Yeah, I’m jumping a lot of issues here. Don McGregor and Frank Robbins signed on for a few issues (#30-34), but they were just awful. Two pretty good creators at the nadir of their game. The book was clearly struggling, and Marvel wasn’t committing a solid team to it.
I have to say, though, that at least Marvel stuck by struggling titles back then. These days, publishing is so much about money (and, to be fair, sales are so much lower), that a title like this wouldn’t survive.
So let’s whip through these. Most of them were done-in-one battles with lame villains who would not be heard again. One exception (barely) is Spear, who has a harpoon gun.
And his unfortunate looking partner, Mangler.
Issue #35 was a reprint. Issues #36-37 brought back Chemistro, with Marv Wolfman coming aboard as writer and Ron Wilson on art. Wolfman stayed with the book until the (nearly) bitter end. But overall, his run wasn’t great. Just okay.
A highlight of these issues: The ongoing soda machine gag.
