Avengers #3

Cover Date: January 1964

Plot Overview: The Avengers decide that the Hulk can't be left to roam freely. Iron Man unveils one of Tony Stark's inventions, an image projector. He uses the image projector to visit the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the X-Men. The FF and X-Men are too busy with their own affairs and Spider-Man was just Spider-Man about it. The Avengers remember Rick Jones and decide to contact him.  Jones sets out and finds the Hulk in New Mexico. He contacts the Avengers and they all head to New Mexico in their unique ways.

Iron Man is the first there and gets ambushed by the Hulk. The Hulk uses the needles of a cactus as deadly projectiles. Iron Man blocks the attack but the needles cause some problems for Giant-Man, ant sized at the moment, and the Wasp. They head to a nearby ant hill and use the ants to cause the ground to collapse to try and catch the Hulk. The Hulk avoids the trap and takes to the air as he continues to battle Iron Man. Iron Man uses his magnetic repulsers to spin the Hulk until Thor arrives.  The Hulk tries to flee and hitches a ride on a nearby train. He fends off the Avengers before using flour in the smoke stack of the train. He uses the resulting confusion to escape from the Avengers.

The Hulk hides in a truck load of gravel and then takes to the ocean after it gets dumped. He gets picked up by a ship and is pretty worn out. Meanwhile, Namor has been watching the Hulk the entire time. When the Hulk decides to leave the boat and head to a secluded island he is greeted by Namor. They have a short battle where Namor gets the upper hand in the water. Afterwards, they decide to team up to get their revenge upon humanity. They head off to begin their conquest while planning to destroy each other afterwards.

The Avengers are challenged to battle them at Gibralter. They arrive on the scene and Namor fires an old WWII cannon at them. Iron Man repels the shell and Namor uses a pellet with emery dust to disable Iron Man. Giant-Man and the Wasp find oxygen equipment and set about cleaning Iron Man up while Thor keeps Namor and the Hulk busy with his Hammer. Namor and the Hulk make a temporary retreat.

The battle continues on and just as things are starting to look good for Namor and the Hulk, the Hulk reverts back to Bruce Banner. Banner flees from the scene of the battle. The Avengers easily capture the abandoned Namor as he grows weaker without water. Namor manages to crack a wall and the water revives him. He makes his escape and  Thor says that he's earned his escape today. The issue ends promising us some big surprises for the next issue.

My Take: I wanted to start this issue off by saying the Avengers really came off like jerks in the first part of the story They were essentially telling the Hulk he was a menace to society that shouldn't be allowed to roam free and then getting mad that he didn't want to reason things out with them. Yes, because antagonizing someone is a great way to get them to see your point of view!

Iron Man also makes a mental note that no one knows that he's really Tony Stark about 3 times in this issue. It was overkill and I think I literally rolled my eyes the last time it randomly was mentioned in this issue. We get it, you're Tony Stark and no one knows! With all of that hand wringing on his part, he makes a slip of the tongue early on in the issue. He goes on at length about Tony Stark's image projector and then after using it he calls it HIS image projector. No one really reacted so I think that was more of a writing error than anything else.

These first 10 issues of Avengers are burned into my brain from being a teenager. I was lucky enough to get about 4 of the Marvel Masterworks when I was a teenager and this was one of them. I remember not liking this issue much from those days. As an adult, it wasn't so bad. There were a lot of interesting aspects to this issue. For starters, everyone in the Marvel Universe showed up in this issue. The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and X-Men all made appearances here. They all blew Iron Man off, Reed picked an experiment over fighting the Hulk, and that was really interesting. You would expect for all the heroes to jump at the chance to fight a bad guy. But they all kind of shrugged it off as an Avengers issue and weren't terribly interested. It humanizes the Marvel characters in a very negative way. All of the characters have depth and it really shows that the Marvel heroes don't march to the same drum.

It's also really interesting to see how this book slides into continuity. I think a book like the Justice League of America ran away from trying to fit in with the heroes solo books but Stan Lee seems to really embrace it. The heroes costume changes appear in the Avengers even the same month that it happens. It mentions the upcoming Iron Man issue from the same month. And Stan Lee makes a point of reminding you when you last saw a character. The universe is really small right now but it's incredible to see the care that Stan is taking to fit it all together.

The art was really good in this issue. The Hulk looked great and there was some really good action going on in this issue. Most of the issue was just an all out brawl with the Avengers vs. the Hulk and the Avengers vs. Namor and the Hulk. Jack Kirby also did a good job of refining the look of the new Iron Man armor in this issue. It looked a little wonky and crappy in Tales of Suspense #48 but it looked better in this issue.

I give this issue *** out of *****.

Notes: This issue features the first meeting of Hulk and Namor. Their relationship will be important in the 70s as they become two of the main members of the non-team the Defenders. Their relationship keeps a very similar dynamic to this issue throughout those issues.

Next Issue: Tales of Suspense #49

Fantastic Four #22

Cover Date: January 1964

Plot Overview: An experiment of Reed's increases Sue's invisibility powers. Now she can create a shield and make other objects invisible. Meanwhile, the FF field numerous complaints from neighbors about the dangers of Reed's experiments. Reed decides that maybe he should experiment in a more secluded area. As luck would have it, there's an ad for an island for sale.

Reed and the FF take off to check out the island in the U-Car. The island is concealed by a barrier reef so the Torch burns a path through for them. The island is quite creepy but Reed thinks it will work for his purposes.

Suddenly, the U-Car begins to sink. The Torch tries to see what's going on but the steam caused from his flames puts him out. Reed makes the save and is critical of how careless Johnny was. They spot a mysterious figure watching them and chase him to a nearby cave. They fall into a trap. They're in a ring surrounded by a radioactive wall.

They come face to face with the Mole Man. The Mole Man reveals that he's planning to pull the cities of New York and Moscow under the ground. The Americans and Russians will blame each other and start a nuclear war. The FF spring into action but the Mole Man captures each of them in specially made prison cells.

They each use their powers to escape their prisons in the nick of time. The battle continues and the Mole Man escapes with the trigger to sink the cities. Reed let's him go and herds the other members of the FF to the found U-Car. The other members doubt his motives but as they escape the whole island sinks. Reed reveals that he rewired the trigger and New York and Moscow are safe.

My Take: I have mixed feelings on this issue. The first half of the book had some good energy with the antics of the various FF members.The art also was really good in this issue. The characters really had a lot of personality. I might have missed it in a previous issue but this felt like a big jump in the quality of the art. It's like Jack Kirby decided to try a more detailed approach in this issue.

The second half of the issue, I didn't like as much. The Mole Man capturing them in various prisons. I've felt like they've used that plot device several times and it feels kind of tired. The second he captured them, it felt like the air just went out of the story. I would rather they just had more straight up battles in this book. The gimmicks are just tiring at times.

Reed was also kind of a jerk in this issue. He was very short with the other members of the team during the mission. That seems different for him but I could be glossing over some instances in previous issues. Reed being a little grumpy is a little more characterization than he's shown in previous issues though. I would prefer they dial it back a little from this issue but I think it makes him a little more interesting.

Overall, I'm just going to say it was an average and forgettable issue. There were some character things I liked and I laughed at a few of the moments earlier. I also like that Sue has a broader range of powers now and she can do more than sneak up on the bad guys. It will be nice to see her be more useful in more situations. Outside of that, I didn't like how the fight with the Mole Man went. I'm just going to cut the difference on this one.

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

Notes: The Thing utters his catchphrase "It's Clobberin' Time" for the very first time in this issue.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #51

Strange Tales #115

Cover Date: December 1963

Plot Overview: Reed Richards calls the Torch in for a job. The Sandman has broken out of prison since being captured in Amazing Spider-Man #4. Reed wants the Torch to go and find Spider-Man since he has the most experience with him. This bothers the Torch and he decides to try and take down the Sandman on his own.

The Torch finds the Sandman on the George Washington bridge. The Sandman isn't interested in fighting the Torch and jumps off the side of the bridge. The Sandman actually hid under the bridge with his sand powers. This slight makes the Torch want to take down the Sandman even more.

Later, Spider-Man calls out to the Sandman with a bullhorn and challenges him to a fight. Later, the Sandman finds Spider-Man and ambushes him. Spider-Man yells Flame On and it's really the Human Torch. The Sandman doesn't think the Torch stands a chance against him and ducks into an elevator shaft.

The Sandman's plan is to wear out the Torch's flames and then finish him off. The Torch chases the Sandman through the building before realizing that his flame is starting to get weak. He creates a big flame to try and subdue the Sandman. The Sandman just smiles because sand doesn't burn. The flames turn on the sprinkler system in the building and it puts out the Torch's flames. It also turns the Sandman to mud. Johnny Storm uses all the fighting lessons from the Thing and Reed Richards and a little left over flame to get the best of the Sandman.

The real Spider-Man rushes to the scene to save the Torch and finds the police hauling the Sandman away. He comments that the city might not be big enough for both of them one day.

In Doctor Strange we get his origin story. He was a surgeon that was blinded by his own pride. One day he was in a car accident and it robbed him of his ability to perform surgery. He sought the Ancient One for healing but the Ancient One refused. He senses some good in Strange and offers to teach him. Strange refuses and goes to leave but a snow storm has trapped him at the Ancient One's home. Strange is introduced to Baron Mordo. During his stay, he figures out that Mordo is trying to kill his master. Mordo casts a spell on Strange to prevent him from warning the Ancient One. Strange works around it and asks to become the Ancient One's pupil. He is accepted and the Ancient One removes the spells placed by Mordo. The Ancient One reveals that he knows of Mordo's plans but keeps Mordo where he can control him. He tells Strange that it will one day be his job to battle Mordo.

My Take: The Human Torch story was really good. It furthered the dynamic between Spider-Man and the Torch nicely. I really liked the continuity as Reed and the Torch were discussing Spider-Man's battle with the Sandman as happening a couple of months ago. The way the Torch beat up on the Sandman at the end was a little silly but it was kind of fun at the same time.

I've said it a few times, I wasn't looking forward to reading the Human Torch stories but they've ended up being a fun read every month. The villains are silly more often than not but the Torch has been a really fun character on his own every month. I actually don't have a lot to say about the Torch story this time out. It was just a good quality read with good art. It was the kind of story that makes you want to pick up another issue and read it.

I give the Human Torch story ***1/2 out of *****.

The Dr. Strange story added some good depth to the character. You get to see that he wasn't a good person for the majority of his life and he's serving a sort of penance for his pride. It established a really good backstory for his universe. You understand his relationships with Baron Mordo and the Ancient One now. Iit kind of makes me wish they did a longer origin story so we could see him actually training. Again, this was a good quality read with good art in it.

I give the Dr. Strange story *** out of *****.

Notes: There was nothing of note in this issue.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #22

Fantastic Four #21

Cover Date: December 1963

Plot Overview: The Thing shakes the Baxter Building with his new punching bag which brings the other members of the FF  to his room. The thing is upset over the Hate-Monger causing trouble around the country. The other members agree that he is a troublemaker but they can't do much about him.

The  FF hit the strees and come across the Hate-Monger giving a speech. He incites a riot and the FF leap into action. The Hate-Monger decides to test out his Hate-Ray on the FF. They immediately turn on each other and begin fighting among themselves. They call it quits as a team and head in separate directions.

Reed returns to the Baxter Building and finds that Nick Fury is fighting with the lobby staff about seeing Reed. They know each other from World War II. Nick Fury reveals that he's now a colonial and a member of the CIA. He needs the FF's help with a rebellion in San Gusto. Reed says that he can handle it himself and takes off in the pogo plane. The other members of the FF see this and get upset that Reed took the pogo plane. Fury goads them into going to San Gusto as well and they take off in one of the FF's rockets.

The Hate-Monger watches all of this and heads back to San Gusto with his men. Meanwhile, Reed disarms several groups of rebels and stumbles upon the Hate-Mongers hideout. He gets paralyzed by nerve gas and captured by the Hate-Monger's men. The Hate-Monger's plan is simple. He's going to use the Hate-Ray on the entire world and turn everyone against everyone.

Just then Nick Fury hits the scene and forces the Hate-Monger to give Reed the antidote at gunpoint. The Hate-Monger manages to escape but Reed has the antidote. He tricks the other members of the FF into taking the antidote and the team is back together again.

The FF hit the scene just as Nick Fury ran out of ammunition. The Hate-Monger decides to blast the Human Torch with a stronger dose of the H-Ray but Sue knocks his aim off. The H-Ray accidentally hits two of his men and they shoot the Hate-Monger for bringing the FF down on him. Fury decides to unmask the Hate-Monger revealing Adolf Hitler. Fury isn't sure if it was the real Hitler of a duplicate. The issue ends with the FF saying that the Hate-Monger can never truly be defeated as long as men have hatred in their hearts.

My Take: This was a very interesting issue. Stan Lee very lightly touched on some social issues in the beginning with the Hate-Monger preaching hatred of immigrants. It was quickly forgotten when the FF turned on each other but it was interesting to see it pop up in a comic book. The Golden Age Superman dealt with a lot of the issues of his era but that kind of storytelling seemed to fade as the Comics Code came into being.

Reed Richards went solo for a good deal of the book and I liked that. It was nice to see him flex his muscles a bit. I've felt he doesn't get the same screen time that the Thing or Torch get so this was refreshing to see. Ii found the H-Ray to be a little lame but the cover of the issue gave that away. It's the Silver Age, you have to take the kooky with everything else.

I liked the reveal of the Hate-Monger as Adolf Hitler. He would have been a much older man but they played him off as probably being a clone. It was a nice surprise in the grand scheme of things and it showed that Lee was thinking outside of the box a little bit. I also thought that Nick Fury added a nice change of pace as a guest-star. He feels different from the other characters running around the Marvel Universe at this time.

The art was solid on this issue. The story was pretty down to earth though so there wasn't anything super memorable. The Hate-Monger didn't look bad as a villain. The quasi-KKK outfit was an interesting choice. I would actually be interested in seeing if there are any Stan Lee interviews about this issue or character. It made me wonder if there were specific events that lead to this issue or if it was Lee trying to be socially relevant at the time.

I give this *** out of *****.

Notes: This issue has the first appearance of the Hate-Monger. He's a solid C list villain that bothers mostly Captain America over the years. Several different guys take up the cowl but I think he's mostly gone by the 1980s. This book also features the first current timeline appearance of Nick Fury. He had previously been starring in the WWII war book Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos. This was a very different version of Fury to the one that people know today. He didn't have the eye patch for starters and he's with the CIA instead of SHIELD. I'm not sure when the more familiar version of Fury shows up or if we get to see how he loses his eye. I'm interested to see how he develops as the 60s progress.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #50

Fantastic Four #20

Cover Date: November 1963

Plot Overview: An orb appears outside of the Baxter Building and the FF try to subdue it. Sue ends up getting sucked in and the other members follow. They are greeted by the Watcher and he's decided to give them a warning about a threat to the galaxy. He shows them a nuclear accident that creates the Molecule Man. The Molecule Man figures out that with his wand that he can control any molecule and bend it to his will. The Watcher can not help them past that and sends them back to New York.

Upon their arrival they find the Baxter Building to be gone and the Molecule Man giving orders to the people of New York. Reed confronts him but the Molecule Man creates two magnets and uses them to try and pull Reed apart. The Torch makes the save and then goes in for his turn. The Molecule Man creates a shield and then easily escapes the Torch. The Thing charges in but the Molecule Man makes a mountain out of the pavement and then throws the Thing into the sewers and tries to crush him with the pipes.

Reed and Sue devise a plan while the Torch rescues the Thing. Reed distracts the Molecule Man while Sue tries to grab the wand but is unsuccessful. The FF are at a loss and decide to retreat for the time being. The New Yorkers are dismayed to see their heroes defeated. The Molecule Man sends the people of New York out to find the FF while he seals the island of Manhattan inside of a special bubble.

The FF flee through the streets of New York until the Yancy Street Gang helps smuggle them to Alicia Master's apartment. The Thing is not amused about being helped out by the Yancy Street Gang. Reed figures out that the Molecule Man's powers only work on inorganic material. Reed has Alicia disguise the FF as statues. She calls the Molecule Man in and he decides to change the statues to amuse himself. The feedback from attempting his powers on organic molecules cause a powerful feedback that stuns him. The FF use that chance to grab his wand and the Watcher arrives on the scene and takes the Molecule Man into custody.

My Take: The Molecule Man was kind of an interesting villain. Nice and powerful with a sort of original power set. Of course, he had to have a weakness to exploit because it's the Silver Age. But it ultimately made sense within the context of the story and it wasn't like his weakness has a color or something.

This issue felt a little different than some of the previous issues of Fantastic Four. The heroes come back to an essentially conquered New York and have to save the day from a position of weakness. It was a nice change of pace plot wise. The pace was also really good in this story. The fight scenes got a decent amount of pages and it felt like the plot was constantly moving forward. It also feels like they've started to cut down on the number of word ballons and exposition coming from the characters. It feels like the books are getting a little more streamlined with fewer clunky chunks of dialogue.

Now, I did have a problem with the energy bubble at the beginning of the issue. The FF's first instinct was to attack and I'm not sure that's what they should be doing. Reed is a scientist at heart and I could see him telling everyone to hold off while he examines it. What they did felt rash and not in the spirit of how I think adventurers and scientists would react to that.

I really dug the art in this issue. The Molecule Man looked a little silly but he was memorable. The facial expressions in this book were also really good. I think this was probably one of the better drawn books I've seen since starting this project.

I give this *** out of *****.

Notes: This issue features the first appearance of the Molecule Man. I would classify him as a C list villain. He pops up here and there in various books throughout the years. He's been seen as recently as a few years ago if I remember correctly. Another little side note to this issue. An episode of the 1960s animated Fantastic Four series was very loosely based on this issue.

Next Issue: Tales to  Astonish #49

Amazing Spider-Man #5

Cover Date: October 1963

Plot Overview: Peter and the gang watch a tv report by J. Jonah Jameson that denounces Spider-Man as a menace to society. Peter takes the opportunity to conceal his identity and speaks out against Spider-Man. This draws harsh words from Flash Thompson and Peter leaves.

Meanwhile, Dr. Doom is in town after his latest defeat at the hands of the Fantastic Four. It replays the final scenes from Fantastic Four #17 in a really nice piece of continuity. Dr. Doom uses a spider to call to Spider-Man via his Spider Sense.

Spider-Man hears the call and comes to Dr. Doom. Doom offers Spider-Man a chance to team up with him. Together he thinks they'll be able to defeat the Fantastic Four. Spider-Man entertains the thought for a second before declining. He lashes out at Doom with his webbing but it ends up just being a Doombot. The real Dr. Doom appears and springs a trap door that Spider-Man easily evades. Doom fires at Spider-Man with his Finger Blaster until Spider-Man escapes through the window.

A brief time later, Flash Thompson decides to pay Peter Parker back for what he said about Spider-Man. He dresses as Spider-Man and means to surprise Peter Parker. Unfortunately for him, Dr. Doom is in the area. He has developed a sensor that works off of Spider Sense. Because Flash is so close to Parker, Doom mistakes him as Spider-Man. Doom easily captures Flash and heads back to his HQ.

Doom takes over all the television stations and threatens to kill Spider-Man unless the FF disband and surrender to him. Peter sees this and heads off to rescue Flash. Aunt May doesn't want him to go out so Peter pulls the master fuse out of the fuse box so that he has to leave the house.

Spider-Man tracks down Doom in an abandoned warehouse and sneaks in through a vent. Spider-Man's first move is to jam Doom's Finger Blaster with webbing. Doom tries a variety of other traps but Spider-Man manages to thwart them. Doom's last ploy is a disintegrator ray but Spider-Man also manages to avoid that trap. Doom resorts to a physical attack and seems to have Spider-Man reeling when he notices that the FF have arrived on the scene.

Doom flees the scene with the odds against him and Spider-Man makes an exit when he realizes that Aunt May will be worried. The FF arrive and find Flash Thompson dressed as Spider-Man. The Thing is not amused by finding a faker while Reed notices the webbing and comments that the real Spider-Man wasn't there.

Later on, JJJ admonishes Parker for not getting any pictures while Betty Brant admits to thinking he's wonderful. Peter is surprised by this revelation and later runs into Flash. Flash is bragging about his adventure and all of their classmates are impressed by his tall tale. Peter is not amused as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: I have mixed feelings on this issue. On the one hand, it was a really well crafted story and had some really good character development for a Silver Age issue. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of Spider-Man facing off with Dr. Doom. I feel like they aren't on the same level as far as threat level. I see Dr. Doom as more of a global level threat while I tend to see Spider-Man as a very street level kind of hero. It feels like Spider-Man would be out of his league against Dr. Doom. To the credit of this issue, they did communicate that Spider-Man was in over his head. He didn't really win or lose against Doom in this issue, he really just held him off long enough for the FF to arrive on the scene.

The FF again appeared in Spider-Man. That's the third time in 5 issues. That really makes it feel like they live in the same universe and adding Dr. Doom to the mix further creates a shared universe. I really liked how they did a flashback to the end of Fantastic Four #17 as it created a sense of continuity. That seems like a small matter today, but in 1963 this was revolutionary. You weren't seeing this kind of storytelling in DC Comics at the time. This really felt like a natural progression of time in the Marvel Universe. They've been toying with the shared universe concept since the Hulk and Thing fought in Fantastic Four #12 and now it feels like they're going full speed ahead with the idea.

Betty Brant also drops a big hint that she has some interest in Peter Parker. That was the first time I ever noticed that she became his love interest so quickly. I always thought that happened a dozen issues down the road or so. It will be interesting to see their relationship develop over the next several issues though.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story in this issue. Spider-Man and Dr. Doom had a pretty lengthy brawl. It also had all of the side stories you would want from an early Spider-Man tale. Flash Thompson being a bully, Peter having to work around Aunt May to go be Spider-Man, a Parker love interest and JJJ trashing Spider-Man as always. Amazing Spider-Man continues to be a really good book with every issue.

I give this ***1/4 out of *****.

Notes: Amazing Spider-Man is now being released on a monthly schedule.

Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #97

Fantastic Four #19

Cover Date: October 1963

Plot Overview: Reed calls for The Thing and Alicia Masters to come to the Baxter Building. When they arrive, he explains that he had been studying up on ancient Egypt and discovered a tale of a blind ancient Pharaoh. This Pharaoh was cured by a radioactive plant. Reed proposes that they use Doctor Doom's time machine from issue #5 to travel back in time and retrieve this plant for Alicia Masters.

They head to Doom's abandoned castle and teach Alicia to use the machine. She sends them to the past where they are immediately confronted by an ancient Egyptian army. The army is no match for the FF until suddenly their powers are sapped away and they all collapse.

The FF are captured and taken to the Egyptian leader Rama-Tut. He explains that he's a time traveler from the year 3000. He came back in time in the Sphinx to loot history. He crashed and damaged his ship when he arrived and was stranded here. He was also blinded in the crash but still managed to conquer the Egyptians with his special gun. His damaged ship leaked radiation and infected the plants which then healed him. He further explains that his gun can dominate the FF and make them slaves.

Rama-Tut sends Reed, Thing and the Torch off as slaves and decides that Sue will become his bride. Each member of the FF try to fight the rays powers but have no success. Until one day, the hot Egyptian sun turns the Thing back into Ben Grimm. The change removes the effects of the ray gun and he escapes from slavery.

Ben manages to get the gun away from Rama-Tut and releases Sue from it's power before becoming the Thing again. Sue uses the gun to release the Torch and then the Thing. Rama-Tut escapes to his Sphinx ship while the Torch finds Reed and releases him as well.

The FF storm the Sphinx and are briefly caught in a water trap but the Torch manages to defeat the trap. They find Rama-Tut but he escapes in a smaller ship and travels back to the future. They muse about who Rama-Tut might actually be until Sue finds the plant that restored Rama-Tut's vision. The Thing is overjoyed at this news. They head to the present only to discover the vial didn't return with them. Reed explains that a fail safe in the machine probably won't allow radioactive material to travel with them. Everyone is dismayed at this setback as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: Rama-Tut as the villain here is a little silly but I enjoyed this issue. It was a straight forward adventure with nothing too ridiculous. This issue also holds up quick well following the Annual. It didn't feel like a giant letdown after a really good story there.

I really enjoyed the time traveling here. It was a little different of a situation from the more recent issues. It's also nice to get a villain that isn't Dr. Doom or Namor for variety. I also really liked that the ending was a downer. Spider-Man has been doing that a lot but it really feels like a novelty for this time period. It was cool that things weren't wrapped up in a nice little package when everything was all said and done.

The art was good as always when it comes to the Fantastic Four. It's Jack Kirby, what more can you say on the art front? He has the character models down and is pumping out consistent quality on a monthly basis.

This gets *** out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of Rama-Tut. Rama-Tut himself is a fairly minor character but he branches out into more important characters like Kang the Conqueror and Immortus. There are multiple versions of Rama-Tut over the year due to his time traveling. Like I mentioned, Kang is the most important version of Rama-Tut to the MU. Kang himself will appear in Avengers #8 about a year later.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #48

Fantastic Four Annual #1

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: Namor has found the citizens of Atlantis and take his place as their king. Lady Dorma professes her love for Namor while Warlord Krang professes his love for Dorma. Namor has decided to exact his revenge on the surface world with the armies of Atlantis.

We switch scenes as the Thing and Torch are up to their usual antics around the Baxter Building. Reed breaks things up and says the group needs a vacation. Strange sea creatures have been spotted so he booked them a cruise. While out at sea, Johnny spots a monster. The FF head out to sea in a boat and are captured by Namor. He tells them to warn the U.N. of his coming and then expels them back to the surface.

Reed and a professor tell the U.N. of Namor's origin. How he is the product of a marriage between a surface man and an Atlantis princess. After their discussion, Namor reveals himself, he was disguised as the professor, and Atlantis invades New York. The Torch counterattacks but can only do so much damage by himself.

Meanwhile, Reed has developed a device to fight the Atlantis invasion and sends the Thing out to catch a prisoner. The Thing eagerly follows orders and brings some soldiers back. Reed notices that they can not breath water and knows he can use his machine. Reed's machine works and Atlantis is forced to retreat.

The last half of the issue is a giant brawl between the FF and Namor. He captures Sue at one point and takes her to his main ship. The Lady Dorma gets wind of his affection towards her and tries to drown Sue as a result. Sue is nearly lost until Namor and the other members of the FF put their differences aside briefly to save her. Sue ends up recovering and Namor returns home. Upon his return, the other citizens of Atlantis have left him. He chose the surface over them and they abandoned him for it.

My Take: This was a 37 page story with a ton of action. It really felt like a culmination of the Namor appearances in the Fantastic Four book up until this point. Namor got a lot of screen time here and they really developed him in a big way. He is a much more tragic character and you can see the seeds of him being more of an anti-hero than a villain in this issue.

After that, it feels like they have the Fantastic Four formula down with this Annual. The Torch/Thing antics feel right, the Reed/Sue relationship feels right. The book just feels like the Fantastic Four now.

This was a really great annual. It had bios on most of the villains from the series up to this point and it reprinted the origin of the FF from issue 1 as well. This would've been a fantastic buy for 25 cents when it was initially released.

I left my review a little vague on the details because of the length of the story on this one. The fight was pretty big and long and I didn't want to give away too many of the details on this one. Honestly, if you were to read an early Fantastic Four issue, you should check out the Annual. It was a really good tale.

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

Notes: This book features the first appearance of Warlord Krang. He'll be around as time progresses. I wouldn't call him important by any means. This book also features the re-introduction of Atlanteans, Lady Dorma and many other characters into the Silver Age of Marvel. The Atlanteans will be an important part of the Marvel Universe going forward. Lady Dorma is mostly a side character with a minor role in Marvel history.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #19

Strange Tales #112

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: The Torch flies over Glenville and realizes the people are annoyed with him. He heads home and Sue shows him a broadcast with a Tom Braddock running him down. The Torch leaves to confront Braddock but only makes things worse for himself.

Meanwhile, the Eel steals a secret project from a local scientist. The Eel plans to sell the device. Unknown to the Eel, it's a mini-nuke and he's failed to turn the device off. He's a Living Bomb. Everyone sets out to find Eel including the Torch.

The Eel has set down the bomb in a remote wooded area and is set to escape. The Torch arrives on the scene and the fight is on. The Eel briefly has the advantage until the Torch melts his gun. The Eel tries to convince the Torch to help him conquer the world but the Torch declines. The police arrive and tell the Torch that the bomb was placed near a Veteran's Hospital.

The Torch springs into action and uses his powers to absorb the bomb blast. He falls to the Earth and is saved by Reed at the last moment. Johnny is dying and the FF rush him to the Baxter Building. Reed tries a radical new treatment to try and save him. The world holds its breath and celebrates when Johnny Storm is saved.

My Take: This was a decent issue. It was a little different from some of the other books I've read in this time frame. I liked how the Eel stumbled into a nuclear device and how he actually tried to place the device where it wouldn't hurt anyone. It was a nice touch for him to not be a super evil guy.

I really liked how the Thing was broken up by the Human Torch potentially dying. It was a really good way to develop his character. Whenever these situations come up, you always see that the Thing really has a giant soft spot for the Torch. I really like the way their character dynamic has developed thus far.

The art was solid for this issue as always.

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

Notes: This issue features the first appearance of the Eel. He would hang around as a minor villain throughout the 60s and into the 70s. He'll usually be involved with a team of guys though.

Next Issue: X-Men #1

Avengers #1

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: Loki is looking to cause some mischief to draw out Thor for another battle. He comes across the Hulk and tricks him with a mental projection of TNT on a train track. The Hulk smashes the tracks by mistake and has to quickly save an oncoming train. People mistake his actions and think the Hulk was in fact trying to destroy the train.

Rick Jones and the Teen Brigade try to contact the Fantastic Four for help but Loki intercepts their radio transmissions and sends them to a band that Thor listens to. Thor picks up the transmission as well as Ant-Man, the Wasp and Iron Man. They all head to the southwest independently. Meanwhile, the Teen Brigade finally contacts the FF and Reed says they're busy but that he thinks other people should be able to help them.

Just then, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp all arrive on the scene. Rick Jones explains the situation to them and asks that they help the Hulk if he is indeed innocent. Loki is not amused by the appearance of other heroes and uses his mental powers to trick Thor into leaving the group with an image of the Hulk. Thor realizes it's just a mental projection and that Loki must be behind it.

Thor heads to Asgard as the scene changes to a circus. The Hulk is posing as a robotic act named Mechano. An ant on the scene relays the info to Ant-Man and the remaining heroes head off to face off with the Hulk.

The ants chew up the ground and the Hulk falls into a giant hole. Ant-Man tries to reason with the Hulk but the Hulk just wants to leave. The ants drop a giant steel drum onto the Hulk which enrages him. The Hulk escapes the drum as Ant-Man has the Wasp try to lure him under a net. The Hulk takes out the Wasp with a bellows and captures her. Iron Man arrives on the scene and the Hulk forgets about the Wasp. The Hulk breaks through the net that Ant-Man had used and Iron Man pursues. The Hulk manages to damage Iron Man's power source and he's forced to break off the chase.

Meanwhile on Asgard, Thor has received permission to travel to the Isle of Silence to confront Loki. Thor arrives at the Isle to be greeted by a volcanic eruption created by Loki. The volcano spews these bubbles that can drain a god of his powers so Thor swims for it. Loki greets Thor on land and tricks him into getting attacked by a troll. The troll tries to pull Thor under ground but he blinds it with lightning from his hammer. Loki makes multiple images of himself but Thor blows them away by swinging his hammer. Thor captures Loki and returns to Earth with him.

Back on Earth, Iron Man and the Hulk continue to battle one another. Thor arrives and explains that Loki framed the Hulk. Loki becomes radioactive suddenly and commands Hulk and Iron Man to leave so that he and Thor continue their battle. Just then, a group of ants release a trap door and Loki falls into a lead lined tank. Thor explains that Loki won't be radioactive for very long and then he can return him to Asgard for punishment.

Ant-Man and Wasp stop everyone from leaving. Ant-Man thinks they should continue teaming up due to how powerful they are together. Everyone agrees and the Wasp comes up with the name the Avengers on the spot. The issue ends with them proclaiming that no one will be able to stop the Avengers.

My Take: This book is historic for a lot of reasons. There have been some crossovers before this issue but pretty much the entire Marvel Universe appeared in this issue. Spider-Man was really the only hero that was absent during this book. It feels like the Marvel Universe has suddenly come together in a huge way for this book and it makes a good deal of sense.

The story is kind of a mixed bag here. A lot happens in the 22 pages of story and that's a good thing and a bad thing. I really like how they brought the team together in this issue. There's something very realistic about the Teen Brigade wanting the Fantastic Four and circumstances bringing them a different group of heroes. I also liked the battle between Iron Man and the Hulk in this issue. Loki also made sense as being the first antagonist for the Avengers to face. I don't think say, Namor would've worked as well in this issue. I also really like the team of the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp. I think it's a good mix of personalities and powers and you want to check out the next issue to see how the Hulk is going to work within the confines of a team.

What I didn't like was the Asgard portion of the story. It felt needless and it really secluded Thor from the other heroes in this book. It was really good when they all stormed into the Teen Brigade HQ but the book splits them up almost immediately. I wanted to see them working together, not all wandering off and doing their own thing. It also made the story drag a bit at that point. It just felt like you were reading one book and kind of wandered into a different book.

The art was good in this issue. Everyone looked good. Iron Man wasn't doing any of his weird contortions in his gold armor. It's a Jack Kirby drawn book. So what can you really say bad about it?

This book had it's ups and downs but ultimately I enjoyed it. It was an easy read, I wasn't page counting like I do with some of the weaker books I've read for this. And that's always a sign that I'm into what I'm reading. It has a lot of historical value as well.

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

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Avengers as a team. The Avengers will be a consistent top team in the Marvel Universe from here on out. A huge number of Marvel super-heroes will have stints with the team over the years. Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp all become the founding members of the Avengers in this issue.

Next Issue: Tales of Suspense #45

Fantastic Four #18

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: The Fantastic Four take it easy for once while on another planet the Skrulls are plotting revenge. A Skrull scientist introduces the Super-Skrull who has superior versions of all the FF's powers. The Super-Skrull demonstrates his powers to the approval of the Skrull ruler. The Super-Skrull heads to Earth to conquer the FF.

Meanwhile, the FF have headed to a local department store. The other shoppers recognize them and they hear about a spaceship landing while fleeing the crowds.

The Human Torch is the first on the scene and is surprised when the Super-Skrull uses his powers. The Super-Skrull makes short work of the Torch and Reed takes him on next. Reed tries to trap the Super-Skrull but he uses his superior elasticity to escape. Reed tries to smash the Super-Skrull with his sledgehammer attack but the Super-Skrull quickly grabs a giant rock that stuns Reed when he strikes. The Thing arrives but the Super-Skrull is too strong for him. The Torch recovers and manages to stun the Super-Skrull with a burst of fire and Reed uses that opportunity to call for a retreat.

Reed quickly discovers that there are rays powering the Super-Skrull from space. He develops a jammer that if put on the Super-Skrull will depower him. He determines that Sue is the only person that has a shot at putting the device on him.

The FF send out a challenge to the Super-Skrull to face them on a deserted island for a final showdown. The Super-Skrull arrives and unveils that he has hypnotic eyes. He immobilizes Reed, Torch and the Thing during the course of the fight. Sue takes him by surprise and attaches the device. The Super-Skrull chases Sue but Reed grabs her and the Super-Skrull falls into a big hole. The Human Torch traps the Super-Skrull inside of the hole as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: This was a really good issue. There wasn't any Silver Age ridiculousness, the pace was really good and there was a ton of action in the book. This book to me is what the Fantastic Four is all about. They meet a challenge that they can't conquer alone so Reed finds a way to save the day and they work together to defeat the bad guy. This was very straightforward and very much about the action and the resolution to a problem.

It feels like they've really got the Fantastic Four as a concept down. The characters feel pretty fleshed out and their interactions seem well refined. At this point, I open these issues with certain expectations of how the characters should act and they don't disappoint.

I would say this has been the second best issue of the Fantastic Four to this point. Issue 12 with the Hulk was better but I feel that is the standard that all future FF issues will be judged against for the near future.

If I had one complaint storyline wise, it's that the Super-Skrull really didn't make a lot of use of his invisibility powers. That's not a big complaint with the story though.

The art in this issue was a bit of a mixed bag. The Torch and Super-Skrull flying around in flames could be confusing at times. It wasn't always to tell who was who at first glance in several panels. I also don't like the close ups of the Skrulls, their eyes look like teddy bear eyes and it makes it hard to take them seriously. Other than that, good issue with some good visuals in there.

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

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Super-Skrull and Dorrek VII. Dorrek VII wasn't mentioned by name that I saw but he shows up here and there until the late 70s. He's not a major character or anything, he just appeared enough to warrant a mention. The Super-Skrull is a pretty big FF villain throughout the years. He's in that second group that you think of after Dr. Doom, Namor and Galactus. He'll appear pretty regularly throughout the entire Fantastic Four history.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #47

Strange Tales #111

Cover Date: August 1963

Plot Overview: Professor Kasloff is wandering the streets and trying to figure out how to become a successful criminal. He flashes back to his job and how he lacks the basic criminal knowledge to successful commit crimes. He decides that if he defeats the Human Torch that criminals will agree to work with him.

Kasloff develops a much stronger from of asbestos and creates a suit to become the Asbestos Man. AM proceeds to issue several challenges to the Torch until the Torch agrees to face him.

The battle begins and the Torch quickly finds that his flames have no effect on the Asbestos Man. The Torch throws several fireballs at AM and he uses a nitrogen net to throw them back at the Torch and they explode like bombs. The Torch falls into a trap door and into a liquid that puts out his flames. AM tells the Torch that he's defeated and that he can leave the building now.

AM begins to develop relationships with several members of the underworld while Johnny pouts about his loss. Sue points out that he was relying on his flames too much and wasn't thinking. He needs to attack AM indirectly to defeat him. The Torch sees her logic and heads off to fight AM a second time.

The Torch melts AM through the floor and uses his flames to suck up all the oxygen until the Asbestos Man surrenders. The Torch makes a quip at Kasloff as the story comes to an end.

Baron Mordo wishes to become the most powerful mystic in the world and uses his powers to poison the Ancient One with a potion. Dr. Strange arrives later on an unrelated errand to find Mordo there. Note, both men are in their astral forms for this story. They battle until Strange uses his Amulet to help the Ancient One recover. Strange bluffs and says that his Amulet can lead him to Mordo's body.

Mordo flees back to his body and Strange reveals it was a trap to remove his influence from the Ancient One's servant. Dr. Strange has won the day but hasn't see the last of Mordo.

The Ridiculous: The Asbestos Man as a concept is completely ridiculous. He's a total Silver Age concept.

My Take: The Human Torch story was a fun romp this month. The villain was bad but the story built around the villain was pretty good. I felt there was some good character development with Johnny Storm and I liked the interaction he had with his sister Sue in this story. It was nice to see their relationship get some screen time.

The Asbestos Man himself was pretty typical. Arrogant scientist wants to use his inventions for evil. You've seen it hundreds of times in comics but it was executed fairly well here. As you can see in the picture above, he's pretty silly looking. He served his purpose here.

Overall, this was another fun Human Torch solo story. It had action, it had a good pace to it and they even managed to develop some members of the Fantastic Four.

The art was pretty good for this issue. It didn't feel very rushed or anything. Another good solid entry.

I give the Human Torch story ** out of *****

The Dr. Strange tale was another 5 page backup. It was fun while it lasted and established his main nemesis. The art still is off from what Dr. Strange becomes. I believe the next appearance will have him looking more like the Dr. Strange we are familiar with.

I give the Dr. Strange story ** out of *****

Notes: This issue featured the first appearances of the Asbestos Man, Baron Mordo and an unnamed Hamir the Hermit. Hamir and the Asbestos Man make a handful of future appearances and are never considered important characters. Baron Mordo on the other hand is probably the main antagonist for Dr. Strange over the years. I would consider Baron Mordo to be a solid B level villain in the Marvel Universe.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #18

Fantastic Four #17

Cover Date: August 1963

Plot Overview: The FF return from the events of last issue and almost immediately start up a search for the at large Dr. Doom. He is nowhere to be found so the FF head to an unnamed social event. They get mobbed by the crowd and a janitor helps them escape. The janitor reveals himself to be Dr. Doom after the fact and he placed a device on each member of the FF.

Doom unleashes what looks like inflatable balloons and they hone in on the devices. Each member of the FF get harassed by one of the balloons and head back to the Baxter Building. Reed discovers the devices planted on them and the balloons disappear as soon as he removes the devices. Doom has been watching the whole time and reveals that was just phase 1. Phase 2 sees him abduct Alicia Masters and uses her abduction to keep the FF at bay. Doom then demands a spot in the President's cabinet.

When that is denied, Doom unleashes havoc on the world. Reed reveals that he has a plan to battle Doom. He shows a scouting report of Doom's ship. Doom has disintegrator rays attuned to their atomic structure so Reed devises a formula to turn the Thing to Be Grimm.

Grimm flies up to Doom's ship and breaks in. The FF quickly join him and split up. They each face a deathtrap set up by Doom but each escape quickly. They confront Doom and reveal that what Doom was watching were doubles created by the Human Torch.

Doom flees to try and get to Alicia Masters but he finds that she's been replaced by Sue Storm. Sue gets the better of Doom in hand to hand combat until Doom pulls a gun. Just then the rest of the FF hit the scene and Doom jumps out of the plane and disappears into the clouds. The Thing is thrilled to see Alicia Masters and the Torch wishes he had jumped out of the ship due to all the mushy stuff too. We're promised a villain with the powers of every member of the Fantastic Four for the next issue.

The Ridiculous: Reed creates a radar device that has a specialized search for steel on flesh.

My Take: This issue was really clunky. A lot happened in 22 pages and it really felt like they were trying to do too much with the story. To me, a manhunt for Dr. Doom, followed by the deathtraps, followed by the showdown would've worked better than the couple of pages with the inflatable balloons. The panic that each member went through, minus Reed, kind of bothered me. 17 issues in and the FF seem to be fairly seasoned super heroes. I don't feel like each of them would've acted so irrationally when presented with an enemy they couldn't hurt. I really disliked this part of the story.

The rest of the story was okay though. I liked that this issue picked right up where issue 16 left off. I liked that they finally let Sue cut loose a little bit and get a little physical in a fight. I liked when they got to the deathtrap and showdown parts. I liked a lot of parts of this issue. That first part with the balloons really just took the book in a weird direction.

It really feels like they haven't figured out Dr. Doom yet. He seems kind of like a generic mad scientist type right now. And his tantrum about being ugly and not understanding people felt like a shallow attempt to try and develop him more. Doom without Latveria just doesn't work. He's interesting as a ruler that is evil but wants what's best for his people.

The art was good as always for this book. You can almost never complain about the job that Jack Kirby does on this book every month.

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

Notes: This issue features a cameo appearance by then President John F. Kennedy. This issue marks the first of many appearances by U.S. Presidents in Marvel Comics.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #46

Strange Tales #110

Cover Date: July 1963

Plot Overview: The story opens with the Torch trying to study and ultimately going over old cases. He remembers his battle with the Wizard and his battle with Paste-Pot Pete and how both men came close to beating him. The scene shifts as Paste-Pot Pete has returned and he's out for revenge against the Human Torch. He's decided to break the Wizard out of prison so that their combined power can defeat their common foe.

They manage to escape prison and things start to go south almost immediately as the Wizard bosses Pete around much to Pete's disgust. The Wizard wants to discredit the Torch before they defeat him and has just the plan. Stories of the Torch committing crimes starts to hit the papers and public sentiment slowly turns against him.

Finally the Torch decides it's time to strike. He poses as a rich man and when the Wizard and Pete show up, he springs the trap. The bad guys flee to their house with the Torch close on their heels. The Wizard was ready and traps the Torch in a house of mirrors. The Torch unsuccessfully tries to escape until the Wizard and Pete appear. The Wizard explains that he's going to flood the area with a liquid that evaporates oxygen. Pete pastes the Torch to the floor and they head off to prepare the Wizard's liquid.

The Torch makes a double of himself and then burns his flames as hot as they'll go and melts through a mirror. The Wizard and Pete flood the chamber and at the last moment realize it's a fake. The Torch reveals himself and traps the two men with his flames. Johnny ends the issue upset that he now has to stay up all night doing homework.

A man is troubled by the same nightmare on a nightly basis and visits Dr. Strange for help. Strange agrees to enter the man's dreams to help him out. Strange enters the dreams and it is revealed to him that the man he is helping has committed crimes. Just then he is confronted by the creature Nightmare. Nightmare threatens to kill Strange. The man wakes up and decides to kill Strange because of what he's learned. Strange reaches out to his Master who hypnotizes the man from afar. This allows Strange to leave the dream and disarm the man. The man admits his crimes as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: The Human Torch part of this issue was absolutely ridiculous. I liked the idea of his former enemies teaming up to take him down but the rest of the stuff was just unnecessary. Why did they need to try and frame him for crimes? It didn't really add anything to the story. It really felt like it was tacked on for the sake of it. This issue would've been a lot better if they had just committed a bunch of crimes and had their face off with the Torch at the end. Honestly, Pete didn't even really play into this issue much. The Wizard could've easily done all of this on his own. Also the liquid that evaporates oxygen? Really? Wouldn't flooding the room with water have gotten you the same result as some special liquid?

I think they overthought this issue and got too cute with the story. A much more simple story would've been more enjoyable. Despite, the gaping huge flaws with the story, it wasn't actually a terrible read. It wasn't boring and it wasn't a tedious read. It was pretty quick and light which I always find to be a good quality with Silver Age books. I hate when you feel like you're just crawling through pages of text instead of enjoying the story.

The art was pretty good for the Human Torch part. I didn't like the look of the Wizard as much in this issue as I did in Strange Tales #102. He just seemed too normal looking here while I remember him being a little more troll like in the previous issue. But that's really a minor complaint. The art was rock solid for this issue.

I'd give the Human Torch story * out of *****

The Dr. Strange story was a 5 page backup in this issue. A lot happened in those 5 pages. It was a fun little tale of magic and a different feel from the other Marvel books. The art was pretty solid, though they quickly change th7e appearance of Strange in the coming issues. This wasn't a bad start for a new character. It was interesting, left a touch of mystery and left you wanting to see more of him.

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

Notes: This issue has the first appearance of Dr. Strange who really needs no introduction. He carves out his own little niche in the Marvel Universe. He'll be a key member of the Defenders in the 70s and he'll have his own title pretty consistently well into the 90s. This issue also has the first appearance of Wong. Though he only appears in one panel and is not named. When Dr. Strange appears, Wong won't be far behind. This issue also has the first appearance of Nightmare who is a recurring villain over the years but I wouldn't call him an A list guy or anything.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #17

Fantastic Four #16

Cover Date: July 1963

Plot Overview: The Human Torch returns to the Baxter Building during a blackout and finds that his teammates have been shrunk and are being sucked into a vent. The Torch acts quickly and welds the vent shut. The others return to their normal size. Each member admits that they've randomly shrunk in size previously and were ashamed to admit it to their teammates. They each relate their story and decide to call upon Ant-Man.

Ant-Man hear about their problems and travels to the Baxter Building. He gives Reed a sample of his formula in the hopes it might slow the process down next time they shrink.

Time passes and one day the various members hear a woman warning them of Dr. Doom. They gather together and suddenly shrink into the Microverse. They're immediately confronted by Dr. Doom who has become the ruler of this world. The Thing tries to attack Doom but he shrinks them to an even smaller size. The FF try to put up a fight but Doom and his minions manage to capture them.

The FF are sent to a prison in a pool of acid. They meet the king and Princess Pearla. She mentions that Dr. Doom is planning to sell all of them to an alien race called the Tok. Reed tries to think of ways to escape. Meanwhile, the Ant-Man comes searching for the FF and realizes they've been shrunk and follows them to the Microverse. Ant-Man fights the guards of Doom but gets taken out and captured.

Meanwhile, in the prison. Reed figures out that the Walls can block the acid. They manage to pull parts of the walls off and make a capsule to escape. They float to the surface and enlarge themselves upon leaving the capsule. Sue helps Ant-Man escape and then steals the gun of Dr. Doom as the heroes win the day. Doom flees and heads back to the normal sized world. The FF and Ant-Man follow him back. The FF plan to hunt down Doom as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: This was a really fun issue from start to finish. The characters have really been fleshed out now and you're getting good interaction every issue. You can really see how Marvel had become a different entity with characterization and heroes that were easier to relate to by this point.

The art was really good for this issue. Probably one of the strongest issues of Fantastic Four from an art perspective so far. Doom has been tweaked and looks more like the Doom you see in the books today.

I was getting kind of tired of Namor and Doom trading off as the bad guys but they gave him a break for several issues so he seemed fresh here. I liked how Dr. Doom was in the same situation he was left at the last time we saw him. That was a nice bit of continuity. Ant-Man also was a fun guest in this issue. He made sense and added to the story.

Dr. Doom trying to sell them to aliens was kind of ridiculous sub-plot though. It seemed to be tacked on and mostly filler to flesh out the 22 pages of comic here. It wasn't bad, it just felt like an unneeded layer of story. I don't feel like Dr. Doom needed that for motivation. Just capturing the Fantastic Four and having them as prisoners would seem to be enough for him. The story was a fun read but I think this part was kind of a big flaw to it.

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

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Microverse. It's a fairly minor part of the Marvel Universe but versions of it will pop up over the years. The last several months have also seen the characters starting to appear in each other's books more. The Marvel Universe is feeling more like a working single universe instead of just titles loosely existing in the same space.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #45

Strange Tales #109

Cover Date: June 1963

Plot Overview: The Human Torch runs across a man known as the Sorcerer running kids off of his property with dogs. The Torch uses his flames to stop the Sorcerer and he vows revenge for the Torch's interference. The Sorcerer reveals that he has the legendary Pandora's Box. He has learned how to use it and he's going to use it to gain revenge against the Torch.

Later, the Sorcerer enters a bank and uses the Imps of Hatred and Forgetfulness to rob the bank of $120,000. The Torch later arrives on the scene and figures out who the culprit really was. The Torch confronts the Sorcerer and has his flames washed away when the Sorcerer calls forth a flood. Johnny asks if he may choose his own death and the Sorcerer agrees. Johnny picks fire and then uses the Imp to recharge his powers. The Sorcerer goes to call for Fear but the Torch grabs the box and welds it shut for all time. The Sorcerer was permanently affected by the Fear Imp and the Torch says he'll never bother anyone again.

My Take: What to say about this story. It was throwaway filler for the most part. Nothing really important happened. I read through it and a month from now, I would probably have to reference this post to tell you what happened in this issue.

With that said, it was a decent read. It was paced well, the villain had a good enough gimmick and I didn't find myself bored by any of it. The art was pretty solid as well.

My biggest beef with this was the fact that the Torch was essentially tormenting the bad guy in the early parts. Sure, he was chasing the kids with dogs but they were trespassing to begin with. The Sorcerer was wrong but the Torch was kind of wrong too and he was being a bit of a bully. I know that Golden and Silver Age heroes tend to be that way but it really struck me more with this issue than with others. I think it was because the Sorcerer was really introduces as more of an eccentric than a bad guy at first. I'm probably putting too much thought into a one off villain though.

To go back to my thoughts on this issue. Nothing important happened but it was a fun little read for the time period.

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

Notes: There was nothing noteworthy about this issue.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #16

Fantastic Four #15

Cover Date: June 1963

Plot Overview: Each member of the Fantastic Four is acting fairly disgruntled and restless as the issue opens. Meanwhile, the Mad Thinker gathers the biggest mobsters in New York so that he can become a king of crime. He has made a foolproof plan to get rid of the Fantastic Four so that they can take over the city.

The Thinker's plan goes into effect as each member of the FF get recruited into an outside venture. The team agrees to temporarily disband and go their own ways. The Thinker's plan has succeeded and he uses a meteor crash to break into the Baxter Building. The Thinker now has control of all of Reed Richard's scientific research.

Each member of the FF tires of their new lifestyle and decide to return home. They meet up and find that the Baxter Building is encased in crystal. The Thinker appears and challenges the FF to a battle.

The FF fight their way to the top floor where the Awesome Android is waiting for them. The Android makes short work of the Torch and Thing so it's up to Reed and Sue to take it down. Reed immobilizes the Android and Sue hits an off switch. With the Android defeated, the FF confront the Thinker. The Thinker threatens them with an array of weapons until a mysterious field disables all the weapons and the FF subdue him. The Thinker is confused by the outcome and Reed puts out that he didn't calculate for the human factor. Reed had Willie Lumpkin hit a special button at a certain time to disable all the weapons. The Thinker vows revenge as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: I'll admit up front, I'm not a big Mad Thinker fan. I find him to be a little boring and have tended to avoid his appearances over the years. With that said, this was a fairly enjoyable comic.

It was a nice character development issue as each member has grown tired of being a hero but finds their idealized job to not be fulfilling. There wasn't a ton of action in this issue but I don't really think that was the point. It was more about developing the characters.

The art was solid as ever. It's nice to see the art has improved so much since the first couple of issues. Those could get really rough to look at.

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

Notes: This is the first issue of the Mad Thinker and the Awesome Android. They'll remain fairly consistent villains for the Fantastic Four throughout the history of the book. This is also the first time they are referred to as living in New York if I'm remembering correctly.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #44

Strange Tales #108

Cover Date: May 1963

Plot Overview: An artist named Van Vile approaches a local mobster and demonstrates his powers. Whatever he paints comes to life and follows his orders. The artist goes into his story of how he was counterfeiting money and the Human Torch captured him. He also talks about how he found these magic paints while escaping from prison. Van Vile is going to build an underworld army and he wants to start with this mobster.

They commit a few crimes and Van Vile thwarts the Torch with his paints. He finally decides to end things and paints a picture of the Fantastic Four killing the Torch. The FF attack the Torch and throw a grenade in a closed room with him. Van Vile gloats as he hears of the Torch's demise.

Suddenly the Torch burns his paints and paper. The Torch explains that he recognized it was Van Vile because of how careless he was. The Torch snuck in and painted a living version of himself with the paints so he would survive.

My Take: I guess the run of good stories had to end sometime. It took me two tries to read this story because it was just brutally boring. This was a 13 page story and about 8 of those pages were spent going over the origin and powers of a villain that will never be seen from again. And to make it even worse, he was a horribly lame villain. I really don't understand why they went into painstaking detail of his life and origin. I just couldn't make myself care at all.

This story was also really text heavy as there was really no action of any kind. It was mostly Van Vile standing around and talking about himself and what he wanted to do.

The art was what you would expect from an issue of Strange Tales. No real complaints here.

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

Notes: This is the first appearance of Van Vile. I'm pretty sure he's never heard from again in the Marvel Universe.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #15

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