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| Cover art by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia |
Monday, November 19, 2012
Groove's Faves: "Death in High Places!" by Wolfman, Boring, and Chua
What it is, Groove-ophiles! When writer Roy Thomas revamped Captain Marvel with ish #17 back in 1969, he did it with a bit more than a wink and nod back at the Original Captain Marvel of the Golden Age. A hero named Captain Marvel with a second identity as a young male orphan? Check. Said YMO dresses in red, blue, and gold? Check. When editor Roy Thomas shepherded Captain Marvel back into Marvel's line-up in 1972 with ish #22, he added a new supporting character, Professor Savannah. Yeah, Marvel was getting pretty bold there, huh? Think that's something? In CM #24 (October 1972), Thomas, along with writer Marv Wolfman and artists Wayne (1950s Superman) Boring and Ernie (Chan) Chua gave Mar-Vell a new villain: Mister Doctor Mynde. Instead of an intelligent worm, Mr. Dr. Mynde was the living head of a man placed on a synthetic body. Cuh-reepy, huh? The tale was indeed creepy and a bit scary and sad as well. Young Groove loved it. I still have a soft spot for it. What do you think?
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Isn't it strange (but good) to see Wayne Boring's art in a Marvel comic? I've got the Thor one he drew.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a trip seeing these (rather few) issues of Marvel books drawn by Boring - he also did an issue of Thor some years later. And I have to say, I like his Marvel work much better than any of that 1950s Superman art that was reprinted in so many of those digests in 1970s. Does that make me a bad person?
ReplyDeleteThiseth issueth ofeth Thor thou speakest of: http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2010/08/grooves-faves-crisis-on-twin-earths.html
ReplyDeleteSPEAKING OF THE big Red cheese/ CAPT.Marvel aka Shazam. I always thought Doc Samson from the Incredible Hulk #141. Samson's alter ego resembled Roy Thomas & Samson was a bit Capt.Marvel like. I even saw one of the original pgs published I believe in Alter-Ego years ago. On the top of the page someone had written Shazam!
ReplyDeleteI always saw Doc Samson as an homage to Capt.Triumph from the Golden Age/ Crack Comics...
ReplyDeleteI always thought of Doc Samson as a sort of Doc Savage type with the same tailor as the Golden Age Captain Marvel and Flash!
DeleteLook at that last page - those are still Ernie Chua's (Chan's) inks, but the Captain Marvel figures don't look like Wayne Boring pencils. I've always wondered if Jim Starlin might've re-drawn them as a sort of warm-up for his next issue premiere. Look at the other Captain Marvel figures on other pages throughout that issue - they look like Wayne Boring figures, but not on that last page.
ReplyDeleteExcellent eysight, Groove-ophile! I do believe you are absoposivolutely right about Judo Jim drawing that last page! Wonder if the story was to have been continued...or perhaps Boring refused to draw a suicide scene...or hmmmmmmmm...?
DeleteMar-Vell was always one of my favorite characters, around far too brief a time.
ReplyDeleteHold up -- Captain Marvel from SHAZAM! doesn't sport any blue in his uniform, as far as I can see (Captain Marvel Jr. does, though), and I don't recall him having a second identity as an orphan...am I missing something? Please enlighten me, O Grooviest of Groovy ones! :)
ReplyDeleteNever mind; I misread the quote -- but I still don't remember the YMO...whud I miss?
ReplyDeleteYMO=Young Male Orphan: Billy Batson/Rick Jones. Sorry for the confusion, Bud!
ReplyDelete