What it is, my Groovy Ghoulies! When you think of masters of the macabre, the names Bill Mantlo and Frank Robbins leap right to the top of the list, right? Now you're thinkin', "Has Ol' Groove lost his ever-lovin' mind?" Yeah, that's what I thought you'd think. Okay, while each of those talented titans did their share of monster mags, they're much better known for their work on other genres. Any other genre, in fact. Yet somehow fate (or was it just editor Marv Wolfman) who put this unlikely duo together (topped off with Steve Gan, no stranger to horror mags, as inker) to create this one-time-only super(natural)-team? What team? Ya gotta know by now that I'm rappin' 'bout The Legion of Monsters, baby! Of course, they weren't really a legion but a fearsome foursome of Marvel's mightiest macabre minions: Morbius, Man-Thing, Ghost Rider, and Werewolf By Night. Super-teams have always been popular, so I s'pose someone thought putting monsters together Avengers (or really, perhaps, Defenders) style had a shot at being a hit.
Cool as Marvel Premiere #28 (November 1975) was, a hit it was not. Check it out, anyway!
Still, Marvel liked the name and used it from time-to-time, usually to front horror mags for their black and white line.
Thanks, Groove! Any chance that we'll get to see any stories of Marvel's Man-Thing or Dracula this month? Tomb of Dracula #s 15, 25, and 30 are especially personal favorites, as is Man-Thing's origin story from the first issue of Savage Tales. Keep it up! Glad to see that you've recovered since your recent period of enforced rest.
ReplyDeletegroove! Thanks for the Marvel Monster Fest! I dig all those wacky weirdos-especially in October. And I'm a big,big Robbins fan, enjoyed a Mantlo book here and there---but this is one for the books! one of the most absurdly, wonderfully stupid comic books to see the light of day in '75-if not time immemorial! there should be an award for something this grand!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, "Legion of Monsters"! This team-up was kind of a mix-it-up, with the characters maintaining their individuality and could only go their separate ways. Frank Robbins I always enjoy. I like this version of the Ghost Rider bike. Thanks Groove!
ReplyDeleteGroove:
ReplyDeleteOne of the few issues of Marvel Premiere that I still need. It's been on my want list for years, but high-grade copies seem impossible to come across. I'm going to pass on reading this one now so I can look forward to when I finally score a copy!
Cheers,
Andrew
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