Captain Marvel – Secret identity? What secret identity? I thought this story about the gigantic suction pump and the séance scam was tremendous fun and I liked the artwork of the mystery yacht for its stylized quality. Yet, having Billy change and change back in the midst of crowds or directly in front of a woman caused me a bit of confusion. Sure, it’s convenient and speeds up the story, but it just doesn’t seem like what someone with a “secret identity” would want to do. Maybe Bill Parker’s story would have held together better if he hadn’t been forced to write every story in this issue sans one (the Dr. Voodoo story by John Hampton).
Golden Arrow -- Scadly Butterfuddle? What a great name! And, I like the way this story starts with a continuation of Whiz Comics #7’s arrest of the two bad guys. The nefarious double plot, particularly the part where Golden Arrow is set up to execute an innocent man, made for a solid story. I’m starting to like this character more all the time.
Lance O’Casey – This story doesn’t have the Irish allusions (except for the name of O’Casey’s boat, the O’Casey surname, and the trademark “red hair”) seen in previous stories. With “sacred” diamonds, a cargo cult-esque deity, a fireworks trick on unsuspecting natives, and several fist-fights, this is the kind of pulp adventure you would expect from this title. However, the kids must have loved this story where Mister Hogan played such an important role many times.
Spy Smasher – Except for having The Mask perform (or attempt to perform) some of his own dirty work, this one has all of the entertainment value of the movie serial—unexplained escape, mysterious disappearance, female in trouble, and splendid coincidental reappearance by Spy Smasher. Although I loved the Scadly Butterfuddle name in the “Golden Arrow” story, I thought Parker went over the top with “Bean Ball,” one of The Mask’s henchmen in this story. I was also disappointed in the Pete Costanza pencils and ink in the bottom right-hand frame of p. 38 (as you’re reading online). I liked the explosive climax, though.
Dan Dare – This espionage/crime story centers around counterfeiting bills in small denominations. My mind kept telling me that counterfeiters rarely bother with small bills, but I kept reading anyway. The story was satisfactory, but obvious. I wasn’t that impressed with Anderson’s artwork, but I liked the rescue frame where Dan was kneeling down untying Carol. It seemed like the details were simple and elegant where in the rest of the story, they were subdued or non-existent (Note: This observation is from a guy that doesn’t even have the talent of a first-grader when it comes to pencils.)
Jungle Luck – This text story was a real blast from the past, starting with the reference to Portuguese West Africa. I also couldn’t resist the line, “You don’t hang around those fever-infested jungles for the joy of it.” Still, I wasn’t quite expecting the story to turn the direction it did. Interesting!
Dr. Voodoo – The plot against our good doctor is resolved, but the verdict on the mystery which resolved the plot is still out. I like this series. I never quite know what to make of it.
Ibis the Invincible – For being invincible, the 4000 year-old Egyptian has a knack for going from one spot of trouble to the next. This series is full of laughs and intriguing imagination. This Carl Brand is proving to be an interesting antagonist.
Link to the book:
Whiz Comics 008 (paper/fiche)
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Topic: Re: Whiz Comics 008 (paper/fiche) (Read 226 times)
