jack kirby – Page 2 – Coke ⊕ Comics

Fantastic Four Annual 4

The Torch that Was!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: August 2, 1966
Cover: November, 1966
25 cents
Conceived and created by: Stan Lee (scenarist) & Jack Kirby (illustrator)
Inked and lettered by: Joe Sinnott (Delineator) & Sam Rosen (Calligrapher)
Recited and ignited by: Irving Forbush (part-time non-entity)
19 pages

Previous	#611	Next
Human Torch #38, Story D	PRELUDE
Fantastic Four #56	Reading order	X-Men #25
Fantastic Four Annual 3	Fantastic Four Annual	Fantastic Four Annual 5

The Original Human Torch! Reborn– only to die again!

We began our Marvel reading with Fantastic Four #1, released in August 1961. But Marvel had 22 years of history predating that comic. What is the relationship between those older comics and the modern 1960s ones? We’ve seen some impacts.

Fantastic Four #56

Klaw the Murderous Master of Sound!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: July 7, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
Produced by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Delineated by: Joe Sinnot
Lettered by: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#610	Next
	PRELUDE	Marvel Mystery Comics #2
Fantastic Four #55	Reading order	Fantastic Four Annual 4
Fantastic Four #55	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #57

Our biggest problem seems to be keeping the somewhat disoriented Marvel Universe in some semblance of order! But, when you constantly mess around with space/time warps, and continuums, negatives zones, intra-cosmic deviationary fields, and universes beyond the reached of infinity, you’re apt to get a little bit confused! So bear with us, erudite one, for verily thou hast the seeming of a true believer!

Two notes about the credits. The first is that there are two Ts in Sinnott.

The second is that the credits will stop specifying Stan Lee as the writer, when Kirby is doing most of the writing. The compromise is the nebulous “produced by” credit. Ditko had fought for a similar credit in his comics before leaving.

Sue is upset that Reed is always working, and not spending enough time with his wife. Not the first time we’ve seen this complaint.

Reed has all kinds of fancy technology, including a visi-phone which connects to his lab. Wow. A visi-phone. Imagine being able to talk to someone remotely and see them at the same time!

Eh. I’d rather just send a text.

Fantastic Four #55

When Strikes the Silver Surfer!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: July 7, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Scripted with a smile by: Stan (The Man) Lee
Pencilled with a passion by: Jack (King) Kirby
Delineated with a dignity by: Jovial Joe Sinnott
Lettered with a lilt by: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
Applauded with Aplomb by: Honest Irving Forbush
20 pages

Previous	#609	Next
Sgt. Fury #35	Reading order	Fantastic Four #56
Fantastic Four #54	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #56

I have seen men build… and destroy! I have seen this world, which could be paradise, reduced to a planet of greed, and fear, and hatred! I have seen humanity with its heritage betrayed!

When Galactus came to devour Earth, Silver Surfer was his herald. But Silver Surfer met Alicia Masters, and she convinced him that humanity was worth saving. So Silver Surfer betrayed his master. As punishment, Galactus took Silver Surfer’s space-time powers from him. This presumably means he cannot fly faster than light speed, so is practically confined to within a lightyear or so of Earth.

Thing hadn’t been happy that Alicia seemed so impressed by the Silver Surfer, and spent some time moping in the rain about it.

Johnny and Wyatt have been on their way to the Great Refuge of the Inhumans since they left Wakanda. Along the way, they came across Prester John and the Evil Eye, which Johnny thought might break the Negative Zone barrier around the Great Refuge. But that didn’t work out.

Shouldn’t Johnny and Wyatt be in school?

Reed still owes Sue a proper honeymoon. Though he has taken her to the Great Refuge and Wakanda. But I guess she wants somewhere just the two of them where they don’t battle evil. Women, eh.

Thor #140, Story B

The Battle Begins!

Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: March 2, 1967
Cover: May 1967
12 cents
A glory-drenched masterwork by:
Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby
Inking: Vince Colletta
Lettering: Sam Rosen
5 pages

Previous	#597	Next
Thor #140	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man Annual 3
Thor #140	Thor	Thor #141

By my blade… it must not end like this!

As we’ve discussed, I just read these Thor back-up stories along with the Thor comic they appear in. With the main stories, I try to combine story arcs into one or otherwise think through the continuity.

Because of that, we’re just kind of reading the middle chapter of this Arabians Nights saga in isolation.

I found the story doesn’t really read any better if I tried to condense it.

So we need to remember what happened, but not much happens in these stories.

Thor #140

The Growing Man!

Featuring: Thor
Release: March 3, 1967
Cover: May 1967
12 cents
Conceived and created by the noblest collaborative combo in comicdom:
Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby
Inking by: Vince Colletta
Lettering by: Sam Rosen
16 pages

Previous	#596	Next
Tales of Suspense #86	Reading order	Thor #140, Story B
Thor #139, Story B	Thor	Thor #140, Story B

Thanks to thy valor– thy matchless devotion– Asgard endures! But, many are the battles that lie ahead! Many are the foes we yet must face! Many the dangers to be overcome! Yet, verily I say unto thee– Whate’er may befall… we shall face it together!!!

We are pretty far ahead in Thor’s story compared to the rest of the characters. This comic is from March 1967, but we’re still in July 1966 in the other comics.

This is really because Thor attends an Avengers meeting in an August 1966 comic. And there’s just no space in Thor’s saga for that to happen in a long window of time. A lot happened at once for Thor, involving Hercules, Tana Nile, Ego, and the High Evolutionary. It was go, go, go for lots of issues. Things calmed down a few issues back. But it was clear that Thor was in Asgard chilling with his new crush, Sif. And not on Earth. And then the Troll War broke out.

So we jump ahead to this comic which at last returns Thor to Earth and gives him enough breathing room to attend an Avengers meeting. We’ll discuss as we go through the issue what clues there are as to how long he’s been away.

We open with celebrations marking the end of the Troll War.

Tales to Astonish #84, Story B

Rampage in the City!

Featuring: Hulk
Release: June 30, 1966
Cover: October 1966
10 pages
Script… Stan (The Man) Lee
Art… Almost the whole blamed bullpen
Lettering… Artie (Smarty) Simek
Therapy… Honest Irving Forbush
10 pages

Previous	#593	Next
Tales to Astonish #84	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #85
Tales to Astonish #84	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #85

Can a green-skinned introvert, with anti-social tendencies, find happiness and fulfillment in a modern materialistic society?

I leave it to your eagle eyes to determine who drew what in this issue. Some artwork may or may not be due to Bill Everett, Jerry Grandenetti, Gene Colan, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, John Tartaglione, Mike Esposito, Sol Brodsky, or others.

Can a green-skinned introvert, with anti-social tendencies, find happiness and fulfillment in a modern materialistic society?

We’d seen a similar question posed at the beginning of Hulk’s current series in issue 60.

Can a man with green skin and a petulant personality find true happiness in today’s status-seeking society?

In this issue’s Namor story, we learned Hulk was in the city. And this story is conveniently titled “Rampage in the City”.

Hulk thinks saving Betty from Boomerang means people won’t hate him anymore. Good luck with that.

Hulk used to be an Avenger, so he goes to New York to ask them to help him find Betty.

Tales of Suspense #84, Story B

The Super-Adaptoid!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: September 8, 1966
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee * Jack Kirby powerhouse production
Delineated by: Fearless Frankie Giacoia
Lettered by: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
10 pages

Previous	#591	Next
Tales of Suspense #84	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #84
Tales of Suspense #84	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #85

After all these years… all the countless battles… and the scars which will never fade… here I stand… still a loner– a human anachronism. All I’ve ever loved… all I’ve held dear… vanished with the past… while the memories remain to haunt me forever! But, I must be true to my trust! Every man has a purpose… a destiny to fulfill… and, whatever mine may be… I’ll never shirk it!

Captain America calls in the Avengers to deal with the Adaptoid. The Tumbler he just left to the police.

Hawkeye recalls the original Avengers foe the Space Phantom, and suspects a connection. But Cap notes the Adaptoid is a robot, while Space Phantom was an alien. Goliath and Wasp, the only ones present who actually fought the Space Phantom, do not weigh in.

Tales of Suspense #83, Story B

Enter… The Tumbler!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: August 9, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee Jack Kirby pandemonium-packed production!
Delineated by: Richard Ayers
Lettered by: Samuel Rosen
(Or: How formal can ya be?)
10 pages

Previous	#589	Next
Tales of Suspense #83	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #84
Tales of Suspense #83	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #84

What can be wrong? I’ve adapted everything about Captain America… and yet… there is still a quality lacking!

AIM has fallen, but a dying Count Royale warned SHIELD that their creation the Adaptoid may yet finish their work.

The Adaptoid, a pantograph, infiltrated Avengers headquarters by assuming Jarvis’ form, then drugged Captain America, and assumed his form. He has also stolen Captain America’s shield.

Unfortunately for the Adaptoid, if you look like Captain America, his enemies become yours. The Tumbler has come to challenge Captain America and prove his superiority. So now he’s the Adaptoid’s problem.

Tales of Suspense #82, Story B

The Maddening Mystery of the Inconceivable Adaptoid!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: July 7, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Stan Lee authored the script
Jack Kirby pencilled the story
Frank Giacoia inked the drawings
Artie Simek lettered the panels
Irving Forbush sharpened the pencils
10 pages

Previous	#587	Next
Tales of Suspense #82	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #83
Tales of Suspense #82	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #83

I consider it a rare privilege to serve the mighty Avengers, sir!

Bucky was Captain America’s partner in World War II, killed by Zemo, who was working for the Red Skull.

But he seems to be back somehow?

No, it’s just a photograph.

Jarvis is the butler to the Avengers. He’d previously worked for Tony Stark, but Stark has been loaning his mansion to the Avengers for some time, and has lent Jarvis with it.

We don’t yet know much about Jarvis. He was introduced to us in Tales of Suspense #59, but presumably had been serving the Avengers since early on. He probably had second thoughts about the job when Hawkeye tried to prove his merits to join the team by attacking their butler.

This issue is the most lines he’s had yet. He notes it’s a privilege to serve the Avengers.

He offers to draw a bath for Cap, but Captain America can shower by himself. He’s a big boy.

PRELUDE: Captain America Comics #6, Story B

Meet the Fang, Arch-Fiend of the Orient

Featuring: Captain America
Release: June 25, 1941
Cover: September 1941
10 cents
9 pages

Previous		Next
Tales of Suspense #81	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #82

So long, Cap. I did my best. Long live liberty!

No credits are given in the issue. The opening page is by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. The rest of the art is by Al Avison, Syd Shores, and George Klein. Those are the credits given in the Golden Age Captain America Omnibus. The GCD credits the entire story to Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, but I believe they are incorrect.

We just read the beginning of Iron Man’s second battle with Titanium Man in Tales of Suspense #81. We had previously read the conclusion of that issue, which featured Captain America’s epic battle with Red Skull and his Cosmic Cube. Before we get to issue 82, I’d like to peek back at this old Captain America story, which introduces the villain Fang.

Fang is an Asian villain, and thus probably a racist stereotype of a character like most Asian villains in the 1940s. And the 1960s.

We learn Fang is based on San Francisco’s Chinatown. He meets with an agent of an “Asian aggressor nation”. I interpret that Asian aggressor nation to be Japan, particular given the agent’s surname of “Nushima”, though the comic prefers not to specify.

After all, America wasn’t at war with Japan in June 1941 when this comic was released.