Featuring: Spider-Man Release: September 8, 1966 Cover: December 1966 12 cents Stan (The Man) Lee, writer John (Ring-a-ding) Romita, artist Artie (stout-hearted) Simek, letterer 20 pages
Aunt May had been trying to set up Peter with Anna Watson’s niece since he was in high school. Her matchmaking finally paid off, and Peter met Mary Jane Watson at the end of last issue.
She was not quite as ugly as he’d feared.
Dinner is going well, but there are other things going on that will affect Peter’s life. For example, the Rhino is breaking out of prison. They took him out easily with some smoke gas last issue. But maybe they ran out of smoke gas?
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: August 9, 1966 Cover: November 1966 12 cents Smilin’ Stan Lee, writer Jazzy Johnny Romita, artist Slammin’ Sammy Rosen, letterer 20 pages
In this court– presided over by the Owl– I make my own laws!
I’m a little confused about who the inker is. GCD claims Esposito, who we see credited in the reprint below by his standard pen name, Mickey Demeo. The GCD also claims the original comic has this credit. UHBMCC claims that the original comic credits Giacoia. Earth’s Mightiest Blog has a scan of what looks like the original credits, and it’s Giacoia.
Looking at various collections on my shelves, the Epic Collection and Marvel Masterworks volumes credit Frank Giacoia; but the Essential Daredevil credits Esposito.
Here’s the original art for the issue, which has Giacoia, though you can see it appears to be a last minute change over a whited-out name.
Note about pencilling that John Romita is too busy polishing off the Amazing Spider-Man Annual. Though he only does the layouts for that comic.
In fact, Colan turns out to not just be filling in. As of this issue, he’ll be the regular penciler on Daredevil for the next several years, freeing Romita to focus on Spider-Man.
Featuring: Daredevil Release: June 2, 1966 Cover: August 1966 12 cents Script: Masterful Stan Lee Art: Magnificent Johnny Romita Inks: Melodramatic Frank Giacoia Lettering: Melancholy Sam Rosen 20 pages
“You’ve got to confess that it was a hoax!” “But then I’ll never have a chance with Karen!”
Hello. Happy new year. Welcome to this blog. We will be reading along with Daredevil #19, the 548th comic in the story that is the Marvel Universe, by our reckoning.
We’ve had a busy few months and found some complications in the Marvel Universe, which unfortunately delayed this latest entry. I thank the readers for their patience.
Without further ado, let’s try to recall that Foggy has recently been pretending he was Daredevil in order to impress Karen. The ruse led to Foggy finding himself in a Daredevil costume, battling a new super-villain called the Gladiator. This all began when Spider-Man mistook Foggy for Daredevil while searching for the Masked Marauder. The Masked Marauder remains at large.
Foggy does not seem to have learned a lesson from last issue’s shenanigans.
Featuring: Daredevil Release: May 5, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Story by: Smilin’ Stan Lee Art by: Jazzy Johnny Romita Inks by: Fearless Frank Giacoia Lettering by: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen 20 pages
Karen is about 99% convinced that I’m really Daredevil! But, she still hasn’t said she’ll marry me!
Next to the credits, we learn Stan had scripted 7 pages before taking a vacation, and that Denny O’Neil finished the script.
We met Dennis O’Neil on the final two issues Ditko’s Dr. Strange, his first comics work. He won’t be at Marvel long. He’ll go on to pretty good things at the Distinguished Competition.
Foggy enters a costume shop featuring various superheroes and villains. Recall how we saw a lot of superhero sculptures from Wally Wood to show off his takes on the characters; this is Romita’s chance to show he’s qualified for a variety of titles. Unfortunately Wood left before trying his hand at other Marvel characters.
Romita will be with Marvel for the rest of his days, and have generally more positive things to say about Stan and their relationship than the artists we’ve been seeing up until now. And Romita will get plenty of chances in the future to draw the characters he’s depicting here.
Featuring: Daredevil Release: April 5, 1966 Cover: June 1966 12 cents Writer: Smilin’ Stan Lee Artist: Jazzy Johnny Romita Inker: Fearless Frankie Ray Letterer: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen Complaints may be sent to the irascible Irving Forbush! 20 pages
It’s the challenge… the thrill of battle… the danger! That’s what really grabs me! And, I’ve a hunch that Spider-Man feels the same way!
Who’s Irving Forbush?
Recall the situation: The Masked Marauder had manipulated Daredevil and Spider-Man into being suspicious of each other. Now not only does Spider-Man think Daredevil is in league with the Masked Marauder, but he believes Foggy is Daredevil!
And remember, we’re supposed to be seeing what we think of John Romita’s take on Spider-Man. Somebody needs to take over for Steve Ditko!
Let’s talk about your costume! Those red longjohns break me up– but I liked your old yellow duds better! … I mean they matched your new yellow streak!
This might be the first time we learn the true identity of Frankie Ray, really Frank Giacoia. For a lot of these people, the aliases are about not sabotaging regular gigs with Marvel’s competition. Frank Giacoia was a regular DC artist at the time, and hadn’t necessarily wanted them knowing he was freelancing for Marvel. But at some point it becomes clear, or his Marvel gig becomes the more regular gig, and it just stops mattering. Though by this point Marvel fans might know him best as Frank or Frankie Ray and not recognize the name Frank Giacoia.
Just like they might be confused if a comic were credited to Stanley Lieber or Jacob Kurtzberg.
That’s a great cover by Romita and Giacoia. The cityscape is detailed but the lack of color keeps it subtly in the background, leaving the focus on the two colorful characters. This is our first chance to see Spider-Man as rendered by John Romita. He captures that sense of agility that Ditko creates, and you can feel the motion of the cover, even without the helpful motion lines.
We’ve talked a bit about the tension in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man. Lee and Ditko aren’t getting along and Ditko is looking out the door. Lee is well aware of this, but has a huge problem. Spider-Man is his best comic, indelibly associated with Steve Ditko. You can’t just throw anybody on the book. Jack Kirby is Stan’s go-to artist when he needs a good one, but Jack had drawn Spider-Man a couple times by this point, and it was never right. And Jack’s style– while perfect for Fantastic Four– just wasn’t Spider-Man. Nobody was Steve Ditko.
We talked in the last issue about John Romita, who recently passed away. He’s been on Daredevil since Wally Wood left, following a succession of legendary talent from Bill Everett to Joe Orlando. And Romita has been more than up to the task of making his own mark on Daredevil.
But John Romita is not famous for drawing Daredevil. And while he excelled at the romance comics he had been drawing, that’s not really what made him a household name amongst fans. His step into legendary status will come with his next assignment, and this issue will serve as his audition for that assignment.
So, how well can John Romita draw Spider-Man? Let’s find out.
Featuring: Daredevil Release: February 3, 1966 Cover: April 1966 12 cents Unsurpassed story by: Stan Lee Unexcelled pencilling by: John Romita Unparalleled inking by: Frankie Ray Unabashed lettering by: Artie Simek 20 pages
The cover is evocative of Kirby’s style with the high melodrama and sense of characters leaning forward out of the page, but it is by the now regular Daredevil artist, John Romita, with inks by Frank Giacoia.
John Romita passed away last month. I thought about making a note of it on this blog at the time but didn’t quite have the words.
I didn’t really know John Romita. Never met him or spoke to him. I just know his work. So my reaction to his death isn’t the same as that of his family, or even those professionals or fans who knew him better. The question is, what does the death of someone I just know through their work mean to me.
Everything. They mean everything. Their deaths fill me with a profound sense of sadness and loss.
That said, John Romita was 93 when he passed. He lived a full and good life and leaves behind an extraordinary legacy. Not the least of which is his son, John Romita Jr., a legendary comic artist in his own right.
Featuring: Daredevil Release: January 4, 1966 Cover: March 1966 12 cents Story: Stan Lee Pencilling: John Romita Inking: Frankie Ray Lettering: Artie Simek 20 pages
The kids are growing up. After two issues with Kirby layouts, Lee is ready to let Romita stand on his own feet and draw the comic from scratch, which likely means a lot of the plotting for this issue is also owed to Romita. Frank Giacoia is brought in to finish.
This will wrap up the Ka-Zar saga. Bit of a recap of the key points. Ka-Zar and the Plunderer are brothers. Ka-Zar’s original name was Kevin Plunder. Their father Lord Plunder had been an explorer who discovered a Vibrating Ore with strange and powerful properties. The secret of the mound lies in having the completed medallion that he gave half of to each son.
Plunderer has brought Ka-Zar and Daredevil to his castle in England, and called the local authorities on them, taking advantage of his nobility to accuse them of murder.
Featuring: Daredevil Release: December 12, 1965 Cover: February 1966 12 cents Dastardly story by: Stan Lee Demonic layouts by: Jack Kirby Devastating artwork by: John Romita Dilapidated lettering by: Sam Rosen 20 pages
No man is ever helpless… not while he lives… not while he dares!
The title promises the secret of Ka-Zar’s origin. The narration seems to hedge a bit, promising only new clues to his origin.
Recall, we had a bit of confusion last time. In name and appearance, Ka-Zar appears to be a character we’d met long before. David Rand, a jungle lord in the Congo introduced in Marvel Comics #1. This Ka-Zar looks the same and also goes by Ka-Zar, but lives in a hidden dinosaur-laden land in Antarctica. Is this Ka-Zar David Rand? And if so, how did we get to Antarctica?
We left off with Ka-Zar in peril from a plant and Daredevil in peril from Maa-Gor, last of the Ape Men, whom we met alongside Ka-Zar in X-Men #10.
