In this installment, I’m looking back at another Marvel anthology series from back in the day: Astonishing Tales. Issues #4-9 were published in 1971, and in the lead feature, capitalising on his number 1 villain status, the good Dr Doom. And, playing back-up, everyone’s favourite savage, Ka-Zar!
The Doom features were written by Larry Lieber (name familiar? That’s because he was Stan the Man’s brother!) and art chores were handled by DD creator Wally Wood and one of my personal favourites, Gene "The Dean" Colan. These Doom stories were recently reprinted in Essential Super-Villain Team-Up, contender for the longest title of an Essential volume. Here, we join Doom as he has quelled a rebellion against his iron fisted rule. The kingdom needs rebuilding, so Doom surprisingly leaves to spend a bit of quiet time on the French Riviera, as all good despotic monarchs do. Little does he know, but the Red Skull has plans for Latveria, to remake it into a Nazi haven. Doom also journeys to Wakanda, for his first meeting with another super-powered king, the Black Panther. And finally, Victor dabbles in the black arts, to bring his long dead mother back to life.
This is a great series of stories. Doom, as we well know, is no cardboard cut-out of a villain. He cares for his kingdom, and there is a strongly human element to the character that is brought out wonderfully in these stories. More than Stan & Jack were able to do in the FF, Doom really feels like someone who’s mask is worn for protection, and not necessarily merely to strik fear into any who oppose him. Yet for all the sympathies we may have for him, he is still clearly a villain. Doom’s mania is what tips him over the edge, and both the art and writing clearly convey the man’s personality.
Ka-Zar doesn’t get much love from Marvel these days, but in the 70’s he was one of the last links back to the Golden Age of comics, when monster stories were plentiful, and the comics world aped the popular movie genres of the time, including the much loved jungle tales that Tarzan so adequately filled. The Astonishing Tales here begin with the conclusion of the saga of Garrok, the petrified man and ersatz Sun-God. Ka-Zar then battles Damon, a love-lorn sky-God, bent on destruction due to his grief at having lost the love of his life. Finally, we have an unfinished story involving a lost group of British and German soldiers, still fighting World War II 30 years after it’s conclusion in a secluded corner of the Savage Land. Issue #9 is a fill-in, a stand alone story of Ka-Zar fighting an enchantress and her lizard-man henchmen, illustrated by the mighty John Buscema.
Written by Gerry Conway and illustrated by Barry Smith and Herb Trimpe, Ka-Zar has never been bettered. Everything is sleek, and, surprisingly for an anthology book of the time, the colouring is handled very well. The Savage Land looks great, and Ka-Zar looks both lithe and powerful. Plot-wise, we’ve got a bit of craziness, which is always fun. I’m especially intrigued to find out more about the Brits and Nazis, flying on pre-historic monsters as an old war and hatred carries them along. This is pure, kooky fun, with a sabretoothed cat to boot.
If you can scrounge these books anywhere for a reasonable price, and are looking at some old school fun, you could do a lot worse than Astonishing Tales! As to future appearances of Ka-Zar…well, that’s another corner for exploring later.
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