tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post2429982717826428231..comments2024-03-27T05:54:38.797-07:00Comments on <i>bare</i>•bones e-zine: The Warren Report Issue 67: September 1975John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082147756474762000noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-33480720351658639212021-09-08T21:57:28.019-07:002021-09-08T21:57:28.019-07:00Considering all the dark stuff in the Eerie "...Considering all the dark stuff in the Eerie "action hero" stories, I can't help wishing that Warren had tried to get the rights to the "Destroyer" Men's Adventure books along the way for installments in it. They not only have a nearly superhuman protagonist in stories that are partly science fiction, they also have plenty of "lurid" sex and violence that would've made them right at home as an Eerie series. <br />(The Destroyer comics I've seen definitely go easy on the first thing, in spite of being after the Code, I think.)<br />But of course I don't know any of the ins and outs of that kind of negotiating.Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09603892208775996594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-793766920939300602021-09-07T09:44:02.822-07:002021-09-07T09:44:02.822-07:00Rare for me to be a day late to this! Three day we...Rare for me to be a day late to this! Three day weekend threw me off. Given the involvement of the Cult of Chaos and the fact that Len Wein is writing the story, I've got to figure "Blood Wager" was an inventory story that wasn't drawn until now. For the second straight issue we put the current Vampi serial on pause to do a flashback/dream story. I'm a bit higher on the story than you, I found it at least average. This is Gonzalo Mayo's first Vampirella story and I think he does a great job with it. He will soon become the main backup artist for Vampirella when Jose Gonzalez isn't available, although they will still go through a few more guest artists first. "The Hermits" is a fairly good story in my eyes, perfectly suited for Ramon Torrents, although the garb on said hermits is a bit over the top. "Janis" is the only time I've seen Luis Garcia's comics work in color, and I think it looks absolutely gorgeous, up there in the conversation for the most beautiful looking artwork to ever appear in a Warren magazine. The story was, once again, not a Warren original and I've got to assume the color was done by Michele Brand or someone else working for Warren rather than Garcia himself. It is a very simple story for sure, but this is one of those cases where the art is just so ridiculously good that the story doesn't matter to me.<br /><br />"A Hero Born of Wishes" is another strong effort; Maroto continues to be really good at these medieval-type stories. "The Winter of Their Discontent" is another really great one and the best story of the issue from a writing standpoint. That said, this is for all intents and purposes them doing "The Wolves at War's End" all over again, just shifting around things slightly (his lover's the witch rather than his sister) and with a different ending. The former is an awesome story; I'm down with with seeing another story inspired by it, but a mere 2 issues later? Poor job by the editor for sure. "Hungry Hollow", while having a bit predictable of an ending, I liked a lot as well. Ortiz's art is really strong here, I especially like the image of the woods at the start of the story and the way the atmosphere comes off. Overall this is an great issue of Vampirella in my eyes, best single issue we've seen in a very long time. I just wish we had a real cover!<br /><br />We've got another high quality issue of Eerie here; "Coffin" kicks off the issue in strong fashion; I too thought the setting/theme was a good one. Two Paul Neary drawn serials essentially intersect here as we bring both "Hunter" and "Exterminator" together. Another great story with "Godeye" which pulls off a comedic story quite well and has some awesome Leopold Sanchez art to go along with it. Not really sure of what their intent was as to if this was to just be a stand-alone story or a serial; my recollection is we eventually do get a second story but its a long way off. Agreed that there's not much of a story to "The Muck Monster", but like with Janis above, the artwork is so strong I don't mind it at all. "Deep Brown and Jorum" is considerably too wordy for my tastes; I do think its a decent story but Stenstrum goes a bit overboard with it and the speculation as to if this was a serial compressed to one story makes sense.Quiddity99https://www.blogger.com/profile/17809157926893454731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-10595795332399592052021-09-06T17:16:14.363-07:002021-09-06T17:16:14.363-07:00Thanks, guys. I would say they were trying for iro...Thanks, guys. I would say they were trying for irony rather than punishment.Jack Seabrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-75519906694168119892021-09-06T15:47:39.199-07:002021-09-06T15:47:39.199-07:00I know there have been sword and sorcery type stor...I know there have been sword and sorcery type stories where VETERANS are abducted to fight in fantasy story battles (like the famous "Gulliver Jones" stories), but Godeye might be the first one I've heard of about it happening to someone trying to KEEP OUT of the army. Is it pictured as a punishment, or just some kind of irony?Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09603892208775996594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-20863216229659960812021-09-06T07:48:08.649-07:002021-09-06T07:48:08.649-07:00Three stories by Budd Lewis in Eerie, and not one ...Three stories by Budd Lewis in Eerie, and not one worked for me. While I didn't mind that Coffin basically left the western setting and it was the first time that the "he can't die" was a part of the plot, the character was thrown in a cage and at the end released as a deus ex machina. From vigilante to plot-device. Sad.<br /><br />"Godeye" was a mess. The first part seemed wasted for the introduction of some lame fantasy satire – I really hope it was meant as a satire, because if it was meant as a serious fantasy it is on the level of fan-fiction -, and the ending didn't made sense. He is back in earth just because he wants to?<br /><br />Wrightson's "Muck Monster" is just another variation of Frankenstein, but I still love it. The last panels are just sad. Sure, it has nor real plot, but that was often the case with the Warren stories.<br /><br />I also wonder if the Vampirella story was another inventory piece. It is hard to believe that Wein at the time felt the burning need to moonlight for Warren. I used to like Mayo as an artist, but this is more posing than story-telling. It is nice posing, no doubt, still it is too static.<br /><br />"The Hermits of Glastonbury" delivered no surprises except the question why celts are looking like Chinese warlords.<br /><br />After a story about a beautiful ghost luring men into doom we get with "Janis" another story about a ghost luring a man into doom. Did really somebody edited this magazine? The art by Garcia is again very beautiful, but one wonders (again) how this story read in its original presentation.<br /><br />The next surprise is that Maroto can draw a coherent tale, and with the lousy track record in fantasy Warren has this is indeed not a bad story. The morale is tedious, but back than it packed more punch. Man is evil and hopeless ... (cue creepy background music) ... after all the Stars are our destination in SF this was indeed edgy for 16 yers old readers, as pathetic this may sound today.<br /><br />And Boudreau manages to score again. Even if this tale could easily have been published by EC, after all this half-baked crap a solid, unpretentious actual horror story is a nice change.andydeckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01312309519462680892noreply@blogger.com