Night of the Laughing Dead: Man-Thing 5 and 6

Man-Thing #5  (May 1974)
"Night of the Laughing Dead"
Steve Gerber- Mike Ploog / Frank Chiaramonte

Man-Thing #6  (June 1974)
"And When I Died"
Steve Gerber- Mike Ploog / Frank Chiaramonte

Redartz: Good day, fright fans! In honor of the upcoming Halloween Holiday, today we will revisit an excellent 2-parter featuring Marvel's own denizen of the dismal swamps, the Man-Thing. Issue 5 was the first 'monster' book I ever bought (truth be told, at the time I only bought it for the Marvel Value Stamp- yes, they led this fan to spend extra quarters on unfamiliar comics). Upon reading this issue, and the subsequent one with the story's conclusion, I was hooked on ol' Manny, and followed his book for years...




As our story opens, we see a pretty downcast clown, Darrell, who proceeds to 'take the last train out'. 

The Man-Thing is attracted by the sound of the gunshot, and soon stumbles upon the tragic scene...

Prodded by vague memories of 'funerals', Man-Thing carries off the body. 

Meanwhile, Manny's friend Richard Rory and his companion Ruth Hart encounter Ayla, Darrell's love and fellow circus performer, along with Tragg (the strongman) and Garvey, the rather unsavory owner. 

Ayla flees the circus, along with Richard and Ruth. We learn that Darrell was devastated, mistakenly thinking Ayla had deceived him with Garvey. Ayla, fearful for Darrell' well-being, drags Richard and Ruth into the swamp , only to find his body being carried by the Man-Thing. Meanwhile, Garvey and his thug Tragg have followed them all. Unfortunately, they  wreck their truck after swerving to avoid what they thought was Darrell, dancing in the roadway. Garvey and Tragg follow the 'clown' and find the group gathered around Darrell's body. When Tragg tries to lay into the clown, Richard intervenes, and gets clobbered for it. Man-Thing goes to defend  his friend, and as he and Tragg trade slime, something distracts everyone:

At this point, Darrell's spirit rises from his body, and informs the group that they will all be actors, portraying the characters in Darrell's past life. The performance will be judged by the "critics",  who will then decide Darrell's soul's ultimate fate.

 




The spectral clown transforms the cast , Man-Thing portraying Darrell's 'inner demon'. Appropriately, as Man-Thing senses emotion, as opposed to understanding words, and can 'feel' Darrell's conflicts. The Spectral Darrell then directs  scenes from his past, from boyhood through teenhood, and into adulthood. 

 The reasons for Darrell's deep depression becomes apparent to everyone. However, the 'critics' decide he failed to justify his suicide and prepare to discard his soul. These 'critics' are revealed as representatives of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. At this point Man-Thing intervenes (empathetically defending Darrell and his soul), and battle ensues. But Ayla ceases the clamor with her plea for Darrell, and  the 'critics' are finally convinced. And Darrell's corpse smiles.... 

  

Steve Gerber (one of my favorite Bronze age storytellers) approaches this title almost like an anthology series, with each story revolving around the supporting cast (primarily Richard Rory and Ruth Hart) and the particular new characters introduced for that specific tale. The Man-Thing himself often (but certainly not always) acts as a metaphor for justice, perhaps, or fate, or as a 'deux et machina'. In this story, he (literally) acts as Darrell's inner demon, and at story's end takes action to defend the soul he had shared.

The first half of the story, in issue 5, is mainly down -to- swampy earth creepy fare, introducing the colorful cast of circus members and following their conflict with and pursuit of the unfortunate Darrell. Incidentally, when I first read this at age 13, it seemed pretty intense- suicide being such a central element of this comic book story. Gerber excels at portraying conflicted, unorthodox, even convoluted characters. Many such characters are found in his Defenders and Howard the Duck books, often with a lighter (or more fantastic, anyway) tone. But in this story these characters are 'regular people' (ghost clowns being excepted, of course), and their turmoils seem deadly serious. When the Headmen face the Defenders, there is a distinct humorous touch. Conversely, when Tragg gut-punches Rory, it's no laughing matter. 

The second half of the story (issue 6) has a very different tone. Much of the issue is taken up by the mystical performance of Darrell's life by the transmogrified cast, and by the final battle with the emissaries of heaven, hell and purgatory. We aren't told how those transformations are done- it's just accepted as part of the spiritual events of the story. Just as we accept Darrell's spirit rising from the corpse, and we accept the appearance of the denizens of the Afterlife. The whole ghostly performance is a chance for Gerber to explore some issues of Troubled Youth (something he dealt with often). The two halves of the story complement each other nicely, balancing the earthly with the spiritual. 

As for the artwork: in a word, perfect. Mike Ploog gives an almost cartoony look to the scenery and cast, just ideal for depicting Gerber's slightly off-kilter world. His Man-Thing is terrific, his Tragg suitably thuggish. And his spectral clown Darrell is beautifully creepy. Frank Chiaramonte's inks work well. Not overpowering, letting Ploog's pencils shine, and also providing some nice use of blacks and shadow. 

Additionally, a point should be made about Ploog's renditions of people in general. His men and women look like 'ordinary folks', as opposed to appearing as eye-pleasing models rendered by, say, a John Romita.  Ploog's characters have wrinkles, sags, flaws. All the better to make them more identifiable and sympathetic to the reader, especially when placed in some pretty far-out situations such as Gerber creates. 

This little two-parter made me a Man-Thing reader for good. "Man-Thing" is, in a way, like Spider-Man: the supporting cast is as important as the main character. Richard Rory is one of those 'likeable losers', and his friendship with Manny is both heartwarming and quite odd. Those odd elements abounded in Gerber's books, and some worked better than others. In this tale, though, all those elements coalesced into a very eerie, very memorable, very enjoyable story. 

Discuss: Flame-outs

Doug: We have all seen moments of brilliance - zenith, even - followed by Poof! Gone! I'm thinking of the aforementioned Mike Ploog on Monster of Frankenstein. Obviously as moderator I don't want to take any more suggestions away from our conversational readers, but I'd lie if I didn't say Marshall Rogers' run on Detective Comics didn't fit into this category.

Doug: So here's the charge today -- who are those creators whose tenures on a given book were so short that it just left a hole in your reading enjoyment after their departure? And as we said last Tuesday, the following writer or artist (or combination) didn't have to be a step down -- I mean, John Buscema followed Ploog, for crying out loud! Not exactly a consolation prize. You might mention, if you know, who the succeeding creator was (hey, if you know the preceding creator that might be fun as well) and we can add that to our discussion. Should be fun!

PS: Karen's a lucky duck -- she and her husband have been at Disneyland the past few days. She hopes to bring you a report very soon on the Marvel and Star Wars influences in the park. I'm looking forward to it!

Well, That Was Better Than I Expected...

Doug: Today we thought we'd give our readers an opportunity to expound on some media you've recently enjoyed that was perhaps better than you had previously known or anticipated. One of the books that Karen and I have both been enjoying is the recently-released monster-sized (ha...) trade paperback Monster of Frankenstein.

The massive tome reprints all things Monster from the eponymous series of the early Bronze Age through the B&W mags and up to the two-parter in Marvel Team-Up.If memory serves, I was aware of the solo book but really had no interest in it. This trade has been an epiphany for me, one so strong that I feel like face palming like "what was I thinking (when I was 8 years old)??"

Karen: I was really looking forward to this collection of Frankenstein comics, not just because I am a big Frankenstein fan, but because I had only a few of these issues as a kid, and none of the Ploog ones! I've now read a little more than halfway through the collection -- into the Monsters Unleashed stories -- and I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised. The first six issues by Ploog are far superior to anything else in the book. Ploog's artwork here is is eerily beautiful and  richly atmospheric. I've always loved his work on Werewolf By Night and Ghost Rider (and anything else), but I almost feel like this is the best I have ever seen by him. He inks himself on issues 1-3 and 6 (John Verpoorten inks issues 4 and 5) and he does a wonderful job. There's a lushness to his pen work. The story is solid, a continuation of the Shelley story for the most part, with the Monster as presented in the novel: literate, thoughtful, but a vengeful creature who has killed in his never-ending hatred of his creator, who abandoned him. 

Doug: I have to confess to our readers that Karen and I had discussed (about a month ago) readying a couple reviews from the book for the days preceding Halloween. Obviously that didn't happen (no, instead busy life happened for both of us). Funny thing was, I was going to suggest the Marvel Team-Up with the Monster, which led into the conclusion that headlined Man-Wolf. To be quite honest, those stories along with the Monster's appearance in the "Celestial Madonna" epic was my only exposure to the character when I was a child.

Karen: I felt the quality of both the story and art dropped off once Ploog left, with issue 7. I never thought I'd complain about the art on a book that was picked up by John Buscema, but I don't think this was his finest work -- not bad at all, but it was, by his standards, rather pedestrian. Storywise, although Gary Friedrich stayed on for much of the run (as I said, I'm only halfway through) the shift into modern times, and the decision to have the Monster become mute, sapped a lot of the energy out of the story for me. I'll continue on with it, but so far, it is the first six issues that really gave this collection value for me. And I'm still happy I bought it, even if the rest of the book turns out to be a big blah!

Doug: I think I'm a few issues behind you (I've just finished the Dracula 2-parter in Monster of Frankenstein #s 8-9). I'm really looking forward to the reprints from the B&W magazines. As I've remarked in previous discussions, those seemed like sort of a forbidden fruit back in the day -- I never asked my mom to buy any for me at the grocery store. I don't know how she would have responded; I think I was just aware that they were much pricier than comics. I'm not sure what level of enjoyment the rest of the book will hold (I am looking forward to some of the stories inked by Syd Shores -- thanks, PFG!), but like you I am glad I own this now. As Karen says, the Ploog issues are visually magnificent. I have to concur with everything she says above and you'd have my highest recommendation for both the pictures but also the words for these stories. The books are wordy, but Gary Friedrich's dialogue is strong and the level of detail is in no way a bore. Strong, strong graphic literature.

Karen: Another thing I am happily surprised by is the new TV show Ash Vs. Evil Dead. I've now seen three episodes and each time I have had a good laugh. If you liked the Evil Dead films or Army of Darkness you should like this series. I have to admit, I wasn't a huge fan of the Evil Dead films but I did like Army of Darkness a lot. This show takes the Ash character from those but the connection to them -the continuity - is sort of loose. It doesn't matter though; all you need to know is Ash is his usual brilliantly stupid self and has released the Deadites on Earth again. Now he has a couple of young partners helping him try to stop the end of the world. The episodes are only a half hour long, which is the perfect amount of time for this kind of goofy mayhem. I have to tip my hat to Bruce Campbell, who somehow makes Ash likable and eminently watchable. 

Doug: My wife and I have been watching NBC's Blindspot since its premiere earlier this fall. My personal jury is out on it -- it's OK, but it raises questions for me plot-wise each week. And I'm not usually one to get too deep into a script. Both of us are generally sit-back-and-be-entertained viewers, but this show has me thinking it could be better. We still enjoy reruns of the first 4-5 seasons of ABC's Castle, although I am finding the current season to be a slog. Perhaps eight is indeed enough. So neither show gets a ringing endorsement from me, unless you DVR the old Castles shown on TNT.

Karen: Surprisingly, I have been disappointed by the Supergirl TV show. I just find it too formulaic. It's so much like every other super-hero TV show we already have. Super-secret organization involved? Check. Team of friends helping the hero? Check. Freak of the week whose origin is connected back to the hero? Check. It's just too much like Flash, Agents of  SHIELD, heck, even Smallville. I was hoping we'd get something new and exciting with a female lead -- and the actress is engaging -- but so far it has done nothing for me. 

Doug: I'll agree -- I've tried to come back to Supergirl but just haven't felt like investing the commitment. I totally agree that Melissa Benoist is quite charming in the lead role, but the show didn't seem to take many risks... what I've seen of it that is. I am hoping that today William will be along to state some of the criticisms he holds of the show and did not divulge when we ran this as a topic a couple of weeks ago.


Doug: So there you have it, kids. Today let's get some thoughts on media with which you've recently engaged that surpassed your expectations, and some that fell short and/or left you cold.

Who's the Best... Monster and/or Horror Artist?

Karen: Happy Halloween friends. Today we're talking about who's the best Bronze Age horror or monster artist. A lot of great names...Ploog, Wrightson, Colan instantly come to mind. Who's your choice for the top spot in comic book horror from the 70s/80s? And you can name others.

Bernie Wrightson

Mike Ploog

Gene Colan

BAB Classic -- Ploog Power: The Frankenstein Monster 6

NOTE: This post originally ran on October 29 2011

The Frankenstein Monster #6 (October 1973)
"In Search of the Last Frankenstein!"
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Plot and art: Mike Ploog

Karen: Marvel was monster-crazy in the early 70s, and Mike Ploog was the undisputed king of monster artists at the time. His work on Werewolf By Night, Ghost Rider, and Man-Thing was perfectly suited to those books. But today we're going to look at his work on another interesting, if short-lived monster book, The Frankenstein Monster. This would be Ploog's last issue of the title, but he goes out with a bang. His layouts and panel design are innovative and fresh. Of course, it goes without saying that he manages to give the story an appropriate mood and feel -much like a classic Universal film.

Karen: The Monster is seeking out the last of the Frankensteins and returns to his creator's birthplace, Ingolstadt. Before he reaches the dilapidated ancestral castle, he comes across a young lieutenant from the village. The soldier is investigating some missing prisoners and suspects they might be in the castle. Although the Monster means the man no harm, he finds himself attacked and fights back. The soldier is knocked unconscious and the Monster enters the castle.

Karen: For those of you who haven't read any issues from this series, it should be mentioned that the Monster here is not the dull brute of popular culture but a thoughtful and articulate being, more in line with the novel.

Karen: Inside the castle, the Monster finds nothing but ruins. He's about to give up when he hears a sound and spies a group of strange men marching along a dark corridor. The men are deformed and frightening -he concludes that they must be the work of a Frankenstein. They carry a bound man, whom they drop in a pit. Suddenly a man in a uniform with a visored helmet shows up, barking orders. The Monster decides to confront him, convinced he must be his creator's descendant. The masked man sics his servants on the Monster, and despite his strength, their sheer numbers bring him down. Just before he blacks out, he falls to the edge of the pit- and sees a gigantic spider! Ploog's art here is very strong; he gives the Monster an expressive if horrific face, and the twisted men are creepy as heck. 
Karen: The Monster awakens, chained to a wall in the cellar. His captor tells him that he too will become a mindless servant; the spider feeds on men's souls, leaving them husks of men with no wills of their own. The man leaves and the Monster struggles with his chains. Ploog does a great job conveying the Monster's power as he struggles against his restraints. He manages to pull loose one of the stones he is chained to, but when he does, a stream of water squirts through a crack! The Monster is stuck to wonder whether he should risk flooding the cellar with water or waiting until the man returns to take him back to the pit. As he ponders this, the young lieutenant he faced at the beginning of our story arrives on the scene. None too bright, he accuses the chained monster of killing the missing prisoners. The Monster tells him about his captor and the spider in the pit. The soldier sees the spider but refuses to believe a Frankenstein is responsible. "Jason Frankenstein left here more than 20 years ago!"

Karen: Right at that moment the mysterious masked man re-appears with his mob of soulless men. He is quickly revealed to be the colonel in charge of the prison. The colonel and the lieutenant engage in a sword fight while the Monster strains to break his chains. As water begins pouring into the chamber, the spider crawls out of its pit and comes towards the two men. The colonel, completely insane, believes he can control it. The young soldier implores him to leave with him but he ignores him. The Monster urges the young man out, telling him he will take care of the spider, even if it costs him his life. With that he makes a terrific effort -it reminded me somewhat of Spider-Man's struggle to raise the giant piece of machinery that pinned him in Amazing Spider-Man #33- and the wall comes tearing apart, with a huge wave of water instantly filling the room. Ploog's depiction of the water and underwater scenes are masterful -I would have liked to see what his Sub-Mariner would have looked like!

Karen: The colonel is carried down by the weight of his helmet and drowns. But the spider survives and grabs the Monster, squeezing him and carrying him back under. After several panels the Monster manages to break free of the arachnid's clutches and he wraps his chains about it, choking off its oxygen supply. But all is not peachy for the Monster -he needs air and he needs it fast. Things are looking grim -can a dead man die again? - when suddenly the chamber explodes in a great water spout that hurls the Monster up and out. Now free of the castle, the Monster looks back and wonders where he will find the last Frankenstein.

Karen: This was a really solid, done in one story. The search for the last Frankenstein was on-going of course, but you didn't need to know what came before to enjoy this book -which is good, because I don't have issues 1-5! I know many might argue that Gene Colan was Marvel's premiere horror artist, and while I respect his work on Tomb of Dracula, he really didn't handle any of the other horror books. Ploog did nearly all of them at one time or another and his work always has the proper tone and atmosphere -there's an eeriness to his art that can't be matched. Just look at some of these characters when handled by others -obviously, Don Perlin on Werewolf comes instantly to mind. There's simply no comparison. So here's to Mike Ploog, monster artist supreme!

Rider on the Storm: Marvel Spotlight 5

Marvel Spotlight #5 (August 1972)
"Ghost Rider"
Written and conceived by: Gary Friedrich
Drawn by:  Mike Ploog
Aid and Abetment: Roy Thomas

So, most of you know the BAB staff tries to work about two weeks ahead on our comic reviews.  As we were in the middle of today's write-up, what should cross the newswires but the following statement (as per Comic Book Resources):
 
Marvel Comics and writer Gary Friedrich have agreed to a settlement to their long-standing legal dispute over ownership of Ghost Rider, as reported Monday by Reuters. If finalized, the settlement will mark the end more than six years of litigation between the two parties.

Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, but according to Reuters, Friedrich's lawyer, Charles Kramer, said the writer and Marvel "have amicably agreed to resolve all claims between, among, and against all parties."

Here is how we began the post prior to this information, and you'll see us tackle issues related to this news as we move through today's book and our thoughts on such.

Karen: We're moving on to the "Anti-Hero" part of our "Invaders and Anti-Heroes'" month. So much to talk about before we even get to the story here. First off, those credits. They become significant when you consider all of the legal issues surrounding Friedrich and Marvel in the last decade or so over who can take credit for creating the Ghost Rider character and who is entitled to what exactly financially from the films and other licensing of the character. All three parties involved in crafting this story -Friedrich, Ploog, and Thomas - have different takes on how the character was created and who came up with what. It's doubtful we'll ever really know exactly what happened. But I find those credits intriguing to say the least. 'Conceived' sure seems to indicate that Friedrich came up with the initial idea; but what does "aid and abetment" mean? Is it the addition of ideas to an existing one? And was Ploog solely responsible for the Ghost Rider's fantastic look, or did Friedrich and/or Thomas contribute to that as well? I don't want to get mired down in what seems to have become an endless argument, but I think those credits do need to be looked at when considering the situation.

Doug:  Funny thing about the ownership of the character, isn't it?  While visually striking, his origin linked to Satan and Satanism would seem to be a barrier to any sort of financial windfall.  However, as the horror genre built and built in film through the 1990s, characters like Johnny Blaze became en vogue.  Let me plead my ignorance here -- Friedrich did not file any lawsuits concerning the character in the 1970s and '80s, did he?  To the best of my knowledge, the lawsuit that was recently settled was brought only after the success (that's a relative term) of the two Ghost Rider films.

Karen: Before I can dive into the story, I have to comment on the art. Ploog!! I love Mike Ploog and I cannot lie. He was the perfect artist for the monster and horror titles. He does a terrific job on this book, and to be honest, I think it's the best thing about this book. I've always felt that the Ghost Rider has a great look, but never had great stories to go with it. His origin is really no exception. Thankfully, we have some beautiful Ploog artwork to look at to get us through it. Not sure if my partner will feel the same way, but for me, it was pretty much what kept me going through a fairly mediocre story.

Doug:  I'm not as big a Ploog fan as you, but I have to agree that he's perfect for the weird or macabre.  His work is sort of illustrative, sort of cartoony, sort of channels the younger Barry Smith, and...  I don't at all dislike it.  It's a different cup of tea that I do find pleasing.  I don't know if I'd like him, however, on a traditional superhero book.  Here -- he's certainly getting the job done!  As to the Ghost Rider's look, I have long felt that his bike was as big a part of him as Cap's shield or Thor's hammer.  We see a "regular" looking motorcycle in this story, rather than the "skull cycle" he'd use later and that might be more familiar to fans of The Champions.  I didn't ever really care when the bike turned to fire, but it fit the demonic motif of the character.

Karen: The story opens on a rainy night. We see a motorcycle approaching through the rain in a sequence of three panels, which then open up on the splash page to show the Ghost Rider. GR rides past a couple of thugs in the act of shooting a man. While he tries to ignore them, they fear he will go to the police (they can't see him clearly and think his flaming head is a glowing helmet), so they jump in their car and pursue him. GR tries to throw them but it's no use. He ducks in an alley -a dead end - and the two men come in, guns drawn. GR pulls his spook routine, telling them he is the servant of Satan, and casts hellfire at their feet. The men now get a good look at him -"He ain't got no face -just a blazin' skull!" - and they are starting to freak out. GR uses this opportunity to race up a conveniently placed board and jump over them and their car and escape. Soon, he reverts back to his human form of cyclist Johnny Blaze.

Doug:  Mike Ploog really varies his camera angles in the sequence with the goons.  It gives the reader a sense of speed in the chase.  I loved the Kirby Krackle in the hellfire, and regarding the "conveniently placed board", did you notice that Ploog drew in two panels prior to the big jump?  I thought that was nice, rather than some silly deus ex machina that just popped up.  Marvel was all over pop culture trends in the early 70s, weren't they?  Martial arts, Evel Knieval-inspired daredevils, etc. were everywhere.  Ah, the legacy of Martin Goodman.

Karen: Before we get too far, I want to mention how Ploog's version of Ghost Rider is actually much cooler and scarier than the later version we're used to. For one thing, the eye sockets are empty -just black holes, and I thought this was really effective. I suppose it removes some of the characters' ability to emote, but it made him a lot creepier. Also the skull is a lot more, well, skull-like; again, it's less like a face and more like a real skull, which I'm sure made it harder to convey emotion. But the whole thing makes for a more frightening character.

Doug:  I think this iteration of Ghost Rider really gives the reader a sense that this guy is a skeleton under that biker suit.  And you're right, some characters just shouldn't have eyeballs, whether in their skull or as seen through a mask (I'm thinking of Batman with the latter comment).  I suppose that the depiction of emotion was not unlike the challenges that drawing Iron Man's faceplate presented.

Karen: Blaze puts on a jacket and goes over to Madison Square Garden, where he is performing his stunt cycle show. He sits back in his dressing room, and it's flashback time. We learn that Johnny's father, Barton, had been a stunt cyclist too, and had died performing. He was then taken in by another rider, Crash Simpson, and his family. Johnny grew especially close to Crash's daughter, Roxanne, and he hoped to join their show. But one day while they were practicing, a bike the two of them were on caught fire. Rocky (Roxanne) jumped off, but Johnny had to get the bike out of the show tent and away from people before it exploded. He managed to do this, and jumped clear of the bike, but Mrs. Simpson came running out of the tent to find him and was caught in the blast when the bike blew. At the hospital, as Mrs. Simpson took her final breaths, she made Johnny promise not to ride in the stunt show. Johnny promised, even though it was his fondest dream. Now for some reason, he kept his promise for the next five years, but didn't tell Rocky nor her father about it -he just refused to ride in the show, and the two of them, being such  kind, wonderful people, decided he was a coward and began treating him like dirt. He hangs around and works as a mechanic while Rocky and her dad continue their show. Then Johnny realizes he can still ride-just not in the show. So he starts riding late at night, and doing goofy stuff, such as riding on his head facing backwards (don't ask me - I didn't draw it). Rocky catches him and realizing that he isn't a coward after all, she's thrilled (what a girl). Johnny finally fesses up about the deathbed promise he made her mom, and Rocky jumps into his arms and kisses him.Oh, how nice.

Doug:  I'm telling you, I could have cued up Kenny Rogers' "Coward of the County" while reading this and it would have been an apt soundtrack.  The middle quarter of this story played a bit more like Young Love than a horror/action book.  I didn't find much depth to any of the characters in this origin story.  Maybe it's no wonder Friedrich didn't want a slice of the pie until after the films!  Have we mentioned yet that the narrative form, with Blaze being addressed directly during the flashback sequence, was annoying?

Karen: Johnny, Crash, and Rocky are together when they get a call from their agent -they've hit the big time, Madison Square Garden. Johnny and Rocky are over the moon, but Crash is despondent. He tells them his doctor said he has maybe a month to live. "I've got the disease...and it's going to get me!" Good grief -this goes beyond soap opera! What's the deal with this unnamed disease? I can only assume Friedrich was thinking of cancer, but why the hesitation in naming it? Or was that in bad taste? It's just so melodramatic. In any case, Johnny and Rocky are crushed. Crash says he wishes he had a son to take over the show, so of course Rocky, even though she knows about Johnny's promise to her mother, turns to Johnny and asks him to do it. He says no, and that she knows why. Rocky then storms out proclaiming Johnny a coward. Oh come on! Crash tells Johnny to get out. These are just wonderful people. Really, why should Johnny even care about these cretins? If I were him, I'd get on my bike and leave them in my dust. But I'm not, so instead, he makes a deal with Satan.

Doug:  I have no further comment, your honor.

Karen: One might reasonably ask how a grease monkey in a traveling cycle show would have a wealth of knowledge about the occult. This is never explained. We just see Johnny surrounded by piles of books (and a couple of skulls), and are told that he has heard "since childhood" that Satan can perform miracles. Uh, I thought it was God who performed miracles, but OK. Johnny burns some sort of gunk on top of an ox (?) skull and draws a pentagram on his chest in blood and then beckons the Prince of Darkness to appear. A shadowy Satan-like figure shows up and says he'll assist if Johnny will serve him. Now we all know how any deal with the Devil goes down -you always get the short end of the stick. But Johnny makes the deal anyway, asking that Crash be spared from the disease that is killing him. The Devil agrees and then tells him he'll be back soon to collect his fee. Now at this time, this really was supposed to be Satan, THE Devil, which blows my mind, because it just seems like Marvel would be risking the ire of so many religious groups. But things were different in 1972. You had Rosemary's Baby in 1968, The Exorcist would come out in 1973, and nuts like Anton LaVey running around San Francisco...there was definitely a pop culture edge to the subject matter. I know later on GR's origin was retconned and I believe Mephisto substituted for Satan, probably for all the reasons one might imagine. But having Satan in comic books still seems both weird and ballsy to me. I know as a kid things about Satan or demonic possession disturbed me so I tended to avoid them.

Doug:  My mind boggled during this whole satanism scene.  It's personally detestable to me, that A) anyone would know about his "miracles" one's whole life, and B) feel that turning to the dark side (literally, no Force intended) would be the answer to any of life's travails.  That being said, this is of course the pivotal scene in the character's origin and it's really well-drawn by Ploog.  As we both said at the top of today's review, stuff like this is right in ol' Mike's wheelhouse.  So if we had to do this in order to get Johnny Blaze to become the Ghost Rider, I can accept the inclusion of these elements in the story.  However, as you allude to above, it's beyond clunky and just makes Blaze seem so shallow and really makes me question his upbringing.  As you mention Mephisto, when we originally set up the post Mephisto was included in the labels you find at the bottom of each of our posts.  We did that because he was named as a character in the story as per the Comic Book Database.  However, when I read the story I thought that although Satan was drawn and colored as looking like Mephisto, I didn't think we had enough to make that conclusion -- consequently we deleted the name from the labels.

Karen: After his deal with Satan, three weeks pass. Johnny heads to Madison Square Garden the night of the big show, and Rocky finds him. She pleads with him to stop her father from attempting the world record jump. It seems Crash has decided if he's going to die, he'd rather do it on a bike than in a hospital bed. Johnny tries to talk Crash out of it but he just calls Johnny gutless and Johnny basically walks away. He figures Crash will be fine, due to his deal with Satan. Hey - wait a minute dummy! You asked the Dark Lord to spare him from the disease, not from jumping over 22 cars! Sure enough, Crash rides out and comes up short on the jump. He crashes and is killed.Rocky is in tears. Johnny feels betrayed by Satan (duh), and then for some reason, he figures it's a good idea to attempt the jump himself! With Rocky screaming at him not to try it, he races off and succeeds, becoming the new world record holder. But now Rocky is furious with him. After the show, Johnny goes back to the dressing room and sits, distraught. Who should appear but Satan. Johnny is ticked off, saying the Devil betrayed him. Satan, like any good lawyer, points out the details of the contract and that he upheld his part. Now he's there to collect his due: Johnny's soul! He tells him that from now on, he will be his servant and begins the transformation into the Ghost Rider. Suddenly Rocky enters the room and says that she suspected this! What?? She then commands Satan to return to Hell, as he is in the presence of someone "pure in heart"...oh boy. Satan books it, but says he'll be back for his. Johnny begins to recover and is confused over how Rocky saved him (as are we). She explains that she had read his books on Satan when he wasn't around and therefore knew how to order him away. The two then declare their love for each other. Cue the violins...

Doug:  Johnny Blaze isn't too long on the brains, is he?  After reading this story (for the first time for this review), I'm wondering what is the quality of this character that would make me care for him?  He's not a sympathetic character, and I certainly do not empathize with his decision-making prowess.  So at the beginning when you commented (and I agreed) on the great look of the character -- along with the popularity of motorcycle daredevils in the early 1970s -- that's really all I'm left with.  Unless I would have been a completist as a 6-year old, I'm not sure I'd have gone out of my way to find the next issue.

Doug:  Ploog again does a fantastic job during the Madison Square Garden scene -- I particularly like the panel when Crash elevates over the 22 cars.  How about Blaze telling the stage manager to have the crowd held?  After a man just died on the scene?  And then they allow him to make the exact same jump??  My suspension of disbelief was tried as much in those six panels as it was when Blaze went after the devil so seemingly quickly.  And Rocky's knowledge of the occult?  Ugh.  Just dumb.  I'd also argue her purity of heart, as she was pretty cruel to Johnny at times earlier in the story.  I'm all for the merits of tough love, but she was nasty at times.

Karen: We then see how Johnny first turned into the Ghost Rider later the next night, which lead into the beginning of our story. With our flashback over, we're back to square one, with Johnny still wondering what he can do, trapped in this cycle of man by day, monster by night. What will happen if someone finds out? He picks up the paper and on the front page is a story about the two thugs and the mysterious "Ghost Rider". Johnny decides he needs to leave New York, find a place where he can hide, and think about what to do. But then the change comes over him, and once again, he is -the Ghost Rider.

Doug:  This feature followed the Werewolf By Night strip, and I have to wonder if fans back in the day felt like they'd gotten the same deal, different look?  We previously reviewed the Werewolf's debut, and this tale doesn't really separate itself from the traditional day-OK, night-monster motif.  It also evokes a Hulk-vibe, with the protagonist as a wandering fugitive, trying to exempt himself from situations where he might cause harm to others or be found out.

Karen: As I said at the top, I thought this origin was pretty crappy. I love the Ploog art though, and it's all that kept me going. But the characters are such awful people, and the fact that Johnny Blaze turns to Satanism as casually as a person might try Weight Watchers is pretty bizarre. Still, I'd recommend reading it just to see Ploog's work -he does interesting things with panel layouts, his light and shadow effects are terrific, and overall it's just fun to look at.