Favourite comics: Dr Strange #178 - Gene Colan, Tom Palmer, Roy Thomas

I first read the above Dr Strange tale in the UK Avengers weekly comic (issues 74-76) and was blown away by Colan and Palmers artwork which at the time was going from strength to strength. So when I saw an original US copy for sale at around 9 US dollars (£8 UK) during a recent holiday, I had to pick it up. The strip in colour is even better than the UK black and white version.

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Tomb of Dracula - Gene Colan, Tom Palmer,& Marv Wolfman

Following the liberalisation of the comics code in 1971 Marvel comics responded by publishing a series of monster and vampire themed comic books which featured lead characters as diverse as werewolves, vampires and the sons and daughters of Satan. While most of these comics were successful one title stood out, "The Tomb of Dracula " by the team of Marv Wolman and Gene Colan. Despite the titles lead character being the actual villain of the piece this was a great title that mixed horror with soap opera with wonderful art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. The title lasted for 70 issues covering the period 1972 until 1979 spawning a US monthly title (1972-75) and an 87 issue UK weekly comic both titled “Dracula Lives”. Marvel have rebooted their version of Dracula several times but none of these have come anywhere near to the original and best Dracula series.

Above (and at header) from Tomb of Dracula #1 - The pages where we first encountr Marvel's Dracula has always stuck with me ever since I first read this in the UK "Dracula Lives" title in 1975. Cifton Graves a friend (its complicted) of the titles hero Frank Drake,does not die from this attack and is later turned into Dracula's personal valet, before eventually being killed. Below some of my favourite splash pages from my sadly limited US ToD run:

Tomb of Dracula #7

Tomb of Dracula #14

Tomb of Dracula # 30

Tomb of Dracula #35

Tomb of Dracula #38

Tomb of Dracula #68

Above: From the one off special edition of "The Silver Surfer Vs Dracula" (originally publsihed in ToD #50) my favourite Dracula cross over (and there have been a few)

Favourite comics: Avengers #94 - Neal Adams, John Buscema, Tom Palmer & Roy Thomas

Without doubt one of my all-time favourite comic series is Marvels “Kree–Skrull War" which was published over 9 issues of the Avengers (#89-97) from June 1971 to March 1972. However, it would not be until June 1976 when I first became aware of this comic classic when I purchased the UK “Avengers” weekly comic #148 which reprinted the first part of “Avengers” # 93 ("This Beachhead Earth"). Sadly, I had missed the the first part of the Kree-Skrull War series as I had cancelled my UK Avengers subscription some months earlier. The US "Avengers" #94 (cover above by Neal Adams) is not the best issue in this excellent series (it’s still a belter) but it was the first US issue of this story arc (and the first US Avenger back issue) that I purchased in 1979 from Glasgow’s “Listen” record store for around £1.25p. The story arc, which was written by Roy Thomas, featured art from some of comics’ all-time greats including Sal Buscema, Tom Palmer, John Buscema, and Neal Adams. This issue alone features the triple talents of Tom Palmer (inks) John Buscema and Neal Adams - Enjoy.

Above: UK Avengers # 148 – this was the last issue of the comic which then merged with the Mighty World of Marvel from #199 and continued the Avenger series .

Next up: Avengers #96 where Neal Adams ramps up the art to a ridiculous degree. This was the first back-issue I felt I had to save up to purchase (from AKA comics in Glasgow around 1982) .I am ignoring #95 (for now) as I have not yet managed to purchase this issue (but it’s on my radar)!