Ditko At Charlton - 1972!

This Is How It Is - Ditko at Charlton 1972 is a bigger collection of vintage comic book stories than the previous volume -- three hundred and thirty pages or more, a cool one hundred pages more than the 1971 tome. All the stories in this one are written by Joe Gill and drawn by Steve Ditko. We get the usual gaggle of ghosts and mobs of monsters afflicting normal folks, many of whom deserve their torment. We have stories from Ghostly Haunts hosted by Winnie the Witch, Ghostly Tales hosted by Mr. Dedd, Haunted hosted by Impy, Ghost Manor hosted by Mr. Bones, and The Many Ghost of Dr. Graves hosted by the titular M.T. Graves himself. There's a lot of a vintage Charlton goodness here, classic stories told by two veterans. Ditko's art has become a bit more rigid, though his storytelling is no less efficient. Gill's scripts rattle off efficiently with a better variety than I imagined going into the volume. 

One thing that struck me reading this collection was the absolute dominance of the color green to represent the supernatural. Nearly all the ghosts are green and green in general seems to be used on the covers as almost a secret code for otherworldly activity. Some of Ditko's very best covers are contained in this collection. 

Here are the covers in this volume. 

More Gill and Ditko to come when we visit 1973 next week. 

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Hercules - Land Of The Amazons!

Hercules #5 is dated July 1968. The issue is edited by Sal Gentile who took over from Dick Giordano who was beginning his tenure at DC. There seems little evidence of his hand in this issue though.

The first story starring Hercules is written by Sergius O'Shaugnessy (Denny O'Neil) and drawn by Sam Glanzman whose name appears in full for the first time in the credits. The story is titled "The Land of the Amazons". Hercules is fighting two bulls in the arena for the entertainment of some locals. He then is interrupted by Zeus and Hera the latter giving him his next task, to bring to her the Golden Girdle of Hippolyta the Queen of the Amazons. Hercules takes up the task readily and heads off. He soon chances across a beautiful young blonde maiden chained to a stake being threatened by a giant lizard. He battles the lizard and saves the girl only to learn that this was seen by Queen Hippolyta who had staked the girl out to begin with for her amusement. Hippolyta is impressed by Hercules and invites him to her palace where she attempts to woo him. When he balks she shows him the young maiden trapped on a platform over a firey trap. Hercules is himself then imprisoned. He asks Zeus for aid who is ready to give it until Hera intercedes. Hercules then takes matters into his own hands and breaks out of his jail, climbs to a connecting rope and swings out to the trapped girl and rescues her from her danger. The two of them battle through Hippolyta's forces, Hercules even toppling some columns but it is to little avail when they find themselves confronted by her whole army. Hercules prepares to fight the Queen but is stopped by a command from Hera ordering him not to battle a woman. His dilemma is solved when the blonde maiden chucks a rock at Hippolyta knocking her out. Hercules takes her Golden belt and the army is freed from her influence. They thanks Hercules who takes the Girdle to Hera who doesn't seem that happy that he's succeeded. The maiden wants to thank Hercules but he says he must continue with his quest and he leaves.

The "Letters to the Editor -- Hercules" page features two letters this time out. Both praise the book for its staying to true to the mythological details of Hercules and both single out Glanzman for praise.

The text story "Mogo the Mighty" tells a tale of a village threatened by a evil warrior chief named Gogo. The villagers go to a wizened old man on the mountain who takes from each man in the village some hair, some nails, and some drops of blood to fashion a super warrior named Mogo the Mighty. Mogo defeats Gogo and vanishes telling the villagers that next time they should battle evil themselves.

Thane of Bagarth is again written by Steve Skeates and once again drawn by Jim Aparo. The title of this installment is "Chapter Five: The Battle Lost". Hrothelac the banished Thane of Bagarth finds himself a slave aboard a Viking ship. He's beginning to adapt to his role when the ship runs aground and he finds his chains freed by the melee. He tries to get clear of the ship, fights a Viking and both are thrown into the sea, the Viking sinking because of his armor. Hrothelac swims to shore only to see the ship itself finding purchase on the shore. But the land is England and Celts long under attack by Vikings immediately assault the weary Vikings and soon kill them, including the chief Figlaf. Meanwhile Hrothelac wanders this new land thinking of those he left behind when he chances upon a castle. Unknown to Hrothelac a warrior approaches him from behind.

This is really solid issue. Hippolyta is a beautiful and well-defined villain for Hercules. In fact the characterization in the series is really becoming sharp. Visually Herucles is really becoming more fully realized. Glanzman gives him a more exotic look this issue by angling his eyes not unlike those you find on Greek pottery. Some of the pages featuring the Amazons are very neatly designed and Hippolyta is actually a ravishing creature as presented in this story. The Thane of Bagarth story reverts to its Prince Valiant roots eschewing any use of word balloons in this installment. All in all a very solid and enjoyable issue.


The lead story was reprinted in Charlton Classics #5.


The Thane of Bagarth story reprinted in Thane of Bagarth #25.

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Hercules - Land Of Menace!

The fourth issue of Hercules from Charlton is dated June 1968, several months after the previous issue. It is the last issue edited by Dick Giordano and probably this shake-up is the reason for the delay.

The Hercules story is titled "Land of Menace" and is attributed to Sergius O'Shaugnessy (Denny O'Neil) and is drawn by Sam Glanzman (who signs his work here and in previous issues as "S.J.G"). The issue begins with a splash of Hercules battling what appear to be green flying monkeys.

The story itself starts with Hercules walking through a storm and seeking shelter in a cave. In the cave in the smoke of his fire Zeus and Hera appear. Hera reviews the successes Hercules has had battling the Nemean Lion, Gerion the Three-bodied Giant, and Cerberus of the Underworld. She then offers up a fourth task, to get her something to eat. She wants Golden Apples only found in the other-dimensional world of Nul. She opens a portal for Hercules and tells him he has three days. He leaps into the portal and moves through a psychedelic zone to come out in a desert landscape. He starts to eat some of what looks like a giant cactus but the plant attacks him and he has to uproot it. Then his attention is taken by young boy crying for help, but this turns out to be a Harpy in disguise. The Harpies look like green flying monkeys with spikes for hair. Hercules battles many of these Harpies before being overcome by a magic net that puts him to sleep. He's taken before King Poov, leader of the Harpies and is told he will be a slave. Hercules takes Poov's staff and shatters the light escapting into the desert. There he meets a giant named Atlas who is chained and holding up a giant stone slab to give shade and protection to the Harpy village. Meanwhile the Harpies uncork a magic urn filled with weapons and attack Hercules again with exploding rocks. Hercules throws the chain of Atlas into one of these rocks and frees the giant. Then Atlas takes the slab and covers the mouth of the cave in which the Harpies dwell. A fire leaks out of the magic urn and destroys the Harpies. Atlas then takes Hercules to the Golden Apples and then tells him that time is different in Nul and he's almost out of time and throws him through the portal before it closes. Hercules returns with the prize much to Hera's displeasure but Zeus is very happy.

The text story this issue is titled "The Goddess of Mercy" and tells of a wicked warrior named Nicherin who steals a jewel from the Goddess of Mercy and summarily punished for his impudence transforming him into a tiny stone statue.

"Letters to the Editor -- Hercules" features four letters, two by Canadians. There is the usual praise for the Hercules and Thane of Bagarth and recommendations. One letter writer would like to see Son of Vulcan replace Thane of Bagarth but the editors reject this idea and point out that reading nothing but superheroes would be dull. There is a great little thumbnail portrait of Hercules by Glanzman done in a more realistic style.

Thane of Bargarth is titled "Chapter Four: The Galley" and is written by Steve Skeates and drawn by Jim Aparo. The story starts with Hrothelac captured by Vikings and chained aboard a Viking galley as a slave. After several lashes of the whip he begins to row. The leader of the Vikings is Figlaf and he imagines where they are headed, a new world beyond the great ocean and he wishes to explore it for his king. Hrothelac despairs. Meanwhile King Beowulf seeks out a Hag who can tell the future who reveals to him in magic mists that Eowanda the new Thane of Bagarth will lead Beowulf's forces in battle and get great fame. Beowulf is at once confused and threatened by this prediction. He rides back to his castles as Hrothelac suffers under the lash. A storm is building as the chapter closes.

There is also a house ad for Charlton's war books.

This issue is a real milestone for me personally. This is one of my very first comic books. I knew Hercules from myth and loved this grand tale blending the story of the Golden Apples with action and zest. O'Neil and Glanzman do a wonderful job telling this story and giving it some new twists. Atlas is magnificent and the full page panel revealing him is very dramatic. Today these panels are commonplace but then not so much, especially in a Charlton book. The Harpies evoke the flying monkeys of the Wizard of Oz and are very creepy. The story has a wonderfully brisk pace. This is a great comic book, and arguably the best installment of the series. I didn't know when I was reading this way back when, that it was the end of a great era at Charlton with the departure of Dick Giordano, a name I would see again over at DC.


The lead story was reprinted in Charlton Classics #4.

The back up tale was reprinted in Thane of Bagarth #2.

More to come.

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Hercules - Netherworld!

I continue with my review of Charlton's Hercules series from the late 60's.

Hercules #3 dated February 1968, offers up a striking change in the series after only two issues. Hercules is given a more vivid and distinctive visual appearance by the addition of the skin of the Nemean Lion and a beard. This issue's cover was drawn by Sam Glanzman as have been all of them. He also is the artist on the lead story written by Sergius O'Shaugnessy (Denny O'Neil). The editor is Dick Giordano.

The Hercules adventure this time is titled "Netherworld" and opens with a wonderful splash page of Hercules battling Cerberus. The story begins with Hercules seeking human companionship and being rebuffed first by a mother who fears for her child and later by soldiers who consider him a wandering oaf. He quickly proves his strength with the latter but his anger is quelled when his friend King Admetus shows up. The procession is a funeral but Admetus tells Hercules it is only for a favored servant girl. Later while enjoying the hospitality of Admetus Herucles finds out the funeral was for Queen Alcestis and he pledges to go to Hades and rescue her. He calls to Zeus who arranges with Hercules that if he defeats Cerberus the three-headed hound which guards Hades he will have completed the third of his twelve required tasks to become a full-fledged god. Hera still wants to defeat the Man-God so she arranges with Hefestus to make a million spear points to rain down on Hercules. But Aphrodite sees this and goes to Zeus who is polishing up his thunderbolts (which are dingy) and he arranges for Aeoulus to blow the spear points away from Hercules and they become a defacto ladder for him to use to climb up to the cave which is the door to Hades. There he encounters Pluto who sends him into Hades unarmed. Then quickly Hercules finds Death and Alcestis. He battles death and makes off with the grateful Queen, but sadly has to leave others behind in the land of the dead. Then Cerberus shows up and he and Hercules battle. Hercules defeats the beast and drags him up out of Hades as he and Alcestis escape. Pluto indicates he's impressed with Hercules. Alcesits and Admetus are reunited and Hercules goes off to face for challenges.

"Letters to the Editor -- Hercules" returns with three letters, another one from Klaus Janson. The letters seem to recognize the similarity between Glanzman and Joe Kubert, and all are complimentary. One letter writer asks if Charlton might adapt Conan, but the answer is that it's too expensive. I'd have loved to see that adaptation personally.

The text story this time is "The Story of Momotaro" and it appears to be the retelling of a Japanese myth about Momotaro who is born out of the center of a peach and goes to battle evil spirts on Devil's Island aided by three helpers-- a monkey, a dog, and a pheasant. Momotaro also has magic dumplings.

The Thane of Bagarth story this time is titled "Chaper Three: Banishment". In this story written by Steve Skeates and drawn by Jim Aparo, the Thane of Bagarth Hrothelac has been betrayed by his brother Eowanda and the Thane of Rothfor who deliver forged documents to King Beowulf indicating that Hrothelac has conspired with the hated Swedes. Beowulf demands the traitor be brought before him and dispatches men to accomplish that. Meanwhile Hrothelac wakes up in the cabin of Daeghred the Scholar where he'd been brought by the Scholar's daughter Freahulf after she found Hrothelac unconscious. He finds wax on his signet ring and wrongly suspects Daeghred of having betrayed him. He leaves only to be immediately captured by Beowulf's men and brought to the King. The King banishes Hrothelac who assumes Daeghred is the culprit. He leaves but is waylaid by Vikings and taken aboard their ship as a slave. Beowulf plans to give the title of Bagarth to the Thane of Rothfor frustrating Eowanda's plans.

There's another entertaining House Ad in which they ask for money. This features the cover for Hercules #3.


And that's it. It's a really good issue, the first in which you feel the elements of the comic book have come together. Hercules looks exactly right, echoing not only the classic film versions but also the classic look of old Greece. The stories feature the Gods of Olympus who offer a range of distinctive and very human personalities. There's humor in the Hercules story, nicely meshed with the adventure. The Thane of Bagarth story is picking up steam nicely, though it looks at this point more like a standard comic than a Prince Valiant clone.


All in all this is now a solid comic book package. The lead Hercules story was reprinted in Charlton Classics #3.

The Thane of Bagarth story has been reprinted several times, but most prominently in Thane of Bagarth #25.

More to come.

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Hercules - When Man Meets Monster!

I continue today with Hercules #2 from Charlton.

This issue is dated December 1967. The lead story starring Hercules is drawn by Sam Glanzman and written by Sergius O'Shaughnessy (Denny O'Neil) or at least that's what the letters page suggests about the writer. The comic is edited by Dick Giordano. The title of the lead story is "When Man Meets Monster!" and it pits Hercules against the multiple-bodied giant Gerion.

In this issue we see Zeus for the first time and we meet several other gods especially Hera the jealous stepmother of Hercules who begins immediately in this story to make his life and quest to become fully immortal very difficult indeed. Hercules begins the tale by asking Zeus what the second of his twelve labors will be (yes it was nine in the debut issue, a mistake mentioned and corrected again in the letters page) and discovers he must sail to the giant Gerion's palace to confront him. While on the sea Hera raises a strange wave that swamps the ship but Zeus employs Aeolus the wind god to counteract this plot. Hercules ends up swimming 335 miles to his destination. There he confronts Gerion for the first time and defeats the club-wielding giant and defeats him. Then the second Gerion tells his third incarnation to hide and he tries to trick Hercules and drops him into a pit of snakes. Hercules defeats them and uses the snakes as ropes to get out of the pit. All the while Zeus and Hera watch and comment on his efforts. Hercules defeats the second Gerion when the third Gerion arrives on a winged lizard and Hercules and he fight atop the monster. Eventually Hercules defeats this third Gerion, completing his labor and he swims home. There he meets his dad Zeus and the two share a friendly moment as the story closes.

"Letters to the Editor -- Hercules" offers up three letters from fans on the debut issue. Of special note are letters from Klaus Janson and Bill Mantlo. In a response to Janson the editors reveal that Hercules is intended as a sword and sorcery book, but do indicate that Herc will get a beard and begin wearing the Nemean Lion skin as something akin to a costume beginning with the very next issue.

"The Molecules and the Cook Book" is a text story that reveals a scientist who is ingenious enough to develop a recipe that will allow him to travel through solid objects, making him ostensibly the most powerful man in the world. Others seem to take this claim to heart and he is given great authority over world affairs and as master he plans to give his power to all people in the free world.

Thane of Bagarth returns with a story entitled "Chapter Two: The Plot". Written by Steve Skeates and drawn by Jim Aparo this installment continues the saga of Hrothelac, the Thane of Bagarth who has gone to his younger brother Eowanda to find affirmative proof that he did not lie to King Beowulf about being a collaborator with the hated Swedes. Eowanda goes to a witch who concocts a potion that puts Hrothelac to sleep, giving the treacherous Eowanda a chance to use Horthelac's signet ring to forge papers. Eowando then goes to Garmscio the Thane of Rothfor who is also enemy of the current Thane of Bagarth and after a swordfight they realize they must work together to bring down Hrothelac. Garmscio agrees to take the forged documents to King Beowulf. The groggy Hrothelac is found by the beautiful Freahulf while at that moment Beowulf gets the forged evidence and calls for a scholar to read them.

The comic book ends with a great Charlton house ad with the funny blurb "Buy Charlton Comics! (We need the money!)".


This issue's Hercules story was reprinted in 1980 in Charlton Classics #2.

The Thane of Bagarth story was reprinted in Thane of Bagarth #1 in 1985.

To read the entire issue go to this link to Comic Book Plus.

More in a few days.

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