Chris Coke

Tales of Suspense #77, Story B

If a Hostage Should Die!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: February 10, 1966
Cover: May 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: Jack Kirby
Penciling: John Romita
Inking: Frank Ray
Lettering: Sam Rosen
Kibitzing: Irving Forbush
10 pages

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Tales of Suspense #77	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #78
Tales of Suspense #77	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #78

Oh, Cap… Cap… will this war never end? Will we never be able to lead normal lives? How can we speak of love… when the world is in flames… when I don’t even know your name!

With famed romance artist John Romita on pencils, we will learn the story of the “girl from Cap’s past”. There’s going to be some confusion here. A lot of confusion, in fact. So let’s review what we know.

Two issues ago, Cap encountered a female SHIELD agent who reminded him of an old flame. This SHIELD agent has an older sister who once dated a man named Steve Rogers.

We see the final parting of Cap and this woman in his memory. We’ll recall it here for reference.

Not a lot of details about this woman to go off, but enough that this issue will find a dozen ways to contradict them.

A documentary about Cap’s role in the liberation of Paris stirs up Cap’s memories. He notes it’s been over 20 years. He lost her that day and never learned what became of her, if she survived the war or not.

“That lightning and thunder… it’s like the angry roar of the past… trying to capture me again!”

Tales of Suspense #77

Ultimo Lives!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: February 10, 1966
Cover: May 1966
12 cents
Homerically written by: Stan Lee
Heroically pencilled by: Adam Austin
Historically inked by: Gary Michaels
Hysterically lettered by: Sam Rosen
12 pages

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Strange Tales #145, Story B	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #77, Story B
Tales of Suspense #76, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #77, Story B

This is a grave moment in hour nation’s history! A time for patriotism… for dedication to the cause of freedom! There must be no special privileges for self-seeking opportunists like Stark, who flout their country’s laws!

Adam Austin has long since been unmasked as Gene Colan, but he is going back and forth between the two aliases. It’s worth noting that his art seems to improve each month.

Gary Michaels is a pseudonym for Jack Abel. He’s been working with Colan on this series off and on for a few issues now.

When we left off, Tony Stark was a prisoner of the Mandarin and Ultimo is rising. Confusingly, we’ve also seen Tony Stark filling in as the head of SHIELD since then. It’s hard to balance all the things one might want to in a reading order, and sometimes the chronology has to give. Stark’s appearances with SHIELD must take place either before or after this adventure. It’s hard because Tony’s just been pretty busy, and I like to keep the reading order relatively close to publication date.

Mandarin had thrown Stark’s attache case out the window, not realizing it contained the Iron Man armor. What can Stark do without his armor?

Mandarin kidnapped Stark from America to Asia via teleportation. Stark at the time had been in Senator Byrd’s car on the way to Congress to testify about the identity of Iron Man.

Strange Tales #145, Story B

To Catch a Magician!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: March 10, 1966
Cover: June 1966
12 cents
Eerily edited by: Stan Lee
Spookily scripted by: Dennis O’Neil
Demonically drawn by: Steve Ditko
Laconically lettered by: Artie Simek
10 pages

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Strange Tales #145	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #77
Strange Tales #145	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #146

Am I a child, to be frightened by a mere illusion– a shadow of shadows?

Lee seems to have stepped away as the regular writer for the end of Ditko’s run. Just as well as Ditko has been doing most of the writing and refusing to even speak to Lee for a little while anyway.

Roy Thomas stepped in the last two issues, and now we have Dennis O’Neil. While for artists, Stan has been seeking veterans from the ’40s and ’50s, for writers, he has been giving new talent a try. Thomas is new to comics, and O’Neil was hired at his suggestion. This is O’Neil’s first comic work. He’ll go on to do some good things, and will perhaps be eventually better known for his work with the Distinguished Competition.

That Lee is handing off scripting duties to new and untested writers gives a hint as to how important these Dr. Strange stories are to him.

We meet a villain named Mr. Rasputin. He uses magical and scientific means to do espionage. His ancestor had been a famous Russian advisor.

Of course he runs afoul of Dr. Strange.

Strange Tales #145

Lo! The Eggs Shall Hatch!

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: March 10, 1966
Cover: June 1966
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Designer: Jack Kirby
Penciller: Don Heck
Inker: Mickey Demeo
Letterer: Sam Rosen
Badge polisher: Irving Forbush
12 pages

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Strange Tales #144, Story B	Reading order	Strange Tales #145, Story B
Strange Tales #144, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #145, Story B

A simple smoke grenade should do the job nicely in this instance… and it won’t cost the taxpayers as much as a noisy, explosive grenade! For we guardians of the public trust must ever have the average citizen’s interests close to our hearts!

Quite the opening page. Somewhat disturbing.

Curious if it inspired images in the modern horror series, Locke & Key.

Where were we? The Druid wants to destroy SHIELD for some reason. He pretends to have mystical powers, but technology underpins everything he does. Oh, and we just met the eager new recruit, Jasper Sitwell.

Strange Tales #144, Story B

Where Man Hath Never Trod!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: February 10, 1966
Cover: May 1966
12 cents
Edited with percipacity by: Stan Lee
Written with precocity by: Roy Thomas
Plotted and illustrated with profundity by: Steve Ditko
Lettered with the windows closed by: Artie Simek
10 pages

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Strange Tales #144	Reading order	Strange Tales #145
Strange Tales #144	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #145

How dare you make a request of the great Tazza! In the name of Satannish the Supreme, you shall join the other unmoving forms in my hallowed halls…

We are in what I see as the spinning-the-wheels phase. We had an extremely tense and fast-paced adventure that took us from issues 130-141. Then it slowed down. Mordo was defeated. Dormammu was humbled. Loose plot threads included servants of Mordo’s to deal with, and this woman who had helped Strange, who was now a prisoner of Dormammu. We’ve spent the last couple issues dealing with Mordo’s servants and now we’ll go look for this unnamed woman.

Dormammu was beaten with yet another vow to not move against Strange. But there’s a loophole if you read the fine print. Dormammu agreed not to attack Strange on Earth. But if the good Doctor travels to another dimension…

Strange Tales #144

The Day of the Druid!

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: February 10, 1966
Cover: May 1966
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Designer: Jack Kirby
Penciller: H. Purcell
Inker: M. Demeo
Letterer: Sam Rosen
12 pages

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Daredevil #17	Reading order	Strange Tales #144, Story B
Strange Tales #143, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #144, Story B

It is given to few men to serve the forces of SHIELD… and those of us who are chosen dare not take the challenge lightly!

We are back for the new year! And Howard Purcell is back on art. He was credited with an assist last issue, but now is credited as the penciller, with Kirby as the “designer”. Which presumably means layouts by Kirby, finished pencils by Purcell, followed by inks by Esposito. Or something like that.

Strange Tales has oddly shared its pages of late between the spy stories of Nick Fury and the mystical stories of Dr. Strange. It seems like the writer has finally mixed up the two and tossed a Dr. Strange villain into Nick Fury’s story.

Wishing You a Happy New Year!

Enjoy 2024!

Welcome to 2024! Thanksgiving and Christmas time got a bit busy around here, so it’s been a bit now since we’ve seen an update. And I know you’re all as eager as I am to learn how Nick Fury and SHIELD deal with the menace of the Druid!

It’s a new year, and we’re hoping to get going strong again. Some very exciting Marvel stories coming up soon!

Thanks for the Amazing World, Mike!

Obviously, my attempts to talk about the Marvel Universe are rooted in many resources found online. I make some attempt to list those sites on the Resources page.

One of the most valuable resources I use constantly is Mike’s Amazing World. It lets you look at a particular month and see all the comics released that month. This helps me systematically walk through and make sure I don’t miss any comics and that I can use the date of release as a factor in deciding what order to read them.

Also, every month, I like to add a little context by seeing what other publishers were doing, and Mike’s directly enables this.

I’ve never met Mike in any capacity. Can’t say I know the man. But I’ve used his website for years and found it an invaluable resource. And now wish I’d taken the time to send him a thank you at some point.

This is the best I can do, long overdue: Thank you Mike, for a great site.

The site currently directs you to this picture, which informs of us Mike’s passing, but assures us he’s made arrangements to see the site continue in his absence.

The image is of Death, from DC’s Sandman comics, and she informs us she’s helped Mike on his way, in a message cleverly filled with Sandman references.

Rest in peace, Mike. Thanks for the Amazing World!

Daredevil #17

None Are So Blind..!

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: April 5, 1966
Cover: June 1966
12 cents
Writer: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Artist: Jazzy Johnny Romita
Inker: Fearless Frankie Ray
Letterer: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
Complaints may be sent to the irascible Irving Forbush!
20 pages

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Daredevil #16	Reading order	Strange Tales #144
Daredevil #16	Daredevil	Daredevil #18

It’s the challenge… the thrill of battle… the danger! That’s what really grabs me! And, I’ve a hunch that Spider-Man feels the same way!

Who’s Irving Forbush?

Recall the situation: The Masked Marauder had manipulated Daredevil and Spider-Man into being suspicious of each other. Now not only does Spider-Man think Daredevil is in league with the Masked Marauder, but he believes Foggy is Daredevil!

And remember, we’re supposed to be seeing what we think of John Romita’s take on Spider-Man. Somebody needs to take over for Steve Ditko!

Daredevil #16

Enter… Spider-Man

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: March 3, 1966
Cover: May 1966
12 cents
Sagacious script by: Stan Lee
Phantasmagoric pencilling by: Johnny Romita
Iconographic inking by: Frankie Ray (nee Giacoia)
Lachrymose lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

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Thor #130, Story B	Reading order	Daredevil #17
Daredevil #15	Daredevil	Daredevil #17

Let’s talk about your costume! Those red longjohns break me up– but I liked your old yellow duds better! … I mean they matched your new yellow streak!

This might be the first time we learn the true identity of Frankie Ray, really Frank Giacoia. For a lot of these people, the aliases are about not sabotaging regular gigs with Marvel’s competition. Frank Giacoia was a regular DC artist at the time, and hadn’t necessarily wanted them knowing he was freelancing for Marvel. But at some point it becomes clear, or his Marvel gig becomes the more regular gig, and it just stops mattering. Though by this point Marvel fans might know him best as Frank or Frankie Ray and not recognize the name Frank Giacoia.

Just like they might be confused if a comic were credited to Stanley Lieber or Jacob Kurtzberg.

That’s a great cover by Romita and Giacoia. The cityscape is detailed but the lack of color keeps it subtly in the background, leaving the focus on the two colorful characters. This is our first chance to see Spider-Man as rendered by John Romita. He captures that sense of agility that Ditko creates, and you can feel the motion of the cover, even without the helpful motion lines.

We’ve talked a bit about the tension in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man. Lee and Ditko aren’t getting along and Ditko is looking out the door. Lee is well aware of this, but has a huge problem. Spider-Man is his best comic, indelibly associated with Steve Ditko. You can’t just throw anybody on the book. Jack Kirby is Stan’s go-to artist when he needs a good one, but Jack had drawn Spider-Man a couple times by this point, and it was never right. And Jack’s style– while perfect for Fantastic Four– just wasn’t Spider-Man. Nobody was Steve Ditko.

We talked in the last issue about John Romita, who recently passed away. He’s been on Daredevil since Wally Wood left, following a succession of legendary talent from Bill Everett to Joe Orlando. And Romita has been more than up to the task of making his own mark on Daredevil.

But John Romita is not famous for drawing Daredevil. And while he excelled at the romance comics he had been drawing, that’s not really what made him a household name amongst fans. His step into legendary status will come with his next assignment, and this issue will serve as his audition for that assignment.

So, how well can John Romita draw Spider-Man? Let’s find out.