Issue(s): Werewolf By Night #31
Cover Date: Jul 75
Title: "Death in white"
Credits:
Doug Moench - Writer
Don Perlin - Penciler
Don Perlin - Inker

Review/plot:
I've joked a few times that Jack Russell's relationship with Buck Cowan seems a little... metatextual. But in this issue it turns out that Buck has gotten himself a beard girlfriend. This is surprising to the other characters (Lissa: "I was beginning to think he was a monk or something--!"). But he still brings Jack (and, granted, Topaz) along on his date, and there's still something going on between them.

The girl being unbearably precocious is "Buttons" Marston, and her mother Elaine is Buck's date. We'll learn what happened to the father in the next bewildering arc. But for now this is a relatively straightforward story about a man who knows that he's a werewolf but nonetheless goes on a ski trip and winds up mauling his best friend during a blizzard.

Brutal.

The Werewolf staggers off and transforms back into Jack, who is completely oblivious to the fact that he's just torn Buck to shreds.

I like seeing the Werewolf being truly dangerous (and it's interesting that this is the second time the ferocity has been directed at Buck; see Werewolf By Night #22), but it's hard to get involved when we're some 30 issues into the series and Jack still hasn't figured out that he has to try a little harder to restrain himself during the full moon period.

Also in this issue, the voodoo witch Jeesala dramatically reveals to Raymond Coker that he's a werewolf!!! But he and we already knew that, and he's already been cured of that affliction and that's not why he's here. So it's kind of a waste of a subplot scene, and we'll have to wait until next issue to find out what the heck this subplot is all about.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: It's said to have been a "month" since last issue. Two complications with that: 1) Raymond Coker and the Jeesala are shown to be continuing the same conversation from last issue. 2) Giant-Size Werewolf #4 (and #5, maybe) has to take place somewhere, and before Buck is injured this issue. For the first issue, i've already speculated that it's just a really looooong conversation or there's some voodoo time magic going on, and for the second, since the issue is narrated in the first person, i'm just assuming that Jack got the date wrong. After all, the guy can barely keep track of what day it is ("Oh look at that. Full moon again!"). This story really runs directly into issue #32, although the narrative device used in that issue creates a mini-gap between issues so i'm keeping this in a separate entry.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Essential Werewolf By Night vol. 2

I've always been impressed by the stupidity of Jack's "solution" in this story. Leaving the Werewolf in the woods far from people might work. Except that it turns out Jack chose a site close enough to the lodge for a CHILD to walk to in bad weather.

Another pain in the butt about narration saying it's been "a month" between issues is Marvel time, which after Franklin Richards birth is approx four calendar years for one Marvel year ... late teen Topaz very clearly turns 21 in late 1980s Dr. Strange, almoat a decade of publishing time later. The whole "one month later" wrecks havoc on my Marvel anal retentiveness

No one with the handle "Buttons" has any business saying someone has a funny name, child or otherwise.