Tag Archives: book reviews

ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: FUNGUS ISLE (1923)

FUNGUS ISLE (1923) – Written by Philip M Fisher. Fungus Isle has the same proto-Creature Feature feel to it that The True Inheritors (qv) had. In the case of the previously reviewed story, it was a forerunner of various giant spider flicks.

In the case of Fungus Isle it seems like the inspiration for the 1963 Japanese film Attack of the Mushroom People, aka Matango, the Fungus of Terror.  

A handful of friends find themselves shipwrecked on an uncharted island near New Guinea. The island is crawling with various types of fungus and our protagonists eventually encounter some fungi that are nearly humanoid and can walk.

The spores shot out by the fungi cling to human flesh, eventually accumulating to the point where they completely cover the body. Saltwater serves as an effective remedy to clean off the spores but there is no food on the island except mushrooms. Continue reading

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MARVEL PREMIERE (1972-1981)

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at Marvel Premiere. Like Marvel Spotlight and Marvel Preview, this series served to introduce new characters and see if they proved popular enough for their own separate series.

MARVEL PREMIERE Vol 1 #1 (Apr 1972)

Title: A Man-God Reborn

Villains: Man-Beast and his Animal Men

Synopsis: The long-time Marvel character the High Evolutionary, a sometime hero and sometime villain, used the almost God-level powers he possessed in his hyper-evolved state to create Counter-Earth. Traveling in time, the High Evolutionary created that twin of planet Earth 5,000 years in the past and guided its history into a near-perfect rerun of Earth’s own.

The main difference was that the High Evolutionary intervened to prevent super-powered beings from ever coming into existence on Counter-Earth. This allowed him to observe how the “real” Earth might have developed without super-powered interference.

The High Evolutionary studied his creation from an orbiting headquarters, kept company by the remaining New-Men of Wundagore Mountain, animals he had evolved into intelligent humanoid form. Those New-Men had clashed with Hulk and Thor up to this point in Marvel Comics prior to his creation of Counter-Earth.

His orbiting lair one day snagged the space-faring cocoon of the super-powered Him, a golden-skinned superbeing created by the Fantastic Four’s old foes the Enclave (aka the Hive). As Him had previously done when he clashed with the F.F. and then Thor, he emerged from his cocoon.

The High Evolutionary renamed Him Adam Warlock and explained that his evil wolf-like New Man called the Man-Beast had rebelled against him. The Man-Beast had recruited his own evil version of the High Evolutionary’s Knights of Wundagore – all of them New Men like himself. Continue reading

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: MORE 1940s STORIES

This weekend’s escapist and light-hearted superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog picks up where my original review of his 1940s adventures left off.

CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS Vol 1 #6 (Sep 1941)

Story 1: The Camera Fiend

Synopsis: Captain America and Bucky prevent the theft of Great Britain’s Crown Jewels by a Nazi spy/ British traitor called the Camera Fiend. That villain wielded a camera (duh) that shot poison darts and other projectiles. He also had a gang of thugs, but they all fell to Cap, Bucky and agent Betsy Ross.

Story 2: Fang, Arch-Fiend of the Orient

Synopsis: Imperial Japanese supervillain Warlord Fang, one of Captain America’s best remembered foes from World War Two, is operating an undercover ring of spies in Chinatown. When Chinese officials in exile arrive in America to discuss what their country is suffering under the Japanese invaders, Fang and his men try to assassinate them but Cap, Bucky and Betsy defeat them. 

Story 3: Captain America Meets the Hangman

Synopsis: Captain America and Bucky are assigned to protect Russian American scientist Dr. Vardoff, who has developed a new type of rope that is fireproof, & incredibly strong but flexible. Our heroes prevent organized crime plus an Italian fascist agent named Dino Cardi from stealing the invention. A costumed supervillain called the Hangman steals the rope material, then uses it to hang Vardoff, his lab assistant and others. Cap and Bucky defeat the Hangman and ultimately expose him as Dr. Vardoff himself. Continue reading

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ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: THE Nth MAN (1920-1924)

Nth ManTHE Nth MAN (1920 – 1924?) – Written by Homer Eon Flint, who died in 1924. Though this short novel was not published until 1928 many fans of the author argue that it was actually written in 1920.

The story is set in what was then the near future of the 1930s. The Nth Man is an enormous humanoid figure with hardened skin like the shells of certain species of animals. He is supposedly 2 miles tall, but that would make many of the events in the novel impractical if not impossible.

The mysterious giant is at first regarded as half rumor and half Tall Tale as he sets the world talking with some incredible actions. He tears apart some of the Great Wall of China, he removes the head of the Sphinx and places it on top of one of the pyramids and he picks up a ship bound for Australia and carries it for thousands of miles.  

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Showing more cognitive purpose the Nth Man also makes off with an entire building to thwart a plot by anarchists and saves a little girl from drowning. All of the preceding deeds have been accomplished under cover of darkness but now the colossus comes out into the open, emerging from San Francisco Bay to tower over the city.  

The Nth Man walks from coast to coast, easily defeating the aerial and land forces that attempt to stop him. You would think this proto-Kaiju sequence would have inspired a film adaptation long ago. The gigantic figure goes to Washington D.C. and lays down some demands from on high. Continue reading

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MARVEL ISSUES: JULY 1967

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at Marvel’s publications from July 1967.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #50 (Jul 1967)

Title: Spider-Man No More

Villain: Kingpin (FIRST APPEARANCE)

Synopsis: Spider-Man stops the robbery of an armored car and bystanders’ wary reaction to him makes him angry about how thoroughly J. Jonah Jameson’s media lies about him have tainted his image in some people’s minds.

That, combined with Aunt May’s latest turn for the worse health-wise (yawn), makes Peter Parker feel even worse, especially since he hasn’t spent as much time checking on his aunt ever since he moved into Harry Osborn’s plush apartment with him.

The next day at Empire State University Peter fails a biochemistry test, prompting Professor Miles Warren (yes) to express disappointment since Peter is such a brilliant student. Privately, Peter blames every bad thing in his life on being Spider-Man and he decides to never again don the costume.

Over the next few weeks, the crime rate in New York City skyrockets with no Spider-Man getting in the way of villainy and only Daredevil fighting street-level wrongdoing. Our hero’s absence is noted in criminal circles, inspiring the Kingpin to at last operate openly.

He clashes with Spider-Man’s old foe the Big Man in a war over control of New York’s rackets. This makes Peter Parker realize that it’s more important to be doing the right thing even if the media attacks you for it, so he swings back into the fray as Spider-Man. Continue reading

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ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: THE WAR UNDER THE SEA (1892)

War Under the SeaTHE WAR UNDER THE SEA (1892) – Written by Georges Le Faure. This sci-fi work was intended as an escapist societal salve to a French public still smarting from their loss to Germanic forces during the Franco-Prussian War just over two decades earlier.  

One of the main characters in The War Under the Sea is Count Andre Petersen, a French military man who saw service in the Franco-Prussian War. The Count was appalled at France’s humiliation and since then has been running a secret intelligence organization to ensure that his homeland will be much better prepared the next time they must face Germans in war. And that’s not the only outrageous science fiction concept put forth in this novel. (I’m kidding.)

Unfortunately for Count Andre the Germans have been outmaneuvering his organization at the arts of spycraft and know the names of every member of his secret organization – even the Danish, Austrian and Alsation operatives. Unless the Count agrees to a political marriage to the daughter of a German Consul followed by the disbanding of his spy network the Germans will kill every one of his agents. Continue reading

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MOON KNIGHT: HIS EARLIEST STORIES

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at the earliest 1970s appearances of the Marvel character Moon Knight.

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT Vol 1 #32 (Aug 1975)

Title: The Stalker Called Moon Knight

Villains: The Committee

NOTE: Jack Russell (Americanized from Russoff) was an established Marvel character who suffered from the family curse of lycanthropy. Jack faced several horrors while seeking a cure for his family curse. 

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, Jack’s recurring foes the Committee have returned and still want to force Jack to become their unwilling Werewolf assassin. This time around they have hired a ruthless mercenary named Marc Spector and provided him with a costume, silver cestus gloves, silver boots, a silver truncheon and silver crescent moon blades so he can capture the Werewolf for them.

NOTE: This origin for Moon Knight would be retconned in the future, replaced with Khonshu the Moon God empowering and equipping Marc Spector when he was mortally wounded while robbing tombs in Egypt.

Moon Knight arrives at Jack’s Los Angeles apartment, where Jack shows up shortly before the Full Moon rises and turns him into the Werewolf. The pair fight it out through the streets of L.A. while Moon Knight’s helicopter pilot Frenchie abducts Jack’s sister Lissa and girlfriend Topaz.

Moon Knight’s silver weaponry enables him to eventually defeat the Werewolf, given its vulnerability to silver. He knocks out the beast and begins to carry him up the rope ladder to Frenchie’s helicopter hovering overhead. Continue reading

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WONDER WOMAN: YEAR ONE

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at the first year of Wonder Woman stories in the 1940s. 

ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #8 (Dec 1941)

Title: Introducing Wonder Woman

Villains: Nazis

Synopsis: When a pair of Nazi spies hijack an experimental American aircraft, U.S. Army Captain Steve Trevor pursues them and seizes control of the vessel from them.

The Nazis are driven off, but Captain Trevor crash-lands and washes ashore at Paradise Island in the Mediterranean Sea. 

The island is inhabited by THE Amazons from Greco-Roman myths and they are still ruled over by Queen Hippolyta. The Queen’s daughter Princess Diana nurses Trevor back to health and falls in love with him but while he was recovering, Hippolyta used magic to probe Steve’s mind.

She learned about the ongoing World War and felt that a champion from Paradise Island should accompany Steve Trevor back to the human world to help combat the Axis Nations. Diana won the all-Amazon tournament to become that champion.

Hippolyta bestows on the princess her paraphernalia like her wrist bands, tiara, invisible plane and costume based on the flag of Steve Trevor’s homeland (but not yet her lasso). The queen also granted her the title Wonder Woman. She and Captain Trevor left Paradise Island together for human lands. Continue reading

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THE HUMAN FLY: HIS 1977-1979 SERIES

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post here on Balladeer’s Blog looks at Marvel’s series The Human Fly. This figure encountered Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Daredevil and others.

THE HUMAN FLY

Secret Identity: Rick Rojatt

First Appearance: Human Fly Vol 1 #1 (Sep 1977)

NOTE: The Human Fly was an embellished version of the real-life Rick Rojatt, a Canadian stuntman and daredevil in the mold of Evel Knievel. This comic book series presented Rojatt as his celebrity daredevil self the Human Fly. As in the fictional exploits of costumed Mexican wrestling heroes like El Santo, Blue Demon, Neutron and others, this costumed figure fought crime and other menaces in addition to performing in his capacity as a daredevil.

Origin: Rick Rojatt was given a fictional origin story for this Marvel Comics series. He was a young man who was severely injured in a car crash that killed his wife and children. After much reconstructive surgery, roughly 60% of Rojatt’s bone structure was replaced with lightweight steel.

That made Rick able to endure levels of punishment that would kill normal human beings. Though he was warned he might never walk again, Rojatt applied himself to the point where he not only walked but had greater agility and stamina than professional athletes. He donned a costume like Evel Knievel and became a celebrity stunt man and daredevil, thus making a fortune as well as engaging in heroics when needed.  Continue reading

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MARVEL ISSUES: JANUARY 1978

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog looks at every Marvel issue published in January 1978.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #176 (Jan 1978)

Title: He Who Laughs Last …

Villain: Green Goblin III

Synopsis: Peter Parker’s Aunt May has joined the Grey Panthers and has her 987th heart attack at a demonstration. Peter and Mary Jane Watson visit her in the hospital.

Seeing that she is recovering just fine, the pair leave. Peter stops by the office of psychiatrist Dr. Bart Hamilton, who has been treating Peter’s friend Harry Osborn ever since Harry’s drug problems made him become the second Green Goblin. The office has been trashed.

Peter becomes Spider-Man and gets to the apartment that Harry shares with Flash Thompson. He finds Flash unconscious on the floor and the Green Goblin ransacking Harry’s bedroom. Spider-Man attacks the villain, assuming it’s Harry in the costume, but in a few issues it will turn out to be Dr. Hamilton himself, who manipulated his patient Harry Osborn to find his late father Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin costume and weaponry.

For the cliffhanger ending, the hard-pressed Goblin grabs Flash’s unconscious form and throws him out the window, seemingly to his death. Continue reading

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