Featuring: Human Torch and Thing
Release: December 10, 1964
Cover: March 1965
12 cents
Story by Swingin’ Stan Lee
Art by Bouncin’ Bob Powell
Inking by Chucklin’ Chic Stone
Lettering by Sizzlin’ Sam Rosen
12 pages
| Previous | #307 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Spider-Man #122 | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #63 |
| Strange Tales #129, Story B | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #130, Story B |
Dr. Strange finally gets the cover almost to himself… but we won’t be reading his story. As we’ve discussed, the plan is to take a break from Dr. Strange, but keep reading the Human Torch/Thing stories. The Dr. Strange stories have mostly been happy to be single short episodes that fit in 10 pages. The only exception has been the 2-part battle against Dormammu. But even that epic was only 20 pages, the length of a normal Fantastic Four or Spider-Man story. Not one to make incremental change, Ditko decided he needs 170 pages and 17 months to tell the next story.
I’ve made no secret that I’ve found these last 30 issues of Human Torch stories to be almost entirely worthless. Putting Ben and Johnny in Beatles wigs is probably the single most worthwhile thing that has happened yet. Especially since Johnny is wearing the wig over his flaming head. The fact that it’s not burning means it must be made from unstable molecules.
Stan Lee made a big deal last issue and in recent letters’ pages about the exciting new artist for this series. That artist is Bob Powell. Powell will be the Human Torch/Thing artist for as long as this series has left. He will not be turning the quality of stories around. Powell is another returning artist from back when, having worked in comics since the 1930s, occasionally doing some Marvel work. He’ll also be taking over the Giant-Man title this month… and not turn the quality around on that one either. He’ll have the honor of putting Marvel’s two worst series to bed.
We’ve seen his work once before in one of our “Prelude” posts, where we met Arthur Nagan, one of the original Gorilla Men in Mystery Tales #21 from 1954.
Here’s a sampling of Powell’s prior work under a variety of pseudonyms.
Featured:
- “Dr. Fung, Master Sleuth of the Orient”, Wonder Comics #1, Fox, 1939
- “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle”, Jumbo Comics #9, Fiction House, 1939
- “Ted Parrish, The Man of a Thousand Faces”, Speed Comics #1, Brookwood (precursor to Harvey), 1939
- “Gale Allen of the Girl’s Patrol”, Planet Comics #5, Fiction House, 1940
- Jungle Comics #7, Fiction House, 1940
- “Cadet Blakely, Spirit of ’76”, Pocket Comics #3, Harvey, 1941
- “My Weird Wedding”, My Own Romance #14, Marvel 1951
- “I Joined a Teen-Age Sex Club!”, First Comics Illustrated #13, Harvey, 1941 (reprint from Weird Love #7, 2015)
- Cave Girl #11, Magazine, 1953
- “After Man… What?”, Journey Into Mystery #20, Marvel, 1954 (Now I’m curious if Hitchcock read this one.)
- “It Walks Erect”, Mystery Tales #21, Marvel, 1954 (reprint from Weird Wonder Tales #7, 1974)
- “One More Notch”, Two-Gun Kid #38, Marvel, 1957
Powell would not work at Marvel long, as he passed away in 1967 at the age of 51.
And now, the story.
Alicia and Dorrie are shopping when they notice ads for the Beatles’ upcoming show… and then who should pass by, but the Beatles! Dorrie is thrilled. As I’m sure we all are.
Thing is able to get everyone in backstage by lifting their cab to the fire escape. Alicia and Dorrie thus secure autographs.
But then thieves in Beatles wigs rob the show. Ben and Johnny are in pursuit!
There’s even a bit of continuity on display. Ben still has the Beatles wig he got from the Yancy Street Gang in Fantastic Four #34.
I mean… it’s still not a particularly good comic. But… Beatles! That’s certainly worth a bonus point or two.
Thus we will give this the highest rating of any Human Torch story yet, the coveted 53/100.
Though… it might have been better if the Beatles had sang a song or if any of them had said anything, or if they’d looked more distinctive. Can you tell which one is which in all the panels?
I’d like to clear up a common point of confusion. Abner Jenkins, who Spider-Man and Human Torch recently teamed up against, is the Beetle. He is not a Beatle. Some people think he is the 5th Beatle, but he is not. No connection. The trick is to notice the double-e vice the ea.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 53/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
You can find this story in Marvel Masterworks: Human Torch vol. 2 or The Human Torch & The Thing: Strange Tales – The Complete Collection. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Thing/Ben Grimm
- Human Torch/Johnny Storm
- Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards
- Invisible Girl/Sue Storm
- Dorrie Evans
- Alicia
- John Lennon
- Paul McCartney
- Ringo Starr
- George Harrison
Story notes:
- The Beatles appear.
| Previous | #307 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Spider-Man #122 | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #63 |
| Strange Tales #129, Story B | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #130, Story B |
