With years spent reading single issues here and there, juggling storylines of dozens of titles, I decided it was time to find a better way to read comics. So, it was off to the back issue bins armed with the longest want list you’ve ever seen! Putting together series after series and reading them in their complete goodness, I was reborn as the Retro-Reader!
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Number of Issues: 5
First Issue: February 1976 (25¢)
Last Issue: November 1976 (30¢)
Writer: Tony Isabella (#1); Chris Claremont
Artist: George Tuska (#1-3) and others
*Warning! Plot Spoilers Below*
After fifteen years away, Dr. William Barrett Foster moved back to his hometown of Los Angeles after accepting a job to head up a Californian Stark Industries facility. Unknown to Stark, or anyone else for that matter, Foster recently acquired Pym particles that allow him to grow to 15′, donned a costume and adopted the super-hero name of Black Goliath (see Power Man #24). But, it works out well for Stark, since Black Goliath has moved to L.A. just in time to stop Atom-Smasher from stealing a new supply of radium from the warehouse!
The book continues to follow Foster’s new career as a crime-fighter, as he learns the ropes … and even meets a nice lady named Celia Jackson who’s clearly attracted to his costumed alter-ego (even though she’s unaware of his secret identity). And, while attempting to disrupt a crime-spree by the Stilt-Man, Goliath along with Celia and her nephew are transported to a new world by the criminal’s Z-Ray! In the final issue, the trio meet a kindly alien named Derath who helps them escape the planet, Kirgar, to which they’ve been unwillingly trapped on.
The Bad: It’s obvious that Marvel gave this book little to no help to allow it to flourish. This results in a bunch of unresolved sub-plots: (1) How will Talia Kruma’s mysterious past affect her co-worker, Dr. Foster? (2) Who is the shadowed sniper who wounded Black Goliath? (3) Who is the shadowed boss-man who hired the sniper? [It appears to be the Kingpin] Aside from heightened racial conflicts in the 1970s, here are a few other noticeable things that led to the title’s early demise due to low sales:
- Creative Team Change – The book switched writers after only one issue! Fortunately, the series doesn’t suffer from a noticeable shift in tone but, it’s certainly a strange move to leave the book so early in its life.
- No Guest Stars – Marvel often includes mainstream guest-stars in the first few issues of a series to gather interest in a new hero. Occasionally, Tony Stark makes a cameo on a view screen to talk with Foster or his co-workers but his alter-ego, Iron Man, never makes an appearance – nor do any other big-name heroes.
- Lame Villains – If a series doesn’t include famous heroes, then often the other solution is to pit the new hero up against a well-known villain to gather some interest. In this case, Black Goliath is pitted up against new villains: Atom-Smasher and Vulcan. And, when he is given a “name-brand” villain it’s Stilt-Man. Stilt-Man! C’mon! It’s a guy on stilts … with a ray gun.
the Good: I’m often intrigued by characters that are or can grow to larger than life proportions. This guy’s no different and I was instantly drawn into his story and the great, dynamic art. It was fun to follow a new hero who has significant ties to existing Marvel characters (he first appeared in a very early issue of the Avengers; he uses an improved-upon Pym Particles formula; he made his costumed debut in Power Man). And, placing a super-hero on the West Coast was a novel idea for Marvel at a time when all of its heroes were based out of NYC. Continuing with my praise of “novel” premises: this is Marvel’s second series starring a black character. Certainly a noteworthy character in terms of diversifying the super-hero population.
The Verdict: Although I was quickly drawn into the series, the unresolved plot-lines left a poor taste in my mouth. No one wants to end a story with so many strings left hanging. If the series was able to come to a natural conclusion, I’d be able to recommend it more … alas, that was not the case! As an interesting note here, the alien that Claremont created in issue five belongs to the A’askvarii race. I think you’ll notice that it’s very close to the spelling of the Askani, which he later linked to the X-Men’s future.
On Ebay: Marvel Comics | Black Goliath
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