black-and-white is a simple idea, but a very good one. I also think Winslade does some very good facial expressions at times.

If you want to read this tale for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2009 trade paperback The Brave and the Bold Vol. 4: Without Sin. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-Fi! See you next time!

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th is a day that is associated with bad luck. The idea of it being bad luck can be traced back to the Middle Ages, tying back to the tale of the Last Supper. There were thirteen people at it (Jesus and his Twelve Apostles) and he was crucified on Good Friday. You can read more about it here.

Generally, Friday the 13ths tend to come once a year, but it is possible for one year to have as many as three of them. For a month to have this day, the first day of the month must land on a Sunday. While Fridays and the number 13 have been considered unlucky separately in the past, it's only been around since the 19th century that this day is considered unlucky. It's not known exactly how this came to be. One possible way this myth got popularized was thanks to the publishing of the 1907 novel Friday, the Thirteenth by Boston novelist/businessman T.W. Lawson. In the book, an unscrupulous broker used the superstition to create a panic on Wall Street.

Other countries have similar superstitions. In Hispanic countries (Countries in which Spanish is the main language), Tuesday 13th is considered unlucky. This is also true in Greece. In fact, in Greece, Tuesday in general is considered an unlucky day due to the Greek word for Tuesday meaning "third day of the week", and Greek superstition states that bad luck comes in threes. In Italy, Friday the 17th is considered an unlucky day. This is believed to be the Roman numeral rendition of 17 (XVII) being able to spell the word "Vixi" (I lived), which is seen as an omen of death. In fact, Italians consider 13 a lucky number, but some have adopted the "13 is unlucky" myth thanks to the influence of American culture.

In more modern popular culture, it's associated with this guy.

Hope you all managed to avoid him, as he tends to...not be a friendly dude. Got some weird thing about machetes and his mother and going all Mortal Kombat on people, yada yada yada. The last Friday the 13th was back in March, and this was the third and final Friday the 13th of this year. So, hope you didn't make plans on this day.

Friday the 13th has a fascinating history. I suggest you look more into it. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Veterans Day

 Today is Veterans' Day.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has ever served or is serving now. You are appreciated and loved. Thank you very much.

Nova #1 (September 1976)

For Halloween, I looked at an adventure that set up the Frankenstein's Monster to face off against the evil Dracula, Lord of the Vampires. With a new month upon us, I thought I'd take a look at something a little different. The fun of the Marvel Universe is that it can encompass a variety of genres. Last week was horror, so I thought this week, I'd look at something a little more science fiction. A little bit more cosmic. And of course, I'd give some spotlight to a character we've never seen on this blog before: Richard Rider, aka Nova. 

Nova is a character that has a very interesting origin. Originally created by Marv Wolfman in 1966 for a fanzine, he was originally a doctor called Denteen who got powers every five minutes from special pills. Later, he and Len Wein would revamp this Nova into a prisoner called Kraken Roo, who became the superhero Black Nova. Later on, working at Marvel Comics, Wolfman would revamp the idea further alongside artist John Romita Sr., giving birth to the Nova we know today.

The comic we're looking at here is the first issue of his solo series, technically called The Man Called Nova. This series would be his second longest-lasting series, going 25 issues. He would get further series in 1994 and 1999. He would get a fourth series in 2007, that one lasting 36 issues. However, this incarnation of Nova is arguably more known for being part of the original New Warriors, being a stalwart member through many of its incarnations. And in more recent years, his ties with the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe were strengthened thanks to his involvement in the Annihilation event. 

Yeah, Nova has become quite the stalwart hero over the decades. But even he had a starting point. Let's look at Nova #1!

The cover is a Rich Buckler, Joe Sinnott, and Danny Crespi piece. It's really neat, in my opinion. It depicts our man streaking in front and center, and around him are scenes of him being blasted by a beam and him fighting an alien. I would say that it has the vibe of a movie poster, but it needed more heads of his supporting cast on it.

"Nova"
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Penciler: John Buscema
Inker: Joe Sinnott
Colorist: Michele Wolfman
Letterers: Joe Rosen, Gaspar Saladino
Editor: Marv Wolfman
Editor-in-Chief: Len Wein

The story begins at Harry S. Truman High School. Richard Rider playing some basketball with a team of boys. They're playing against a team of girls. Rich flubs a block, allowing the girls' team to win the game. The boys are none too happy with this whole thing, one even lamenting that Truman will never make the finals now. One other boy, Michael Burley, even threatens to knock the future New Warrior into the next century.

Wow. Fellas, I think this was just an exhibition game. You guys need to calm down.

Thankfully, Rich still has one person on his side: Ginger Jaye. She comforts Rich and invites him to talk about it over at Uncle Fudge's. Meanwhile, up in the stars, something else is going down.

"Oh ZARK, I left the space stove on!"

A spaceship cuts through the night sky. The pilot of the ship is a dead man walking. The man's name is Rhomann Dey. He's a member of the Nova Corps. He witnessed a criminal named Zorr commit a planetary genocide on his world, the victims including his family. He is dying as a result of that and needs someone to avenge them. The dying Centurion fires an energy beam on Earth, hoping it empowers someone with a good heart.

We next go to Uncle Fudge's, which is an ice cream parlor. Ginger tells Rich he takes himself too seriously, and he should lighten up a bit. It's not that easy, though. You see, Rich has a bit of a big ol' inferiority complex. He feels like he can't achieve anything. He struggles in school, he struggles in sports. It's like he's destined to be in everyone else's shadow. And things are not made any better when Burley shows his mug.

Being the jerkoff that he is, Burley knocks the future superhero to the ground. He claims he's doing it because he likes him. Yeah, that don't sound like behavior you pull towards someone you like. And then suddenly, the beam of light hits Richard.

"OH GOD, RICH HAS A MINT GREEN FLAVOR!"

Ginger screams for some help, and a confused Mike Burley wonders if he's stronger than he thinks. You're an idiot, Mike.

Thankfully, Rich has been brought to a hospital. It's there he's visited by his family: his parents Gloria and Charles and his younger brother Robert. Ginger is also with them. The doctor tells them that Rich is in a coma, and he's not sure why. One positive is that is vitals are normal, so the doctor is optimistic he'll wake up. You know, since Ginger is there, why didn't she say that he was hit by a funny laser beam? It's the Marvel Universe, it's perfectly plausible. 

As Rich lies in the coma, he is also going on a long strange trip...

Not that kind of trip, but that would be darkly funny. No, he's getting a message from the dying Rhomann Dey, who basically informs him about Zorr, the destroyer of his world coming to Earth. Based on the dialogue, the dying Dey also gives Rich a crash course on his new powers as a Nova Centurion. It's then that Rich wakes up.

Rich wakes up explosively, blowing out the door of his hospital room. Human Rocket, indeed. A short time passes, and Rich recovers enough to return to school. Naturally, Mike Burley taunts him about it alongside his main squeeze alongside his girlfriend Donna-Lee Dover. However, it's here we meet two other members of Nova's supporting cast: Bernie Dillon and Roger "Caps" Cooper. Roger got his nickname thanks to his love of wearing baseball caps. Bernie and Caps tell Mike to go soak his head, and he leaves. 

As he sits in math class, Richard can't help but think about that contact with the dying Dey he had in his coma. The teacher notices him daydreaming and tries to trick him by making him answer a math question. Richard not only answers it...he gets it right. 

Richard is very confused about it. Remember, he was not a good student academically. Gloria waves it off as just him being lucky. That night, Rich wonders if something happened to him as a result of that coma. Maybe that contact was real, and he was chosen to help stop a great threat. It leads him to wonder why he was chosen? After all, he's not something special. And he doesn't feel like he got some cool new powers. But then, he changes. 

"...wow. I look GOOD!"

Not only does he have powers, he has a snazzy new suit. Rich decides to test out what he can do, and he can fly. He discovers that not can he fly, he can fly fast. Fast enough to come to a city that was forty miles away from his home in minutes. He goes to a junkyard to test himself out. He discovers that he's also very strong and durable. Kid is now a powerhouse. He considers using his new power to get back at people who've bothered him but quickly dismisses that. After all, that's not why Dey gave him his powers. He has to use that power in the service of others. It's almost as if with great power...must also come great responsibility...

Nova gets a chance to use his new power in the service of others for the first time when his helmet picks up the police radio band. He goes to check it out. As he flies by, he's spotted by Mike, Donna-Lee, and Ginger, who follow him.

...I don't have a "Follow that Nova" gif. Nova gets to the source of the police call, and...

"No, he can't have this car! I wrecked it first!"

It's Zorr himself. Unaware that the mantle of Nova has been passed, he's like "Wait a minute, I killed that guy!" He blasts at our hero, unaware it's a new man in that suit. Thankfully, Rich was able to dodge it.

Rich is able to hit Zorr hard with a Mighty Punch to the face.

However, the Punch was not Mighty enough. Zorr fights back, ranting that Galactus destroyed his own world. He was one of the few survivors as he was off-world at the time. And he's come to Earth because he wants to use it to "replenish his world's power". Yeah, I'm assuming that Zorr means that he's somehow going to use the life forces of Earth to make his own live again. Or more likely, he's nuts. Zorr attempts to use a building as a weapon against our hero. It causes a man to nearly fall out, but Nova saves him. This gives Zorr a chance to blast him. He then spots Mike, Donna-Lee and Ginger Jaye. He screams at them to get away from here.

Zorr then tosses Nova into another building...and it about to fall on top of the three.

Nova manages to get it together enough (that's why you always wear helmets, kids) to hold the falling building up. The three manage to flee.

Nova goes to re-engage Zorr, but the battle comes to a sudden end.

"AGH, I'M BEING MURDERED OFFSCREEN!"

Later, at his home, Richard thinks about Zorr's mysterious disappearance. He figures that Rhomann Dey somehow saved. We then look in on his ship, revealing the empty chair of Dey...and the clothes of Zorr the Conqueror. The story ends with Richard vowing to use his new power for good, for that is the Destiny...of Nova.

I enjoyed this issue, personally. When Nova had been brought to Marvel, Wolfman clearly wanted him to be in the vein of Peter Parker, and it shows. Rich and his supporting cast are clearly meant to be based on Spider-Man's supporting cast. Unlike Peter, Nova is shown to have some friends of his own in Bernie and Caps. Their characterization is a bit basic, but there's room for further development. I will admit, how exactly Zorr died at the end was confusing to me. Did Rhomann Dey's ghost take him out? I mean, an alien ghost isn't implausible in the Marvel Universe. All in all, it's a first issue that does what it's supposed to do: Introduce our hero, give us his origin. I wish it set up more storylines, though. It was still enjoyable.

It's funny that two weeks in a row, I'm looking at a comic drawn by John Buscema. And yeah, I've heard him described as being able to draw anything, and it fits here.  

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Nova Classic Vol. 1. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

World Jellyfish Day

 Today is World Jellyfish Day!

Jellyfish are invertebrate marine animals. Most of them are free-swimming critters, but some do get anchored to the seabed by stalks. Jellyfish are known for their body shapes. Their main bodies resemble an open umbrella (it's called a bell), and their trailing tentacles. 

Jellyfish can be found in waters all over the world. Most of them live in saltwater environments, but there are some that live in fresh water. 

Jellyfish are among the oldest multi-organed animals. Fossil records have indicated that they have been around for 500 million years, possibly 700 million. Speaking of fossilization, jellyfish fossils are rare because they have no hard body parts like bones or teeth. 

Jellyfish's bodies are comprised mainly of water, and most species have no brain, lungs, heart, or central nervous system. Well, they don't really need them. Jellyfish breathe by oxygen diffusing through their epidermis, which also contains their non-centralized "nerve nets".

Do jellyfish eat? Of course they do! They're carnivorous, believe it or not. Their diets include plankton, small fish, crustaceans, fish eggs, larva, and some jellyfish even eat other jellyfish. There are omnivorous jellyfish, like the Aglaura hemistoma. The Lion's Mane Jellyfish is arguably the longest animal on Earth, as their tentacles can reach up to 120 feet in length, but that is actually pretty rare.

Jellyfish reproduction is actually rather unique among the animal kingdom as they involve a mix of sexual and asexual reproduction. Adult jellyfish release reproductive materials into the water, where it's fertilized and collected by the female. These eggs become larvae that eventually became polyps. The polyp eventually buds out the jellyfish, which then enters the medusa stage, aka the form that most think of when they see a jellyfish. 

Jellyfish lifespans aren't completely known, but one species may be effectively immortal as it can revert to a polyp stage, a phenomenon that only has been observed in a lab setting. 

Jellyfish tend to be preyed on the most by...other jellyfish. However, sharks, tuna, and swordfish, sea turtles, and penguins have been known to feed on them. Certain land animals like birds can feed on washed-up jellyfish as well. People also can eat jellyfish. In fact, they're delicacies in some Asian countries like Japan, Korea, and China. 

Jellyfish are also known for their stings. That's because their tentacles have lots of nematocysts, special cells dedicated to injecting venom into anything that touches them.  However, most species' stings are not fatal to humans. Some are, so be careful around them. Some species of fish live among jellyfish tentacles and help lure prey into them. 

Jellyfish can be nuisances in other ways. They're capable of overcoming an oceanic ecosystem, and they can damage fishing nets in large numbers. They've even been known to disrupt power plants. 

So yeah, jellyfish are pretty fascinating critters! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-Fi! See you next time!

The Frankenstein Monster #7 (November 1973)

In the Marvel Universe, monsters roam among us. And I'm not just talking about human beings who do horrible things, I'm talking actual monsters. I'm talking vampires, werewolves, living mummies, and even monsters that can be called kaiju like Fin Fang Foom. Among the monsters running around in the Marvel Universe is the being called Adam, but we most know...as Frankenstein's Monster, or just Frankenstein (a common misconception).

Created by Mary Shelley for her 1818 novel (originally published then anonymously, a revised version would be republished under her name in 1831) Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, the Monster was a man created by Victor Frankenstein from body parts that came from various corpses. Victor would go on to lament his actions as the monster wants to basically destroy him for creating him. Victor is often portrayed as a "mad scientist" in adaptations of the book, but the man himself in the actual book is more of a tragic figure.

While the book would be given mixed reviews by critics (one criticism from the British Critic outright said that the book was flawed because a woman wrote it), it was a massive success.  

The book would be massively influential, even seen as one of the first, if not the first, science fiction novel. It's considered one of the great works of English literature. As such, the book would be adapted into film (most notably the 1931 Universal Pictures movie) and other media, including comic books.

In the 1970s, monster-mania was in full swing at Marvel Comics. They were not just putting out color comics focused on tales of its superheroes, they were also publishing black and white magazines focusing on tales of monsters. They had already incorporated Dracula into the Marvel Universe, and then editor-in-chief Roy Thomas wanted to do an adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel in comic form, and then eventually bring the monster to the then-present. He was eager to work with artist Mike Ploog on the adaptation, but he couldn't find the time. As such, he turned the writing duty over to Gary Friedrich. 

Considering it's Halloween today, I thought I'd look at a comic with ol' Adam in it. The comic book we're looking at here is an issue from the Monster's first ongoing in the Marvel Universe. It started with an adaptation of the novel and then went on from there. Victor Frankenstein would leave a long shadow over the Marvel Universe, as his descendants would end up causing havoc over the years...well, except for Victoria and Veronica. The series lasted 18 issues, being cancelled due to low sales, although according to Roy Thomas, the book did sell rather well at first. Funny enough, the first time the Monster appeared in the Marvel Universe was in Menace #7 (September 1953) by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely. With that out of the way, let's look at The Frankenstein Monster #7!

The cover is a John Buscema, Frank Giacoia, and Danni Crespi piece. It depicts the titular Monster standing over a fallen woman and angrily holding up a boulder. He's about to throw it at some people at the behest of an old woman. The cover also implies that this is a second volley, as we see another rock land near some fleeing people. It's a cool cover, and it gives the impression that the Monster is going to be used as some kind of weapon by the old woman.

"The Fury of a Fiend!"
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Penciler: John Buscema
Inker: John Verpoorten
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterers: Charlotte Jetter, Gaspar Saladino
Editor: Roy Thomas
Editor-in-Chief: Roy Thomas

The story begins with a young lady taking a bath in the river. Nearby, the Frankenstein Monster emerges from the water. He notices the woman bathing. Frank may have been an artificial man made from a bunch of corpses, but even he is not immune to the effects of feminine beauty. 

He then hears a twig snap and spots someone else eyeing the lady.

"Wow, her back is jacked, my goodness!"

Unlike the Monster, this hunchbacked man, Drako by name, has much less innocent things in mind for the young lady. Drako attacks the woman. Frank feels he should not get involved, but even he can't stand to see someone get attacked like this. He grabs Drako and tosses him into the river. Drako angrily attacks Frank, and the two of them tussle.

As the hunchback and the Monster tussle, an old Roma woman watches them. The fight ends with Frank killing Drako, lamenting that he had to take a life again. The young lady fears that he's going to kill her next. However, an old lady jumps to the Monster's defense, being all "This big ugly lug just saved you from that perverted hunchback, you show some friggin' gratitude!" The young lady apologizes, and the old lady invites him to join them at their camp. Frankie accepts. And off to camp they go!

They did the Monster Mash...

Turns out the two ladies (the younger one is Carmen, and the elder is named Marguerita) were part of a band of Romani travelers. Frank is actually grateful for the hospitality, as he hasn't had any warm food in a while. But hey, much like the Monster himself, the Romani are outcasts, so they can relate to him. It's actually kind of nice.

Marguerita helps Frank locate the last of the Frankensteins with her crystal ball. As Frank dozes away, we learn that ol' Margie has a secret of her own.

Turns out Marguerita was the original Batwoman.

Ohhhh, this is not going to end well. Weeks pass. Despite his desire to hunt down the last of the Frankenstein family, ol' Adam has found himself growing to enjoy his time with this band of wandering Romani. During his time with them, he became a part of their performing troupe. It's a rare, happy time for the artificial man. He finds friends here, and he and Carmen also start to grow close. Despite this, Frankie knows his time with the troupe must end. After all, he's got some revenging to do.

He goes to Marguerita, and she has some news for our monster. The last of the Frankensteins...is dead. 

Yeah. He's been dead for many years. But Marguerita knows where his tomb is, and she offers to take Frank there. Despite the fact that he can't kill the man...Frank actually feels...relieved. As much as Frank has killed, it's not something he enjoys doing. Even though his revenge was denied, he can live with it as it means that his hands aren't any bloodier than they already are. After the show, the two will go visit the tomb. As Frank leaves, Marguerita turns into a bat and flies off. 

Out in the town, a lone constable is patrolling. He's having a miserable time as thanks to the Roma performing troupe, the town is freakin' quiet. The bat transforms into a young woman who meets up with the constable. She pretends to seduce the young man and then attacks.

"Augh, his blood tasted like onions! I hate onions!"

Don't feel too bad for that constable. He was boring anyway. The moral of the story here? Be careful what you wish for...because you just may get it. Yup, Marguerita is a vampire. The discovery of the constable's body causes a panic. The village believes the Roma brought vampires here, because it's 18th century Europe, and Roma are blamed for everything. Bad crop yield? The Roma's fault. Horse went missing? The Roma's fault? Stubbed your toe? That's the Roma's fault, too.

Naturally, the camp decides to flee. 

Marguerita tells Frankie to push away a boulder to distract the mob and buy her fellow Roma time to flee. However, unknown to our anti-hero, the boulder also covers a tomb. According to Marguerita, it's the tomb of the last Frankenstein. Our Monster is suspicious, but follows her. He opens the tomb and finds a skeleton in it. Unusually, the skeleton has a stake where the heart would be if it was alive. Marguerita runs in and removes it. And if you're a savvy sort, you can guess who this was actually the tomb of.

"Did someone tape my shows! I don't want to miss my stories!"

Indeed, it's the tomb of the world's most famous vampire himself: the Lord of the Vampires, the Dapper Deathbringer, the Fanged Fearbringer, Dracula! 

This was a good issue. What I really liked about this comic was that we got to see Frankenstein's Monster enjoy a bit of peace and acceptance. Yes, if you've read these old stories, it's going to end tragically for Adam, but it is nice to see him have a brief bit of happiness. I enjoyed Marguerita calling out Carmen for being freaked out by Adam saving her life. Yeah, Adam's ugly, but he's no Drako, that's for sure. Of course, it is tainted by her being a vampire. And of course, the set-up to him facing off against Dracula. It looks like it'll be an epic fight. I do wonder how the dead Dracula got in contact with Marguerite, though. Was she a contingency plan in case he got staked? And how was she able to keep her vampirism hidden from the other Roma? A bit more exploration of that would have been nice. 

I also liked that we showed that as much as Adam hates the Frankensteins for creating him, he's really not into putting any more blood on his hands than he already hands. It helps him show that he is very much an anti-hero and well, not quite the monster people like to paint him as.

As for the art, well...it's great. But then again, it's John Buscema. How can it not be? I think it brings a wonderfully moody quality to the story. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2015 trade paperback The Monster of Frankenstein. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-Fi! See you next time, and have a happy Halloween!