Marvel Team-Up #104
Published and © by Marvel, April 1981
Title: Untitled
Synopsis: MODOK’s latest plan for world domination runs him afoul of Ka-Zar and, for some reason, the Hulk gets involved.
Writer: Roger McKenzie
Penciler: Jerry Bingham
Inker: Mike Esposito
Review: This issue is more Marvel Mad Libs than coherent comic-book tale; it reads as if random chance selected the character lineup and shaped the story logic. Perhaps there’s a cool team-up tale to be had pitting Ka-Zar and Hulk against MODOK, but writer Roger McKenzie does little to find it here. Character motivations are poorly explained (why is the Hulk in this story?) and the dialogue borders on cringey. Jerry Bingham’s pencils show some flashes but are totally subsumed by Mike Esposito’s overpowering inks. This issue’s high point is the serviceable Al Milgrom cover (and that’s rarely a good thing).
Grade: D
Second opinion: “I don’t think that MODOK interacted with dinosaurs enough. It would only make sense to have the thing with the biggest brain EVER controlling the walking tools of destruction with history’s smallest brains, right? I guess not.” – The Journal of MODOK Studies #2, 2003
Cool factor: Nope. Zero. Nada.
Not-so-cool factor: Oh, there’s plenty of that here.
Notable: According to the annual statement of ownership on the “Web Zingers” letters page, Marvel Team-Up had an average total paid circulation of 220,746 for the 12 months preceding Oct. 1, 1980.
Collector’s note: According to MyComicShop.com, there is a Mark Jewelers variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “Hulk loved Jarella. But Hulk does not love lizards! Hulk has no love left … .” – The Incredible Hulk, in a story that has nothing to do with Jarella
Editor’s note: This review was written Feb. 5, 2023.
