AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #13

“The Menace of…Mysterio!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Spider-Man is seen committing crimes, and Peter worries he’s doing it in his sleep. With public opinion against Spider-Man, JJJ jubilantly calls in the heavily-disguised Mysterio to get rid of him. They fight on the Brooklyn Bridge, in a plethora of Mysterio’s smoke, with Spidey losing, until he jumps off the bridge. Later, he tracks down Mysterio and gets him to confess on tape that he is a special effects expert who has created Mysterio specifically to destroy Spider-Man. This time Spidey wins the fight, and Peter gets pics to sell to Jameson!

WHAT’S HOT
YOUR MISSION, IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT… When Mysterio sends Spidey a message, the moment he’s read it, the letter disappears in a puff of smoke. And this, a full two years before Mission: Impossible! Hmmm…where do you think that show got the idea of the self-destructing tape?

NOT YOUR GIRL. After Liz Allan flirts with him, Peter meets Flash’s jealous rage with a hearty, “You can have her!” Wow! Nice moment for Peter. Ever since he lost those glasses, his testosterone is through the roof, both with the chicks and the jocks!

YOUR ADVOCATE. Over the last several issues, we’ve seen Flash taking Spidey’s side, even when everyone else is against him. The irony is delicious, and we wonder, along with Spider-Man, how Flash might enjoy the news that puny Parker and the mighty Spidey are one and the same.

YOUR FUTURE. Well, we may not have to wonder for long! The last panel promises that someday Peter will tell Flash that he’s Spider-Man. That alone will be worth the 12-cent price of admission, but how long will we have to wait? In the meantime, the promise of “an unexpected guest star” in the next issue has me counting my pennies already!

WHAT’S NOT
MYSTERY MAN. The cover says Mysterio is “the greatest villain of all,” but once again, I think Stan’s boast exceeds his bite. Mysterio is pretty good while he remains mysterious, but as soon as he starts explaining himself (stunt man, special effects…) all his charisma wears off as quickly as a puff of smoke. Any villain that ends the issue sitting in the police station confessing everything is hardly “the greatest villain of all.”

MISTAKE MAN. There are many reasons why Mysterio doesn’t live up to his hype, chief among them his inclination to commit The Classic Villain Mistake. In an unabashed surge of cockiness, he reveals all his secrets to his victim before killing him. (“I might as well tell you the whole story…”) And then of course, he fails to pull off the kill! How many times have we seen this? Why don’t these villains just SHUT UP and pull the trigger? If they did, it would be a very different world out there in Storyland…different, but perhaps not as interesting and enjoyable.

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DAREDEVIL #2

“The Evil Menace of Electro!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Joe Orlando
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Electro breaks into Fantastic Four headquarters at the same time lawyer Matt Murdock arrives to inspect the premises for their lease. Murdock transforms to Daredevil, fights Electro and is knocked out. Electro launches him into space, but Daredevil changes course, lands the spacecraft safely, steals a horse, then hitches a ride on a passing helicopter back to the Baxter Building, where he and Electro fight again. The shenanigans conclude at a NYC stage review, when Daredevil brings the curtain down on Electro.

WHAT’S HOT
CROSSOVER. Thing is pictured on the cover as a guest star, but within the pages, the entire Fantastic Four show up, and their concerns propel the plot. Good use of an existing property to generate interest in a new one.

CITYSCAPE. Page 16 brings us the rare treat of a full-page panel, depicting the courageous Daredevil swinging from the bottom of a helicopter over the NYC rooftops. When the action gets big, so do the pictures.

I’D RATHER BE BLIND. When lovely secretary Karen Page raises the possibility of an operation that could reverse Murdock’s blindness, he gently puts her off, thinking he would “rather be blind and be Daredevil, than be an average normal man.” That’s commendable, but what’s his inner reasoning? I wonder at this point if he’s that committed to crime-fighting, or is it simply an ego trip, a personal desire to be better than the average man?

YOUR STRENGTH IS YOUR DOWNFALL. Electro’s superpower is command of electricity. However, Daredevil can sense and follow those “powerful electric emanations from his body.” Will every villain Daredevil faces be similarly “handicapped” in their fight against the man with heightened senses?

ANNOUNCEMENT. I love the tradition of the “announcement” in Marvel Comics. It usually happens when a character (superhero, villain or ordinary citizen) is standing around, completely clueless that someone stupendous is about to arrive on the scene. And then that stupendous someone arrives with a splash, and the unsuspecting one yells out their name. In this case, it’s Electro who does the honors, shouting “DAREDEVIL!!!” with three exclamation points as the costumed hero crashes through the skylight.

THE VILLAIN’S TEXTBOOK. When Electro is captured and exclaims, “I’ll GET you for this, Daredevil! You haven’t heard the LAST of me!” Daredevil quips, “You professional bad-guys must all study your speeches out of the same textbooks!” Yeah, it’s corny, but admitting it’s corny makes the corn easier to digest.

WHAT’S NOT
SEXIST REMARKS YOU COULDN’T GET AWAY WITH TODAY. Foggy Nelson tells his secretary, “And don’t ever change that craaazy perfume you’re wearing!”

DIPPITY DON’T. Sue Storm admires Karen’s hairstyle and says she ought to try it sometime. Oh, I hope not.

IS IT HALLOWEEN YET? Now that I’ve seen The Amazing Spider-Man 2, this early Electro, with his jagged yellow gloves and inside-out underwear just seems ridiculous. I mentioned it the first time I ran into him, and this second appearance isn’t making me feel any better about his choice of costume.

BRAGGART. Daredevil sure does TALK a lot about what he’s doing, and how he’s able to do it. I understand the title is still young, and Stan may feel a need to keep reminding his readers of this new superhero’s powers. Or, he may simply feel a need to fill so many word balloons. I hope as time goes on, Daredevil will become less chatty. Right now, his persistent use of words like exact, precise, unerringly and unmistakable sounds suspiciously akin to the super-villain’s boast of “See how EASY it is for me to…”

PRIORITIES. When Daredevil lands the spaceship in Central Park and faces the possibility of being arrested for “endangering people and property,” he reasons that he has to move fast to avoid cap—uh, to avoid “booking,” where no doubt, they will try to learn his real identity. So. In case there was any confusion about the issue, Daredevil is coming down squarely on the side of “Secret Identity=Top Priority.” Even it means this lawyer needs to circumvent the law.

IF ALL GOES AS PLANNED… When swinging from the helicopter, Daredevil reflects that he knows the schedule of these sightseeing helicopters, and exactly two minutes and fifty seconds after take-off, it should be directly over the Baxter Building. Okay, I know he’s a wonderful guy, but not only is he blind, he’s also memorized the schedule of sightseeing helicopters? Of course, there’s this: has he considered how the weight of a fully grown superhero swinging from the bottom of a helicopter is likely to affect the speed of said helicopter? Where’s your two minutes and fifty seconds now, smarty pants? Oh, wait. Not a problem. At precisely the right moment, Daredevil feels a surge of electrical power directly beneath him and crashes through the skylight. Exactly as planned.

UNRULY GUESTS. When the FF drop in at the end of the story to find Murdock hasn’t had a chance yet to look over their lease, they decide to take their business elsewhere, to lawyers “who work a bit faster!” Yes, it’s all for laughs and irony, but it sure does make the FF look like a bunch of demanding prima donnas.

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TALES TO ASTONISH #56

“The Coming of the Magician!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Dick Ayers

IN A NUTSHELL
Hank buys Jan an engagement ring, but due to a foolish misunderstanding, doesn’t give it to her. The Magician performs at a party given by Jan’s faux love interest, robbing the rich folk and capturing Wasp. Pym organizes a faux society party to lure the Magician, then battles him as both Ant-Man and Giant-Man, rescuing Wasp. The Magician plans his escape, but Wasp deflates his getaway blimp, and not even the Magician’s highly trained rabbit can save the Magician from the police. Though Jan professes undying love for Henry, no further mention is made of the engagement ring.

WHAT’S HOT
PERSPECTIVE. I’ve previously noted the difficulties in depicting teeny tiny Wasp, over-sized Giant-Man, and regular people, all in the same frame. But here is a good example of getting it right. If you look closely, you’ll notice a tiny red circle on the floor beneath Giant-Man’s legs—the ghost-image of the spot where Ant-Man was standing only a moment before.

GOOFY VILLAIN. You have to admit, some of these early Marvel villains are good for laughs, and the Magician fits the bill.

• Though he himself is a master of illusion, he is easily duped by cut-out silhouettes on a record player. Like Mastermind, he can dish it out, but he can’t take it.
• Next, the Magician claims that because Giant-Man’s eyes are so large, he can hypnotize him in HALF the time. Oh? Is that how hypnotism works?
• Best of all, however, is this great villain line: “Nothing can outrun a highly trained rabbit!” I’ll have to pass that one on to Nick Saban, next time he’s recruiting running backs.

WHAT’S NOT
UP UP AND AWAY. Part of our villain’s magic is that he can quickly appear and disappear by shimmying up and down a rope attached to an enormous blimp he drags along to his magical robberies. As much as I love the idea of a blimp (being partial to dirigibles, a fascinating aspect of steampunk literature), I’m simply not buying that painting a blimp blue will cause it to be invisible in the sky. Not only that, but don’t those things make a lot of noise, with motors and the constant releasing of gas and air? On occasion, I think Marvel demands just a little too much suspension of disbelief.

I DO…DO YOU? Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Hank buys Jan an engagement ring. An engagement ring! As in…will you marry me? As much as our serious scientist has denied and disguised his feelings for the feisty female up to this point, it seems he’s at last getting in touch with his emotions, and taking that realization to the next level: action! This is a big soap opera moment…but I’m afraid that by the next issue, it will be reduced to a mere blip on the radar screen.

COLD FEET. First, we get sidetracked by an episode of “The Games People Play,” in which Jan picks the worst possible moment to make Hank jealous, and brilliant brain that he is, Pym can’t see through the ruse. But the universe is on the side of their love, and our story ends with Jan wrapping her arms around Hank, declaring, “Now I know there can never be anyone else for me!” Pym readily agrees…but doesn’t take advantage of this ideal opportunity to actually pop the question. C’mon, Hank! Will there ever be a better time than this? Or…are you chickening out?

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“Beware the Bog Beast!”
Plot: Stan Lee
Script/Pencils: Larry Lieber
Inks: Paul Reinman
Letters: Art Simek

Wasp tells the story of a beautiful princess who loves a lazy guy, so her dad devises a test to weed him out of the suitor pool. The king places his daughter on an island with a devoted bog beast, who will fight anyone that crosses the bridge to rescue her. The he-man and the warrior take up the challenge but fail miserably. Then the lazy lover stands at the end of the bridge and calls, “Hey, honey! Come on over!” And she does, but the bog beast can’t cross the flimsy bridge, so all’s well that ends well.

A simply story, and the conclusion was way too obvious, even before we get anywhere near the last page. So why does brilliant scientist Hank Pym struggle with the answer? Maybe his childhood was filled with too many test tubes and microscopes, not enough fairy tales? Or perhaps he simply didn’t have the benefit of this telling illustration as a clue?

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JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #105

“The Cobra and Mr. Hyde!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Cobra and Mr. Hyde conspire against their common enemy: Thor! Using Hyde’s Time Reversal Ray, they trace Thor to Blake’s office, where, jealous over Jane’s date with another man, Blake has locked up his cane to see if he can resist summoning Thor. Cobra and Hyde appear and seize Blake and Jane. Blake has them retrieve and tap the cane. As Thor once again, he follows the villains to a machinery show, where Cobra snatches Mjolnir with an atomic-powered hoist. As the villains approach, Thor sees no way to retrieve his hammer in 60 seconds…

WHAT’S HOT
TIME REVERSAL RAY. Calvin Zabo is a genius. He’s invented a Time Reversal Ray. It lets you retrace a person’s steps. If such a thing were possible, wouldn’t the military be hot on its trail? Or how about the Commies? Surely they could find a use for such a device. But never mind them! I want to use it to find out where I left my car keys!!

NOT NOW, DEAR, I HAVE A HEADACHE. Poor Jane. She’s trying so hard to forget about Don Blake, but simply can’t. On her dancing date with another fella, she’s so worried about her true love that she uses the classic “splitting headache” excuse to cut the date short and return to the office to check on her darling doctor.

CAN WALK AND CHEW GUM. When Thor concocts the story that Blake slipped out to call the police, Jane is amazed that the doctor would risk his life to save little ol’ HER. “Blake’s love for you must be greater than you dream!” replies the gallant Thor, effectively multi-tasking both business and personal matters, all in the same word balloon.

SURE SIGN OF VILLAINY. Do normal people ever refer to their place of residence as a “Lair”?

PARANOID MUCH? Says scientist Calvin Zabo, upon sensing the Cobra slithering into his apartment: “Someone behind me. It can only be an enemy.” He doesn’t even stop to consider that it could be Ed McMahon with balloons and a Publisher’s Clearing House million-dollar check.

WHAT’S NOT
GO, TEAM… As we begin this story, the Avengers are unenthusiastically concluding their weekly meeting, each more intent on gossip, food and judo moves than on perfecting their crime-fighting skills. Somehow I always imagined a meeting of superheroes wouldn’t end with a sigh and the words, “There’s nothing more for us to do here…” Is anyone else disappointed in the way this entire scene deflates the whole superhero mystique?

THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY. Is this the third time this month we’ve had a misunderstanding between the sexes motivating the soap opera?

• In Fantastic Four, Reed misinterprets Sue’s reluctance to talk about her kidnapping drama as proof that she’s still in love with Sub-Mariner.
• In Tales to Astonish, Jan tries to make Hank jealous, and effectively cheats herself out of a marriage proposal.
• Now, Blake wishes Jane a good time on her date with another man, eliciting an inner sob of “My love means NOTHING to him!”

There are two dramas taking place in all these comics: the superficial stories in the straight-edged word balloons, and the real stories inside the cloudy thought balloons.

SECRETS? In a pinch, Blake reveals the secret of the cane to not only Cobra and Hyde, but also to Jane. He transforms into Thor with all three in the room, hoping they will continue looking out the window for Thor’s arrival, rather than watching the lame doctor in the back of the room.

That’s exactly what happens, and Thor quickly explains away Blake’s disappearance as “He ran to call the police.” No one questions how Blake can run so fast without his cane, nor do they question how Blake is able to summon the mighty Thor with a simple tap of his cane.

A lot of important information has been revealed—information that should not be easily forgotten. I can’t wait to hear the conversation next time Blake and Jane get together. After the usual, “Oh, Don! You should have been here! Thor was wonderful!” the girl should have some serious questions for her employer.

DANGEROUS WEAPON. So….it seems anyone can stomp the cane to make Thor appear. Really? And what might happen if Blake accidentally forgets his cane in the supermarket and the bag boy takes it out back to play stickball with rotten cantaloupes? One shudders to think.

MISSPELT. Nitpicking. The Heavy Machinery Show is being held in a coliseum—which is misspelled in bold lettering as “colosseum.”

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“When Heimdall Failed!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: George Bell
Letters: Art Simek

In the accompanying Tale of Asgard, Heimdall does not, in fact, fail to detect a “Vanna,” an enchanted air creature on a top secret mission for the the evil storm giants. As the Vanna sneaks past the Rainbow Bridge, Heimdall feels uneasy, and reports his suspicions of impending danger to Odin. When Odin has everybody in Asgard hold their breath, he is able to capture the mischievous Vanna with more ease than Grasshopper snatching the pebble from the Master’s hand. Though Heimdall is distraught over being unable to see the unseeable, Odin heaps on the praise, declaring that Heimdall “holds a place in the heart of Odin second only to Thor himself!”

Bet Loki is none to pleased to hear that.

So even when Heimdall “fails,” he still does good. Where this tale fails for me is in Jack Kirby’s interpretation of the unseeable air creature, who appears “a part of the silent breeze,” but is drawn more like an albino snake, a silkworm, or a sperm from your 5th grade sex ed text book.

I’m also still having a problem with the Rainbow Bridge, seen here in springtime pastels.