Strange Tales #106

Cover Date: March 1963

Plot Overview: Carl Zante arrives at the Human Torch's house and asks Sue to see him. Johnny finally arrives and is shocked to find out that his secret identity hasn't really been a secret for all of this time. Zante has a proposal for the Torch. He wants the Torch to team with him because Reed is just taking advantage of the Torch. Zante offers to give the Torch half of the reward money and half the glory if they team together. Johnny tells Zante that he'll talk to Reed about it and see what happens. Zante of course is tricking the Torch and just wants to use him to commit crimes.

The Torch arrives at the Baxter Building and of course his demands start trouble with the Thing. Reed settles them down and explains that all of the money the Fantastic Four makes goes to research. He also explains that they share the glory equally. Johnny gets made at this answer and decides to join Zante.

Sue begs Johnny to reconsider as he unveils his new costume. Johnny pays her no mind as Zante arrives. Zante explains that there is someone trapped in a bank vault and the Torch needs to rescue them. The Torch takes off and easily burns through the vault. He's surprised to find no one is there and Zante reveals that it was all a trick. Zante sprays the Torch down with liquid asbestos and then shoots him with a gun.

Zante grabs the money and escapes. He gets in his car and the Thing stops him. Sue and Reed help to apprehend him. The Torch arrives on the scene and reveals that Zante only shot him in the arm. Zante makes his escape but the Torch chases him down. Johnny finally uses his intense heat to trap Zante in the pavement. The issue ends with Johnny putting on his Fantastic Four costume and heading off into the sunset with the FF.

My Take: I really liked this issue. I liked how they revealed that Johnny's secret identity was really a sham. I thought that aspect of the book was really ridiculous and I'm glad they got rid of it so soon. I liked the amount of continuity in this book. Zante brought up a couple of fights from the Fantastic Four comic and mentioned how Johnny saved the day. Overall, Zante's approach to Johnny was really well written and believable to me.

There was a decent amount of action in this issue. There were a couple of pages of it and you don't even get that in a full length Fantastic Four comic sometimes. The Acrobat is a little ridiculous as a character but I think they used him well. He didn't do anything that was really unbelievable to me or anything.

This issue also further developed the relationships between the Fantastic Four members. I would actually say that they felt more like the FF that I'm familiar with in this issue. The Thing also seemed to be much more of a wise cracker than an angry monster in this issue. I like when they add Sue to these issues. You don't get to see the brother/sister dynamic as much in the main FF book because they're so busy with the Reed and Namor stuff. So it's nice to see them focus on her from a different angle here.

The art for this issue was really good. Dick Ayers drew the issue this time. He doesn't get the hype that a Kirby/Ditko/Romita gets but he's a solid hand in these issues.

This book is still a surprise to me. I felt like the Torch issues were going to be hard to get through. I was really waiting for Dr. Strange to show up to make these worthwhile. But this book has been a ton of fun with the Human Torch. It never fails to be a fun read for me. I look forward to doing more issues of Strange Tales.

I'd give this ***1/4 out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of Carl Zante also know as the Acrobat. He's a very minor character in the Marvel Universe but he's well known as a trivia question. The Acrobat famously poses as Captain America a few months before Cap returns in the near future. That's the Acrobat's claim to fame as a character.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #13

Journey Into Mystery #90

Cover Date: March 1963

Plot Overview: The Xartans depart to conquer Earth as the issue opens. Meanwhile, Dr. Don Blake struggles over revealing himself to Jane Foster. As he's about to finally reveal himself as Thor, Odin shows up and tells him not to. Blake heads out into the city and finds that people are acting more and more crazy as he walks about. He returns to the office and Jane is also acting crazy. Blake leaves and becomes Thor. He visits the mayor to realize that, he too, is acting different.

Thor thinks back to his younger days and the teachings of Odin. Odin tells him that the simplest answer however impossible is probably the right answer since nothing is impossible. Thor decides that the people must be imposters if they aren't acting themselves.

Thor finds a spaceship but the ship traps him and he drops the hammer. Thor becomes Blake again and he's captured by the aliens. They take him into the ship and the mayor and Jane are inside. Blake agrees to take the aliens to attack Thor if they let him go. The mayor and Jane are outraged as Blake leaves the ship with the aliens. Blake sends the aliens into the brush so he can grab the hammer and once again become Thor.

Thor bests the son of the head Xartan in one on one battle and then easily defeats the head alien. The other Xartans surrender and Thor makes them turn into trees. Thor reveals that the Xartan people take on all the qualities of what they turn into. As trees, they can no longer think and turn themselves back. Thor tells the mayor and Jane to go easy on Blake, he was only helping him get the drop on the aliens. Jane and the mayor are confused by the explanation but ultimately accept it.

My Take: I hated this issue. Lee didn't write it and the artist was new. So the art was bad and the script was really weak. The story was just absolutely ridiculous. I really don't know what to say about this issue. I really didn't like it.

Thor is kind of lagging behind some of the other books. You have the Thor/Blake/Foster love triangle and really nothing else. Being in love with Foster is really the only personality he has as a character.

This title in general is really up and down. When they do Asgard stuff, it's really interesting and stand apart from the other titles out there. When he's more Earth bound, he comes across like a Marvel imitation of Superman. Hopefully they start focusing more on Asgard soon.

I'd give this 1/4* out of *****.

Notes: This is a rare early Marvel story that Lee didn't write. He's credited with the plot but a different writer is credited with the script.

Next Issue: Strange Tales #106

Amazing Spider-Man #1

Cover Date: March 1963

Plot Overview: This issue picks right up where Amazing Fantasy left off. Aunt May is unable to pay the rent due to the loss of Uncle Ben's income. Peter decides to start performing publicly as Spider-Man again to bring in some money for the family. Unfortunately for him, J. Jonah Jameson publishes an editorial that declares him to be a public menace. Peter's performing career is over so he seeks a normal job to no success. Peter sees Aunt May pawning her jewelry and becomes enraged with Jameson for what he's done.

We shift scenes to a space launch. JJJ's son John Jameson will be launched into space. The spacecraft takes off but quickly runs into problems. The guidance system has fallen out and there's no way to replace it. Peter becomes Spider-Man and offers his services. Spider-Man and a pilot fly to the spacecraft and he successfully replaces the guidance system. John lands safely as a result.

The next day JJJ launches into another campaign against Spider-Man. He is accusing Spidey of sabotage so that he could look like a hero. The public buys into the campaign. The first story ends with Peter wondering what he was going to do now. He wonders if he'll be forced to become the menace that JJJ proclaims him to be.

The second story opens as Peter has an idea. He'll join the Fantastic Four and that will solve his financial issues. He breaks into the Baxter Building and has a brief scuffle with the members of the Fantastic Four. Things settle down and Spidey declares that he wants to join the group. The FF explain that they are a non-profit organization and they can't pay him to be a member.

The scene shifts as the Chameleon has a plan to steal missile defense plans. He's a master of disguise and he's going to use Spider-Man as a scapegoat so he can successfully pull off his crime. The Chameleon uses a special radio to contact Spider-Man. He tells Spidey to meet him at a certain time and he'll help him with his problems.

The Chameleon disguises himself as Spidey and steals the plans. He runs from the police and has it timed right for the real Spider-Man to arrive on the scene to take the fall. Spidey evades the police and figures out that the culprit escaped in a helicopter. Spidey brings the helicopter down and takes the Chameleon to the police. The Chameleon creates some confusion and disguises himself as a police officer. The police try to arrest Spidey but he goes after the Chameleon. The police defend the Chameleon thinking he is one of their own. Spidey leaves the scene but he actually tore part of the Chameleon's disguise. The police arrest the Chameleon as Spidey runs into the darkness wishing he never got superpowers. The issue ends with the Fantastic Four wondering if Spider-Man is a good guy or a bad guy.

My Take: The thing I really liked about this issue is the two stories built on each other and built on the story in Amazing Fantasy. You read the first part of this issue and the second part felt like it picked right up where the first part left off. You also felt like this was a direct continuation of Amazing Fantasy. What is happening with this issue is pretty unheard of at the time. DC at the time was essentially a giant reset being hit between issues. Nothing ever really built on anything else. The continuity you're seeing here was revolutionary for this time period.

The stories were pretty solid and the background cast has really started to develop around Spider-Man. JJJ is in the book and making his life miserable already and he has the beginnings of a relationship with the Fantastic Four. I liked the first story quite a bit. It really established the tone of what Spider-Man is going to be for the next several years. The second story was okay but I felt it was a little flat. The Fantastic Four part was cool but the Chameleon part was pretty generic.

The art was up and down for this issue. The art in the first story was really good, the art in the second story felt rushed. Steve Ditko did both so it's a little weird that the quality is so off from each other. Ditko also did the Hulk book that came out for this month so it might have just been a time issue. I imagine producing 46 pages of art is no easy feat for anyone to pull off.

Overall, it's really interesting that they really seemed to have Spider-Man nailed down from the start. This is issue 2 and most of the well known Spider-Man concepts are in there already. In contrast, the Fantastic Four is on issue 12 and it's still getting tweaked here and there.

Overall I'd give this ***1/4 out of *****.

Notes: There are a ton of notes for this issue. This is of course the first issue of Amazing Spider-Man. J. Jonah Jameson, John Jameson and the Chameleon all make their first appearances here. JJJ is one of the most important characters in the Spider-Man mythos as he's one of Spidey's chief antagonists. To this day JJJ still has it out for Spider-Man. The Chameleon is what I'd call a C list Spider-Man villain. He's not the first or the second name you would think of for a Spider-Man villain but he's well known. John Jameson will come and go as the series progresses but there are several storylines that will center around him.

This book also features the Fantastic Four appearing in the book. Depending on the publishing date this could be the first instance of Marvel characters crossing over with each other. The Fantastic Four met the Hulk this month as well. Either way, this appears to be the month where Stan and co. decided to really embrace the idea of a shared universe.

Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #90

Incredible Hulk #6

Cover Date: March 1963

Plot Overview: The Hulk returns to his hideout and once again becomes Bruce Banner. Banner is getting weaker with each dose of gamma radiation. He sees on the view screen where a military test is interrupted by an alien calling himself the Metal Master. He can control metal with his mind and he's come to Earth to conquer it. Rick breaks away and comes to find Banner. Banner uses his gamma ray gun to become the Hulk but his face doesn't change for some reason. He puts on a Hulk mask and heads off to battle the Metal Master.

The Metal Master keeps the Hulk at bay with various attacks until he knocks the Hulk out with a giant piece of metal. The military captures the Hulk as a result and the Hulk blames Rick for betraying him. Rick leaves dejected and the Hulk starts pounding on the prison walls.

Rick meets up with his old friends and they show him their new ham radio. This gives Rick the idea to form the Teen Brigade. The teen Brigade will become a nation wide group of teenage ham radio operators that will help out the Marvel superheroes.

Meanwhile the Hulk breaks out of his prison and returns to his hideout. He once again becomes Bruce Banner but he's even weaker than before. Rick arrives and Banner calls out to him. Banner is grateful for Rick's help and Rick realizes that it was the Hulk talking. Banner has an idea and they enlist the help of the Teen Brigade. Teenagers all across the country send Rick and Banner transistors and other parts.

Banner becomes the Hulk again and the Teen Brigade gathers to see what Banner and Rick have come up with. The Hulk walks out with a giant gun and confronts the Metal Master. The Metal Master is stunned that he cannot alter the gun with his mind. As a desperation move he tosses a piece of metal at the Hulk but the Hulk quickly captures him. The Hulk threatens the Metal Master until he changes all of the damage he caused back. The Metal Master then departs as the Teen Brigade is thrilled to have helped defeat him. The Hulk and Rick depart as the military arrives on the scene. Banner tries to change back but this time he's still the Hulk. The Hulk goes into a rage but suddenly turns back into Banner. The gamma radiation is getting more unpredictable with each usage. Banner goes to see Betty Ross and the issue ends with him telling her that he can't reveal his secret because he cares about her too much.

My Take: This issue felt like they were finding a groove with the Hulk issues. Banner continues to struggle with the Hulk when in the Hulk form and now the gamma ray gun is causing some odd side effects in him. It's also becoming clear that the transformation is slowly killing him each time he does it. It was nice to have 3 issues of building in a direction instead of the first 3 issues where the direction of the book changed every issue.

The strength of this Hulk series, to me, was the strong cast around Bruce Banner and the Hulk. And the cast became even stronger with the addition of the Teen Brigade. Most of the other titles have a supporting character or two while the Hulk has about 4 or 5 right now. It helps to develop both characters and lay the groundwork of the dichotomy of the Banner/Hulk personalities. It's really a shame that the book is cancelled with this issue. It feels like they had just figured out how to make this comic work.

The art was pretty good in this issue. I always have a soft spot for Steve Ditko's work. It felt like the art wasn't rushed. The Hulk also looked better than he usually does. I like the Metal Master character design a lot. He's not out there or cool, I just enjoy his design. And the effects for his metal altering were pretty good in my opinion.

I'd give this issue *** for *****

Notes: This is the last issue of the Incredible Hulk series. From here he kind of becomes a villain and antagonist for various heroes. After awhile, he'll become a co-feature in Tales to Astonish. This is the first appearance of the Teen Brigade. They will be an important part of the Avengers forming later this year and will play a role in several comics throughout the 60s.

I wanted to take a moment and look at why the Incredible Hulk failed as a book. I think it has to do with the lack of direction to the first 3 issues. It felt like Stan Lee had a really good initial idea and then didn't know where to go with it from there. The book also struggled from an identity crisis. It didn't know if it wanted to be a sci-fi horror book or a superhero book. I also think this book was a few years ahead of it's time. The anti-hero concept maybe wasn't quite ready to take off with the readers. The 60s needed to take hold a little bit more before that kind of a concept would be more widely accepted. Just my two cents though.

Next Issue: Amazing Spider-Man #1

Tales of Suspense #39

Cover Date: March 1963

Plot Overview: Millionaire playboy Tony Stark has invented a new transistor and heads to Vietnam to show it off for the military. Stark accidentally steps on a land mine and wakes up in the camp of Wong-Chu. Stark has shrapnel heading towards his heart and only has a few days to live. Wong-Chu wants Stark to build him a powerful weapon and gives him the raw materials to do it. Stark decides to double cross Wong-Chu and build a weapon to help him escape and to build something to keep him alive.

Wong-Chu throws Professor Yinsen in with Stark to assist in the building. Stark reveals the plans for the Iron Man to Yinsen. They continue working until Stark is on the verge of death. Yinsen gets him into the Iron Man armor and distracts the guards while the batteries charge. Yinsen is killed and Stark vows to avenge his death.

Iron Man confronts Wong-Chu and bests him in a battle. Wong-Chu flees after Iron Man breaks up his army. Iron Man uses the oil in his armor to blow up the camp and free the other prisoners. The issue ends with Iron Man walking off into the darkness wondering about what his future will hold.

My Take: What can you say about this issue? It's a classic that still holds up pretty well today. The technology is really outdated but that's not too big a deal. The concept of Iron Man is pretty well thought out here. They showed off some of his abilities and they gave him some personality. Tony Stark doesn't have a ton depth yet but he seems like a little more than a two dimensional character with a set of powers.

It made you want to see where they go from here. How is Tony going to fix his heart? Is he stuck in the armor forever? There are all sorts of issues and questions that these 13 pages gave you to latch onto going forward.

The art was pretty good for this issue. The armor is ugly but it makes sense considering he pieced together a bunch of junk to make it. I really enjoyed this issue. I'm really looking forward to the next issue.

After this issue I think it's the third highest book on my list right now. Spider-Man is the top book and Fantastic Four would be number two.

I'd give this ***1/2 out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of Iron Man. This is also the first and only appearance of his grey armor. After this issue his armor will be gold. The Iron Man origin is pretty much what you think it was. His concept is pretty dead on to what his modern version of the character is. I always find it interesting that some concepts are well developed from the start and others seem to take some work to get right.

This is the first and only appearance of Yinsen. He is probably one of the most important characters to ever just appear in 1 issue alive. He will forever be an important part of the Iron Man mythos.

Tales of Suspense is another one of those anthology titles that their superhero line took over in the early 60s. Iron Man will be the main feature on the book for awhile but Captain America will eventually join the book as a co-feature.

Next Issue: Incredible Hulk #6

Tales to Astonish #41

Cover Date: March 1963

Plot Overview: The issue opens with Hank arriving at his friend Paul's house. No one answers the door so Hank becomes Ant-Man to check things out. No one is home and over the next few weeks more scientists disappear. A few days later, a window washer arrives at Hank's lab. He captures Hank with a special paralyzing agent.

The scene shifts to the other scientists who have been transported to another planet. A tyrant named Kulla is holding them hostage until they can build him a death ray. Hank arrives and gets himself thrown into the dungeon so he can become Ant-Man. As Ant-Man he encounters the alien insect life of the planet. He realizes that he needs to alter his helmet's frequency to communicate with them.

Ant-Man arrives and confronts Kulla. One of the guards tries to step on Ant-Man but he manages to avoid the attack. Kulla manages to catch Ant-Man with the paralyzing agent but just as he's about to win he is killed by his own death ray. The alien insects from earlier have operated the weapon. The inhabitants storm the stronghold and capture Kulla's men. Ant-Man escapes to become Hank Pym just in time to be released from the dungeon. The issue ends with Hank and the other scientists returning to Earth.

My Take: This issue wasn't too bad. It was pretty forgettable but it wasn't so ridiculous that I hated it or anything. My main problem with this book is that Ant-Man is really just kind of boring. He's not really getting developed as a character. He's pretty bland and your run of the mill superhero.

The battle again shows why the Ant-Man concept doesn't work as a solo book. The bad guys were trying to step on him this time. And for Ant-Man to win, some pretty contrived things have to happen. I think the strongest issue of this series was the one where he fought the Scarlet Beetle. That was an enemy that was the same size as him and nothing crazy had to happen for Ant-Man to come out the winner at the end of the day.

I'm really hoping this book improves when the Wasp shows up and when he learns how to become Giant-Man.

I'd give this issue *1/2 out of *****.

Notes: This is the first and only appearance of Kulla as far as I know.

Next Issue: Tales of Suspense #39