Marvel; December 1978
Cover by John Byrne and Terry Austin

Title: “If Not For Love …”
Synopsis: When Clea’s soul is captured, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel head to New Orleans to save her.

Writer: Chris Claremont
Artists: Howard Chaykin, Jeff Aclin and Juan Ortiz

Review: Tarot cards, a lovers’ spat, and a super-powered editor of a women’s-lib magazine. Ahh, it must be a Marvel comic from the late ’70s! Chris Claremont does his best to milk a decent story out of this strange brew, but it never amounts to much more than extended setup. Howard Chaykin was supposedly involved with the art, but, with the exception of a panel here and there, it’s almost impossible to see. This issue is loaded with potential, but it ends up being another run-of-the-mill mystical adventure, common to this era.

Grade: B

Cool factor: The Byrne/Austin tarot cover.
Not-so-cool factor: There’s Chaykin art in there? Really?

Character quotable: “At least Clea’s calmed down. It helped when I reminded her that – even though I am master of the mystic arts – I am also a man …” – Doctor Strange, magic man

Copyright ©2017 Off the Wahl Productions, all rights reserved. Each week, T. Andrew Wahl offers up a Bronze Age Minute. For more, check out Wahl’s website, SequentialReaction.com.

Note, this article originally appeared in March 2017.