Play it Again, Stan

 

© Marvel.

I think it's pretty unusual for a comic to publish the same tale, but drawn by different artists. But when it does happen, it does bring into focus how much impact the choice of artist has on the tale. Most recently, Kid over at kidr77.blogspot highlighted a tale of premature burial that appeared both in a Marvel and DC comic, one drawn by Jack Kirby and another by Wayne Howard. Head on over and take a look..it’s worth your time.  In that particular case eighteen years had elapsed between the publishing of the two tales.

In the case of the classic Superman run of “Kryptonite Nevermore”, the story of Kryptonite turning to lead in the early 1970s was returned to twice , each time adding a new perspective. Denny O’Neil wrote the first tale, drawn by Swanderson ; then it was featured in a 1992 Superman Special drawn by Walt Simonson, and finally revisited in the Adventures of Superman in 2001.  So thirty years spanning those tellings. Again, Kid has the details.

But in the case of 1970 Marvel horror anthology title Chamber of Darkness, a mere 6 months had elapsed before the same story received both a new writer and new artist treatment.

Each rendition of the tale was only six pages long:  An airforce pilot crashes , bails out, but eventually realizes that he died and a man who walks through walls turns up to take him into the beyond. 

In the June 1970 edition of Chamber of Darkness #5 (Jack Kirby wrote and drew the tale with inks by John Verpoorten)  a pilot flying a U-2 plane crashes over Red China - eludes capture - and finds his way to a monastery when a mysterious stranger meets him to take him to the hereafter, as they both walk as ghosts through walls.

Six months later in Chamber of Darkness #8, Bill Everett (Script and Inks) and Dan Adkins (pencils) have the pilot flying over Cold War Russia, only to bail out, and find his way to Moscow, only to meet a stranger who meets him, tells him he already died, accompanying him through a wall to the great beyond.

© Marvel. Splash page to the Kirby Story

I much prefer the Kirby rendition - a great splash page, beginning the tale in the aftermath of the crash, an exciting chase scene, and spooky ending. And it merits the Kirby cover. Verpoorten’s inks are very pleasing.

The artwork in the Adkins/Everett rendition is superb, and the inked artwork that sold on Heritage Auctions a while back is stunning, but somehow the lack of tension and horror leaves a rather pedestrian feel to the whole thing.

A comparison of the final panels from the two comics is shown below.

© Marvel.  Jack Kirby's final panels of the tale

© Marvel. Dan Adkins and Bill Everett wrap up the story

There is no editorial comment as to why the story was re-done, but I suspect that Chamber of Darkness #8 needed 6 pages of story to be sandwiched between Ditko and Don Heck reprints and this was an easy way out. At least the heading on the Everett/Adkins story highlights that it is an alternative version.

If you’re thinking of picking up an issue, #5 is the one to go for.  It also features a new tale by Denny O’Neil and Paul Reinman - “The Beast From The Bog!” - which is worth picking up for the title alone!

The cover for issue #8 is a Berni Wrighton rendition.

© Ian Baker