"The Hitman's Back in Town!"
Story by Len Wein
Art by Ross Andru, Jim Mooney, and Tony DeZuniga
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by Ross Andru and Frank Giacoia
The Punisher swoops down and halts the robbery of an armory by members of The People's Liberation Front, ending by starting to "question" a female terrorist. Meantime, Spidey returns to his apartment, exhausted by the battle with Molten Man, and as he goes to crawl in the window, Mrs. Muggins throws a bucket of "filthy ammonia water" in his face, stinging the bullet wound on his shoulder. We next go to Brooklyn, where The Hitman is hired by the People's Liberation Front to kidnap J. Jonah Jameson. 12 hours later, Flash and Harry meet up with Peter, with Harry beside himself because Liz has left him, even attacking Flash, so they go to Dr. Hamilton, who gives Harry a sedative then ponders about Peter, saying "he doesn't look a bit like I imagined he would."
JJJ and Dr. Madison head to the Bugle, where The Hitman is waiting in the publisher's office. Marla slips on the intercom, so Glory, Robbie and the gang hear what's going on. As security arrives, Peter slips off to change into Spider-Man—at the same time The Punisher arrives to stop Hitman. The two burst in through separate windows, with security coming in the door, but Hitman slips away with JJJ after a short but claustrophobic fight he ends with a tear gas bomb. Heading to the roof, Hitman is able to halt Spidey's attempt to save Jameson and take off on a two-man copter he stashed up there. But can Punisher take him down before he escapes?--Joe Tura
Our new incredible, there-are-no-words Hostess ad stars Captain Marvel, who looks marvel-out (ahem), but he goes up against a big mouth. Literally, a big mouth. Just a mouth. But with hands. And he's called "Mouth". He's stupid. Like the dumbest thing ever. Then has a change of heart so he can get some Twinkies®. Yeesh….
Chris Blake: It’s a pretty good issue. I can’t get too excited about it. Maybe it’s because, between Spidey saving Jonah’s bacon, and Jonah trying to squash Spidey’s sausage, and now Spidey again having to prevent Jonah’s ham from being cured, I feel like we’ve been spending a lot of time in the same smokehouse. Now, if Harry is getting a bit stretched-out, maybe a little frayed around the edges due to Liz’s departure, we’ll see if any of those threads – if they are yanked on and snapped, instead of carefully snipped away – produce a garment of a decidedly different shade (after all, didn’t the Goblin write to the mag, and tell us he’d be forcing his way free of Harry’s mind -!).
Matthew: The Madman also penciled this month's Invaders.
Mark Barsotti: While appreciating a "Parker luck" moment like Webs taking a bucket of "filthy ammonia water" right in the mug as he window-enters apartment what kind of fleabag building manager provides weekly maid service? That Mrs. Muggins has a heart of gold, and a couple of screws loose elsewhere.
And while I'm not hip to the Hitman, if he's just an acrobatic gunsel in mustard-colored duds then no way he beats Spidey in a fistfight (p. 30), bum shoulder or no.
With the nits thusly picked, class, this one's still thumbs-up, good time Spidey, largely because from Flash and Harry (verging perilously close to a mental meltdown, thanks to Liz splitting) to J. Jonah and the Bugle gang, the long underwear action is not just mixed with, but largely springs from Peter Parker's life and supporting cast.
It's a simple, winning formula, Len. Don't try to reinvent the wall-crawling wheel.
The Avengers 165
"Hammer of Vengeance!"
Story by Jim Shooter
Art by John Byrne and Pablo Marcos
Colors by Phil Rachelson
Letters by Denise Wohl
Cover by Jim Shooter and George Perez
Fifth-tier baddie Count Nefaria tries his darnedest to convince the Avengers that he's the most ominous force they've ever had to deal with. He may be right since the "World's Mightiest Heroes" are falling like ten-pins during a battle royale outside the Avengers Mansion. After dropping a building on the team, Nefaria wings away to enjoy life and super-duper powers. After kidnapping a gorgeous innocent bystander and hustling her up to a roof, Nef is confronted by the aged Whizzer, who gives the villain some sage advice: enjoy the toppled buildings and mangled corpses while you can as you're only on earth for a finite amount of time and, pretty soon, even super powers fall before age and poor sales. Taking the advice to heart, Nef zooms back to the massive rubble he'd buried the Avengers in to search for Thor (who, he seems to think, will show him the secret of eternal life), only to find Iron Man has dug his teammates out. Shellhead has a go at Nef but even his double-powered repulsor rays are no match for this guy and, yet again, it seems as though our heroes are doomed. Just as the Count is about to deliver the final blow and make off with Jarvis as a hostage, he finally gets his wish: an audience with the more-than-slightly-pissed Thunder God! -Peter Enfantino
Matthew: To paraphrase Apocalypse Now, “Shooter…sh*t.” Here’s a textbook example of the Bradley Principle: I always prefer a well-written yet indifferently, or even poorly, drawn comic to the reverse. Sure, John and Pablo do a fine job, but, well, lipstick on a pig, y’know? #158: A nothing villain wipes the floor with Earth’s so-called “mightiest heroes!” #161: Various Avengers are killed in battle! Oh, no they’re not… #165: A hitherto nothing villain wipes the floor with Earth’s so-called “mightiest heroes!” Various Avengers are killed in battle! Oh, no they’re not… They do, alas, squabble in out-of-character ways. My beloved Vision is in a tank in “Avengers’ [sic] Mansion.” Buildings topple, defying the laws of physics. And so on...
A few other noteworthy moments: we finally see
where the Vision has been, still in recovery from the clash with Ultron (p 7);
Wonder Man rallies, despite concerns regarding his death, or maybe re-death (p
7 and p 30); the team confronts Iron Man regarding his recent absences, with
Wanda really dishing it out (p 22), and T’Challa fittingly offering a voice of
reason (p22).
Byrne hits the big moments well, as the
building collapse (despite Wonder Man’s efforts, p 11) and Thor’s arrival (p
31, in case you missed it…) both are Big Team Book spectacles. For smaller moments, I’ll nominate Wanda
massing her energies as she prepares to strike (p 26, pnl 4), and of course,
Nefaria’s look of dismay as the Whizzer feeds him a mouthful of ashes (p 16,
last pnl).
"The Final Threat"
Story by Jim Starlin
Art by Jim Starlin and Joe Rubinstein
Colors by Petra Goldberg
Letters by Tom Orzechowski
Cover by Jim Starlin
Traveling billions of miles to a small planetoid, Warlock finds Gamora left for dead by her master, and learning that Thanos plans stellar genocide and fears only him, Adam absorbs her soul into his Gem, vowing vengeance. As he heads back to Earth, Iron Man, Vision, the Scarlet Witch, Thor, Captain America, and the Beast “just happen to be present” in Avengers Mansion late one stormy night, experiencing a sense of foreboding, and soon joined by Captain Marvel and Moondragon, summoned by “the same siren call of fate…” Their premonition is fulfilled as, a few hundred light-years away, a craft fires a beam into a star, causing it to explode, whereupon Moondragon feels “the psychic screams of unbelieving millions—dying suddenly…”
“It has begun,” she whispers, and as if on cue, Warlock arrives, “seeking aid…against a mutual adversary,” bringing them up to date on Thanos’s quest for an offering to win back Death, who had abandoned him after the Avengers’ victory (in CM #33). “On a scroll from a dead world,” he learned of “six beautiful and deadly Gems whose origins were only vaguely and fearfully hinted at,” yet after acquiring five of them, he feared to pursue Adam’s own Gem, because of its power to steal souls. So, posing as his ally against the Magus (see Warlock #9-11), he siphoned off the elements he needed, unbeknownst to Adam, then transferred the properties of all six “into a single large, synthetic Gem” with which “he plans on blowing every star out of the heavens.”
Thor and IM run interference as the others try to knock out the “star-burster” aboard the flagship, where they fight their way through an army of aliens, enabling Moondragon to turn its weaponry against the fleet. Mar-Vell finds Warlock with Pip, whose soul he absorbs, but before destroying his mind and leaving him for Adam to find, Thanos had boasted of an exact replica of Sanctuary II on the other side of the sun. Mar-Vell knocks himself out by smashing into Thanos’s ion-laser projector, and Adam is struck down by the Titan, yet the Avengers followed them, and after IM destroys the synthetic Gem, Thanos teleports away; Marv awakens to witness Adam’s “strange death,” which leaves him at peace in his Gem... (Concluded in Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2.) -Matthew Bradley
“I was going to carry on with Warlock,” Starlin related in his Newsarama interview, “and then I had serious editorial issues with Gerry Conway his first week in office there. And I left Marvel [after #15], and I didn’t come back to Marvel until Archie Goodwin was there [as EIC], and I ran into him at a party and he said, ‘Hey, why don’t you come back and finish up that Warlock stuff, you can do it in Avengers Annual.’ So I did that, and there was more story than the single annual could handle, so we did Marvel Two-in-One Annual right after that.” Jim delegates the finishing and coloring on both to Joe Rubinstein and Petra Goldberg, respectively, and, in classic Starlin fashion, is credited here with “other manual labor,” aside from Orz’s letters and Archie’s editing.
Matthew: Not surprisingly, my other favorites are anything involving Warlock, even if I expected a little more from this historic meeting between “the two cosmic guardians,” and yes, I cried at the last page. Starlin is scrupulously faithful in replaying the scene from #11 of the dying Adam’s soul being absorbed by his past self to prevent its becoming the Magus, which Jim has redrawn while using the dialogue verbatim; it’s interesting to note that although most of the sad events foretold in #15 did occur (“Everyone I’ve ever loved now lies dead”), one key element—that he would cause the High Evolutionary’s death—has not. The Rubinstarlin team achieves some very nice moments, e.g., Moondragon aghast in page 10, panel 1, and the mindless Pip in page 36, panel 3.
Chris: Warlock fans by now surely
had given up hope there ever would be a conclusion to the budding Thanos
epic. And then, here it is, and in one
of the highest-profile venues you could ask for: Avengers Annual 1977. This one
epitomizes my highest standard for an annual: 1) the story fits the regular
title’s continuity, but doesn’t require strict placement within an ongoing
storyline; and 2) it’s presented by a writer and/or penciller who’s capable of
top-quality work, but who isn’t ordinarily associated with the monthly mag,
thereby providing a variation in tone and/or appearance for the usual
characters. The presence of top-tier
inker Josef Rubenstein (and, this marks his full-length in-color debut for
Marvel, doesn’t it?) seals the deal, as it places this annual alongside Avengers Annual #10 as the two best of
this series in the Bronze era (and yes, that means I’m excluding both annuals
illustrated by Pérez from the highest ranking!).
I
share Thanos’ surprise that Warlock would appear to give up, that “life
abandoned him casually” (p 42). It’s
also somewhat disturbing that Warlock might think of his life as a “failure;”
that is, until you consider how Warlock’s connection to his (very few)
companions had become so important – to have failed to protect them could’ve
been fundamentally disheartening. The
other factor here could be Starlin’s desire to address Warlock’s fate first, so
he could roll up his sleeves (and pants-legs!) and dive into a Thanos-bashing
free-for-all in our next chapter.
Starlin
art = art highlights: a classic Starlin Iron Man pose (p 7, pnl 3); Moondragon,
aghast! (p 10, 1st pnl); Pip, in the icy grip of Thanos (p 18, last
pnl); a wordless page-full of Starlin critters, all getting an
Assemblers-bashing (p 30, which conveniently also serves as the splash page for
issue #6 of the Warlock Special Edition
reprints); the Beast stays clear of exploding alien armor (p 35, pnl 3);
Warlock falls, as a death’s-head shimmers in the background (p 39, last pnl);
the last page is worth noting, too, as Warlock is welcomed to a land of peace
(within the soul gem), while Iron Man, Thor, and Captain Marvel stand over his
prone form.
Mark: As a Starlin aficionado who's never read this before (although it's been in my collection for several years), it was a pure joyride from cover to cover. I've heard Jim was lured back to Marvel with the offer to tie up Warlockian loose ends (Prof. Matthew doubtless has more details) and he does so like a master seamstress. Sure, the Starman (with all deference to the late, great David Bowie) has tenuous ties to the Avengers, at best (Jim introed the Destroyer and Thanos in Shellhead's mag, and he's an Avenger so...), but it's a perfect fit nonetheless, what with the Assemblers' experience with Kree-Skrull level threats, and who doesn't want to see Thor tangle with the Big Blue Death-lover (although they only get a couple panels to mix it up; ya can't have everything, kids)?
But Adam Warlock is the featured star (Captain Mar-Vell, the first middlin' Marvel hero to be Starlinized, gets a supporting actor slot), from the glorious, desolate splash to a warm & fuzzy last page Valhalla reunion with friend and foe alike. In between, Jim proves nimble at juggling Avengers, offers the complete set of the soul gems (more impactful than ever, in the current Marvel U), plus Pip and Gamora, gorgeous art, starship armadas vast enough to make Darth V wet himself, a piggly-wiggly warrior, and more assorted delights than you can shake a Cosmic Cube at.
I could go on, class, but I'm afraid more fan boy drooling on the keyboard will short out my computer. I'll close by noting that my lesson plan for the FF Annual lamented the lost, glory days of the early '60's, when the yearly specials "were the comic book equivalent of blockbuster summer movies fused with late Autumn Oscar-bait."
"The Final Threat" is a worthy addition to that pantheon.
Joe: There's proof in the glowing pudding that Prof. Matthew routinely stirs up for this two-part Starlin epic any chance he gets, especially when you realize a Prof like me can remember just about the whole comic without actually re-reading it. Of course, the second part was my fave, as we'll see when it comes up, but when you throw in the Avengers with Thanos, Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, with Starlin at the helm, you have comic gold.
"A Cup of Youth"
Story by Jack Kirby
Art by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer
Colors by Sam Kato
Letters by Mike Royer
Cover by Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia
When he's attacked by Akiro, a Ronin warrior, the Black Panther defeats and disarms his foe, unwittingly setting off a dangerous chain of events. Since losing a weapon is seen as a disgrace in the eyes of his comrades, the warrior begs T'Challa to run him through with his own sword. That ain't happening. Instead, the Panther convinces the samurai that his honor should be given back to him by his own king. T'Challa, Mr. Little and the Ronin set off to find Akiro's boss, Shinzu. Meanwhile, back in Wakanda, a coup is pulled off by T'Challa's half-brother, General Jakarra, a particularly nasty and diminutive military leader. He believes the great ore in the Vibranium Mound will help him become a world conqueror! Back at the palace of Shinzu, the honorable samurai explains that the only way Akiro keeps his Ronin status is for T'Challa to defeat the most experienced warrior in the kingdom, a particularly large gentleman with fists of iron and a steel jaw. As the battle rages, Mr. Little takes advantage of the situation and sneaks down to the basement, where the fabled water-skin rests next to a pool of youth. Little is discovered and hightails it back to T'Challa, where the duo must face off against the full contingent of warriors. -Peter Enfantino
Matthew: For anyone who may deplore my sometimes snarky spelling when discussing Jack’s current oeuvre, I’ll just point out that this issue’s lettercol is headed, “Kirby Kontroversy Kontinues,” lest you think I pioneered that stylistic peccadillo. In fairness to the King, whose resurgence proved transitory, these issues may be goofy, yet they’re rarely dull, even if the Kirbyer spectacle has been toned down a little this time (what, no two-page spread of Samurai City?) in favor of a slightly meatier story. T’Challa’s insistence on helping Akiro to restore his dignity seems more in keeping with the noble monarch we’d come to know and love, and I don’t recall for certain offhand, but is this the first time we’ve “visited” Wakanda during Kirby’s run?
"The Way It Really Was!"
Story by Roy Thomas
Art by George Tuska and Pablo Marcos
Colors by George Roussos
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott
Having recovered his sight, Captain America visits the observation floor of the Empire State Building. While the Falcon deflects celeb hungry civilians, Cap takes some time on his own to think through his past, including his origin, his World War 2 exploits, as well as what went on while he was in suspended animation for two decades. After Falcon snaps him out of his reverie, Cap is forced to wonder just who he really is aside from a symbol of America. Who is Steve Rogers? -Scott McIntyre
Scott McIntyre: As with any title that suffers a change of creative force, this first issue following the departure of Jack Kirby is a placeholder rather than a stirring adventure. Since this month is a quick summing up and next issue is a Strange Tales reprint, obviously Kirby’s leave-taking wasn’t planned in advance and nothing was on deck. This one is a capsule summary of the career of Captain America, which touches on a few of the high points of the decades leading up to where he is at this point. The writing by Roy Thomas is much more natural and real than anything Kirby came up with, and even George Tuska’s art is made palatable when he teams with Pablo Marcos. The brevity of the synopsis tells the tale: there’s really nothing to this one. Next month is even worse.
Tuska does a solid job, having provided
pencils for a few Cap stories in the past. The two-page spread on p 2-3 is ambitious, but a bit odd, as the various
images – the Empire State and the Chrysler Building, among various other
landmarks, offset by admiring faces and a small group of kids playing stickball
– are strangely disconnected; there isn’t a sense of these NYC snapshots
working together as a coherent whole.
Tuska depicts the characters well, though, and serves up plenty of
action along the way; it helps to have Marcos’ well-textured inks to pull the
art together, further proof that Tuska is better served by an inker who works
heavier, rather than some of the thinner-handed finishers Tuska has been paired
with, too often, in the past. Suffice to
say, we’ll not see these paired again on this title.
Captain Marvel 53
"The War of the Three Galaxies!"
Story by Scott Edelman
Art by Al Milgrom, Terry Austin, and Bob Wiacek
Colors by Ellen Vartanoff and Irene Vartanoff
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, and Mike Esposito
Rick revives and exonerates Mar-Vell, ending the standoff, and after they have assured a chagrined Bishop that Minerva—actually trapped in the wreckage—escaped, the police and troops disperse. Freeing her, Mar-Vell bids Rick farewell and flies off to question her, but before he can do so, he is snagged by Medusa’s hair and confronted by the royal family of Attilan, among whom Minerva recognizes former council member Falzon. Apologizing for her actions, she explains her opposition to the war they intend to wage against the Skrulls, with the Inhumans as cannon fodder and “a third galaxy—the Earth’s—as a strategic battleground”; Marv-Vell realizes that the Supreme Intelligence sought Rick’s hidden powers to ensure victory.
Lockjaw transports Black Bolt, who orders the others to stay behind, and Mar-Vell to the moon, so that the matter transmitter in the Watcher’s home can carry them to the council’s chambers on Hala, where the hawkish Por-Bat is poised to push the button irreversibly launching their attack. Black Bolt battles the Supreme Guard to buy time as Mar-Vell learns that Phae-Dor plans to use the Truth Chair (seen in #7) to force strategies out of him, and his cosmic awareness reveals the reason. In the mêlée, he throws Por-Bat into the chair, exposing him as a “specially conditioned” Skrull impostor, planted years ago to spur them into an ambush, but while the Kree stand down, Phae-Dor vows to the grimly departing Mar-Vell and Black Bolt that they will ultimately prevail. -Matthew Bradley
Matthew: Okay, they still can’t get this straight: what was being referred to as of last issue as the “War between [originally “with” in Inhumans #3] the Three Galaxies” is here called “The War of the Three Galaxies” in the title, and then loses the second “the” on the cover, so you can see why I suggested that we just call it the “3G War” and have done with it. Of course, that’s par for the course when Doug Moench’s Inhumans storyline is taken over by Scott Edelman. “What I remember most about this issue isn’t averting the War of the Three Galaxies, but how cool it was to get a chance to write about Black Bolt and the Inhumans, more Marvel characters who dazzled me when I was a kid. And oh, what a killer cover from Gil Kane!,” Edelman exulted on his blog.
“Tearful Crowds Bid Milgrom Farewell,” reads a strategically placed Daily Bugle headline on the splash page. Maybe they did, but to me, he’s still aspiring to average, and only sometimes succeeding. Who’ve we got on tap for next ish? Tuska? “Al. Al! Come back! Bye, Al.” Scott seems to have contracted a severe case of Hearts and Flowers Disease. Last issue’s Big Dramatic Cliffhanger is briskly dispensed with on…page 2 (“There is no need to apologize for friendship”). Minerva, who was ready to “liquify” (sic) Rick, is calmly accepted as having her race’s best interests at heart (“We only differ in our methods”). And, as Mar-Vell takes pains to recall, “When I knew you long ago, you seemed to be a rational and honorable man, Phae-Dor!”
I freely admit there are a number of things
I enjoy about the story: the use of the matter transmitter to reach Hala;
Marv’s attunement to cosmic awareness, rather than reliance on brute force, to
discover how the Kree are being driven to war; and an old Kree device like the
Truth Chair as a key to victory. Edelman
foreshadows the reveal well, as Marv states to Por-Bat “you play your role
well,” and shows us Marv trying to work the crowd closer to the chair
o’truth. But why then, once he’s
reverted to his true form, does the former Por-Bat have to state aloud: “I am a
Skrull!”-? Why, yes you are – we can tell.
Speaking of Por-Bat’s true face, the art is
as uneven as you might expect, when you consider the drastic difference in
style (and ability) between Wiacek and Austin.
Austin tips his pen to his former art-partner, as he provides a headline
to the Daily Bugle (visible on the
ground on the splash page), which reads: “Tearful Crowds Bid Milgrom
Farewell.” Well, that’s very kind of
you, Terry; but, crowds -? Tearful
crowds ..? (Speaking for
myself, I’m counting down the weeks until Pat Broderick gets here.)
Matthew: The use of the matter transmitter would have been cooler if it didn't raise the question of why Lockjaw could transport them to their precise destination on the moon, but not their precise destination on Hala.
Matthew: The use of the matter transmitter would have been cooler if it didn't raise the question of why Lockjaw could transport them to their precise destination on the moon, but not their precise destination on Hala.
"A World Lost!"
Story by Bill Mantlo
Art by Bob Hall and Mike Esposito
Colors by Phil Rachelson
Letters by Denise Wohl
Cover by Gil Kane
As seen in Super-Villain Team-Up #14, Dr. Doom has gained control of the entire world with his neuro-gas, but for his own amusement has relinquished it over Magneto and his chosen ally, the Beast, who have come to L.A. seeking aid from Hank’s former teammates, Angel and Iceman. Told by the controlled Avengers that Hank has turned traitor, the Champions disbelieve his story, although Bobby hesitates to hurt his friend. Overhearing a news report that President Carter is welcoming Doom, the outraged Magneto interrupts the battle to whisk Hank to Washington in a magnasphere, the Champs following in a second sphere created by Darkstar; their arrival in D.C. is preceded by that of the Hulk, obeying Dr. Doom’s holographic projection.
Old foes since Tales to Astonish #79, he and Hercules square off, oblivious to all else, yet Ghost Rider is surprised when the other Champs attack Magneto at the behest of Doom, deprived of his two strongest pawns; since he does not breathe in his demonic form (did we know that before?), GR never, uhm, inhaled the gas. Hank having found the ally he sought, they battle Bobby and Warren while Magneto imprisons Tasha and Laynia with his powers and faces Doom. Hoping to break the control, Hank forces Warren to drop him directly on Doom, and in order to save him from being throttled, GR sets Doom’s mask on fire, forcing him to remove it and inhale his own gas, and as all parties return to normal and disperse, Doom is left “incapable of ruling himself!” -Matthew Bradley
Here comes the other shoe, as other aspects of the
story don’t make me as happy: so, once Doom regains his senses, does the nerve
gas that still circulates in the atmosphere allow him to reassert his control
over literally everyone?; it seems fairly obvious the only reason why the Hulk
is here is to keep Hercules occupied; why is President Carter depicted with an
open-collared, black shirt? Was he on
his way out to Studio 54 when Doom dropped by -?
The art overall is adequate, not much to be excited
about; Byrne certainly can be a very hard act to follow. I will give Hall + Espo credit for realizing
the Beast well, for most of the issue (and notably, p 14 last pnl, left); as we’ve
learned thru hard experience, he is one character that – in the wrong hands –
can look terrible. The optimistic
armadillo informs us that Byrne will be back next issue to ink George Tuska (what -? how -?), prior to the arrival of a new
artist, following Champions #17; so,
at this point, there is reason to expect the series is in good shape, and
likely to continue …
Conan the Barbarian 80
“Trial by Combat”
Story by Roy Thomas
Art by Howard Chaykin and Ernie Chan
Colors by Phil Rache
Letters by Denise Wohl
Cover by John Buscema and Ernie Chan
The beauteous Bardylis presents Conan to Ptolemy, king of Attalus, a city carved out of stone in the lost valley of Iskander, founded eons ago by a time-travelling Alexander the Great. Standing at nearly eight feet, the giant Grecian ruler informs the Cimmerian that if he is lying about being an emissary of Harakht, he will die a horrible death. As darkness falls, Bardylis offers the barbarian shelter in the house of her father, Perdiccas — Conan stashes the Eye of Set behind a loose stone in the wall of his room. During the night, a trio of blond Attalusians led by the Stygian thief Ablah, steal into the outlander’s room, knock him unconscious and carry him off. Conan awakes, his arms tightly bound. Ablah boasts that he is working for Hun-Ya-Di, the duplicitous High Priest of Harakht, and demands the large jewel. But the mighty warrior bursts his bonds and kills his captors — the Stygian escapes however. Conan returns to Perdiccas’ house: Bardylis swears that she knew nothing of the kidnapping. Royal soldiers appear and demand that Conan report to the throne room. There, Ptolemy, with Ablah whispering in his ear, accuses the Cimmerian of murder. Conan stands defiant, sarcastically boasting that he is here to deliver the Eye of Set but wonders if his mission is worth the effort since Ptolemy is so dense. Enraged, the gigantic king leaps forward and a vicious fistfight ensues. After trading huge blows, the barbarian knocks the massive monarch cold. Suddenly, Aristo, a soldier who was guarding the pass leading into Attalus, bursts into the throne room with an arrow protruding from his back — 300 Stygians have stormed the valley. Bardylis turns to Conan: since he defeated Ptolemy, the barbarian is now king and must tell them what to do. -Tom Flynn
Chris: Conan’s been known to sow his fair share of disruption into a municipality if said confusion suits his purposes. I don’t think he could’ve been prepared for this degree of chaos, though. I mean, come on, saith the Cimmerian; alls I gotta do is deliver this eye, see, and then bring back the other one, okay? Can’t a brother get a break, for once? I’m sure Conan also wouldn’t mind an uninterrupted night’s sleep – that is, unless those were Bardylis’ tender feet creeping into his bed chamber, and not some guy with a club. No way – instead, Conan faces a midnight abduction, false accusations, and a hand-to-hand death-grapple with a descendent of Alexander! Once Conan bested Ptolemy, I was honestly intrigued to see how Roy would leave the story; it’s a given that Conan might have won himself a crown, but on his first day as king, he has to organize and lead an army, against a better-equipped opponent? Aw, for cryin’ out loud, exclaims our hero!
"Catspaw!"
Story by Jim Shooter
Art by Carmine Infantino and Klaus Janson
Colors by Klaus Janson
Letters by Denise Wohl and Gaspar Saladino
Cover by Ron Wilson and Frank Giacoia
Daredevil races across rooftops in a
driving rain, desperate to reach Heather Glenn’s apartment. Once he arrives (as Matt Murdock), Heather
expresses her disappointment that Matt has not been available to her since her
father’s arrest. Matt wants to tell Heather
how her father could be proven innocent; as Daredevil, he knows that Killgrave,
the Purple Man, had hypnotized business executives into committing profitable
crimes for him. But, he stalls as he realizes
he can’t disclose too much without revealing his secret identity. Frustrated and hurt, Heather tells Matt to
leave. He switches back to DD garb, and tries
to distract himself from his problems, until he’s attacked by a bruiser who
calls himself the Smasher. DD discovers
that this is a new Smasher; the previous one had been dispatched by his
creator, Death-Stalker (pssst: Death-Stalker has it in for DD because he had
foiled D-S’s crime plans in our previous issue). DD advises his opponent to avoid dealing with
Death-Stalker, but the Smasher insists that “after I crush you, the Stalker
will reward me!” DD avoids his muscle-headed foe and proceeds on to his office;
he finds Foggy, with a newly-acquired .38.
Foggy appears to be plotting revenge against Maxwell Glenn, due to the
psychological harm caused to Foggy’s ex-fiancée, Deb Harris; Deb had been
kidnapped, purportedly on Glenn’s orders, to force her father into illegal
deals. Matt finds himself in the same
situation he had been with Heather – he can’t disclose the truth to Foggy,
either. Matt becomes increasingly irritated;
he blames himself both for not having devoted more time to locating Deb while
she was kidnapped, and for his inability to locate Killgrave, who is
responsible for Glenn’s present troubles.
At this moment, the Smasher spots DD and renews his assault. DD is in no mood; he avoids the Smasher’s
attack as well as he can (slowed now by a possible ankle sprain, after having
leapt from a movie marquee), and uses his hypersenses to locate vulnerable
pressure points in the Smasher’s body in order to bring him down. -Chris Blake
DD beats himself up for not having committed to a
search for Debbie; now, he's aware of a need to re-direct his energies to the
search for Killgrave. In our previous
issue, I didn't mind that DD couldn't turn up any useful information about KG's
whereabouts; it makes DD's search more realistic, and more meaningful, when
he's got to dig deep to unearth his foe. Now, though, we're into a second consecutive
issue, with even less attention devoted to the search, which has me concerned
that this plot-element could become another afterthought, much like the
non-search for Deb. Of course, DD has to
be more personally invested in the need to locate KG, in order to clear Glenn,
so hopefully next time we'll have a sense of a clue or two to keep DD on track.
The Defenders 53
"The Power Principle Part One:
The Prince and the Presence!"
Story by David Anthony Kraft
Art by Dave Cockrum, Keith Giffen, Mike Golden, and Terry Austin
Colors by Phil Rachelson
Letters by Joe Rosen
"Clea, the Mystic Maiden!"
Story by Naomi Basner
Art by Sandy Plunkett and Tony Salmons
Colours by Marie Severin
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by George Perez and Bob Wiacek
Prince Namor, along with current Defenders members the Hulk, Hellcat, and Nighthawk, descend in a vessel to Atlantis. There is a great threat to his realm, and indeed ours as well. The team arrives in the golden underwater city, and meets with members of Namor's High Council, to discuss plans. The Sub-Mariner has had his fill of outsiders trying to engage his people in war; he wants peace and a chance of growth for his people. They depart the next morning, through an underwater cavern that leads to the source of radiation and power emissions. The destination is somewhere under Russia, where the mysterious man known as Sergei conducts his experiments. Power and riches are his, but so is boredom. He has tremendous scientific resources at his disposal, and a nuclear bomb that will bring about the "nuclear transmogrification" of Earth, both on water and land. Already his powers have bent the spirit of Defender the Red Guardian, aka Russian Tania Belinsky to his will. Now, though aware that something is wrong, she cannot free herself, and is set to be his partner in crime and life. Elsewhere, fellow Defender Valkyrie waits with Clea at the home of Dr. Strange, unaware of her fellows' mission, as Clea often is of her partner. Val sets off to register at college (not in her usual attire). Namor and company don't reach their destination in time to stop the incredibly powerful bomb. It creates massive shock waves that destroy their ship, and cause earthquakes around the world. It also transforms Sergei, prepared by measured exposures to cobalt radiation into something even more powerful, who calls himself the Presence. But Tania, similarly prepared... what of she? -Jim Barwise
Matthew: You have 12 pages of new material, three of them squandered on full-pagers (and nobody noticed that the “killer quake” was caused by an effing nuclear bomb), so what do you do? Well, if you’re Dave the Dude, you have your myriad “artisans,” aka Tout le Monde, cram your story into the remaining half-issue with teeny-tiny eye-straining panels as you descend deeper into the Lunatik fringe, render Kyle as a monosyllabic yes-man, and turn the refreshingly empowered Tania into a male-dominated puppet. Is it in compensation that the ephemeral five-page back-up tale—created by three people I hadn’t heard of and, to be blunt, won’t dignify by looking up—features Clea, a woman but, ooops, not a Defender? Does that really beat a reprint?
We’ve all seen our share of the “many
hands” approach to last-minute inking, but how do you coordinate the art when
you’ve got three different people on the pencils? Fortunately, Austin’s crystal-clear inks
capably tie the look of the issue together.
Michael Golden is a curious choice to fill-in three of the pages; I’m
fairly certain this is his first color work for Marvel. “Hey Mike,” comes the call from John Romita;
“I’m really enjoying your recent work on some of the Batman titles; would you be free to pick up some work on the Defenders for us? No, I don’t need a whole issue – just three
pages will do.” Well, what’s a
slightly-starving freelance artist going to say -?
I’ve always enjoyed the way Golden depicts
characters, as both substantial and fluid.
I also appreciate all the extra details (which we’ll see plenty of, once
Golden begins the Micronauts in
another year or two), such as the helmeted heads in the foreground of p 6 pnl
3, and the swimming dancers to the far left of the same panel. He places heavily-armored sentries in no
fewer than six panels, each one bearing a hefty-looking weapon, held aloft by
the right arm. Lastly, he obviously
relished the opportunity to draw the Hulk stuffing his face (p 6, pnl 4).
The five-page Clea feature isn’t bad; I’m
not familiar with either of the principal creative people, but they managed a
decent effort. It’s no substitute for
five more of the Sergei story.
Story by Jack Kirby
Art by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by Mike Royer
Cover by Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia
Zuras, Ikaris, and Makarri, face the deadly creation of the Deviants, Dromedan. Unearthed from its rest by a recent explosion, this creature can bend the minds of anyone to its control, even an Eternal--thus the problem! The helmet that can stop its mind from controlling its environment is at hand, but Dromedan doesn't want it on. A direct attack fails when Makarri and Ikaris are stopped in their tracks. Zuras melts the ground around Dromedan, burying him up to the neck in molten rock. He is about to put the helmet on, his foe renders mental spikes that cause imaginary pain, halting the supreme Eternal. Makarri is willed to blast the rock away, freeing Dromedan again. Sersi comes on the scene, her powers different enough to distract the Deviant creation and allow the others to regain their strength; good thing, as their foe has absorbed some of those powers also. Sersi has some deviant ideas of her own, as she creates duplicates of Ikaris to attack Dromedan. After they have been dispatched, the mind controller is about to reduce the Eternals to micro-particles. But Sersi's plan tricks him. The real Ikaris is still at hand, and quickly blasts his disintegrator beams at the Deviant. The resulting explosion brings the cavern down in flames--Dromedan with it--as the others fly to escape the holocaust. At the pole in the north, the polar Eternal Druig finds from his servant Sigmar, of a mighty weapon kept secret for ages. He demands it's resurrection, but what will be the cost? -Jim Barwise
Mark: As the title winds down, so does Kirby's ambitions for The Eternals (while your humble prof has read extensively about Kirby's career, when Jack knew Eternals was headed for the chopping block remains unclear), or it certainly seems so in retrospect.
"Sersi the Terrible" is mostly four of the most prominent titular titans (Sersi, Ikaris, Zuras, Makarri) battling the mummy-like, mind-controlling Dromedan in subterranean caverns. The action is spirited but let's face it, Jack could crank out sock-o action while lighting a cigar. And what exactly makes Sersi terrible? Who knows?
Matthew: For the record, the introduction of Druig and the establishment of Ikaris as a Polar Eternal both occurred in #11, during the gathering preparatory to the formation of the Uni-Mind.
Chris: Each month for MU, I whip thru my lesser titles first, and stack up my favorites to save them for last. It’s probably exactly the opposite of how I used to read comics – I’m sure that, the moment I‘d paid for a new issue of the Avengers, I probably started reading it right then, and finished it before I got home; I’d probably give it a second read-thru after dinner. As I approach the Eternals each month, I plan to read it right away, write up a comment, then put it back; but, I’m finding it hard even to do that, so the Eternals are put off until the end of the month, most of the time. The stories now offer so little, I’m sort of resigned to reading each issue.
So, I tried to approach this issue by
focusing on Jack’s vibrant art. It’s
very good. There are things shimmering
with energy, and bathed in fire, and there’s plenty of good sturdy debris.
Fantastic Four 188
"The Rampage of Reed Richards!"
Story by Len Wein
Art by George Perez and Joe Sinnott
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by George Perez and Joe Sinnott
The Molecule Man may have taken over Reed's body, but as our tale opens Reed's mind fights back, distracting ole lightning bolt mug (although, technically, Molly's bolt are now etched on Reed's mug) long enough for the Thing to destroy the Psi-Amplifer, and with it Molly's means of making his body-snatching permanent. Enraged, MM traps the three other Fantastics + Impy in an Adamantium cube and takes his leave. Johnny asks big sis if she "can make your invisible force-shield heat-resistant enough to protect the three of you?"
"I'll do my best, Johnny."
Satisfied with that less than (orange)rock solid assurance, the Torch goes nova and - since Adamantium won't melt but super-heated air will force it to expand to "the bursting point" (or some such) - blasts the box off them with such force that it's embedded in the ceiling, a bit of Bax Building demo-redecoration normally reserved for the Thing.
Then the Watcher appears, normally bad news since he ain't delivering candy-grams, but refuses to say a word.
The F3 and Impy break out the long-unused jet-cycle (the Fantasticar, totaled awhile back, is still in the shop) and take flight after Molly. Their prey's on a Manhattan street, having a mental standoff with Reed that tilts in MM's favor when he turns an apartment block into Brikk* the Living Building, dramatically rendered in a George Perez splash.
The Fabs attack but are quickly thrown on the defensive. Impy steps up - his Poppupian form impervious to Molly's powers - turns his hand into Thor's hammer and readies a haymaker, but Sue's force field saves MM; its still her hubby's bod, after all, and Reed can no longer make like the Michelin Man. Feeling unwanted, Impy stalks off in a huff.
The Watcher scowls, silently.
The battle resumes. MM literally rolls up the street, snags the Torch with an asbestos lamppost and throws a steel shell around Sue's f-field, trapping her inside. But Ben batters through the street-roll, and a flying fragment hits Molly in the back, knocking him senseless. He quickly recovers, takes flight on a flying slab and tries to turns the Fabs into "cosmic dust," yet he's suddenly wracked with pain that causes him to drop his wonder wand...directly into a smoke stack. He's also suddenly out of Reed's body, back in the wand, and is promptly incinerated.
Leaving the helpless Reed plunging earthward! But a Torch-Thing combo catch saves Stretch, who soon explains it was the unstable molecules of the FF unis that "virtually short-circuited" MM.
Back at the Bax, our team's greeted by, you guessed it, the Watcher, still making like Marcel Marceau. Turns out Big Baldy has been hanging around to witness the still-powerless Reed's abrupt resignation from the FF.
(*The living building is actually unnamed, Len missing a chance to channel Stan's early '60's monster mag mojo.)
Mark: This high energy adventure, served up in the slick, masterful Perez/Sinnott style, gets mostly high marks as Len caps an effective two-parter with a potentially (temporary) game-changing ending. Having abandoned the FF at this point back in '77, I've no idea how the big takeaway - Reed and Sue quitting the team - is going to play out, but that's a hooky question for next month, class.
Here, Wein proves nimble at handling a Genie-level baddie like the Molecule Man, who can basically bend reality to his will. Mollie's ongoing mind-battle with Reed keeps him from simply willing our heroes' demise until the end, where the unstable molecules of the FF's uniform flip the script. It's an elegant, unexpected solution, if one that reduces the FF's victory to mere happenstance. But life's like that, and it's still goes in the win column, kids.
The biggest problem here is the Watcher, or rather Len arbitrarily re-writing Big Baldie's rules of engagement. Yes, Uatu's race has a non-interference pledge (violated a time or ten, as cosmic threats demand), but Wein inserts a no-talking sub-clause, turning BB into an outright mute, as if even an offhand, "How 'bout them Yankees?" would violate the Prime Directive.
This will all be forgotten next ish, of course, overshadowed by what our no-longer-teammates have to say. Stay tuned.
Chris: Well, it was a great run – I’ll miss the old FF. Wait, what am I saying? The announcement of the team’s breakup is really no different than contracting a nasty cold, or a semi-serious infection – it’s rough for awhile, but with the passage of time, it gets better, then you move on and continue like it never happened. Once we get past the next two issues (a reprint, and then a fill-in – sheesh), we’ll see what happens with the team’s latest Fleetwood Mac moment.
Okay, art time.
Page 11, as the Molecule Man creates a building that can smash other
buildings, as it’s bathed in coursing energy and breathing smoke, is truly
inspired – this page alone outclasses every other page, and the cover as well,
which in itself isn’t shabby. More
moments: Reed’s face, far larger as it’s visible behind the posturing Molecule
Man (p 16, pnl 2); the Impy slide, as Impy is having a ball (p 16, pnl 5); Impy
conjures up Thor’s hammer again, and gleefully anticipates the FUN of smashing
Reed with it (p 19); Ben’s outrage when he realizes he’s unintentionally harmed
Reed (p 23, pnl 6).
Hey Watcher – see yerself out, why dontcha. You’re about as welcome as Jacob Marley. Don’t forget to write.
"The End of the Inhumans... and the Fantastic Four"
Story by Marv Wolfman
Art by Bob Hall, Keith Pollard, Bob Wiacek, and Marie Severin
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott
Marv Wolfman titles this one "The End of the Inhumans... and the Fantastic Four," but doesn't add the expected exclamation point; he doesn't punctuate the title at all, 'cause he doesn't buy it and neither do we. An inauspicious beginning.
Crystal and Lockjaw pop in (literally) on Johnny as the Torch tests his experimental race car (best design feature: the backseat, 'cause ya never know when your ex and her jumbo, dimension-hopping slobber dog might come calling). Crys says Johnny's needed at the Great Refuge and off they go, leaving to "Jet Streak" to crash and burn. Let's hope the pit crew had insurance.
Reaching the GR, Johnny and Crys are attacked by Thraxon the Schemer. Never heard of 'em? Neither has anybody else, (although 'rax seems to have copped his red hair & beard from the Thinkers' android that recently appeared in the monthly) but he battles Johnny and Crys to a better-call-in-the-rest-of-
Said Fabs are involved in Hollywood shenanigans involving an FF movie project and the Gong Show. I'll pause a moment, class, to let that sink in...
Now, since I had to continue at risk of my faculty parking space, so shall we all. The full team and Crys get the boring backgrounder on Thraxon and soon take him down, discovering 'rax was a mere catspaw for the real baddie, awaiting them in space!
It's the Sphinx, a second-rater Marv revives (from his own Nova), to ill-effect, and after some cluttered space station brawling, the ancient Egyptian is blasted out into space by Black Bolt.
And Johnny gets an "I love you as a friend" peck on the cheek from Crys and makes nice with Quicksilver. Yuck. -Mark Barsotti
Mark: Remember when Marvel Annuals were the comic book equivalent of blockbuster summer movies fused with late Autumn Oscar-bait? Epics like Namor's full scale invasion of NYC and Spidey's first tango with the Sinister Six?
I'll confess a personal touchiness, class, for Johnny's not the only one with a Crystal-shaped hole in his heart (if the Dean wants to post old Sunday Special links, interested students can find out why - for possible extra credit), but much like Johnny, seeing Crys made me glad and sad but not mad, and the soapy triangle between her, Johnny, and Pietro plays out more effective than anything else here (he types through clenched teeth).
But who cares about an unknown Inhuman firing an ion gun, and all I want to know about the Sphinx is how he survived - before he got any powers - wandering in the desert for ninety years. There's other unforced errors like the Torch flying so high while distracted that he flames out on the edge of space, and, similarly, I sure don't want Marv staging my blasted-out-of the spaceship rescue, what with the wise but limited advice to try not breathing in a vacuum.
In sum: a thirty-four page would-be epic, and the most entertaining moment involves Chuck Barris?
Arte Johnson, hand me that gong.
Lately, I feel as though I’ll be increasingly tempted to start some of my reviews with, “Well, it’s not terrible, but…” This one isn’t, either, but it’s far from trouble-free. I’m hardly opposed to leavening our Marvel drama with humor, yet these attempts seem to me particularly ill-advised. Others may find it hilarious that poor Ted’s work went up in smoke just because Crystal couldn’t be bothered to give Johnny the time to stop the Jet Streak; I do not. Far worse is the ham-handed parody of Dino De Laurentiis and the expensive mechanical gorilla built for his King Kong (1976). They already dipped into that well in this year’s Spidey annual, and it’s no funnier here (even if it does eerily anticipate the ill-fated real-world attempts to produce a decent FF movie).
Otherwise, not too bad, even if the plot is a bit rushed and sloppy—with a pretty cavalier attitude toward explosive decompression and survival in space—and I certainly appreciate the effort to give Sue a modicum of dignity and efficacy with the force-field sequence on page 22. Man, Pietro must get awfully sick of being used as a hostage, as he also was by Maximus in their own book, which I’m sure has done nothing to improve his usual sour disposition. No major complaints artwise, with Wiacek achieving a consistency that, to my untrained eye, prevented any jarring Hallard transition; the MCDb reports that Bob H. penciled pages 1-22 while Keith (whom Bob W. inked on Inhumans #12) drew the remainder, and I have no reason to doubt that.
Reed – whose stretching powers inexplicably have
returned – doesn’t come off well here, as he’s constantly fretting over Sue (“I
knew you should have stayed behind with little Franklin,” again; p 30), and
dishonorably slugs a powerless opponent in the head (p 25). I much prefer the well-honed version as Roy
and Len have presented Reed, the swift-thinking leader who arrives in a new
environment and immediately begins to assess if for an advantage in the
developing battle; Marv, please read up on this depiction for the next
time.
The art doesn’t come off much better. I don’t dislike Wiacek’s inks as much as I
remember, but he certainly does little to raise up the finished product; the
work he did with Pollard on the Inhumans
turned out much better. Speaking of
which, I have trouble believing the GCDb, which tells us Pollard pencils all
the pages from p 23 to the end; the only pages with Pollardian appeal are p 31
(the reveal of the Sphinx!), with traces evident on p 34 and p 44, but that’s
really it.
Godzilla 4
"Godzilla versus Batragon"
Story by Doug Moench
Art by Tom Sutton and Tony DeZuniga
Colors by Phil Rachelson
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Herb Trimpe
The winged creature Batragon attacks an oil tanker in the North Pacific, which brings Godzilla to the surface, injuring the monster, who flies away as a second tanker appears, siphoning the remaining oil off the first. Dum Dum and Gabe search for Godzilla with a squadron of Dragonfly copters, with the two men at odds about how to deal with the Big G. Meanwhile, a call to New York sees Dr. Takiguchi leading the charge to build something that will "prove to be a match for Godzilla." The G himself stalks Batragon to a dormant volcano, where the injured monster joins other creatures under a force field, the product of "the bizarre" Dr. Demonicus! His Lifestone heals Batragon, while on the inland side, Eskimos work on Demonicus' giant boat—until some of them talk back and are killed for their troubles. Godzilla attacks, then climbs towards the creatures inside the volcano, killing the rejuvenated Batragon and going back for the others—when SHIELD strikes, leaving Demonicus to await the victor, who he plans to destroy with his other creatures!--Joe Tura
Matthew: Okay, we’ve had Atragon, the titular Kaitei Gunkan (Undersea Warship) from the 1963 Toho film that introduced Manda. We’ve had Baragon, the daikaiju first seen in Toho’s Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965). We’ve had Barugon, pitted by rival studio Daiei against Gam[m]era in his first sequel, War of the Monsters (1966). And now we have Batragon. So much for originality. Yet the very familiarity of the title and premise “Godzilla versus Batragon” is comforting, and except for their gaudy garb, are Demonicus and his men that far removed from Toho villains from Planet X or the Red Bamboo? The Suttoniga teaming is surprisingly effective, and my only complaint is that, at least to me, Gabe doesn’t look like Gabe.
Story from the creative team on Defenders goes, Giffen left in a unhappy dispute (I remember it as being over rates). KG thought it'd be devilishly funny to pencil random pages- I want to say every other one. How he figured that out? He's Keith Giffen.
ReplyDeleteLeft scratching his head, Kraft worked with the other two pencillers to fill out these crazy issues, and the two back-up strips were hastily commissioned. He still says Keith is one of the most gifted, fun artists with whom he ever collaborated.
Meanwhile, Mike Golden's first Marvel work actually appeared in a comic outside the U's cirriculum: Marvel Classics Comics #28, in 1977.
Really dig George's cover; seems an homage to X-Men #101 the year before.
GP seems to have left social media today 11/9/16- I didn't see what happened and will attempt no tales out of school (not at MU!), but I hope things'll turn out cool. Anyone with that many Hawaiian shirts and gorgeous cosplayers seems like a chill dude.
They are just people, after all.
I know y'all have your fun with former paste-up production assistant Bill Mantlo, but he seemed to have a very sweet 65th birthday yesterday. The Dire Wraiths share his b'day in ROM so it's easy to remember. I've bagged on his dialogue in private, but I'll never forget how his ROM issues entertained my newlywed bride on our honeymoon- they were the first stack of comics she ever bought, herself, all in color for a dime each. I put it in my novel Anywhere With You.