The Trap is Sprung Featuring: Daredevil Release: August 2, 1966 Cover: October 1966 12 cents Spellbinding script: Stan Lee Phenominal pencilling; Gene Colan Dynamic delineation: Fearless Frank * Darlin’ Dick * Wild Bill Laudatory lettering: Artie Simek Bombastic bird-watching: Irving Forbush 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: Avengers Release: May 10, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Stan Lee: Writer Don Heck: Artist Frank Giacoia: Inker Sam Rosen: Letterer Irving Forbush: Arbitrator 20 pages
But, the past is over now! The past is dead! You are the master no longer! I’m free of you… at last!
We just saw Galactus appear in the middle of New York. There to devour the Earth. The Avengers have a mansion in the middle of New York. Why didn’t they help out?
Well, maybe they were away. Where? Surely not just elsewhere in New York fighting Black Widow. Maybe off wherever the Collector’s castle is? Or in the middle of the Atlantic fighting Attuma? Or perhaps they were in the “Far-Off Land”, as the title suggests. It seems likely they were quite far away.
Now, the Avengers won’t make it to the titular Far-Off Land this issue, but next issue.
And Marvels will claim this is where the Avengers were when Galactus attacked. Which is good enough for me.
Featuring: Captain America Release: March 10, 1966 Cover: June 1966 12 cents Wondrous words by: Stan Lee Awesome art by: Jack Kirby Incredible inking by: Frank Giacoia Lop-sided lettering by: Artie Simek 10 pages
…the world will soon tremble before the power of– Them!
In Captain America’s recent battle with Batroc, Batroc was working for some secret cabal. In the pages of Strange Tales, we learned the Fixer was working for some secret cabal called Them. They had some plot involving miniature brains. I don’t know if these two cabals are connected.
Nick Fury confronts Captain America at Avengers HQ. This is their first meeting in the present. Captain America refers to him as “Sarge”, but it’s Colonel Fury now. They reference fighting together, presumably referring to Sgt. Fury #13. That is the only prior meeting we know of.
When Fury notes Cap hasn’t aged much, Cap says Fury seems pretty well-preserved himself. Is this just a compliment? Or a first hint that Fury uses some form of special formula to keep himself young. They last met 20 years ago. Fury could have been in his ’20s then and ’40s now.
Featuring: Captain America Release: February 10, 1966 Cover: May 1966 12 cents Script: Stan Lee Layouts: Jack Kirby Penciling: John Romita Inking: Frank Ray Lettering: Sam Rosen Kibitzing: Irving Forbush 10 pages
Oh, Cap… Cap… will this war never end? Will we never be able to lead normal lives? How can we speak of love… when the world is in flames… when I don’t even know your name!
With famed romance artist John Romita on pencils, we will learn the story of the “girl from Cap’s past”. There’s going to be some confusion here. A lot of confusion, in fact. So let’s review what we know.
Two issues ago, Cap encountered a female SHIELD agent who reminded him of an old flame. This SHIELD agent has an older sister who once dated a man named Steve Rogers.
We see the final parting of Cap and this woman in his memory. We’ll recall it here for reference.
Not a lot of details about this woman to go off, but enough that this issue will find a dozen ways to contradict them.
A documentary about Cap’s role in the liberation of Paris stirs up Cap’s memories. He notes it’s been over 20 years. He lost her that day and never learned what became of her, if she survived the war or not.
“That lightning and thunder… it’s like the angry roar of the past… trying to capture me again!”
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: Avengers Release: April 12, 1966 Cover: June 1966 12 cents Savage script by: Stan Lee! Powerful pencilling by: Don Heck! Explosive embellishment by: Frank Giacoia! Lethargic lettering by: Sam Rosen! 20 pages
No matter what else… he’ll always be an Avenger! Just as he’ll always be… the man I love!
Frank Giacoia going by his real name for perhaps the first time. He’s usually been under the pen name Frankie Ray or similar.
Dr. Henry Pym. Ant-Man. Giant-Man. Goliath. He who can’t choose a name.
Or a status quo. His latest shtick is that he can only turn exactly 25 feet tall and only for a period of exactly 15 minutes. What happens if he exceeds 15 minutes? We’re about to find out. He did so last issue, then collapsed while shrinking, having gotten down to about 10 feet.
I think it’s cute how quickly all the Avengers have taken to calling him Goliath. There’s probably a lesson for people today to take from this.
