Dracula Lives (1973) #13

Dracula Lives 13

They do briefly mention Dracula Lives’s impending demise; very, very briefly. It’s an excellent finale, with a couple surprising successes, but—outside a three-page Russ Heath portfolio (two Draculas and a Lilith, with lots of nipple bumps the Code’d never allow)—it’s a very different kind of issue. Besides the letters column (which doesn’t seem to reference the imminent cancellation) and the “Marvel black-and-white magazines coming soon” (which includes all the canceled titles still), there aren’t any text pieces in the issue. Lives has had a bumpy ride, so at least they go out strong with the comics.

The first story is a Western set in Transylvania. An Old West sheriff has-been goes bounty hunting Dracula; some rich guy’s son fell for a vampire bride, and now there’s a bounty to collect. Tony Isabella writes, Tony DeZuniga on art. It’s gorgeous, slightly experimental art from DeZuniga, playing to the situation’s unreality. Isabella splits the story between the bounty hunter’s Old West forced retirement story and tracking Dracula through the castle. It’s absurd, but thanks to the art, it more than works.

There’s not good art on the next story—George Tuska pencils and Virgil Redondo inks combine into a bland Dracula outing, but the peculiar story more than makes up for it. Rich Margopoulus gets the writing credit, and it’s an ambitious tale. In the present, Dracula meets a hippie artist chick who reminds him of a vampire bride he had a lot of fun with a few hundred years ago. This hippie chick’s a New Yorker moved to Paris, where she finds dudes are really more interested in bedding her a few times than staying with her. On the further negative, they’re also shitty to her about her art.

Unfortunately, there’s never a scene where Dracula likes her paintings, but it’s a fine, bittersweet tale deserving much better art.

Then comes the surprise of the issue—Tom Sutton. He writes and arts the story of a swamp mutant and how the local normies abuse him. It’s a devastating seven pages, with shockingly good art and narrative sensibilities. It doesn’t feature any vampires, much less any Dracula; not sure if it’s coincidentally great filler, Sutton’s flexing (or just his personal work), but the story’s an incredible, devastating success. It doesn’t reinvent any wheels, instead perfects them.

The last story is a Gerry Conway “History of Marvel Dracula” tale, with art by Steve Gan, set relatively soon after Dracula’s conversion, which means anywhere from ten to 100 years. Dracula’s still playing local despot, defending his serfs against outside aggression. He saves a village girl—collaterally, he’s trying to kill the enemy soldier—and she becomes enamored with him. Dracula’s not interested in school girl crushes, however, he’s got the other local warlords to argue with. They don’t seem to realize the vampire bit is for real.

Conway’s always done a little better in Lives than Tomb (despite being the first Tomb writer, I think), and even though he lays it on a bit thick—the story’s about how Dracula decided to free his serfs—there’s solid character development and excellent Gan art. It took them a while, but Marvel eventually figured out these origin tales.

It’s an outstanding late period Dracula Lives; mostly strong art, all solid or much better stories. I’m going to miss this book.

Planet of the Apes 28 (January 1977)

Moench’s conclusion to his Battle adaptation isn’t exactly strong, but it’s better than I expected. The shooting script apparently had some ambiguity and Moench embraces it. As for Virgil Redondo’s artwork, it continues to be serviceable. What’s most impressive about this installment is how Moench paces the action and the expository sections. He does fast forward a little, but not through anything special.

For the original story—again with Trimpe, this time with Redondo’s inks (the inks help a tiny bit)—Moench comes to another conclusion of sorts. He gets a really affecting moment out of a brainwashed teenage orangoutang. Moench has this matter of fact observation about the cruelty of the world and it’s fantastic.

Unfortunately, he also changes up some of his character developments—u-turns in some cases—and it hurts the integrity. If Moench ignores his previous characterizations, why should the reader care about the characters?

CREDITS

Revolt of the Gorilloids; penciller, Herb Trimpe; inker, Virgil Redondo. Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Part Seven: Tremor of Doom; artist, Redondo. Writer, Doug Moench; editor, John Warner; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Planet of the Apes 27 (December 1976)

There’s a letter from the editor this issue explaining all the improvements Moench is making in the Battle adaptation are actually from the shooting script and not Moench’s invention.

I guess it’s fitting this chapter of the adaptation is the worst. There’s nothing Moench can do… it’s just a bad script and movie. But Virgil Redondo, who isn’t great, is a lot better on the art chores than the adaptation’s had in a while.

Far less impressive, as far as serviceable art goes, is Trimpe on the original story. He has another magical landscape where the top of a tree just exists superimposed on a river.

But Moench’s writing on the original story is excellent. He has committed to the recent character developments and he’s bringing those—and the more epical events in the storyline—to a head.

It’s a shame Trimpe ruins the exquisite world Moench’s better artists created.

CREDITS

Apes of Iron; artist, Herb Trimpe. Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Part Six: Conquest of Blood; artist, Virgil Redondo. Writer, Doug Moench; editor, John Warner; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Planet of the Apes 26 (November 1976)

All of the art is bad. takes over the original story. His apes are slightly better than his humans. His many-eyed alien might be the best. There’s a scene where it appears a Viking ship (this story introduces apes living like Vikings) is floating on air, because Trimpe doesn’t work the perspective on the scenery to show it’s on water.

Still, Moench has really shaken up the character relationships–some expectedly, some surprisingly. I’m hopeful for the writing anyway.

As for the Battle adaptation, it’s a little better. Not the art, of course. Marvel didn’t even want to pay Sonny Trinidad, so they got Dino Castrillo, who’s even worse. The battle scenes are laughable and the apes are short and squat.

Moench fails to address the ludicrousness of gorillas as commanders. They’re clearly morons and it strains the internal logic. But I doubt he cares at this point.

CREDITS

Northlands; penciller, Herb Trimpe; inker, Virgil Redondo. Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Part Five: Assault On Paradise; artist, Dino Castrillo. Writer, Doug Moench; editor, John Warner; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Planet of the Apes 25 (October 1976)

This issue has some insurmountable problems.

First, Sonny Trinidad takes over the pencils. He’s really, really bad. Planet of the Apes, thanks to him doing both the chapters in the issue, now becomes an ugly comic. It had some rough issues… but nothing compared to Trinidad. His reference for everything ape related seems to be the 1976 King Kong movie poster. One would think he’d never seen any of the Planet of the Apes movies.

The second problem stems from both chapters being part of the Battle adaptation. Battle for the Planet of the Apes is a dumb movie. Moench sticks with the dumb plotting of the film and it hurts. When Roddy McDowell disappears in the movie for a bit because he didn’t like the makeup or whatever, Moench doesn’t realize he doesn’t need to disappear in the comic book adaptation.

It’s not his fault, it’s bad source material.

CREDITS

Battle for the Planet of the Apes; writer, Doug Moench; pencillers, Sonny Trinidad and Marshall Rogers; inkers, Yong Montano, Dino Castrillo, Rogers and Virgil Redondo; editor, John Warner; publisher, Marvel Comics.