Morlock 2001 #3
Published and © by Atlas (Seaboard), July 1975
Title: “Then Came the Midnight Men”
Synopsis: Morlock joins forces with a burned-scientist-turned-rebel-leader in a revolution against the Thought Police … but is it too late?
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Penciler: Steve Ditko
Inker: Bernie Wrightson
Review: For this third issue, Morlock 2001 gets a whole new creative team. New writer Gary Friedrich continues the pop-culture mashups that defined this strange series (see reviews of Morlock 2001 #1 and #2), adding a not-so-subtle infusion of “Fahrenheit 451.” On the art front, Steve Ditko and Bernie Wrightson are an odd pairing, but the two artists’ styles mix beautifully. (It helps, of course, that both men are no strangers to drawing monster comics!) But the real draw to this issue is the shocking conclusion; meant to be a cliffhanger, this issue ultimately serves as an incredibly nihilistic series finale.
Grade: B+
Second opinion: “Those looking for that elusive “Fahrenheit 451”/hideous-plant-creature crossover comic need look no further, though for less committed readers this remains a fun, if undemanding, title.” – The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition), 2003
Cool factor: That conclusion is so dark it made this reviewer laugh aloud.
Not-so-cool factor: That creature on the cover looks nothing like Morlock. Did Atlas (Seaboard) cover artists ever look at the comics?
Character quotable: “If we’re lucky, we may get to burn a few more thousand books before the night’s over.” – The Chief of the Thought Police
Editor’s note: This review was written June 11, 2022.
