So! Thou wouldst trifle with Volstagg? Know you that my very belly is more than a match for a dozen such as thee!
It’s been a minute. We were in the middle of the Harokin/Warlock’s Eye saga. I’ve decided not to worry about the flow of the Tales of Asgard feature, and just read them as back-ups to the Thor comics, as they were published. So because we paused Thor’s story in the main stories, we paused here.
But now it’s been 9 months and we need to remember things. Harokin has used the Warlock’s Eye to conquer Muspelheim. Thor looks enough like Harokin that he thinks he can disguise himself as Harokin and do some subterfuge.
Ay! The gladness in his heart doth make mine own regal soul rejoice! Too long hath he been brother to sorrow! Too long hath grim duty o’ershadowed his days! Yet, a feeling of unease lies within my heart! I fear that happiness may still be denied to the so-richly-deserving, most noble Thor!
Thor’s comic has become one ongoing saga to the point where it’s hard to figure out where to cut. We obviously did cut after the last issue, which basically ended the Hercules/Pluto saga. But here we are picking up right where that left off, with Thor and Hercules returning from the Netherworld to Olympus.
We’re just going to plow through the next 6 issues of Thor, getting a bit ahead in time of the rest of the Marvel Universe. There are probably 3 distinct arcs among them, but they all just flow together. Really, the main plot of this issue has been building for a bit now. Jane has had a strange roommate named Tana Nile, who’s up to some stuff. It’s been in the background, but now comes to the foreground. And Jane’s encounter with Tana Nile will be the springboard for the next two arcs.
Of course the other springboard is Thor’s decision to marry Jane, even though a god and a mortal may not marry. Thor is ready to surrender his immortality for this.
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: June 9, 1966 Cover: September 1966 12 cents Writer: Stan Lee Penciller: John Romita Inker: Mickey Demeo Letterer: Sam Rosen 20 pages
And so, at long last– The Green Goblin will introduce himself– Take a look, Parker– a good, long look– It’s the last face Spider-Man will ever see– It’s the real face of the Green Goblin– the face of [SPOILER REDACTED]
Steve Ditko has officially left Marvel, which won’t leave me with too many other excuses to bring up Steve Ditko. However, this is the first issue of Spider-Man to not be drawn by Steve Ditko. Which is a fine excuse for bringing up Steve Ditko.
Among those interviewed was Steve’s younger brother, Patrick Ditko, who passed away just last month.
I’ve made no secret how much I love Steve Ditko’s work on Amazing Spider-Man, and have spent this blog clumsily trying to explain why over 38 issues worth of posts. Perhaps this characterization of Spider-Man from the Rolling Stone article gets to the core of how I see myself reflected in the character.
He lacked social skills.
A more charitable interpretation of my own character is perhaps found in their characterization of Steve Ditko as a man…
…who never fit into social norms, yet cultivated thriving relationships.
They go on.
Similar to how Peter Parker never lets loved ones get too close for fear it would put them in danger, Ditko compartmentalized his life, keeping work and family distinct to retain some power in a world that overwhelmed him. And the same way Spider-Man’s neuroticism makes him amazing, the traits that people marginalized Ditko for are what transformed comics forever.
…he had much more in common with his most popular co-creation, Spider-Man, especially his alter ego, Peter Parker. They had the same lanky build. Same comb-over. Same thick glasses. Same bumbling social skills. Ditko’s senior-yearbook photo could have been Parker’s. With their collared shirts and slacks, it looked as if they shopped at the same clothing store —
The late comics retailer Bob Beerbohm assembled this high school photo of Ditko next to high school Peter Parker. Perhaps there is a lot of Ditko in Peter.
So what then is Spider-Man without Steve Ditko? Is the series over?
In some sense, it is plainly not. We have here issue 39. Stan Lee continues to write the comic and has found a new artist to draw it (and probably soon to do most of the writing as well).
If issue 38 was the ending, it wasn’t a clean one. Lots unresolved. Betty is missing. Gwen and Peter are growing closer. Norman Osborn is up to some shady stuff. We never learned the secret of the Green Goblin.
Some say the reason Ditko left Spider-Man is because he and Stan disagreed over the secret of the Green Goblin. We’ll reflect on that at the end of the post.
For now, let’s see what life after Ditko looks like for the Amazing Spider-Man.
John Romita is on art. Unlike Ditko, he tends to draw good-looking people. His career in advertising taught him well to draw good-looking people.
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: May 10, 1966 Cover: August 1966 12 cents Script: Stan Lee Art: Jack Kirby Inks: Joe Sinnott Lettering: Artie Simek Native Dances: The Ballet Forbush Terpsichorean Troupe 20 pages
From this moment forth– I live with but one thought– one aim– one goal!! This deed must be avenged! Klaw shall pay– in full measure! I shall be as strong– and as fearless– as the sacred Black Panther!! This do I swear to T’Chaka– my father who is no more!
I’m sure my highly literate readers don’t need me to tell that that terpsichorean means “referring to dancing”. It’s obviously not a new word to me either, as I’ve read this comic plenty of times before. But this was the first time I bothered to look it up.
Thing is perplexed by the contrast between the advanced scientific gizmos and the primitive customs. Perhaps he should reflect on what it means to be primitive. Maybe he is the primitive one?
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: April 12, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Script by: Smilin’ Stan Lee Art by: Jolly Jackie Kirby Inking by: Gentleman Joe Sinnott Lettering by: Hammy Sammy Rosen 20 pages
The time has come for the Black Panther to stalk once more!
I’m going to repeat something I’ve been saying for the last year’s worth of Fantastic Four stories: just how impressive this moment in time is. What they accomplish in four consecutive stories arcs is unparalleled in comics history. Unprecedented and unequalled. To introduce the Inhumans, then have that story bleed into introducing Galactus and the Silver Surfer, then have that story bleed into the seminal “This Man This Monster”, to then immediately follow that up with the introduction of the Black Panther. Next issue will introduce the villainous Klaw and tell the origin of the Black Panther.
That’s a run of 10 incredibles issues. This run was preceded by the famous wedding, which was preceded by an epic three-part battle with the Frightful Four, which was preceded by one of their most iconic battles against Dr. Doom over the previous two issues…
The comic has been on fire with a sustained level of quality no other comic series has ever reached.
It can’t last forever. Fantastic Four #54 is a solid but ultimately forgettable comic. Though the stretch of stories that follow is also excellent, on par with anything except this incredible 10-issue stretch.
Let’s dive into the story without further hyperbolic build-up, and then we’ll take some time at the end to reflect on this new character we’ve just met, the Black Panther.
Featuring: Daredevil Release: May 5, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Story by: Smilin’ Stan Lee Art by: Jazzy Johnny Romita Inks by: Fearless Frank Giacoia Lettering by: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen 20 pages
Karen is about 99% convinced that I’m really Daredevil! But, she still hasn’t said she’ll marry me!
Next to the credits, we learn Stan had scripted 7 pages before taking a vacation, and that Denny O’Neil finished the script.
We met Dennis O’Neil on the final two issues Ditko’s Dr. Strange, his first comics work. He won’t be at Marvel long. He’ll go on to pretty good things at the Distinguished Competition.
Foggy enters a costume shop featuring various superheroes and villains. Recall how we saw a lot of superhero sculptures from Wally Wood to show off his takes on the characters; this is Romita’s chance to show he’s qualified for a variety of titles. Unfortunately Wood left before trying his hand at other Marvel characters.
Romita will be with Marvel for the rest of his days, and have generally more positive things to say about Stan and their relationship than the artists we’ve been seeing up until now. And Romita will get plenty of chances in the future to draw the characters he’s depicting here.
Soon, my limbs shall be swifter than ever before– while your hex power once again shall dazzle and defeat your enemies! All we need is patience, my sister– and an unaltering faith!
The Avengers are off to South America to save Goliath. And presumably will be here when Galactus attacks.
Hawkeye now likes Captain America, but still dislikes orders. As do I, Hawkeye. As do I.
Wasp recalls how they all used to share the command. It’s the first time they’ve really addressed this change. The original team had rotating chairs. The new team had Captain America as permanent leader. Given this, Hawkeye’s annoyance was understandable.
Featuring: Avengers Release: May 10, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Stan Lee: Writer Don Heck: Artist Frank Giacoia: Inker Sam Rosen: Letterer Irving Forbush: Arbitrator 20 pages
But, the past is over now! The past is dead! You are the master no longer! I’m free of you… at last!
We just saw Galactus appear in the middle of New York. There to devour the Earth. The Avengers have a mansion in the middle of New York. Why didn’t they help out?
Well, maybe they were away. Where? Surely not just elsewhere in New York fighting Black Widow. Maybe off wherever the Collector’s castle is? Or in the middle of the Atlantic fighting Attuma? Or perhaps they were in the “Far-Off Land”, as the title suggests. It seems likely they were quite far away.
Now, the Avengers won’t make it to the titular Far-Off Land this issue, but next issue.
And Marvels will claim this is where the Avengers were when Galactus attacked. Which is good enough for me.
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: April 12, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Written and edited by Stan Lee Plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko Lettered, unfettered by Artie Simek 20 pages
We come at last to the final Steve Ditko Spider-Man story. We just saw the final Steve Ditko Dr. Strange story. One thing they have in common is awful covers. My best guess is Ditko had resigned before turning in a cover for either. So like the Dr. Strange cover, this cover is cut and paste from Ditko’s artwork within the issue.
Here are the interior panels the cover cribs from:
I’ve been pretty clear that the saga of the Amazing Spider-Man as told by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko is basically my favorite story ever. I won’t belabor why any further than I have in the posts on the last 37 issues.
I’d also been pretty clear that I thought that story ended extremely well with issue 33. And that these last 5 issues represent a step down in quality, and a story that no longer seems to be going anywhere in particular.
I find it unfortunate that that was not Ditko’s final issue of Spider-Man. As the man says, it’s better to burn out than to fade away. I wish he’d gone out at the top of his game.
That excellent climax of the Spider-Man saga came out the same month as the excellent climax of the Dr. Strange saga in Strange Tales #141. Both series then went at the same time into a phase I’ve described as “spinning their wheels”. Where any of the next 4 months of issues could have been removed with minimal consequence. Ditko had one more great Dr. Strange story in him, a final confrontation between Dormammu and Eternity.
Does he have one more great Spider-Man story in him?
It’s worth nothing that the last several issues have not been bad and they have their charms. Despite the small number, this phase can actually be broken into two subphases. Issues 34-35 pit Spider-Man against returning foes, Kraven and Molten Man respectively. Some minimal advancement to the romantic supblots surrounded by action that is well told, but not adding much to Spider-Man’s previous encounters with these villains.
Issues 36-38 take a different tactic. They all introduce new villains, none of whom will become the iconic villains that the rest of the series had introduced. But all are interesting in their own right, and all have stories that center around them. Spider-Man becomes almost a secondary character, as we get to know the Looter and the Robot Master.
And they’re actually good comics, taken on their own terms, and not compared to the expectation of Spider-Man comics we’d developed over the previous 4 years of stories. Just offbeat tales about some offbeat characters who run into Spider-Man, tales that function more as satire than drama.
This falls into that mold. The story, Ditko’s final Spider-Man story, isn’t really about Spider-Man. It’s about this guy named Joe.
