Chilling Adventures In Sorcery #3: "Missing Link!"

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Does anyone out there know what the worst cliché in the Science Fiction genre is? That's right, it's when the last two survivors of a post-apocalyptic Earth turn out to be Adam and Eve. Well, this story isn't quite that clichéd, but it nearly is, which was more than fine for me back when I picked this up at the age of nine or ten. After all, such concepts were still new to me back then as a child. It also helps when you're a sucker for a well-told time travel story like I was (still am) and admire the meticulous and brilliant artwork of Gray Morrow, even if he was a tad verbose on this one. But all that nitpicking aside, "Missing Link" is well worth your time and just look at that gorgeous cover art!

Tomb of Darkness #19: "It's Only Magic!"

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I can still recall picking this comic book up off the racks in Rexal's Drug Store, just to reminisce out loud for a moment. Tomb of Darkness #19 contains this excellent short story written by Stan "The Man" Lee and beautifully illustrated by John Buscema, which is about a boy who's seeking wealth and power via supernatural means. In his haste for shortcuts to fame and fortune, the boy sneaks into an occult bookstore and pockets a book on ancient Druid spells in order to conjure a djinn to do his bidding. Of course, events don't go as the boy had planned and I thought the ending was pretty damn clever, which is why I heartily recommend this one. It's only too bad that I can't make the same recommendation for the rest of the stories contained inside this comic book, but this particular story is a great read.


Credits

Cover: Ron Wilson
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: John Verpoorten

Reprinted:

• from Chamber of Darkness (Marvel, 1969 series) #1 (October 1969).

The Vigilante #18: "Father's Day Part II"

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Here is the conclusion to the excellent "Father's Day," which was written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Jim Baikie. Click here to go to Part I.

The Vigilante #17: "Father's Day"

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Alan Moore's two-part fill-in from Vigilante issues #17 and #18, published in 1985, is one of the best superhero comic books that I've ever read. Moore uses the hooded vigilante set-up to examine attitudes to vengeance by humanizing the villain. In this case, the antagonist is a father who has sexually abused his daughter. While it's impossible to find any sympathy for the father, Moore builds a portrait that is sympathetic to the character's misery. Equally, Moore picks at the masked vigilante concept and allows the supporting cast to mock the appearance of a costumed do-gooder in this supposedly realistic world of street crime and drugs.

Illustrator Jim Baikie had previously worked with Moore on the schoolgirl-meets-alien story Skizz in 2000 AD, and gives the story its gritty, urban feel. This two-parter is highly recommended! A must read!