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Marvel Premiere (1972) #56
Dominic Fortune: It Can Happen Here and Now
The depression's going strong, so when Dominic Fortune is hired to bodyguard Jock Madison, Vaughn Lorillard, and P.T. Oakley, three drunk and disorderly Hollywood stars, he jumps at the chance to pick up what looks like a few easy bucks, and maybe have a few laughs in the bargain. But when the trio of old school hambones and horndogs prove to be a bigger pain than he anticipated - and he accidentally stumbles across a conspiracy headed by mysterious American businessman Malcolm Upshaw and Delatriz Betancourt, the recklessly sexy granddaughter of Confederates who fled Reconstruction for South America - Fortune finds himself in hot water... with the fate of the USA at stake! Collects Dominic Fortune #1-4, and Dominic Fortune Digital Comic #1-6.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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24 people want to read
About the author
Howard Chaykin
1,076 books114 followersHoward Victor Chaykin is an American comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett and Al Parker.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 3, 2022
Dominic Fortune was one of Howard Chaykin's earliest creations. Fortune is a swashbuckling hero working as a troubleshooter for hire in late 30's Hollywood. He first appeared in Marvel Preview #2 all the way back in 1975. Subsequent appearances were sporadic, particularly after the success of Chaykin's American Flagg over at First Comics. Apparently there was a Dominic Fortune series done for Marvel's Max line, which is collected here along with the two earliest appearances of the character from Marvel Preview and Marvel Premiere. There's also a six chapter story featuring the character that previously appeared only online in Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
So it's a cornucopia of stories, mostly written and drawn by Howard Chaykin. Which is good if you're a fan of his work, but maybe not so much of you aren't. Howard has fairly been accused of often writing the same character. Dominic Fortune is Reuben Flagg is Chaykin's version of Blackhawk … even the Shadow, from his 80's miniseries. I personally don't mind this, as he writes a great swashbuckling hero. His action sequences are properly thrilling, and his heroes suitably dashing. His sex scenes–this *is* a Max title, after all–can get a little leering. While the more recent Fortune tale is fun, I prefer the earlier ones, I think. I can take or leave cartoon boobs, and past experience with Chaykin's work (Yes, I've read Black Kiss) has taught me that he's better at implying sex than he is at depicting it.
I did enjoy the aspect of the first story where Fortune is hired to keep a trio of well-known Hollywood actors out of trouble, despite their penchant for booze and women. Students of Hollywood history should have no trouble recognizing who they are, despite name changes. I also really enjoyed the story by Dean Motter and Greg Scott (previously available exclusively online), which ties Fortune more firmly into traditional Marvel continuity. Among others, he encounters an SS officer named Schmidt. Motter probably cackled to himself as he wrote the caption, "As I looked back at the reddened face of Officer Schmidt I could almost feel the hate radiating from him. As Hitler's personal toady, it was clear this bonehead was going to pay for our getaway." I know I cackled as I read it. Longtime comics fans will be aware that Schmidt becomes the Red Skull.
So it's a cornucopia of stories, mostly written and drawn by Howard Chaykin. Which is good if you're a fan of his work, but maybe not so much of you aren't. Howard has fairly been accused of often writing the same character. Dominic Fortune is Reuben Flagg is Chaykin's version of Blackhawk … even the Shadow, from his 80's miniseries. I personally don't mind this, as he writes a great swashbuckling hero. His action sequences are properly thrilling, and his heroes suitably dashing. His sex scenes–this *is* a Max title, after all–can get a little leering. While the more recent Fortune tale is fun, I prefer the earlier ones, I think. I can take or leave cartoon boobs, and past experience with Chaykin's work (Yes, I've read Black Kiss) has taught me that he's better at implying sex than he is at depicting it.
I did enjoy the aspect of the first story where Fortune is hired to keep a trio of well-known Hollywood actors out of trouble, despite their penchant for booze and women. Students of Hollywood history should have no trouble recognizing who they are, despite name changes. I also really enjoyed the story by Dean Motter and Greg Scott (previously available exclusively online), which ties Fortune more firmly into traditional Marvel continuity. Among others, he encounters an SS officer named Schmidt. Motter probably cackled to himself as he wrote the caption, "As I looked back at the reddened face of Officer Schmidt I could almost feel the hate radiating from him. As Hitler's personal toady, it was clear this bonehead was going to pay for our getaway." I know I cackled as I read it. Longtime comics fans will be aware that Schmidt becomes the Red Skull.
January 7, 2016
Sometimes creators should not return to their creations, and in this case that applies to Howard Chaykin. The lead story is a new Dominic Fortune tale, but there is no Sabbath Raven, the conspiracy to overthrow FDR feels forced, and frankly Dom seems to have lost his sense of fun. The second tale is a Dominic Fortune story that was serialized in Astonishing Tales, and writer Dean (of Mr. X fame) Motter turns in a nice pulp flavored tale. But, Motter doesn't write Dominic Fortune, it could have been any 1930s adventurer. Motter does tip his hat to Marvel Comics WWII continuity. The last two stories are reprints of previous Chaykin Dominic fortune stories, and these give a new reader a better taste of the swashbuckling fun that was Dominic Fortune.
June 12, 2020
Even tho Chaykin still has it as a top-rate story teller, this collection invites comparisons with the early part of his career and accidentally highlights that perhaps he is currently taking the easy route.
The last two stories of the book are from the mid-70s/early-80s and show Fortune as a rough and ready soldier of fortune, with not only quick changes in plot but plenty of thrills and action, with leaps, spills, and explosions on nearly every page of these 15-page stories; the most recent Fortune series, which takes 4 issues, features Fortune ferrying some drunk actors past their heyday around clubs and events, and includes a page of walking down the hall.
The earlier stories also feature what Chaykin is best at: dynamic page design, with vignetted closeups, dense perspective, and plenty of action; all of which is sorely lacking in his most recent stories.
The last two stories of the book are from the mid-70s/early-80s and show Fortune as a rough and ready soldier of fortune, with not only quick changes in plot but plenty of thrills and action, with leaps, spills, and explosions on nearly every page of these 15-page stories; the most recent Fortune series, which takes 4 issues, features Fortune ferrying some drunk actors past their heyday around clubs and events, and includes a page of walking down the hall.
The earlier stories also feature what Chaykin is best at: dynamic page design, with vignetted closeups, dense perspective, and plenty of action; all of which is sorely lacking in his most recent stories.
February 20, 2010
The subtitle on this collection of Howard Chaykin's recent "Fortune" series is "It Can Happen Here and Now", and while that most obviously refers to the time in the story - the late '30s - Chaykin is clearly also referring to the present, with characters making pointed comments about how if fascism comes to America, it will do so via religious zealotry.
He doesn't spend a whole lot of time on that, though - mostly, he's telling big pulp adventure, and since he's doing it via Marvel's MAX line, it's outside the Marvel Universe proper and he's free to go R-rated as he likely wasn't in the 1970s, when he created the character for "Marvel Premiere". And since Chaykin does love his pulp, it turns out to be a lot of fun. A little rushed in the end - I wonder a bit if he had initially been planning a 5- or 6-issue miniseries and had to cram everything into four - but quite a good time. I wouldn't be surprised if Fortune was a character Disney exploits before some of the more obvious ones; Touchstone and Bruckheimer could make a fun movie with this.
The back of the book is also filled out with some reprints of Chaykin's 70s work, and some comics by other creators that ran on Marvel's website, firmly establishing that version of Dominic Fortune as being part of the Marvel Universe's history.
He doesn't spend a whole lot of time on that, though - mostly, he's telling big pulp adventure, and since he's doing it via Marvel's MAX line, it's outside the Marvel Universe proper and he's free to go R-rated as he likely wasn't in the 1970s, when he created the character for "Marvel Premiere". And since Chaykin does love his pulp, it turns out to be a lot of fun. A little rushed in the end - I wonder a bit if he had initially been planning a 5- or 6-issue miniseries and had to cram everything into four - but quite a good time. I wouldn't be surprised if Fortune was a character Disney exploits before some of the more obvious ones; Touchstone and Bruckheimer could make a fun movie with this.
The back of the book is also filled out with some reprints of Chaykin's 70s work, and some comics by other creators that ran on Marvel's website, firmly establishing that version of Dominic Fortune as being part of the Marvel Universe's history.
June 14, 2014
My rating is really for the first story line and not so much the three additional story lines at the end. Those were varied in their quality but also appeared in different decades so judging them by the same yardstick would be silly.
I liked a Howard Chaykin book? What?!
Usually I find his art in the same category of Robert Crumb; I see the merit and artistic value, but I don't like it. Here I think that there were actually enough differences between the characters to be distinguishable. Sometimes I feel like in the other stories I've read with him the characters all start to look the same.
I think that the fact that this book featured nudity and sex actually helped with the enjoyment. Not because the sex and nudity are a turn on, but because his art really seems to suggest a base desires kind of feel and when it's toned down to be all ages it feels lacking. So having characters actually talk about things like anal sex gives it the right sensuality that his art needs.
The writing itself is an updated pulp feel. I would love to see a Dominic Fortune short in the Marvel Universe. He would have to be during WWII after Cap goes missing. The nods to all the different Marvel characters were subtle but obvious enough for fans that they added just a hint of some of the cool stuff to come.
I liked a Howard Chaykin book? What?!
Usually I find his art in the same category of Robert Crumb; I see the merit and artistic value, but I don't like it. Here I think that there were actually enough differences between the characters to be distinguishable. Sometimes I feel like in the other stories I've read with him the characters all start to look the same.
I think that the fact that this book featured nudity and sex actually helped with the enjoyment. Not because the sex and nudity are a turn on, but because his art really seems to suggest a base desires kind of feel and when it's toned down to be all ages it feels lacking. So having characters actually talk about things like anal sex gives it the right sensuality that his art needs.
The writing itself is an updated pulp feel. I would love to see a Dominic Fortune short in the Marvel Universe. He would have to be during WWII after Cap goes missing. The nods to all the different Marvel characters were subtle but obvious enough for fans that they added just a hint of some of the cool stuff to come.
Read
July 9, 2014Nobody could claim this return to one of his early creations is any kind of departure for Chaykin. A wise-cracking Jewish-American hard man; Golden Age Hollywood; an abiding hatred for Nazis and corrupt businessmen; and, of course, plenty of pneumatic dames* who, even when they're out to destroy our hero, aren't averse to a spot of mutually-agreeable filth with him along the way. Hell, this isn't even the first time I've seen Chaykin engineer a team-up with FDR against fiendish fifth columnists. But sod it, the man who is tired of watching debonair menschen kill fascists is tired of life.
Also included are a couple of early Chaykin stories (including Fortune's debut), and a longer piece with which he was not involved. The latter is a fairly standard piece of noir, perhaps a little too zealous in checking off its Marvel references.
*I'm pretty sure I only ever use the term 'dames' with reference to Howard Chaykin comics, but there no other word seems to fit.
Also included are a couple of early Chaykin stories (including Fortune's debut), and a longer piece with which he was not involved. The latter is a fairly standard piece of noir, perhaps a little too zealous in checking off its Marvel references.
*I'm pretty sure I only ever use the term 'dames' with reference to Howard Chaykin comics, but there no other word seems to fit.
May 14, 2013
Nice book showing Chaykin's progress as a writer and artist. But seeing as it is printed starting with the new stuff then slowly going back in time, should I be calling this a de-volution? Too early in the morning, my brain hasn't fully woken up yet.
Also a good show on the evolution of story-telling, art and printing quality of graphic novels over the last few decenies. Nice to see some art that was originally printed on yesterday's cheap newsprint being shown on today's glossy paper.
Imight have to take a look-see at other Marvel MAX collected books.
Also a good show on the evolution of story-telling, art and printing quality of graphic novels over the last few decenies. Nice to see some art that was originally printed on yesterday's cheap newsprint being shown on today's glossy paper.
Imight have to take a look-see at other Marvel MAX collected books.
March 29, 2018
When Chaykin is on, as he is especially in the title story, he's pretty great. I've been a fan of Fortune since the '80s, and it was great to see him once again punching Nazis and gambling away his income.
June 4, 2019
A fun set of stories; predominately from the pen of Howard Chaykin.
April 17, 2021
Slight but a lot of fun. I particularly like Chaykin trying to sever any connection between Fortune and the wider Marvel universe by writing four issues full of every taboo going almost as if to piss off anyone who wants to co-opt and misuse the character. It’s wonderfully jarring to segue from jolly larks to similar larks but with swears, sex and worse...
November 8, 2023
4 1/2 stars. Great pulp adventure from Chaykin and Motter.
April 11, 2021
A melange of comics featuring Chaykin's roguish 30's adventurer. The new story is readable enough but lacks the joie de vivre of the strips produced in the 70s. A second tale written by Dean Motter is a good adventure tale but the protagonist bears no relationship (physically or in personality) to the titular hero, and overplays the trope of bringing in ancestors of modern-day Marvel heroes.
The next two stories, a reprint of Dom's first b&w appearance and his appearance in MARVEL PREMIERE, are examples of Dom in his prime, but badly formatted for this edition; meanwhile the full color strips which appeared in RAMPAGING HULK are sadly absent and remain uncollected.
The next two stories, a reprint of Dom's first b&w appearance and his appearance in MARVEL PREMIERE, are examples of Dom in his prime, but badly formatted for this edition; meanwhile the full color strips which appeared in RAMPAGING HULK are sadly absent and remain uncollected.
May 5, 2014
Chaykin's "brigand for hire" Dominic Fortune is a pulp adventurer in the 1930s MU. In the opening story, his efforts to babysit a group of drunken older actors lead to the discovery of a secret fascist plot to overthrow FDR. Not up to the older Fortune stories (a couple of which are reprinted herein) but entertaining. A backup story does a fun trip through the Marvel Universe of the era (encounters with Baron Strucker, Doctor Doom's father, Black Panther's father), though it's slight in actual plot.
February 7, 2011
File under 'Be careful what you wish for'.
We finally get new Dominic Fortune stories from Chaykin and he sucks all the fun out of the character and spends too much time going 'Oh boy! it's a mature title! I can show boobs and have all the characters swear a bunch!'
Why does mature and realistic so often translate into 'everyone is a jerk'?
Nice art, crap story.
We finally get new Dominic Fortune stories from Chaykin and he sucks all the fun out of the character and spends too much time going 'Oh boy! it's a mature title! I can show boobs and have all the characters swear a bunch!'
Why does mature and realistic so often translate into 'everyone is a jerk'?
Nice art, crap story.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews