The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor #12
Published and © by Gold Key (Western), February 1975
Title: “Beauty and the Beasts”
Synopsis: Doctor Spektor seeks help with his werewolf curse but winds up trapped and facing off against the Frankenstein Monster.
Writer: Don Glut
Artist: Jesse Santos
Review: This issue of Doctor Spektor rolls through several genre tropes, combining werewolf mythology, the Frankenstein Monster and the super-science of an evil “Oriental” mastermind. While definitely a product of its time, Don Glut’s story has an clear pulpish appeal. It is also elevated by the above-average artwork of Jesse Santos, one of the more underrated artists of the Bronze Age. Santos spent his American comics career at Western, never reaching the same level of mainstream acclaim as some of the era’s other Filipino artists. But his work on books like Spektor was always a treat.
Grade: B
Second opinion: “It may be corny, but it sure is entertaining.” – Martin Lock, Fantasy Unlimited #24, March 1975
Cool factor: Hmm. The striking painted cover or Jesse Santos’ stylish interiors? Let’s go with both!
Not-so-cool factor: “Oriental” villains like Dr. Tong haven’t aged well.
Notable: First appearance of Lu-Sai.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a Whitman edition of this issue.
Character quotable: “Seemingly my tragic flaw is curiosity … for it was my curiosity that made me a creature of the night.” – Dr. Spektor, werewolf by night
Editor’s note: This review was written Oct. 22, 2024.
