Featuring: Tales of Asgard Release: January 5, 1965 Cover: March 1965 12 cents By: Stan Lee + Jack Kirby Inking: Vince Coletta [sic] Lettering: Artie Simek 5 pages
“Avengers Assemble!” shouts Captain America. With quite the assemblage of heroes and villains behind him. Check out our pretty full cast list near the end.
A little annoyed with myself as I make this post. I screwed up. In the middle of a move and all my comics are in transit. I have this issue, my second oldest Avengers comic after issue 8, and I thought I had scanned this before I packed and shipped it. I remembered doing so. Apparently I only scanned the single page I used in my Wandavision post.
I considered pausing our reading for a bit until I could scan my comic, but who knows when that will be. So we’ll press forward with scans, err, found on the internet. We’ll call them temporary. I’ll come back in a month or so and replace them with my own. You probably won’t even notice the difference. I just prefer to scan my own comics when I can.
And this issue means a lot to me.
Had it since early childhood somehow. My cousin had borrowed it for an extended period of time, but I eventually got it back.
This is a pretty historic issue. For whatever reason, Heck chose this issue of all issues to take a breather, leaving Ayers to do the artwork over Kirby’s layouts… or perhaps Kirby’s loose pencils, or maybe full pencils for some of the comic.
First, we need to wrap up the story from last issue. Captain America had just fatally defeated Zemo, and now needs to get back to New York with Rick. He’ll have some trouble with Zemo’s henchmen. Meanwhile, the battle with the Masters of Evil continues in New York.
Let’s just say the Avengers win, though Enchantress and Executioner escape. The battle’s anyway over by page 4, and we have more important things to discuss.
It turns out this was these heroes’ final battle together.
Featuring: Avengers Release: February 11, 1965 Cover: April 1965 12 cents Script: Stan Lee Layouts: Jack Kirby Pencilling: Don Heck Inking: Mickey Demeo Lettering: Artie Simek 20 pages
For several issues, Avengers had become a Lee/Heck production and was much the worse for it. Last issue had everybody working at Marvel pitch in. Now, Kirby is on hand with the layouts. Recall, we’re basically talking positioning of characters, but with that comes the storytelling, and this story is a cut above the last several issues. That’s likely Kirby’s hand. He’s been the missing ingredient. He’s back to do layouts for two issues, and they’ll be two of the best Avengers stories of the era.
Ordering is funny, as continuity is getting tight. Everybody is embroiled in multi-issue arcs, stories are flowing into each other; Avengers is always tricky continuity because it needs to be fit around the solo titles; and there’s a wedding any day now.
That’s why we already skipped ahead 5 months in our X-Men reading and are so far behind in our Dr. Strange and Hulk reading. Trying to fit it all together. This is the February issue of Avengers. We’re already mostly on to March, but about to read the January Thor. I think it all makes sense. This issue for significant reasons plainly takes place after the July issue of X-Men.
Featuring: X-Men Release: March 4, 1965 Cover: May 1965 12 cents X-traordinary script by: Stan lee X-travagant art by: Jack Kirby X-ceptional inking by: Chic Stone X-emplory lettering by: Artie Simek 20 pages
The basic tension of the series is that every mutant that comes along, Magneto wants to recruit them to be evil. And Professor X wants to recruit them to be not evil. General agreement that no third option is acceptable; every mutant must join either the X-Men or Evil Mutants. When Blob tried to do neither, the X-Men attacked him and tried to mindwipe him. The only fine print there is the word “mutant”. Occasionally, someone such as Ka-Zar turns out to not be a mutant, in which case they are not obligated to join either team.
Now we meet a man who describes himself as a Stranger. He is very powerful. Is he a mutant? If so, they must recruit.
Featuring: Human Torch and Thing Release: April 8, 1965 Cover: July 1965 12 cents Soul-stirring script by: Stan Lee Breath-taking art by: Bob Powell Eye-popping inking by: Wallace Wood Heart-rending lettering by: Artie Simek 12 pages
All good things must come to an end. And so must this.
Hulk’s series only lasted 6 issues. But then he started showing up all over the place. Avengers, Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, and finally he got his own series back, this time to last for over 50 years and counting.
The Wasp had a back-up feature in Tales to Astonish behind the main feature she shared with Giant-Man. It started with her narrating science fiction tales, but then she started going on her own adventures. They were short-lived; she was the second character to lose a series.
The Watcher had a back-up feature behind the Iron Man stories in Tales of Suspense. It started with him narrating science fiction tales, but then he started going on his own adventures. They were short-lived; he was the third character to lose a series.
This month, two long-running features get cancelled. We’ll talk about the other in due course. (We’re reading this one a little early to get the Fantastic Four chronology in line.)
For the moment, let’s reflect on the history of Strange Tales…
Since Roussos left, this title is having trouble finding a consistent inker for Ayers. We had Giacoia last issue and Ditko the issue before. This issue, Vince Colletta finds time between issues of Thor to lend his inks. Colletta had been a sergeant in the Air Force, so he fits the credits scheme of noting the military service of this series’ contributors.
We pick up where last issue left off, with the Commandos still in the Sahara desert. They are ready to return home, but are instead given a new assignment.
Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: January 12, 1965 Cover: March 1965 12 cents Written with machine gun power by Ex-Sgt. Stan Lee Drawn with howitzer impact by Ex-Corp. Dick Ayers Inked with rifle-fire sharpness by Ex-Corp. Frank Ray Lettered with bloodshot eyes by Artie Simek Civilian 1st Class 20 pages
The cover is striking because of the dominant yellow. We haven’t yet seen a cover with such a coloring scheme, but they’ll become more common, and they’ll always catch my eye. This particular color evokes the intense heat of the desert.
Hans Rooten takes his new place as squad mascot. He’s even got a uniform to indicate his “mascot” status. He’s written far more sensibly than, say, Rick Jones is in Avengers. He is allowed to train with the Commandos, but not on dangerous maneuvers, and he doesn’t go on missions, whereas the Avengers take Rick to fight most any super-villain.
The only not-particularly sensible thing is why they continue to let Hans believe his father is a traitor. Now that he’s safely in England, there’s surely no harm in telling the kid his father is a heroic Allied double agent. But these were his father’s wishes, so the child will go on thinking himself to be basically an orphan, with the Howlers the only family he has left.
This page is from the original comic, found online.
Hans has already figured out the character of Sgt. Fury: “He is yelling at me! That means he likes me!”
Hans wants to be a Howler when he grows up. Nick hopes that when he grows up, there won’t be any need for Howlers.
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: January 12, 1965 Cover: April 1965 12 cents Written in the spell-binding style of Stan Lee Illustrated in the magnificent manner of Steve Ditko Lettered in the frenzied fashion of Artie Simek 20 pages
Maybe I should start writing down a list of my favorite covers (I do like lists). Early on, there weren’t many, so I was confident when we came across a great one, I could call it my favorite cover yet. Now I’m beginning to wonder. This is a great cover. Is it the best cover yet? Maybe.
I appreciate the Green Goblin on this cover. And only on this cover. Outside of this cover, he’s a lame villain. For evidence, let’s look inside the comic.
Green Goblin is trying to set himself up as a local crimelord. By the time I was reading comics, local crimelords were guys like the Kingpin, who looked the part better to my mind. I suspect Marlon Brando’s Godfather left an indelible impression of what a crimelord should look like to me and to many, but this predates that by several years. Still… they can do better. Lucky Lobo has a much better “crimelord” look.
The previous kingpin had been Frederick Foswell, the Big Man. He looked the part better. Coincidentally, Foswell returns, having been released from prison. He was the leader of every mob in town, behind numerous crimes, yet he was released after less than a year and given his old job back.
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: January 12, 1965 Cover: April 1965 12 cents Written by Marvel’s inimitable Stan Lee! Drawn by Marvel’s unmatchable Jack Kirby! Inked by Marvel’s impeccable Chic Stone! Lettered by Marvel’s unbearable Artie Simek! 20 pages
We haven’t seen a cover quite like this one yet. The FF are far in the background, their drawings somewhat ill-defined. They appear to be on an alien planet, stepping out of a landing module. Closer to the foreground are two ominous, perhaps alien, figures. We only see the lower part of their bodies from the back. So they’re the focus but not the focus. The actual foreground is some type of rock wall, and we’re just viewing the action through a hole in that rock. The rock becomes a background to the issue’s title logo; the artwork up to this point has almost entirely avoided interfering with that logo. And we have a cool title, with a very classical sci/fi feel. “Behold! A Distant Star!”
Wedding preparations are continually running through the background of these stories now. Two issues back, Sue and Reed got engaged. Last issue was the engagement party. Now it’s time for the rehearsal dinner. In typical FF style, they’ll just make a quick jaunt to the far side of the galaxy.
Ben and Johnny are trying on their tuxedos. Reed’s new invention accidentally destroys Johnny’s tuxedo. Presumably it’s cheaper to buy two tuxedos than to try to make one from unstable molecules.
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: December 10, 1964 Cover: March 1965 12 cents Proudly produced by: Smilin’ Stan Lee and Jolly Jack Kirby Inked by: Chic Stone Lettered by: Artie Simek 21 pages
The main credits are shared between Stan and Jack without specifying who did what.
Fantastic Four has been one of the best of these Marvel superhero titles since the start, but it’s regarded as one of the best comic series ever, which hasn’t yet been obvious. The series gets better at some point. It can be hard to pinpoint the exact point of transition. We noted issue 29 when Kirby started using photo collages as a step toward greatness. The introduction of the Frightful Four in this issue also suggests we are well down the path. Particularly the mysterious Madam Medusa.
Sue and Reed announced their engagement last issue. They’ve now made a public announcement, and the press is excited, underscoring their celebrity status. There will be a big engagement party this issue.
Also, I think Sue’s gotten a haircut. Her hair definitely seems shorter.
