Marvel Team-Up #43
Published and © by Marvel, March 1976
Title: “A Past Gone Mad!”
Synopsis: Spider-Man, Vision and the Scarlet Witch find themselves teamed with Doctor Doom to battle the Dark-Rider – in Salem, 1692!
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Mike Esposito
Review: Bill Mantlo’s time-travel epic rolls on (see reviews of Part 1 and Part 2) with its strongest chapter yet. Doctor Doom joins the fray against the mysterious Dark-Rider, in a well-paced, all-out battle issue. Mantlo’s dialogue is particularly strong this time out (in that over-the-top, 1970s-Marvel way, of course). Sal Buscema’s art is also in fine form, with strong fight sequences and a nice two-page spread recapping Doctor Doom’s origin. This issue isn’t high art by any means, but it’s dang fine Bronze Age fun.
Grade: B+
Cool factor: Let’s go with Sal Buscema’s art. His work really does scream “BRONZE AGE MARVEL!,” doesn’t it?
Notable: The “Mail It to Team-Up” letters page includes an LoC from future Eclipse publisher Dean Mullaney, loving on MTU #39.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a 9p British variant of this issue. … According to MyComicShop.com, there is also a Mark Jewelers variant. … Beware, this issue contains Marvel Value Stamp (Series B) #46.
Character quotable: “Great! We’re caught in the middle of a super-villain sandwich …” – Your friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on Nov. 11, 2009.
