Adventure Into Fear 15 (August 1973)

Gerber writes the heck out of the first feature length Man-Thing story. There’s a lot of new information introduced, with Gerber doing a lengthy flashback. The flashback–to Atlantis and an explanation of something the present–takes the place of a backup story. But put as a second chapter, it relieves a lot of drama. Not too much, just about right.

One really different thing is how Gerber has his cult out to save the world from demons; they’re the good guys. Don’t see good cults often.

Everything moves real fast. The world’s in chaos, the supporting cast gets together and finds Man-Thing, flashback, resolution. But Gerber makes sure each section is filled. Not so much with Man-Thing, who’s backseat to the girl, Jennifer (especially after she magically gets a risqué outfit). She’s also related to the flashback.

Depressing ending too.

It’s a good, well-executed issue.

B+

CREDITS

From Here to Infinity!; writer, Steve Gerber; penciller, Val Mayerik; inker, Frank McLaughlin; colorist, Petra Goldberg; letterer, Artie Simek; editor, Roy Thomas; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Adventure Into Fear 14 (June 1973)

The Man-Thing feature is pretty good. Gerber starts clarifying the nexus in the swamp and also the real villains behind the story. They’re not the most original villains–demons from hell–but the way Gerber sets it up is strong. While there’s a forward-thinking element to the top story with the kids hanging out with Man-Thing, the demons are gloriously aged.

They’re basically Romans with pointy ears and Gerber doesn’t go for any humor with them. Loosing Man-Thing in this environment is ludicrous but it works out. The incongruity probably helps.

Chic Stone’s inks aren’t the best for Mayerick but the art’s still good. Gerber seems oddly detached from Man-Thing’s story this time around though. He’s occasionally cruel to the creature in the expository narration.

Then the fifties backup is this awesome story from Paul Reinman. Great art, great story. Very impressive.

This issue’s outstanding.

B+

CREDITS

Man-Thing, The Demon Plague; writer, Steve Gerber; penciller, Val Mayerik; inker, Chic Stone; colorist, Stan Goldberg; letterer, Artie Simek. Listen, You Fool; artist, Paul Reinman. Editor, Roy Thomas; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Adventure Into Fear 13 (April 1973)

Oh, very good news–Val Mayerik is on the pencils (with Frank Bolle in inks). From the first couple pages of Man-Thing, it's clear the art is going to be a lot better. It shouldn't be particularly obvious, as it's a Man-Thing story and Mayerik doesn't illustrate him until later in the story but the way Mayerik draws the supporting cast is enough to show things have turned around.

Gerber fleshes out that supporting cast more here, he shows how the local girl is somehow linked to Man-Thing, for instance. But he's also got a better grip on how to write Man-Thing himself. While Gerber does fall back on Man-Thing's human side getting dialogue, the sequence is effective and doesn't seem forced.

Maybe because it's in the second act, not the third. Anyway, good feature.

The sixties backup has indistinct Gene Colan art. The Lieber and Lee story's distinctively crappy though.

CREDITS

Man-Thing, Where Worlds Collide!; writer, Steve Gerber; penciller, Val Mayerik; inker, Frank Bolle; colorist, Ben Hunt; letterer, Artie Simek. Mister Black; writers, Stan Lee and Larry Lieber; artist, Gene Colan. Editors, Lee and Roy Thomas; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Adventure Into Fear 12 (February 1973)

Gerber does the stupid second person narration, but not a lot of it. Most of the Man-Thing story he does a close third person for Man-Thing; it works a lot better. Especially he confirms Man-Thing has no mouth.

Instead, Man-Thing listens a lot. He makes a new friend, a black guy on the run from a racist white sheriff. Gerber doesn’t shy away from the race issues. Gerber even takes it further, working race preconceptions into the surprise ending. He’s also turning Man-Thing into a real character, even if he can’t talk and doesn’t get any thought balloons.

Jim Starlin has a really fun time on the pencils. There are some really emotive pages. Buckler inks him well enough.

The fifties back-up, from Stan Lee and Russ Heath, has an interesting visual style but Stan must have been trying to impress his editor with how many words he could use.

CREDITS

Man-Thing, No Choice of Colors!; writer, Steve Gerber; penciller, Jim Starlin; inker, Rich Buckler; letterer, John Costanza. The Face of Horror; writer, Stan Lee; artist, Russ Heath. Editor, Roy Thomas; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Adventure Into Fear 11 (December 1972)

Steve Gerber writes the entire Man-Thing feature with second person narration. Everything thing is the narration talking to Man-Thing, who can’t respond as he doesn’t speak. And because it’s the narration. But if he had talked back to the narrator, the story would be better.

Because otherwise there’s not a lot of personality to it. A couple kids bring a demon from the other side, then go to the movies and the demon wrecks havoc. Without Man-Thing, the demon might have eaten the one summoning him. There’s a lot of activity, something Gerber’s narration amplifies, but nothing really going on.

Gerber does get a little mileage out of the narration, but it’s uneven and not enough. The Rich Buckler and Jim Mooney art is fine. Not great, not good, but fine.

Then the fifties back from Fred Kida is almost better just because it’s actually far weirder.

CREDITS

Man-Thing, Night of the Nether-Spawn!; writer, Steve Gerber; penciller, Rich Buckler; inker, Jim Mooney; letterer, Jean Izzo. The Spider Waits; artist, Fred Kida. Editor, Roy Thomas; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Daredevil 98 (April 1973)

This issue Daredevil fights a guy whose power is creating optical illusions. Instead of just kicking his butt, Daredevil falls victim to the optical illusions. It’s like Steve Gerber doesn’t realize Daredevil’s actually blind. His powers might make it seem like he can see… but he can’t. Unless I’m missing something.

I mean, I had no idea Matt Murdock once lived in San Francisco with Black Widow. The domestic side of the issue is actually pretty nice. Gene Colan and Ernie Chan take a lot of time on the San Francisco setting and Gerber writes Matt and Natasha reasonably well together.

Sadly, the scenery is the best part of the art. Colan’s figures are incredibly bulky–I’m assuming it’s Chan’s inks–and while they’re still fluid in movement, they look silly when motionless.

Gerber also makes Daredevil really personable. He’s practically Spider-Man he’s so personable.

It’s mildly charming though.

A. Bizarro (1999) #4

Gerber finds his way to a conclusion—an unexpected one, actually. It’s nice how limited series used to be able to build over their run. His excellent pacing has something to do with it. Gerber gets in a lot of story, especially considering he focuses on multiple characters throughout.

Unfortunately, Lex is no longer amusing this issue. Gerber plays him as a straight villain. It all works out, story-wise, but there’s definitely some missed opportunity.

Also unfortunate is the return of Bright’s problems. Sure, Superman shows up and Bright can’t draw him or Clark Kent, but he also draws a strange claw on a regular woman. It’s like Adams wasn’t paying any attention either while inking.

Still, art problems can’t compete with Gerber’s writing and the series is a success. It’s a little slight, since it’s played just for laughs, but it’s a definite success.

It should’ve been longer.

A. Bizarro (1999) #3

Al heads to Apokolips—after Lex proposes to breed him with some of his female staff—and meets up with a preteen Fury. They form a musical duo.

Gerber comes up with some outlandish ideas, but he curbs them in the reality of DC continuity, which just makes the read all the better.

I still haven’t really figured out how to talk about A. Bizarro because Gerber doesn’t exactly have a protagonist. Al’s the subject of the book; he’s at the center of its events, but he’s not its center. There’s a great scene when he calls Lex a bald guy….

Bright’s art doesn’t have any of the previous issue’s deficiencies here. It’s not outstanding, but it’s serviceable.

We also miss a lot here—Gerber first skips a week, then six weeks, then six months. Sure, he’s doing a comedy and it’s for effect, but it hampers the reading experience.

A. Bizarro (1999) #2

Superman shows up this issue and Bright draws him so poorly I want to take back everything complimentary I said about his art on the first issue. Bright can’t draw Superman’s face–he gets the proportions of the head wrong–and he also can’t draw him flying. It’s a disastrous opening for the issue.

Thank goodness there’s Gerber.

This issue is all about Al (Bizarro) finding his place in Metropolis. He ends up a panhandler, sidekick to a rather amusing character (Gerber’s writing here is really great), then a stick-up man. Until the Guardian puts a stop to that line.

Gerber intercuts with some goings-ons at Lexcorp–Gerber makes Lex likable. He’s still a villain or whatever, but he’s very amusing.

There’s not really any character development; it’s just a trip through Metropolis with a very particular tour guide.

Shame about the art though. The writing deserves better.

A. Bizarro (1999) #1

I knew the concept—regular guy gets a Bizarro made of him—but Gerber still does manage to get some surprises out of it.

When the issue opens, Al (the Bizarro) is slowly losing his faculties as he turns into a regular Bizarro. It makes him immediately sympathetic, something Gerber keeps up because the character talks to himself the entire issue. So it’s a comedy.

So far, Gerber has very little to say about superhero comics (Lex makes an appearance and Superman’s a tiny dot on the last panel) and a lot more to say about distorting the everyday. Still, the comic is tied in to regular continuity; it’s hard to anticipate where Gerber will take it, considering the conclusion here was unexpected for a first issue.

Bright’s art is okay. There’s nothing really wrong with it save a lack of creative enthusiasm. Most importantly, he never hinders the script.