POSTLUDE: Deadpool #11

With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence

With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence
Featuring: Deadpool
Release: November 5, 1997
Cover: December 1997
Stan Lee Presents
A Very Special Deadpool brought to you across the Vast Expanse of Space and Time by:
Joe “Marty McFly” Kelly, writer
Pete “H.G. Wells” Woods, penciler
Nathan “Time Traveller(^TM)” Massengill, inker (’90s)
Al “Time by Seiko” Milgrom and Joe “Space Warp” Sinnott, inkers (’60s)
Chris “Sagan” Sotomayor, colorist
R “Timecop” S and Comicraft/Emerson Miranda, lettering
Paul “Time Warp Again” Tutrone, assistant editor
Matt “Time to make the donuts” Idelson, editor
Bob Harrras, time loop
Bob Harras, time loop
Bob Harras, time loop
Bob Harras, time loop
Bob Harras, time loop
Based in part on Amazing Spider-Man #47 by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.
Special thanks to Darren Auck, The Bullpen (and all that name encompasses), Patti Dazzo, Ralph Macchio, Kareem Montes, Wilson Ramos, Repro, Pond Scum
And of course Stan and John for allowing This Travesty to Occur
50 pages

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That’s a great dress, Gwen… But it would look a lot better crumpled up next to my bed…

I certainly hope readers of this blog have no doubt what cover is being homaged here.

Last issue, Deadpool and his prisoner Blind Al went the Aquarium. As fate would have it, the Great Lakes Avenge Lightning Rods were also at the Aquarium that day.

So what, you just read the comic and narrate what happens? Can your readers not afford their own comics?

Cable always said, “Life is like a case of weaponry. You never know how they’re gonna die.”

Those who read the introductory post know that my first ever comic Avengers #309 featured the Great Lakes Avengers…

Why would anybody have read that ?=&&*#☂^?

And so I’ve always had a fondness for the team.

Of course you like the lamest ∬=⊗©☂Ω/ superheroes. Who are your other favorites? The Human Fly? Quasar? That
😀%=⊗#Ψ?💩 Superman?

Doorman leaped into Deadpool just as he tried to teleport away with Blind Al. And that’s where this issue picks up.

I know all this because 1997 comics had these helpful fold-out inside covers to help get you up to speed.

You, my friend need to get &💩☂😀. Some nice 😀%//+ *^+&Ψ 💩⊗^☂%Ω and a @Ψ^ 😀☂⊗© and you won’t need this ∬=⊗©☂Ω/ blog anymore.

We pick up where that left off. Deadpool and Blind Al find themselves hurtled… onto Aunt May’s porch.

And then when this *^=☠☂😀 💩** blog is no more, maybe your readers can finally come out of their parents’ basement and get their own 😀☂⊗©**=⊗©Ψ😀.

Now we have been reading 1967 comics, but this comic is from 1997. And in 1997, Aunt May was dead. So how could she be here?

Yeah, but she was alive by 1998. Death in Marvel is about as meaningful as a 5th grader with high standardized test scores. Sure, kid, you have “potential”. Potential to *=⊗© Λ+ ∬💩^ %ΩΨ! Hahahaha!

Continue reading “POSTLUDE: Deadpool #11”

Amazing Spider-Man #47

In the Hands of the Hunter!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Stan Lee and John Romita
Abetted and lettered by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #46Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #48

But, why am I thinking of him in the past tense!? He’ll come back! He’ll make it.. somehow! The good guys always win… don’t they?

Always exciting when I can time covering a great Spider-Man comic with a great new Spider-Man movie in the cinemas.

Seven issues back, we saw the final battle between Green Goblin and Spider-Man. But now it seems the Green Goblin has returned?

Ah, it is a flashback to a previous fight between Spider-Man and Kraven, perhaps from Amazing Spider-Man #34. We see the fight from a different angle and learn the Green Goblin had been watching.

Continue reading “Amazing Spider-Man #47”

Amazing Spider-Man #46

The Sinister Shocker!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: March 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee John Romita Spideriffic spectacular!
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #45Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #47

I almost made a king-sized jackass out of myself! How could I have thought a teen-aged nobody like Parker could actually be Spider-Man!

Can Romita fill Ditko’s shoes on this title? Ditko created a number of iconic villains. Romita will have to do the same if he wants to compare. He’s already created the Rhino.

Now we meet the most shocking villain yet… the Shocker.

Continue reading “Amazing Spider-Man #46”

Amazing Spider-Man #45

Spidey Smashes Out!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: November 10, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
A Stan (The Man) Lee — John (Ring-a-ding) Romita adventure in agonizing action
Lettering – Sam Rosen
Web-untangling – Irv Forbush
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #44Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #46

When your two arms were helpless against me before, what did you expect to accomplish now?

In this story, Spider-Man fights the Lizard again. With one arm tied in front of his back.

Romita gets the same credit Stan had been giving Ditko and Kirby. Rather then merely crediting him with illustration, Lee gives them each co-credit for creating the entire story, acknowledging that Romita is doing much of the writing.

Continue reading “Amazing Spider-Man #45”

Amazing Spider-Man #44

Where Crawls the Lizard!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: October 11, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
Story: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Illustration: Jazzy John Romita
Lettering: Swingin’ Sam Rosen
Luggage: Honest Irving Forbush
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #43Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #45

Ditko and Lee created a number of great villains for Spider-Man: Chameleon, Vulture, Tinkerer, Dr. Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Living Brain, Electro, Big Man and the Enforcers, Mysterio, Green Goblin, Kraven the Hunter, Scorpion, the Spider Slayer, Molten Man, the Cat, Looter, Robot Master, a Guy Named Joe…

A temptation when writing a Spider-Man story is to have the premise: “Spider-Man fights _ again.”

Which is the worst idea for a Spider-Man story. In fact, two of Ditko’s weakest issues, written after he had basically given up on the series, involve Spider-Man fighting Kraven or Molten Man again.

That’s not to say these villains shouldn’t return. They should. But their return needs to tell a different story with them or move their own story forward.

That’s the big question. Is this story advancing the saga of this villain or bringing it in circles?

Dr. Octopus fought Spider-Man. When they fought again, it led to the death of Betty Brant’s brother and Spider-Man being unmasked. The villain returned but it was a new story. When they fought again, Dr. Octopus assembled six of Spider-Man’s most sinister foes to battle him. Again, a different story. Finally, they had their greatest battle with Dr. Octopus in the guise of the Master Planner. I heaped plenty of praise on that saga at the time. But suffice it to say, I think there was more of a premise to that story than “Spider-Man fights Dr. Octopus again.”

Spider-Man fought the Lizard, but then learned he was a good man Dr. Connors transformed by his own science experiments.

We saw that man again, cured of his Lizard ways, now acting as a scientific advisor to Spider-Man. We saw him again last issue in a similar capacity, advising against the Rhino. That time he idly wondered if the powers of the Lizard could be used against the Rhino. Spider-Man convinced him that thinking is dangerous.

So as we read stories where Spider-Man fights a classic villain again, I have a couple thought questions. Is the story moving the villain’s story forward? Is it telling a new story with the villain? Is there more to the premise than “Spider-Man fights _ again”?

I’m not objecting per se to Spider-Man fighting the Lizard again. Romita is an artist with a distinctive style from Ditko, so it’s fun to see his take on Ditko’s villains.

And the story will be good because Romita’s art is good and because he’ll do a good job with the side characters and soap opera. But will the story be good?

Continue reading “Amazing Spider-Man #44”

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 3

…To Become an Avenger!

…To Become an Avenger!
Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: August 2, 1966
Cover: November 1966
25 cents
Smilin’ Stan Lee
Layouts by Jazzy Johnny Romita
Pencilin’ by Dashin’ Donnie Heck
Inking’ by Mirthful Mickey Demeo
Letterin’ by Adorable Artie Simek
21 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man Annual 2Amazing Spider-Man AnnualAmazing Spider-Man Annual 4

I can’t fight it any longer! I’ve got to follow my own destiny– and let the chips fall where they may! I must have been given my spider-power for a reason! Thor was right! I do have an obligation– to mankind!

This is a “King-Size Special”. Which Marvel will sometimes be calling their Annual issues.

It boasts “72 Big Pages”. Let’s do math. The story is actually a pretty normal-sized 21 pages, but they reprint two old Spider-Man stories (issues 11 and 12), which brings the total to 64 pages. What are the other 8 pages? A table of contents, and some ads. When they advertise 72 pages, they are advertising 7 pages of ads.

The first stories I ever read with Spider-Man were Transformers #3 and Avengers #317. In the Avengers saga, Spider-Man was offered membership in the Avengers, but when Spider-Man struggled to keep up on their space adventure, Captain America and Spider-Man both agreed membership wasn’t for him. Avengers was one of the first series I regularly followed, so I read Avengers #329 a year later, in which Spider-Man does officially join the Avengers. No explanation was given for why Cap and Spider-Man changed their mind. Avengers #329 is the first time he officially became an Avenger, but the arc in #314-317 was not the first time he came close. That is here.

The Avengers are an interesting grouping. They began as Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. All characters who had had solo (or duo) series. Left out of the Avengers were the Fantastic Four, already an established team, as well as Dr. Strange and Spider-Man. Behind the scenes, there seems a clear pattern that Kirby formed the Avengers from characters he had created, but left off the characters Ditko had created. They were soon joined by a revived old character of Kirby’s, Captain America.

When the original team disbanded, they needed replacements. Rather than turn to established loner superheroes like Daredevil, Dr. Strange, or Spider-Man, they sought out old enemies like Namor and Hulk, and accepted applications from reformed villains, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch.

The Avengers know Spider-Man, or at least of him. He teamed up with Giant-Man and Wasp in Tales to Astonish #57; Wasp hated him because wasps and spiders are natural enemies. Spider-Man briefly ran into the individual Avengers in Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1. They fought a Spider-Man robot created by Kang in Avengers #11. And they were all guests at the wedding of Reed and Sue.

For his part, Spider-Man has mostly been a loner, but at the start of his career, he tried to join the Fantastic Four, only to learn they don’t pay a salary. You sometimes find yourself asking if things might have been different. What if Spider-Man had joined the Fantastic Four?

But the Avengers are funded by Tony Stark. Maybe they can afford to pay Spider-Man?

I think this is a really good comic, if we forgive some nonsense in the premise. Which we’ll get to.

It even has great art. Heck is the credited artist, and Romita is just credited with layouts, but a lot of Romita shines through, perhaps due in part to Esposito’s finishes. Layouts have been Heck’s biggest weakness as an artist.

Where does this fit in in Spider-Man’s story. The most important thing to note to me is that Peter Parker has the motorcycle he acquired in Amazing Spider-Man #41, so it’s after that. I think Amazing Spider-Man #41-43 read well as a story, united by arcs for the Rhino, Mary Jane, and John Jameson. So I didn’t care to break that up. Hence we are reading it after #43. This is where a lot of collections place it, including the Essential, Omnibus and Epic Collection. The Masterworks weirdly places it after issue 50. But I think the thinking there was just to put it at the end of one of their volumes and not worry about where it “goes”. The MCP wants it before issue 42, and the CMRO agrees, but that seems unnecessary when there are so many unresolved plot threads from issue 41 to deal with first.

“We’ve studied that photo of Spider-Man long enough” says Cap. How much was there to study in one photo? Detail-oriented heroes, I guess.

In the funniest line of any of these comics we’ve read, Hawkeye describes Spider-Man as “a real swinger”.

Captain America, famous for his tact, notes Hawkeye identifies with Spider-Man because they’ve both been outlaws.

The question before them is: Should Spider-Man be offered membership in the Avengers.

Wasp, of course, hates spiders.

Continue reading “Amazing Spider-Man Annual 3”

Amazing Spider-Man #43

Rhino on the Rampage!

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

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Petey-O, you’re right from Groovesville!

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?

Continue reading “Amazing Spider-Man #43”

Amazing Spider-Man #42

The Birth of a Super-Hero!

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

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Amazing Spider-Man #41Reading orderAmazing Spider-Man #43
Amazing Spider-Man #41Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #43

Oh well… I guess I better meet her and get it over with! She may not be as bad as I expect! She’ll probably be worse!

For the first few issues of his tenure, Romita has been inked by Mike Esposito. This issue we get to see Romita on his own to compare.

I claim this is a good comic. Even a very good comic. Lots of good things about it.

But it’s mostly remembered for a single panel that ends the issue. We’ll get there. Let’s see what else is going on first.

Continue reading “Amazing Spider-Man #42”

Amazing Spider-Man #41

The Horns of the Rhino!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: July 7, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Stan Lee, writer
John Romita, artist
M. Demeo, inker
Art Simek, letterer
20 pages

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Daredevil #21Reading orderAmazing Spider-Man #42
Amazing Spider-Man #40Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #42

I realize now– we never had anything in common! It’s just that she was the first girl I ever thought i loved!

One of the great things Ditko did was come up with a seemingly endless stream of memorable and enduring villains for Spider-Man to fight. A good many were animal-themed: the Chameleon, the Vulture, Dr. Octopus, the Lizard, the Scorpion, and the lion-themed Kraven the Hunter.

Romita needs to score with a bold new villain in that vein. The Rhino suffices.

For much of the Ditko run, Aunt May had been trying to set Peter up with Aunt Anna’s niece, Mary Jane Watson. Peter never made time for that date, and we’ve still never even seen Mary Jane’s face. Now we learn Mary Jane is moving out of Aunt Anna’s to get her own place.

A lot of teenagers in that neighborhood living with elderly aunts. I wonder how long she’d lived across the street from Peter without him ever even glimpsing her.

Continue reading “Amazing Spider-Man #41”

Daredevil #19

Alone– Against the Underworld!

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

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Daredevil #18DaredevilDaredevil #20

“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.

Continue reading “Daredevil #19”