Reading Room MANHUNTER 2070 "Planet of Death" Part 1

Yesterday we presented a teaser for this long-lost series...

...today we jump feet-first into the world a mere 55 years hence...

...or vice-versa, as we will see

TOMORROW!

Written and pencilled by Mike Sekowsky, inked by Vince Colletta, this never-reprinted tale from DC's Showcase V1#91 (1970) proves the adage that "space opera" is "horse opera" with blasters instead of six-shooters.

Trivia: The "Bridwell Space Drive" was named after longtime DC editorial staffer/writer E Nelson Bridwell, one of the earliest fan-turned-pros with an encyclopedic knowledge of comics and sci-fi, and a talent for plotting stories and tying them into existing continuity.

Bridwell also co-created the Inferior Five and Secret Six.

Reading Room MANHUNTER 2070 "Incident on Krobar 3"

A mere 55 years from now...

...deep space will look a lot like the Wild West!

This short appeared in the back of DC's Showcase V1 #90 (1970), leading into the final three issues of the series' original run, dedicated to one of Mike Sekowsky's more innovative projects...Manhunter 2070!

Sekowsky had quite a bit of latitude at DC as a writer/artist/editor during this period, revamping Wonder Woman, Metal Men and Supergirl (in Adventure Comics) while also presenting a couple of potential series in Showcase, Jason's Quest and Manhunter 2070.

Be here tomorrow as the never-reprinted saga of Starker begins!

Written and penciled by Mike Sekowsky, inked by Dick Giordano.

Reading Room: UNEARTHLY SPECTACULARS 3 Rocketeers "Invincible Eranus"

I can just envision the really-bad jokes about that title...

...but, I can assure you this is a deadly serious matter, space cadets!

Written by noted sci fi novelist Otto Binder (who wrote over 3,000 comics scripts) and illustrated by Golden and Silver Age workhorses Mike Sekowsky and Frank Giacoia, this tale of time and space was the next-to-last 3 Rocketeers story published.

We already ran the final one (out of publication order) HERE.

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Reading Room: UNEARTHLY SPECTACULARS "How the 3 Rocketeers Teamed Up!"

Everybody who reads comics likes a good origin story...

...unfortunately, this particular tale ain't one of them, bunky!

Uhhh...yeah...OK...

Written by noted sci fi novelist Otto Binder (who wrote over 3,000 comics scripts) and illustrated by Golden and Silver Age workhorses Mike Sekowsky and Frank Giacoia, this reboot of the series in Harvey's UnEarthly Spectaculars #2 (1967) was not inventory from unpublished 1950s Race for the Moon material, but a new tale commissioned during Harvey's brief 1960s fling with non-humor comics.

Be here tomorrow for the final tale in our re-presentation of the 3 Rocketeers saga...

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Reading Room: FROGMEN "Strange Experiment of Doctor Vogar" Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

Original art for the cover to FrogMen #9

Kidnapped and transported to a foreign country, professional scuba divers Steve Randall and Jim Collins aka "The FrogMen" are forced to battle mutated sea creatures created by mad Dr Vogar!
They survive the first test and attempt an escape, which fails and leaves them right at the tank where they will undergo...

Considering Dr Vogar returned in both the remaining issues of the series, it seems Steve's advice, though quite reasonable and wise, was disregarded by Jim...

This never-reprinted tale from Dell's FrogMen #9 (1964) was written by Don Segall, and illustrated by penciler Mike Sekowsky and inker Mike Peppe.

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Reading Room: FROGMEN "Strange Experiment of Doctor Vogar" Part 3

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

Kidnapped and transported to a foreign country, professional scuba divers Steve Randall and Jim Collins aka "The FrogMen" are forced to battle mutated sea creatures created by mad Dr Vogar!
Though they survived the first test, the duo have doubts about how much longer they can stay alive, and decide to take matters into their own hands...

Tomorrow: the fearsome finale as The FrogMen face "The Fatal Test"!

This never-reprinted tale from Dell's FrogMen #9 (1964) was written by Don Segall, and illustrated by penciler Mike Sekowsky and inker Mike Peppe.

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Reading Room: FROGMEN "Strange Experiment of Doctor Vogar" Part 2

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

Professional scuba divers Steve Randall and Jim Collins are kidnapped at gunpoint by an odd fellow named Matstor.

After a two-day sea voyage, the FrogMen are taken by helicopter to a picturesque castle in the mountains where they are about to meet Mastor's employer...

Tomorrow: the FrogMen must "Escape or Die" in Chapter 3!

This never-reprinted tale from Dell's FrogMen #9 (1964) was written by Don Segall, and illustrated by penciler Mike Sekowsky and inker Mike Peppe.

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Reading Room: FROGMEN "Strange Experiment of Doctor Vogar" Part 1

With a heat-wave gripping most of the US, we thought we'd pop into inner space...

...rather than the usual outer space, with a spy-oriented tale from Dell Comics' FrogMen #9 (1964)!

Tomorrow: meet the head villain of the tale in the aptly-named Chapter 2: "Madman"!

FrogMen was one of numerous concepts created and produced by Dell Comics after most of their licensing arrangements with entertainment companies (including tv & movie studios and newspaper syndicates) were turned over to the newly-formed Gold Key Comics in 1962.

Dell hoped to license their new properties to media and toy companies.

Unfortunately, none of the new titles spawned hoped-for tv series or movies (or even toys and lunchboxes) and most lasted less than a year.

FrogMen, detailing the adventures of a pair of scuba divers-for-hire, lasted 11 quarterly issues in which the characters faced sea monsters and spies, along with the usual sea-going criminals and pirates (Yes, pirates).

The series did contain elements of both TV's more prosaic Sea Hunt and DC Comics' more exotic Sea Devils, but was not as successful as either of them.

(Curiously, there was never a crossover with Dell's other sea-going sci-fi series Voyage to the Deep.)

This particular never-reprinted tale by writer Don Segall, penciler Mike Sekowsky and inker Mike Peppe, featured a change in the series' format, introducing an ongoing nemesis, the evil Dr Vogar, who would appear in both of the remaining issues of the run.

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