“Captain America didn’t have to put up with this evil counterpart nonsense.”
Judomaster #95
Charlton Comics Group (June, 1967)
“The Plot To Destroy Judomaster”
WRITER/ARTIST/LETTERER: Frank McLaughlin
Sarge Steel: “File 112: Case Of The Village Moneyman”
WRITER: Steve Skeates
ARTIST: Dick Giordano
LETTERING: A Machine
The Japanese military holds a competition to find a martial artist who can stand up to Judomaster. Finally, a circus acrobat beats everyone, including villains we’ve seen before like The Cat, Mountain Storm, and for some reason the Smiling Skull despite being German. They manage to send this Acrobat to the island Judomaster trained at, and between his skills and suction cup wire gun, the Acrobat manages to get the drop on him and win.
This is what I wanted Prototype #7 from yesterday to be, just a huge fight from start to finish. Acrobat proves to be a good martial arts foil and I want to see how Judomaster beats him at the next fight. There is one problem with this story. Out of nowhere the sub commander drops that Suzi, Rip’s love interest who we’re always told was a loving supporter of his, is actually a Japanese spy. It’s a bad reveal and this is not a character I want to see as a spy for the bad guys (this is World War II).
Frank McLaughlin follows this up with a two page story about ninja tactics. We know these days that ninjas did more than assassinations, but that and the tools used for infiltration are the focus.
Then it’s the Sarge Steel backstory. Two guys attack him warning him to stay off a case he hasn’t been giving yet. After taking them down he returns to his office, resuming his private investigator game because apparently Charlton couldn’t decide if he was a PI or CIA. The woman asks him to find her father, the man the others were trying to scare him off of. Did they knew she was going to see him and misjudged their timing? The treasury department also wants him because he’s a known counterfeiter, a fact that gives him a clue, but the girl appears to be kidnapped. As Sarge realizes the “I’m just going out” message is fake someone named Gregor points a gun on his back.
I do like the idea of Sarge being attacked by someone who thinks he’s on a case he isn’t, but it isn’t as interesting when it turns out he is approached for the case. I don’t know if it’s the limited space but…I can’t put my finger on it, but it just doesn’t feel as exciting as I want it to be.
Overall it’s a good comic. The back-up is still okay for a part 1 and the idea of an “evil Judomaster” has potential. We’ll see if both stories can stick the landing next time.
BW Media Spotlight 