Featuring: Tales of Asgard Release: February 2, 1967 Cover: April 1967 12 cents A Stan Lee and Jack Kirby rhapsodic rabelaisian romp Inked by Vince Colletta Lettered by Art Simek 5 pages
There can be no doubt– ’tis Zanadu, wherein the accursed Mogul dwells!! Zanadu– whose hidden spires have been sought for ages– sought by those whose souls strive for justice– and for righteous retribution!! Zanadu– where the murderous Mogul rules with power absolute! But, he shall rule no longer! This doth Hogun swear!!
At last Thor and his three warrior friends find the Mystic Mountain.
Featuring: Thor Release: January 3, 1967 Cover: March 1967 12 cents Garnished with grandeur by Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby Inked by: Vince (The Prince) Colletta Lettered by: Artie (The Smartie) Simek 16 pages
While they get a different nickname every issue, these nicknames we’ve seen several times and they are the nicknames which will endure. Stan The Man Lee. And Jack King Kirby.
An army of Trolls attacks Asgard, while Ulik attacks Manhattan. Thor has chosen to confront Ulik to save Sif and Midgard.
Featuring: Tales of Asgard Release: December 1, 1966 Cover: February 1966 12 cents Fabulously presented at its full flavor peak by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Inked by: Vince Colletta Lettered by: Artie Simek 5 pages
“By the sword I clutch– By the name I bear– I swear that Hogun’s fate shall be the fate of Fandral!” “So speaks Volstagg– the fearless flower of chivalry!” “In the name of Odin– so say we all!”
A new story arc begins. This will center on Hogun and his origins.
It begins with Thor and this three warrior friends coming upon a bound Saguta, whom Hogun recognizes as a warrior from his homeland. Saguta is dying, a victim of Mogul of the Mystic Mountain.
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: September 8, 1966 Cover: December 1966 12 cents Stan (The Man) Lee, writer John (Ring-a-ding) Romita, artist Artie (stout-hearted) Simek, letterer 20 pages
Aunt May had been trying to set up Peter with Anna Watson’s niece since he was in high school. Her matchmaking finally paid off, and Peter met Mary Jane Watson at the end of last issue.
She was not quite as ugly as he’d feared.
Dinner is going well, but there are other things going on that will affect Peter’s life. For example, the Rhino is breaking out of prison. They took him out easily with some smoke gas last issue. But maybe they ran out of smoke gas?
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: July 7, 1966 Cover: October 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, writer John Romita, artist M. Demeo, inker Art Simek, letterer 20 pages
I realize now– we never had anything in common! It’s just that she was the first girl I ever thought i loved!
One of the great things Ditko did was come up with a seemingly endless stream of memorable and enduring villains for Spider-Man to fight. A good many were animal-themed: the Chameleon, the Vulture, Dr. Octopus, the Lizard, the Scorpion, and the lion-themed Kraven the Hunter.
Romita needs to score with a bold new villain in that vein. The Rhino suffices.
For much of the Ditko run, Aunt May had been trying to set Peter up with Aunt Anna’s niece, Mary Jane Watson. Peter never made time for that date, and we’ve still never even seen Mary Jane’s face. Now we learn Mary Jane is moving out of Aunt Anna’s to get her own place.
A lot of teenagers in that neighborhood living with elderly aunts. I wonder how long she’d lived across the street from Peter without him ever even glimpsing her.
The Trap is Sprung Featuring: Daredevil Release: August 2, 1966 Cover: October 1966 12 cents Spellbinding script: Stan Lee Phenominal pencilling; Gene Colan Dynamic delineation: Fearless Frank * Darlin’ Dick * Wild Bill Laudatory lettering: Artie Simek Bombastic bird-watching: Irving Forbush 20 pages
In this court– presided over by the Owl– I make my own laws!
I’m a little confused about who the inker is. GCD claims Esposito, who we see credited in the reprint below by his standard pen name, Mickey Demeo. The GCD also claims the original comic has this credit. UHBMCC claims that the original comic credits Giacoia. Earth’s Mightiest Blog has a scan of what looks like the original credits, and it’s Giacoia.
Looking at various collections on my shelves, the Epic Collection and Marvel Masterworks volumes credit Frank Giacoia; but the Essential Daredevil credits Esposito.
Here’s the original art for the issue, which has Giacoia, though you can see it appears to be a last minute change over a whited-out name.
Note about pencilling that John Romita is too busy polishing off the Amazing Spider-Man Annual. Though he only does the layouts for that comic.
In fact, Colan turns out to not just be filling in. As of this issue, he’ll be the regular penciler on Daredevil for the next several years, freeing Romita to focus on Spider-Man.
Featuring: Thor Release: November 3, 1966 Cover: January 1967 12 cents A proud phantasmagoria of pageantry, presented by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Delineated by Vince Colletta Lettered by Artie Simek 16 pages
I did but provide the time– the setting– But, only in the heart can be found the final enchanted ingredient– men call love!
Let’s reflect on the relationship between Jane, Don, and Thor. To understand this love triangle, we first need to understand the relationship between Don and Thor. And we don’t.
We reflected on the nature of their relationship back in issue 129. It seems Don is Thor and Thor is Don. They have two bodies, but one mind, one set of thoughts, and one heart, one set of feelings.
There is plenty of evidence to contradict that interpretation, but that is how they are usually written. Don is Thor and Thor is Don. Don is mortal and Thor is immortal. Thor is ancient, older than humanity, and had a life long before Don. And Don presumably had a life before Thor, before he found that cane in the mountain. Though we have learned very little about that life, only that he had studied medicine and become a world-renowned surgeon and robotics expert. We’ve seen no glimpses of his past life, nor met any relatives. But presumably he has these things. But now he is Thor. Mind, heart, soul.
In fact, Thor and Don seem closer than Hulk and Banner. Who definitely seem to to be two distinct characters with opinions about the other, who share only some thoughts and feelings.
Featuring: Thor Release: October 4, 1966 Cover: December 1966 12 cents A Stan Lee * Jack Kirby feature fantasy! Delineation by: Vincent Colletta Lettering by: Artie Simek 16 pages
“The universe is vast, beloved– and doth contain worlds without limit! One such world shall someday be home for the Knights of Wundagore! Then mayhap a new star shall burn more brightly!” “And when it does, we two will know the reason why!”
It will be later in the issue before anybody names this new villain. The title and cover suggest his name is the Super-Beast. So that is what we will call him. Though the next issue blurb last issue had referred to him as the Man-Beast.
Super-Beast’s thing is that he has undergone a million years of evolution. He’s a mix not just of man and wolf, but of where man and wolf will be in a million years.
So he knows future karate and generally has knowledge of future combat. He knows science that won’t be discovered by humanity for tens of thousands of years.
But does any of that make sense? Is knowledge an evolutionary or genetic trait?
Featuring: Tales of Asgard Release: September 1, 1966 Cover: November 1966 12 cents A Stan Lee * Jack Kirby pictorial presentation Delineated by: Vincent Colletta Lettered by: Artie Simek 5 pages
In this land once lived an evil race who dared defy regal Odin himself! So monumental was Odin’s wrath, that he laid waste to the countryside, so that nothing here could live!
We get a clean beginning to a new arc. The cleanest break between stories in a while, but I’m still just reading these Tales of Asgard stories alongside the main Thor adventures without regard to their flow.
Thor and his three warrior friends ride to Nastrond. Here there once lived “an evil race” who “dared defy Odin”. So Odin laid waste the countryside so that nothing could live there. This is referred to as Odin’s kingly wrath.
Perhaps it’s worth reflecting on how righteous Odin really is here. Or how wise. Thor does not take this time to reflect. He just seems rather impressed by what to me seems like Odin’s utter madness.
