Featuring: Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos Release: May 11, 1965 Cover: July 1965 12 cents Smashing script: Stan Lee Awesome art: Dick Ayers Inspired inking: Frank Ray Luscious lettering: Artie Simek 20 pages
Mister, when it comes to being tough, us Commandos invented the word!! And we don’t need a ravin’ Fuehrer to remind us how good we are!! All we gotta do is pick up a history book!! Mebbe we don’t push our weight around like you Nazis do! But, mebbe it’s because we know we don’t haveta! We got all the muscle we need– when we need it! And the dictator don’t live who can push us around!! Waddaya think of us “inferior races” now? Answer me, ya creep!! And then answer all the innocent people, all over the world, that ya been tramplin’ on–!!
We just saw an eye-patched Colonel Fury take over the international spy agency, SHIELD in the 1960s. Let’s head back to the 1940s to see the adventures of Sgt. Fury with two good eyes.
The credits on these Sgt. Fury books have usually emphasized the creators’ status as former military. “Ex-Sgt. Stan Lee”, “Ex-Corp. Dick Ayers”, “Ex-Corp. Frank Ray”. In fact, I think they’ve done that in every one of the first 19 issues of this series, but seem to be done with the practice now. I wonder why. They’re not phasing it out; they’ll just never mention the military service of the creators again.
We see the return of Baron Strucker’s Blitzkrieg Squad, introduced in issue 14, the Nazi counterparts to the Howling Commandos.
That truck seems to have a target on it.
Unless somebody has a better explanation, I’m going to suggest the logo is the RAF roundel, simply miscolored here, and not indicative of the Target corporation. The Turkish Air Force roundels look like the Target logo, but no British ones that I can find.
A bit of poking fun at themselves here. Fury’s rival Bull McGiveney claims all Fury knows how to do is rip up shirts.
A torn chest-revealing shirt is basically Fury’s uniform.
Well, a hectic one. The first year where I forgot to mark the anniversary of this blog. On April 6, we celebrated our 3-year anniversary… except I completely forgot to celebrate.
So let’s do it now. I’d normally start with an overview, but I did something like that back in March, after I took an unplanned 2+ month hiatus, and made a We’re Back post.
That post gave a walk through of the blog, and I don’t want to repeat myself. So I’ll note a couple changes since March.
First I’ll note that our Best We’ve Read page has expanded from 50 to 100 Marvel Universe entries, spotlighting our posts on the best Marvel stories of the era. This allowed a lot more variety. The top 50 is very dominated by Steve Ditko, particularly Spider-Man stories. The top 100 spotlights a greater diversity of characters, including Iron Man and Ant-Man.
Somehow, even with a hundred entries, still no Human Torch stories made the cut. That’s a head scratcher, there.
Trying a new thing I call “Reading Topical Comics”. The idea is that people seem particularly interested in things that tie into current media. But I’ve struggled to figure out how to tap into that. I started by doing expansive posts that walked through every comic reference I could find in a show. They were extremely popular, but also too much work. Now I’m trying to just pick up a relevant comic and read through it and make some notes. For the recent Dr. Strange film, we read through a comic about America Chavez. And for the Morbius film, we read through an entry about Morbius himself.
I didn’t love how either turned out, and still haven’t gotten out as many entries as I’d hoped (still no Moon Knight post, for example), so am still tweaking the format. We’ll see how it goes.
My blog numbers had been doing well as long as I was making regular posts, but my recent 3-month hiatus led to a drop in readership. I think people got out of the habit of checking the page regularly. Now that I’m back to regular posts, it’s picking up rapidly, but still not to where it was a year ago. No more vacations, I guess.
Monetization. I do this blog as a hobby, not for money. It costs a fairly trivial amount of money to keep the site running, but a very large amount of time. In an attempt to recoup a bit, I’d included links to Amazon of comics I talked about. That really wasn’t making much money, and I decided I don’t feel quite right advertising for Amazon, so I’m stopping that practice.
If you’d like to support this page, you are free to donate at Buy Me a Coffee. Find the coffee cup icon in the bottom corner, or the “Buy me a Coke” button at the side.
For the anniversary, we actually got to read a really good Spider-Man comic, a fine end to year 3. We’d ended the previous year with an also-excellent Spider-Man comic.
Unfortunately that’s only 68 entries for the year, not an impressive rate. (68 in my main Marvel Universe reading; there were some 40 other posts.)
Starting to get a realistic sense of the rate I’m putting these out. My guidepost for the effort is the Marvels series. I’m hoping to cover the ground of Marvels #2-4 with this format, which takes us from the Wedding of Reed and Sue, through the Coming of Galactus, through the Death of Gwen Stacy from 1973. That will take well over 5 years unless I really pick up the pace.
Once we reach 1973, we’ll probably pause and see how I old I am and where my life is, and then go from there.
What kind of year has it been?
A year of love found as Mr. Fantastic finally proposed to the Invisible Woman. A year of love lost as Nick Fury’s girlfriend Pam was tragically killed. A year of love confused as Peter had not yet met the lovely Mary Jane Watson, but Betty and Liz have, which is not helping with Betty’s jealousy complex.
A year of final battles. The Stranger carries Magneto off to deep space, forever ending his threat, I assume. Zemo dies in battle with Captain America, and Bucky’s death is avenged.
A year of endings. The Human Torch/Thing stories mercifully came to a close. Giant-Man and Wasp decided to retire from superheroing and their series came to an end as well. Iron Man decided to also take a leave of absence from the Avengers, and Thor was called off to the Trial of the Gods, leaving Captain America as the last Avenger.
A year of reform. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch renounced their evil ways. Hawkeye vowed to reform after Black Widow was injured and perhaps killed by her Soviet masters.
A year of new beginnings as those three reformed villains formed a new team of Avengers, led by Captain America. Namor was also offered a chance to join the Avengers, but refused, as he remains at war with the surface.
The X-Men traveled to a hidden Antarctic jungle where dinosaurs still roamed, and met its lord, Ka-Zar, with his trusty pet, Zabu.
An outmatched Daredevil (in a spiffy new suit) stood valiantly against Namor.
We have unresolved plot threads. Thor’s hammer is broken from battle with the Destroyer, and he remains unaware the Avengers had disbanded; and he still needs to get the Norn Stones to Odin to prove Loki cheated in the Trial of the Gods. The year ended with the Fantastic Four still lost at sea, their powers faded. (Because this post is a bit late, we now know they got their powers back after an epic battle with Dr. Doom.) The wedding remains imminent. The X-Men are still recovering from injuries sustained in battle with the Juggernaut. The schemes of the Leader continue to plague Hulk. In old Tales of Asgard, Thor and his allies continue their quest to learn why the Odinsword is cracked.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD Release: May 4, 1965 Cover: August 1965 12 cents Writer: Stan Lee Artist: Jack Kirby Inked by: Dick Ayers Lettered by: Artie Simek 12 pages
It’s 1965. Thunderball will be hitting the cinemas in Decembr, the 4th consecutive year Sean Connery will go into action as 007.
In the second film, From Russia with Love, we were introduced to a global criminal organization that it takes a dedicated government to fight– SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion).
The head of SPECTRE wasn’t named and we didn’t see his face, only his kitten. The kitten plainly identifies him as evil.
These movies are popular, and the rest of the entertainment industry is taking notice.
Michael Caine just went into “action” in a more subdued and bureaucratic spy tale as Harry Palmer, definitely not the world’s best spy.
Television will soon be satirizing this secret agent genre with Get Smart, in which Maxwell Smart of CONTROL fights against KAOS, an international organization of evil.
The following year, secret agents on TV will be offered an impossible mission, if they choose to accept it.
Probably most relevantly, the previous year introduced The Man from UNCLE (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement), letting us know that these organizations should have acronyms for names.
(Picture chosen especially for my mother)
In the 1950s, Marvel had dabbled in every genre, including the occasional spy series like Spy Fighters or Kent Blake of the Secret Service.
Now they are bursting at the seams with the expanding superhero genre. They have one current war title, Sgt. Fury, which we’ve been reading with the superhero comics for some reason.
They haven’t abandoned their long successful romance/humor girl genre, and Millie and Patsy each carry two titles still. And three western heroes still carry titles: Two-Gun Kid, Rawhide Kid, and Kid Colt.
They’re ready to ride on the booming spy genre with their own 007 or Man from Uncle. They’ll need a secret spy organization with a cool title that’s really an acronym. And they’ll need an evil organization to pit them against. Preferably headed by a mysterious man with a kitten.
And a star to headline these adventures. New character? Or look to their already expansive cast of characters.
We know from the pages of Fantastic Four that Sgt. Fury of World War II is now Colonel Fury of the CIA. Why invent a new top spy when you already have one?
Where to put them? Make a new title? No, you’re having crazy distribution problems at the moment and are artificially limited in the number of titles you can put out. Why Captain America and Iron Man need to share a book.
I’ve got it! Strange Tales. The Human Torch/Thing stories all sucked, so we cancelled them. Our new spy series can share this former horror title with Dr. Strange. Makes sense to me.
On that note, I then have to recall that we haven’t actually read any Dr. Strange stories since issue 129, 6 issues ago. We read the wonderful Human Torch stories from issues 130-134, but skipped the Dr. Strange stories.
But now that Nick Fury is taking over the first half of the book, I would like to… still not read the Dr. Strange stories. Not just yet. We’ll read this first half of this comic, then return to it later. Even though, with the new Dr. Strange movie out, a Dr. Strange post would be topical.
Morbius: The Living Vampire #1
Rise of the Midnight Sons
by Len Kaminski, Ron Wagner, and Mike Witherby
If I must drink blood, let it be the blood of the corrupt– of those who deserve to die. The blood of the guilty.
Check out that the cover comes in a bag. That means they don’t want you to open it, because it’s a collectors item if it stays in the bag. You can tell it’s a collectors item, because it says so on the cover. But only if it stays in the bag.
Here’s a thought question for the audience. If I make a comic and think it’s good and worth reading, how much effort would I go to to convince you not to read it after buying it? Reflect on that.
So we’ve got this idea now for Reading Topical Comics. While topical, they may not always be timely. We just talked about last night’s Dr. Strange movie. Now let’s talk about last month’s big Marvel hit, Morbius.
By “talk about it”, I mean let’s read a single Morbius comic and hope that tells us enough about the character to appreciate the movie.
The premise of Morbius is that he’s a science fiction vampire, so he has the powers of a vampire and the bloodlust, but his powers are rooted in superhero science, not fantasy. And he’s not undead; he’s a living vampire. Morbius was introduced as a villain/antihero in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man. Which is why Sony has the rights to make a movie out of him. Morbius was able to help Spider-Man with a limb-based condition.
Amazing Spider-Man #101 (1971)
And Sony seems to be planning to make a movie out of every side character from the pages of Spider-Man comics they can find. As a huge fan of Spider-Man comics, I am all for this.
America #1
Pa’ Fuera, Pa’ La Calle
by Gabby Rivera, Joe Quinones, Joe Rivera, Paolo Rivera, José Villarrubia, and Travis Lanham
Doing the work means taking inventory. Stare every decision you’ve made in the face and own each one. You are powerful enough to evolve. That’s where the magic is, and that’s where you find your light. It will be bright and endless. It cannot be destroyed. It is infinite. It is you.
Welcome to a new feature I’m trying, called Reading Topical Comics. The idea is that I will choose a comic related to a recent Marvel multimedia property, and read through it. Blogging as I read.
For example, we all watched and loved the Dr. Strange movie last night. And it’s possible some people want to learn more about his newfound ally, America Chavez.
A delicate issue with this feature will be spoilers. I hate spoilers, and recognize someone may have been sick yesterday and unable to see the film. Sometimes the very existence of a character in a film is a spoiler. America is featured heavily in the trailers. I’ll keep this post nearly spoiler-free. If you are the one person who hasn’t seen Doctor Strange yet, this post shouldn’t reveal any more about the film than the trailers. We’re mostly just going to read a comic about America.
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: May 11, 1965 Cover: August 1965 12 cents Edited and written by Smilin’ Stan Lee Plotted and drawn by Scowlin’ Steve Ditko Lettered and gift-wrapped by Swingin’ Artie Simek 20 pages
Spider-Man is still Green Goblin’s prisoner, as Green Goblin is trying to take over the gangs instead of Crime-Master.
Lots of mysteries left over from last issue. Who is Green Goblin? Who is Crime-Master? Who is Patch? What is Foswell’s secret connection to all this? We should answer all but one of those questions by issue’s end.
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: April 8, 1965 Cover: July 1965 12 cents Stealthily scripted by: Stan Lee Painstakingly plotted and drawn by: Steve Ditko Lovingly lettered by: S. Rosen 20 pages
The issue credits Ditko for the plot. Ditko has probably plotted most of these stories and has been largely responsible for the writing. But he has only so far been credited as the artist, with Lee taking the writer’s credit. Lee’s role is that of editor and making the final script off Ditko’s notes. Most of the storytelling is done through the art, which is entirely by Ditko, accompanied by notes as to what is happening and what type of thing each character might be saying.
The first page serves as a detailed teaser for the comic. Crime-Master is a new character to us, but we are told his identity will be a mystery. Green Goblin was introduced in issue 14; he’s yet to be caught, and his face has always been hidden from us, so his identity remains a mystery. Issue 10 revolved around the mystery of the Big Man’s identity. He turned out to be meek Frederick Foswell of the Daily Bugle. Ditko’s noting this plot will resemble plots we’ve seen, but also take its own twists. We now have three crime bosses or former crimes bosses with a secret.
Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: April 8, 1965 Cover: June 1965 12 cents You’ll relive the torment of warfare in this script by Ex-Sgt. Stan Lee You’ll see the blaze of battle in this artwork by Ex-Corp. Dick Ayers You’ll feel the drama of conflict in this inking by Ex-Corp. Frank Ray You’ll hear the sounds of attack in this lettering by exquisite S. Rosen 20 pages
Let’s remind ourselves of the dramatic final page of the previous issue.
This story picks up where that left off. Lady Pamela Hawley died in a bombing raid before Nick could propose to her. Now we see him trying to deal with his pain and frustration. Will revenge bring him catharsis?
After Nick is working the Howlers too hard, Captain Sawyer orders a furlough. They decide to take their “furlough” in occupied Holland and track down the Squadron behind Pam’s death.
Featuring: Daredevil Release: April 1, 1965 Cover: June 1965 12 cents Written with the inventive genius of Stan Lee Drawn with the artistic brilliance of Wally Wood Lettered with the scratch penpoint of S. Rosen 20 pages
Night of a Million-Zillion Ninja
by Ben Edlund and Maxfield Banks
He stands… Like some sort of pagan god or deposed tyrant. Staring out over the city he’s sworn to… to stare out over… And it’s evident… Just by looking at him… That he’s got some pretty heavy things on his mind.
And what is there to possibly say? How many words can I squeeze out of, “It’s funny.” (Over a thousand, it turns out.)
I guess I could point at different gags and say, “Look isn’t this one funny?” That’s kind of like commentary.
And if we’re going to talk about an issue of The Tick, why this one?
The answer to that is easy: I like this joke about a hedge.
I could have covered the first issue insead. That tells his origin, and I do like his origin, enough to quote it here.
Destiny is a funny thing. Once I thought I was destined to become Emperor of Greenland, sole monarch over its 52,000 inhabitants. Then I thought I was destined to build a Polynesian longship in my garage. I was wrong then, but I’ve got it now. I’m the destined protector of this place. I’m this City’s superhero.
