The Din Defies Belief!

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Bill Mantlo, bob sharen, Huntarr, Jackson Guice, janice chiang, Marvel Comics, Micronauts

Micronauts #55. So heavy we barely know what to say about it. It may have a familiar theme: you can’t go home again. Huntarr, the main focus of this issue, returns to his home planet to find his mother. In a tragic twist, he finds her involved in something far more horrible than he could ever imagine.

 

 
If this was the first comic book someone ever read, we would point out a few things to give them a foothold in this story. The evil Baron Karza has assumed brutal control of many of the planets the adventurers known as the Micronauts call home. His most insidious contribution to suffering, the body banks, essentially store people for use as involuntary organ donors. Karza and his soldiers just take a liver, eye, or arm as needed. They also create experimental forms, everything from science fiction centaurs to unique freaks like Huntarr.

Except in this story, Huntarr horrifically learns he is not as unique as he thought.

Collector’s Guide:
– From Micronauts #55; Marvel Comics, 1983.

 

…That Can Only be Called the Music of the Microverse!

Tags

Arcturus Rann, Bill Mantlo, Biotron, Butch Guice, Danny Bulandi, Jackson Guice, Micronauts, Microverse, Spacewall

Bill Mantlo and Jackson “Butch” Guice put together one hell of a trippy ride for this issue of the first Micronauts series. Commander Arcturus Rann and his living robotic ship Biotron need to get back to the Microverse from Earth. To do that, they have to shrink past the submolecular level and break through the Spacewall. It separates the Microverse from Earth. But the pages we share with you today depict a lot more than just “getting small.” Don’t believe us? Then get ready to rock! We suggest you crank up Supernaut by Black Sabbath for the occasion.
Collector’s Guide:
– From Micronauts #49; Marvel, 1983.

Spider-man Meets… The Iguana?!

Tags

Bill Mantlo, Curt Connors, Frank Springer, iguana, Jim Mooney, lizard, Night of the Iguana, Spider-man

We couldn’t help but snag this one from the back issue bin. With the title on the cover “The Rage of the Reptile,” it seemed right up our alley. Here, Spider-man meets up with his pal Dr. Curt Connors, better (or worse?) known as The Lizard. Something’s not right about Dr. Connors and a little iguana he’s got in his lab. Well, guess what – the cute little vegetarian reptile turns into a hideous villain ready to kick Spidey’s butt! Not the greatest Spidey issue ever produced, but you can’t argue with this splash panel at the end. They even used Spider-man’s often-forgotten Spidey spotlight in his utility belt! And we’re total suckers for the spotlight…

Collector’s Guide:
– From Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #32;
Marvel Comics, July 1979.
Script by Bill Mantlo, art by Jim Mooney and Frank Springer.

Micronauts – First Issue!

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Bill Mantlo, first issue, Michael Golden, Micronauts

Here it is, the very first issue of the Micronauts! Written by Bill Mantlo and brought to life by the pencil of Michael Golden, Micronauts turned a licensing deal into a space epic. You might enjoy more of our Micronauts Gallery, including the Tales of the Microverse, bonus posters, and more!

Collector’s Guide:
– From Micronauts #1; Marvel, 1979.
– Reprinted in Micronauts Special Edition #1; 1983.

He’s Riding the Arch – Laughing at Death!

Tags

Bill Mantlo, Lee Elias, Silver Charity Sudden Death, St Louis Arch, The Human Fly

If you’d have asked us in 1980 what we wanted to be when we grow up, we’d have told you, “The Human Fly!” Here’s a cat who rides a motorcycle over the St. Louis Arch – and then rocks the house with a guitar! Plus, the Human Fly has multi-cultural friends and donates all the profits from his wild stunts to handicapped kids.

Sure, when we read some of his adventures now, they seem like a poorly drawn 1970s TV show. WHATEVER! For sparking a sense of adventure and positive values, you’ll have to look pretty hard to beat The Human Fly.

Here’s one of our favorite issues from Bill Mantlo and Lee Elias:
Silver Charity, Sudden Death!

Collector’s Guide:
– From The Human Fly #11; 1979, Marvel Comics.

Super-Villain Team-Up 13: When Walks the Warlord!

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Atlantis, Bill Mantlo, Dr. Doom, Keith Giffen, Krang, Longbox Graveyard, Paul O'Connor, Sub-Mariner, Super-Villain Team-Up 13, When Walks the Warlord

Today we welcome back Paul O’Connor from the Longbox Graveyard. Paul has teamed up with us before for the T-Rex BeatDown and Godzilla Week, and we have some scans from one of his original works called Paranoia. After your head stops spinning from the awesomeness of Super-Villain Team-Up #13, check out his review of the complete series at LongBox Graveyard. Take it away, Paul!

Thanks, Mars, for an opportunity to present Super-Villain Team-Up #13, one of the best issues of this star-crossed series. As I detailed in my full review of the series over at Longbox Graveyard, Super-Villain Team-Up was a dynamite concept: an anti-hero starring vehicle for Dr. Doom and the baddest bad guys of the Marvel Universe. But, the series got derailed time and again by rotating creative teams and confusion over the direction and tone of the book.

By issue #13, the always-dependable Bill Mantlo was aboard. In this issue, along with issues #12 and #14, the series finally comes into its own. When Walks the Warlord features high drama beneath the waves as plot lines running for several years in this bi-monthly book come to a head at last. You’ll watch the Sub-Mariner fight to recover his lost kingdom of Atlantis. You’ll see Doom fulfill his vow to return Namor’s subjects from their nerve-gas induced slumber. Along the way, you’ll see all the stuff that made this series sing: Dr. Doom talking about himself in the third person, evil and noble at the same time! The Sub-Mariner being an Avenging Son and shouting Imperious Rex! A swordfight beneath the sea! A blasphemous horror from the bottomless depths!

If every issue of Super-Villain Team-Up had been this good, the book might still be with us … but alas, years of long neglect would shortly take their toll, and this potentially ground-breaking book would soon succumb to cancellation. But, we will always have that brief, shining moment, when super-villains teamed up to conquer the world (and each other), in a comic that wasn’t afraid to be fun, action-packed, and over-the-top with 1970s-style Marvel goodness. Enjoy!

Collector’s Guide:
– From Super-Villain Team-Up #13; Marvel, 1977.
– Reprinted in Essential Super-Villain Team-Up TPB.

Micronauts Bonus Poster!

Tags

Bill Mantlo, Michael Golden, Micronauts, Tales of the Microverse

If you missed our collection of the Tales of the Microverse, just click on Micronauts Gallery to pierce the subatomic veil!

Today’s feature comes from the original 1970s Micronauts series by Bill Mantlo and many talented artists, including Michael Golden, Jackson Guice, Pat Broderick, and Gil Kane.

Dig Michael Golden’s Micronauts Bonus Poster, showing our heroes poised to take on the 1980s in style!

Tales of the Microverse 5

Tags

Acroyear, Bill Mantlo, Bug, Gil Kane, Micronauts, Tales of the Microverse

Let’s take a look at all of the The Tales of the Microverse, originally presented as back up stories in the original 1970s Micronauts series.

If you missed a post, don’t mutate into an superhuman fascist who grows bodies in laboratories – Just activate your subatomic universe by clicking Micronauts Gallery.

Today we wrap up yesterday‘s story of the first incredible adventure Bug and Acroyear ever had together! Enjoy this fine tale from the mind of Bill Mantlo and the pencil of Gil Kane!

Tales of the Microverse 4

Tags

Acroyear, Bill Mantlo, Bug, Gil Kane, Micronauts, Tales of the Microverse

Let’s take a look at all of the The Tales of the Microverse, originally presented as back up stories in the original 1970s Micronauts series.

If you missed a post, don’t mutate into an superhuman fascist who grows bodies in laboratories – Just activate your subatomic universe by clicking Micronauts Gallery.

Here we have a tale of the first spectacular meeting of Bug and Acroyear. This story by Bill Mantlo and Gil Kane is so long we are going to break it into two parts for you – so check back tomorrow or fire up your time machine – you won’t want to miss it!

Tales of the Microverse 3

Tags

Bill Mantlo, Micronauts, Tales of the Microverse

Let’s take a look at all of the The Tales of the Microverse, originally presented as back up stories in the original 1970s Micronauts series.

If you missed a post, don’t mutate into an superhuman fascist who grows bodies in laboratories – Just activate your subatomic universe by clicking Micronauts Gallery.

Now enjoy this fine tale from the mind of Bill Mantlo!

Tales of the Microverse 2

Tags

Bill Mantlo, Micronauts, Tales of the Microverse

Let’s take a look at all of the The Tales of the Microverse, originally presented as back up stories in the original 1970s Micronauts series.

If you missed a post, don’t mutate into an superhuman fascist who grows bodies in laboratories – Just activate your subatomic universe by clicking Micronauts Gallery.

Now enjoy this fine tale from the mind of Bill Mantlo!

Tales of the Microverse 1

Tags

Bill Mantlo, Micronauts, Tales of the Microverse

Let’s take a look at all of the The Tales of the Microverse, originally presented as back up stories in the original 1970s Micronauts series.

If you missed a post, don’t mutate into an superhuman fascist who grows bodies in laboratories – Just activate your subatomic universe by clicking Micronauts Gallery.

Now enjoy this fine tale from the mind of Bill Mantlo!

Wolverine Origin from Alpha Flight 33 and 34!

Tags

adamantium skeleton, Alpha Flight, Bill Mantlo, Lady Deathstrike, Mike Mignola, origin, Sal Buscema, Wolverine, Wolverine Origin

Hats off to Marvel for finding fresh ways to sell a gazillion Wolverine stories to today’s newer fans. We’re glad our favorite mutant can keep the lights on at the House of Ideas! But things were simpler before all this “Wolverine Origins” explosion. Part of Wolverine’s appeal was that we did not know all of his past! Bill Mantlo (with artist Sal Buscema) pulled back the veil ever-so-slightly in the first volume of Alpha Flight. We learned a little bit more about how Wolvie got his adamantium skeleton.

For those without photographic recollection of the plot lines, all you need to know is this: James MacDonald “Mac” Hudson was the founder of Alpha Flight. Alpha Flight was the name of a government project to create a Canadian super-team. Logan and Mac were buddies back when the team was coming together. Mac’s wife Heather donned Mac’s costume following his death in Alpha Flight #12. Here, Wolverine and Heather have a heart-to-heart in the forest before they get jumped by a horde of P.O.-ed samurai/ninja creeps.

Collector’s Guide:
– From Alpha Flight #33-34.

Also features two outstanding Mike Mignola covers. And… roll the clip!

Micronauts – The Acroyears Bonus Poster!

Tags

Acroyear, Bill Mantlo, Kelley Jones, Micronauts, Peter B Gillis

The Acroyears: A Mighty Marvel Bonus Poster
– From Micronauts #52 by Marvel Comics.
Art by Jackson Guice and Kelley Jones.

If you missed a post, don’t mutate into an superhuman fascist who grows bodies in laboratories – Just activate your subatomic universe by clicking Micronauts Gallery.

The original Micronauts series from the 1970s is a mixed bag. Writer Bill Mantlo involves the Micronauts in the super-hero filled “Marvel Universe” and plays on the fact that they would be toy-size in “our reality.” Those are great ideas when writing for 8 year olds. And when we were 8, it was a lot of fun!

But Bill Mantlo acheived literary high points in the series when he left all that “Marvel” stuff behind. He began to delve into the reality of the Micronauts in their own home universe, and develop them as characters – as opposed to developing a toy franchise. The best part of the series is the saga of Acroyear, king of the warrior species of Acroyears. If only Bill had kept the series on this vibe, it would have been masterful.

How do we know? Because that’s exactly what Peter B. Gillis did in 1984 with these characters. Mantlo’s potential became fully realized as Gillis took our adventurers on an epic space saga that explored the depths of their universe and their own depths as characters.

Now many years ago, it might have cost you a pretty penny to get the early Micronauts issues. But these days, you can get the whole series for about a buck a piece.

Is it worth it? We think so. There’s a lot to love about the series. You can also get the entire Micronauts The New Voyages by Peter B. Gillis. If you love science fiction adventure with absolutely cosmic themes, Micronauts New Voyages is a winner!