Monday, September 17, 2018
Marvel-ous Monday: "And All the King's Madmen..." by Mantlo, Buckler, and Janson
Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Here's another Deathlok masterpiece by the team of creator/plotter/penciler Rich Buckler, scripter Bill Mantlo, and inker/colorist Klaus Janson! Astonishing Tales #34 (December 1975) is loaded with action, character moments, plot twists, and incredible art--and it's pretty much just the build-up to next issue's tour de force! "And All the King's Madmen..." was definitely a quarter well-spent, baby! See for yourself...
This is where it gets good. Not only were Astonishing Tales # 33 - 35 the 3 best issues of the Deathlok run, they are among the best of the Groovy Age. Look at Buckler's layouts on pages 1, 2, 3, 5. Innovative and pulsing with drama. And Klaus Janson was doing some of the best inking/coloring of his career. Buckler never shone as much as under this master embellishers touch. And of course the already excellent scripts of Bill Mantlo were bouyed even higher by his artists. Even the cover I would rank as one of the 100 best of all time. These are the comics I return to time and again to get my four-color high. They are, in fact, the reason I collect comics. Giant-Size X-Men # 1, FF # 1 - 102, Astonishing # 33 - 35 and too many others to mention are a continual source of geeky joy. All for less than a dollar when they came out.
ReplyDelete