fantastic four – Page 3

Fantastic Four #39

A Blind Man Shall Lead Them!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: March 11, 1965
Cover: June 1965
12 cents
Splendiforious story by: Stan Lee
Delectable drawings by: Jack Kirby
Deliciious Delineation by: Frank Ray
Laconic lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#367	Next
Amazing Spider-Man #25	Reading order	Fantastic Four #40
Fantastic Four #38	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #40

I don’t normally post things on Sundays, so I had planned this for Monday. But today is April 10, 2022. And it just seemed too fitting not to post this today, in honor of the introduction of Dr. Doom, April 10, 1962. Here’s the post we did on his introduction almost 3 years ago.

So, happy birthday to the greatest comic book villain of all time. Let’s celebrate by reading his first truly great battle against the Fantastic Four, still one of the greatest Dr. Doom stories ever.

Just don’t mention his age to him. He’ll probably kill you. He can be a bit vain.

After a battle with the Frightful Four, the Fantastic Four were caught in a Q-bomb explosion and left for dead in the middle of the ocean. When we last saw them, it appeared as though Ben was turning human again.

To me, that’s a good excuse to jump straight to the next issue where they are getting dragged out of the water.

But we didn’t do that. We read another 35 comics in between the two. Why? Well, a lot was happening all at once. While they were still at sea, the Frightful Four showed up in Thor’s comic during the Trial of the Gods. That’s a whole thing. That tied into this Daredevil/Sub-Mariner battle as well as to this milestone Avengers issue where a new team of Avengers formed. That spun out of an X-Men story which happened before Human Torch showed up in the pages of X-Men. It’s tightly connected.

Obviously, the FF couldn’t be at sea that many days without the submarine finding them. They need water at some point. But it could have taken a bit of time to get back to their headquarters. And all the other superhero adventures must have elapsed in that time.

Frank Giacoia is the credited inker (under the pen name Frank Ray), but Wally Wood was brought in to ink Daredevil specifically, to ensure consistency with Daredevil’s look across the books.

Fantastic Four #38

Defeated by the Frightful Four!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: February 11, 1965
Cover: May 1965
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Illustrator: Jack Kirby
Inker: Chic Stone
Letterer: S. Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#332	Next
X-Men #13	Reading order	Avengers #15
Fantastic Four #37	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #39

My sincerest apologies, faithful readers. Been a few weeks now since we covered the epic battle between the X-Men and the unstoppable Juggernaut. That’s life nonsense getting in the way of my priorities. Let’s pick up our reading with the Fantastic Four.

I’ve teased for years now that at some point this title goes from “good” to “transcendentally great”. The precise transition point is unclear and I’ve repeatedly noted some key issues that seemed to step up the quality. I feel like that transcendentally great era is now here. I could maybe hear an argument it begins with issue 44, but I feel like it’s here now.

We’ll talk about 44 when we get there, as there is a notable change that issue. This issue also represents a change. This is Chic Stone’s final issue of Fantastic Four.

Stone has inked the last 10 issues of Fantastic Four, and it’s now hard to remember the title without him. Prior, it had been Roussos or Ayers, and the difference is just night and day. The only standout prior to Stone was the couple issues inked by Joe Sinnott. (Hint, hint.)

The art popped under Stone. He highlighted the melodrama Kirby was infusing the stories with. He didn’t soften the exaggerations of Kirby’s faces or poses. He outlined them; he leaned in to just how over the top–and larger than life– Kirby wanted this all to be. And you see this across titles, just as evidently in the Thor stories, for example. The action and tension and emotion and drama are all just illustrated to the max under the Kirby/Stone collaboration. It will be sad to see him go.

This isn’t goodbye forever to Stone. He did a couple other titles this month we’re yet to read, and he has the odd cover or fill-in issue still to come. But here we bid goodbye to his work on Fantastic Four.

Fantastic Four #37

Behold! A Distant Star!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: January 12, 1965
Cover: April 1965
12 cents
Written by Marvel’s inimitable Stan Lee!
Drawn by Marvel’s unmatchable Jack Kirby!
Inked by Marvel’s impeccable Chic Stone!
Lettered by Marvel’s unbearable Artie Simek!
20 pages

Previous	#319	Next
Strange Tales #131	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #23
Fantastic Four #36	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #38

We haven’t seen a cover quite like this one yet. The FF are far in the background, their drawings somewhat ill-defined. They appear to be on an alien planet, stepping out of a landing module. Closer to the foreground are two ominous, perhaps alien, figures. We only see the lower part of their bodies from the back. So they’re the focus but not the focus. The actual foreground is some type of rock wall, and we’re just viewing the action through a hole in that rock. The rock becomes a background to the issue’s title logo; the artwork up to this point has almost entirely avoided interfering with that logo. And we have a cool title, with a very classical sci/fi feel. “Behold! A Distant Star!”

Wedding preparations are continually running through the background of these stories now. Two issues back, Sue and Reed got engaged. Last issue was the engagement party. Now it’s time for the rehearsal dinner. In typical FF style, they’ll just make a quick jaunt to the far side of the galaxy.

Ben and Johnny are trying on their tuxedos. Reed’s new invention accidentally destroys Johnny’s tuxedo. Presumably it’s cheaper to buy two tuxedos than to try to make one from unstable molecules.

Strange Tales #131

The Bouncing Ball of Doom!

Featuring: Human Torch and Thing
Release: January 12, 1965
Cover: April 1965
12 cents
Story by: Stan (Prolific) Lee
Illustrations by: Bob (Terrific) Powell
Delineation by: Dick (Specific) Ayers
Lettering by: S. (Hieroglyphic) Rosen
12 pages

Previous	#318	Next
Tales of Suspense #64, Story B	Reading order	Fantastic Four #37
Strange Tales #130, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #131, Story B
Captain America Comics #1, Story C	Prelude

Continuing through the Human Torch stories in Strange Tales while saving the Dr. Strange stories for much later.

Why is the story titled the “Bouncing Ball of Doom”? Because the Thinker’s plan involves a bouncing ball.

Huh.

How many Human Torch stories do we still have to read?

I must emphasize that the Dr. Strange story is one of the single greatest Marvel stories of all time, yet the Bouncing Ball of Doom is what gets spotlighted on the cover.

Fantastic Four #36

The Frightful Four!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: December 10, 1964
Cover: March 1965
12 cents
Proudly produced by: Smilin’ Stan Lee and Jolly Jack Kirby
Inked by: Chic Stone
Lettered by: Artie Simek
21 pages

Previous	#312	Next
Avengers #14	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #65
Fantastic Four #35	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #37

The main credits are shared between Stan and Jack without specifying who did what.

Fantastic Four has been one of the best of these Marvel superhero titles since the start, but it’s regarded as one of the best comic series ever, which hasn’t yet been obvious. The series gets better at some point. It can be hard to pinpoint the exact point of transition. We noted issue 29 when Kirby started using photo collages as a step toward greatness. The introduction of the Frightful Four in this issue also suggests we are well down the path. Particularly the mysterious Madam Medusa.

Sue and Reed announced their engagement last issue. They’ve now made a public announcement, and the press is excited, underscoring their celebrity status. There will be a big engagement party this issue.

Also, I think Sue’s gotten a haircut. Her hair definitely seems shorter.

Avengers #13

The Castle of Count Nefaria

Featuring: Avengers
Release: December 10, 1964
Cover: February 1965
12 cents
Rather exceptional story by: Stan Lee
Somewhat distinctive art by: Don Heck
Fairly compelling inking by: Dick Ayers
Moderately clear lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#310	Next
Tales of Suspense #63, Story B	Reading order	Avengers #14
Avengers #12	Avengers	Avengers #14

The cover is pretty off for a Kirby composition. I’m pretty sure Count Nefaria is supposed to be manipulating the controls, but he looks passed out to me.

Solid opening splash page of the Avengers looking furtive near the wanted ad.

The story opens with Iron Man and Thor stopping a fur robbery. Honestly, that seems somewhat beneath them; I’d be more comfortable with such crimes being left to conventional authorities or more down-to-earth vigilantes.

Up to this point, there was no evidence the Avengers were proactively seeking out any types of crimes to stop. They responded to two global threats–the Lava Men and Kang. They occasionally seek out the Hulk to fight, but usually just wait for a villain to attack them. Villains in these stories tend to be much more proactive. But now we learn the Avengers have been actively fighting crime for a while now.

This story introduces the Maggia, an organized criminal organization, perhaps inspired by real-life Mafia.

Fantastic Four #35

Calamity on the Campus!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: November 10, 1964
Cover: February 1965
12 cents
Adequate script: Stan Lee
Satisfactory art: Jack Kirby
Passable inking: Chic Stone
Sufficient lettering: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#301	Next
Strange Tales #129, Story B	Reading order	Daredevil #6
Fantastic Four #34	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #36

The page count in these books had been gradually dwindling. At first it was to make room for more letters pages or announcements, or the occasional pin-up. This is the third FF story in a row to clock in at 20 pages. Before that, they’d been 21 or 22; 23 pages even earlier. It doesn’t seem to be a fixed quantity. We still have the occasional 21-pager coming up, but 20 pages seems to be the new rule. Other titles have followed this pattern.

Comics have not gotten much more expensive over time. There were a dime in 1939 and a dime in 1961. In 1964, they’ve only increased to 12 cents. What’s changed is how many story pages you get for those pennies, often 70-80 pages for that dime in 1939. (These days Marvel comics tend to go for $3.99)

The comic returns us to State U, the alma mater of Reed and Ben. Reed is giving a guest lecture.

Where is State U? I assume it’s in New York somewhere. They seem to have brought a lot of luggage. They go galavanting all over the world and into space and into the depths of the ocean with far less.

Fantastic Four #34

A House Divided!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: October 8, 1864
Cover: January 1965
12 cents
Rapturously written by: Stan Lee
Deliciously drawn by: Jack Kirby
Impeccably inked by: Chic Stone
Lavishly lettered by: Art Simek
20 pages

Previous	#284	Next
Sgt. Fury #13	Reading order	Strange Tales #128
Fantastic Four #33	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #35

We begin with Ben and Johnny fighting as usual.

Then Ben trying on the Beatles wig he received from the Yancy Street Gang.

Mr. Gideon is a ruthless multi-billionaire financial wizard. By his reckoning, he is about 3 years away from buying out his top competitors and gaining financial control of the world. Impatient, he proposes they speed things up with a gamble. They propose the challenge. If he wins, they sell out now; if he loses, he stops trying to conquer the world. The challenge they propose: the defeat of the Fantastic Four.

Fantastic Four #33

Side-by-side with Sub-Mariner!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: September 8, 1964
Cover: December 1964
12 cents
Script: Smilin’ S. Lee
Art: Jolly Jack Kirby
Inks: Chucklin’ Chic Stone
Lettering: Amiable Art Simek
20 pages

Previous	#272	Next
Sgt. Fury #12	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #60
Fantastic Four #32	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #34

Kirby has used these photo collages a few times now, but this is the first cover that combines art with photographs in a cool collage.

This is the first time Stan’s name has ever been abbreviated in the credits: “S. Lee”. I’m guessing the letterer just ran out of room.

Namor is again the king of Atlantis (the exact same month Aquaman is first named king of Atlantis at the Distinguished Competition). Namor has the most fickle people. They moved the entire kingdom once so he couldn’t find them because of his affection for Sue. But I guess that’s all forgotten now.

The story is that Dorma betrayed Namor because he scorned her love, so she helped Attuma’s armies gain entry to Atlantis so Attuma could seize the throne. Women, eh?

Fantastic Four #32

Death of a Hero!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: August 11, 1964
Cover: November 1964
12 cents
Story by: Stan Lee who has never been more dramatic!
Illustrations by: Jack Kirby who has never been more thrilling!
Inking by: Chic Stone who has never been more realistic!
Lettering by: S. Rosen who has never been more than an hour late!
21 pages

Previous	#269	Next
Tales to Astonish #62, Story B	Reading order	X-Men #8
Fantastic Four #31	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #33

Kirby continues his experimental depictions of outer space, using a collage of art and photos.

That’s not a great reprint. Let’s see the cleaned-up digital version: