THE MARVELOUS AWARDS!!
THE MOST MARVELOUS AWARDS
Last time I did these Awards (was it really as long ago as 2016??) I ended with the Artist Awards and closed up with “Well, it’s been fun! Now onwards to 1964!” There was no capping off event, no “pièce de résistance.” Well, that’s about to change. This time, with a lot of assistance from Russ, my Creative Consultant, we have developed a bookend for these Awards, which I am calling…The MOST Marvelous Awards!
Here you will find the best of the best, the cream of the crop! Think: Best Picture, Best Director. I’m looking at the entire year of 1964 Marvel Comics and picking out the highest highlights—at least, according to ME. Because, after all, this is my blog, these are my thoughts, my preferences, my selections: A Modern Girl’s View of the Marvel Silver Age.
With that in mind, shall we begin?
BEST NEW CHARACTER
Well! 1964 has been an eventful year in Marvel Comics! Not only did a lot happen, but we were also introduced to a flock of fascinating new characters. Too many to name them all, but several stand out as possibly the Best New Character for 1964.
In the category of Best New Character for 1964, the nominees are…
- Attuma, from Fantastic Four
- Enchantress, from Journey Into Mystery
- Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, from X-Men
- Mandarin, from Tales of Suspense
- Green Goblin, from Amazing Spider-Man
- Daredevil, from, well, Daredevil
- Glenn Talbot, from Tales to Astonish
And the Award goes to…
Daredevil/Matt Murdock. Because the world can always use more heroes, and there are not many that are more heroic than Daredevil. The Matt Murdock side of his persona also brings a lot of melodrama to the title, and that’s something else we—and by “we,” I mean “I”—can’t get enough of!
BEST STORY (TOLD OVER MULTIPLE ISSUES)
Some stories demand more than a single issue to be properly told. In 1964, we saw more and more of this in Marvel Comics: narratives spanning two, three or even more issues! These stories are the rough forerunners to how so many stories are told today—not only in comics, but also on TV, and even in movies!
In the category of Best Story Told Over Multiple Issues, the nominees are…
- Strange Tales: Doctor Strange battles Dormammu
- Fantastic Four: The further developments in the Sue/Reed/Namor Love Triangle
- Tales of Suspense: Tony Stark’s disappearance because he is trapped in his Iron Man armor
- Fantastic Four: The Fantastic Four/Avengers/Hulk Battle Royale
- Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Man follows Betty to Philadelphia to save her and her brother from Doctor Octopus
- Tales of Suspense: Hawkeye and Black Widow meet, fall in love, and make the perilous journey from villains to sympathetic characters
And the Award goes to…
Tales of Suspense, for its quick and suspenseful handling of the emotional drama that is Hawkeye and Black Widow. They’ve come so far already; I can’t wait to see what happens next!
BEST SINGLE ISSUE
I’ve just finished applauding the multiple issue story, and now I’m taking a step backwards to consider the amazing feat of expertly packing it all into a single issue. Here, we are considering not only story, but every element that contributes to any single issue being one that makes you say “Wow! That issue was incredible! It stands on its own as a piece of art, and a piece of comic book history!”
In the category of Best Single Issue, the 1964 nominees are…
- Daredevil #1: Daredevil’s origin story
- Avengers #4: The Return of Captain America
- Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1: Spider-Man vs. Everybody
- Fantastic Four Annual #2: Doctor Doom’s origin story
And the Award goes to…
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 for being jam-packed with everything that makes comics worth reading. All those guest appearances are just icing on the cake, making the whole kit-and-kaboodle extra delicious!
BEST COVER
First of all, a cover has to look good. But it’s not just about the art. A good cover also draws you in, with its promises of what’s inside. A good cover makes you want to buy this book, open it and heartily consume it. There may be great stories hidden within mediocre covers, but how far can a great cover go towards supporting a reader’s hope that expectations will be met?
In the category of Best Cover, the nominees are…
- Daredevil #2: Shocking!
- X-Men #4: Small Heroes, Big Villains
- Tales To Astonish #56: and Now For My Next Trick…
- Tales of Suspense #53: Girl Power
- Strange Tales #120: Fire and Ice
- Journey Into Mystery #100: The Hero, The Villain, And The Damsel In Distress
- Fantastic Four #33: Working With Namor, Not Against Him!
- Amazing Spider-Man #12: Unmasked!
- Avengers #7: Swing That Hammer, Thor!
So! Who will the Award go to? Well…Ladies and Gentlemen…wait just a moment! We have breaking news! It appears one of the nominees is about the be disqualified! Upon further study, it has been discovered that the cover for X-Men #4, though very compelling and artistically executed, depicts a scene that never happens in the book! This is an outrage! This is unacceptable! Bad form! X-Men #4 is now officially DISQUALIFIED!!
(crowd noises…rumbling…)
Okay now, okay. Let’s just take a deep breath and move on. The Award will now go to one of the remaining nominees…
And the Award goes to…
Avengers #7! And there are multiple reasons. Though many of the remaining nominations showed potential, this cover has everything I love about Marvel Comics. First: color! Bright, vibrant primary colors! Next: characters! So many characters, each exemplifying their particular characteristics in a single image. At the bottom we see the villains, Zemo, Executioner and Enchantress. What’s up with those weird hand poses? Some kind of secret super-villain handshake? But most of all: Thor, in a mighty warrior pose, defending…the villains? Why? And finally, let me mention: movement! The swing of Mjolnir is expertly depicted with kinetic drive and power. The entire image looks like it’s ready to jump off the page and directly into your imagination. Who wouldn’t feel absolutely compelled to buy this book and read it? If I’m at the comic book rack in 1964, I’m thinking, “I must have this book!”
BEST TITLE
And finally, the Big One, the Whole Enchilada, the Ultimate of Ultimates, the Best and Most Marvelous Title of Marvel Comics for the year 1964!
This year saw a dramatic rise in the number of Marvel Comic titles. Most of them are either lesser or co-equal to the main title with which they are paired, but we also were treated to new superhero Daredevil, who debuts with his very own title. If this is what 1964 is like in Marvel Comics, I can’t wait to get to 1965!
But I won’t get to 1965 without first finishing this final and most important award for the Best Title of 1964! And so, without any further ado, (but with much explanation), in the category of Best Title, the nominees are…
- Daredevil. Even though there were only five issues, it’s been an action-packed beginning for our new superhero. Who doesn’t love an origin story? Which was quickly followed by a different villain in each issue. On top of all that, the soap opera is through the roof! It isn’t enough that poor Matt Murdock was blinded in an industrial accident, and his father murdered? Now, after enduring so much hardship, he opens a law office with his best friend, but they are both interested in the same woman! Does it get any richer than this?
- Tales of Suspense. Nominated not so much for the companion tales of the Watcher and Captain America (though there is that), but mostly for the ongoing story of Tony Stark trapped in his Iron Man armor, unable to appear as the handsome playboy billionaire he is. Pepper and Happy become very suspicious of Stark’s bodyguard, Iron Man. So much misunderstanding! And I haven’t even gotten to the introduction of so many new villains! Some are clearly better than others, but what a treat to meet Black Widow and Hawkeye, and see their quick character development. Great hope for even better things to come for this title in 1965!
- Journey into Mystery. This year, Thor really does his part in paving the way for the multi-issue stories which will eventually become the norm in comics. We also enjoy a grand family drama in the heart-wrenching dilemma of father Odin absolutely refusing to allow Thor to even think about a mortal woman, never mind marry one! And as for that mortal woman, Jane Foster contributes on several occasions by playing the “Damsel in Distress.” Everything about Journey into Mystery is epic, larger than life, spanning worlds and kingdoms. As it should be in any excellent comic.
A difficult decision! So close…so close!!
But the Award goes to…
Tales of Suspense!! For all the reasons mentioned above. Daredevil is the new kid on the block, and will surely contend again for this Award. Journey into Mystery came in a close second, only suffering due to the repetition of its “been there, done that” cast of villains (Hyde and Cobra, anyone?). Better luck next time, Thor! But now, accepting the Award for Tales of Suspense, on Tony Stark’s behalf, please welcome his bodyguard, the illustrious Iron Man…
Thank you all so much for joining me for the 1964 Marvelous Awards! It took a long time to get here, but as they say… I hope you had as much fun reading them, as I had writing them! And now, onwards into 1965, to see what a new year shall bring us in this most spectacular, amazing, wonderful, Marvelous Zone!
