Random Reads: "It's Only Magic!" by Lee, J. Buscema, and Verpoorten

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! Today we've got Stan the Man Lee, Big John Buscema, and Jumbo John Verpoorten teaming for the inaugural ish of Chamber of Darkness (July 1969)! Marvel was dipping into the waters DC was swimming so successfully in with their "house" mystery mags (House of Mystery, House of Secrets, and, eh--the Witching Hour--okay, they weren't all "house" mags), that publisher Martin Goodman no doubt said, "C'mon, Stan! You were doing these kinda mags in the 50s--do 'em again!" So Marvel did, complete with (short-lived) horror hosts like today's Headstone P. Gravely. What is it when Stan, John, and John get together to tell us the tale of a boy and his djinn? Why..."It's Only Magic!"

Marvel-ous Monday: "That Zo May Live...a Galaxy Must Die!" by Friedrich, Sutton, and Adkins

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Ya know, Ol' Groove loves Jim Starlin's Captain Marvel run. It's one of the all-time best comics imho, and that's a fact. But, for a long time, Ol' Groove was under the impression that t'was Judo Jim who brought the cosmic to Captain Marvel. Well, as we've already seen (last ish and in ish #11), it just ain't so. Starlin did it best, but he wasn't the first. Here's another example of the Green Uniform Captain Marvel being oh-so-cosmic: "That Zo May Live...a Galaxy Must Die!" from Captain Marvel #15 (May 1969). I mean, before you read it, just look at the images! The layouts, the colors, the "pop art" stylings--even the stars in Mar-Vell's eyes! Here's the wildest thing: remember Starlin was the artist who took over writing the mag? Dig this: writer Gary Friedrich did the layouts for this story! Far-out, huh? And the art-team for this ish is a unique one, as well: Tom Sutton and Dan Adkins. (Why: Am: I: Using: So: Many: Colons?) And amidst all the weirdness, Mar-Vell even visits Heaven, Hell, his home world Kree-Lar, and even his hometown of Rad-Nam. All of this is supposed to lead to a battle with a robotic Kree idol called Tam-Bor that, in silhouette at least, looks for all the world like a giant fish skeleton. Yeah, this mag is a trip, baby!

Cover art by Marie Severin and John Verpoorten

Marvel-ous Monday: "Beast-Killer!" by Kirby and Royer

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Spinning off from our fabulous 1500th post (one of the top posts of all time here on DotGK, by the way), here, finally, is the first standard-comic issue of Jack Kirby's mind-staggering 2001: A Space Odyssey (September 1976)! This slice of sparkling sci-fi is inked by Mike Royer, natch. Buckle in and get ready to blast off as we meet..."Beast-Killer!"

Cover art by Kirby and John Verpoorten

Marvel-ous Monday: "Deadlock" by Gold, Colan, and Everett

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Today we're looking at a cool episode of Black Widow from Amazing Adventures #4 (October 1970). Not only does it have knock-out gorgeous art by the incredible penciler/inker team of Gene Colan and Bill Everett, but it's the only Black Widow script written by the trail-blazing Mimi Gold, who enjoyed a successful career as a writer, comicbook editor, colorist, and book editor in her amazing, adventurous career (which you can read about right here when you finish reading this action-packed mini-epic!)

Cover art by John Buscema and John Verpoorten