My Rating
Day of the Devils!
In the days of decay life in New York City has become a routine of avoiding abandoned neighborhoods, sidestepping gang members looking to make a quick dollar, and the rats. Those nasty little creatures that live off the garbage left behind by the sanitation unions. No borough is safe to these incursions, not even the East Village. This night three men stalk the corners of Greenwich looking for a payday on Christie Street.
James Sanders, the newest pledge of the Devils street gang, has just help two thugs rob a restaurant owner. The elderly man fought valiantly using the skills of Tai Chi Chuan, but even the most skilled can lose a fight when the numbers are uneven. The three Devils make off with a paper bag filled with a day’s earnings. As James turns to run his eyes meet those of a sultry gypsy looking woman standing in the doorway of Madame Xanadu Advisor. Their gaze locks then the newest member of the Devils breaks out into a full run.
Lower Manhattan – 2:30 a.m., somewhere in a rubble filled lot, the three men enter a wooden shack and closed the door. The structure is not what it seems to be from the outside. Inside is a stairwell leading to an abandoned basement. Below ground, in the darkened refuge, a drug and alcohol fueled party is in full swing. This is the clubhouse to one of the most dangerous street gangs in New York City. The various rabble turns their attention to James and lackluster cheers spill forth. He is now a full member of the Devils.
Three days later a young blonde woman named Anne tugs at James’ arm as they walk through a festival on Christie Street. The newest Devil promised his girlfriend that he would accompany her to a friend’s place for some type of counseling. Anne and James have been an item since high school, but her patients are running out. James must leave the street gang lifestyle if he wishes to build a life with her.
The smile leaves his face as the couple moves past a series of vendors selling various street dishes. Anne has brought him to Madame Xanadu Advisor. Anger turns to rage as he begins to back away from Anne and the door with the sign that says, “Enter Freely and Unafraid”. Was this a setup?!
Has the devil come for Madame Xanadu? Will James make the correct choice in a test created for evil hearts? Will the gangs of New York assassinate Mayor Koch? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
This is one of those “scare the kids straight” with the “you’re standing at a crossroads” stories. I think both DC and Marvel covered the decay of New York City frequently in the 1970’s. Scott Edelman does a good job at painting the streets with realism in Doorway to Nightmare number five. The urban decay of the Bronx and street gangs were bad back then. This was the era that spawned movies such as “Death Wish”, “The Warriors”, and “Wolfen”. These three movies alone will give a glimpse into the life of a New Yorker under the Mayor Koch administration.
I would like to warn younger readers that there is a racial slur and violence against the elderly displayed in this issue. Do not discard this book as it represents the times when it was written. Learn from our parent’s mistakes. As a supplement, I recommend Googling for photos of 1970s New York City. It looks pretty bad.
As a horror comic this was a bit too far off the rails for me. Yes, the writing was good. Yes, the morals are good. But it lacked an explanation for the supernatural element. Madame Xanadu’s shop is filled with a variety of knickknacks, antiques, and jars filled with stuff. The writers just failed to explain any of it. Maybe there was no clear vision for this series? I’m not sure.
After reading the “letters from the readers” section I realized that Doorway to Nightmare was a bimonthly printing. I can see now why they had various writers and artists working on this project. Was this just a filler series? I think Madame Xanadu would have worked better with a regular writer and artist team. Just my two cents.
I’m giving the final issue three out of five stars.
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