doris evans – Coke & Comics

Fantastic Four Annual 3

Bedlam at the Baxter Building!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: July 1, 1965
Cover: 1965
25 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: Vince Colletta
Lettered by: Artie Simek
23 pages

Previous	#400!	Next
	POSTLUDE	Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1
Journey Into Mystery #123, Story B	Reading order	X-Men #14
Fantastic Four Annual 2, Story C	Fantastic Four Annual	Fantastic Four Annual 4

I now pronounce you man and wife! You may kiss your bride!

It’s the wedding of the century. Today’s the day. Half the Marvels have been invited! And the rest of them are turning up anyway!

This issue represents by far the largest gathering of heroes and villains yet, forever binding these disparate characters into a universe.

This issue represents the idea that there is no status quo, that these characters are at their best when they change and grow. Forward momentum is an essential ingredient to storytelling. Genuine, non-illusionary, change.

This is the most significant moment in the early Marvel Universe.

I think I’d have come up with a better title than “Bedlam at the Baxter Building”.

I wish Chic Stone or Joe Sinnott had been the inker. A few months too late to have Stone and one month too early to have Sinnott. Also, Colletta is uniquely suited to a long special issue with many characters because he’s famously expedient.

I appreciate that the headline takes for granted the public knows who Reed and Sue are without the need for surnames or superhero identities. The cover does the same for its audience.

Pretty cool this worked out to be the 400th story in our reading order. Currently on track to also have the 500th story be a particularly special issue of Fantastic Four as well. When we read Avengers #1, it was the 100th story, but then I went and retroactively mucked with the ordering.

Strange Tales #130

Meet the Beatles!

Featuring: Human Torch and Thing
Release: December 10, 1964
Cover: March 1965
12 cents
Story by Swingin’ Stan Lee
Art by Bouncin’ Bob Powell
Inking by Chucklin’ Chic Stone
Lettering by Sizzlin’ Sam Rosen
12 pages

Previous	#307	Next
Amazing Spider-Man #122	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #63
Strange Tales #129, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #130, Story B

Dr. Strange finally gets the cover almost to himself… but we won’t be reading his story. As we’ve discussed, the plan is to take a break from Dr. Strange, but keep reading the Human Torch/Thing stories. The Dr. Strange stories have mostly been happy to be single short episodes that fit in 10 pages. The only exception has been the 2-part battle against Dormammu. But even that epic was only 20 pages, the length of a normal Fantastic Four or Spider-Man story. Not one to make incremental change, Ditko decided he needs 170 pages and 17 months to tell the next story.

I’ve made no secret that I’ve found these last 30 issues of Human Torch stories to be almost entirely worthless. Putting Ben and Johnny in Beatles wigs is probably the single most worthwhile thing that has happened yet. Especially since Johnny is wearing the wig over his flaming head. The fact that it’s not burning means it must be made from unstable molecules.

Stan Lee made a big deal last issue and in recent letters’ pages about the exciting new artist for this series. That artist is Bob Powell. Powell will be the Human Torch/Thing artist for as long as this series has left. He will not be turning the quality of stories around. Powell is another returning artist from back when, having worked in comics since the 1930s, occasionally doing some Marvel work. He’ll also be taking over the Giant-Man title this month… and not turn the quality around on that one either. He’ll have the honor of putting Marvel’s two worst series to bed.

Strange Tales #129

The Terrible Trio!

Featuring: Human Torch and Thing
Release: November 10, 1964
Cover: February 1965
12 cents
Story by: Stan Lee (as if you didn’t know!)
Pencilling by: Dick Ayers (as if anyone cares!)
Inking by: Frankie Ray (as if it matters)
Lettering by: Art Simek (as if things aren’t bad enough!)
12 pages

Previous	#299	Next
Amazing Spider-Man #21	Reading order	Strange Tales #129, Story B
Strange Tales #128, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #129, Story B

Dr. Doom’s loser henchmen return, and Lee is still convinced that’s more interesting to spotlight than whatever Dr. Strange is up to this issue. At least Stan acknowledges Dr. Strange’s existence with a caption on the cover.

The loser henchmen now have a name. They are the Terrible Trio. They even have a cool logo design, where their name appears to be shaking.

It will be 15 years before a writer thinks they’re worth bringing back.

Frank Giacoia returns as inker. We met him last issue, where he used the pen name “Frank Ray”. Now he’s settled into the more informal “Frankie Ray”, which he will be better known as.

Amazing Spider-Man #21

Where Flies the Beetle…!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: November 10, 1964
Cover: February 1965
12 cents
Deliciously written by: Stan Lee
Deliriously illustrated by: Steve Ditko
Delightfully lettered by: S. Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#298	Next
Sgt. Fury #14	Reading order	Strange Tales #129
Amazing Spider-Man #20	Amazing Spider-Man	Amazing Spider-Man #22

What a beautiful cover. One of my favorites yet. Definitely my favorite Spider-Man cover so far. I like the way Ditko contorts Spider-Man in the air. It’s never straightforward, and decades of artists have tried to imitate his many posings. It’s just such a nice rendering of Spider-Man, who’s always at his best when at least somewhat upside down.

Ditko’s got the Beetle lurking off in the corner, just to show there is a villain. He keeps the focus on the actually visually interesting characters.

And then the opening splash page is basically an alternative cover, this one showing Spider-Man directly in combat with the Beetle, again with Spidey’s body flying through the air in his inimitable style.

This is one of the most underrated Spider-Man stories of all time. You’ll easily notice my Best We’ve Read page has more than its share of Spider-Man stories, as they are simply head and shoulders above all the other Marvel comics of this era. The highest rated Spidey stories won’t surprise people who love Spider-Man stories. I’ve spent a lot of time reading people’s opinions on Spider-Man stories, looking at lists of the best Spider-Man stories. His origin and the Sinister Six story, those are everybody’s favorite. While you may hear less of it, for those in the know, the End of Spider-Man story is spoken of with sufficient reverence. As is his unmasking by Dr. Octopus and first battles against Doc Ock, Vulture, and Electro. I’ve heard people cite the Scorpion battle and even the Green Goblin battle as their favorite stories.

But I never hear anybody talk about how great Spider-Man’s first battle against the Beetle is. Let’s correct that.

Strange Tales #128

Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch

Featuring: Human Torch and Thing
Release: October 8, 1964
Cover: January 1965
12 cents
Monumental story by: Stan Lee
Magnificent pencilling by: Dick Ayers
Masterful inking by: Frank Ray
Melancholy lettering by: Artie Simek
12 pages

Previous	#285	Next
Fantastic Four #34	Reading order	Strange Tales #128, Story B
Strange Tales #127, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #128, Story B

I appreciate that Simek has come up with logos for Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Some wooshes over Quicksilver’s name. Some frayed edges for the Scarlet Witch.

Frank Giacoia

We see a new name in the credits. Frank Ray is the inker. Frank Ray is a pen name for Frank Giacoia. He wil become a frequent Marvel inker, initially under the name Frank Ray or Frankie Ray.

Strange Tales #124

Paste-Pot Pete

Featuring: Human Torch and Thing
Release: June 9, 1964
Cover: September 1964
12 cents
Written by: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Darlin’ Dick Ayers
Inked by: Peerless P. Reinman
Lettered by: Adorable Art Simek
14 pages

Starting with last issue, Thing and Human Torch are costars in this space, though last issue still described Thing as a guest star. Now Thing goes right in the title: “The Human Torch and The Thing Team Up to Battle The Menace of… Paste-Pot Pete.” Of course, Human Torch still gets top billing. This was his title first after all.

Paste-Pot Pete gets a new look this issue, a step toward becoming a more serious foe. He’s clean-shaven. He’s got on a real battle suit, almost like armor, from which he… well, from which he still just shoots paste.

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.

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.

Amazing Spider-Man #8, Story B

Spider-Man Tackles the Torch!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: October 8, 1964
Cover: January 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: Steve Ditko
6 pages

This is Kirby’s third comic story featuring Spider-Man. All 3 have had Ditko on inks. Of course, he also drew the cover of Spider-Man’s first appearance. Also with Ditko on inks.

This is a pretty slight story. A piece of frivolity squeezed into the back of an issue. Spider-Man and Human Torch annoy each other.

Their antics lead to Spider-Man fighting with Mr. Fantastic and Thing as well. Fighting is what superheroes do when they meet.