Monsters Unleashed is the title of an American black-and-white comics magazine published by Magazine Management and two color comic-book miniseries from Marvel Comics. The first ran from 1973 to 1975. The two miniseries ran consecutively in 2017.
Monsters Unleashed | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics Group |
Schedule | Quarterly |
Format | Ongoing series |
Genre | |
Publication date | August 1973 – April 1975 |
No. of issues | 11, and one annual publication |
Editor(s) | Roy Thomas, Tony Isabella, Don McGregor |
The first publication titled Monsters Unleashed was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. [1] The series ran 11 issues cover-dated 1973 to April 1975), plus one annual publication. With sister titles including Dracula Lives! , Tales of the Zombie and Vampire Tales , it was published by Marvel Comics' parent company, Magazine Management, and related corporations, under the brand emblem Marvel Monster Group. The first issue was dated simply 1973, but the second issue of the magazine, published quarterly, was cover-dated September 1973. [2] [3]
A magazine rather than a comic book, it did not fall under the purview of the comics industry's self-censorship Comics Code Authority, allowing the title to feature stronger content — such as moderate profanity, partial nudity, and more graphic violence — than color comics of the time.
Monsters Unleashed primarily featured standalone horror stories, both original and reprinted, including from pre-Comics Code comics from Marvel Comics' 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics. It occasionally featured stories starring the Marvel Comics swamp monster Man-Thing, the Marvel version of the Frankenstein monster, the bestial Wendigo, the science-fiction adventurer Gullivar Jones. and the superheroine Tigra. It also included text features on monster movies. [2]
Monsters Unleashed was edited by Roy Thomas for the first six issues, succeeded by Tony Isabella, and then Don McGregor for the last two issues. The painted covers were illustrated by the likes of Gray Morrow, Boris Vallejo, Neal Adams, Frank Brunner, Bob Larkin, Richard Hescox, Earl Norem, and Jose Antonio Domingo. In addition to the 11 issues there was one annual publication in 1975 consisting completely of stories reprinted from the magazine. [4]
Monsters Unleashed | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
Format | Limited series |
Publication date | March – May 2017 |
No. of issues | 5 |
Main character(s) | Avengers Champions Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Elsa Bloodstone Goliathons Guardians of the Galaxy Inhumans Kei Kawade Leviathon Tide X-Men |
Creative team | |
Created by | Cullen Bunn Steve McNiven Greg Land Adam Kubert Leinil Francis Yu |
The second volume of Monsters Unleashed is a Marvel Comics series published in 2017. [5] It is the flagship title of the "Monster Unleashed" company-wide crossover story arc. Additionally, a tie-in trade paperback book, Monsters Unleashed Prelude, reprinted late 1950s and early 1960s "pre-superhero Marvel" stories starring several of the giant monsters seen in the new series. [6]
Monsters Unleashed volume two began publication in January 2017. [7] The five-issue miniseries was cover-date March–May 2017. [5]
Monsters have been appearing on Earth upon falling from the sky. The Avengers fight a reptilian monster in Boston, the X-Men fight a spider monster in London, the Black Panther and Shuri defend Wakanda from a thick-skinned monster, the Guardians of the Galaxy defend Groot from a snake-like monster in Seattle, the Inhumans fight a multi-headed monster in Venice, and the Champions fight a tentacled eye monster in Los Angeles. In Peru, Elsa Bloodstone finds a prophecy that tells of the Monster King whom all monsters fear. [8] The Winter Guard fights monsters in Moscow while Valkyrie and Warrior Woman fight them in Edinburgh while Atlas fights them in Washington, D.C. [9] Medusa and Karnak discover that Kei Kawade is an Inhuman who can summon monsters called Goliathons to help fight the Leviathon invasion. [10] Kei then learns how to use his powers perfectly and manages to defeat the Leviathon Queen with a team of new monsters. [11]
The third volume of Monsters Unleashed is a five-issue Marvel Comics miniseries cover-dated June-Oct. 2017. [12] It follows the adventures of Kei Kawade, vampire-hunter Elsa Bloodstone, and Kei Kawade's creations Aegish, Slizzik, Scragg, Hi Vo and Mekara. The series unfolds as the team takes on gargantuan creatures and protects the planet while also having to deal with the latest incarnation of Intelligencia.
The entire crossover received mixed reviews. According to Comic Book Roundup, the entire crossover received an average rating of 6.9 out of 10 based on 48 reviews. [13]
Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Monsters Unleashed Prelude | Fearless Defenders #8; Marvel Zombies (vol. 2) #1; Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1; Totally Awesome Hulk #2-3 and material from Strange Tales #73, 90; Tales to Astonish #11-13, 15, 17, 19, 23; Tales of Suspense #15, 17, 19, 22 | January 2017 | 978-1302900892 |
Monsters Unleashed | Monsters Unleashed (vol. 2) #1-5 | July 2017 | 978-1302907266 |
Monsters Unleashed Vol. 1: Monster Mash | Monsters Unleashed (vol. 3) #1-6 | December 2017 | 978-0785196365 |
Monsters Unleashed Vol. 2: Learning Curve | Monsters Unleashed (vol. 3) #7-12 | June 2018 | 978-0785196372 |
Monsters Unleashed: Battleground | All-New X-Men #1.MU, Avengers #1.MU, Champions #1.MU, Doctor Strange #1.MU, Guardians of the Galaxy #1.MU, Spider-Man/Deadpool #1.MU, Totally Awesome Hulk #1.MU, Uncanny Inhumans #1.MU | July 2017 | 978-1302907198 |
George Pérez is a retired American comic book artist and writer, who primarily worked as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling The Avengers for Marvel Comics, and returned to the franchise in the 1990s. In the 1980s he penciled The New Teen Titans, which became one of DC Comics' top-selling series. He penciled DC's landmark limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, followed by relaunching Wonder Woman as both writer and penciller for the rebooted series. In the meantime, he worked on other comics published by Marvel, DC, and other companies into the 2010s. He is known for his detailed and realistic rendering, and his facility with complex crowd scenes.
Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as an extraterrestrial creature resembling a dragon. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Later, the character becomes part of the superhero Iron Man's rogues gallery.
Amazing Adventures is the name of several anthology comic book series, all but one published by Marvel Comics.
Douglas Moench is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, Electric Warrior and Six from Sirius. He is also known for his critically acclaimed eight year run on Master of Kung Fu.
Vampire Tales was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 11 issues and one annual publication from 1973 to 1975, and featuring vampires as both protagonists and antagonists.
Marvel Presents was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. Twelve issues were published from October 1975 to August 1977.
Jae Lee is a Korean American comics artist known for his interior illustration and cover work for various publishers, including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment.
Devil Dinosaur is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as resembling an enormous, crimson colored Tyrannosaurus-like theropod dinosaur. Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Devil Dinosaur #1. Devil Dinosaur and his inseparable ape-like friend, Moon-Boy, are natives of "Dinosaur World", a version of Earth in a parallel universe where dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures co-exist with tribes of primitive humanoid beings. The comic is considered a "cult classic" by Kirby fans.
Godzilla has appeared in a range of comic books that have been published in Japan and the United States.
Steven McNiven is a Canadian comic book artist. He first gained prominence on CrossGen's Meridian, before moving onto books such as Ultimate Secret, New Avengers and Civil War.
Marvel Super-Heroes is the name of several comic book series and specials published by Marvel Comics.
Tales of the Zombie was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 10 issues and one Super Annual from 1973 to 1975, many featuring stories of the Zombie by writer Steve Gerber and artist Pablo Marcos.
Elsa Bloodstone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appears in Marvel's Bloodstone mini-series of 2001 written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. She is the daughter of the previously established Marvel Universe character Ulysses Bloodstone and the sister of Cullen Bloodstone. She was a member of Nextwave, Midnight Sons and Fearless Defenders.
Goom is a fictional extraterrestrial created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers, appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in the anthology comic book Tales of Suspense #15 in the Silver Age of Comic Books. He is depicted as the father of Googam.
Frankenstein's Monster is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the character in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The character has been adapted often in the comic book medium.
Fantastic Four is the name of several comic book titles featuring the team Fantastic Four and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original Fantastic Four comic book series which debuted in 1961.
The Ghostbusters franchise spawned various comic books published by various comic book companies through the years starting in 1988 and continuing to the present day. These comics have ranged from being based on The Real Ghostbusters animated series, to the 1984 film.
Dracula Lives! was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 13 issues and one Super Annual from 1973 to 1975, and starred the Marvel version of the literary vampire Dracula.
Secret Warriors is a 2017 superhero team comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It's the second series of the title Secret Warriors published.
Moon Girl is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 and was created by writers Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder, and artist Natacha Bustos.