Amazing Spider-Man #32

Man on a Rampage!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: October 12, 1965
Cover: January 1966
12 cents
Script + editing by: Stan Lee
Plot + illustration by: Steve Ditko
Lettering + kibitzing by: Artie Simek
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #31Reading orderAmazing Spider-Man #33
Amazing Spider-Man #31Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #33

I’ve always felt I was partly responsible for the death of Uncle Ben, because he was killed by a criminal whom I didn’t catch!

Chapter 2 of The Master Planner Saga.

On a personal note, this is the earliest issue of Amazing Spider-Man I actually own.

When we turn to page 2, we’ll learn the identity of the mysterious Master Planner. There were plenty of clues last issue, so maybe you’ve already guessed. Don’t read any further if you haven’t. This is your last chance.

Aha! The Master Planner is…

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Fantastic Four #47

Beware the Hidden Land!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: November 11, 1965
Cover: February 1966
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
Inking: Joe Sinnott
Lettering: Art Simek
20 pages

Previous#446Next
Fantastic Four #46Reading orderAmazing Spider-Man #31
Fantastic Four #46Fantastic FourFantastic Four #48

If ya got a few spare minutes, it’s time fer us ‘ta save humanity again!

All Johnny can think about is Crystal. Guess we’re over Dorrie. Also, a man is dying. Luckily, Sue is there to point out Triton needs to get to water immediately. Johnny’s head is elsewhere. He’s only thinking with his, let’s say, heart.

The Great Refuge is the home of the Inhumans. They are ruled by Maximus the Magnificent. He had ordered the Seeker to return the others, such as Triton. He had ordered Gorgon to bring Medusa to the Great Refuge. He wanted Medusa back so he could marry her.

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Fantastic Four #46

Those Who Would Destroy Us!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: October 12, 1965
Cover: January 1966
12 cents
Story by our leader, Stan Lee
Illustrations by our idol, Jack Kirby
Inking by our star, Joe Sinnott
Lettering by our letterer, Artie Simek
20 pages

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Fantastic Four #45Reading orderFantastic Four #47
Fantastic Four #45Fantastic FourFantastic Four #47

Although I die– I die– free!

Who is Black Bolt? He’s fast. He’s strong. Strong enough to stagger the Thing with one blow. The antenna on his mask converts electrons into his strength and speed.

He doesn’t speak.

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Fantastic Four #45

Among Us Hide… The Inhumans

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: September 9, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
Incredible story by: Stan Lee!
Incomparable pencilling by: Jack Kirby!
Invincible inking by: Joe Sinnott!
Inevitable lettering by: Artie Simek!
20 pages

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Fantastic Four #44Reading orderFantastic Four #46
Fantastic Four #44Fantastic FourFantastic Four #46

I know how it feels to be a misfit– to haveta depend on your strength– because you aint got anythin’ else to offer anyone!

This is an incredible moment in Marvel’s history. The same month that introduces the Inhumans, the Eternity Saga comes to a climax as Dr. Strange engages Baron Mordo in final battle. And the Master Planner Saga begins in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man. (We’ll read that story right after this one.)

Plus X-Men meet the Sentinels; SHIELD vs. Hydra; Odin vs. Absorbing Man. These coming months are the best period in Marvel’s history.

Gorgon has captured Medusa. Dragon Man has captured Sue. The remaining FF members are caught in a collapsing building caused by Gorgon’s shock wave kick.

Thing seems particularly down on himself: “I’ve been nothin’ but a thorn in yer sides for months anyway!” In fairness, he did quit the team and join the Frightful Four.

The Torch too. “I failed you–both of you–when you needed me the most!” Quite the pity party here.

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Avengers #24

From the Ashes of Defeat!

Featuring: Avengers
Release: November 11, 1965
Cover: January 1966
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Don Heck
Inker: Dick Ayers
Letterer: Artie Simek
20 pages

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Avengers #23Reading orderSgt. Fury #25
Avengers #23AvengersAvengers #25

Let us each meet our fate with valor– and heaven bless you all!

When we left off, Ravonna had rejected Kang’s offer of marriage, so he’s now sending his armies to invade her kingdom.

This treatment of Kang makes more sense to me than his previous appearances, and it better conveys his title of “…the Conqueror”. That he commands a legion of troops ready to invade kingdoms. His last attempt to conquer the 20th century involved sending a robot Spider-Man against the Avengers. Invading with an army just makes more sense to me.

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Sgt. Fury #23

The Man Who Failed!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: August 10, 1965
Cover:
12 cents
Stirring story by: Stan Lee
Powerful pencilling by: Dick Ayers
Bold brushwork by: Frank Ray
Lilting lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous#437Next
Amazing Spider-Man #30Reading orderSgt. Fury #24
Sgt. Fury #22Sgt. FurySgt. Fury #24

Years from now, when our grandchildren tell stories of those who came before them, I rawther suspect that the exploits of Percy Pinkerton will be those that endure the longest!

I always have a general concern about Marvel’s depiction of Asian people during this era, which comes into play when the Commandos encounter the Japanese army on the Burma Road. I’m more on the fence about it than usual here.

The Commandos use racial slurs to refer to the Japanese, and the Japanese officers are depicted attempting to commit horrible atrocities. However, the language likely accurately (if tamely) reflects language soldiers of the time used. And the Japanese military really is responsible for countless atrocities during World War II, many far more horrific than the accusations here. There are certainly ethnic stereotypes in place, but it’s very similar to how the German soldiers are depicted.

The Commandos are sent to rescue Sister Theresa and a group of children who had been living at her mission. The Japanese had burned the mission and are seeking to kill the nun and children.

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Amazing Spider-Man #30

The Claws of the Cat!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: August 10, 1965
Cover: November 1965
12 cents
Heroically written and edited by: Stan Lee
Homerically plotted and drawn by: Steve Ditko
Hastily lettered and bordered by: Artie Simek
20 pages

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THUNDER Agents #1INTERLUDE
Daredevil #11Reading orderSgt. Fury #23
Amazing Spider-Man #29Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #31

Why wouldn’t he listen?? What is it that always stands between us? The one secret he keeps locked within him– the secret he never shares, or talks about–!

We may as well start with the striking cover. Extremely unusual when compared to every cover we’ve yet seen. Look at how small Spider-Man is on the cover, your eyes hardly drawn to him. The covers usually have the hero big and bold. The issue’s super-villain is easy to miss at a glance. He’s a small figure up in the corner. What draws your eye is the falling water tower. Everything else is designed to give you a sense of scale, to make it look like Spider-Man might have a long drop ahead of him.

Similar to the recent Daredevil story we read, this is another story where behind-the-scenes drama has bled onto the page, but perhaps in ways more subtle.

Let’s try to keep off my soapbox for the moment and read the comic. The question is, which comic do I read? The comic that Ditko wrote? Or the one that Stan wrote? I guess we’ll go with what Stan wrote, since that’s what got published, and maybe we’ll note some oddities as we go.

The opening splash page is a great mini-cover for the story, one that again emphasizes the importance of the supporting cast.

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Daredevil #10

While the City Sleeps!

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: August 3, 1965
Cover: October 1965
12 cents
Exquisite editing by: Stan Lee
Lustrous layouts by: Bob Powell
Stunning script and art by: Wally Wood
Lots of lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #29Reading orderDaredevil #11
Daredevil #9DaredevilDaredevil #11

Wally Wood has always wanted to try his hand at writing a story as well as drawing it, and big-hearted Stan (who wanted a rest anyway) said okay! So, what follows next is anybody’s guess! You may like it or not, but, you can be sure of this… it’s gonna be different!

This comic’s cool because if you look closely you can see all the behind-the-scenes drama playing out on the page.

The hype box is unusually important. Stan notes Wally had always wanted to try writing a story as well as drawing it, so Stan’s giving him a shot. Really, Wally claims he’s already been writing these comics, but not being paid for doing so.

The precise way in which this issue was constructed is unclear to me, in part because the people who could describe it to history weren’t in agreement, and nobody involved is still living. My best guess is the process here is something like this. Wally came up with the story and gave it to Bob Powell to lay out. Wood filled in the final art and supplied the script. Lee made his final edits.

The other important part of that narration box is that this is a mystery with clues. We’ll see that the mystery isn’t resolved in this issue, but we’ll also see that Wood doesn’t write the next issue and instead leaves the company.

Having his one writing gig be the setup to a mystery he doesn’t tell anybody the ending of may have been an intentional parting shot from Mr. Wood.

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Sgt. Fury #22

Don’t Turn Your Back on Bull McGiveney!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: July 8, 1965
Cover: September 1965
12 cents
Story: The greatest, by Stan Lee
Art: The first-ratest, by Dick Ayers
Inking: The ornatest, by Carl Hubbell
Lettering: The straightest, by Art Simek
20 pages

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Marvels #2PRELUDE
Tales of Suspense #72Reading orderAmazing Spider-Man #29
Sgt. Fury #21Sgt. FurySgt. Fury #23

“Figure it wuz worth it, Sarge?”
“That’s for the history books, soldier!”

This story sets the Howlers on a mission that ties into a famous mission from World War II, Operation: Tidal Wave. This shows us where we are in time. It’s now August 1, 1943. The real-life operation was an ambitious bombing of Nazi oil refineries near Ploiești, Romania, which this comic will spell “Ploesti”.

Sergeants Fury and McGiveney will both be assigned to take their squads to provide preliminary support by destroying Nazi flak guns. McGiveney’s Maulers will be assigned to sabotage the main emplacements, while Fury and his Howlers will be assigned to destroy a train used to deploy mobile flak guns.

Of course, these two squads don’t get along and we’ve never before seen them try to work together. In fact, the story opens with them in a typical brawl, which gets interrupted by Captain Sawyer.

A Sergeant Lee and Corporal Ayers witness the Howlers going off to their mission. Lee decides he’s going to write stories about the Howlers one day and that Ayers can draw them. Indeed, we’ve met this Lee fellow a couple times before. We know he would go on to write the Fantastic Four comics, but would not get an invite to the FF wedding.

Sure enough, the rival squads step on each others’ toes a bit come the mission. The squads run into each other in the dark and mistake each other for the enemy. The confusion created leads to the capture of Fury and McGiveney.

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Tales of Suspense #72

Hoorah for the Conquering Hero!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: September 9, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Don Heck
Inker: Mickey Demeo
Letterer: Artie Simek
12 pages

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PRELUDEWeird Science #20
Avengers #22Reading orderSgt. Fury #22
Tales of Suspense #71, Story BTales of SuspenseTales of Suspense #72, Story B

The nation asks– no, it demands to know the true identity of one of its greatest heroes! We must learn– Who is Iron Man?

Let’s start with a bit of an apology to Iron Man. His character was introduced in Tales of Suspense #39, released December 10, 1962. So we just passed his 60th birthday and failed to mark the occasion with appropriate fanfare. Happy belated 60th, Iron Man.

Iron Man returns to America and cheering crowds, having triumphed over Titanium Man. But the victory was costly, as Happy now hovers on the edge of death.

Reporters seem eager to get the scoop on Iron Man’s true identity. I don’t really think it’s that hard if you want to do any amount of investigating.

Nobody ever seems concerned how casually Iron Man walks into Stark’s office and makes himself at home.

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