Issue(s): Marvel Fanfare #51
Cover Date: Jun 90
Title: "The believer"
Credits:
Dean Allen Schreck - Writer
Gene Colan - Penciler
Al Williamson - Inker
Marc McLaurin - Assistant Editor
Al Milgrom - Editor

Review/plot:
The main story in this issue is the abandoned original version of 1987's Silver Surfer #1. As discussed in that entry, originally the series was going to be in the format of the original Silver Age Silver Surfer series: double-sized, drawn by John Buscema, and with the Surfer trapped on Earth. The story printed in this issue shows that Steve Englehart and John Buscema captured the tone of the original series almost too perfectly, and it has a kind of retro feel to it; i think the eventual series with art by Marshall Rogers, and with the Surfer able to surf the spaceways, worked better for bringing the character to a modern audience. But if you want to see John Buscema draw Mangog and Mephisto and the Kree Supreme Intelligence, this issue is worth checking out. That said, it's not in continuity and not a part of my project.

The issue does, however, have a short back-up story that is nominally a part of the Marvel universe. It's really just a simple horror story, the kind with a twist like you would see in the early Silver Age, with art by Gene Colan. But the story is introduced by Nightmare (although he looks more like D'Spayre)...

...and for that and that alone, i'm including it.

A man has acquired a cassette tape that he thinks will teach him the magic of a wizard named Malleus.

Malleus did warn the guy to leave his ego aside and tell no one about the tape.

But obviously the guy didn't listen, and his "buddies" sneak into the house and overdub a radio dramatization about Hiroshima. And when their friend goes missing, they go to his apartment and find that he's been turned into a nuclear shadow.

Statement of Ownership Total Paid Circulation: Average of Past 12 months = 50,300. Single issue closest to filing date = 42,600.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A