Featuring: Hulk Release: January 5, 1965 Cover: April 1965 12 cents Power-packed script by: Stan Lee Hard-hitting art by: Steve Ditko Two-fisted inking by: Vince Colletta Silken-soft lettering by: Art Simek 10 pages
We are almost up to date with our Hulk stories. This is the last issue where we’d read the Giant-Man/Wasp stories in the past.
We just had a discussion about how Colleta’s inking over Kirby.
How do we feel about Colletta over Ditko? The answer is that we dislike all inkers over Ditko. Ditko is best when inking himself. However, the final artwork here looks close enough to Ditko work. Ditko must have done tight pencils. So we don’t hate it. But we don’t prefer it.
Featuring: Hulk Release: December 3, 1964 Cover: March 1965 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee (our faithful writer!) Drawn by: Steve Ditko (our reliable artist!) Inked by: Dick Ayers (our dependable inker!) Lettered by: S. Rosen (our other letterer!) 10 pages
Our saga continues. Stan offers a recap. Hulk and Talbot are on Astra Isle with a new nuclear device of Dr. Banner’s. Hulk is fighting the Leader’s humanoids and a Marine task force is closing in.
We know now that strain triggers the transformation. When Dr. Banner feels strain, he turns into the Hulk. And when the Hulk feels too much strain, he turns back into Dr. Banner.
Now that Roussos has moved on, Ditko will have rotating inkers to finish off his run on the Hulk. Of course, Ditko’s work looks its best when he inks himself.
The cliffhanger of last issue resolves by page 2 as Hulk and the Humanoids fall into the ocean.
This leads to the actual plot of this issue. Banner is rescued by a Soviet sub and taken to an unnamed Soviet country as a prisoner.
Featuring: Hulk Release: November 3, 1964 Cover: February 1964 12 cents Written with the sparkling skill of Stan Lee! Drawn with the peerless power of Steve Ditko! Inked with the classic clarity of George Bell! Lettered with the TV set on by: Artie Simek 10 pages
Recall we read the Giant-Man/Wasp story in this issue a while back, but we’ve saved the Hulk stories for a big push.
Interesting that Stan refers to this as “the only super-hero soap opera”. I feel like that phrase with epitomize Marvel comics for decades to come.
I think it’s time to bid farewell to George Roussos, one of the most prominent inkers of our early reading, always under the pseudonym George Bell (oft abbreviated to Geo. Bell). We’ve read almost 50 stories with his inks, including Fantastic Four, Sgt. Fury, Iron Man, Thor, Human Torch, Giant-Man/Wasp, and Hulk stories. He’s off to do other work. He’ll return to Marvel in the 1970s and become one of Marvel’s most prominent colorists. He’s also been coloring much of the work we’ve been reading, but I’ve read most of his stories in recolored reprints, so miss out.
We open with Banner in jail, suspected of treason. He is taking tranquilizer pills to keep himself from transforming. Remember, it’s now strain that triggers the transformation.
Featuring: Hulk Release: October 1, 1964 Cover: January 1965 12 cents Only Stan Lee could have written this monumental masterpiece! Only Steve Ditko could have drawn these powerful panels! Only Geo. Bell could have inked this sensational saga! Only S. Rosen would have lettered his name S. Rosen! 10 pages
We’re nominally on the March books, but we just got up to June with Thor comics and July with X-Men, and now we need to go back to October of 1964 for Hulk stories.
We read the first story of this issue a while back. We’ve been skipping the Hulk stories because they are so intertwined with each other. Hulk is in the middle of a saga that really began in issue 60. We’re going to try to do the whole saga in something like three chunks.
Let’s review the story so far.
Dr. Bruce Banner is a weapons builder on a military base who is frequently absent. General Thunderbolt Ross has little patience for Banner and is uspet his daughter Betty seems so fond of the “weakling”. Of course, Bruce is also the Hulk. He recently decided that strain was the trigger of his uncontrollable changes into a monster with its own personality.
Dr. Banner has built a robotic suit, but a spy has stolen it. Hulk fights the spy in the robot suit. After a couple encounters, the robot is tossed into a bottomless pit.
Major Glen Talbot has been hired as the chief of security, with a particular remit to look into Dr. Banner’s strange behavior and any connection between Banner and the Hulk. He also seems fond of Betty, and the General would much prefer his daughter choose someone like the Major.
Hulk finds himself captured by the military. Rick has been spending time with Captain America and the Avengers, but still feels a debt to the Hulk. He returns to the New Mexico military base and helps Dr. Banner escape the military. This was likely before the Avengers’ battle with Immortus.
We learn the spy was working for someone named the Leader, whose face we do not see. Since the spy failed, the Leader dispatches the Chameleon to investigate what happened. When the Hulk foils Chameleon’s plans, Leader decides to get personally involved. He has just perfected a creation called the Humanoid.
Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp Release: January 5, 1965 Cover: April 1965 12 cents Story: Smilin’ Stan Lee Art: Beamin’ Bobby Powell Inking: Friendly Frankie Ray Lettering: Sunny ol’ Sherigail 12 pages
The Giant-Man tale is hogging most of the cover real estate.
Wasp doesn’t seem to be recognized as a co-lead for the second issue in a row. This is just described as a Giant-Man story. The covers have long since omitted her name.
Yes, we are falling farther and farther behind in our Hulk reading.
As before, it’s not actually a new Giant-Man. He just has a new hat.
Madam Macabre is an evil analogue to Giant-Man, with the power to make things shrink or grow. Not knowing she is evil, Giant-Man considers partnering with her, until he learns she thinks they can rule the world together.
Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp Release: December 10, 1964 Cover: March 1965 12 cents Writer: Stan Lee Illustrator: Bob Powell Inked by: Don Heck Lettering by: Sherigail 12 pages
The cover boasts of a new Giant-Man. They just mean a new costume, one which will not prove enduring. The corner box has already been updated with the new look.
We met Bob Powell in Strange Tales #130. He’s taking over two titles this month.
We met Sherigail the letterer once before in issue 55. Various websites, including Marvel’s official site, misattribute the lettering of Sherigail. Nel Yomtov had been kind enough to reach out and let me know that Sherigail is a pseudonym for Morrie Kuramoto.
We’re getting ahead with the Giant-Man/Wasp stories and behind with the Hulk stories in this title. We’ll catch up to the Hulk stories eventually.
Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp Release: November 3, 1964 Cover: February 1965 12 cents Edited by smilin’ Stan Lee Written by laughin’ Leon Lazarus Pencilled by capricious Carl Burgos Inked by peerless Paul Reinman Lettered by sparkling Sam Rosen 12 pages
You’re correct, reader, that we have not finished Tales to Astonish #63 yet. We will get there. Hulk is involved in one big story, while Giant-Man and Wasp have shorter adventures which take place weaved around their Avengers adventures. It’s a tricky thing to negotiate. We’re not going to finish this comic right now either. We’ll come back to the Hulk story another day.
We get something new here. Leon Lazarus is not a name we’ve seen before. It honestly sounds a little made up. An alliterative name like that often turns out to be an alias in these stories. Especially with a biblical last name like Lazarus, a word common in superhero stories to describe effects that raise the dead (e.g. the Lazarus Pit used by Batman’s foe Ra’s Al Ghul).
And Stan Lee claims no writing credit. He’s been the sole credited writer on everything for the last year or so. And even when there were other credited scripters, Stan Lee claimed credit for the “story” or “plot” or such. This is the very first time in any Marvel Age story that Stan did not claim story credit.
Of course, Stan’s name still goes first in the credits, as the editor.
So who is Leon Lazarus? What is his real name? Why did he decide to start writing for Marvel now?
Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp Release: October 1, 1964 Cover: January 1965 12 cents Sensationally superb story by: Stan Lee Absolutely adorable art by: Carl Burgos Incredibly imaginative inking by: Chic Stone Logically lovable lettering by: S. Rosen 12 pages
Giant-Man was the clumsiest superhero, but he’s been working really hard to improve that image, learning to shrink and grow really fast while practicing gymnastics.
Featuring: Hulk Release: September 1, 1964 Cover: December 1964 12 cents Sensationally scripted by: Stan Lee Dynamically drawn by: Steve Ditko Impeccably inked by: George Bell Lovingly lettered by: Sam Rosen 10 pages
Even if he escapes this mess, the status quo is unsustainable. If Hulk might revert to Banner at any moment and has no control… he can’t keep that identity a secret.
In a recent issue of Amazing Spider-Man, we remarked the Enforcers were distinguished from other super-villains in that they were content to be lackeys, serving a major super-villain. Most of the super-villains are to arrogant to serve anybody, a plot point whenever two try to team up. The other “lackey” villains we’ve met are Dr. Doom’s Terrible Trio and Magneto’s Evil Mutants. The Terrible Trio tried to make the leap from lackeys to being their own bosses with limited success. Magneto’s mutants only serve him, while the Enforcers are clearly for-hire.
Chameleon is the first villain we see make the leap from super-villain to lackey. He’d teamed up twice with Kraven, but those seemed more like partnerships. Now, he works for the Leader. Chameleon has been getting around. Originally a Spider-Man foe, he recently fought the Avengers, and now faces off against Hulk.
More than the major crossovers, I like the cameos. I like that Captain America can just show up for a panel if the story calls for it. Makes the universe feel cohesive.
I’m loathe to call this the introduction of the Leader since we don’t see his face. I suspect Ditko hadn’t even finished designing him yet.
Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp Release: September 1, 1964 Cover: December 1964 12 cents Written–as if you couldn’t guess by now–by smilin’ Stan Lee! Drawn–and here’s a little twist for you–by capricious Carlos Burgos! Inked–as if he knew what he was doing–by devestatin’ Dickie Ayers Lettered–as though each syllable is a gem–by amenable Artie Simek 12 pages
The cover is vertically split between the two stories. This will be a common format for these shared titles. Hulk’s story comes first on the cover, but the issue opens with the Giant-Man and the Wasp tale.
Don’t think we’ve ever seen Dick Ayers referred to as Dickie before. Carlos Burgos is normally Carl Burgos, who we recall is the creator of the original Human Torch. He’s already shown up once in the Marvel Age to draw a story with the new Human Torch. Art sometimes does go by Artie.
Giant-Man has found a way to make plants grow, as well as humans. It’s a little confusing, as he was able to shrink a chair before he shrank himself. His original goal for the technology was to revolutionize shipping. Originally, it was a liquid he pored on something (an object or his skin) to make it shrink. Then he got it into pill form. Lately, he’s been able to use his cybernetic helmet to make both himself and the Wasp change size with his thoughts. His plant growth serum comes in the form of a spray. He thinks he can use it to help with agriculture and solve world hunger.
