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Fantastic Four #61

Where Stalks the Sandman?

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Extravagantly executed with exbullient erudition by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inked by: Joe Sinnott
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Ya mean… after lickin’ Galactus… clobberin’ Klaw… an’ whumpin’ Doc Doom… we’re gonna be polished off by a kaboodle of sand?!!

We just finished the epic “Doom Surfer” saga, coming soon after the introduction of Black Panther, coming immediately after the masterful This Man This Monster, coming immediately after the Galactus saga, coming immediately after the Inhumans saga, coming soon after the wedding of Reed and Sue, another excellent battle against Dr. Doom alongside Daredevil, and several encounters with the Frightful Four.

I consider that run of twenty or so issues the height of the series. We’re past that height now. But it’s still going to be excellent.

Recall where we left off. Sandman had broken out of prison, but Wizard’s escape was thwarted. Sandman broke into the Baxter Building to try to steal equipment to free his partner. The FF fought him to a standstill and Sandman got away.

Dr. Doom captured the Silver Surfer, and stole his powers and surfboard. This led to an epic battle, which ended when Dr. Doom tried to fly to space, to learn Galactus had left measures to keep the Silver Surfer trapped on Earth. Those measures took out Doom. Perhaps he’s dead. We’re not sure. We last saw the surfboard flying back to Castle Doom where the Silver Surfer is imprisoned.

Johnny and Wyatt had been searching for the Inhumans with Lockjaw, but left the search to aid in the battle against Doom. Meanwhile, Black Bolt finally spoke, and the power of his voice destroyed the Negative Zone barrier surrounding their city, as well as the entire city. Black Bolt led his royal family and court into the world, while the rest of the Inhumans stayed behind to rebuild their city.

Don’tcha even get a coffee break in this blasted super-heroin’ business?

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Amazing Spider-Man #31

If This Be My Destiny…!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: September 9, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
Masterful script by: Stan Lee
Magificent artwork by: Steve Ditko
Mellifluous lettering by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #30Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #32

He’s just like his father… cheerful, enthusiastic, and bright! He’s been like a son to me all these years! And, he was so happy, that I didn’t have the heart to spoil it… by telling him… how very ill I’ve been feeling…!

The cover is a clever idea, using the spider logo to get multiple images onto the page. I feel like it wastes the idea with its choice of images, all fairly similar and bland, shots of the action from this issue that could easily have been conveyed in a single image (see the first page below). A better use of that format would have been to have some variety amongst the 6 panels. A shot of kids from Peter’s college, a shot of Aunt May, a shot of Jameson and Foswell, etc… would have made for a much more interesting cover and better use of the gimmick.

For the previous 5 issues, Stan had given Steve plotting credit, but left that off this time. Perhaps by accident. The credit will be back next issue and for the rest of Ditko’s run.

This story begins a 3-part saga we’ll refer to as “The Master Planner Saga”. (Some people–at least one person–simply call the whole saga by this issue’s title instead.) Up until now, the series has almost been entirely single issue stories. The first proper 2-parter was the Crime-Master saga in #26–27. And we connected #17–19 for thematic parallels and some running motifs about May’s health and Peter’s self-confidence (motifs which will come into play heavily again), but they were really 3 loosely connected standalone issues. This is plainly a 3-part story with each chapter ending with a cliffhanger leaving the major plot threads unresolved

This can be read as the story that brings the saga of Spider-Man to its conclusion, the final chapter. It’s also the best story in the history of Marvel Comics.

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