Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: December 8, 1966 Cover: March 1967 12 cents A mystic Marvel masterwork by: Stan Lee and Marie Severin Lettered by: Sam Rosen 10 pages
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: September 8, 1966 Cover: December 1966 12 cents Script by Stan Lee, defender of the faith! Art by Bill Everett, keeper of the flame! Lettering by Artie Simek, printer of the word! 10 pages
By the Demons of Darkness! By the oath I now speak! Umar commands– reveal what I seek!
At the end of last issue, we briefly met Dormammu’s sister Umar.
Given how weird and cool Dormammu looked, it’s disappointing to see his sister look just like a human woman. You can try to explain it off as these beings having amorphous forms or such. But it mostly seems like a failure of creativity and design.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: August 9, 1966 Cover: November 1966 12 cents Gloriously edited by Stan Lee Graniloquently scripted by Roy Thomas Gorgeously drawn by Wild Bill Everett Grudgingly lettered by Artie Simek 10 pages
It is the Sacred Griffin– the beast appointed by the priests of the Babylonian god Marduk to stand eternal vigil over the mystic text! It has ever been written in the Words of Flame that he who defeats the fearsome sentinel… is the destined possessor of the book!
Dr. Strange gets the cover again. Seems like he and Nick Fury will be trading off who gets featured.
We’re skipping the Nick Fury half of this comic to finish off the Kaluu arc.
O’Neill had been the writer for the last few issues, but Thomas fills in for this one. His scripting is described as “graniloquent”. Looks like Stan will return to the title next issue.
As you can see from the list down the page, Thomas is all in on the invocations.
So far, the Kaluu story has been terrible. Will Thomas turn it around?
Four issues into the battle, and Dr. Strange and Kaluu still haven’t met. So if we get that far, it will be a step up.
We’d heard Ancient One whine for several issues now about how powerful Kaluu is. But now Kaluu seems to fear that he will lose if his foes get any time to plan.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: May 4, 1965 Cover: August 1965 12 cents Written and edited by Marvel’s mystical madman: Stan Lee Plotted and illustrated by fandom’s favorite fiend: Steve Ditko Lettered and bordered by comicdom’s cuddlesome conjurer: Sam Rosen 10 pages
By the Seven Rings of Raggadorr… By Cyttorak’s Crimson Bands! I send thee through the unseen door… go thou where my spell commands!
This is a big issue for Strange Tales, as Nick Fury takes over the lead feature. This was the issue that introduced SHIELD and Hydra. But in the backup feature, Dr. Strange’s saga is still barreling along. Anybody picking up the title for the first time to check out the new Nick Fury stories will find themselves smack in the middle of a long Dr. Strange story.
Notice Ditko gets credited with the plotting. He’s plotted every Dr. Strange story, but now he’s getting credit. Proper credit is at the heart of his conflicts with Stan Lee.
We enter into a new status quo for the story. Mordo continues his pursuit of Strange, but Strange is no longer just on the run. He has a goal now, to find Eternity.
He seeks out a former disciple of the Ancient One, Sir Baskerville.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: April 8, 1965 Cover: July 1965 12 cents Written by Marvel’s own living legend, Stan Lee Illustrated by Marvel’s own unsung genius, Steve Ditko Lettered by Marvel’s own beaming pixie, Artie Simek 10 pages
This is the final issue of Strange Tales to feature Ben and Johnny. We read their finale over a year ago, but are long delayed in finishing the comic.
With the end of the Human Torch/Thing and Giant-Man/Wasp series, Marvel basically stopped putting out bad superhero books. They aren’t all great. Hulk is flailing a bit without Ditko. Colan’s Namor is off to a rocky start. Iron Man hasn’t quite found his footing, but is much improved. And Ayers isn’t delivering on Sgt. Fury the way Kirby did, and I anyway think the best of Ayers’ work is mostly behind us on the series. But they’re all at least decent now. And the best of them–Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and Fantastic Four–are getting even better.
We get some progress in our big arc, and we’ll have some pedantic questions.
Let’s start with the progress. Dr. Strange at last learns that Ancient One has been occasionally awakening to say “Eternity”, and agrees to uncover the secret. That quest should occupy him for a few issues.
Mordo and his wraiths find Dr. Strange again, and again Dr. Strange is basically helpless against Dormammu’s power.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: March 11, 1965 Cover: June 1965 12 cents Strange is this script by: Stan Lee! Awesome is this art by: Steve Ditko! Lilting is this lettering by: S. Rosen! 10 pages
For I have truly gained the greatest power of all… that which is the fountainhead of all other power… I have gained the gift of knowledge!
Dormammu and Mordo have teamed up. The Ancient One is comatose. He keeps ominously referring to Eternity. Last issue ended with Dormammu possessing Mordo to destroy Dr. Strange, and Dr. Strange died.
I expect this to be a short issue.
Wait. Maybe I should read the first panel better. Dormammu claims Dr. Strange still lives. Strange summoned all his remaining power to transport himself to another dimension.
I’ve claimed repeatedly this is a great story arc. I think there’s some excellent melodrama throughout and some cool ideas coming, but it’s also a perfect showcase for what Ditko’s Dr. Strange is best known for: these bizarre almost formless dimensions that defy description or visualization, yet somehow rendered on our page.
More than that, what Ditko seems to be depicting in these first three panels is the transition from one strange dimension to another.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: February 11, 1965 Cover: May 1965 12 cents Though there be many writers, none but Stan Lee could have penned this tale! Though there be many artists, none but Steve Ditko could have drawn this tale! Though there be many letterers, none but Artie Simek was available when we needed him! 10 pages
Eternity! If only Strange could know of– Eternity!
Again, the splash page serves as the cover.
Again, I love the noirish atmosphere of rain-soaked desperation that Ditko creates. This is a man on the run, who feels the whole world closing in.
Oh, Stan. Stan, Stan, Stan. Four issues ago Dr. Strange encountered a minor sorcerer he knew as the Demon. Ditko has plainly brought back the same character. Certainly, Dr. Strange would remember this person. Yet he gives no hint or reference to the fact that he and this guy just fought. Who was supposed to have renounced the mystic arts at Strange’s command. But who apparently got a better offer from Mordo. Strange mentions none of this, perhaps because Stan doesn’t recognize the guy. And we’re pretty near the point where Steve stopped speaking to Stan, which doesn’t help.
Featuring: X-Men Release: July 1, 1965 Cover: September 1965 12 cents Story by smilin’ Stan Lee Layouts by jolly Jack Kirby Penciling by Jay Gavin Inking by Joe Sinnott Lettering by Swingin’ Sam Rosen 20 pages
We are jumping a bit ahead with X-Men, as issues 11-13 all take place the same day, but the comic is bi-monthly. In general, we are still in March 1965, which is when X-Men #11 was released.
Last issue sort of introduced the Juggernaut. We mostly saw him in shadow and marveled at how easily he broke through the X-Men’s defenses. He was revealed in the last panel. Most of the issue had been about Xavier’s youth. Now, we meet Juggernaut properly.
We also had the legendary Alex Toth on art, as Kirby is moving off X-Men. Kirby has often been the go-to guy for getting series started, but then usually soon handed off the reins. Fantastic Four is the only series he’s really stuck with so far. Though he’ll do a decent stretch on Captain America, and his recent return to Thor is for the long haul.
Let’s look at the credits. Jay Gavin is a new name, and not even a real one. Jay and Gavin are the names of the sons of Werner Roth, our new artist. Werner Roth is not quite the legend that Alex Toth is. He is probably most notable for this stint on X-Men, where he is unfortunately stuck being “the guy that followed Kirby”. He got started in comics later than many peers, already 30 or so before working regularly. He’s already 44 at this point as he takes the reins on X-Men. He died tragically young at the age of 52, never quite having set the world of comics on fire.
Featuring: X-Men Release: May 4, 1965 Cover: July 1965 12 cents Stupifying story by: Stan Lee Spectacular layouts by: Jack Kirby Slam-bang pencilling by: Alex Toth Sensational inking by: Vince Colletta The usual lettering by: Sam Rosen Kibitzing by: the whole blamed bullpen! 20 pages
Happy Labor Day. Thanks to all the workers, past and present, for all they have done to shape this nation by the fruits of their labors.
We just read X-Men #11. And by just, I mean over 2 weeks ago. Sorry, life stuff got in the way of my comic reading priorities. That issue ended with alarms warning the X-Men of what Xavier called the most deadly danger they had ever faced approaching. Seeming to ignore the fact that they’d just faced a godlike alien being.
I’ve left us hanging with that cliffhanger for 2 weeks now. But it’s better than kids in the 60s had it. They had to wait 2 months to meet this new menace, and then perhaps be disappointed to learn we don’t actually glimpse him until the very final panel.
Before we get to the story, we must ask questions about the credits: Why are there so many artists? And who is this Alex Toth? What’s this bullpen?
This is the second time Stan has referred to the “bullpen” in the credits, and the second time he has credited them with kibitzing.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: October 8, 1864 Cover: January 1965 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee– unchallenged master of the dramatic word! Drawn by: Steve Ditko– unquestioned innovator of the occult illustration! Lettered by: Artie Simek– unabashed purveyor of the captivating caption! 10 pages
Dr. Strange gets more cover real estate than usual.
Recall that after last issue’s epic battle with Dormammu, Dr. Strange was rewarded with a more powerful amulet and a new cape. The narrator here notes the amulet and new powers of levitation. This seems to imply the cape itself bestows the power of levitation. Dr. Strange confirms this at the end of the story.
A man comes to Dr. Strange seeking help. He had become the disciple of a magician known as the Demon and wishes to leave the Demon’s service. The Demon summons him back before Dr. Strange can help.
