Weird War Tales #93
Published and © by Published and © by DC, December 1980
Title: “The Creature Commandos!”
Synopsis: Soldiers modeled on classic horror monsters storm a French castle where Nazis are building android duplicates of world leaders.
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Penciler: Pat Broderick
Inker: John Celardo
Review: This interesting debut needed more room to breathe. Writer J.M. DeMatteis works hard to establish his lead characters, but their personalities are little more than caricatures due to the story’s quick pace. Pat Broderick’s cartoony art is an odd fit for this feature. Still, the Creature Commandos have potential.
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Title: “Ultimate Weapon”
Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic world, rival clans try to rediscover advanced technology they can use to wage war on each other.
Writer: George Kashdan
Penciler: Denys Cowan
Inker: John Celardo
Review: A decently executed, EC-style short that crams a lot into two pages. The early Denys Cowan art is surprisingly generic.
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Title: “Rising Sun”
Synopsis: An elderly Japanese man in a World-War-II-era relocation camp is killed during an interrogation by U.S. military officials.
Writer: Mike W. Barr
Penciler: Noly Zamora
Inker: Esphid Mahilum
Review: Except for an ending that feels tacked on, there’s little “weird” about this weak spy story from Mike W. Barr.
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Title: “Life Hangs by a Thread”
Synopsis: Superstitious pilots go into battle during World War II with trinkets and teddy bears to keep them safe.
Writer: Carl Wessler
Artist: Vicente Alcázar
Review: Another weak story that fails to entertain, and the workman-like art of Vicente Alcazar doesn’t do much to help.
Grade (for the entire issue): B-
Cool factor: The Creature Commandos have cool potential.
Not-so-cool factor: This issue’s backup features are subpar.
Notable: First appearance of the Creature Commandos. … This issue also includes a frontispiece illustrated by Romeo Tanghal.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a 15p British variant of this issue. … According to MyComicShop.com, there is also a Mark Jewelers variant.
Character quotable: “You take your Creature Commandos, Lieutenant – and you teach those damnable Nazis the true meaning of the word fear!” – An unnamed general, giving his approval to “Project M”
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on Sept. 27, 2010.
