frank giacoia – Coke ⊕ Comics

Tales of Suspense #88

Beyond All Rescue!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Stan Lee and Gene Colan
Inked by: Fearless Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Adorable Artie Simek
12 pages

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	PRELUDE	Sub-Mariner #35
Tales of Suspense #87, Story B	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #90
Tales of Suspense #87, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #88, Story B

They must never reach the surface!

Stark had his factory evacuated for his experiments, so fortunately nobody else was inside when Mole Man sank it beneath the ground. Except maybe some unconscious Commie spies we seem to have forgotten about. And it turns out Pepper had snuck back in because she was worried about Tony.

“You little fool!” says Iron Man. “I’ve now got a female’s safety to worry about!”

“At least your make-up isn’t smudged!” he adds reassuringly.

Tales of Suspense #87

Crisis– At Earth’s Core!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
A Stan Lee ○ Gene Colan Super-powered spectacular!
Inked by: Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Artie Simek
12 pages

Previous	#653	Next
Avengers #37	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #87, Story B
Tales of Suspense #86, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #87, Story B

For the first time, man will be able to probe the deepest secrets at the very core of the planet he lives upon!

Tony Stark is experimenting with a dangerous nuclear-powered device that will enable subterranean exploration. It sounds boring.

Some Commie spies want it. They are no match for Iron Man.

Daredevil #25

Enter: The Leap-Frog!

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
A Stan Lee * Gene Colan epic extravaganza!
Inked by: Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Art Simek
20 pages

Previous	#647	Next
Tales to Astonish #89, Story B	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #46
Daredevil #24	Daredevil	Daredevil #26

We’re both lawyers, Matt! You know how thin that story sounds!

Where were we? Matt had the weirdest plan yet to protect his secret for Karen. Strong, strong emphasis on the word “yet” there. He thought he would put on a Daredevil costume in front of her and pretend to be pretending to be Daredevil to diffuse a hostage situation. Over the course of events, “Matt in disguise as Daredevil” disappears and the “real Daredevil” appears. And then finds himself transported to Europe and trapped there for a bit.

Fortunately that whole act seemed to basically have Karen fooled. But now Matt has disappeared along with Daredevil. And she opened a letter written to Matt from Spider-Man which said that Spidey knew Matt was Daredevil but would keep his secret.

Not very well, apparently.

Now, Matt is back from Europe and will need to scramble to explain his disappearance and protect his secret. He’ll need a plan even crazier than the last one.

Meanwhile, Leap-Frog is a new menace on par with Dr. Doom.

Daredevil #24

The Mystery of the Midnight Stalker!

Release: November 3, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
A Stan Lee * Gene Colan contemporary classic!
Inked by: Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: S. Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#640	Next
Amazing Spider-Man #45	Reading order	X-Men #28
Daredevil #23	Daredevil	Daredevil #25

His costume is skin tight!

Starting this issue, Colan gets a credit like Romita got last month, and like Kirby and Ditko had been getting. Rather than just crediting him with art, the entire story is credited to the combo of Stan and Gene. This implicitly acknowledges Colan’s contributions to the writing. While still putting Stan’s name first.

On continuity, we haven’t travelled far into the future. Daredevil escaped Owl’s island while the Rhino was first being tried, and got into his tiff with the Tri-Man very soon after. That ended with him trapped in Europe with no money. And he’s still stuck. So this isn’t long after Amazing Spider-Man #43, perhaps still before Amazing Spider-Man Annual 3.

Daredevil #23

DD Goes Wild!

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: October 11, 1966
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
Story: Stan (The Man) Lee
Art: Gentleman Gene Colan
Inks: Fearless Frank Giacoia
Lettering: Swingin’ Sam Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#630	Next
	INTERLUDE	Captain Atom #83, Story B
Daredevil #22	Reading order	Sgt. Fury #36
Daredevil #22	Daredevil	Daredevil #24

Surrender, Daredevil… or suffer the fatal consequences!

We seem to have two very similar opening splash pages.

Stan explains that Gene had drawn both, and they liked both, so they used both. I think Gene just likes his splash pages because it’s less pictures to draw.

As part of a brilliant plan to protect his secret identity, Matt told Karen he was going to pretend to be Daredevil. And he put on a Daredevil costume in front of her. They then went to the arena, where the real Daredevil showed up. And then she couldn’t find Matt in his Daredevil costume.

Daredevil #22

The Tri-Man Lives!

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: September 1, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
Written with rapture by: Stan Lee
Drawn with drama by: Gene Colan
Delineated with delight by: Giacoia & Ayers
Lettered with the ball game on by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#629	Next
Avengers #35	Reading order	Daredevil #23
Daredevil #21	Daredevil	Daredevil #23

I know it’s utterly insane, but I can’t help thinking of Daredevil every time I look at Matt! I know a blind attorney can’t possibly be a costumed super-hero… and yet…!

We checked in with Daredevil at the start of the Secret Empire mess because his story was entangled with Spider-Man’s battle against the Rhino. We paused, but now need to look back and remind ourselves where we were some.

Matt Murdock was wanted for Rhino’s defense council, but he couldn’t be found, because he was a prisoner of the Owl. When the Rhino broke out of prison, we saw that Matt had returned safely from the Owl’s island, and considered going after the Rhino, but decided to let Spider-Man handle it.

We now go back in time a bit as this issue opens with Daredevil just escaping from Owl’s island.

But by page 3, we are back in the present, in a scene set after his appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #43. So, the first two pages took place a few days back. But it’s been quite the few days in the lives of the Marvel heroes. And starting on page 3, a longer saga begins.

I hope this is the last time I refer to the continuity of the Secret Empire saga.

Tales of Suspense #86, Story B

The Secret!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: November 10, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
Produced with pandemonium by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inking by: Frank Giacoia
Lettering by: Artie Simek
10 pages

Previous	#626	Next
Strange Tales #155, Story B	Reading order	Avengers #34
Tales of Suspense #86	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #87

…you were one of the greatest! Don’t ever forget that!

Before we start, I’d like to note the date. Tomorrow, December 20 2025, marks 85 years since the introduction of Captain America, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

December 20, 1940, almost a year before Pearl Harbor, at a time American policy and popular sentiment was still against involvement in the war in Europe, here was Captain America punching Adolf Hitler in the face.

There are those on the internet who claim comics have become too political in recent years. To my mind, they’re not political enough. This cover was a bold political statement, and remains one of the greatest comic covers of all time, a fine introduction to one of Marvel’s greatest superheroes.

Superheroes should stand for what is right, not for what is popular. That’s how they become timeless.

Captain America is on a mission in the Orient, trying to rescue a double agent.

Tales of Suspense #85, Story B

The Blitzkrieg of Batroc!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: September 8, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
A Stan Lee Jack Kirby premium presentation
Inimitable inking by: Frank Giacoia
Laborious lettering by: Sam Rosen
10 pages

Previous	#615	Next
Strange Tales #150	Reading order	Strange Tales #151
Tales of Suspense #85	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #86

Indeed, eet shall be for zee last time, mon ami…! For none may strike Batroc in such a manner… wizout paying zee price!

“This must be the place,” thinks Cap, anticipating David Byrne.

In Tales of Suspense #76, Captain America defeated Batroc, but a SHIELD agent on assignment succumbed to poison and was hospitalized. We didn’t learn her name. She reminded Cap of a woman he’d known in World War II, a woman whose name we also didn’t learn.

Strange Tales #150

Hydra Lives!

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: August 9, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
Script… Stan Lee
Layouts… Jack Kirby
Pencils… John Buscema
Inks… Frank Giacoia
Letterings… Sam Rosen
Ear plugs… Irving Forbush
12 pages

Previous	#614	Next
X-Men #26	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #85, Story B
Strange Tales #149, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #150, Story B

‘Cut off a limb, and two more shall takes its place!’ We were right… Hydra still lives!

We read the second half of this issue already. Last issue really ended the AIM stuff, and this issue begins the return of Hydra arc, so I wanted that cutoff. But the Dr. Strange stories cut a bit differently, as this issue ends the Kaluu arc and next issue properly begins the Umar arc.

Kirby is on hand for the layouts, but the main art credit goes to John Buscema. We spoke of him at length with his return to Marvel in Tales to Astonish #85, published one week prior to this. And we’ll be seeing a lot more of him.

We begin with Nick in a strange contraption performing a dangerous test. So dangerous, he won’t let anyone else do it. It’s a prototype Overkill Horn. They are concerned an enemy has a real one.

Perhaps a Super-Overkill Horn. Adding the word Super in front of something already called the Overkill Horn seems like, well, overkill.

Tales of Suspense #86

Death Duel for the Life of Happy Hogan!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: November 10, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Gene Colan
Inking: Frank Giacoia
Lettering: Sam Rosen
Nail-biting: Irv Forbush
12 pages

Previous	#595	Next
Tales of Suspense #85	Reading order	Thor #140
Tales of Suspense #85, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #86, Story B

And, every one of his rings has a different deadly power!

Happy Hogan/Iron Man has been defeated, but now Mandarin must face Tony Stark/Iron Man.

We see two of Mandarin’s rings in action this issue. One is the impact ring. The other fires sub-freezing gas.