Werewolf by Night #42

Werewolf by Night #42 was published by Marvel Comics in January 1977 as part of the waning years of the publisher's 1970s horror line. By this time, the Comics Code Authority had relaxed its strictures on supernatural entities, allowing characters like Jack Russell—a werewolf cursed by his lineage—to headline a dedicated series. This specific issue arrived late in the title’s original run, which concluded with issue #43, marking the end of a pivotal era for Marvel’s attempt to capture the cultural fascination with classic monster tropes.

The issue features cover and interior work reflecting the house style of mid-seventies Marvel, where the emphasis was on blending gothic melodrama with the traditional superhero-inflected action sequences of the era. The narrative followed the established tradition of putting Russell in increasingly desperate scenarios involving the occult and criminal underworlds. While the series did not sustain a long-term commercial legacy compared to Marvel’s primary superheroes, it remains a respected artifact of the bronze age of comics, appreciated by collectors for its commitment to a darker, more experimental tone during a period of creative transition for the medium.