Featuring: Hulk Release: January 4, 1966 Cover: April 1966 12 cents Story by: Stan Lee (Certainly!) Layouts by: Jack Kirby (Naturally!) Artwork by: Bill Everett (Surprisingly!) Lettering by: Sam Rosen 10 pages
Everett is on art now. We know him as the creator of Sub-Mariner, who told Namor’s original stories. And as the co-creator of Daredevil with Stan Lee, who worked on that series for a single issue. He was removed for being very over-deadline. I think a full-length comic for an entirely new character takes longer than a 10 page Hulk story.
Nonetheless, Kirby is brought in for layouts. Though Everett is the more senior of the two and has long been a writer/artist.
Hulk’s story hasn’t had a pause to breathe since he got his new title. No sooner had the Leader finally been defeated than Hulk was transported into the future. Thinking him dead, Rick revealed Banner’s secret to Major Talbot. But Hulk lives, and has returned from the future.
Has Talbot not told anybody his news yet? Not even Ross?
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: January 4, 1966 Cover: April 1966 12 cents Blue ribbon story by: Stan Lee Prize winning pencilling by: Adam Austin Academy Award winning inking by: Vince Colletta Booby prize lettering by: Artie Simek 12 pages
Fire! The one element which is alien to me! The one element I fear!
Austin had unmasked as Gene Colan last issue. Not sure why were are back to the pseudonym.
We are into Namor’s second story arc in his new series. Though it will turn out to be less of an arc than a bunch of loose threads. Surface experimentation is threatening Atlantis; Namor resolves to go to the surface to stop it; the earthquakes created unleash the Behemoth; Namor finds Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne–formerly Giant-Man and Goliath–responsible for the testing.
Featuring: Hulk Release: December 2, 1965 Cover: March 1966 12 cents Script by: Stan Lee Layouts by: Jack Kirby Pencilling + inking by: Johnny Romita! Lettering by: Sam Rosen 10 pages
Why shouldn’t I tell? It’s time the world learned the truth…!
That’s a damn compelling cover, a collaboration between Kirby and Romita, with the Romita influence coming in heavy, but a unique look for the Hulk that is very distinctive compared to either man’s style. Dramatically, we shockingly hear Rick Jones tell an officer (presumably Talbot) Hulk’s secret. We’ll see how that plays out.
John Romita took over as the regular artist on Daredevil last month. He’s just filling in here, as the series has floundered without a regular artist for the last 10 months. Bill Everett will be taking over next issue. We also saw Romita filling in on last month’s Captain America
As we noted in our recent Daredevil post, John Romita just recently passed away in June 2023 at the age of 93. One of the greatest comic artists of all time.
It is a compelling title. “Bruce Banner is the Hulk!” Is this the issue where his secret identity is finally revealed? Secret identities have been revealed on occasion before, but the learner of the identity usually develops amnesia or dies.
Recall from last issue the army built Banner’s T-Gun without knowing what it did. They hit Hulk with it and now everybody assumes Hulk is dead. In fact, Hulk has been transported to the future.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: December 2, 1965 Cover: March 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, writer Gene Colan, penciller Vince Colletta, inker Sam Rosen, letterer 12 pages
Supreme is the head that wears the crown! The decision must be Namor’s alone to make! Imperius Rex!
A secret has been revealed! Not to us, because I spoiled it when he first showed up. But this is the first time Gene Colan’s name has shown up in the credits. Yet it’s clearly the same artist as last issue, drawn by “Adam Austin”. So Adam Austin must be Gene Colan!
Just like superheroes have secret identities, artists do too. In this case, it was likely to disguise the fact that he was moonlighting for both DC and Marvel. Some comic artists used pen names so that their lesser comic work wouldn’t get conflated with the great novels or works or art they were one day to create. For many, it may have been to make their names sound less Jewish.
Since Namor got his own series back in issue 70, he’d been on a continuous quest to retake his kingdom from Krang. Last issue was almost a clean ending to that quest, save for the final pages. Namor was now the ruler again, with Lord Vashti his Grand Vizier. But then an earthquake strikes, and Namor suspects atomic tests of the surface world are responsible. He resolves to go to the surface world to sort this.
If Namor is the ruler of Atlantis, why is he Prince Namor? Why not King Namor? The Atlanteans must do it differently.
Vashti sits on Namor’s council and offers the wisdom that the choice of action is Namor’s, as the absolute monarch. Then why even be on the council, Vashti? Namor knows it’s his decision. Advise him!
This next story arc is going to get quite convoluted. The last one was relatively clean. Krang had taken the throne. Namor needed to recover some ancient artifact to reclaim it and followed a series of clues. This story begins with an earthquake and Namor’s plan to go to the surface world to get them to stop the tests. Let’s see where it goes from there.
Featuring: Hulk Release: November 4, 1965 Cover: February 1966 12 cents Script: Stan Lee Layout: Jack Kirby Pencilling: Scott Edward Inking: Mickey Demeo Lettering: Artie Simek 10 pages
Stay back!! Back!! You’re just a pack of men– but me, I’m the Hulk!
I like to think I know Marvel decently well, but I’ve never heard of Scott Edward. Usually means a regular DC artist is moonlighting at Marvel on the down low. Indeed, Scott Edward is the already legendary Gil Kane. He’s got some great work at Marvel ahead of him. Of course, Gil Kane isn’t actually his name either. His birth name is Eli Katz, but we all know him as Gil Kane.
But let’s see what he’s done in his 20+ years in comics before getting here. We technically did meet him as one of the artists working with Wood on Thunder AGENTS.
By this point in his career, his biggest claim to fame is the creation of the new Green Lantern, Hal Jordan.
As well as the new Atom, Ray Palmer.
Inks by Murphy Anderson
Arguably, the sleek stylish sci-fi looks of Gil Kane– along with those of Carmine Infantino– are what gave birth to DC’s Silver Age of comics.
Featuring: Hulk Release: October 5, 1965 Cover: January 1966 12 cents Story: Stan Lee Layouts: Jack Kirby Illustrations: M. Demeo Lettering: S. Rosen Enjoying: That’s your job, pussycat! 10 pages
At last I got somethin’ to smash out against… somethin’ to fight… a chance to do the thing I can do better than anything that lives!
This picks up right where the last issue left off, though we paused for a bit since reading the last issue and since reading the earlier half of this comic.
Hulk had just acquired the Ultimate Machine for the Leader from the Watcher’s world. Leader’s attempt to use the machine resulted in his death.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: November 4, 1965 Cover: February 1966 12 cents Story: Stan Lee Pencilling: Adam Austin Delineation: Vince Colletta Lettering: Sam Rosen 12 pages
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: October 5, 1965 Cover: January 1866 12 cents Story by: Smilin’ Stan Lee Pencilling by: Admirable Adam Austin Delineation by : Valorous Vince Colletta Lettering by: Sagacious Sam Rosen 12 pages
Though I hold life most dear to me, I shall show how a Prince faces death!
It turns out abandoning the quest was the way to complete the quest.
Per Neptune: Every attribute of a Prince is yours… courage, strength, honest… and, most important of all… a heart which can love… a soul which can sacrifice!
Featuring: Hulk Release: September 2, 1965 Cover: December 1965 12 cents Dreamed up by: Stan Lee! Designed by: Jack Kirby! Drawn by: Bob Powell! Delineated by: Mickey Demeo! Doodled by: S. Rosen 10 pages
I am the Watcher! That is enough! That answers all!
Tales of Suspense #60 was released in September 1964, a full year earlier. That began Marvel’s first extended saga. The threat of the Leader has united the disparate threads and arcs from that issue until this one. At the time, Marvel stories were self-contained things. Just a few years earlier, they tended to fit into under 10 pages. The full-issue 20-page long Fantastic Four epics stood out in their length. Since then we’ve had the occasional 2-part arc, often two standalone issues that tie together. Because Dr. Octopus or Dr. Doom hadn’t quite been defeated in the previous issue.
This month, Dr. Strange begins a proper 2-part arc against Dormammu. About 4 months after the debut of Tales of Suspense #60, Thor’s title followed suit. Journey Into Mystery #114 moved away from discrete stories to a series of interconnected threads, which we are still untangling 6 issues later and nowhere near done with. Three months later, Dr. Strange’s story (also by Ditko) would follow suit, beginning a 17-part saga we are almost ready to sit down to read.
Thor and Dr. Strange have the benefit of a consistent creative team. Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Vince Colletta have brought consistency to Thor, just as Lee and Ditko have with Dr. Strange.
This saga opened with a variety of artists attempting the impossible task of inking Ditko before Kirby took over again briefly, before moving to the current state where Kirby does the layouts for another artist to fill in with art. Too many artists across these 15 issues. No consistency of anything.
Let’s review the story so far. It began with an unnamed spy stealing a robotic suit of armor Banner had designed for the military. Hulk dealt with the robot, but found himself a prisoner of General Ross. Meanwhile, Major Talbot joined the base with the express intention of learning Banner’s secrets, and also possibly stealing Betty’s heart. Then Chameleon attacks the base, working for the mysterious Leader, whose face we don’t see. We learn the spy from the previous issues had also been an agent of the Leader. See how the loose connections work? We finally meet the Leader, and learn he is also a victim of a Gamma-based accident, which gave him green skin and a powerful mind. He has created something called the Humanoid, which he sends against the Hulk. Rick reveals Hulk’s secret to the President to clear Bruce’s name. When Banner is conducting his next military experiment, more Humanoids attack. In the wake of the battle, he finds himself a prisoner aboard a Soviet sub and taken behind the Red Curtain. His adventures there don’t have much to do with the Leader, but it spins directly out of and into confrontations with the Leader. There’s always a cliffhanger to tie the arcs together. Hulk breaks free of the Soviets and ends up in Mongolia. And soon becomes a prisoner of the Leader. The military raid the Leader’s complex and shoot and kill Banner. By transforming into Hulk and staying that way, Hulk is able to stay alive. But then the military raid Hulk’s lab and he has no choice but to turn to the Leader for help. This time, Hulk willingly joins the Leader. The Leader sends Hulk to the planet of the Watcher to steal the Ultimate Machine. But first he will have to battle the most powerful creature in the galaxy.
Whew. That’s almost a story. Let’s see how it all ends.
Hulk is famous for battling monsters. But he hasn’t had much of a chance to yet in his career, usually facing off against the US military. Here we go. Finally. A Hulk-sized foe for the Hulk.
The Watcher relocates their battle to a barren land. While this might seem like an act of interference from one forbidden to interfere, there’s an explanation…
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: September 2, 1965 Cover: December 1965 12 cents Devastating drama by: Stan Lee Shattering spectacle by: Adam Austin Explosive embellishment by: Vince Colletta Cataclysmic Calligraphy by: Sam Rosen 12 pages
Though I am an Ancient of Atlantis, this one last deed can I do for the land we hold so dear!
After five pretty repetitive issues, finally we’re getting somewhere. Still two more issues after this one to resolve Namor’s dust-up with Krang, but at least the structure is starting to change.
Namor has abandoned his quest to save Dorma from the Faceless Ones. Since he had no idea where to go next in his quest anyway, why not.
