Cover Cavalcade

I know Killer Moth and Cavalier are both based in Gotham City, but this team-up seems oddly random regardless. Not that there's anything wrong with that--an occasional oddly random team-up can be a lot of fun.

And, as a bonus today, here's a video I stumbled on that showcases many wonderful Dell Comics covers.

Dell Comics & Gold Key Comics--a Brief History

Here's a video I made at work this past week:

Friday's Favorite OTR

Information Please: “Karloff & Carradine” 2/20/42

John Carradine and Boris Karloff are on the panel this time—and the host foolishly attempts to stump Carradine with Shakespeare quotes. Gee whiz, the man was a noted Shakespearian actor when he wasn’t making horror movies. It’s pretty apparent that he knows all the plays by heart.

The ending is missing from this episode, but like all good Information Please shows, it’s so much fun listening to smart people being witty without being condescending that it’s worth listening to anyways.

Click HERE to listen or download.

"He Steals and Murders Openly"

We've been taking an occasional look at Robert E. Howard stories in which he uses a very effective trick to generate suspense: The protagonist is forced to team-up with a sworn enemy. The two must work together against a common enemy or because they have a common purpose, knowing that they'll try to kill one another as soon as that purpose is achieved.

Conan the Barbarian was forced into this situation in "People of the Black Circle." But that's wasn't the first time he'd been in a reluctant alliance.

Not long after Conan came to civilization--still naive about the ways of civilization (and probably still a teenager)--he became embroiled in the machinations of two feuding noblemen. All this is recounted in "Rogues in the House," first published in the January 1934 issue of Weird Tales.

It's set in an unnamed city-state or minor kingdom. The puppet king is controlled by Nabonidus, known as the Red Priest and also known to bring his political enemies to an unpleasant end. He's looking to do this to Murilo, a nobleman who has been lining his pockets by selling state secrets.

Threatened with exposure, Murilo hires Conan to kill Nabonidus. But the twists and turns of the plot soon land all three men in a catacomb beneath Nabonidus' mansion. Above them is Thak--an ape man that Nabonidus kept as a servant. Thak, it turned out, was just human enough to harbor ambitions of his own. He's killed Nabonidus' human servant and taken over the mansion.

So leaving the catacomb by the only available exit--through the mansion--means walking into the sharp talons and fangs of a brutal, super-strong humanoid creature.

The only way the three men can get out alive is to work together.

The story is one of the best of the original Conan tales. For one thing, it's a textbook example of good plot construction. In just a few paragraphs, REH introduces us to the main characters and tells us enough about their relationships and their personalities to give us a firm lock on them. He then moves the plot along quickly but logically, mixing in suspense and action in just the right doses.

Howard also mixes in the thematic aspects of the story so that it complements the plot without ever slowing down the action. Murilo and Nabonidus are rogues--dishonest men who use their power and position for personal gain. Even though Murilo is actually a little likable in that he shows personal courage when he has to, both men are essentially rotten hypocrites and thieves.

This is contrasted with Conan, who may also be a thief but at least isn't a hypocrite. As Murilo phrases it: "This Cimmerian is the most honest man of the three of us, because he steals and murders openly."

What good that may do the person Conan is robbing and murdering is debatable, but Howard still has us rooting for the big guy. It's really quite a balancing act in terms of good characterization. Conan does murder during the story, but he still has standards that raise him above Murilo and Nabonidus.

For instance, he shows a degree of mercy to a woman who had betrayed him. Well, sort of. He drops her in a cess pool instead of killing her. And he gutted her new boyfriend a few moments before that without batting an eye. But he refrains from killing a woman nonetheless.

He also shows loyalty to an agreement he made with Murilo even when he could have gotten safely away from the city. So we end liking Conan and hoping he survives despite his moral flaws.

Aside from the theme and the characterizations, the key action set-piece in the story is fantastic. Conan and Thak inevitably go up against each other in a savage hand-to-hand battle and it is truly awesome. Howard had a knack for describing exciting fight scenes, but this one still stands out from the crowd.

It is, in fact, Frank Frazetta Awesome

When you consider all of Howard's Conan stories together and remember that he did not write them in internal chronological order, then the character arc he gives the barbarian is a really remarkable achievement. The first Conan story Howard wrote shows us the barbarian as a king, with a degree of wisdom and maturity (though without losing the ability to hack his enemies apart in droves). But stories about a young Conan give us an impetuous thief and killer who barely understands much of what civilization has to offer. Stories set between these time periods give us a Conan who is maturing into a leader, less likely to act on blind impulse.

 "Black Colossus" (published in 1933) is a good example of Conan's overall character development. Set at a time when Conan has largely left thievery behind to work as a mercenary, the story shows us the first time he is given command of an army. Outnumbered, he deploys his troops in a conservative defensive manner. When someone comments that Conan normally leaps into the thick of a fight, he explains that he usually only has himself to look out for. But now he's responsible for thousands of lives and must act differently. It's a key moment in his career, allowing us to believe that this is a man who can one day rule a nation.

Once again, Howard didn't write these stories in any order. Each successive story jumped from one point in Conan's life to another at random. But string them together in an order that makes internal chronological sense and you have a definable and fascinating bit of character development.

All this and great fight scenes as well. Because that fight between Conan and Thak really does drip with awesome sauce.

We have one more example in which an REH character has to team up with an enemy. This will involve the pirate Black Vulmea, whom we visited once before. Before long, we'll take a look at "Black Vulmea's Vengeance."

Just When You Think You Know Everything...

Well, it seems that even if you are a font of all knowledge--even if your genius lifts you to tower above all others--even if the enormity of your perspicacity is matched only by your extraordinary humility--even if, well, even if you're just like me:

Then it will still turn out there are things you don't know.

For instance, I knew that the first Metallo (John Corben) originally appeared in Action Comics #252 (May 1959)--the same issue that introduced us to Supergirl. I knew Corben died in this story and some time later his brother Roger became the second Metallo.

But I was somehow under the impression that Metallo #1 was resurrected and made at last a few more appearances during the Weisinger-era of Superman stories. But, by golly, I was wrong. John Corben had one and only one appearance.

That story was written by Robert Bernstein and is a pretty good one. A reporter named John Corben has committed murder to avoid getting caught embezzling money. But while making his getaway from what he thinks is a perfect crime, he's in a car wreck. A scientist named Professor Vale finds him and--as the only way of saving the badly injured Corben's life--rebuilds his body out of metal.

I should pause here to say I like the way the story handles Professor Vale. He isn't doing this because he's a mad scientist driven to insane experiments. He does it because Corben will die if he doesn't and he later breaks the news to Corben as gently as he can. Vale is obviously just a decent human being taking the only options open to him.

Then Vale has a stroke and collapses, taking him out of most of the rest of the story. He gets better near the end of the tale. I'm glad, even though I'm pretty sure he doesn't ever make another Silver Age appearance. He's a nice guy.

The robot body still appears human and retains Corben's outer appearance. When he discovers he has super strength, Corben decides he's happy with the situation. He moves to Metropolis and (because the murder he committed is still unsolved) gets a job on the Daily Planet.

But he must soon go on a crime spree, raiding labs and hospitals to steal the uranium he needs to power his mechanical heart. When he learns that Kryptonite will also work, he tries to steal some from a Superman souvenir show and nearly killed Supes with a small bit of Kryptonite he stole from Professor Vale. But Corben doesn't realize that the Green K being kept at the show is fake. When he tries to use it, his heart powers down and he dies from heart failure.

The story has its flaws. The Man of Steel performs a couple of super-rescues during the course of the story, but these are just random events unrelated to the main plot. They too obviously exist just to make the story come out to the correct page length. Also, a sub-plot in which Lois thinks Corben must be Superman is abrupt and doesn't really go anywhere.

But even so, it's still an entertaining story with an interesting villain. But that was it for Metallo as far as the Weisinger-era books are concerned. And it wasn't until 1977 (after 18 Metallo-less years) that his brother Roger had his brain transplanted into a new Metallo.

Roger proved more successful at villainy than his brother. I suspect this was because Roger had a much cooler visual design--he started out human looking, but eventually morphed into a more interesting robot body. Also, being able to shoot Kryptonite radiation out of his chest is a pretty nifty power.

So there you go. I thought John had at least a few appearances and I thought Roger came into Superman's mythology much earlier. But I was wrong. I always wondered what that felt like.

Cover Cavalcade

Here's an early image of the Lone Ranger when he was still primarily a character on the radio. It's not a bad design for the character at all.

Friday's Favorite OTR

Suspense: “A Shroud for Sarah” 10/25/45

Lucille Ball does a chilling job of playing a coldblooded femme fatale who will do anything—including double-crossing two different husbands—to further her own ends.

Of course, that sort of behavior can eventually come back to haunt you.

Click HERE to listen or download.

To Kill or Not To Kill

If I had to pick a favorite TV show, it's probably be Combat, the 1962-67 show about infantrymen in World War II France. Intelligently written, beautifully photographed in black-and-white for four of its five seasons and with actors who brought their characters to life, it combined great action with strong plots.

Vic Morrow played Sgt Saunders, the tough squad leader. He was really the backbone of the show--Saunders was a man determined to do his job as a soldier, but he also looked out for his men AND he never lost track of the difference between right and wrong.

And that's one of the reasons this show is my favorite. A number of the best episodes placed Saunders and/or some of the other soldiers in a position where it was difficult to figure out exactly what the correct moral decision is. Here are good men fighting one of history's few truly just wars. That meant they had to shoot a lot of enemy soldiers in order to win the war. Most of the time, the show (I think quite correctly) assumes that this is justified.

But sometimes, things aren't so morally clear cut. The series premiered on October 2, 1962 with such an episode. Directed by Robert Altman, "Forgotten Front" is a true classic.

Saunders and three of his men are sent behind enemy lines to set up an observation post. They need to spot a big German artillery gun and radio in its location. That gun needs to be knocked out before the American troops advance the next day.

So far, so good. This is a perfectly legitimate mission to accomplish a perfectly legitimate goal.

When setting up their post in a partially wrecked factory, they find a German inside. They take him prisoner.

Still good. They're at war with the Germans. Capturing or killing the enemy is their job.

But then things get complicated. This particular German prisoner is an aging ex-carnival performer who (he claims) had deserted the Werhmacht in hopes of surrendering to the Americans. As he explains: "I know what you think. 'This is the enemy.' Well, I am no one's enemy. I never had a fight in me. Never."

They plan to take him back to their own lines after their job is done. But one of the G.I.'s thoughtlessly blabs about the American advance while the prisoner is listening. Then a German tank parks outside the factory. The Americans will have to make a break for it and it no longer seems practical to bring a prisoner with them.

So what's the right thing to do? If they leave him, he might tell the Germans about the impending American attack. But if they can neither take him along nor leave him behind, is the only other option shooting the poor guy?

Albert Paulson plays the German with the perfect balance of pathos and charm. He's just a nice guy stuck in an army he did not willingly join. He's no a villain. As writer and Combat scholar Jo Davidsmeyer points out: "The story has no villain, except for the war itself."

And Morrow is wonderful as Saunders. Sgt. Saunders was one of TV's toughest tough guys, right up there with Matt Dillon or Robert Stack's version of Elliot Ness. But Morrow played him in a way that never let us forget he was just a human being. To quote Jo Davidsmeyer again in her excellent review of this episode: "Besides playing the many levels of a harried and exhausted soldier leading men who don't wish to be lead, [Morrow] shows us a man at odds with his own actions and with what he must ask of his command."

Pierre Jalbert, playing one of the GIs, also shines in this episode. "Forgotten Front" is an awesome piece of drama, believably setting up a situation in which good men struggle over a real moral dilemma.

After the Apocalypse--According to Marvel

As recorded in H.G. Wells excellent history book The War of the Worlds, the world was invaded by Martians around the turn of the 20th Century. The Martians, with their tripodal fighting machines, heat rays and poison gas, were pretty much curb-stomping the human race. But they succumbed to Earth bacteria and humanity was saved.

But they came back. In 2001, the Martians (now properly immunized) came back and crushed the human race. Humans are enslaved, with some people willingly serving their Martian overlords. Slaves are forced to fight as gladiators, while human scientists working for the aliens conduct hideous biological experiments.

As horrific futures go, this is a potentially effective one. It makes use of Wells' Martians--with their visual awesome fighting machines--and creates a situation that's fodder for a lot of good drama and action.

Marvel Comics brought the Martians back to Earth in Amazing Adventures #18 (May 1973). The main character is Killraven, a top gladiator in the Martian arena who escapes and becomes the leader of a small band of freedom fighters. He spent a total of 22 issues fighting aliens and traitorous humans. He popped up in an issue of Marvel Team-Up to fight beside a time-hopping Spider Man, and he had a few other appearances over the years, but he seems to have drifted away into obscurity.

But he didn't do half-bad while he was around. Take Amazing Adventures #20 (September 1973), for instance. Killraven and his right-hand man M'Shulla are embroiled in a fight amid the ruins of New York City against some of the many humans who now work for the Martians. When their energy pistols run dry, they take refuge in a museum that houses various weapons from throughout history. This allows them to use spears, crossbows, throwing stars and (at one point) a toppling statue to take out the humans.

It's a fun fight. Herb Trimpe is the artist and he (like so many artists from the 60s & 70s) knew how to choreograph a fight scene. The visuals are crisp and, despite the potentially confusing series of tactics used by Killraven and M'Shulla, we always know what's going on.

The action continues apace as the two freedom fighters are attacked by a Martian fighting machine, which they manage to destroy with a clever tactic. Later, using information Killraven gained while in the city, his band of men sneak into a Martian base at LaGuardia airport (misspelled "LaGuadia" in the dialogue). But:





and they're ambushed and captured by the Warlord, a thug who lost his original right arm in a fight with Killraven some years earlier.

It's very much an action-oriented tale, but writer Marv Wolfman uses that action along with dialogue to establish the characters. Some of the dialogue is overwrought, but it does effectively carry the story along and lets us know that Killraven is driven by anger and determination. Here's a guy who will not give up until the Martians are all dead.

I read this one as a boy (so--as with the Kamandi comics I talked about last week--my view of it is possibly colored by nostalgia), but back in those ancient times, we got our comic books off the rack at the 7-11. No specialty stores or pull lists to make sure you got every issue. So I missed the next issue and it wasn't until Ebay came into being decades later that I was finally able to acquire and read the conclusion.

Amazing Stories #21 begins with Killraven still struggling against his captors even as the Warlord has him strapped down to a table for a pleasant afternoon of torture. But a female biological scientist named Carmilla Frost (who had been making monsters for the Martians) and her sort-of ape creature Grok stage a rescue. She's doing this for (as yet unrevealed) reasons of her own, but the end result is Killraven, his men, Frost and Grok coming out of the Martian base into the ruins of Yankee Stadium. Here they fight some biologically-created monsters and the Warlord gets his comeuppance before the good guys escape.

The follow up was another good story. Once again, the fight scenes are very well-constructed. We see even more so than in the previous story that Killraven is too stubborn and angry to ever surrender even when the situation seems hopeless. And the monsters Trimpe designs are pretty cool. (Though one of them, a big crab with a human head, is arguably a little too silly looking to be as effective as it should be.)

But the future world of Killraven didn't have quite the longevity that Kamandi had, nor are there as many fond memories of him as there are for Kamandi. Beyond the fact that Kamandi was drawn by Jack Kirby, I think I may know the reason for that.

Kamandi pretty much just wandered his world, getting into a variety of individual adventures. And this was fine--it's something that worked for that particular character.

Killraven was leader of a band of freedom fighters, but the small victories they had throughout the Amazing Adventures run consisted of largely self-contained individual adventures and never really seemed to bring them any closer to overthrowing the Martians.

This, I think, was a mistake. The premise of Killraven pretty much demands an extended story arc. We needed to see Killraven's army slowly grow as he made real advances (and suffered real setbacks). We needed to see him grow as a character, learning to better control his anger to find the balance he needs to be an effective leader. The series needed to gradually and believably progress from stories of a small band of resistance members to tales of forming a full-fledged army which (perhaps) takes back small parts of Earth from the Martians. Perhaps Killraven's activities would allow humans in other part of the world to rise up, forcing him to become a politician and diplomat as well as a soldier. There was a lot of potential here, but the series and the character never really lived up to it.

It was a fun comic for what it was, but it really needed to be a little bit more.

Cover Cavalcade

As I've said before--it's never wrong to include dinosaurs.