Marvel Team-Up #91Issue(s): Marvel Team-Up #91 / Marvel Tales #256 Review/plot: Ghost Rider is nekkid! How did that get past the Comics Code Authority? The bad guy here is a magician named Moondark. He's appeared once before in an old issue of Marvel Team-Up. He considers Spider-Man his "greatest foe". Spidey vaguely recalls him as "another cornball third-rate wizard in a turban". He's stealing souls or something. After Spidey shakes GR from Moondark's mind control... ...Spidey and GR put a stop to it, but Spidey is again put off by Ghost Rider's cruel attitude, which is even worse than the last time they met. In the Marvel Tales reprint, there's a back-up story about some of the circus freaks from Moondark's circus. It's here where it's confirmed that the Man-Thing was actually a completely different monster. It's plotted by Scott Lobdell and scripted by Dan Slott in possibly his earliest work at Marvel. It's drawn by Mark Pacella in an early 90s McFarlane-esque style. I thought it was going to be terrible, but it's really only pretty bad. They protect a scientist from Hammer & Anvil. I like the fact that the Marvel Tales back-ups, as throwaway at they may be, follow-up directly on the main story being reprinted. And in many cases, they help smooth over potential continuity problems. In Marvel Tales #262's back-up, we saw how Jean Grey got injured again explaining why she needed to be ("re-")hospitalized. In Marvel Tales #255 we see the Trapster recovering from being burned by the Ghost Rider. And in this issue... well, we confirm that the Man-Thing appearing in the main story wasn't the real deal, and it also shows how Hammer & Anvil get their connecting cable repaired. Quality Rating: C Chronological Placement Considerations: Per the note in MTU #88, this has to take place after Amazing Spider-Man #200. The MCP places Ghost Rider here between Ghost Rider #40-41. References:
Crossover: N/A Continuity Insert? P - (Back up story in reprint adds new material) My Reprint: Marvel Tales #256 Inbound References (4): showCharacters Appearing: Anvil, Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze), Glory Grant, Gorilla Girl, Hammer, Moondark, Muck Monster, Six, Spider-Man CommentsThere was a 1962 horror movie called "Carnival of Souls", but it doesn't seem like this story refers to it at all. Posted by: Mark Drummond | September 4, 2011 7:51 PM Jeez, how bad can the art in the back up be? Look how it can't even be consistant with which arms Hammer and Anvil are connected by. In one panel it is right wrist to right wrist. Talk about taking no pride in your work. Posted by: kveto from prague | November 13, 2012 7:00 PM Gorilla Girl will become a cadet of The Initiative Posted by: Midnighter | July 29, 2013 11:34 PM Thanks, Midnighter. I've added her to the Characters Appearing, along with "Muck Monster" and "Six" (even though so far they haven't had any more appearances). Posted by: fnord12 | July 30, 2013 9:37 AM Comments are now closed. |
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