Groovy. Starz’s delightfully gory Ash vs. Evil Dead hasn’t even aired the second episode of its ongoing second season and it has already been renewed for a third season. The new 10-episode season will likely air next fall.
Last Sunday’s premiere pulled in 733,000 viewers in its competitive slot. That’s a 14% uptick compared to its season one premiere on Halloween 2015, as reported by Deadline. Even better, it earned an impressive 63% over its season one premiere among adults 18-49. That’s some pretty great news.
This news comes just after the show had its New York Comic Con panel on Friday. In attendance were stars Bruce Campbell, Lucy Lawless, Dana DeLorenzo, Ray Santiago, Ted Raimi and Lee Majors. It was moderated by Doug Benson.
Season two is already bloodier and wilder than season one. Having already seen the second episode, I can assure you that it only gets nutter, stranger and more ballistic from here. It’s such a refreshing wonderful horror-comedy series, one that captures the spirit of the original series, while still finding time to develop its central titular character in exciting and even some rather thought-provoking ways. Maybe that’s just me, though. I can’t wait to see where it goes next. Knowing that it will continue for at least another whole season, I look forward to see Ash Williams return for more adventures on my screen. The chainsaw can go in the shelf another day.
“SABAN’S POWER RANGERS follows five ordinary teens who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove — and the world — is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.”
What are your thoughts on the footage? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.
Edgar Allan Poe, international man of mystery, the macabre, and poetry, died today, 166 years ago. If Edgar Allan Poe, and all writers, crave immortality, Poe is certainly one of not so many that have succeeded in being immortalized. Whether it be in this month of October and in the fall in general, where many festivals and events are held, or in TV and film adaptations, Edgar Allan Poe has a presence or stake in all of them. Though Edgar Allan Poe certainly riveted the silver screen decades ago, some of his work is still being adapted, to varying levels of… quality.
Alas, to compose a list of the top 5 is both easy and difficult, depending on your criteria. Edgar Allan Poe’s work has had much liberty taken with it, but the five below certainly represent times in which it was least befouled, and most satisficing.
The Black Cat (1997)
Director: Rob Green
Screenplay: Rob Green, Clive Perrot
Story: Edgar Allan Poe
The Black Cat has been one of Poe’s most adapted short stories, but sadly far too often, it has been butchered beyond recognition. The second best adaptation star Peter Lorre and Vincent Price, but it is an amalgamation of this story and The Cask of Amontillado. That being said, and though is completely unknown, it is the best Edgar Allan Poe adaptation to date. You can easily find it on YouTube.
House of Usher (1960)
Director: Roger Corman
Screenplay: Richard Matheson
Story: Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe’s story of premature burials, madness, and a family curse plays out the best and truest in this Corman/Price/Poe classic. However, it sadly fails to adequately portray Roderick Usher’s motivations, and adds a romantic subplot. The only other adaptation that has come as close to the original Edgar Allan Poe story is a lesser known British version that came out in 1948/1949.
The Facts in The Case of M. Valdemar
Director: Roger Corman
Screenplay: Richard Matheson
Story: Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe’s tale of mesmerism, or rather one of his tales of mesmerism, it fairly, accurately depicted in this short segment in Roger Corman’s Tales of Terror. Sadly, like most E.A. Poe film adaptations, it had some added elements. A romantic subplot, and some variations in the nature of M. Valdemar, but it is another that stands as one of the closest adaptations. Vincent Price, as always, does not disappoint. Nor does Basil Rathbone, veteran horror and Sherlock Holmes actor. Though the ending is also modified, it certainly give a chilling, apropos ending that utilizes fairly decent effects for its time.
Masque of the Death
Director: Roger Corman
Screenplay: Richard Matheson
Story: Edgar Allan Poe
Another terrific, mostly accurate take on an Edgar Allan Poe classic, brought to you by Roger Corman and Vincent Price. Though there were added elements and visuals, it stays with the core Poe story, which is what makes it such a good film all around. The ending is by far one of the most impressive and shocking of all the E.A. Poe adaptations produced.
An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe
Director: Ken Jones
Screenplay: David Welch
Story: Edgar Allan Poe
An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe marks one of the few times in history that a made for TV film impresses, and manages to be one of the most accurate portrayals of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Sphinx, The Tell-Tale Heart, Pit and The Pendulum, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Pit and the Pendulum. The Poe stories were played out by Vincent Price in a one man act play style performance with each segment being a different story, a different set, and Price wearing a different costume. All in all, one of the most accurate adaptations ever on TV or in film.
Many adaptations exist, and some are halfway decent or good, but this happens to be the top 5. Did your favorite make the list?
Leave your thoughts below.
[Images Courtesy of American International Pictures/Black Cat Films/ Ken Johnson Productions]
A new image posted by @wponx (the official Wolverine 3 movie Instagram) confirms an ‘R’ rating for Logan, reports ComicBook.com. The image features a black and white picture of a severed arm lying in a puddle of blood, holding a shotgun in a clenched grip.
Although we have known for a while now about the ‘R’ rating (a first for any X-Men film), this is the first violent visual we have seen. It looks like we’ll be seeing plenty of slicing and dicing from our favorite Canadian mutant!
Logan stars Hugh Jackman (X-Men: Days of Future Past) as Logan/Wolverine and Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Boyd Holbrook (Gone Girl), Richard E. Grant (Game of Thrones), Stephen Merchant (Hello Ladies/Extras), Eriq La Salle (ER), Elise Neal (Scream 2), and Elizabeth Rodriguez (Orange is the New Black).
The film is being directed by James Mangold (The Wolverine/Walk the Line), based on a script by Michael Green (American Gods) and David James Kelly (Mind Mgmt).
It’s set for release on March 3, 2017, from 20th Century Fox.
A new TV Spot for the upcoming Doctor Strange movie teases and mentions The Avengers. The teaser features Dr. Strange’s magic glow gliding over familiar Avengers items like Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and Captain America’s shield. It ends with the words “Our Heroes Are Getting Strange”
The spot, posted by ComicBook.com, was released today by Marvel Studios.
Doctor Strange tells the story of neurosurgeon Stephen Strange whose life takes a tragic turn after a horrific car accident damages his hands. When medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing in a mysterious place known as Kamar-Taj. There he learns that this is not just a place for healing but also the sight of a magical battle to save the world. Soon Dr. Strange must choose to return to his normal life or leave it all behind and take his new place as the world’s Sorcerer Supreme.
Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Into Darkness, ), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Rachel McAdams (True Detective Season 2), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man), Mads Mikkelsen (Valhalla Riding/Hannibal) and Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel). It is directed by Scott Derrickson, and written by Derrickson, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister). It opens November 4, 2017, in theaters nationwide.
“Saban’s Power Rangers follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late.”
The Netflix original series, Voltron: Legendary Defender became an instant hit with its gorgeous art, incredible cast, and was a perfect way to introduce a new generation of fans to the classic series. With the release date of season two announced for January 20th 2017, it’s time to look back at season one and talk about the best moments.
Spoiler warning for those who haven’t watched the first season. If you haven’t, why are you reading this article? Hop on Netflix and binge like there is no tomorrow.
10. Allura’s Sacrifice (Collection and Extraction)
As the team tries to infiltrate Zarkon’s information network, they are soon discovered and have to run. In an effort to save Shiro, Allura shoves into the exit at the cost of her own freedom. Scenes such as this really help to establish how competent a character Allura is in this new series compared to the original character she was based on.
9. Saving Shiro (The Rise of Voltron)
This one is full of the perfect mixture of action and comedy. In a scene which really goes from zero to 70 MPH in an instant, Hunk, Pidge, and Lance are looking for a way to get Shiro out but Keith simply storms in and rescues him. What follows is an amusing case where the group has to evade the authorities and not get mortally injured in the process.
8. Draining the Planet (Taking Flight)
Usually to establish an how evil an enemy force is you have to show them enslaving a few villages or destroy some crops. Demonstrating the power at their disposal, Haggar drains the entire life force of a planet in an instant. Seeing an entire planet no longer habitable in the blink of an eye is more than enough proof of how much of a threat the Galra Empire is.
7. Food Fight (Some Assembly Required)
Moments when the team finally come together can really be touching and heartfelt. Other times they can just throw food at each other. Despite this absurd moment, this is when they finally started to act like a team and prove to everyone they did have what it takes to save the Universe. Also, it was really entertaining to watch.
6. Shiro vs. Sendak (The Fall of the Castle of Lions)
Taking on a commander is no easy task. Especially when you don’t have any back up. Realizing he has no choice Shiro confronts Sendak in an effort to protect Lance. Considering Shiro (or Sven as he was known in America) died in the original series, there’s no guarantee he would survive the fight. This nail biting aspect only adds to the enjoyment of the series.
5. The Ritual (Rebirth)
As the alien planet known as the Belmura is about to expire, Allura realizes there may be a way to save the planet. As she performs a ritual which will heal the Belmura, the team works to defeat their second Robeast which results in a very nail biting scene to behold.
4. Losing the King (Crystal Venom)
As Sendak finds a way to corrupt the castle’s systems through a virus, the entire team is in danger of being destroyed. Realizing they purging the system will cause her father’s conscience to be destroyed, Allura hugs the hologram of him until he explodes into stardust and opens the tear ducts of everyone who was watching.
3. The Former Champion (Return of the Gladiator)
The Robeasts were originally the giant monsters which came every week and were subsequently defeated every time. Here though the first one of them appears and nearly overwhelms the team. Sure they went back to the old formula of “Use Blazing Sword to win” but still it’s an intense battle and keeps the watcher on the edge of their seat the entire time.
2. Pidge’s Identity (Tears of the Balmera)
Pidge, the tech head of the team was more than he originally appeared to be. What was he hiding? His gender. Pidge was actually Katie Holt, whose father and brother were abducted by the Galra empire. While investigating what really happened she was permanently dismissed from galaxy garrison and unable to continue her search for the truth. Disguising herself as Pidge she continued, never let on about her true nature, and hid it so well even the audience didn’t realize it.
1. The True Emperor (The Black Paladin)
In the original series, Zarkon was never one to get his hands dirty and instead preferred to sit on his throne until the very end of the entire series. In this new series, Zarkon not only is willing to fight his own battles, he does so without any type of back up, and goes against a giant robot with only his own bayard in hand. It not only is an epic battle but easily was the number one moment for this list.
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What were your favorite moments from the first season of Voltron: Legendary Defender? Leave a comment below and let us know.
Another trip to Manitoulin Island for me means another stop at Tobermory Brewing Company. I’ve already enjoyed reviewing two other beers from Tobermory Brewing Company, their Sailor’s Delight Raspberry Wheat Ale and their Tilted Windmill IPA. But, I can’t resist new flavours, so how could I say no to Tobermory Brewing Company’s Dark Skies Black IPA? Well, I couldn’t! I stopped by the brewery, before boarding the Chi-Cheemaun, and picked up a 32-oz howler of the stuff. Here’s what I thought …
Tobermory Brewing Company: Dark Skies Black IPA – First Sip
Dark Skies Black IPA pours a dark, almost black, brown with about a half an inch of foam. I smell caramel and molasses as I take my first gulp. This brew has very noticeable toasty malt flavours off the top that fade to a semi-bitter finish. This brew’s thin mouthfeel surprises me. I generally expect a bit more heft to such a dark beer, but Dark Skies Black IPA has a watery quality to it that evens it out.
Tobermory Brewing Company: Dark Skies Black IPA – Last Sip
I must admit, I expected a slightly different brew when I picked this out. Not that this is a bad beer, it’s just not the thick, heavy brew I planned to drink. At 5.5% ABV, though, this isn’t a light beer by any stretch of the imagination.
I’ll say that this is one dark beer that probably won’t offend the taste-buds of a lager lover. Although I can’t promise that a lager lover will like this beer, it’s a good one to try if you’re thinking of branching out. If you’re looking for a beer with an unmistakable hop presence, though, I suggest going for Tobermory Brewing Company’s Tilted Windmill IPA. It has more of that jaw-clenching bitterness that make IPA’s so good.
DC Comics brought the Batman Family creative teams to New York Comic Con and took the Main Stage Friday to discuss all aspects of the Batman Universe.
From DC Comics: Take a trip to Gotham City at the “DC Batman” panel to find out what’s in store for the World’s Greatest Detective and his cohorts. Alongside the BATMAN team Tom King and David Finch and ALL STAR BATMAN writer Scott Snyder this must-attend panel will also feature Julie Benson and Shawna Benson (BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY), Steve Orlando (BATMAN: NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN), Tim Seeley (NIGHTWING), James Tynion IV (DETECTIVE COMICS), and more! Friday, 12:45pm, Main Stage
Live Blog:
Tom King and David Finch speak first.
King says writing for David Finch, he closes his eyes and thinks of the best Finch comic he can, and then he writes that script and Finch makes it.
Finch says when he has a writer as good as Tom, he wants to be able to bring that across in the visuals.
King jokes about taking over from Snyder. “He’d broken him. He just did such a terrible job, and we had to fix it.”
But then he says Snyder and Capullo had the best run in Batman’s 75-year history and that taking over scared him “crapless.”
Now talking about Gotham and Gotham Girl. Says this run is all going to go back to DC Rebirth Batman #1, knowing that his death was in front of him when he was going down on that plane.
King says Batman’s mortality both scares and inspires Bruce.
Said that with Gotham and Gotham Girl, he saw a potential out, and thought maybe there was a better hero for Gotham — but he’ll have to realize there is no other hero for Gotham.
Says there’s nothing more awkward than the scene where Alfred donned the cape and cowl during the “I Am Gotham” arc to provide a distraction to Gotham.
Says Alfred pops the balloon of absurdity, telling the audience “all the crazy of it serves the purpose of the story.”
Finch says he always thinks of the serious Batman on a gargoyle when he’s drawing but talks about enjoying the crazy, absurd moments.
Next arc is called “I Am Suicide.”
Bane has the Psycho Pirate in Santa Prisca, and Batman forms his own Suicide Squad out of his villains in Arkham to invade and take down Bane.
“Obviously I love it. I wrote it.”
“I get to do a heist movie inside Batman.”
Says if it isn’t one of the fans’ favorite stories of all time, he’ll quit the book.
Batman’s Suicide Squad is Ventriloquist, Bronze Tiger, Catwoman…
David Finch is asked if he had to draw any crazy or brutal deaths that will shock us.
He says the last page of the issue he’s drawing right now will shock and upset some people.
Says letting go of the main Batman book was hard. Says any time you leave a book, you hope the worst writer in the world comes after you and makes you look amazing.
But he says when he started hearing what Tom King was going to do with it and what he and Finch were doing together, he was dying to read it.
“It makes me really proud just to be a fan of the character and have it in good hands.”
“At the end of the day, you guys deserve the best people on these books, and I want them, too, because I want to pick them up and read them.”
Benson Sisters joked that they’re upset Snyder doesn’t invite them to the Bat-writer sleepovers.
Now Snyder is fully talking about All-Star Batman
Says everything you do as a writer is trying to make things exciting to yourself.
Snyder says All-Star Batman is exploring villains in a way focused on why they’re scary to himself, and why they’re scary at this moment in time.
“There’s the pressure of the main book all the time, and it drives you…” but says this book is about taking the Batmobile offered and having a blast.
Says it’s about pushing characters to the core of who they are.
On Two-Face, he jokes his inspiration was the Joel Schumacher movie.
“I had a tough year last year with some personal stuff” and he says his approach to Two-Face is that people fear that they are the worst parts of themselves, and he also says the current political climate creates fear of the worst regardless of your political leanings.
The story is focused on removing Batman from Gotham, exposing him in a new way. He loses his gadgets as he goes along.
The next issue is his favorite, and they’re bringing back some fun, deep-cut characters.
Mr. Freeze, Penguin, KG Beast are among those on the way.
Greg Capullo and Jock are among artists joining him for future issues in the series.
Now Benson Sisters are talking about Batgirl & the Birds of Prey.
He says he’s waiting for an email about an “official” Birds of Prey and Nightwing crossover
They all think Black Canary would beat up Nightwing
Seeley says he wishes Dick Grayson would just pick an identity and stick with it.
He says Dick’s beliefs are so stable that you can switch him around, but shifting from a spy book to a superhero book is “different.”
At this point, he says Dick’s words flow out of his fingers pretty easily
He says the Rebirth issues are a transition on purpose, to define what genre Nightwing’s book is and what characters he interacts with.
Getting back in the space of Rightwing’s internal voice in a superhero book as opposed to the Grayson spy book was different, he says.
Talks about Dick’s whole deal with the Parliament of Owls
Raptor came in to be a more convincing temptation to Dick “than a bunch of rich jerks in owl costumes.”
“One of the things I want to do with this arc is go back and reconsider what someone’s life would have actually been if they lived in the circus.”
Says Dick was probably actually pretty poor and not fitting into society, because we live in a world that’s less interested in going out to see that kind of thing because we have Netflix now.
No one goes to circuses anymore
He says he reinvented Bludhaven
Steve Orlando says Night of Monstermen is a bad family reunion for Batman Family because of all these monsters
It boils tensions to the front between Bruce and Dick and others.
“It’s an emotional crisis and a monster crisis, as well.”
It’s the Batman line’s first big event in Rebirth Era
James Tynion IV says what Steve is doing is challenging him as a writer, as well
Tiny says upping his game on Detective Comics means knowing that King, Snyder, etc. are all doing amazing work on their books, but that he wanted to make sure Detective wasn’t just another Batman book.
He says he wanted to create the Batman team book he’s wanted his entire life.
The second arc, “The Victim Syndicate,” brings Batman and his team against a group of villains composed of people who were impacted by being caught in the crossfire of Batman and his villains.
Batwing, Harper Rowe, Jean-Paul Valley, etc. will appear again in that arc.
Talks about the response to Tim Drake’s apparent death
He says the build-up to that moment was hard because Tim is his favorite character in all of comics
“I knew there were these big plans for the character” related to the Rebirth one-shot and says he sat in a room with Geoff Johns and said he wanted the pieces that show why Tim Drake is such a great character and his favorite character.
Putting Clayface on the Detective Comics Batman team was best filling the role of having people say, “Wait, he’s on the team?”
And it was also about finding a way of putting him on the team that Batman and other characters would be OK with.
He wants Clayface to be one of the fans’ favorite members of the Bat family going forward, and he says there’s no hero in all of comics that understands better, that when a really awful thing happens to you, it’s very easy to just let yourself become the monster everyone expects you to be.
“Clayface, I think, is the best example of a horrible accident happening and everyone saw him as a monster, so he became a monster.” But Batman is telling him he doesn’t have to be.
Tynion will be doing a two-part arc called “Batwoman Begins” in Detective Comics #948 with Marguerite Bennett leading into Bennett’s new Batwoman solo book. Art by Steve Epting.
Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed by the idea of faceless crime, so his enemies are the idea of crime taking all these strange forms. But Batwoman’s mother was killed by faceless terror, and she built herself into a soldier against terror. So they have different approaches as a result of that.
The arc will show that during Kate’s lost years after getting kicked out of West Point, she was all over the globe.
And it will show the different realms of secret warfare happening all over the DC Universe
She’ll remain the co-lead of Detective Comics with Batman, though.
Fan Q&A
Fan wants to know how important Bat books will be to eventual Watchmen confrontation.
King says that in Batman #9 in two weeks, the first hint of what that story is starts there.
Tynion also says a flashback of that story is at the end of Detective Comics #940.
Another fan asks if Carrie Kelly will ever be in main DC Universe again.
Tynion says no one would currently want to do a secondary version of that character while Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello are doing cool things with her in Dark Knight III.
Fan wants to know about Poison Ivy’s journey toward heroism.
Snyder says the story he’s doing puts Ivy at a crossroads.
“She’s a character we love, and we’re interested in both sides of her that way, too.”
Bensons say they’re trying to figure everything out as far as who they can add to Birds of Prey.
Maybe a tease that Ivy will show up there soon?
Fan asks if there’s any chance characters created for TV will appear in comics.
Tynion says he has a story in the back of his head for the weird computer villain from the Batman Animated Series.
Fan asks if Alfred’s daughter will make anymore comic appearances.
Tynion says Julie Pennyworth will be back in the pages of Batwoman.
Snyder closes by giving a shout-out to Bat family editors.
Says the Bat books have the best editors in all of comics. “I think they’ve made the line better than it’s ever been, and they deserve a round of applause.”
Most mighty Marvelites have seen Nick Fury before. His appearances in several MCU films and on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ensured his reputation as one of Marvel’s hardest working heroes. But, although Samuel L. Jackson‘s portrayal of Nick Fury is always fun to watch, this article refers to the original Nick Fury as portrayed in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby‘s classic run on Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, a grisly portrayal of life in the US Army … with superheroes!
Before we begin, though, let’s …
The Howling Commandos getting a rare bit of R&R
Although the team changes a bit over the years, this is the original lineup of the Howling Commandos. And, what a lineup! Although not a complete cross-section of American men of the time, with a Jewish machine gunner, an African-American bugler, an Italian movie star, and a diminutive southerner in their company, this group acts as a nod to some of the cultures that made the US what it was in the ’40s.
But, if you thought Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos was only a war comic, you thought wrong. The commandos have more than one run-in with super-powered folks, including the poster boys for patriotism Captain America & Bucky. That’s a story for a different day, though. Today I’m reviewing the first story-line from Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 (cover date May, 1963), “Seven Against The Nazis!”
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos: “Seven Against The Nazis!” – Comparable Series
As I said in another review, Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos is similar to Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins‘s run on The Invaders. The subject matter is a bit different though: whereas Captain America and his team of Invaders use their superior brawn and super-powers to deal with villains, Sgt. Fury and his men must rely on their wits, determination, and a lot of ammo to keep them alive. But, the spirit in which the stories are told is similar: war is Hell so we need heroes, super-powered or not, to protect us from despotism.
Also unlike The Invaders and most other superhero story-lines, Fury and his men are a group of reluctant heroes. They’re continually called upon by their Executive Officer, the ironically named “Happy Sam” Sawyer, to go on suicide missions. Although the team always falls in line, they usually relent with resignation, unlike, say, Golden Age Cap and Bucky who seem to love participating in dangerous missions. Specifically, “Seven Against The Nazis” is an interesting story-line because it involves a real-world military maneuver, the Normandy landings of June 6th, 1944, also known as D-Day.
Having served in the military during WWII themselves, both Jack Kirby and Stan Lee may have drawn on their experiences when they worked on this title. Stan the Man seems to corroborate this idea in his introduction to Volume One of the collected edition of Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, “Maybe I relate to them so much because ‘King’ Kirby and I both served in World War II. Jack was a fightin’ infantryman with the Third Army and I was attached to the Signal Corps. […] I don’t haveta tell you, it’s an experience you never forget.”
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos: “Seven Against The Nazis!” – Super-Cameos
“And keep that verdammt Blazing Skull away from me!”
Although there aren’t any super-powered cameos in “Seven Against The Nazis,” this story, once again, shows some high-profile names. The aforementioned “Happy Sam” makes his first appearance in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1. And, making yet another appearance in a Marvel wartime retcon is Der Dummkopf himself, Adolf Hitler.
In later issues, readers also see the monocoled villain Baron von Strucker, an early version of the original Baron Zemo, and, the two best friends in the US Army, Captain America and Bucky.
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos: “Seven Against The Nazis!” – The Plot
After readers get a peek at Sgt. Fury’s unique command style, which involves firing live rounds at his men as they wriggle face-down in the mud, the team ships out to France in order to rescue a French soldier named Labrave. Labrave, captured by Nazis, knows details of the plans for the Normandy landings. The Howlers must rescue Labrave before the Nazis torture the information out of him.
Losing shreds of their uniforms in a John McClane fashion with each dangerous maneuver, the team falls in with a group of resistance fighters. Manelli, steals a fallen Nazi officer’s uniform, and uses it to rescue a group of captive French civilians. The resistance fighters suggest the commandos search Louviers for the captive Labrave, so they leave for Louviers in a stolen Nazi truck.
When the Howlers arrive in Louviers they blow a good chunk of it away. With guns perpetually blazing, the commandos infiltrate the Nazi stronghold and rescue Labrave. After a brief wrap-up in which we learn that Labrave will lead the French resistance, “Seven Against The Nazis” closes on a flash forward to June 6th, 1944. Seven familiar figures lead the charge. They give their identities away with their unmistakable battle-cry: “Wah-hooo!”
Rambling Through The Retcons
Sad? Check.
Don’t worry, True Believers, I’ve got still more Marvel-ous Golden Age retcons to review. Check in next week for a review of Robert Morales and Kyle Baker‘s mini-series entitled Truth: Red, White & Black.
Like “Seven Against The Nazis,” Truth: Red, White & Black sees Marvel characters in a historical setting. Sadly, unlike the Normandy landings, the historical setting used as the backdrop for Truth: Red, White & Black isn’t one that inspires any pride in the US government. As I mentioned in a previous review, the historical event that inspired this story was the brutal Tuskegee syphilis experiment.
Like I did before I read it, you may wonder how Marvel characters could fit into such a gruesome scheme. All I can suggest for now, True Believers, is to read on …
