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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Featuring: Human Torch Release: November 12, 1964 Cover: February, 1964 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Illustrated by: Dick Ayers Lettered by: Art Simek 14 pages
Hey, look. Dr. Strange has become popular enough that the cover mentions his name in a little text box.
Johnny plans to “streak to the prison”. That could easily be misinterpreted.
The Eel was released from prison having served his sentence. Let’s think that through. He stole Project X. I’m certain that would qualify as felony theft. Even with good behavior, that should carry a minimum 10 months in prison. That is to say, Johnny should have been able to finish a school year in the time the Eel should have been in prison. It’s not exactly clear how old Johnny is, but I’d taken him to be 17 and a senior in high school. Too much younger and you really have to wonder what Reed was doing taking him into space in a stolen experimental spacecraft. They were explicit that one new school year had begun between the start of the Fantastic Four series and the start of this series. And we know he has a driver’s license. I also take Spider-Man to be a senior in high school, though they’re not explicit about that either.
Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp Release: November 6, 1963 Cover: February 1964 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Illustrated by: Dick Ayers 18 pages
This story is 18 pages. They’d been seeming to have trouble filling 13, but 18 will be the new norm. The 5-page difference is made up for by the lack of a science fiction backup, save the tale the Wasp tells. An era is soon coming to an end.
While I mostly think of him and appreciate him as an inker, I’d like to note that Dick Ayers is a pretty solid draftsman in this issue. I complained recently about his Strange Tales work with George Roussos. But, inking himself, he gives a very clean take on these characters.
We meet the new Black Knight, Professor Garrett. He’d been a spy busted by Giant-Man. He fled the country to his castle in the Balkans. (Yes, another super-villain with a castle; at least this one’s in a part of the world with lots of castles.) He used his science knowledge to genetically engineer a winged horse and build a lance that has all kinds of weapons attached.
In particular, his lance can melt metal. Since that’s the only power of the Melter, the Melter would feel pretty useless if the two ever teamed up.
