AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #20

“The Coming of the Scorpion!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Jameson pays scientist Stillwell to transform his employee Gargan into the Scorpion. When Scorpey and Spidey fight, Spidey appears defeated, but comes back for more. As the Scorpion grows stronger, Stillwell regrets his actions and dies trying to deliver an antidote. Scorpion tries to kill Jameson, the only person who knows who he really is, but Spidey arrives and defeats the Scorpion. Though filled with ironic gratitude to Spider-Man, Jameson takes credit for Scorpion’s capture and vows to continue fighting Spider-Man. In other news, Betty’s boyfriend Ned goes overseas for six months.

WHAT’S HOT
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?? On the splash, there’s a bit of comedy regarding the placement of the creators’ names. Just having a little fun, and fun is good.

OKAY, NOW THAT THAT’S CLEARED UP… Jameson employee Mac Gargan was assigned to figure out how Peter always manages to be right there to get all those great photos of Spidey. I was so grateful that the matter of the mysterious stranger trailing Peter in the last issue was resolved in the first few pages. Ever since watching the TV series Lost, I’ve developed a keen aversion to loose threads.

BRAINS OVER BRAWN. Scorpion was looking like a pretty good villain…until Spidey tears off his tail and utterly defeats him. The two tangle three times, and each time, Peter has learned a little more, is caught less unawares. In the second fight he says, “I’ve got to change my strategy.” And when he does, he is victorious the third time around.

HE’S NOT ALL BAD. Sure, it’s Jameson who sets this whole fiasco in motion, but in the end, when he realizes Scorpion has gone off-program, JJJ shows an uncharacteristically heroic side by volunteering to deal with Scorpion, after he orders Betty to evacuate the building.

TWO-FACED. We often see the image of half Peter/half Spidey, but in this story, Peter portrays a very different kind of two-facedness, when Betty tells him Ned will be gone six months. “Aww, that’s too bad!” he says, but immediately THINKS “Hooray!” It’s amusing to see his musings.

ZOOM. There’s a nice bit of zoom camerawork on the top panels on page 15, as the narrator explains the increasing and irreversible changes taking place inside Gargan as he becomes the Scorpion.

THE HERO’S CREED. “I’m still alive. That means I can fight some more.”

WHAT’S NOT
NO REST FOR THE WEARY. Not only does Betty have to work on Saturdays, but she gets to the office early. Ugh!

LAME EXCUSE. Peter decides he’ll explain his bruises and scratches by saying he got bowled over playing touch football, because “at least no one will be able to disprove it.” Yeah, well, how about all the kids he WASN’T playing touch football with? Still, Aunt May seems to have no problem with the unlikelihood that her studious nephew spent time on the football field.

CAUTION TO THE WIND. Dr. Stillwell is willing to risk another person’s life for $10,000, and Gargan is willing to risk his own life for $10,000. Ten THOUSAND dollars…ooooo…

IMAGE CONSULTING. Was there any particular reason to shave Gargan’s head, other than that a scorpion doesn’t have hair? Was it all for optics?

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #112

“The Mighty Thor Battles the Incredible Hulk!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Thor encounters youngsters arguing “Who is stronger–Thor or Hulk?” He recounts a battle with Hulk, in which Odin grants his son full physical strength for five minutes, though Mjolnir loses its magical power. The two fight valiantly in hand-to-hand combat, each seeming the victor in turn, until Thor accidentally collapses the tunnel and buries Hulk under rubble. Thor tries to rescue Hulk, but he has already dug out. So the battle ends inconclusively, but each now respects the other’s strength.

WHAT’S HOT
BUT THERE’S SOMETHING WE HAVEN’T TOLD YOU… The story Thor tells here takes place in the middle of Avengers #3, when the Avengers fight Sub-Mariner and Hulk. Russ always notes that when you watch Dateline, they give a certain amount of information to help you determine “whodunit,” but midway through, invariably Keith Morrison will end a segment by saying “But there’s something we didn’t tell you…” in order to get you to tune back in again after the commercial. This feels like that. And though it kind of feels like a cheat, it also feels like the Marvel Universe is expanding not only forward in time, but also sideways in greater details. Is there no end to this expanding universe?? Will we someday also get a story that clues us in on what Betty Brant was doing at this exact moment?

AND THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS… As Thor finishes his tale, he refuses to tell the boys who is stronger, he or Hulk, but pontificates that using power WISELY is more important than simply possessing it. A little heavy-handed on the message, to be sure…and I’m also sure that Thor’s philosophical pronouncement that “Strength alone is meaningless! Without virtue, it is an empty shell!” is ultimately going to do very little to keep people from continuing to ask “Who is stronger–Thor or Hulk?”

WHAT’S NOT
A WASTE OF PERFECTLY GOOD NEWSPRINT. Having said all that, this story strikes me as completely unnecessary. There’s a fight, but there’s no victor. There’s a message that is largely going to be ignored, and doesn’t actually bear repeating. Let’s move on.

“The Coming of Loki!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Artie Simek

Giant Laufey fights Odin for Asgard, but when Odin kills Laufey, he finds a baby in a bundle. The infant is Laufey’s son Loki, whom he kept hidden over embarrassment that Loki had not been born a giant, as everyone else in his hometown of Jotunheim. Noble Odin instantly decides to bring Loki into his household and raise him as his own son, half-brother to Thor, a Prince according to his birthright.

X-MEN #9

“Enter, the Avengers!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Professor X meets Lucifer deep inside the earth, where his old enemy has created a bomb linked to his own heartbeat. As the X-Men come to help, they meet the Avengers, also tracking Lucifer’s evil vibrations, and a misunderstanding causes the two groups to fight. Professor X knocks out Lucifer without disturbing his heartbeat, then sends a mental message to Thor, who then advises his team to let the X-Men proceed. The X-Men join Xavier, where he locates the bomb’s fuse, and Cyclops deactivates it. Then, they let Lucifer walk away.

WHAT’S HOT
FAMILY. When Scott over-exerts himself destroying an iceberg, each of his fellow X-Men use their particular skills to jump in to comfort and assist. It’s a touching family portrait.

I KNEW YOU WHEN… Lucifer and Xavier have a history. There’s a story that yet needs to be told, about how Lucifer caused Charles to lose the use of his legs. A mystery that may yet be solved, in a future issue!

WHETHER THE WEATHER. The progressive-thinking Professor and his X-Men believe in the powerful threat of climate change.

WHAT’S NOT
MEET THE NEW VILLAIN, SAME AS THE OLD VILLAIN. Lucifer looks like a cross between Magneto and Plant Man. I guess I should be glad the X-Men have a new villain to fight, but my enthusiasm is dampened when I hear him employing that same old tired villain standard of insulting his opponents by calling them “PUNY.” Really now. Insults and nicknames seem just a bit….childish, don’t you think?

ILLUSIONS. The narrator tells us that only Professor X and Magneto can project a “mental illusory figure,” but it looks like Doctor Strange’s favorite parlor trick. More confusing, though: why did Xavier need to use this “mental illusory figure” to warn the X-Men of danger, when previously he simply contacted Scott by mental telephone? Wouldn’t that have been faster? He uses the mental telephone trick later in the story, and it works just fine.

ALL ENDS, BUT NOT WELL. Lucifer was willing to destroy the entire planet, but in the end Professor X lets him go. Okay, I understand that it’s not the X-Men’s place to take justice into their own hands, but shouldn’t they at least have delivered Lucifer over to the police, to be charged, tried and convicted for his crimes, rather than just letting him walk free?

SIGN OF THE TIMES. Passengers seeing Scott stumble, being supported by a buddy, blame him for not being conscientious enough to take seasick pills, rather than suspecting him of being drunk or high.

I WONDER…
What does Iceman mean when he says Thor is “square”? Back in the 60’s, wouldn’t any guy with such long hair automatically be precluded from being called “square”? Is it maybe a reference to his archaic speech patterns?

TALES OF SUSPENSE #61

“The Death of Tony Stark!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Suspicious of Iron Man, Pepper and Happy quit Stark Industries and vow to find out what happened to their boss. When Happy breaks into Tony’s house, Iron Man removes his mask and hides under the covers as Stark, telling Happy he has been sick. Hearing Stark is alive and confined to bed, the Mandarin targets Stark’s bedroom with a laser beam from his ring, apparently killing him, but Iron Man escapes and determines Mandarin is to blame for the explosion. He flies to the Orient to confront Mandarin, but ends up captured. To be continued…

WHAT’S HOT
LOYALTY. Pepper and Happy quit their jobs in righteous indignation, convinced that Iron Man is hiding something, and vowing to find out what that is. Remember, back in the day, when scruples were more of a guiding force than they are today? When beliefs were followed by actions, even sacrificial actions? These two are the true heroes of this particular issue.

FRIENDSHIP AND GRIEF. Happy is not so happy when he grapples with the idea that the boss is dead. With Stark apparently out of the way, he now has a clear path to Pepper’s affections, yet he sobs as he tries to convince himself that “Everything’s great! :sob: Just great!” What pathos!

WHAT’S NOT
COFFEE, TEA, OR…WHAT THE??? Iron Man disguises himself to board a plane to the Orient, then pulls open the emergency door handle, so he can jump out and fly down to his encounter with the Mandarin. I guess in these early comics, Iron Man could not easily fly around the world on his own power, so he was reliant upon commercial airlines. But does he have no sense of public safety? Wouldn’t pulling open the emergency door in mid-flight also endanger the other passengers? The stewardesses are appropriately flabbergasted, but ultimately only seem concerned with the fact that they’ll “have to give a full report” when they land. Oh, the paperwork!

“BEFORE I KILL YOU, LET ME TELL YOU A STORY…” So, Mandarin has captured Iron Man at last, and has him tied up with some strings that are inexplicably stronger than any bonds Iron Man can break…or so he thinks! In true villainous style, Mandarin opts to “enjoy” his victory by allowing Iron Man to live a few moments longer, so he can tell him a STORY. I guess the difference between criminals and villains is that criminals will kill at their first opportune moment, while villains want to torture their prey with arrogant tales of their own cunning and importance. I believe we can guess how this all is going to turn out…

“The Strength of the Sumo!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Cap travels to Vietnam to rescue captured helicopter pilot Jim Baker. After proving his worth, he is brought to the General who is holding the pilot prisoner. After the bound Baker is brought out, Cap fights and outsmarts a Sumo wrestler. Together Cap and Baker overcome the Vietnamese soldiers with a series of football moves, finally escaping in the General’s private jet.

WHAT’S HOT
WIN ONE FOR THE GIPPER! The basic plot of this otherwise forgettable story is “Cap meets some bad guys, fights them and saves the day.” Yes, there’s a good dose of anti-Communist propaganda thrown in, which bears very little weight when reading this tale fifty years later. But what does stand the test of time? Football! By employing some football maneuvers, Cap and Jim Baker are able to overcome their captors and escape to freedom. Now, I ask you: what’s more American than Football?

MIND IF I BORROW YOUR PLANE? It’s a touch of ironic poetic justice, sort of like the ending of a Jerry Seinfeld episode, when Baker and Cap escape in the General’s private jet. Take THAT, you dirty Commie!

WHAT’S NOT
HERE WE GO AGAIN… Did I not just explain how Mandarin wants to “enjoy” his victory over Iron Man, rather than killing him right away? And now, in this story, the Vietnamese General may wish to “amuse himself with this doomed fool!” Will those villains never learn??

CROTCH SHOTS. No less than four times in this issue, while Cap fights his opponents, in order to display Cap’s gymnastic abilities and give the appearance of movement and peril, we are treated to what can only be described as “crotch shots” of Cap’s lower regions. Yes, it’s dramatic, but Jack Kirby could have achieved the same effect without getting so…shall we say…personal.

IT’S NOT THAT EASY BEING BLUE. OR PURPLE. OR GRAY. Cap goes to Vietnam to rescue a helicopter pilot named Jim Baker. Apparently Jim Baker is a “man of color” because the colorist paints his face blue…or is it gray? At one point, I felt convinced the Purple Man had escaped from jail and joined the military! No, not really. I think what Kirby is going for here is some rudimentary attempt at an Afro-American character by simply dipping into the inkpot without any effort to otherwise alter his hairstyle or distinctly WASPish facial features. It’s embarrassing, not to mention confusing.

TALES TO ASTONISH #63

“The Gangsters and the Giant!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Carl Burgos
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
The police recruit Giant-Man and Wasp to ferret out criminals who bully store owners into paying for “protection.” As Hank and Jan show interest in buying Smith’s Hardware, the gang threatens them, but our heroes toss them out. The gang’s leader, the Wrecker, attacks Giant-Man with a gas bomb, and Wasp with a can of pesticide. Giant-Man outsmarts the Wrecker by switching size, then rescues his woozy Wasp…and kisses her! The police unmask the Wrecker to reveal he is…Mr. Smith, the previous owner of the hardware store.

WHAT’S HOT
A KISS IS JUST A KISS…Or is it? Not when it’s a kiss like the one we get smack-dab in the middle of page 12! I felt as overwhelmed as Wasp, who immediately after her murmured “MMMM!” proclaims “Why, Blue Eyes! I never knew you were so ROMANTIC!” Neither did I! Could it be that Hank is at last willing to reveal his true feelings for Jan? My hopes were dashed in the last panel when, as the happy couple ride off into the sunset on their flying ant, Jan muses that she has figured out how to get Hank to kiss her more often: “I’ll pretend to be UNCONSCIOUS!” Neither of those words, “pretend,” or “unconscious” are harbingers of a good healthy relationship.

WHAT’S NOT
MR….ERRR…SMITH….Really? The hardware store that’s for sale is “Smith’s Hardware.” The writers couldn’t come up with anything better than that? My apologies to anyone named Smith, but when you use that name in fiction, it simply means you’re not even trying.

PEEK-A-BOO 1. The Wrecker’s disguise, or “costume,” if you want to be that generous, is essentially a bag he wears over his head. Why is it that in the world of comics, if you simply put a bag over your head, suddenly nobody has any idea who you are? Imagine if your parents, your siblings, your friends, suddenly started walking around with bags on their heads. Somehow, I think you would still know who they are. And even for people with whom you are not well acquainted, you would recognize their clothes, their shoes, their mannerisms, their voice. But in the world of comics, something as simple as covering your eyes (never mind your entire head!) instantly makes a person mysterious and invisible. I’m having a hard time with this concept.

PEEK-A-BOO 2. But I guess artist Carl Burgos was doing his best to throw us off the scent by portraying the Wrecker with exceptionally feminine looking eyes. Which is not really fair, because “Mr. Smith,” the owner of the hardware store, does not have feminine eyes, when seen earlier in the story.

MEANS, MOTIVE AND OPPORTUNITY? So, Smith owns a hardware store, and figures he can make more money by leading a gang of criminals into coercing his fellow businessmen into paying for “protection.” At least I think that’s his motive. Of course, his store never gets hit by these thugs…and nobody from the Police Chief to the other store owners can deduce that something fishy is going on here…until Giant-Man makes note of this oddity in the next-to-last panel of the story. And on top of all this, Smith decides to SELL his store! Why? To prevent others from guessing he’s the Wrecker? Or to get even more money? I don’t know. The whole business just seems contrived and disjointed.

“A Titan Rides the Train!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Steve Ditko
Inks: George Bell
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
The military is transporting Bruce Banner’s latest nuclear device to another base on a train, with Banner aboard, but new villain the Leader is determined to intercept the train, using his humanoid robot. When the robot attacks the train, Banner panics and turns into the Hulk. Their battle almost sets off the bomb, but Hulk defeats the robot and stabilizes the bomb. When Talbot discovers Banner near the bomb, he arrests Banner.

WHAT’S HOT
OVERCORRECTION. When brainy, nerdy Banner gets zapped with gamma rays, his weak point (his physical strength) gets enhanced; when the brawny laborer gets zapped, it’s his intellect that is improved. It’s as if those gamma rays are striving to bring balance back to the universe, but sometimes they try a little too hard and really make a mess of things. But in the end, that makes the Marvel Universe so much more interesting for us readers.

WHAT’S NOT
WHAT’S IN A NAME? Maybe I’ve not yet learned enough about “The Leader,” but at this moment, the moniker he assigns himself is an utter mystery to me. (But then, I don’t have a head the size of a Buick, so what do I know?) To be a leader, one must have minions to lead. But The Leader only has the humanoid he has created, declaring, “He alone is worthy to serve me.” Well, if nobody else is worthy to serve him, who exactly is he leading? He might better have called himself “Mr. Big Green Head.” Or something more descriptive or creative. Don’t ask me. That’s the best I can come up with, because, as I’ve noted, my own head is not the size of a Buick, so obviously my brain is far inferior to that of…The Leader. But you know what? Stan Lee’s head was pretty big, don’t you think?

STRANGE TALES #128

“Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Dick Ayers
Inks: Frank Ray
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver force their way into the Fantastic Four’s penthouse to seek advice on whether or not they should serve the evil Magneto. Torch and Thing misinterpret their intentions, and fighting ensues. When Scarlet Witch is knocked out, Torch is briefly touched by Quicksilver’s show of brotherly love, but a moment later, the antics start up again. Finally, Quicksilver concludes that mutants and humans will never get along, and after Wanda conjures up a terrific storm, Torch and Thing simply allow them to leave.

WHAT’S HOT
HAND-WRINGING. The story begins with Wanda and Pietro engaged in deep discussion, where each clearly makes a convincing argument for their point of view on whether or not they are honor-bound to Magneto. The reader can easily understand both sides. Debate Team captains everywhere: take note!

SHENANIGANS. All the players get a good chance to show off their skills.

WHAT’S NOT
SIGH…AND GOOD BYE. I think Stan wrote himself into a corner on this one. There was no easy way out, but to have each side simply give up and walk away. Johnny decides “I have a hunch that’s what REED would do,” and also notes that they really don’t want to fight a girl. Good enough, I guess, if it gets you out of a conflict which could otherwise spiral incessantly, with no end in sight.

“The Demon’s Disciple!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
A stranger calls on Doctor Strange, claiming he has escaped from a cult run by the Demon. From his lair the Demon casts a spell, transporting and imprisoning the disciple, but leaving his clothes behind. Strange animates the clothes and follows them to the Demon’s hideout. The Demon realizes Strange is nearby, and they fight, but Strange foils the Demon’s every tactic. The Demon throws every spell in his arsenal at Strange in one attack, but Strange uses his amulet to swallow up the spells. Strange frees the imprisoned disciple, and places the Demon in a trance, claiming that when he awakens, he will realize that Doctor Strange can always defeat him.

WHAT’S HOT
DEVOTION TO DUTY. I’m impressed by Doctor Strange’s insistence that he must continue to help the Demon’s disciple, even after the unfortunate man’s untimely disappearance. Strange doesn’t know this guy, why should he care? But he does. A true hero exclaims, “He had come to me for aid! I must not fail him!”

INTER-RUPTED. Only a Liberal Arts nerd like me could find amusement in the unfortunate hyphenation of the word “uninterrupted” on the top of page 18. Of all the words to be interrupted by a line break, “uninterrupted” is truly the most ironic.

WHAT’S NOT
CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN. How could the Demon have been so careless as to snatch his disciple from the Sanctum Sanctorum (modestly maintaining what—though blue— is apparently his underwear), yet leave the rest of his clothing lying in a heap on Dr. Strange’s floor? Did the Demon not realize that Strange could use the disciple’s garments to retrace his steps? A worthy sorcerer would never allow something like this to escape his notice!

ALPHABET SOUP. Sometimes when reading Doctor Strange, I suspect all these crazy incantations (Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth, Rings of Raggador, Moons of Munnopor, etc. etc.) were created by simply spilling Scrabble tiles until they form some combination of letters that can be pronounced and then inserted in word balloons.

FANTASTIC FOUR #34

“A House Divided!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Seeking financial domination, Gregory Gideon enters into a deal with financial leaders that if he defeats the Fantastic Four, they will sell him all their assets. Gideon tricks the FF into fighting each other. Meanwhile, Gideon fawns over his son Thomas, a fan of the FF. Gideon sets a trap, hoping to use a time machine to send the FF into the past, but Thomas triggers the trap himself. Reed saves Thomas by turning off the time machine before it can complete the transfer, and Gideon, ashamed, promises to donate his fortune to charity.

WHAT’S HOT
GIMME A HEAD WITH HAIR. Sue’s hair is much longer, and she looks good. Thing tries on a Beatles wig… and I still can’t decide if at this moment Alicia’s blindness proves to be a blessing or a curse.

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT A MAN WITH A BIG DESK… Gregory Hungerford Gideon’s desk in his “stadium sized office” needs its own zip code! We get it, he’s rich.

POP SOUP. Cultural references to the Beatles, silly putty, Huntley and Brinkley, and even Thor!

YOU POOR DEAR… When Mrs. Gideon pledges her undying allegiance to her erring husband, Sue lets out a sad “You poor dear…” At least, I read it as sad. Sue is liberated enough to realize that some men aren’t worth holding on to.

WHAT’S NOT
ACT YOUR AGE! The Thing/Torch “horseplay” that begin so many of these stories is really wearing thin. It was cute the first time, but now, even Alicia and the other members of the FF are growing tired of it… sigh…

LAZY ARTIST? Is it my imagination, or is Gideon nothing more than Professor X with a moustache and some bushy eyebrows?

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE? So…Gideon OWNS the Baxter Building? AND he controls the electric company? Why haven’t we heard about him before this?

OH AUNTY EM! THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME! In the end, Gideon’s eyes are opened to the error of his ways. He suddenly realizes that family is the greatest treasure of all. But to go from “I want to rule the world!” to “I’m giving my entire fortune to charity!” in the course of a few minutes is a bit of a stretch, even for Marvel, even for 1965, when schmaltz was less jarring than it is today.

AVENGERS #12

“This Hostage Earth!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Giant-Man receives an alarm from his ants, but the other Avengers laugh it off. Meanwhile, Mole Man intends to use his atomic gyroscope to increase the earth’s rotation, killing everyone on the surface. Giant-Man discovers Mole Man’s plans, but Mole Man and his minions defeat Giant-Man. Later, earthquakes lead the Avengers to assemble, and Wasp locates Hank. The Avengers attack Mole Man’s hideout, unaware the villain has teamed up with the Red Ghost. The heroes rescue Giant-Man and defeat the villains.

WHAT’S HOT
COMPELLING EXCELLENCE. On the cover, we are promised “A Marvel Tale of Most Compelling Excellence.” Russ and I recently re-watched Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and now I’m wondering if these two founding members of Wyld Stallyns were also fans of Marvel Comics. I wouldn’t doubt it.

HOW EMBARRASSING…Early in the tale, Hank gets to exclaim, “I don’t embarrass easy!” Going around in bold red and blue tights at heights of twelve feet tall or more, I have to believe him.

BEHIND EVERY BOSS, THERE’S A GOOD SECRETARY. I found it amusing that once the earth starts to sway, some random executive asks his secretary to explain why the papers on his desk are trembling. Add physics, geology and natural phenomenon to the poor gal’s list of required skills, right after typing and dictation.

SOME OF THE LANGUAGE IN HERE JUST SLAYS ME. On page 2: sumptuous and temerity. Page 3: vernacular, insidious. Page 4: holocaust. Page 5: apparati. And it goes on like this. When my brother was in elementary school, he didn’t care about books, but loved to read comics, and my mother said, “That’s okay, at least he’s reading.” I’m starting to wonder if she had something there.

SURPRISE APPEARANCE. Red Ghost shows up to add an extra layer of peril and drama to the goings-on. Kudos to the creators for not even hinting at this little plot development. Uncharacteristic restraint!

SMALL IS BIG. Once again, it is only when Giant-Man becomes Ant-Man that he is at last able to save the day.

WHAT’S NOT
THIRD PERSON. As the Avengers swoop in to their Emergency Meeting, Iron Man and Captain America talk like normal people talking to themselves. But Thor refers to himself in the third person. I know we are just trying to evoke his archaic Asgardian speech patterns, but it sounds too much like a super-villain.

THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR? Everybody deserts Giant-Man, including Wasp. Not cool.

FORGETFULNESS. When the Avengers finally get their act together and decide to help Giant-Man, Iron Man temporarily forgets that he actually invented the transistorized fox-hole diggers that are apparently just the thing to accomplish the task at hand. How can he be smart enough to invent something that bodacious (see my earlier reference to Bill and Ted…), but dumb enough to forget all about it? Maybe he invents so many things, his brain can’t keep up with it all?

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. When Cap and Rick see armed thieves robbing Stark’s supplies, Cap tells Rick “We’ve got a shield…courage…and skill! No weapons are greater!” Of course, Rick doesn’t actually have a shield, and I doubt his courage and skill are even measured on the same scale as Cap’s, so Cap is being a little too “rah-rah!” optimistic for Rick’s own good.