title: "Kings Make A Full House!"
writer: Joe Samachson
art: Mike Grell
editor: Joe Orlando
cover: Jim Aparo (signed)
Synopsis:
The Crimson Avenger and Wing appear in a section of the Land of Magic where they decide to hike towards a palace in an evergreen woods. Wing stops to drink some fresh spring water....that makes him grow to a colossal height! Not wanting to be share Wing's fate, the Crimson Avenger refrains from drinking there, but tries a handful at another, different pool. This time, the Soldier shrinks, nearly out of sight. The two then do experiments with the two streams so that they can control their growth and shrinkage.
Now both at giant size, the two Soldiers approach the castle. As they come nearer, the wall on one end starts to buckle and collapse. Working together, they are able to support the wall with tree trunks. However, King Mistybrain is not happy at their intervention, as he was actually hoping to destroy his palace. He explains to them that his relatives, all kings like himself, are visiting and refusing to leave. The Crimson Avenger agrees to help him to get his family to leave. However, King Adelbert the Addled has overheard the three men talking, and will not just let a free meal and lodging get away from him.
Later that evening, King Adelbert proposes a toast before the Crimson Avenger can speak to the assembled Kings. As the two Soldiers drink, King Adelbert admits that he spiked their drinks with the shrinking water. Suddenly, the Crimson Avenger and Wing are no more than an inch (2.5 cm) high...and King Adelbert intends to squash them!
The two heroes fight him off with tomatoes and other salad bits until they jump into the bottle of growing water and turn back into giants. The Crimson Avenger then promises to force the kings to work for their supper, and they all rush out of King Mistybrain's castle. Overjoyed that his unwanted house-guests are gone, the King is happy to tell the heroes the way back to Earth.
Commentary:
Now both at giant size, the two Soldiers approach the castle. As they come nearer, the wall on one end starts to buckle and collapse. Working together, they are able to support the wall with tree trunks. However, King Mistybrain is not happy at their intervention, as he was actually hoping to destroy his palace. He explains to them that his relatives, all kings like himself, are visiting and refusing to leave. The Crimson Avenger agrees to help him to get his family to leave. However, King Adelbert the Addled has overheard the three men talking, and will not just let a free meal and lodging get away from him.
Commentary:
As explained in the earlier posts about this story, "The Land of Magic" was written in 1945 but was not published until 30 years later!
This story was illustrated by Mike Grell, who had just started working as a professional artist. His style is fresh and dynamic, and he makes the most he can with what he has to work with. The story, however, is pure silliness. Even with the call-out to Alice in Wonderland meets King Arthur, there isn't much here. Luckily, Grell is able to make the change in perspectives work. And at six pages the story is just long enough to not stall for a moment for me to say, "wait, what just happened?" For example.....where did they get the two bottles they so conveniently had? And for another, is the Land of Magic just *next door* to Earth? How do you walk there?
Still, the story moved along at a quick pace and if you don't think too much about it it's a fine little story. And it was nice to see Crimson Avenger and Wing out-think their antagonists instead of out-fighting them. And it was definitely nice to see Wing not be portrayed in any stereotypical fashion.
The Crimson Avenger was DC's first masked avenger, much in the spirit of The Shadow. After Batman and Superman hit big in 1939, though, he swapped out his more "man of mystery" type appearance, buffed up, and became a legitimate "super-hero." Unfortunately, he and his loyal chauffeur, Wing, could not maintain reader interest. The final appearance of the Seven Soldiers in Leading Comics #14 was actually Crimson Avenger's final appearance; he had lost his back-up spot in Detective Comics a year earlier. After he "returned" from limbo in the pages of Justice League of America #s 100-102 he retired his super-hero identity. He came out of retirement once only, to give his life to save the city from a terrorist bomb in DC Comics Presents #38.
Just as a reminder, besides the Crimson Avenger the other Seven Soldiers of Victory were the Green Arrow and Speedy, the Shining Knight, the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy, and the Vigilante. Wing was considered an unofficial (honorary?) Soldier.
This story was illustrated by Mike Grell, who had just started working as a professional artist. His style is fresh and dynamic, and he makes the most he can with what he has to work with. The story, however, is pure silliness. Even with the call-out to Alice in Wonderland meets King Arthur, there isn't much here. Luckily, Grell is able to make the change in perspectives work. And at six pages the story is just long enough to not stall for a moment for me to say, "wait, what just happened?" For example.....where did they get the two bottles they so conveniently had? And for another, is the Land of Magic just *next door* to Earth? How do you walk there?
Still, the story moved along at a quick pace and if you don't think too much about it it's a fine little story. And it was nice to see Crimson Avenger and Wing out-think their antagonists instead of out-fighting them. And it was definitely nice to see Wing not be portrayed in any stereotypical fashion.
The Crimson Avenger was DC's first masked avenger, much in the spirit of The Shadow. After Batman and Superman hit big in 1939, though, he swapped out his more "man of mystery" type appearance, buffed up, and became a legitimate "super-hero." Unfortunately, he and his loyal chauffeur, Wing, could not maintain reader interest. The final appearance of the Seven Soldiers in Leading Comics #14 was actually Crimson Avenger's final appearance; he had lost his back-up spot in Detective Comics a year earlier. After he "returned" from limbo in the pages of Justice League of America #s 100-102 he retired his super-hero identity. He came out of retirement once only, to give his life to save the city from a terrorist bomb in DC Comics Presents #38.
Just as a reminder, besides the Crimson Avenger the other Seven Soldiers of Victory were the Green Arrow and Speedy, the Shining Knight, the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy, and the Vigilante. Wing was considered an unofficial (honorary?) Soldier.
This story has not yet been reprinted. Therefore, I gladly reproduce the six page story here it its entirety, exactly as it appeared in its comic-book form.
Be back tomorrow for Chapter 5 starring The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy!
No comments:
Post a Comment