art simek – Coke ⊕ Comics

Daredevil #27

Mike Murdock Must Die!

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: February 14, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
By– Stan (The Man) Lee and Gentleman Gene Colan
Indescribable inking by Fearless Frank Giacoia
Level-headed lettering by Adorable Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#667	Next
Daredevil #26	Reading order	Sgt. Fury #41
Daredevil #26	Daredevil	Daredevil #28

All that matters is– Mike Murdock must die!

Last issue, Stilt-Man tried to team up with Leap-Frog, but that fizzled. Leap-Frog was arrested again, but Stilt-Man escaped with the Masked Marauder, who stands revealed as Frank Farnum, the building manager.

This issue, Daredevil runs into Spider-Man. It’s a small city.

This is our first chance to see Gene handling Spider-Man. He has a good take on the character.

Daredevil #26

Stilt-Man Strikes Again

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
Pulse-pounding presentation by: Smilin’ Stan Lee and Genial Gene Colan
Lots of little lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#666	Next
Deadpool #11	POSTLUDE
Amazing Spider-Man #46	Reading order	Daredevil #27
Daredevil #25	Daredevil	Daredevil #27

“Oh! Another superhero!”
“In this town, you can’t turn around without tripping over one of ’em!”

We come to story #666 in our Marvel reading. Daredevil seems an appropriate character for the occasion.

The title is Stilt-Man Strikes Again. We’ve already discussed at some length that I think “Hero fights ___ again” is one of the weakest possible premises for a comic. So hopefully there’s more going on here.

Unfortunately there is more going on, and it involves Mike Murdock.

When spelled correctly, *Alec Guinness* is an anagram for “genuine class”.

Last issue, to protect his secret identity, Matt invented an imaginary twin brother whom he could pretend to be, to convince Foggy and Karen that this guy, Mike, and not he, was Daredevil.

At some point it seems easier to just tell them the truth.

X-Men #30

The Menace of Merlin!

Featuring: X-Men
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
Stan Lee, editor
Roy Thomas, scripter
Jack Sparling, designer
John Tartaglione, delineator
Artie Simek, letterer
Irv Forbush, manicurist
20 pages

Previous	#660	Next
Tales to Astonish #91, Story B	Reading order	Sgt. Fury #40
X-Men #29	X-Men	X-Men #31

Because it pleases me, I shall explain my master plan to you…

Last month we saw Jack Sparling drawn a Captain America story.

This is his second Marvel work, and his last one for a very long time.

Sparling is drawing some uniquely structured pages compared to the rest of our Marvel reading.

Tales to Astonish #91, Story B

Whosoever Harms the Hulk..!

Featuring: Hulk
Release: February 14, 1967
Cover: May 1967
12 cents
By: Stan (The Man) Lee and Gil (Sugar Lips) Kane
Lettered by: Artie Simek
10 pages

Previous	#659	Next
Tales to Astonish #91	Reading order	X-Men #30
Tales to Astonish #91	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #92

This is your chance– to finally make everyone know that you’re not really a menace! You can become a hero–!!

The Stranger had taken control of Hulk to use as a weapon to destroy the world. But the Stranger’s control ended as soon as Hulk reverted to Banner. A spy used the Gamma Ray machine to transform himself into a Hulk-like creature that Betty dubbed the Abomination. Banner turned back into Hulk to stop the Abomination, but Hulk was defeated. And the Abomination absconded with Betty.

Now, General Ross thinks he has no choice but to try to save the life of the Hulk.

Tales of Suspense #88

Beyond All Rescue!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Stan Lee and Gene Colan
Inked by: Fearless Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Adorable Artie Simek
12 pages

Previous	#655	Next
	PRELUDE	Sub-Mariner #35
Tales of Suspense #87, Story B	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #90
Tales of Suspense #87, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #88, Story B

They must never reach the surface!

Stark had his factory evacuated for his experiments, so fortunately nobody else was inside when Mole Man sank it beneath the ground. Except maybe some unconscious Commie spies we seem to have forgotten about. And it turns out Pepper had snuck back in because she was worried about Tony.

“You little fool!” says Iron Man. “I’ve now got a female’s safety to worry about!”

“At least your make-up isn’t smudged!” he adds reassuringly.

Tales of Suspense #87

Crisis– At Earth’s Core!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
A Stan Lee ○ Gene Colan Super-powered spectacular!
Inked by: Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Artie Simek
12 pages

Previous	#653	Next
Avengers #37	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #87, Story B
Tales of Suspense #86, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #87, Story B

For the first time, man will be able to probe the deepest secrets at the very core of the planet he lives upon!

Tony Stark is experimenting with a dangerous nuclear-powered device that will enable subterranean exploration. It sounds boring.

Some Commie spies want it. They are no match for Iron Man.

Avengers #37

To Conquer a Colossus!

Featuring: Avengers
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
Electrifying editing by Stan Lee
Scintillating scripting by Roy Thomas
Invigorating illustrating by Don Heck
Languishing lettering by Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#652	Next
Avengers #36	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #87
Avengers #36	Avengers	Avengers #38

How must it feel to be the last of your kind– alone in a world where you don’t belong? Can it be even lonelier than to live forever behind the colorful mask of… Captain America?

Ixar’s Ultroids have defeated the Avengers and plan to absorb their powers.

We learn the Ultroid who had impersonated Scarlet Witch is named Ultrana.

Sgt. Fury #39

Into the Fortress of… Fear!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
Herculean editing by Stan Lee
Halcyon scripting by Roy Thomas
Heroic plotting and drawing by Dick Ayers
Heavenly inking by John Tartaglione
Homogenized lettering by Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#650	Next
X-Men #29	Reading order	Avengers #36
Sgt. Fury #38	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #40

Oh well, like I always say, nobody lives forever!

There is a trend toward recognizing artists for their work in plotting. I think this is the first time we’ve seen Ayers get a plotting credit.

The Howlers are in the Bavarian Alps, infiltrating a Nazi stronghold known as the Fortress of Fear to stop a new superweapon called the Thunderer.

Daredevil #25

Enter: The Leap-Frog!

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
A Stan Lee * Gene Colan epic extravaganza!
Inked by: Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Art Simek
20 pages

Previous	#647	Next
Tales to Astonish #89, Story B	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #46
Daredevil #24	Daredevil	Daredevil #26

We’re both lawyers, Matt! You know how thin that story sounds!

Where were we? Matt had the weirdest plan yet to protect his secret for Karen. Strong, strong emphasis on the word “yet” there. He thought he would put on a Daredevil costume in front of her and pretend to be pretending to be Daredevil to diffuse a hostage situation. Over the course of events, “Matt in disguise as Daredevil” disappears and the “real Daredevil” appears. And then finds himself transported to Europe and trapped there for a bit.

Fortunately that whole act seemed to basically have Karen fooled. But now Matt has disappeared along with Daredevil. And she opened a letter written to Matt from Spider-Man which said that Spidey knew Matt was Daredevil but would keep his secret.

Not very well, apparently.

Now, Matt is back from Europe and will need to scramble to explain his disappearance and protect his secret. He’ll need a plan even crazier than the last one.

Meanwhile, Leap-Frog is a new menace on par with Dr. Doom.

Tales to Astonish #89

The Prince and the Power!

Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
Story by Smilin’ Stan Lee
Art by Wild Bill Everett
Lettering by Adorable Art Simek
12 pages

Previous	#645	Next
Tales to Astonish #88	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #89, Story B
Tales to Astonish #88, Story B	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #89, Story B

I? I am Prince of the Realm! I am Atlantis! Thus, here do I stand!

Recall that passing aliens accidentally dropped a robot on Earth, which landed in the ocean. Attuma has taken control and turned it into a weapon against the Sub-Mariner. I think that’s literally all that happened last issue.

This issue Namor actually fights the robot.

My life belongs to the people– to the Realm Eternal! I do what I must– I cannot do less!