Meanwhile… : October, 1965

STRANGE TALES #137

“The Prize Is…Earth!”
Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: Jack Kirby
Art: John Severin
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
At a Balkan train station, a SHIELD agent transfers a microfilm to a fellow agent, just before he’s slain by HYDRA. HYDRA boards the train, but the SHIELD agent tosses the film to two more agents on a racing car. The car heads into the ocean and converts into a submarine, but when HYDRA surrounds them, they self-destruct. Fury reveals that HYDRA plans to launch a betatron bomb into orbit, and he leads a team to stop it. Later, over his daughter’s objections, Supreme Hydra launches the bomb.

WHAT’S HOT
GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. There are no comical notations this time around for the production credits on the splash. They are simply, quietly and innovatively placed on a computer screen. It’s innovative because this is probably one of our first displays of an actual “computer screen” (that isn’t also a “vision-o-matic,” “visi-probe” or some such thing) but also because it’s one of the rare times that the credits are not part of a joke.

GQ. Tony Stark is Q, inventing spy apparel for Fury’s obvious Bond. Nice!

ARTFULLY DONE. New artist John Severin gives us a very square-jawed Fury, hard-edged with nothing goofy or soft about him. Could you imagine Jack Kirby illustrating this title?

GEE WHIZ! With the introduction of the HYDRA big-shot’s daughter, Agent G, the G certainly stands for intriGuing! Love the dose of family drama. Feels like she could be significant in the future.

OLD FRIENDS. I don’t know much about the Howling Commandos, but I do recognize Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones as part of Fury’s former team. It’s nice to see the band getting back together.

WHAT’S NOT
CURSES! Fury says “blamed” a lot. Is “blamed” the new “damn”? He mixes it up with an occasional “blasted,” but honestly, he just says “blamed” too blamed often.

BARK IS WORSE THAN HIS BITE? Fury comes across as gruff and caustic, a man’s man who is always “barking” orders and making snide remarks. I understand he’s not here to win any personality contests, and I just praised the artist for making him “hard-edged,” but if they don’t soften his speech at least a bit, he may be perceived as so unlikeable that the readers might actually start rooting for HYDRA.

CONFUSION. The whole story is so fast-paced, I can’t keep up! With a sort of disjointed vibe, this almost feels like a movie edited for time-constraints. Are we supposed to recognize that Farrington is the HYDRA leader, or are they purposely being coy, to retain an air of mystery?

OUTDATAED. Is this where the spy movie trope of valuable information on microfilm started, or had this already been a staple of spy stories? Either way, it now feels so dated. But I guess that’s to be expected from an old story full of newfangled ideas—à la the 23rd century female Enterprise crew members in miniskirts and go-go boots.

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE. The SHIELD agent on the train feels a lot like Coulson…but then, he gets killed, so….perhaps not? Okay, I guess I’ll have to take this one back, but I’m sticking by my original “Coulson sighting” in the first issue of this new comic, when an unnamed man in a green suit escorts Nick Fury around the particulars of his new duties—and some of that escorting is in a flying car! My logic: If he’s not named, and he doesn’t die, who’s to say he isn’t Coulson?

“He’s the head of SHIELD—
That makes him answerable only to the President!”

— Gabe Jones


“When Meet the Mystic Minds!”
Plot: Steve Ditko
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
In an effort to discover the secret of Eternity, Doctor Strange attempts to pry it from the brain of the Ancient One. Strange uses his amulet to overcome the Ancient One’s mental defenses. Strange realizes that the only way to enter his mentor’s mind is to open up his own mind. The Ancient One reveals how to contact Eternity. Later, on a lonely mountain peak, Strange repeats the mystic incantation. His amulet opens a portal and Strange steps through, moments before Mordo’s frustrated arrival.

WHAT’S HOT
MYSTERY. At one point, the Ancient One’s faithful servant refers to Dr. Strange as “Man of Mystery.” And the writers also choose to remain mysterious by not detailing the Ancient One’s message about Eternity, or the actual spell Strange casts, only telling the readers there are “words so secret, phrases so soul-shattering, that we dare not reveal them here.” Wise choice to keep mum!

PSYCHEDELIC. I’ve never done psychedelic drugs, but I imagine the Ditko/colorist’s collaborative use of yellow, green and orange, along with Strange’s misshapen hands is probably a good representation of hallucination and “aimless imagery.”

WHAT’S NOT
S…L…O…W… As fast-paced as the Nick Fury story is, that’s how slowly this story is moving. Of course, it’s totally appropriate, a nice contrast between the two genres, but really…painfully slow. Still, I guess that’s what you get, when the concept of “Eternity” is the driving force behind the narrative.

“Even in a coma, hovering on the brink of death—
the power of the Ancient One is virtually beyond belief!”

— Doctor Strange

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Want to own the Doctor Strange story? Buy the Masterworks!

TALES TO ASTONISH #72

“A Prince There Was!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Adam Austin
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Namor breaks free from the Seaweed Man and creates a whirlpool to defeat the monster. He discovers an iron door on the ocean floor, and upon opening the door a fish speaking in Neptune’s voice gives him the next clue: the Diamonds of Doom, located at the furthest corner of the realm. Meanwhile, in Atlantis, Krang plots to take Dorma as his bride. When she refuses, he banishes her to the world of the Faceless Ones. At the same time, Namor finds the Diamonds of Doom and is ensnared by their life-draining brilliance.

WHAT’S HOT
HE LIKES ME! HE REALY LIKES ME! Too bad Dorma couldn’t hear Namor lamenting her banishment with a proclamation of the sorrow in his breast that is more than he can endure. When he’s with Dorma, Namor doesn’t always treat her with love and respect. I think she would enjoy knowing how badly he feels about her current predicament.

DOME OF DOOM. Say it again, like you mean it…Dome of Doom! Sigh…Such an epic image! Such sensational alliteration! Frankly, I’m perplexed that I am only now running into this portrayal of peril!

SLAY ME. Speaking of epic etymology, I am once again reminded of my college professor who famously said, “Some of the language in here just slays me!” I am slayed by Namor’s distress as he pulls open the huge, rotting hinges of Neptune’s hidden door. “Nothing!” he inwardly exclaims. “There is naught but water below! What grim jest…what hollow mockery is THIS?” This, dear reader, is WHY I read Marvel Comics.

GROOVY. Zantor looks like a beatnik in his aviator sunglasses.

WHAT’S NOT
NOT GROOVY. Zantor looks like a beatnik in his aviator sunglasses. (Why does he need sunglasses in the ocean? Perhaps to shield his eyes from that crazy kaleidoscope?)

GROSS! Still not a fan of the art. In too many panels, Namor looks like he’s got a bad skin condition. I understand the desire to make him appear strong and muscular, but surely there’s a way to do that, without making him look like someone you would avoid on an elevator.

“A Prince of the blood must be true to his duty…
though the sorrow in his breast be more than he can endure!”

— Sub-Mariner


“Within the Monster Dwells a Man!”
Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: Jack Kirby
Art: Mickey Demeo
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
After fighting off multiple assaults by the army, Hulk agrees to join forces with the Leader, who teleports them to his hidden Italian base. When Hulk hears the Leader’s plan to make mankind his slaves, he rebels, but the Leader knocks him out with sleep gas. Meanwhile, Talbot convinces Ross that Rick is in league with the Hulk, and Ross orders Rick’s arrest. Later, when Hulk awakens, he battles the Leader’s humanoids, desperate to fight off the transformation to Banner, which could kill him.

WHAT’S HOT
IF A MISSILE LAUNCHES IN THE DESERT…? I guess it makes this sound: WHOOEEEOOM! Well, now we know.

LESSER OF TWO EVILS. Hulk only agrees to go with the Leader because he has no other options. Even as the rocks are literally falling down around him, he finds himself in the classic “rock and a hard place” predicament.

BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY! The Leader’s Matter-Portation device is so much like the Star Trek transporter, I marvel at how chockful of science fiction mumbo jumbo the early 60’s must have been.

BODY-WISE. Rick wisely says, “I won’t believe the Hulk is dead until we find the body!” Guess he’s been reading too many comic books…

WHAT’S NOT
DUH! General Ross reveals he is not too bright when he openly expresses his astonishment at the possibility that Hulk could have been a product of one of Banner’s secret experiments.

IS THAT YOU, MRS. ROBINSON? The Leader boasts that his humanoids protect him “with all their plastic strength!” I was right on board until he got to the word…plastic.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HULK. If the Leader is such a brainiac, why didn’t he anticipate that Hulk might come out of his stupor faster than expected?

ONE THING AT A TIME! Perhaps the Leader is simply too cocky about his great brain. In addition to underestimating Hulk, he is also overextending himself by working on plans to conquer both the surface world and the undersea kingdom of the Sub-Mariner at the same time. I predict this will come back to bite him in the butt.

“Nuts! I don’t want any part of this crummy world! You can HAVE it!”
— Hulk

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JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #121

“The Power! The Passion! The Pride!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
While Thor battles the Absorbing Man, Loki looks on from Asgard. His plans for challenging Odin’s rule depend on Thor’s defeat. On Midgard, Absorbing Man transforms into a colossus by absorbing the city’s concrete and steel. Meanwhile, Jane, who has been abducted by a mysterious hooded man, watches the battle from a high-rise apartment window. During the brawl with the Absorbing Man, Thor rescues a toddler. Absorbing Man takes advantage of Thor’s distraction to knock him out.

WHAT’S HOT
MYSTERY, NOT MENACE. A mysterious hooded figure holds Jane captive, but she has not been harmed, her privacy is respected, and she has been granted every comfort and convenience. There is a sense of mystery to her situation, but not menace. When the hooded figure tells Jane it is for her “own good” that she is not permitted to leave, I believe him.

SICKENING. It makes total sense that Loki would think of Balder as “sickeningly noble.”

NO STONE UNTURNED. The Norn Stone, carelessly abandoned on Earth in the last issue, makes a brief appearance, just long enough for the writers to tease us with the certainty that it will soon come into play.

PANIC IN THE STREETS. I always love the way Marvel displays panic in the streets. Why are they so good at this?

HEROIC NON-HEROES. The police are fully engaged in this conflict, but wisely holding back, running crowd control, trying to protect the public, fully aware all they can do is try to contain any peripheral damage. But it appears their hearts are fully in it.

WHAT’S NOT
ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, I CAN DO BETTER. The fight scenes quickly get tiresome, just going round and round as Thor and the Absorbing Man constantly best each other and brag about it. As some off-screen presence wonders on page 15, I also just want to know, “How can it ever end?” We could be here all day…or we could move on to the juicier parts of the story?

ACHILLES HELL. The Absorbing Man can be tricked into turning into a vulnerable material like glass. But no matter, since Thor’s Achille’s Heel is his oath to never slay a mortal, which prevents him from taking advantage of his foe’s Achille’s Heel. Again, I ask…How can it ever end?

TAKE SMALL CHILDREN BY THE HAND. Whenever you want to inject a dose of drama into a story, you can always fall back on the old favorite trope of a child innocently wandering into harm’s way. On the same day that I read this Thor story, Russ and I started watching Mystery Science Theater 3000, where, in The Crawling Eye, a child goes back for a mislaid toy, surely at risk of getting squeezed to death by a gigantic tentacled eyeball, if heroic Forrest Tucker doesn’t jump in to save the day. That incident just provided a temporary diversion, while Thor’s nobility could prove his undoing, but the moral of both stories is the same: Parents! Tether your tykes!

“You TRICKED me last time! But now I’m too smart to—HEY!”
— Absorbing Man


“Maelstrom!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Hoping to postpone the day of Ragnarok, Thor sails his ship into the Sea of Fear, searching for the forces that threaten Asgard. Some of the crew, fearing the Pillars of Utgard, wonder aloud why Loki is not in command, while others pledge their support to Thor. As Loki plots mutiny, Thor urges the sailors to fight the storm, and against their instincts, they obey. Meanwhile, Balder climbs the ship’s figurehead, hauling a great horn behind him.

WHAT’S HOT
SUNBURST. For such a short story, the narrator’s sunburst recap on the splash perfectly brings us up to date, concisely reviewing all the major concepts and setting the scene for this new leg of their journey.

WHAT’S NOT
NOT ENOUGH TIME! The only bad thing I can say about this story is that each installment is so short, just a few quick snapshots. By the time you feel engaged…it’s over! (Till next time, anyway…) But this installment seemed exceptionally short with two pages of only three panels, and two full-page layouts.

“Even DEATH can be glorious in the service of one such as THOR!”
— Sailor

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AVENGERS #21

“The Bitter Taste of Defeat!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Wally Wood
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
The Avengers continue their bickering, almost coming to blows. Meanwhile, the Enchantress approaches one of Zemo’s henchmen and grants him super-strength in return for aiding her revenge against the Avengers, dubbing him Power Man. They create several disasters in the city, framing the Avengers. When Cap is framed, the other Avengers investigate individually, but the villains charge them with trespassing. Left with no choice, the city council orders the Avengers to disband.

WHAT’S HOT
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! On the splash, as Hawkeye changes a fuse, he laments “one faulty fuse and a zillion electronic gizmos go on the blink!” This made me chuckle as I thought of one of my favorite lines in my favorite Christmas comedy song, The Twelve Pains of Christmas. (If you’re not familiar with it, treat yourself to an early Christmas present!)

BOSS LADY. He has the brawn, but she has the brains. He may be “Power Man,” but the Enchantress pulls his strings. Power Man placates himself by grumbling that he’ll “go along” as long as it suits him. Of course, he has to tell himself that; otherwise, how can he face himself in the mirror?

WHAT THE WELL-DRESSED ENCHANTRESS IS WEARING THIS SEASON. Traditionally, the Enchantress is seen in her classic low-cut green leotard with the golden pleated skirt, but on page 12, we see her in a slightly different outfit. What’s this? On her way to yoga class? Perhaps her pajamas? Or is she in fact turning into a woman of fashion?

WHAT’S NOT
EMASCULATED. The Enchantress slows down and impedes each Avenger as Power Man fights them. Why? Does she not have faith in his “powers”? Not willing to take any chances? Or is this her way of keeping him in his place? (See BOSS LADY, above.)

RESTITUTION. The Avengers have to make restitution for “tearing the street apart.” This is not the first time this has happened. Perhaps they need to look into some superhero malpractice insurance?

TOO EASY. My biggest problem with this story is that it’s all too easy. All it takes is a little magic and deception for the Avengers to quickly fall out of favor with the public. And this has happened to them before. It also happened to the Fantastic Four as early as their second issue, and is always happening to Spidey, thanks to his unfriendly neighborhood newspaper publisher. This is apparently an issue for superheroes. They have to come up with a plan to nip this in the bud, before it can even get started.

“If you ask me, this is real CORNBALL stuff—
but if it will make you happy…”

— Power Man

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #29

“Never Step on a Scorpion!”
Plot: Steve Ditko
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
The Scorpion escapes from prison, eager to extract vengeance on Spider-Man and Jameson. Meanwhile, at the Daily Bugle, Peter discovers that Ned Leeds has returned from Europe, but brushes off Betty and Ned when he learns of the Scorpion’s escape. While Spidey patrols the city, Scorpion attacks Jameson at the Bugle. Realizing his mistake, Spider-Man returns to the Bugle, and fights Scorpion. Spider-Man wins, but JJJ protrays himself as the hero. Later, at home, May gets dizzy and nearly faints.

WHAT’S HOT
WHERE IS THIS LEEDING? Ned Leeds is back! I like that they haven’t forgotten about him, and as it now appears Peter may be leaving behind his high school crowd, we may well need a new source of soap opera suds.

GROWING BOY. The story starts with Peter noting that he must be putting on weight, since his clothes are snug. And later, as Spider-Man, he certainly looks less lanky, more muscular than usual. Is this what happens when a boy graduates from high school and becomes a college man?

LOVE TO HATE. Jameson is truly the man I love to hate. His performance in this issue is classically despicable—so over the top despicable, you can’t help but enjoy it!

WHAT’S NOT
ART PROBLEM #1. Peter wears a yellow striped vest and…a black and white shirt? Is the black design actually part of the fabric, or is the inker prophetically anticipating the gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows”? I can’t figure out what’s going on here, but it’s certainly distracting.

ART PROBLEM #2. Channeling my inner Jerry Seinfeld, “What’s the deal with Scorpion’s teeth?”

NO REST. Aunt May gets dizzy and drops a glass. Oh no! Does this foreshadow further medical issues? Please, Stan! Leave the poor old lady alone!

“Say! I wonder what Ed Sullivan would pay for an act like this?”
— Spider-Man

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DAREDEVIL #10

“While the City Sleeps!”
Plot: Stan Lee
Script: Wally Wood
Layouts: Bob Powell
Art: Wally Wood
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
The mysterious masked Organizer collects a group of animal-based henchmen–Ape-Man, Bird-Man, Cat-Man and Frog-Man–in his plot to discredit the city government. The next morning, Foggy announces that he is running for District Attorney, and introduces Debbie Harris, an old girlfriend, to Matt and Karen. Later, Cat-Man kidnaps Debbie, but Daredevil discovers that she is actually part of the Organizer’s plot. DD is unaware that Bird-Man is about to strike.

WHAT’S HOT
DOUBLE DUTY. Wally Wood is both artist and writer, which is unusual, and on the cover and the splash we are promised this issue will be off-beat, different, stunning, and the strangest. Okay, I’m ready!

PROMISE FULFILLED. I very much enjoyed the art. There was a unique almost ghoulish look to the villains, and in contrast, the good guys always appear so fresh and clean!

WHAT’S NOT
FORM OVER CONTENT. I started out wanting very much to enjoy this story. Of course, I immediately noticed the many unusual page layouts. At first, I found the novelty refreshing, but after a while, for this relatively inexperienced comic book reader, the lack of standard formatting taxed my brain.

UNFORTUNATE MONIKER. The villain is “The Organizer” …which unfortunately made me think of those tough ladies on Hoarders who are always pushing people to give up way more of their stuff than they want to. After that, it was hard to take him seriously.

A CREEPY PEEPY BY ANY OTHER NAME…I’m always amused to run into these inventive names for newfangled gadgets; but when the minions wear “Creepy Peepy” TV cameras on their chests, I’m thinking…hmmm…maybe Wally could have thought this one through a little more…

TOO MUCH, TOO FAST. It’s a good story, but rather intricate and involved, suffering from the introduction of way too many characters in only a few pages. I recognize this tale will continue in the next issue, but perhaps it would have worked better if all the information in Part 1 had been introduced at a more leisurely pace. (They certainly could have sold more comics that way!)

ART IMITATES LIFE. Someone’s trying to steal an election? Please! Let’s not go there again…

ENCHANTMENT UNDER THE SEA. Is Daredevil just now discovering that underwater, his radar becomes sonar? Didn’t he know this before? Even if he hadn’t already fought Namor in an underwater battle (DD#7), he should have at least tried it out in the bathtub.

WTF #1. The diagram of the building on page ten is confusing. Why is the air lock chamber for water travel above the helicopter hanger? That doesn’t seem very efficient or practical, especially for someone whose moniker is “The Organizer.” Is this part of the “off-beat” we were promised on the splash?

WTF #2. Karen wonders if Matt will be at the penthouse party, but somehow he never got invited. Why not? (Am I looking for holes in the story at this point?)

WTF #3. Why does Daredevil need a “snooper scope” to hear?

“How easy it is for me to defeat my enemies by remote control!”
— Organizer

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Posted in Avengers, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Hulk, Meanwhile, Sgt. Fury, SHIELD, Spider-Man, Strange Tales, Sub-Mariner, Tales to Astonish, Thor | 2 Comments

TALES OF SUSPENSE #70: And Yet…

Published: October, 1965

“Fight On! For a World is Watching!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Mickey Demeo
Letters: Sam Rosen

“If This Be Treason!”
Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: Jack Kirby
Art: George Tuska
Letters: Sam Rosen

I sat down to read this issue of Tales of Suspense, fully expecting it would be part of my next Meanwhile post. After all, what could possibly happen to cause me to wax eloquent? Iron Man fighting Titanium Man, Captain America’s taking on the Nazis, it’s just going to be fight, fight, fight. Right?

Wrong. First, I was surprised how many soap opera developments were squeezed into these two short stories. But even more, I began to notice a pattern: every time I wrote down something in the “Hot” column, oddly, it also contained a strong element of “Not.” And every time I coded something as “Not,” well…there was also something kind of cool—I mean “Hot”—about it.

My mind reeled, as for so many of these observations, I couldn’t quite decide whether to present them as positives or negatives. And then it hit me: THAT was my story! As colorful as the pages of my Marvel Masterworks, that’s how not black-and-white I found the events and concerns within this issue. Like life itself, so few things are truly good or evil (or, as Rhomann Dey philosophized in Guardians of the Galaxy, “I don’t believe anyone is ever 100% a dick”). So just when I thought that comic books are simple and easy, and I’ve got this all figured out, some new thought made me change my mind and muse, “Okay, sure… to some degree… and yet…”

“PREVIOUSLY IN TALES OF SUSPENSE…”
As I turn the first page of the Iron Man story, I’m immediately flooded with déjà vu. Here’s a recap of what happened last time, which is very cool for my plot-challenged brain (as detailed in my last post, Reads Comics Like a Girl.)

AND YET, I notice that some of these panels are directly lifted from the previous comic, so I can’t help feeling it’s a bit of a cheat.

Tales of Suspense #70 Tales of Suspense #69

Sure, the image of the Countess Stephanie de la Spirosa is flipped to try to throw us off guard…but I can’t be fooled that easily! In the past, I’ve chided the colorist for taking a day off whenever presented with Dr. Strange in his ectoplasmic form, and now I’m wondering if this was Stan’s way of making his job a bit easier. Every now and then a sitcom will do a retrospective of past episodes, where the only new work for the actors is to sit around and say, “Yeah…and remember when…?” before wavy lines lead to a flashback. I guess it’s not plagiarism when you’re repeating your own material, but I can’t help thinking that page two of this story is sort of like that.

GAME SHOW
As Iron Man and Titanium Man battle, the crowd watches on “a special T.V. complex.” Why are so many people gathered in this carnival atmosphere to stare up at teeny tiny television monitors. Wouldn’t they have been more comfortable at home?

AND YET…this immediately reminds me of Hunger Games, and to a lesser extent, Running Man. In both those stories, of course, the screens are appropriately GINORMOUS! Which leads me to suddenly realize that though so many things in these early Marvel comics are nowadays done so much better, we have to give Marvel credit for doing them decades earlier.

TRAVELIN’ IN STYLE
I understand that Stark is filthy rich, and hotel accommodations should never be an issue for him. He can have the biggest, best and most luxurious suites money can buy.

AND YET… I’m mesmerized that when he travels, he also books a hotel LAB. Is that a 1960’s thing, a rich guy thing, or simply a comic book fantasy? Well, I know this for sure: Stark isn’t using hotels.com, because whenever I book, I’ve never seen any “Lab Included” options, have you?

NOT HAPPY!
So! It appears Happy has figured out that Stark is Iron Man! As he speeds down the road to assist the superhero bodyguard, his thoughts hint that he’s finally put it all together. Maybe Stark being Iron Man is not actually as “nutty” as he thinks! Well done, Happy! It’s always frustrating to me, reading these comics, or watching movies and TV, when characters cannot wrap their minds around what is so painfully obvious to us readers or viewers. I’ve been anxiously waiting for someone, anyone, to come to this oh so obvious realization.

AND YET…as soon as we get confirmation that Happy indeed knows that Stark is Iron Man…guess what? He dies.

WHAT??

Okay, one thing at a time. First: I don’t believe it. I refuse to believe it. Happy cannot be dead. Surely there will be some reprieve in the next issue.

AND YET…what a dramatic soap opera development! He risks his life to help his romantic rival, then with his dying breath declares “It was WORTH it!” simply because he’s convinced himself that Pepper loves him more than the boss. Really folks, does it get any better than this?

AND YET…let’s go back to what just happened. Happy is dead. Or…is he? If he survives, and I predict he will, I also predict his memory will somehow be wiped clean of this recent revelation—in much the same way minor villain Second-Story Sam was deprived of his memory of Giant-Man’s identity when Hank Pym administered a “memory-loss serum.” (See TTA 62, – Helpful Chrissy.)

So now I’m anxiously awaiting the next issue for more than just the absence of a death certificate. Where do we go from here? This, my friends, is the way to sell comics!

POLITICS AS USUAL
Senator Byrd shows up at the televised competition between Iron Man and Titanium Man, and is only concerned about Iron Man’s impending defeat as a way to prove his point about Tony Stark. Like a true politician, he easily twists every event to suit his own agenda. As one of our own recent politicians used to say so often: “Disgraceful!”

AND YET…when Pepper faints, it’s Byrd who draws everyone’s attention to her lying on the ground. Okay, he doesn’t actually appear to do anything to help her, other than exclaim, “Give her air! Give her room!” but at least he’s showing more humanity and compassion than anyone else in the crowd. “Let’s get back to the screens!” someone shouts. I guess that guy’s not going to win any awards for chivalry (though he might run for a political office; he seems to have just the personality for it…).

THE NITPICKING GRAMMARIAN
Okay, here I am again, nitpicking about language. Early on, Iron Man recognizes that Titanium Man is “stronger than I.” Wait. Doesn’t he mean, “stronger than me?” Why would he use such incorrect grammar? Who is making this mistake? Iron Man? Stark? Or perhaps Stan Lee?

If Stan Lee, is he knowingly making this mistake? Is this the way Stan talked? Or is this only the way he imagines Tony Stark would talk? (Because, of course, cultured people would never use such a plebian word as “me.”)

AND YET… I guess there’s an argument that the “am” is implied (“stronger than I am”). But if so, why was “am” cut off? It couldn’t have been a decision by “mumbled and jumbled” letterer Sam Rosen, because the thought balloon clearly has room enough for an additional two more letters. In fact, it would have looked better with the word “am.” So this is one of those non-important issues that totally baffles me, when I really should be paying more attention to other aspects of the story.

FIGHTING ENSUED
But maybe I was looking for something, even something trivial, to grab my attention because, as I talked about in my last feature, there was a lot of “Fighting Ensued” to deal with, in this story. From the cover and the splash (“Iron Man vs. Titanium Man, what more need we say?!!”), I immediately recognized that this was bound to be a lollapalooza of rock-em sock-em robots.

AND YET…before I was done, my expectation that this might turn out a big, fat “NOT” was twisted around to become extremely “HOT!” The splash implies that there was nothing “more” important going on here than the battle between Iron and Titanium, but in fact, so much “more” happens. Stan is usually the superb showman who easily identifies the most compelling reason to buy the book. But in this case, he missed the boat.

FLIP THE SCRIPT
Finally, at one point, Titanium Man accuses Iron Man of having “weak American compassion.” I chuckle at that phrase, because it reminds me of that old standard interview question, when you’re asked to discuss one of your weaknesses. At that moment, you are “maybe a bit of a workaholic,” or “too detail-oriented.” To Titanium Man’s Commie brain, compassion is a weakness.

AND YET…we decent people know that honorable qualities like integrity, courage and compassion are what separates the super-heroes from the super-villains. So, it’s another bite of delicious irony in these topsy-turvy 1960’s.

I guess by this time you’ve caught on to what I’m doing. Good, bad, hot, not…and I’m not done yet! Moving right along to the Captain America story, we find much of the same. For instance…

GOOD AS GOLD
Artist George Tuska is introduced as “one of the giants of the great Golden Age of comics.” The art was good. I enjoyed it.

AND YET…it was not particularly great. I had high hopes for those creative page layouts I saw a while back when I read some comics from the Golden Age but, alas…

Does the artist not make those decisions? Is Tuska the kind of artist who doesn’t like to bleed out of the frame? Or is the Marvel Bullpen telling him, “Look, we don’t have time for any of that fancy-shmancy artsy stuff, just give us some clean images, and give ’em to us by Tuesday!”

Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing more Tuska art.

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER
I always love a melodramatic “I beg of you!” and Sister Celia gets off a good one when she implores Cedric to “divorce” himself from “the whole shameful plot.” At first I’m thinking, “Why do the Nazis allow her to talk like that and LIVE?” But it’s quickly revealed Major Uberhart indeed wants to “silence” Celia, but cannot because, as per Red Skull, Cedric is in charge.

In the end, Cedric finally comes out clearly for Team Celia, which now puts him much more firmly in my Plus Column…right?

AND YET… perhaps it was too little, too late. Because it wasn’t until the Nazis suddenly began behaving towards him like…well, Nazis, threatening both of them with death, that Cedric experiences this change of heart. So! Is blood thicker than water, after all? Or is it only preferable once you realize the water you’ve been swimming in all this time is toxic, deadly and shark-infested?

SLOW ON THE UPTAKE
Early in the story, Cap reveals he is aware that going to the castle is likely to be a trap, with Bucky as bait.

AND YET… when he arrives and sees Bucky facing the door, he acts like he’s suddenly figured it out! I’m a little concerned about Cap’s thought processes. Is too much going on for him to keep up with current events?

SUPER!
The Nazi Major is Uberhart. I don’t know much German, but I do know that “uber” means “super” and when I look up the word, the definition is pretty much what it appears to be: “super heart.”

AND YET… this character is anything but kind-hearted or caring. So why does he have this name? Will there be further character development to look forward to? Will he eventually grow into his name? Or is IRONY the whole point?

CONCLUSION
I guess the concept of “irony” is a good place to end my observations. This book started with the surprise of getting a lot more than I expected, and overall, each story is loaded with the delicious irony of multi-faceted situations, open-ended questions, and nothing being quite what I expected.

To which I say: Keep ’em comin’!

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Posted in Captain America, Iron Man, Tales of Suspense | Leave a comment

FANTASTIC FOUR #43: Reads Comics Like a Girl

Published: October, 1965

“Lo! There Shall Be an Ending!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Artie Simek

I started reading this story and taking notes as if it would be a Meanwhile entry, but then suddenly, unexpectedly, Doctor Doom shows up on page 11, worrying about his hands…and…Confession: I have no idea what’s going on. Stan graciously instructs me to think back to issue #40, so I turn the pages in my Marvel Masterworks, but this volume only goes back to issue #41, so…oh, hell, I’m lost.

Right now, I’m reading issue #43, Doom last appeared in #40, and so many things have happened since then, who can remember? In my favor, I’m guessing a lot of readers can’t actually remember back that far, or else why would Stan feel compelled to remind us? But in that split second, I am made painfully aware of so many things that I already know about myself: I am a character reader, not a plot reader. I’m far more interested in what the characters think and feel, rather than what they do. I favor soap opera over adventure. And I look for parallels between these characters and my own life.

In short, I read comics like a girl.

A MATTER OF DEGREE
Now, let me start off by acknowledging that I don’t really believe guys are incapable of being interested in the emotional issues in comics that most capture my attention. Anyone reading these stories does so because it holds some interest, and any reader can be interested in any number of themes and aspects of a story at the same time. In general, it’s probably just a matter of degree.

And it’s that “matter of degree” that makes me quite certain I am not approaching these Silver Age comics the same way as the audience of the day. Certain aspects of these stories interest me far more than others, and surely my focus is not on the same things that most interested the boys buying these comics back in the 1960’s.

I don’t think this is primarily a function of time, but rather of gender. There is a reason why The Fast and the Furious series is marketed towards men, and Pride and Prejudice is considered a “chick flick.” Each sex tends to gravitate towards certain genres. And as Seinfeld would say… “Not that there’s anything wrong with that!” There clearly isn’t. Overall, the world is a much more interesting place when everyone is not focused on the same things.

At first, I dreaded having to sit down and watch The Fast and the Furious with Russ, but by the end of the movie, I had to admit, it wasn’t half-bad. I wouldn’t purposely choose to wade through every single one of the movies in this franchise, but watching one or two is okay by me.

Likewise, Russ endured Pride and Prejudice and then the BBC miniseries Emma, and the next time I choose a Jane Austen adaptation, though he will not jump for joy, neither will he balk. In both cases, our worlds, our minds, expand. But on our own, we will most likely be magnetically drawn back to those genres with which we feel most comfortable.

MEMORY LAPSE
It’s no secret to any regular reader of this blog that I am obsessed with soap opera. Of course, soap opera is about what happens to characters, but things are always happening to characters (and people), and the real story is not so much what happens as how they deal with it, which in turn sets off the next event. Any writer can set it up, but once the ball starts rolling, it’s entirely the characters’ character that determines the direction of the storyline.

Because of that, I tend to focus on characters, rather than events. Not just when reading comics, but in any entertainment. Another confession: I have a terrible time remembering plotlines. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and the brain ain’t what it used to be, but I have another theory: remember back in the day when there was only ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS for your television viewing pleasure? It was a lot easier to keep track of your shows back then, wasn’t it?

Nowadays, we are so flooded with entertainment from every direction, and a lot of it is actually very good, so we tend to overconsume, and end up engaging in an informational and entertainment gluttony that can too easily leave us dazed and confused. Even now with Marvel Comics, just a few years in, I’m not just reading one title, or five or six like I was at first; I’m now reading eleven or twelve every month! So, maybe it’s not my fault if I can’t keep up with every little thing that happens in every story! (Sigh…I really need to give myself a break on this…)

PREVIOUSLY ON…
Because of the vast amount of information that needs to be recalled, one thing I’m extremely grateful for in any serial TV show is the leading recap: “Previously on…” Because very often, until I see the recap, my mind is so foggy, I can’t accurately and completely remember what happened, last time. Not big fans of “binge watching,” Russ and I rotate five or six shows at a time, watching the same show every Monday, a second series every Tuesday, the latest Marvel offering on Disney Plus every Wednesday, et cetera—the way, to our old-school way of thinking, you’re SUPPOSED to watch television!! So yeah, a lot of time, and a lot of entertainment, often separates one episode of a series from the next before we get back to it. Very often, until I see the recap, I can’t accurately and completely remember on my own what happened “previously.”

If we’re eating dinner while watching our show, I make a point of ignoring my plate while the recap is on, because I need to absorb every fragment of information before diving back into that ocean. Each image, each sound byte, causes a click in my brain and I exclaim “Oh yeah! That’s right!” And now, finally, I am ready to go again.

So, Doom left me perplexed, but the 34-word recap on the splash set the stage well enough for me to continue. Thank you, Helpful Stan! However, one thing I don’t really need that much help with is the psychological state of our characters. I easily remember those events that are instrumental in what is going on in their emotional lives. Why is the superhero doing this? What childhood event keeps coming back to haunt him? How did the villain get to be such a miserable excuse of a human being? And when is lover boy finally going to propose to the sweetheart he so obviously adores?

With all that in mind, let’s get to my specific thoughts about this issue of The Fantastic Four.

EMPATHIZING WITH BEN GRIMM
Over these last several issues, Ben Grimm has really gotten the short end of the stick, hasn’t he? First he was a victim of cosmic rays, and now a victim of Reed’s particular sense of justice. Yes, of course, Reed had to make Ben a permanent “Thing” in order to save the world, so you really can’t blame him. But neither can you blame Grimm for feeling grim and sorry for himself. Though none of us has ever been transformed into a rock man, who hasn’t experienced what they perceive to be an injustice, and indulged in a good dose of self-pity now and then? (And now, if you will indulge this Cumberbatch fan-girl’s obsession with his latest appearance on Saturday Night Live, I present one of my favorite moments from the Chuck E. Cheese skit, “I know that carrot, I’ve been that carrot…we’re all that carrot”:

PSYCHOANALYZING REED RICHARDS
But now we come to Reed Richards, and my perception switches from pity to annoyance. When Thing shows a positive reaction to Reed’s experimental procedure, Reed hopefully exclaims, “There’s still a chance that I’ve won!” Wow. That jumped out at me, because yes, of course it’s about what will happen to Thing, but in Reed’s mind, it’s also about HIM. In fact, it seems no matter what is happening, in Reed’s mind, it’s mainly about him. It’s all about his ego.

But wait…there’s more! Because at the bottom of that page, as Mister Fantastic and Invisible Girl face the Frightful Four, he puffs out his chest and boasts, “Even single-handedly I’ll outfight all FOUR of you!” At which point Sue, who happens to have powers of her own, by the way, and is standing right next to him, feels compelled to say… uhhh, Reed, honey…“Not single-handedly, my darling! I’m at your side.”

Sue is a lot more generous than I would have been. Reed’s proclamation irked me to no end. And it sent me down memory lane, back years ago, to some difficult times with my first husband. He was the definition of self-centered, and now, after becoming acquainted with certain psychological conditions I’d never known much about before, I’m convinced he was most probably a narcissist. On more than one occasion, when Hubby #1 decided he was ready for bed, even though I was sitting on the couch in the living room, he would just turn off the TV and the lights, and I, like Sue, would feel compelled to say…“Uhhh…hello! I’m right here!” (But unlike Sue, there was no “my darling” about it…)

So when I read stories about Reed Richards behaving badly, it reminds me of this. Which is not altogether pleasant, except that it also gives me the opportunity to thank God I am not Sue Storm, and eventually got to marry Russ!

EMPATHIZING WITH SUE STORM
Very often, I empathize with Sue. As one of the few significant female characters in these early Marvel comics, I “get” her more often than the many male characters, who, though I may understand them on a storytelling level, I have personally never experienced some of the thought processes and motivations that go into their decisions. Though of course there are many fine women in our military service, and I applaud Steve Rogers and Bucky for wanting to defend their country, none of that is in my personal DNA. Likewise, the belly-bumping contest currently going on in The Avengers, while amusing, is not a mindset or activity I’ve ever seriously found myself inclined towards.

So in this issue, when Sue is so distraught about her brother’s welfare and ponders that it all seems “so hopeless,” to the point that she later resorts to prayer…well, been there, done that. Resorting to prayer is something I don’t believe I’ve ever seen before in Marvel Comics, and that moment really stood out for me. I’m thinking if I went back to the time when Sue and Johnny’s father was killed, there might be something there about prayer.

PSYCHOANALYZING JOHNNY STORM
Finally, let’s take a look at Johnny. At the end of the story, why does he hesitate and allow Medusa to get away? Johnny psychoanalyzes himself, wondering if it’s because he doesn’t want to fight a GIRL. Then Reed talks to him about how Medusa is really a very attractive woman, and that makes Johnny even more agitated. Hmmm….is something brewing? Is this going to be a new thing: ♪Johnny and Medusa sitting in a tree…♪? That moment of hesitation in Johnny’s character is more interesting to me than all the fighting that went on in the past two issues of this story.

FIGHTING ENSUED
And now, at last, we have reached the crux of the matter, my main argument for why I read comics like a girl. Of course I understand these comics are not about Patsy Walker, or Millie the Model, they’re about superheroes and supervillains, so yes, of course there’s going to be a good deal of fighting, and I’m okay with that, because it’s germane to the genre. But sometimes it seems these fight scenes go on and on and on, beyond what’s required to get the point across. Sometimes I feel the fights are there simply because boys like to see fighting. Wrestling and boxing are generally more interesting to guys than gals, and these comics specifically cater to that mindset.

And now, another personal story. Years ago, I was a junior secretary behind a very capable woman who would take the Minutes for our weekly department meeting. We were a large department, somewhere between 20-30 people, and a lot of talking went on. When multiple people would talk at the same time, for extended periods, Donna would simply write, “Discussion ensued,” then wait until the meeting got back on track.

Later, when Donna retired, I took over the Minutes, and often added the phrase, “Discussion ensued,” always thinking of her. If, in the course of reading this blog you have ever read the words, “Fighting ensued,” rest assured I was thinking of Donna and those large departmental meetings.

So for me, even to this day, whether it’s fighting or lively discussion, the details of such scenes are not particularly important. All that matters is how it turns out in the end. The way we get there is incidental.

READ, ABSORB, REPEAT
Russ tells me that in the late sixties, he would read his comics collection repeatedly. He might have a stack of a hundred comics, and go through them again and again, so the events are now permanently etched in his mind—in the same way that the dialog from the original Star Wars became etched in my mind (and by the way, is still there, at least to some degree).

But I have one more confession: as much as I enjoy reading these early Marvel comics, I don’t have the opportunity or the inclination to read them over and over again, as my husband did as a boy. I’m not a boy, and I’m not ten years old, but I can still enjoy these stories without memorizing every event and every single word. Dr. Doom has shown up briefly in Fantastic Four #43, and something’s wrong with his hands. If Stan is once again feeling helpful, he may arrange for one of those cloud-lined recaps to refresh my memory the next time Doom shows up. And if he’s feeling very generous to the female readers he doesn’t even realize he’s going to have in the future, he’ll continue to pepper these tales with the full scope of human emotions that are surely the reason why Marvel Comics has, in fact, survived and thrived for over sixty years.

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Meanwhile… : September, 1965

X-MEN #13

“Where Walks the Juggernaut!”
Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: Jack Kirby
Pencils: Jay Gavin
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Xavier tries to disable Juggernaut with a mental bolt, but his helmet protects him. While the X-Men delay Juggernaut, Xavier tries to mentally contact other heroes, finally reaching the Human Torch. Juggernaut defeats the X-Men and confronts Xavier, just as the Torch arrives. Torch high-intensity flame temporarily blinds Juggernaut, while Angel flies past him and wrenches off the helmet, loosened by constant battle with the X-Men. Xavier defeats Juggernaut with a mental bolt.

WHAT’S HOT
SERENDIPITY. Professor X mentally reaches out to the Teen Brigade and Matt Murdock, and neither respond—which is just as well, because what could the Teen Brigade really do against the Juggernaut? And now is not the time for a lawyer—though Daredevil could have come in handy in this fight. But Xavier says he “accidentally” reached Torch, and it turns out that is exactly who they needed!

FREE ADVERTISING. When Torch comes into the picture, we learn that Reed and Sue are about to get married, with a note from Stan that Fantastic Four Annual #4 is “on sale NOW!” Another aspect of that serendipity I was just talking about? All in all, Torch’s appearance turns out to be a good thing for everybody (except the Juggernaut, of course).

ADMIRATION. For once, Torch meets another young male superhero and instead of getting in a belly-bumping contest, actually admires Angel’s flying abilities. Now that he’s going to be a brother-in-law, is he finally maturing?

SUNSHINE. This may have happened before this issue, but this is the first time I’ve noticed that when Professor X gives a mental command, the “thought bubble” includes little lines sticking out all around the edges, akin to the way children draw the sun in the sky. This artistic decision distinguishes the professor’s mental commands from all the other thought bubbles and seems absolutely appropriate.

SQUEEE. What is the sound of a mighty steam roller barreling down upon you? Apparently it is “SQUEEEE!” The actual definition of “squee” is “an exclamation used to express great delight or excitement,” but for me, Squee is the name of our beloved cat we lost a few years back. I still miss him, as I miss all my other departed pets, but now whenever I see the word “squee” it does indeed afford me great delight.

WHAT’S NOT
OVERSELL. A juggernaut is defined as “a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force,” and this villain is certainly that. But all these repeated claims that he cannot be stopped, his power is at great as the X-Men’s, all efforts against him offer only a few moments respite, infer that he can’t be beaten…and yet, in the end, he is! I harken back to last month’s Destroyer, whom none but Odin could destroy…and yet Thor did so on his own. I understand the villain must be powerful to make the fight interesting, but I’m starting to feel the writers bear more than a passing resemblance to the boy who cried wolf. Let us know up front there is an Achilles Heel, and then we won’t feel so cheated when it’s exploited.

“Aww, what the heck! If I was the cautious type,
I wouldn’t be a member of the FF in the first place!”

— Human Torch

Want to read this comic on your computer? Marvel has a scan!
Want to own the story? Buy the Masterworks!

FANTASTIC FOUR #42

“To Save You, Why Must I Kill You?”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
While Mister Fantastic fights the hypnotized Thing, Torch escapes his trap and frees Invisible Girl. While Johnny and Sue battle the Frightful Four, Thing defeats Reed and squeezes him into an airtight metal urn. Sue fends off Medusa and Trapster, leaving Johnny to battle Wizard, Sandman and Thing. They capture Torch and submit him to Wizard’s id machine, hypnotizing him into joining them. Meanwhile, Sue escapes with the urn and frees Reed. They capture Thing, but the Torch unleashes a burst of deadly flame against his partners.

WHAT’S HOT
I GIVE UP. The Narrator is at a loss for words at one point, simply admitting that Thing’s grip “is beyond our poor power of description…!” I’ve often wondered how the Narrator is going to continuously out-do himself, and this simple admission of defeat seems more powerful than any string of extraordinary adjectives he might have strung together.

WHAT’S NOT
THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY. Though this issue provides some development in the ongoing conflict, basically it’s good guys vs. bad guys, lots of fighting, and no resolution at the end. Guess I’ll have to wait till the next issue for the indescribably stupendous and dramatic conclusion!

“Never a dull moment around here, huh, baby?”
— Thing

Want to read this comic on your computer? Marvel has a scan!
Want to own the story? Buy the Masterworks!

STRANGE TALES #136

“Find Fury or Die!”
Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: Jack Kirby
Art: John Severin
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Multiple HYDRA agents follow Nick Fury on his walk to work one morning. Fury enters a local barber shop and chats with the “workers,” who are secretly SHIELD agents. He alerts them that he’s being followed, and they capture two HYDRA agents, hypnotizing them into believing that SHIELD is located in a nearby warehouse. After the decoys mislead an assassination squad, Fury descends to SHIELD’s underground base in a barber chair. When the assassins attack the warehouse, SHIELD springs the trap, capturing HYDRA.

WHAT’S HOT
We have a new artist—who is apparently actually an old artist from the Golden Age—Johnny Severin, and he makes Nick Fury look even more rugged and macho than before. My favorite image of Fury is on the splash, as he purposefully strides along with his tie blowing in the wind behind him, obviously a man of action.

WELCOME TO THE GENRE! We are now firmly entrenched in the spy genre, with coin transmitters, throat mikes, trick barber chairs and…wait for it… “electronic computers”!

ART IMITATES ART. The Hydra “Master” walks around with a huge blue cat on a leash. And I don’t mean a kitty cat, it looks more like a cougar. I immediately wondered if Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers films is a riff on this, but then Russ reminded me that Ernst Blofeld from the first four James Bond films also had his favorite feline. So! Marvel riffs on Bond, and Mike Myers also riffs on Bond, while at the same time, riffing on Marvel!

MOD SQUAD. As a child of the 60’s, when I see Nick Fury assisted by a blonde, a white guy and a black guy, my thoughts immediately fly to The Mod Squad. I guess in this scenario, Fury is Tige Andrews as Captain Adam Greer? Mod Squad showed up in 1968, so this comic pre-dates Mod Squad. Hmmm…so, could it be that Mod Squad drew its inspiration from Nick Fury?

WHAT’S NOT
QUACK QUACK. One of the Hydra operatives describes himself as being on a “decoy” repair truck. Is the word “decoy” really needed in this situation?

ONCE AGAIN PLEASE, I’M NOT SURE I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME. Having to say “Hail Hydra!” every time you speak is clunky, inefficient and probably as annoying to the Hydra crew as it is to the readers.

NOT THAT INNOCENT. Hooded assassins “silently leave an innocent looking barge” … but they’re FLYING!! How innocent and inconspicuous is that??

CHEW ON THIS. Why is it important to know that the manicurist is chewing gum? We don’t see her chewing gum, so we’re just feeding into the stereotype that all manicurists chew gum.

PLAYING POSSUM. Fury and the Mod Squad pretend to be dead in the barber shop with multiple Hydra agents just outside the door. They’re lucky none of those agents come in and check on them, and then wonder why there’s no sign of blood. And exceptionally lucky that no Hydra agents give each of them one more shot, just to be sure the job was done right, the first time.

“When I give an order, I wanna hear yer eyeballs pop!”
— Nick Fury


“What Lurks Beneath the Mask?”
Script: Stan Lee
Plot and Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Dormammu captures the white-haired girl. When he learns that Strange seeks the secret of Eternity, he panics and orders Mordo to destroy Strange immediately. Mordo alerts his followers to find Strange. Elsewhere, Strange consults the Aged Genghis, who provides a spell which transports him to a realm with a demon who switches places with him. Strange mentally controls his cloak, defeating the demon and freeing himself. Returning to the Orient, Strange resolves to enter the Ancient One’s comatose mind to uncover the secret of Eternity.

WHAT’S HOT
CONFIRMATION NOTICE. Dormammu gets really bent out of shape when Mordo tells him Doctor Strange is searching for the meaning of “Eternity”—which just goes to confirm that Strange is really on to something here!

WHAT’S IN YOUR WALLET? Strange cannot use spells or his enemies will be able to track him through the Enchanted Globe. You see this all the time in movies and TV, when someone is on the run and can’t use their credit cards, or else they’ll be tracked down. Only in this scenario it’s all a little more…strange, isn’t it? Who are these followers of Mordo that are pictured all around him? Some look very exotic and interesting, and I hope I’ll get to meet them someday.

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES. Strange levitates to the upstairs window of a woman who remembers him as someone who saved her life, many years ago. The woman is unable to help Strange, so he flies away, but Stan and Steve say, “Remind us to tell you about it someday.” Is it a story worth telling, and will they ever get around to it? A pointed reminder that everything we see in these comics is not the entire scope of our characters’ lives.

CLASSIC VILLAIN MISTAKE #1. Dormammu traps the white-haired girl, but promises to keep her alive so she can see Strange die. Obviously Dormammu hasn’t been watching a lot of movies lately. This is one of the most classic villain mistakes. If merely a criminal, he would kill her straight off, but a villain wants to “toy” with his enemies and make them suffer…a delay that so often gives time for escape or rescue.

CLASSIC VILLAIN MISTAKE #2. Mordo wants to free himself from Dormammu. Again, another classic downfall of villains: they really don’t work well together, can’t get on the same page, are only interested in their own agendas. This moment is a chink in the armor that will eventually lead to a major splintering between Mordo and Dormammu.

BORSCHT! Aged wizard Genghis gives Strange a scroll with the word “Eternity” on it, but Strange doesn’t take the time to read it through, which causes his misstep into the Netherworld of Doom. Personally, I think it would have been really cool if old Genghis, who can’t really remember things so well these days, actually gave Strange his ancient recipe for Borscht! (See Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2—Helpful Chrissy)

WHAT’S NOT
In page 7 panel 4 in the Marvel Masterworks, the word “Doom” has been erased. Hmmm…wonder why? Is this some weird typographical error, or was it intentional?

WAAAAHH! Dormammu, seen mainly on a screen, looks like a very unhappy toddler who is ready for a nappy.

SIDETRACKED. This story has been going on for some time, and while there are several overriding arcs, once again Strange is sidetracked into an alternate reality that simply slows down his progress. Last time I noted that this was getting tiresome, and guess what? It still is.

“I MUST dare—if we are to survive!”
— Doctor Strange

Want to read this comic on your computer? Marvel has a scan!
Want to own the SHIELD story? Buy the Masterworks!
Want to own the Doctor Strange story? Buy the Masterworks!

TALES OF SUSPENSE #69

“If I Must Die, Let It Be With Honor!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
In Siberia, Boris Bullski stews in anger over being stationed in a remote workcamp. He orders his workers to design a suit of armor made of titanium, planning to humiliate Iron Man and curry favor with his communist masters. Once the armor is completed, he issues a world-wide challenge to Iron Man. Tony is unsure that he is up to the challenge, but when Sen. Byrd goes to the press, he reluctantly accepts. Later, in neutral Alberia, Iron Man and Titanium Man face off, and Iron Man is injured when a secretly-planted mine explodes.

WHAT’S HOT
HERE WE GO AGAIN! There have been more and more multi-issue stories lately, and here—especially since we don’t even begin the epic battle until well past page five—I’d guess this whole business is going to go on for a lot longer than only one more month.

TONY STARK, MAN OF MYSTERY. The story opens with Stark working on a “Reverser,” and we have no idea what that is or what it can do, so we can only imagine. Later, the mystery continues when Stark improves Iron Man’s chest plate by some unknown means. Could it have anything to do with this “Reverser”? I guess we’ll have to buy the next issue to find out!

IT’S COMPLICATED. Going back to my Thor theme of “It’s Complicated,” late in this issue, an old flame of Tony’s is introduced, much to Pepper’s irritation. The socialite swears vengeance on Stark for leaving her flat. What happens next?? Another reason to buy the next issue!

SCOUTING. Bullski studies film of Iron Man in the same way football players learn about their upcoming opponents. It’s the middle of May, and I’m wistfully looking forward to the start of football season!

DOUBLE CROSS #1. The scientists who build the titanium suit are hoping for freedom in exchange, but after they fulfill their part of the bargain, Bullski pulls the rug out from under them and sends them to a different camp instead. It never ceases to amaze me how the Commies in these comics are such complete scoundrels, utterly despicable, with no redeeming qualities.

DOUBLE CROSS #2. Let me double down on my point about the Commie Double Cross by noting that in the fight between Iron Man and Titanium Man, Bullski sets up a cheat by having a secret mine field installed for Iron Man to stumble into. Hmmmm…I guess Bullski wasn’t entirely convinced his warrior suit of armor could beat the capitalistic American in a fair fight…hmmm?

FLIPPANT. When Stark gets a telegram from “behind the iron Curtain,” he calls it Commieland. I had to read it twice to make sure he said what I thought he said, but yep…Commieland.

FRUG A GO-GO. I’m intrigued by Happy’s offer to take Pepper to a discotheque. I would love to see the Frug A Go-Go pop up in a future MCU movie as one of the most difficult to locate Easter Eggs. (Although, if you are a reader of this blog, you’ll now have no trouble spotting it when it happens!)

WHAT’S NOT
THAT’S NEWS TO ME! Stark reveals in a thought bubble that one of the reasons he left the Avengers is because his life-saving chest device had been giving him constant trouble. Huh? Is this the first time we’re hearing about this? And if so….is it true, or is Stark just retroactively making excuses?

BULLY FOR YOU! Stark lets the Commies call the shots when they use the threat of the press to bully him into a fight as Iron Man.

TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU! So, Bullski dares him, Congress dares him, and the newspapers dare him! Guess he has to do it now.

MISS SMITH. With my deepest apologies to all the Smiths of the world, Byrd’s secretary is so peripheral a character that they couldn’t even be bothered to think up a more creative name. Although, come to think of it…I guess if Byrd takes Miss Smith to the MoonWinx Motel for an extended lunch, he can register under the name “Smith” and not actually be telling a lie.

PROPAGANDA MUCH? A Commie says “This shall be a propaganda victory,” and I’m wondering if that’s really something anyone would say about themselves. Doesn’t the word “propaganda” reek of negative connotations? But then again, it might lose something in the Russian-to-English translation.

HEDGING. And finally, in the last panel, the Narrator calls it a “fatal-seeming explosion” which totally undercuts the drama, turning your cliffhanger ending into a small hill in the toddlers’ playground. Suddenly I seem to be a lot less interested in buying the next issue. (But I will come back for the mystery of the “Reverser” and some more of Pepper’s “if looks could kill” daggers directed at the bejeweled and bedazzled Countess de la Spiroza.)

“Would it be better to fight and lose—
than to stand branded as a coward?”

— Tony Stark


“Midnight in Greymoor Castle!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Nazi sympathizer Dr. Cedric Rawlings shows off his latest invention to the Red Skull’s agent, Maj. Uberhart: a shrinking ray. Meanwhile, Steve Rogers’ army unit strikes out for a nighttime attack on a Nazi-held port, leaving the base vulnerable to an attack by Nazi saboteurs. Bucky is captured during the attack and transported to Greymoor Castle, where Rawlings awaits, over his sister Celia’s objections. When Cap learns of the capture, he abandons his unit and hijacks a plane back to England.

WHAT’S HOT
GOTH TO THE MAX. Greymoor Castle completes its gothic vibe with its very own Igor assistant.

I BEG OF YOU! Celia implores her brother not to continue his mad scheme by saying “I beg of you!” When Russ and I watched Dark Shadows, it became a running joke how many times a character said “I beg of you!” and now it always makes me chuckle when I hear it.

WHAT’S NOT
WAISTING AWAY. Celia has the skinniest waist I have ever seen anywhere! Not even Vera Miles from those old MGM musicals comes close! It’s simply…unnatural.

MORAL DILEMMA AVERTED or…HASTE MAKES WASTE. Like Doctor Strange this month, who did not thoroughly peruse the “Eternal” scroll, Rogers instantly takes off the moment he hears Bucky is in danger, missing the dispatch indicating that his army buddies are about to face trouble—trouble he could have helped avert, if he’d stuck around. The only positive aspect of his impulsive action is that it increases the drama for the next issue, but more immediately, it alleviates him of any moral dilemma that would have vexed his soul, should he have had to choose between the two disasters.

BUSYWORK. In Marvel, sometimes it seems the purpose of women and children is simply to give the heroes something to do.

“Rogers! You knuckle-headed, knock-kneed, gold-brickin’ meatball!”
— Sgt. Duffy

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #28

“The Menace of the Molten Man!”
Plot: Steve Ditko
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
While trying to recover his costume from Spencer Smythe, Peter witnesses a struggle between Smythe and his assistant Raxton. A lab accident coats Raxton’s skin with a metal alloy, granting him super strength. Spider-Man tracks Raxton down and encourages him to turn himself in, but Raxton dubs himself the Molten Man, and fights back. Spidey uses his webbing to capture Raxton and leave him for the cops. He races home, just in time to leave for his high school graduation. After graduation, Liz says goodbye to Peter.

WHAT’S HOT
LIFE CHANGING EVENT. This is probably the first time I’m seeing a Life Changing Event in a Marvel Comic. I know Reed and Sue are planning a wedding, and if nothing happens to mess up their happy day, that will definitely be right up there with Peter’s graduation. But as I read this issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, I’m pleased to see time marching forward. From this point on, there will be stories that happen to high school Parker, and stories that happen after he graduates. In a world that sometimes feels a bit stagnant and time-challenged, this is a very big deal.

SERENDIPITY. Peter easily retrieves his original Spider-Man costume from Spence Smythe’s house, replacing it with his “shrunken store-bought costume.” Fortunately, Smythe says he hasn’t yet had time to look at the Spidey suit very closely, and then he leaves to answer the door, giving Peter the opportunity to make the switch while nobody’s looking. It’s all too easy and convenient, but at least we get that bit of business out of the way, so we can move on with the story.

HEART ON HER SLEEVE. Liz confesses her love for Peter…well, at least her “crush.” But it’s enough to make her truly miserable, when she thinks he’s dating other girls. As Peter heads off to Empire State University, will we run into Liz again? I hope so, because where’s the sense in revealing this emotional information, if you’re not going to follow up?

WHAT’S NOT
BURYING THE LEAD. Maybe it’s just because I’m a girl, and a mom, or maybe it’s because I’ve already seen so many different villains in my short time reading Marvel Comics, but when I look at the cover, though the dramatic image claiming all the real estate is of some new villain, I’m much more excited about the little blue box at the bottom announcing Peter Parker’s Graduation. The graduation story only got four of the twenty pages, but it’s vastly more entertaining and significant than anything else that happens in this issue.

YELLOW IS THE NEW GREEN. As his clothes rip off and he’s down to nothing but short purple pants, Molten Man looks like a poor man’s Hulk.

DELUSIONAL, PART 1. Why is Mrs. Watson so excited to tell Mary Jane that Peter got a scholarship? Mary Jane and Peter haven’t even met yet! I think Mrs. Watson is wrapped up in some happy delusions, envisioning a big wedding for the two young people, followed by a bevy of grandchildren. In fact, she’s so delusional, she’s even convinced herself that Mary Jane is not her niece at all, but actually her daughter!

DELUSIONAL PART 2. But I guess we should cut Mrs. Watson a little slack, since Peter now apparently thinks Liz Allan’s last name is Hilton!

THE PICK-UP ARTIST. JJJ butters up Aunt May in an attempt to win Peter back to the newspaper, exclaiming, in the most awkward and embarrassing speech I have yet heard in Marvel Comics, “His aunt! I thought you were his sister!” Funny, because I’ve always thought she looks more like his grandmother.

“Yeesh! Jonah is even MORE revolting when he tries to be NICE!”
— Peter Parker

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FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3

“Bedlam at the Baxter Building!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
When Doctor Doom reads of Reed and Sue’s impending wedding, he plots revenge against the Fantastic Four. Using his emotion charger, he fans the flames of every evil menace on Earth and beyond. As super-hero guests arrive for the ceremony, they are met by villains as diverse as HYDRA and Attuma, from Mandarin to the Mole Man. The Watcher provides Reed with a device that will disperse the villains and erase their memories, clearing the way for the wedding. Later, SHIELD blocks two interlopers from attending the reception.

WHAT’S HOT
AND GUEST. Stark’s date for the wedding looks like Annette Funicello.

INCLUSIVE ART. The art on the top of page 17 is (pardon my pun) fantastic! We see a great many superheroes in the heat of battle, with several iconic catch phrases thrown in for good measure.

DIMENSIONAL ART. Another work of art: for the journey through the Fourth Dimension, the artist chooses to get the point across by having Reed and the Watcher pass in front of a giant photograph. What is the photo depicting? I can’t tell, and really, does it matter? The point is that it’s as different from the world of comics as the first three dimensions are from this Fourth Dimension.

CHUCKLES AND THRILLS. At the end, the Narrator says “Hope you got a few chuckles and a few thrills out of our tale!” Well, I did! This one has it all. It’s a celebration, not only of Reed and Sue’s wedding, but of the whole world of Marvel Comics.

WHAT’S NOT
WATCHING THE WATCHER. Again, the Watcher interferes while claiming non-interference. Sigh…I’ve given up trying to understand how he justifies his actions.

SELECTIVE DISPLACEMENT. The Watcher provides a “Sub-Atronic Time Displacer,” which Reed correctly guesses is exactly the tool needed for the job. But did he also know it would only work on villains? And next question: why is that?

THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE. Doctor Doom says the attack must be “now, when he will least expect it!” If that’s what he really thinks, Doom hasn’t been paying attention. At the very least, he apparently hasn’t read X-Men #13 this month, where Torch comments that an attack by their old enemies is exactly what Reed expected on his wedding day.

KILL THE DRESS. What a horrible wedding dress! Even for 1965. Well, I guess that’s what happens when you hire Jack Kirby as your designer, instead of Christian Dior (who the future Mr. and Mrs. Reed Richards surely could afford). The veil is okay, but I’m sorry, Sue deserves so much better than this.

SUPERSTITIOUS MUCH? Is it “bad luck” that Reed sees Sue in her wedding dress before the ceremony? Let’s hope not!!

“Mebbe you two shoulda just eloped!”
— Thing

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AVENGERS #20

“Vengeance Is Ours!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Wally Wood
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Hawkeye, Wanda and Pietro race to Cap’s aid, using teamwork to save him from his fall. Suddenly Swordsman is teleported away by the Mandarin, who recruits him to destroy the Avengers from within. Mandarin sends a hologram of Iron Man to endorse Swordsman joining the Avengers. Once accepted, Swordsman plants a bomb in the Mansion. However, he has second thoughts, and fights his way through the Avengers to remove the bomb. Later, Swordsman realizes the Avengers will never accept him again.

WHAT’S HOT
WELL OILED MACHINE? Cap had a hunch the new Avengers would jump right in to save him, and they pretty much did as expected. Of course, the moment the danger is past, they immediately go back to squabbling and belly bumping. Seems they’ve still got a few issues to work out…

DR. CAP. Or DR. AMERICA. But Cap is like a psychiatrist, giving Hawkeye and Quicksilver “a chance to uncork their frustrations and hostilities” while wisely warning Wanda to stay out of it. What a leader! (No question who should get the position!)

BOY SCOUTS. When Swordsman attacks with a flaming sword, Cap yells out “Plan ‘G’!! As we REHEARSED it!!” Plan G?? I love how prepared they are!

MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY. In the end, Swordsman realizes he has alienated both the Avengers and the Mandarin, and they will all be out to get him. But he also says, “There’s something about being an Avenger…that seems to get into your blood and never let go.” After his sudden turn around with the bomb, I think he’s proven that he may have what it takes to be a hero. Will keep watch.

WHAT’S NOT
RACIST INSULTS. Mandarin calls Swordsman a “witless OCCIDENTAL fool” and Swordsman calls Mandarin “Fu Manchu.” Also, Mandarin says, “Ah, so!” several times. I guess you could get away with this sort of stuff in the 1960’s, but it all seems so uncomfortably racist today.

TRUST ISSUES. The Avengers are rather naïve to trust a suit of armor, even while noting that his voice sounds kind of strange (“Why, Grandma! What big TEETH you have!”), and he demands something that doesn’t make sense. Does it not occur to any of them that this could be a ruse? If it’s this easy to fool the Avengers, it’s a wonder they’ll survive.

“Individually, each one is an enemy to be respected, but, as a TEAM, they’re practically unbeatable!”
— Swordsman

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TALES TO ASTONISH #71

“Escape…to Nowhere!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Adam Austin
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Namor uses Neptune’s shell to sever the octopus’ tentacles, slaying the behemoth. Neptune’s spirit appears and sends him to the Forbidden Deeps, to face the next peril. He encounters an old man from the outskirts of Atlantis, whole humble faith quietens his doubts and restores his will to fight. In Atlantis, Krang promises Dorma that the Sub-Mariner will die, and his ruthlessness leads to the formation of a rebellion. Meanwhile, Namor enters the Deeps, but his path is blocked by a giant Seaweed Man.

WHAT’S HOT
YOU LIKE ME! YOU REALLY LIKE ME! I very much enjoyed Namor’s encounter with the old Atlantean who showers his king with adoration. Though Namor is not the sort of leader who requires or demands this level of worship, it makes his heart happy. And it made my heart happy as well.

YOU…LOOK…MAHVELOUS!! Though the soap opera in this issue is somewhat superfluous, Dorma’s facial expressions carry the show.

WHAT’S NOT
HOT MESS. That being said, I am not a fan of anything else done by the combination of this artist and inker. Body parts misshapen, eyebrows extremely arched, everything simply too dark. And call-in Steve McQueen: that seaweed man at the end is just a BLOB.

SIGH…When I first heard that Namor was getting his own title, I was looking forward to a deeper dive into the kingdom under the sea. But these last few issues have been rote, predictable, lacking in imagination. This one begins with Namor fighting a giant squid and ends with him fighting a giant seaweed man. Have we made any progress? Not really. And pardon my pun, but my enthusiasm is now…dampened.

“The people love thee! The people wish thee well!
The people shall never lose faith in thee, Sub-Mariner!”

— “The Ancient”


“Like a Beast at Bay!”
Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: Jack Kirby
Art: Mickey Demeo
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
The Hulk grabs Rick and leaps away from the oncoming nuclear missile, escaping the blast. Ross, Talbot and the air force descend on the scene, but the Leader’s humanoid bursts into flames before they can analyze it. Meanwhile, Hulk takes the injured Rick to his cave to recover. Hulk attempts a gamma ray treatment to prevent transforming into Banner, but Ross and his men attack the cave. Hulk forces Rick to leave the cave, just as the Leader appears telepathically to offer an alliance to rule the world.

WHAT’S HOT
IDENITY CRISIS. The writers have spent the whole of Hulk’s existence trying to figure out what the heck to do with him. After so much “Hulk Smash!!” it’s still disconcerting to hear the big green man talking more like an adult than a toddler. Now that Banner is more fully represented in his personality, Hulk is much more reasonable…yet still so full of anger. Where are we going with all this? Wherever we end up, it’s beginning to feel like the blob of anger and confusion that is Hulk is finally getting ready to congeal.

VOICE OF DEFEAT. I love the Leader unintentionally displaying his lack of confidence in handling Hulk. “This time,” he exclaims, “he shall not escape me again!” What?? I’m thinking: “This time he shall not escape me,” or “He shall not escape me again,” but the Leader can’t make it to the end of the sentence before tampering his false bravado with what I deem to be a Freudian slip of overcompensation.

HE AIN’T HEAVY…Hulk cares about Rick Jones and is doing anything he can to keep him safe and alive. This is a side of Hulk we’ve never seen before, when Banner was so far in the background, and it now makes him a much more complex and interesting character.

WINDOW TO THE SOUL. I like the way Kirby draws Hulk, his face so full of emotions: confusion, anger, even doubtful self-reflection as the Leader proposes a solution, telling Hulk, “The choice is YOURS!” I’m not sure how Hulk will choose, but by the look on his face, I believe he will have used his Banner brain to totally think it through before deciding.

WHAT’S NOT
DRAW A BREATH. The art of artificial respiration is not easy to depict. Here, it looks more like Hulk is spitting or vomiting on a comatose Rick Jones, rather than administering the breath of life.

STRONGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER. Further problems: Hulk operates off a flawed theory that he is the best one to give AR because “NOBODY can apply it like ME—my lungs are the world’s strongest!” However, the world’s strongest lungs would no doubt blow out the lungs of the respiration recipient! Sometimes a more gentle and skillful approach is needed.

BATHROOM BREAK. It’s wonderful that we’ve got this action-packed story going on for so many issues now, but honestly, the pace is dizzying. Never mind that the characters are locked in with no opportunity to make cameo appearances in other titles, the real question is: When do they eat? Sleep? Take a bathroom break? I’m having flashbacks to the TV show 24.

“Don’t ever call me ‘Doc’! Dr. Banner is DEAD!
From now on, I’m just the Hulk!”

— Hulk

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