Featuring: Human Torch Release: February 11, 1964 Cover: May 1964 12 cents Deftly written by: Stan Lee Dazzlingly drawn by: Jack Kirby Dramatically inked by: Dick Ayers Distinctively lettered by: S. Rosen 14 pages
Been a little while since Kirby has deigned to draw a Human Torch story. I assume we owe his presence to the guest appearance of Iceman, just like a Captain America crossover motivated his last visit.
Mr. Fantastic notes the X-Men are hard to contact because nobody knows their identities. Iron Man was able to contact them just fine, and they all have access to a government-provided superhero communications network.
Featuring: Daredevil Release: February 4, 1964 Cover: April 1964 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Illustrated by: Bill Everett Lettered by: Sam Rosen 23 pages
Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four do not actually appear in this issue. They mention Spider-Man on the cover and the first page in an attempt to market Daredevil as their next Spider-Man.
Daredevil has a pretty distinctive logo, an expanding font with a swoosh running through it. Preceded by a “Here comes…”. And then the tagline which will endure to this day: “The Man Without Fear”.
Bill Everett is a name we should be plenty familiar with by now even though this is his first time showing up in the Marvel Age. We know him from our “Prelude” reading as the creator of Namor the Sub-Mariner 25 years earlier. Reportedly, he was very slow working on this issue of Daredevil, leading to this issue being released a full 7 months after it was originally scheduled. So he won’t be invited back to illustrate more Daredevil stories. He’ll be put on covers and finishes, jobs where he’s less likely to blow deadlines. A shame, because he does great work here.
Featuring: Avengers Release: March 3, 1964 Cover: May 1964 12 cents An epic tale told with high drama and heroic dignity by: Stan Lee Illustrated with deep sincerity and dazzling beauty by: Jack Kirby Inked by: Paul Reinman Lettered by: S. Rosen 23 pages
Rick Jones gets his name on the cover and on the opening page alongside the book’s actual stars. He i fact is given billing over Giant-Man and Wasp in both places. His placement suggests he comes with Captain America, as though they are partners.
This tale is getting closer to what I feel like a traditional Avengers tale should be. There should be some menace to the world, a threat so great that no single hero can stand against it. Mostly so far, they’ve just fought Hulk over and over again. And he just wants to be left alone.
In this issue, the Lava Men invade Earth. When last we met them, they were referred to as Lava People; not sure how the unneeded gendering crept in.
Almost what I’m looking for. Only two problems. The first is that the Lava Men/People invaded before and Thor stopped them all by himself. So it’s not clear they’re an Avengers-worthy threat. The second is that in addition to fighting the Lava Men, the Avengers also all attack Hulk again. They really should just give the guy a break. This is now their fifth battle with the Hulk, and they all end in a stalemate.
Featuring: Wasp Release: April 2, 1964 Cover: July 1964 12 cents Ring-a-ding story plot by: Stan Lee Jazzy script and art by: Larry Lieber Like wow, man! inking by: Chic Stone Far-out lettering by: S. Rosen 7 pages
Pretty significant issue here. As we’ve mentioned, Wasp is the only female superhero to have a solo series this entire decade. But the series wasn’t really about her. She was always the narrator for another story. Until now.
Starting with this issue, Wasp’s solo adventures actually star the Wasp, as she goes on her own adventures. I feel like this is the real beginning of Wasp’s solo series.
It will last 2 issues.
These comics treat Wasp as though she is not very powerful. And, well, she’s not. However, she’s more powerful than Ant-Man ever was. She’s got his abilities, plus she has a stinger and can fly. And the comics talked about him like he was some unbeatable warrior. Citizens and police praised his prowess while criminals cowered.
This story puts Wasp up against a single crook. Not a supervillain, just an ordinary jewelry thief. And the artists seem at a loss at to how she might fight this guy.
Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp Release: April 2, 1964 Cover: July 1964 12 cents Brilliantly written by good ol’ Stan Lee Bashfully drawn by loveable ol’ Dick Ayers Boldly inked by faithful ol’ Paul Reinman Bravely lettered by fearless ol’ S. Rosen 16 pages
We’re throwing two issues of Tales to Astonish together because the Avengers’ series only leaves so much space for Giant-Man/Wasp adventures and because Wasp’s hairdo is difficult to reconcile with Avengers continuity.
Last issue, Hank was ready to propose. He’d even bought a ring. But then he got insecure and doubted that Wasp really loved him. By the end of the issue, he seemed more confident in Jan’s love. But I still don’t see a ring on her finger and there’s no mention of it this issue.
Wasp gets a new addition to her arsenal: a stinger. It’s a compressed air gun. She’d previously had a weapon she referred to as a stinger, but it was just a pin she held. In issue 46, they refer to it as though it’s a regular part of the arsenal. She’d picked up a pin the previous issue. In the backup story of this issue, which takes place before this story, she’ll also pick up a random pin and refer to it as her sting.
Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp Release: March 3, 1964 Cover: June 1964 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Drawn by: Dick Ayers 18 pages
The story leaves out the letterer credit for some reason. The GCD notes it’s Sam Rosen.
They spend a page detailing how Giant-Man’s ring transport method works. It really might be the dumbest thing in this series.
Giant-Man’s costume has been undergoing a gradual evolution. Ayers has been drawing him with these thick black suspenders, while everybody else has favorited light vertical stripes, as on the cover. They will eventually converge on the black suspenders look. Ayers adjusts them slightly in this issue. They had always been vertical like suspenders on the front, but now Ayers has them in a V-shape, meeting at his belt. I’d like to use costumes as a clue for how these issues fit around the Avengers issues, but Giant-Man must be changing back and forth.
Wasp also gets a new look this issue. This is also unhelpful to chronology considerations as this look never shows up in the Avengers comic. She has a new hairdo and new headpiece to show it off. In Avengers #5, she appears to have her old hairdo and headpiece. By Avengers #6, she is wearing a whole new costume. It will be hard to reconcile.
The big news of this issue, besides Wasp’s new do, is that Hank has finally bought a ring, and intends to propose to Jan. She’s been wanting that basically since they met while he has always been too preoccupied with science and superheroing.
Featuring: Thor Release: March 3, 1964 Cover: May 1964 12 cents …only the inspired talent of Stan Lee could have written it… Only the gifted hand of Jack Kirby could have illustrated it!! Inked by: Chic Stone Lettered by: S. Rosen 13 pages
As with last month’s Tales of Suspense, this issue sees Thor take a more significant place on the cover. He gets his own logo, prominent on the cover, with the series’ title taking a subordinate position. “Journey Into Mystery with The Mighty Thor”. This is Thor’s comic now.
Thor has spent most of this series battling threats that really should be beneath his notice. Cobra with his slithering power? Finally, Thor’s mettle gets tested. In fact, it’s a test too great for him. He’ll need the help of Balder and his father Odin to overcome this threat.
The story begins soon after the end of the previous issue. Loki is chastising Enchantress and Executioner for their recent failure. If Enchantress could only have waited a few seconds to turn Executioner into a tree…
Those eyes.
We really need to talk about Loki. I mean, we already did, but it’s getting more confounding. Odin had sentenced him to eternal imprisonment. I really must stress the word “eternal”. But then suddenly Loki was seemingly Odin’s most trusted advisor. No explanation was offered. Loki manipulated the supposedly wise Odin into causing Thor’s most recent grief, both his battles against Zarrko and the Enchantress. Now, Loki not only convinces Odin to travel to Earth, but Odin lets Loki rule in his stead, and grants him extra power to do so.
Featuring: Watcher Release: January 10, 1964 Cover: April 1964 12 cents Story plot: Stan Lee Script + art: L.D. Lieber Inking: P. Reinman Lettering: S. Rosen 5 pages
With this story, we finally finish all the January comics, after some jumping around in time. We’d already ready some February books, but now we have officially reached February in our reading.
The Watcher has another tale for us, concerning the one man on Earth who was seen as a failure because he refused to pursue success in business. He and his lady end up rulers of a galactic empire. The Watcher asks: “Can any of us ever really know who is a failure and who is not?”
Featuring: Iron Man Release: January 10, 1964 Cover: April 1964 12 cents Plot by: Stan Lee Story by: N. Korok Art by: Don Heck Lettering by: S. Rosen 13 pages
N. Korok is an alias for Don Rico. Stan credits Rico with the story and himself with the plot. I would love to know what Stan thinks the difference between “plot” and “story” is. Rico had been working with comics, and Marvel Comics in particular, since 1939, as artist or writer or editor. By this time, he had mostly left comics behind and become a successful novelist– likely why he’s not using his real name on this comic work. Any comics work by Rico from this point forward will be quite uncommon.
Khrushchev decides it’s time to deal with the traitorous Crimson Dynamo. He sends for Russia’s best agents, Boris and Natasha.
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: January 10, 1964 Cover: April 1964 12 cents Sensational story by: Stan Lee Astonishing art by: Jack Kirby Incredible inking by: G. Bell Lighthearted lettering by: S. Rosen 22 pages
I have no idea why it took us so long to get to something like this. It seems like such an obvious superhero story to me: a good old-fashioned slugfest. Take two very strong characters and just have them duke it out. Thing and Hulk are perfect for a brawl. They met before, but it wasn’t a brawl. There was a mystery and a Commie plot and all this stuff. This time, the rest of the team is quickly taken out of contention. And it’s up to Ben Grimm to hold his own against the Hulk.
Worth the wait.
We get some preamble. Hulk has returned to New Mexico with the Avengers in pursuit. Unbeknownst to them, he turned around suddenly and went to New York to find them. He read in the paper that Captain America had replaced him and thought Rick had betrayed him. He is off to finally destroy the Avengers. Of course, Rick never betrayed him. And the Avengers only replaced him because he quit.
