dick ayers – Page 8 – Coke & Comics

Strange Tales #122

3 Against the Torch!

Featuring: Human Torch
Release: April 9, 1964
Cover: July 1964
12 cents
Rapidly written by: Stan Lee
Speedily sketched by: Dick Ayers
Instantly inked by: Geo. Bell
Lazily lettered by: S. Rosen
14 pages

Move over, Johnny. Human Torch now has to share the corner box with Dr. Strange. Getting your face into the corner box is how you know you’ve made it.

And hey! I own this comic. That cover is scanned from my collection. I bought it not all that long ago for $15, which seemed a reasonable price. For those keeping count, this is #3 for comics I actually own in original form.

But now I want to return it. Because of blatant false advertising. The cover clearly says “Dr. Doom does not appear in this story.”

Yet, look here on page 1. Who is that? It’s Dr. Doom!

Turn the page, who do we see on page 3? Dr. Doom again!

In three different panels, no less!

Now, these panels are all flashback sequences to the last battle with Dr. Doom. Since it ended with Dr. Doom falling into space, it’s obvious we’ll never actually see him again. Wait… but the note informs us he will return in Fantastic Four Annual 2. How can that possibly be?

Sgt. Fury #8

The Death Ray of Dr. Zemo!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: May 5, 1964
Cover: July 1964
12 cents
Not a bad story by: Ex-Sgt. Stan Lee
Passable art by: Ex-Corp. Dick Ayers
Inked by: Geo. Bell
Lettered by: S. Rosen
22 pages

I know what you’re thinking.
Didn’t we just read Sgt. Fury #7 pretty recently?
Yes.
But isn’t Sgt. Fury bimonthly?
Yes.
Wait. This comic is from May. You were just reading March comics.
Yes.
You haven’t even finished March yet. We haven’t read the March Iron Man story.
True.
I know you’re mostly going in publishing order, but sometimes move things around for story reasons.
I do.
But that doesn’t make any sense here, right? You only move things around when comics tie into each other, and Sgt. Fury is set in WWII. How can it tie in directly with any superhero comics?

Well, there’s the rub. For reasons we’ll go into later, we are reading Avengers #6 two months early. And, as noted on the first page, this issue does tie into Avengers #6! Sort of, at least. They were released the same day and star the same villain, Dr. Zemo.

It makes for a pretty uncommon occurrence in comics, where fans like to track what a character’s first appearance is. Dr. Zemo has two. He was introduced on the same day in two different titles, two stories set twenty years apart. We’ll meet him here in Sgt. Fury, then see what he’s up to twenty years later menacing the Avengers.

It’s a pretty cool and unique quasi-crossover. In service of it, we’re reading Sgt. Fury #8 two months early.

Strange Tales #121

Prisoner of the Plantman!

Featuring: Human Torch
Release: March 10, 1964
Cover: June 1964
12 cents
Written in the sensational style of: Stan Lee
Drawn in the marvelous manner of: Dick Ayers
Lettered by: Art Simek
14 pages

Twenty issues in and this remains the most worthless series Marvel is publishing. The contrast in quality between this and Fantastic Four is mind-boggling, especially given that both are purported to be written by the same person. Basically, I’m reading these Human Torch stories so you don’t have to.

The most notable occurrence in this issue is that Dr. Strange actually gets a chunk of the cover real estate devoted to his story. He’s coming up in the world.

Anyways, Plantman returns. New costume. We finally learn his last name.

Strange Tales #120

The Torch Meets the Iceman!

Featuring: Human Torch
Release: February 11, 1964
Cover: May 1964
12 cents
Deftly written by: Stan Lee
Dazzlingly drawn by: Jack Kirby
Dramatically inked by: Dick Ayers
Distinctively lettered by: S. Rosen
14 pages

Been a little while since Kirby has deigned to draw a Human Torch story. I assume we owe his presence to the guest appearance of Iceman, just like a Captain America crossover motivated his last visit.

Mr. Fantastic notes the X-Men are hard to contact because nobody knows their identities. Iron Man was able to contact them just fine, and they all have access to a government-provided superhero communications network.

Tales to Astonish #57

On the Trail of the Amazing Spider-Man

Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp
Release: April 2, 1964
Cover: July 1964
12 cents
Brilliantly written by good ol’ Stan Lee
Bashfully drawn by loveable ol’ Dick Ayers
Boldly inked by faithful ol’ Paul Reinman
Bravely lettered by fearless ol’ S. Rosen
16 pages

We’re throwing two issues of Tales to Astonish together because the Avengers’ series only leaves so much space for Giant-Man/Wasp adventures and because Wasp’s hairdo is difficult to reconcile with Avengers continuity.

Last issue, Hank was ready to propose. He’d even bought a ring. But then he got insecure and doubted that Wasp really loved him. By the end of the issue, he seemed more confident in Jan’s love. But I still don’t see a ring on her finger and there’s no mention of it this issue.

Wasp gets a new addition to her arsenal: a stinger. It’s a compressed air gun. She’d previously had a weapon she referred to as a stinger, but it was just a pin she held. In issue 46, they refer to it as though it’s a regular part of the arsenal. She’d picked up a pin the previous issue. In the backup story of this issue, which takes place before this story, she’ll also pick up a random pin and refer to it as her sting.

Tales to Astonish #56

The Coming of the Magician!

Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp
Release: March 3, 1964
Cover: June 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Dick Ayers
18 pages

The story leaves out the letterer credit for some reason. The GCD notes it’s Sam Rosen.

They spend a page detailing how Giant-Man’s ring transport method works. It really might be the dumbest thing in this series.

Giant-Man’s costume has been undergoing a gradual evolution. Ayers has been drawing him with these thick black suspenders, while everybody else has favorited light vertical stripes, as on the cover. They will eventually converge on the black suspenders look. Ayers adjusts them slightly in this issue. They had always been vertical like suspenders on the front, but now Ayers has them in a V-shape, meeting at his belt. I’d like to use costumes as a clue for how these issues fit around the Avengers issues, but Giant-Man must be changing back and forth.

Wasp also gets a new look this issue. This is also unhelpful to chronology considerations as this look never shows up in the Avengers comic. She has a new hairdo and new headpiece to show it off. In Avengers #5, she appears to have her old hairdo and headpiece. By Avengers #6, she is wearing a whole new costume. It will be hard to reconcile.

The big news of this issue, besides Wasp’s new do, is that Hank has finally bought a ring, and intends to propose to Jan. She’s been wanting that basically since they met while he has always been too preoccupied with science and superheroing.

Tales to Astonish #55

On the Trail of the Human Top!

Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp
Release: February 4, 1964
Cover: May 1964
12 cents
Story by: Happy Stan Lee
Art by: Heroic Dick Ayers
Lettering by: Honest Art Simek
18 pages

For the third comic in a row, I feel the need to point out that we are reading a February comic when not yet done with the January comics. I have reasons.

Please recall that Hulk and Namor remain at large.

How does Wasp feel about not getting her name on the jackets?

Actually, you often look foolish and clumsy. Do you have any footage of your recent battle against El Toro?

Human Top is Dr. Pym’s third repeat villain, after Egghead and Porcupine. Returning villains have become much more common across all the titles these last couple months, now that a staple has been built up.

Strange Tales #119

The Torch Goes Wild!

Featuring: Human Torch
Release: January 10, 1964
Cover: April 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Dick Ayers
Lettered by: S. Rosen
13 pages

No picture this time, but at least the covers are now consistently mentioning that Dr. Strange exists.

The title of this story is, “The Torch Goes Wild!” Not quite sure what that leads me to expect. Maybe Johnny will take his top off, show a little skin.

Our more observant readers might be wondering if we completely forgot about Avengers #4. We did not. For various reasons about story flow and chronology and such, we will be waiting a bit to read it. I promise a future post that explains all these decisions in excruciating detail.

Our story begins with Johnny having a bad day. Perhaps the Rabble Rouser is to blame.

Strange Tales #118

The Man Who Became the Torch!

Featuring: Human Torch
Release: December 9, 1963
Cover: March 1964
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Dick Ayers
Lettering: S. Rosen
13 pages

What? Is that Dr. Strange on the cover of a comic? Not just buried in the back of the comic somewhere where they hope nobody will notice?

Congratulations to Dr. Strange on his first cover appearance. 8 issues after his introduction.

This marks the fourth battle between Human Torch and Wizard. Perhaps this solidifies the Wizard as his “archfoe”.

The Wizard of these stories hasn’t quite been the character I know from my own youth. A key difference gets resolved this issue. While in prison, Wizard was given the necessary equipment to build an anti-gravity power unit that allows him to fly. I definitely think of flying as being a key Wizard trait.

Tales to Astonish #53

Trapped by the Porcupine!

Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp
Release: December 2, 1963
Cover: March 1964
12 cents
Story by: Daring Stan Lee
Art by: Dazzling Dick Ayers
Lettering by: Dynamic S. Rosen
18 pages

Porcupine is only Dr. Pym’s second recurring villain. Egghead was the first.

Giant-Man’s costume seems to be undergoing frequent slight alterations. I’m not sure what’s going on with the black suspenders. They may be adjustable. Whatever is going on, this issue they seem to form an “x” on his back.