Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1975-10-01 00:02:10 |
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Marvel Chillers #1
Issue(s): Marvel Chillers #1
Cover Date: Oct 75
Title: "---Magic is alive!"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer (Woven & told by)
Marv Wolfman - Co-plotter (Inspired by)
Yong Montano - Penciler (Luminated by)
Yong Montano - Inker
Review/plot:
So far we have only seen Bill Mantlo on fill in books. This is the first book (in the color line, anyway - he's been doing stuff for Marvel's B&W Mags) that he actually 'owns'. It's not very good. The problem is that it seems to be trying to cram too much in for the first issue (for what it's worth the story has to share space with a reprint from Mystical Tales #7 that has the standard time travel plot where the guy murders his own ancestor and worries that he will cease to exist).
The plot has to do with a pair of archeologists (although they are very young, almost child-like)...
...discovering a medieval wizard who has been in suspended animation under a mountain since he dared to learn the secret of the book of Darkhold and the Chthulu-esque demon Ch'thon.
The wizard, Modred, had a grudge against Merlin, and that's what pushed him to try to use the Darkhold (and despite what's said about Merlin, it's Modred who doesn't come off looking so good in these scenes).
The art is very "Prince Valiant" and the word count per panel is overwhelming.
Quality Rating: C-
Historical Significance Rating: 3 - First Mordred The Mystic
Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A
References: N/A
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
Inbound References (5): showCharacters Appearing: Ch'thon, Modred the Mystic 1975 / Box 10 / EiC Upheaval Previous:
Werewolf By Night #32-33Up:
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Marvel Team-Up #36-37
Comments
No matter how relaxed you are, the brief Modred series will make your head hurt just by looking at it; something I can only say about a few Bronze Age comics.
Len Wein later stated that he was the one who brought Mantlo into writing; before that he was employed by Marvel strictly as a colorist.
Marie Severin's original Modred design was published in FOOM #11; he was much skinnier and wimpier looking with a more simplistic costume.
It was revealed later(or maybe in just some fanzine articles?) that the "Merlin" referred to here--and in MTIO#33--was the Maha Yogi/Warlock.
fnord, you say first Book of Darkhold, but didn't you already say the Darkhold first appeared in http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/marvel_spotlight_3.shtml ?
Yes, thanks Andrew. At the time i wasn't aware that the Darkhold first appeared in WWBN.
