Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: January 10, 1967 Cover: March 1967 12 cents Explosive editing by Stan Lee Scorching scripting by Roy Thomas Piping-hot plotting and drawing by Dick Ayers Inflammable Inking by John Tartaglione Lukewarm lettering by Sam Rosen 20 pages
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: February 14, 1967 Cover: May 1967 12 cents A shocking submersible saga by: Smilin’ Stan Lee and Wild Bill Everett Inked by Dandy Danny Adkins Lettered by Swingin’ Sammy Rosen 12 pages
But ’tis no longer any concern of Namor’s! My subjects have forsaken me! Thus, they are deserving of their fate!
Dan Adkins is a mostly new name to us, though we’d seen his work when we checked out the THUNDER Agents. He was new to comics then, and has been Wally Wood’s assistant and artistic partner since. In addition to Tower, the pair has been doing work for Warren, Gold Key, and Harvey. Here’s a sampling of Adkins’ work after just over a year in the industry, all art drawn with Wally Wood in some combination.
THUNDER Agents #3, Tower, 1966
Creepy #9, Warren, 1966
The Munsters #8, Gold Key, 1966
Having defeated Namor in combat, Byrrah is crowned Prince Byrrah, Lord of Atlantis. Krang and Attuma join Byrrah by his side.
Imagine electing a leader who sides with your nation’s enemies so blatantly.
Featuring: Hulk Release: January 10, 1967 Cover: April 1967 12 cents An heroic, hulkish handiwork, by: Stan (The Man) Lee and Gil (Sugar Lips) Kane Lettered by Swingin’ Sammy Rosen 10 pages
Only one thing will insure the safety of mankind.. The Hulk must die! Even though it means the death of Bruce Banner, as well!
We did leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Hulk is under the mental command of the Stranger and is going to go on a global rampage to weaken Earth enough for Stranger to conquer.
It’s the type of cliffhanger that usually makes me skip ahead to read the next issue promptly.
But I find the resolution here so anticlimactic, that it didn’t feel worth it.
As the situation is resolved by page 2.
Hulk reverts back to Banner. Stranger had taken control of Hulk’s brain. Not Banner’s. So therefore Earth is saved. And we can get on to the issue’s main plot points.
Featuring: Captain America Release: December 8, 1966 Cover: March 1967 12 cents Editing: Stan Lee Script: Roy Thomas Drawn by: Jack Sparling Inked by: Joe Sinnott Lettered by: Sam Rosen Subway swept by: Honest Irv 10 pages
You may have had hours of practice… but I’ve had years!
That’s quite a surprising line-up of creators. Lee and Kirby have been handling Captain America thus far. Kirby took a couple issues off last year, with fill-ins by Ayers or Romita. And Kirby isn’t done with the book, but it will be a few issues until we see him again, with Gil Kane taking over. Lee is only taking this one issue off.
Thomas is Lee’s standard backup at this point, so his name isn’t that surprising. Joe Sinnott is our favorite inker these days, so it’s good to see him.
But who is Jack Sparling? That’s a new name to us. He’s one of those guys that’s worked in comics since the 1940s, seemingly at every company but Marvel. This is his first Marvel work and he won’t become a regular.
Here’s a sampling of his work.
The Yorktown Younger Set, Calling All Girls #3, Parents’ Magazine Press, 1942
Hap Hopper, Sparkler Comics v2 #10, United Feature Syndicate, 1942
Nyoka the Jungle Girl, Master Comics #50, Fawcett, 1944
Claire Voyant, Keen Teens, M.E., 1945
Lovers Lane #2, Lev-Gleason, 1949
Texas Rangers, Action Comics #140, DC, 1950
Kid Lochinvar, Great Lover Romances #1, Toby, 1951
Warfront #1, Harvey, 1951
Masked Raider #1, Charlton, 1955
The Sword and the Dragon, Four Color #1118, Dell, 1960
Adventures into the Unknown #121, ACG, 1961
Immortal Man, Strange Adventures #177, DC, 1965
He’s at this time a fixture of DC’s horror books, while still drawing romance, war, or other comics for companies like Harvey and Dell.
Featuring: Avengers Release: November 10, 1966 Cover: January 1967 12 cents Edited by: Stan (The Man) Lee Scripted by: Roy (The Boy) Thomas Drawn by: Don (The One) Heck Lettered by: Sam (The Sham) Rosen 20 pages
It was with a feeling of eagerness… almost of exhilaration… that I donned my crimson costume once again…
Stan the Man is by far Stan’s most common nickname at this point. I think this is our first time seeing Roy the Boy. I appreciate the rhyming scheme they have going on here, except… Don and One don’t rhyme. Maybe they do in the same way as eye and symmetry.
Who was the mystery figure who confronted Captain America at the end of last issue? It turns out to be the Scarlet Witch.
Featuring: X-Men Release: December 8, 1966 Cover: February 1967 12 cents Stan Lee… editor Roy Thomas… scripter Werner Roth… artist John Tartaglione… inker Sam Rosen… letterer Irving Forbush… skating instructor 20 pages
Funny… it took an inhuman, emotionless thing like the Super-Adaptoid… to make me realize the true value of the emotion called… friendship!
We haven’t seen many seasons yet in our years of Marvel reading. But now it’s clearly winter. We’ll think at the end of the post about what that means for our continuity.
Jean is in town for the weekend from college. Going off to college seemed like a way of sidelining her from the series, but she’s managed to miss very few adventures.
We learn Warren is recovering from his accident.
And see Scott standing alone and aloof off to the side while his teammates enjoy themselves.
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
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.
Featuring: Hulk Release: December 8, 1966 Cover: March 1967 12 cents Handled with Hulktitude by Stan (The Man) Lee and Gil (Sugar) Kane Lettered by: Sam Rosen 10 pages
For, it is my intention to cleanse the Earth… to purify this tortured planet… in the only way possible… Civilization… as you know it… must be obliterated! The works of man… indeed, man himself, must be all but wiped out! Only then… with the planet scourged clean… scourged of the seeds of evil… can a new day dawn! Then, these humans who have survived the coming holocaust, shall build a better world… under my command! But I sense your thought! You are concerned about the fate of the millions who must perish! That can be of no concern to me! Human life means nothing to the Stranger! If all the solar system must be destroyed to bring peace to the universe, I would not shed a single tear at its passing! For I am the Stranger! I walk ever alone!
Boomerang is dead. Bruce Banner lies unconscious.
The Stranger had previously collected Magneto and Toad for his zoo. Has he come for the Hulk? Not for his zoo, apparently.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: November 3, 1966 Cover: February 1967 12 cents Written by: Stan the Man Lee Illustrated by: Wild Bill Everett Lettered by: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen 12 pages
There must be no new battle till our fighting strength has been restored! Else, the death knell of fair Atlantis may be at hand!
We read the second half of this issue some time ago. It’s a thing that happens. Namor and Hulk share a title. When there are ongoing stories, I try to group a few issues together, looking for decent pause points within the series. But what happens when a good pause point for Namor isn’t a good pause point for Hulk?
Well, I make the reluctant decision to read an issue ahead for one of the characters. Even though that means picking up this comic, flipping to the middle, putting it down, then later picking it up again and reading from the beginning. Almost certainly what nobody reading this comic in 1966 did.
Ah well. I try to balance a lot of things when choosing the reading order and some things have to give.
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
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.
