Featuring: Hulk
Release: February 4, 1965
Cover: May 1965
12 cents
Script by Stan Lee, who created [sic] the Hulk!
Art by Steve Ditko, who adopted the Hulk!
Inking by Frankie Ray, who fears the Hulk!
Lettering by Art Simek, who looks like the Hulk!
10 pages
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| Tales to Astonish #67 | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #68 |
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Hulk remains in the unnamed “iron curtain nation”. We will learn this nation borders Mongolia.
We see an impressive battle with the Soviet military. Hulk’s been fighting the US military since issue 1, but this is the first real all-out battle between Hulk and a bunch of tanks.
It brings to mind the battle in the 2003 Hulk film. More than a few points of similarity. Not saying this issue was a direct influence on the film, but this issue did seem to set the visual language for how Hulk deals with tanks.
Ripping off the turret to use as a club… Shrugging off a blast from the tank… Soldiers escaping a destroyed tank.
In particular, we see for the first time what will become a favorite technique of Hulk’s. His thunder clap. He claps his hands with enough force that the shockwave can destroy tanks.
The force clap, commonly called the thunderclap, is another contribution by Steve Ditko to the character. It will be a trick Hulk uses often, including in the 2008 film.
Hulk was created by Lee and Kirby, but they never found a dynamic for the character that worked. Ditko did. He told 8 issues of Hulk, and within them established a rhythm and status quo, the first the character ever really had. He made Hulk a viable concept and one that has been able to maintain a monthly comic for the next half century and counting.
Ditko helped do the same with Iron Man in his 3 issues on the series, setting a visual language to emulate.
It’s time to bid goodbye to Steve Ditko on the title. He will focus his attention on the comics that really seem to matter to him, Spider-Man and Dr. Strange.
The issue ends with Banner now a prisoner of bandits in Mongolia.
Lee offers a thank you to Steve Ditko for his time on Hulk, and welcomes the return of Jack Kirby in the next issue, who will begin his second run on the Hulk, continuing with the arcs Ditko has set up, involving conflicts with the Leader and Major Talbot.
Rating: ★★★½, 60/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in The Incredible Hulk Epic Collection vol. 2: The Hulk Must Die. You can also find the story in Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk vol. 2. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Hulk/Bruce Banner
- Kanga Khan
- Major Talbot
- Hakun Gantu
Story notes:
- Still in “iron country nation”.
- First Hulk force clap.
- Hulk heads to Mongolia.
- Kanga Khan a bandit chiefton.
- Talbot ordered to pay ransom for Banner.
- Khan attacked by rival bandits led by Hakun Gantu.
| Previous | #353 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #67 | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #68 |
| Tales to Astonish #67 | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #68 |
