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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POSTLUDEDeadpool #11
Fantastic Four #63Reading orderDaredevil #26
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.

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Fantastic Four #61

Where Stalks the Sandman?

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Extravagantly executed with exbullient erudition by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inked by: Joe Sinnott
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Ya mean… after lickin’ Galactus… clobberin’ Klaw… an’ whumpin’ Doc Doom… we’re gonna be polished off by a kaboodle of sand?!!

We just finished the epic “Doom Surfer” saga, coming soon after the introduction of Black Panther, coming immediately after the masterful This Man This Monster, coming immediately after the Galactus saga, coming immediately after the Inhumans saga, coming soon after the wedding of Reed and Sue, another excellent battle against Dr. Doom alongside Daredevil, and several encounters with the Frightful Four.

I consider that run of twenty or so issues the height of the series. We’re past that height now. But it’s still going to be excellent.

Recall where we left off. Sandman had broken out of prison, but Wizard’s escape was thwarted. Sandman broke into the Baxter Building to try to steal equipment to free his partner. The FF fought him to a standstill and Sandman got away.

Dr. Doom captured the Silver Surfer, and stole his powers and surfboard. This led to an epic battle, which ended when Dr. Doom tried to fly to space, to learn Galactus had left measures to keep the Silver Surfer trapped on Earth. Those measures took out Doom. Perhaps he’s dead. We’re not sure. We last saw the surfboard flying back to Castle Doom where the Silver Surfer is imprisoned.

Johnny and Wyatt had been searching for the Inhumans with Lockjaw, but left the search to aid in the battle against Doom. Meanwhile, Black Bolt finally spoke, and the power of his voice destroyed the Negative Zone barrier surrounding their city, as well as the entire city. Black Bolt led his royal family and court into the world, while the rest of the Inhumans stayed behind to rebuild their city.

Don’tcha even get a coffee break in this blasted super-heroin’ business?

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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.

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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.

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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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Sgt. Fury #37Reading orderAmazing Spider-Man #45
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?

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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?

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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 #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.

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Amazing Spider-Man #25

Captured by J. Jonah Jameson!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: March 11, 1965
Cover: June 1965
12 cents
Swingin’ script by: Stan Lee
Dazzlin’ drawings by: Steve Ditko
Loquacious lettering by: S. Rosen
20 pages

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Tales of Suspense #68, Story BReading orderFantastic Four #39
Amazing Spider-Man #24Amazing Spider-ManAmazing Spider-Man #26

I appreciate that the splash page centers Spider-Man’s supporting cast. It really is what separates this comic from all the others we’re reading. And this issue is significant for an almost-addition to that cast!

In addition to the normal credits, there’s an extra note crediting Ditko with the plot. Ditko has been responsible for all the plots and most of the writing without credit for it. And his relationship with Stan is starting to deteriorate over this and other concerns. Pretty soon, we’ll be at the point where Ditko has made a condition of his continued employment that he never has to speak to Stan.

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Amazing Spider-Man #16

Duel with Daredevil

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: June 9, 1964
Cover: September 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee, master of the spoken word
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko, dean of dramatic drawings
Lettered by: S. Rosen, sultan of sparkling spelling
22 pages

Let me start by wishing a happy birthday to Steve Ditko, who would have been 93 today had he not passed away in 2018.

Ditko has created a number of new villains for this series, while maintaining a generally pretty high quality (Green Goblin excepted). The team has only once borrowed a villain so far, when Spider-Man fought Dr. Doom in issue 5. This is the second time borrowing a villain, but they dig deeper, bringing back Ringmaster from Incredible Hulk #3 two years earlier. We’ve read over 200 comics since we last met Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime.

Aunt May still insists Peter accept a blind date with Mary Jane Watson. Peter makes the reasonable protestation that he has a girlfriend. May notes they are not engaged. Does May just not like Betty for some reason? On the other hand, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a date. Peter could just offer to hang out with Mrs. Watson’s niece as a favor to Aunt May. I feel like they could compromise here.

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