al gabriele – Coke ⊕ Comics

PRELUDE: Human Torch #8

Human Torch vs. Sub-Mariner

Featuring: Human Torch
Release: June 26, 1942
Cover: Summer 1942
10 cents
52 pages

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Marvel Mystery Comics #31	PRELUDE	All-Winners Comics #19
Fantastic Four #56	Reading order	Fantastic Four Annual 4

You two big lugs oughta be ashamed of yourselves! Spies are all around, threatening our country! The Python is on the loose! Democracy is in danger– and you fight each other instead of fighting the common enemy!

No credits are given. The GCD discusses the research into who is behind this based on later interviews, recollections, art analysis, etc. They credit the writing to Mickey Spillane and Ray Gill. They credit the art to Allen Simon, Harry Sahle, Al Gabriele, and possibly Eddie Robinson, Carl Pfeufer, and others.

Mickey Spillane is best known for his graphicless novels featuring Mike Hammer.

Notably, Torch creator Carl Burgos, who told the first few years of Torch stories is not involved, because he’s off fighting in World War II.

PRELUDE: Captain America Comics #37, Story C

Frozen Death

Featuring: Captain America
Release: February 11, 1944
Cover: April 1944
10 cents
15 pages

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Young Allies #4	Prelude	Captain America Comics #61
Sgt. Fury #16	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #65

The GCD credits the story to Otto Binder, Al Gabriele, and Vince Alascia.

Mostly a miscellaneous story we won’t dwell on. Three things stand out.

First, we note all clues about the identity of the Red Skull. He’s taken to using more German phrases than ever before. “Himmel”, “Donnervetter”. He refers to Captain America and Bucky as “American scum”. So perhaps this is a German villain, and not George Maxon.

Captain America and Bucky unmask him and recognize him as the “real” Red Skull they’ve fought before. This also implicitly acknowledges there may be “fake” Red Skulls out there.

PRELUDE: Young Allies #4

The Most Amazing Story of All Time…

Featuring: Young Allies
Release: June 17, 1942
Cover: Summer 1942
10 cents
Script and editorial: Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Al Gabriele
45 pages

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Captain America Comics #16, Story D	Prelude	Captain America Comics #37, Story C
Sgt. Fury #16	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #65

Let’s begin by noting this is not the most amazing story of all time. This is an awful series and nobody should read it. Least of all me.

This story drags on for 45 bloody pages. At least it’s not as bad as the last one we read. And it’s actually a much faster and smoother read than the first issue. Perhaps that’s Stan Lee’s scripting at work.

We noted last time how awful all the characters are, so we’ll just try to skip to the Red Skull stuff this time.

I’m including this story only because the continuity remains pretty tight, and I do want us to be able to untangle Red Skull’s contradictory appearances intelligently.