Killraven Amazing Adventures No. 33

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 33

(November 1975)

‘Amazing Adventures’ No. 33,  featuring Killraven in ‘The War of the Worlds’, was issued with a publication date of November 1975. Don McGregor is replaced as writer by Bill Mantlo, while Herb Trimpe replaced Craig Russell as the artist.

This episode, ‘Sing out loudly…Death !’ is one of the more inventive in the series. Killraven and his crew are hiking through West Virginia when they decide to rest up in a cave. While the other members of his party sleep, Killraven, troubled by Psychic Visions, wanders into the interior of the cave. There he comes upon an African village (!) complete with grass huts, and bare-chested natives in loincloths chucking spears - !

Killraven is subdued and brought before a pimp (!) who reveals that during the conflict of the Martian invasion, he led a small army of black folks away from the cities and into seclusion, refusing to join Whitey in the fight against the invaders:

Things aren't looking to good for Killraven, for the 'brothers' holding him in captivity have no love for honkies. But then a Martian monster rears its ugly green head.....

Will Killraven - raised in the postracial world of the invasion aftermath - be able to convince the homiez not to smoke his ass ? Will the Kumbayaa Spirit take hold and bring racial harmony to the cave dwellers ? This is a Marvel comic from 1975, after all, so don't expect any major surprises. 

But this remains one of the more entertaining installments of the series, which was starting to look vulnerable in the eyes of the Marvel editorial staff....although its readers were blithely ignorant, the Killraven saga was on its last legs as 1975 drew to a close....

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 32

(September 1975)

'Amazing Adventures' issue 32 features Killraven in 'Only the Computer Can Save Me Now', scripted by Don McGregor and illustrated by Craig Russell.

Killraven and his team of rebels are poking around the ruins of Nashville ca. 2019 when they come upon a remarkable glass structure dating from the 1990s (i.e., the pre-War of the Worlds era).

Wandering inside, the party triggers the building's 'octo-tympanum-view-scope' which, back when invented in the 90s, gives the viewer a series of hallucinations accompanied by a psychedelic soundtrack. Sort of like an 'acid trip' mediated by the 70's idea of the ultimate home stereo system.

Don McGregor's growing infatuation with the New Wave prose style then much in fashion in SF goes overboard here, with Russell's artwork struggling to overcome a burden of pretentious text. This is a 'deep' episode with minimal action and much angst among our cast of characters...in a way, very 70s in tenor and theme.

 

Killraven Amazing Adventures No. 31

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 31

(July 1975)

 

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‘Amazing Adventures featuring Killraven: Warrior of the Worlds’ No. 31 is dated July 1975 (which means it was on stands at the beginning of June). The cover art is by Craig Russell, who also did the interior art. This issue’s story, ‘The Day the Monuments Shattered’, is written by Don McGregor.

This issue saw the page count rise to 18, but the presence of the extra 3 pages didn’t stop McGregor from cramming every panel with excess verbiage of the most purple kind. This is too bad, because artist Russell works in some cool monster battle imagery, equal to what Herb Trimpe was producing in the first few issues of the series.

This time the monster is some sort of mutant amalgamation of reptile, fish, and octopus, and the whole Killraven crew must team up to bring it down….and to make things worse, Martian lackeys ‘Sacrificer’ and ‘Atalon’ both are on the scene, looking for revenge for Killraven’s destruction of their ‘breeding’ operation….

Despite some uneven plotting by McGregor, this is one of the better issues of 1975 - something necessary to keep the franchise afloat until the end of the year, at least.

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 30

(May 1975)

The May 1975 issue of ‘Amazing Adventures’ No. 30 features one of the more iconic representations of Killraven and the Marvel ‘War of the Worlds’ storyline. 

The cover of the British edition was  used by author David Kyle in his section on H. G. Wells’ novel in 'A Pictorial History of Science Fiction' (1977, Hamlyn, London).

It’s also featured on the back cover of the 'Marvel Essentials' black & white collection of the Killraven saga.

 

Unfortunately, however striking the cover, the contents of this issue leave a lot to be desired. By Spring 1975 Marvel’s publication schedule was so over-ambitious that it wasn’t unusual for Stan Lee to recycle previously published material in order to fill the necessary page count and meet  deadlines. For Amazing Adventures No. 30, pages from issue No. 23 (‘The Legend Assassins’) and issue No. 24 (‘For He’s A Jolly Dead Rebel’) are inserted under the ruse of a ‘flashback’ storyline featuring the High Overlord.

[In fairness to Lee, he wasn’t alone in shamelessly recycling comics during the 70s. Over at Warren publishing, James Warren was regularly reprinting previous strips into new issues of Erie and Creepy. Maybe, like Warren, Lee was reluctant to expand his payroll when he could wrest sheckels from the unwary buyer for the old stuff in new packaging…..]

The last page of the book tells us that, far from dying in the assault that killed their mother when they were boys, Killraven’s brother Deathraven is alive and well… and awaiting our hero at Yellowstone National Park. It’s the only really rewarding tidbit present in one of the more forgettable issues of the Killraven saga........

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 29

(March 1975)

‘Amazing Adventures featuring Killraven’ No. 29 (March 1975) appeared on newsstands in the Christmas / New Years season of 1974. 

This issue, ‘The Hell Destroyers’,  continues the ‘Death Breeders’ storyline involving Killraven's quest to free what used to be Chicago from control of the Martians and their human lackeys. The script is by Don McGregor and the art and colors by Craig Russel. 

Things improve page-wise with this issue, as the number of pages devoted to the Killraven story goes up to 19, with no filler material (such as reprints from Marvel stories from the 1950s). The reason for the return to the page counts routine for comics of previous years is unclear; perhaps the beleaguered Marvel staff is beginning to catch up with their workload. Or maybe Stan Lee came to his senses and canceled a bunch of books and assigned the artists to existing titles.   


Unfortunately, despite the increased pages given to him to work with, MacGregor can't help stuffing too much awful dialogue and text boxes into each panel, essentially overwhelming the decent art by Russell. There are also too many characters vying for attention - Killraven's crew has grown too big for its own good. Nonetheless the story does work up some momentum, and features some gruesome revenge upon the servants of the Martians.

 

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 28

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 28 
(January 1975)

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‘Amazing Adventures featuring War of the Worlds’ No. 28 (January 1975) appeared on newsstands in the late Fall of 1974. 

This issue, ‘The Death Merchant’,  continues the ‘Death Breeders’ storyline started in the previous issue. The script is by Don McGregor and the art and colors by Craig Russel.

With new recruit Volcana (a female version of the Human Torch) in tow, Killraven and his crew make their way to the Martian redoubt of Chicago, where humans are kept as slaves. Any newly birthed offspring are consigned to a gruesome fate: as morsels for Martian palates (!) This was a rather shocking plot device for a CCA – approved comic in 1974.

As with previous issues of ‘Adventures’ only 15 pages are provided for the Killraven story, with a two-page reprint of an old Marvel comic serving as the backup feature. As a result, while Russel’s artwork is reasonably good, McGregor’s script tries to do too much in too few pages, and the plot suffers as a result. The narrative abruptly jumps from page to page without much in the way of transition, and the excessive text boxes and speech balloons littering almost every panel occlude the action.

The letters pages offer some interesting insight into Marvel’s economic and circulation issues as 1974 drew to a close: a Bullpen essay titled ‘War of the Ratings’ reveals that issue 25, ‘The Devil’s Marauder’, sold poorly enough to give the editorial staff pause. ‘Amazing Adventures’ readers are encouraged to write in with their critiques of the series so that the Marvel staff can improve the book and its circulation.

This sort of self-disclosure was quite rare for Marvel books. Unfortunately, the obvious choice for improving the title- increasing the main story's page count back to 20 pages, and hiring more artists to relieve the over-extended staff – seems to have been non-negotiable.

Below are two pages excerpted from the story, depicting some combat between Killraven and his team and the overseers of the Death Breeder facility.

 

Killraven: Amazing Adventures No. 27

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 27 (November 1974)

The cover for ‘Amazing Adventures’ No. 27 (November 1974) is uncredited but judging by the intricate style of the artwork and the ‘cosmic’ background, it’s probably Jim Starlin (and maybe the illustration was originally designed for an issue of ‘Captain Marvel’ or ‘Warlock’ ?).

‘The Death Breeders’ is scripted by Don McGregor, and Craig Russell provides the artwork.

The book opens with Killraven and company iceboating on Lake Michigan, where they are attacked by giant lampreys (?!). This is less cheesy than it sounds; as the scan’s I’ve posted below indicate, it’s a harrowing battle that sees poor Grok the mutant nearly exsanguinated...

This issue introduces Volcana Ash, a woman with the attributes of Medusa and the Human Torch. She leads the rebels to Milwaukee, where the Martians have set up a colony of human slaves who are treated most heinously. It’s Killraven’s intent to free the wretched slaves, but the Martians have other plans…

This issue is a welcome change from the rather mediocre efforts of the previous several installments of ‘Amazing Adventures’. Russell’s artwork is dynamic and shows attention to detail, and McGregor’s plot provides as much brutality and bloodshed as a Code-approved book could allow in 1974.

The Marvel Bullpen page trumpets the forthcoming hardbound book ‘Origins of Marvel Comics’, as well as a new magazine called ‘Nostalgia Illustrated’ (?!) which seems to have been yet another a spur-of-the-moment effort by Stan Lee to cash in on the nostalgia craze then gripping the popular culture.

Editor Roy Thomas’s essay refers to the staff’s pastimes in that Summer of '74:

“Steve Englehart and Gil Kane were basking languidly by their swimming pools – and maybe sneaking a fast dip or two between deadlines.”

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 26 (September 1974)

 

Issue 26 (September 1974) of ‘Amazing Adventures’ features the ‘War of the Worlds’ storyline; this time Killraven and his band of rebels are involved in ‘Something Worth Dying For’, written by Don McGregor and illustrated by Gene (‘The Dean’) Colan.

The locale is Battle Creek, Michigan, and the comic features more than a few references to cereals and junk foods in the speech balloons and text narrative; presumably in a hip and snarky post-modern sort of way.

There is some cheesecake provided for the fans when Carmilla Frost, the shapely molecular biologist who has joined the Killraven crew, decides to take a bath in a nearby stream despite the chill winter weather (a trooper, that Carmilla !). 

Some local perverts take too close an interest in her ablutions, and some mayhem occurs…..

The story culminates in a confrontation with the villain on the book’s cover, one ‘Pstun-Rage’ (?!).

This is another underwhelming issue in the series. Signs of tiredness were beginning to show in the writing and the art, no doubt occasioned by Stan Lee’s misguided insistence on expanding the Marvel product line without much regard to whether the company could handle the workload.

In his Soapbox Lee crows about the advent of ‘Spidey’ stories, a new comic produced in partnership with Sesame Street spinoff ‘The Electric Company’. In keeping with the Sesame Street ethos, Spidey was aimed at grade-school kids whose reading comprehension had been severely downgraded  by over-exposure to TV.

Needless to say, Lee saw the partnership as a signal opportunity to present comic books as an Aid to Learning (as opposed to their historical perception as vehicles for juvenile delinquency and stunted personal growth).

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 25 (July 1974)

‘Amazing Adventures’ 25 (July, 1974) features Killraven in ‘The Devil’s Marauder’, with script by Don McGregor and art by Rich Buckler, who was replacing Herb Trimpe.

Things start somewhat promisingly, as we are treated to the sight of an escaping slave being executed in rather gruesome fashion by a tripod driven by a villainous individual named Skar. Killraven launches himself at the tripod canopy and a major battle with Skar looms….or so it seems (panels below).

This issue of ‘Amazing Adventures’ is one of the least impressive ones in the Killraven series. It shows too many signs of hasty artwork on Buckler’s part, with poor color separations to boot. As far as the storyline goes, it initially sets up what looks like an exciting confrontation with a genuinely nasty adversary, but instead lapses into a rushed, underwhelming ending, as if McGregor had abruptly discovered that he had only 15 pages this issue, not the historic 20, to work with.

The other material in the book includes a three-page reprint of an old Marvel horror comic reprint, ‘Are You Ready for the Impossible’; a letters page; and several Bullpen pages, on one of which Stan Lee shills for the Marvel ‘Value Stamp’ booklet (50 cents).

All through the last half of 1973 it was clear that Marvel was running into production problems as Lee lavished attention on an ever-increasing line of b & w magazines designed to assuage his envy of James Warren’s publishing success with ‘Creepy’ and ‘Erie’. This meant that Marvel’s color comic output suffered from a lack of resources. Unfortunately, the early months of 1974 made clear that at Marvel, things were going to get worse before they got better….

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 24 (May 1974)

'Amazing Adventures' No. 24 (May 1974) features Killraven in the 'War of the Worlds' storyline. This issue is titled 'For He's A Jolly Dead Rebel', with script by Don McGregor and art by Herb Trimpe.

Although the cover date was May 1974, the issue was actually on the stands in early Winter 1974, therefore, there is a 'New Year 2019' theme.

The story: having escaped Abraxas and the Martians at the ruins of the Lincoln Memorial, Killraven and his band of adventurers make for the underground tunnel system that encircles the ruins of Washington, DC. There they have the misfortune to encounter a horde of mutated vampire bats; I've excerpted some pages of the ensuing mayhem.

Despite an increase in the cover price from 20 cents to 25 cents (a rather large increase according to the economics of the time), this issue, as others before it, offers only 15 pages for the Killraven tale, with another 4 pages being made up of (yet another) reprint from a long-ago issue of 'Journey Into Mystery' from the Marvel vaults. With the New Year of 1974 dawning, Marvel was still having problems with producing material to fill its rapidly expanding list of titles.

Killraven: 'Amazing Adventures' No. 23 (March 1974)

‘Amazing Adventures’ No. 23 (March 1974) was written by Don McGregor and  illustrated by Herb Trimpe. In this issue, the ‘War of the Worlds’ storyline continues, and the title of this chapter is ‘The Legend Assassins’.

I previously posted an excerpt of this issue taken from the b & w ‘Marvel Essentials: Killraven’ trade paperback, but the excerpt looks much better in full color, as presented here from the original comic. The green-skinned, white-haired chick on the cover is ‘Mint Julep’, a soldier-ess of fortune who threw in with Killraven and his crew on a sporadic basis.

In ‘The Legend Assassins’, Killraven finds himself captured by ‘Rattack’, a mutant human-rat creature who was (prior to the war with the Martians) a secret service agent (!?). In homage to the early 70s thrillers ‘Willard’ (1971) and ‘Ben’ (1972), there is a sequence in which a bound and helpless Killraven serves as a living meal for the little beady-eyed minions of Rattack, which I have posted here.  While nowadays such a setup would draw little oversight, this was rather intense stuff for a Code-approved comic published at the end of 1973.