Amazing Spider-Man #2

Cover Date: May 1963

Plot Overview: In the first story the Vulture has been terrorizing the city with a series of crimes. No one has been able to stop him due to his flying suit. J. Jonah Jameson puts the pressure on his editors to get him some pictures of the Vulture. Meanwhile, Peter Parker sees the request in NOW Magazine. He gets a camera from Aunt May and heads out as Spider-Man. The scene shifts to the Vulture. He plans to steal a million dollars worth of diamonds and he's going to taunt everyone in the city before pulling off his crime.

He finally spots the Vulture and moves in to get a close up shot. Spider-Man carelessly kicks a loose brick and the Vulture springs into action. He stuns Spider-Man momentarily and drops him in a water tank. The Vulture assumes that this will kill Spider-Man and leaves the scene.

Spider-Man escapes the water tank by leaping out. He heads home and realizes that he needs to modify his costume to make it more useful. He creates a belt for extra web fluid and a place to fit his camera. He also has a hunch to how the Vulture's suit works and creates a little device to nullify his flying ability. Later on, Peter heads to NOW Magazine and sells some photos of the Vulture he took.

Peter heads downtown with Flash and Liz to watch the Vulture try and steal the diamonds. Security is tight as the police watch for an attack from the air. Suddenly, the Vulture pops out of the sewer and steals the diamonds. The Vulture makes his escape and heads towards the air. Spider-Man intercepts him. They struggle in the air until Spider-Man uses his small device. The Vulture's wings become useless and he glides to the ground. Spider-Man reveals that Vulture's flying harness was magnetic and his device disrupted that. The police easily capture the Vulture as Spider-Man snaps some photos.

Peter sells the new pictures to Jameson and gets a huge check. He pays Aunt May's rent for a year and offers to buy her some new appliances as the first story comes to an end.

As the second story opens a Dr. Cobbwell arrives at Peter's school and offers him a chance to work in his lab on the weekends. He asks Peter to pick up a radio for him when he comes over the next day. Peter arrives at the lab of the Tinkerer and finds a strange old man there. Peter is suspicious and his Spider Sense goes off. The Tinkerer is working with aliens and placing listening devices in their radio equipment as he repairs it.

Peter retrieves the radio and heads back to Dr. Cobbwell. Cobbwell leaves for a lecture and Peter is still leery of the radio. He opens it up and finds a bunch of strange items in the radio. He heads for the Tinkerer's shop and finds the aliens there. There's a brief battle but the Tinkerer shoots Spider-Man with a ray. They trap Spider-Man in a glass cage and start to suck the air out. Spider-Man uses his webbing to escape. The Tinkerer accidentally starts a fire and the aliens flee. Spider-Man tries to save the Tinkerer but loses him in the fire. Spider-Man flees the scene and witnesses wonder if he started the fire.

A spaceship leaves Earth and later Dr. Cobbwell mentions to Peter that he saw the spaceship but then says that he can't prove it to anyone and to forget it. Peter knows how he feels as he pulls out the mask of the Tinkerer and realizes he can't tell anyone his experience because they would know he's Spider-Man.

My Take: I don't like the double story idea for the first two issues of Spider-Man. I feel it hampers character development ultimately. There's less focus on Peter and his problems in this issue because you have to start and restart in the book.

The stories themselves were enjoyable enough though. The Vulture was a light and fun little story. It showed that Peter can use his scientific prowess to solve his problems and it introduced one of Spidey's more famous villains in the Vulture. It also established Peter working for JJJ and selling him pictures.

The second story I enjoyed but I feel it was a bad storyline. I don't think space aliens are a good mix for Spider-Man. I feel that he is a more street level hero and he works best with street level threats. Marvel had a more sci-fi direction at this time so the presence of aliens as the villains doesn't surprise. Thankfully, they won't throw aliens in there again for a really long time.

The art is still a little on the primitive side but it has it's charms. The Spider-Man comics do seem to be a little more colorful than the other Marvel books that are coming out at the same time. It helps that Spider-Man is a mostly red character with blue mixed in.

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

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Vulture. The Vulture would be one of the more iconic Spider-Man villains. He eventually becomes a member of the Sinister Six and has appeared in most of the cartoons. I wouldn't call the Vulture one of the top Spider-Man villains though. He's more of a B list villain that is well known. The Vulture will always be around in some way shape or form though.

Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #92

Tales of Suspense #41

Cover Date: May 1963

Plot Overview: Tony Stark has donated $100,000 to a local hospital and has set up Iron Man to do a demonstration at the local children's hospital. Tony's date asks why he can't get married and Tony explains all of his scientific ventures to her. Tony also thinks about how he can't because he's also Iron Man and must always wear the armor over his chest to keep his heart beating.

Iron Man arrives at the children's hospital and the people are wowed by the many feats he performs. The announcer's mention a Dr. Strange and the scene shifts to a local prison. Dr. Strange has a plan to take over Iron Man and use him for his escape. Strange explains that he was struck by lightning several months ago and it's made him extremely intelligent.

Strange turns on his machine and Iron Man is compelled to release him from prison. As they make their escape, Dr. Strange thinks about his daughter and how he'll make her a queen of the world. Strange escapes and later arrives on an island with a makeshift army of dictators and thugs. His daughter is disgusted at what he's doing.

Meanwhile, Iron Man finds out what he did and is really upset about it. The police let him off on his word. Dr. Strange explodes a giant bomb in outer space and then tells the world to surrender or he'll set off more bombs. Iron Man offers to take him down. He has a submarine fire him under the water. Iron Man digs towards Dr. Strange's lab and destroys his generator.

Iron Man is left powerless from this act and Dr. Strange gloats at him. Strange explains that his daughter will rule the world once he conquers it. Strange's daughter tells him that she wants no part of his scheme and throws Iron Man a flashlight. Iron Man uses the flash light to recharge himself and Dr. Strange flees the scene. The issue ends with Iron Man saying that Dr. Strange's daughter was his greatest contribution to the world.

My Take: Two family based villains in back to back issues was a little much for me. In fairness, they were very different stories. This one was more about how Dr. Strange loved his daughter and couldn't show her in a normal way. It was an interesting little dynamic that they had going on between them. I wish the story could've been longer to explore them as people.

I found it funny that the woman in the first several pages was never referred to by name. Tony called her "baby", "honey" or other numerous things like that.

The story itself felt rushed. The setup was literally 9 pages of the story and the actual resolution was the last 3 pages with Iron Man. They really tiptoed around for the first 5 or 6 pages and ran out of room. You, HAVE, to get to the point in a 13 page story. You can't take a few pages and deal with things that aren't a central part of the story. This issue just kind of fell on it's face because you realize on page 10 that they have 3 pages to completely resolve a story that has 50% done at that point.

The art was very good in this issue. Tony wasn't doing weird and awkward looking things in his big bulky looking armor. They kept his actions pretty stiff, slow and plodding. It just looked right this time.

I'd give this ** out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of Dr. Strange. Not the Dr. Strange we all know and love though. Just some random villain that they gave that name to. I guess they weren't thinking too far ahead at this point as the real Dr. Strange makes his first appearance in another few months.

Next Issue: Amazing Spider-Man #2

Tales to Astonish #43

Cover Date: May 1963

Plot Overview: Ant-Man runs into a crowd of admirers and makes a hasty retreat as the issue opens. We switch scenes to Professor Elias Weems. He's excited that his grandson is coming to visit him but tragedy strikes a week later when he's fired for being too old. Weems panics and decides he's going to build a ray that will make people old.

Weems easily conducts the ray and then tests it on a tree, an elephant and a random woman on the street. With the tests a success, he names himself the Time Master and sends a threatening letter to the police. Ant-Man's network of ants picks up the conversation and Ant-Man leaps into action. He visits the police and they update him of the situation.

Ant-Man decides to ask around and learns of Elias Weems being fired. He visits Weems' home and Weems uses the ray on him. Weems has no desire to kill the aged Ant-Man. He just wants him out of the way so he places him at the bottom of a flower pot. Weems leaves and Ant-Man grows to human size to escape his situation.

Weems climbs to the top of a building and uses his ray on a large crowd of people to have his revenge. His grandson walks into the fire zone and suddenly begins to age. Weems decides to reverse the aging effect but drops the gun. Ant-Man's ants catch the gun and he reverses the aging process on the crowd. Weems realizes what a fool he had been as he goes to his grandson. Ant-Man defends Weems in court and Weems' old boss hires him back. The issue ends with Weems showing his grandson his lab and Ant-Man gives a small speech about not judging people based on age as the issue ends.

My Take: This was a fun issue. Again, it seemed to work with the Ant-Man concept and didn't feel very ridiculous. Ant-Man also got a little character development as they showed that he tends to be a shy introvert. It was a very tiny amount of development but it's really the first hint of personality he's been given over the 10 issues he's appeared in so far.

The villain was also interesting as he repented by the end of the story. That hasn't happened a lot in the early Marvel Comics.

The art was also good for this issue. Marvel seems to have a consistent artist schedule going now as the last 2 or 3 issues for each book has looked roughly the same. For awhile there, you didn't know what you were going to get with any particular issue of a Marvel book. The Marvel U is really shaping itself up right now and building some nice momentum.

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

Notes: Nothing of note happened in this issue.

Next Issue: Tales of Suspense #41

Fantastic Four #14

Cover Date: May 1963

Plot Overview: The Fantastic Four return from the moon with much fanfare. They get absolutely mobbed by their adoring public and with the help of the Torch escape back to the Baxter Building. Reed catches Sue looking for Namor and realizes that for all of his accomplishments he can't totally win the heart of Sue.

We shift scenes to the Puppet Master leaving a clinic. He's been in hiding for ever since he last battled the Fantastic Four. He mulls over which of the FF's villains he should assume control of and finally settles on Namor. Namor falls under the spell of the Puppet Master and lures Sue into a trap. He captures her easily and encases her in this giant bubble.

Namor projects himself to the other members of the FF and challenges them to battle. Thing takes a brief diversion and grabs Alicia Masters. They search for Namor until he springs a trap on them. The Human Torch uses his intense flames to help them escape the first trap. Unfortunately a giant creature grabs their sub and they are presented to Namor. Sue is still trapped in the bubble and being held by a giant octopus.

He challenges them to battle. The Torch is first and Namor uses a creature called a Flame-Eater to absorb his flames. The Thing jumps in and Namor uses a fungus that entombs the Thing into a giant rock. The Thing breaks free and Reed joins the fight. He uses his elongation powers to hold Namor while the Thing rescues Sue from the giant octopus.

The Puppet Master has been watching all of this from a nearby submarine and is not amused. He wants Namor to kill the FF. Namor tries to resist but eventually has to obey. He uses a sort of fish that spews gas on the FF. It has no effect as Reed used his hesitation to put gas masks on everything. Reed, Torch and the Thing charge but Sue steps in front of them. She wants them to stop because Namor was obviously under control.

Meanwhile, the giant octopus attacks the Puppet Master's submarine. It begins to crush the sub and the hold over Namor is broken. Namor is confused about the presence of the FF and tells them he has to continue searching for his people. The FF leave and everyone is a little confused as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: 14 issues in and this is the second time another villain has used Namor to try and take out the Fantastic Four. This is also his fourth or fifth appearance in 14 issues. Namor really isn't my favorite villain and I wish they would've had a more diverse cast of villains for these early issues. It gets a little boring having the same couple of villains show up over and over again. It also hurts that the Torch and Namor fought in a really fun battle in the last issue of Strange Tales.

This was still a fun issue despite those flaws. This felt like more like the Marvel I know and love. The characters are starting to feel right and the tone/pace of the stories are also starting to feel right. Some of these early Marvel books have been absolute chores to get through and it's nice that the books are starting to get fun.

The art was good in this issue. It's the usual quality you get from Jack Kirby.

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

Notes: Nothing of note really happened in this issue. They were heading back from what happened in issue 13. The continuity continues to build in the Marvel universe. You'll start to see more guest appearances from the various heroes as 1963 progresses.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #43

Strange Tales #107

Cover Date: April 1963

Plot Overview: Johnny arrives home from school as Reed and the Thing are leaving. They mention that they were comparing notes of their last adventure for the next issue of the Fantastic Four. Johnny is a little bummed out not to be included. He decides that he needs to do something really great to earn the respect of his teammates. Johnny notices that Sue has a picture up of Namor and thinks that's just the thing. If he can defeat Namor then the other members of the FF will respect him.

The Torch heads out and searches for Namor until his flame fails him. Johnny lands on a ship and they mistake him for a stowaway. The ship hits a heavy fog and Johnny becomes the Torch and leads the ship to safety. Johnny writes a message in the sky for Namor to finally draw him out.

The Torch out maneuvers Namor and causes him to crash into an iceberg. Namor regroups and grabs an idol to hypnotize Johnny with. Namor clobbers the Torch and tries to send him back to land. The Torch recovers and comes back for more. They hit each other and fall to the sea. Johnny burns Namor under water and starts to burn really hot. He chases Namor under the water and finally buries him under the ocean floor. The Torch manages to get to the surface just as his flame fails.

The boat Johnny helped earlier happens by and picks him up. Namor digs himself out and gets to the surface too late. He realizes that he had underestimated the Human Torch. Johnny arrives at home and takes a well deserved nap as the issue ends.

My Take: Aside from Spider-Man, this was easily the best comic that Marvel has put out since the first issue of the Fantastic Four. This just a really fun read from start to finish.

There was an actual battle which you don't always get in this era of Marvel. And it was a good fight. Torch and Namor were going toe to toe and it was an exciting battle. It makes me want to see them fight each other again.

This issue also developed Namor quite a bit. He was reluctant to fight Johnny because he didn't want to upset Sue. He was actually more put off by the whole affair than anything else. It was a really nice change of pace from the angry, boastful guy that he's been in the regular Fantastic Four title. He felt more like the anti-hero he's meant to be instead of being a super-villain.

The art was also great for this issue. The anthology stories can feel slapped together art-wise most of the time. And this was a really quality book. It was on par with Fantastic Four with the art this month.

Strange Tales has really become a book I've looked forward to when it comes around in the rotation. This book has become an absolute treat to read. It's just been a long string of fun stories with some side character development for the Fantastic Four. I'm really surprised that the Human Torch is working so well as a solo concept. I can't wait to read more issues of this title.

I'll give this **** out of *****.

Notes: I see this issue as a loving tribute to the Human Torch vs. Namor fight done back in the Golden Age. That fight happened in Marvel Mystery Comics #8 and 9 if you're curious. There's nothing else of note for this issue.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #14

Journey Into Mystery #91

Cover Date: April 1963

Plot Overview: Thor tries to thwart a bank robbery but the bank suddenly disappears. The people inside the bank reappear but can't remember anything that happened. Thor suspects Loki but is informed by Odin that Loki is in Asgard being punished for his last caper on Earth. Loki steals some money to amuse himself.

We take a look into the past as Dr. Don Blake and Jane Foster are at a carnival. They come across a mind reader named Sandu and he predicts that Blake loves a woman with the initials J.F. Blake successfully plays it off and Jane is actually disappointed that he doesn't love her. Loki watches Sandu from Asgard and decides to strengthen Sandu's power 1000 times.

Sandu quickly realizes this and steals one of the audiences wallet. Sandu decides that his powers call for greater feats. Sandu was the one levitating the bank and then teleported it away. He made the customers forget what happened as well.

Sandu steals a palace for himself and visits the U.N. afterwards. He tells the delegates to turn over their countries to him or he'll levitate them into space and kill them. Thor arrives on the scene and saves the delegates. Sandu throws some steel beams at Thor and knocks him out. Sandu chains Thor and then levitates a building onto him.

Thor is too weak to escape and Odin appears and gives him the belt of strength. Thor is stronger than ever and escapes his prison. Loki mentally contacts Sandu and tells him to steal Thor's hammer to defeat him.

Sandu manages to separate Thor from the Hammer and teleports it into another dimension. Sandu becomes arrogant and decides that he should wield Thor's Hammer. Sandu can't lift it so he tries to use his powers. He spends more and more energy until he burns his powers out. Thor hands the now powerless Sandu over to the police.

Odin tells Thor to call upon the belt of strength if he's ever in need as the issue ends.

My Take: Journey Into Mystery has been a fairly rough read for this project. It's really just been lacking in a few areas. It really feels like he's a Superman analogue with some Norse mythology tacked on. The Thor concept is just growing kind of slow and that's frustrating when concepts like Spider-Man and Iron Man take off almost immediately.

With that said, I enjoyed this issue. The Loki issues always seem to be a fairly fun read. I think that's because it's more grounded in Asgard. Asgard makes this comic interesting but when it's just superhero stuff it tends to be boring. Sandu was fairly interesting as a villain. He was generic but he made for a fun antagonist for Thor. He had a wide range of powers and it felt like he was a match for Thor. Most of the villains to this point have been overmatched and usually just find some contrived method to get the Hammer. It was nice seeing someone who had the power to go toe to toe with Thor in his own way.

I didn't like the Jane Foster bit early in the comic. The first 2 issues maybe, they teased her maybe being interested in Don Blake but they had really gone away from that idea. It seemed she only had eyes for Thor and now we're back to the love triangle idea. The silver lining to this is that it added some much needed character development for Blake and Foster.

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

Notes: This is the first appearance of Sandu and the Belt of Strength. I've never really been a Thor reader so I can't tell you if either ever really appears again in a Thor comic. I'm guessing the Belt of Strength does and that Sandu probably does not. Sandu really strikes me as one of those early Marvel villains that never get used again.

Next Issue: Strange Tales #107

Tales of Suspense #40

Cover Date: April 1963

Plot Overview: This issue opens and goes about establishing that Tony Stark is a scientist, a playboy and a superhero. It also shows that Stark has to recharge his chest plate from time to time to keep his heart beating. Last issue, he of course suffered an injury where shrapnel is in danger of puncturing his heart.

Stark has a date at the circus when the animals get out of control. Stark becomes Iron Man and notices that the crowd is terrified of him as he enters the building. Iron Man makes short work of the animals but ponders how to alter his appearance. His date, Marion, suggests that Iron Man don gold armor so that people would know that he has a heart of gold. Stark likes the idea and paints his suit gold.

Later, Stark wonders why Marion didn't arrive at the airport and he's told that the city of Granville has shut down it's airport. Stark decides to head to Granville as Iron Man. When he arrives, he finds that the city has built a wall around itself and the federal government is powerless to do anything about it.

Iron Man decides to dig into the city. Upon his arrival he finds that the citizens of Granville are completely under the influence of a caveman called Gargantus. The citizens attack Iron Man while others worship Gargantus. Iron Man evades the locals and issues a public challenge to Gargantus.

The caveman arrives on the scene and Iron Man realizes the creature is trying to hypnotize him by reflecting the sun off his eyes. IM notices that it's a cloudy day and waves a flag to see that there is a breeze. IM evades attack from Gargantus and then uses magnets to subdue him. Gargantus falls apart revealing that he was a robot. The locals become normal again and IM reveals that he figured out that the clouds were unnatural and that Gargantus' hypnosis was coming from a device inside of him. IM then reveals that a UFO was behind the clouds. The aliens flee Earth because they feel they are no match for the Iron Men of this planet.

The issue ends with Stark and Marion reuniting.

My Take: A quick aside to this. Iron Man using transistors for everything is really a sign of the times. He tends to take about his transistor power whatever constantly throughout the issue. He'll do this in pretty much everything until technology shifts a little and Marvel doesn't feel the need to harp on it so much. You just have to grin and bear it for awhile.

This was a decent issue. You get a good idea of the status quo for the early Iron Man tales. He has a love interest or two, has to charge his chest plate and then fights a bad guy. Like a lot of the early Marvel stories, this felt more sci-fi than superhero. It felt like a monster horror movie and there just happened to be a superhero to save the day at the end.

The issue was pretty straightforward from start to finish. They re-established what the character was about in the first few pages and then showing off what he can do for the rest of the issue. The villain was silly but most Silver Age villains are. I tend to look at the villain as an afterthought to this issue though. This was about really hitting home who Tony Stark was and what his adventures were going to be like. I think this issue succeeded at that.

One aspect that I really like about Tony Stark at this point is that he feels like what Bruce Wayne should be. Wayne has always felt like the playboy aspect was tagged on whereas Stark feels like the real deal in that aspect.

The art was solid for this issue. It looks about how you would expect Tony Stark to look in the early 60s. The Iron Man armor makes for some weird art though. The artist was switching between the armor being bulky and clumsy one panel and having him do very agile movements in it the next. It was very distracting.

I'll give this **3/4 out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of Gargantus. He'll pop up again at some point. He's a very very minor villain in the Marvel Universe though. Now, I'm not sure about Marion. She might be a recurring character for awhile but I'm not totally sure on that point. I will mention in future note sections if she does continue to appear.

This issue also sees the first of many armor changes for Iron Man. His armor changed from grey to gold in this issue. He'll keep this look for a few months before changing to a more recognizable armor.

Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #91

Tales to Astonish #42

Cover Date: April 1963

Plot Overview: Jason Cragg sets up shop on a soap box and begins preaching for the citizens of Central City to hate the Ant-Man. Ant-Man wanders by and sees the events but his helmet protects him from Cragg's voice. We learn that a near radioactive accident gave Cragg a voice that could not be resisted. Through his travels, he decided to test himself against the Ant-Man.

Cragg easily convinces the people to attack Ant-Man and leads the mob. AM tries to hide in a field but Cragg equips the people with magnets to pick him up by his helmet. AM has no choice and removes the helmet to try and remain hidden. The mob finds the helmet and his gas canisters so Cragg begins to speak. He orders AM to surrender himself and Am eventually has no choice but to listen.

Cragg orders AM to walk off the end of a pier and to not try to save himself. AM obeys the order and walks into the river and doesn't attempt to swim. AM's loyal ants make the save and return AM to his home.

AM comes up with a plan and steals a virus from a lab and heads to a local television studio where Cragg will be appearing. AM borrows a prop gun. When Cragg appears, AM tells him to give a positive speech about AM because he has a gun trained on him. Cragg does as he's told and then AM reveals the gun isn't loaded. Cragg tries to give another speech but his voice gives out. AM reveals that he also covered the mic with a virus and Cragg has now caught it. Cragg tries to incite the crowd again but they turn on him and chase him out of town. The issue ends with AM lamenting the fact that Cragg didn't use his powers for good.

My Take: I enjoyed this issue. I looked at the cover and read the first two pages and thought I was in for a bad story but it really turned out to be a fun little read. The Ant-Man concept worked despite itself in this issue. The plot was a good generic plot for any superhero and it didn't feel ridiculous like some of the other Ant-Man stories have.

I liked Jason Cragg as a villain. He was different and he provided a unique set of challenges for the hero to overcome. I also liked the Cragg was out for blood in this issue. When he got hold of Ant-Man, there wasn't a silly deathtrap, he wanted Ant-Man to commit suicide. That felt a lot different than what a lot of other comics were doing at the time.

I can't really think of any complaints I had with the issue. There wasn't really action or anything but the story wasn't really meant to have any. It was about Ant-Man overcoming a superior force with his superior intellect. I think the story succeeded in that aspect.

The art was good this time as Don Heck did the art. A lot of little details in there and it didn't feel rushed or slapped together like some of these early Marvel books can.

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

Notes: This issue is the first appearance of Jason Cragg. Cragg will be a very minor villain in the Marvel Universe. This is really his only appearance until he pops back up in the 1980s in the West Coast Avengers and Captain America. It looks like he's had a total of 6 appearances over the 50 years of the Marvel Universe. We'll call him a D lister and move on.

Next Issue: Tales of Suspense #40