Astonishing Tales #34 - Marvel Comics

ASTONISHING TALES No.34, March 1976

Apparently produced, conceived, plotted and drawn by Deathlok’s creator Rich Buckler, it’s difficult to imagine what more could possibly have been squeezed into Bill Mantlo’s script for this seventeen-page periodical. Sure, the seemingly never ending twists and turns of Luther Manning’s ordeal may well have threatened to confound the senses of anyone picking the book up off from their local comic store’s spinner rack. But it’s arguably hard to find too much fault with a storyline that contains such an adrenalin-fuelled concoction of laser guns, helicopter attacks, enormous explosions, and sense-shattering sonic assaults.

Furthermore, this publication genuinely shows just how complex a post-apocalyptic world the cyborg assassin inhabits, with New York City’s civilisation evolving from just a dilapidated metropolis where cannibals lurk in every shadow into a genuine war zone in which various heavily-armed, and technologically-advanced factions are fighting tooth and nail for domination. Indeed, just as this ongoing series’ audience were settling down to the simple notion of the ill-equipped Provisional Revolutionary Army rebelling against Simon Ryker’s evil military dictatorship, the Demolisher discovers both the existence of Teresa Deveraux’s Central Intelligence Agency, and the deadly Machiavellian machinations of Hellinger’s covert operation too.

Of course, in order to make so many conflicting sub-plots merge together into a single, albeit complicated, storyline the Brooklyn-born writer has to take a few liberties when it comes to highly convenient happenstances - such as the C.I.A. having the expertise necessary to rebuild a badly-damaged Deathlok, and the mind of the surgeon responsible for the cyborg being transferred into a clone of Manning’s original body. However, the creative team appear to be rather laudably trying to tie together an incredible number of loose ends, whilst simultaneously introducing their audience to a number of all-new twists and enthralling turns; “You may not believe this, Luth’… Even if you could hear me -- But I hope you’re alive!”

It’s also clear that letterer Karen Mantlo was incredibly busy on this book, with panel after panel being filled to the brim with some occasionally utterly illegible text boxes. Resultantly, there’s a lot more weight resting upon Buckler’s artistic shoulders to keep any perusing bibliophile’s eyes locked onto the action – a task he does incredibly well, especially during the scene where Deathlok has his bionic arm destroyed.

Script: Bill Mantlo, Concept, Plot & Art: Rich Butler, and Inks & Colors: Klaus Janson