Strange Tales #152

The Power of SHIELD!

The Power of SHIELD!
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD!
Release: October 11, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Layouts: Jolly Jack Kirby
Artwork: Jaunty Jim Steranko
Lettering: Adorable Artie Simek
12 pages

Previous#618Next
Strange Tales #151, Story BReading orderStrange Tales #152, Story B
Strange Tales #151, Story BStrange TalesStrange Tales #152, Story B

So long as men such as you exist– men who are dedicated not merely to the cause of nationalism– but to international freedom– to global justice– so long will the lamp of liberty continue to burn bright– until men of good will, everywhere, put down their arms and come forth to reason together!

Once again, Kirby is on layouts with Steranko on art, but the character work looks more like Steranko this issue than last, perhaps suggesting looser layouts from Kirby.

Worth noting this will be Stan Lee’s final work on Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD. He remains the editor, of course.

Last issue, Nick had escaped Hydra, but was unwittingly piloting their Overkill Horn. We pick up there this issue. Sitwell is in charge of SHIELD, and manages to destroy the Horn, fearing he has killed Fury in doing so. But Nick gets free.

Continue reading “Strange Tales #152”

Strange Tales #151

Overkil!

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: September 8, 1966
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Layouts: Jolly Jack Kirby
Illustrations: Jaunty Jim Steranko
Lettering: Adorable Artie Simek
Hood laundering: Irate Irving Forbush
12 pages

Previous#616Next
Tales of Suspense #85, Story BReading orderStrange Tales #151, Story B
Strange Tales #150, Story BStrange TalesStrange Tales #151, Story B

So you’re the guys who’re gonna take over the world, huh?

A new name in the credits. Who is this Jim Steranko on the art over Kirby’s layouts?

He had apparently dabbled in comics briefly in 1957, but I have no examples of that. His first work came out for Harvey just three months earlier. He co-created several adventure heroes for them like Spyman. And perhaps contributed to varying degrees to the stories.

Per The Comics Journal, some of this work such as in Double Dare Adventures is illustrated by Steranko.

Either way, he’s new to comics. This is a pretty big assignment for a rookie. Let’s see if he makes anything of himself.

Continue reading “Strange Tales #151”

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#614Next
X-Men #26Reading orderTales of Suspense #85, Story B
Strange Tales #149, Story BStrange TalesStrange 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.

Continue reading “Strange Tales #150”