Sarge Steel - File 107!

Sarge Steel #7 is dated January 1966. Once again Pat Masulli's creator credit is shown. The script is by reliable Joe Gill with lettering again by Jon D'Agostino. The big news here is that Dick Giordano returns for an issue on the artwork. The cover by Giordano is a version of the splash page with the figures of the two masterminds of P.O.W. included.

Part I of File #107 "The Day They Killed Sarge Steel" begins with that splash image. But the story begins in London where Peter Potter top British secret agent is attacked in his sports car by a grenade and killed. The scene shifts to Moscow where top Sovie agent Gorgie Fyankov is shot down while escorting a prisoner. The scene shifts again to a list held by a beautiful blonde woman named Roja who is holding a list called "POW Top Secret List of Elimination" with all the names on it crossed off save for Nicole Planchet of France and Sarge Steel of the U.S.A. She and her partner Eric Rinn run P.O.W. (Prosecutors Of the World) an organization of killers with the goal to blackmail the powers of the world and show their power by killing all the top espionage operatives. The scene shifts again to a helicopter pad where Bessie witnesses her boss Sarge Steel being gunned down. The news gets out Sarge was shot to death and pictures confirming that are taken and circulated. News also comes that Nicole Planchet has died mysteriously from a poison perfume. A man climbs the building holding Sarge's body to confirm his death, attempting to use the same gas that killed Planchet but Sarge jumps up and punches him in the gut causing him to inhale the deadly fumes. It's revealed that Sarge has been faking his death to give him free rein to chase down the P.O.W. killers.

"The Gift of Two Deaths" is a one-page text piece about a man named Koshinsky who dies but who has his body preserved untouched for three days by his wife since she believes he carries a family habit of reviving from his first death. This gift was given to the family as a reward by an old woman for saving a peasant child from drowning. The story makes a sensation in the media and after the three days the man revives.

Part II is titled "Live Bait in the Shark Tank!" and opens with Sarge getting a ride on a C.I.A. reconnaissance jet which is to take him to the Wetterhorn Valley. Sarge parachutes from a great height, lands safely and is immediately set upon by a Doberman Pincher who turns out to be a "paradog" belonging to Nicole Planchet who also faked her death to get at P.O.W. The trio jump the electrified fence and and use gas to get close to the headquarters. But they are caught and brought before Roja and Rinn where Sarge makes some insulting comments to Roja who is attracted to him. When she tries to scratch him, he uses that moment to throw her into Rinn and he and Planchet escape.

Part III is titled "The Murder School" and begins with Sarge and Nicole confronting a rifleman but Sarge stops him by using his steel fist to plug the barrel causing a backfire. Then the pair encounter several killers with knives and guns and fend them off. Sarge leaps through a window to the outside creating a distraction while Nicole plants an explosive. With only seconds to spare the pair leap off the cliff below the headquarters into the sea and a great explosion destroys the P.O.W. facility. After they get back to land Nicole gives Sarge a kiss to thank him on behalf of the whole human race. The last two scenes show Sarge in Washington DC and confronting his secretary Bessie who is quite upset to learn he has been alive all this time.

"Sport of Judo" is written and drawn by Frank McLaughlin and these three pages narrated by Sarge show how to use Judo, Karate, Hapkido, and Aikido techniques to battle multiple attackers.

This is a pretty good issue. One big change though is that Sarge's distinctive first-person narration is not used in this issue. That might be because of the ruse that he was supposed to be dead, but whatever the cause it really altered the tone of the story. The villains were a bit of a disappointment, as they were set up pretty well but there wasn't enough space to really devote to their demise. They seemed to get beat rather easily. But that's a minor criticism. They also didn't use the classic "The Case Of..." format for the title; that bugs the compulsive side of my character a wee bit.

More Sarge Steel to come.

 This is a Revised Classic Charlton Post! 

Rip Off

Judomaster - Special War Dispatch Number 07!

Judomaster #94 is dated April 1967. The only credit is "McLaughlin" so I assume that Frank McLaughlin is again responsible for both story and artwork. 

The story titled "Tiger Hunt" begins with a symbolic splash page featuring mirror panels one showing a real tiger closing in on a tethered deer while hunters wait in ambush and the other shows Judomaster tied to a post while his young partner Tiger comes to his aid and Japanese soldiers wait in ambush. The story begins where it ended with Tiger being picked up out of the ocean by Japanese troops led by Mountain Storm a massive Sumo wrestler who once before battled Judomaster. He is taken back to shore, meanwhile Judomaster leaves Bushiri and his men to swim back to look for Tiger. Tiger is tied to a tree, but using a Ninja trick he slips his bonds and escapes into the jungle much to Mountain Storm's chagrin. Tiger looks for a cache of equipment he and Judomaster has hidden on the beach previously and finds a camouflaged poncho and some other Ninjutsu tricks of the trade. He throws powder into the face of a soldier and escapes again into the jungle. The Japanese led by Mountain Storm and Commander Suzi look for Tiger but are unsuccessful and begin to imagine him to be almost magical. Judomaster meanwhile searches for his lost partner and falls into a pit trap set for Tiger. Judomaster is tied to a post by the Commander and set up as bait. 

Tiger shows up to help but gets himself snared in a rope and ends up dangling from a tree. The two are thrown into a pit and a real tiger is brought out and released from its cage into the pit but Judomaster using techniques of Karate striking demonstrated in a later text piece in this very issue knocks out the big cat. He and Tiger then use their nimbleness to escape the pit and knock the Mountain Storm and the Japanese soldiers into it. The reunited team then find a raft and paddle away from the dangerous island. 

"Karate Man vs. The Bulls!" is a two-page piece by McLaughlin with Dick Giordano inks which talks about the power of the Karate hand strike and how endurance training in harsh weather. A particular master of Karate Mas Oyama is shown hewing off the horn of a bull which is charging at him. 

Sarge Steel is back in Part II of File 111 "Case of the Devil's Wife" by the team of Joe Gill on script, Bill Montes on pencils and Dick Giordano on inks. Sarge and the kidnapped ambassador find themselves on an island, prisoners of Satana the Devils Bride. She unleashes her hounds to attack Sarge but he throws the dog into the shark-infested waters. The Ambassador awakes and decries the cruelty of the act and Sarge uses his gun to save the dog which comes out of the water shaken. Then Satana rides up on horseback with a lance and begins to chase the pair along with her men and more dogs. Sarge uses his jacket to confuse the horse long to escape momentarily. The Ambassador indicates his attache has a bomb inside as they run from the henchmen. They head inside the house on the island where Sarge is at last able to call for assistance and gain the upper hand by dropping a rope over Satana. Holding her captive, the pair shoot thier way out of the house as a helicopter comes to rescue them and carry them to safety along with the captured Satana. 

 "Flips and Counters with Judomaster" is back to one page this issue offering up three letters. There is some debate about the continued use of cliffhanger endings, some liking them some not. Also Judomaster's "top-knot" as Giordano prefers to call it is again criticized. The Peacemaker's name is mentioned with a plug given to the Pat Boyette series. There is a small boxed blurb at the bottom of the page announcing that fans should watch for the "All-new Adventures of Blue Beetle". The house ad does not yet show him, but only the other four Action-Heroes. 

This is another really good issue. Tiger gets the bulk of the attention, though it is Judomaster who saves the day in the end. Tiger really comes across as very capable and confident even cocky in this story. He and Judomaster are a team of course similar to Captain America and Bucky in many respects. I have little doubt that the Timely team inspired the Charlton pairing. There is small evidence in this issue that Tiger is seen as a little boy anymore by Judomaster. This issue and the previous one were my first two Judomaster issues, and among the very first Charlton books I ever read. They then have a special place in my memory, but I'm happy to see that it's not only my nostalgia for these that make me remember them so fondly. These are really good comic book stories.

This issue was reprinted in the late 70's under the Modern imprint. 

 More Judomaster to come. 

NOTE: This is a Dojo Revised Classic Post. 

 Rip Off