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

Strange Tales #114

Cover Date: November 1963

Plot Overview: Johnny's friends interrupt a Torch training session to tell him that Captain America will be appearing at the Glenville antique car show. Johnny is excited because he used to read comic books about Cap when he was younger.

Two men steal a car at the show and Johnny becomes the Human Torch. Also, Captain America jumps into action. Together they capture the crooks but Cap tells the Torch that he didn't need his help and flings mud at him. They begin to argue before the Torch takes off and Cap gets the credit for capturing the crooks.

Later, Johnny is upset about the situation while his girlfriend Doris Evans moons over Cap. This upsets the Torch and he accidentally Flames On. Doris chases him out of the house and the Torch goes on a sort of patrol.

Meanwhile, Cap breaks the two crooks out of jail and tells them to raise a real fuss. They take off in a car and eventually get captured by the Human Torch. They reveal that Cap was using them as a distraction so that he could rob the Glenville Bank.

The Torch arrives on the scene and Cap tries to escape in a rocket. The Torch destroys the rocket and Cap manages to escape with a parachute. Cap heads to a sporting goods store and uses a mop to put out the Torch's flames. He then handcuffs Johnny and makes his exit. A janitor helps dry off Johnny and he becomes the Torch to continue the chase.Cap manages to trap the Torch in an asbestos lined truck.

The Torch manages to escape the truck by using his heat to blow the truck apart. Cap is out of options at this point and surrenders to the Torch. The Torch unmasks to reveal the Acrobat. The Torch turns over the Acrobat to the authorities and then heads home. Johnny wonders what happened to the real Cap as his story comes to a close. The editor mentions that this was a test run for Captain America and asks the reader to reply if they want to see a return of the real Captain America.

Dr. Strange is called by a Sir. Clive Bentley. Bentley asks for the help of Strange and he agrees. Bentley reveals that he is indeed Baron Mordo. Strange arrives at the house and Mordo captures him with a special candle. The Ancient One offers to free Strange but he says that he must free himself to show that he has mastered the art of sorcery. Strange reaches out and lures a Victoria Bentley to the scene. She frees Strange and Mordo reappears. He says that Victoria has latent magical powers and tries to dominate the will of Strange so that he will kill her. Strange reveals that it was just a mental projection of himself and that he has just arrived on the scene. Strange and Mordo have a great battle on the astral plane and Mordo eventually flees. Victoria wants to learn the mystic arts but Strange says she must wait until Mordo is no longer a threat. The issue ends with the Ancient One telling Strange that Mordo is still stronger than he is.

My Take: The Human Torch story was really fun. I think the story had a nice little twist at the end even though it was obvious that it wasn't the real Captain America. The fight between Cap and the Torch was really fun. The Torch really made his life harder than it had to be in this issue. If he would've just stopped and thought a little more he probably could have beaten the Acrobat in a much easier fashion.

Johnny Storm is still hanging out with the stick in the mud Doris Evans. I guess he's just a sucker for punishment. I wish that Sue got a little more screen time in these books. I think it would be interesting if they explored the brother-sister dynamic with the Storm family in this book more.

I think it's interesting that they used this issue as a barometer to see if the readers wanted to see Captain America back. He had previously failed in the brief 50s return so I guess they were a little gun shy about bringing him back a second time. At this point, 2 years in, I think it's obvious the super heroes have been really successful for Marvel so it's a little surprising that they wouldn't just bring him back. There's about a 4 month gap between this test run and Avengers #4 so the feedback must have been quick and very positive.

The Dr. Strange story was okay but you can't really do much with a 5 page story. They seem to be trying to figure out the character still as well.

The art for both stories was pretty good. They brought in Jack Kirby to draw Cap which was a really nice touch. Cap looked good in this issue and the action looked really great. This was a really well drawn issue. Even the Dr. Strange story was well done.

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

Notes: This issue features the first appearance of Victoria Bentley. She's a minor footnote in Marvel history. This issue is more important for a quasi-return of Captain America. This issue usually gets mentioned in any sort of early Silver Age history of Marvel. The Captain America in this story ends up being an imposter but this was a test run to see if they were going to bring the real Cap back.

Next Issue: X-Men #2

Strange Tales Annual #2

Cover Date: October 1963

Plot Overview: Johnny Storm sits down to read the paper after a morning of training and gets upset that Spider-Man is getting all the headlines again. Meanwhile the Fox is planning to steal a Da Vinci painting and Spider-Man is going to help him.

The Fox and his gang steal the painting by cutting the power to the museum and then pose as repairmen. The Fox leaves a piece of webbing behind and the authorities believe it's Spider-Man.

Spider-Man decides to look up the Human Torch to help prove his innocence. The Torch isn't in a listening mood and instead attacks Spider-Man. Spider-Man eventually encases the Torch in cement and manages to escape the scene.

Spider-Man sneaks into a nearby chemistry lab and develops a new webbing with an ice based silicone in it. This way he can trap the Torch long enough to tell his side of the story. The Torch is talking with the local police when Spider-Man calls him out. The Torch gives chase until he falls into Spider-Man's trap. Spider-Man tells the Torch his story and the Torch decides to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The Torch heads to the local police and hears that Spider-Man stole another painting 30 minutes ago. The Torch tells the police that it wasn't Spider-Man because they were together then. The police figure out that the thief is probably the Fox. The Torch and Spider-Man meet up and the search is on!

Spider-Man comes across an old lady in the subway and takes her luggage. The luggage is covered in glue and Spider-Man is trapped. The Fox reveals himself and gets ready to shoot Spider-Man but the Torch melts his gun with a fireball. The Fox flees and escapes the duo. Spider-Man uses his Spider Sense to lead the duo to a couple of the Fox's lairs. They finally come across some of his minions and capture them. The minions tell our heroes that the Fox headed to Central Park.

Spider-Man and the Torch arrive at Central Park and find another empty Fox lair. They come across a man offering views from a telescope and Spider-Man grabs him. He pulls a mask off to reveal the Fox! The Torch opens the telescope to find the Da Vinci painting. Our heroes trade barbs as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: I find it interesting that the Fantastic Four have appeared 3 times in the first 5 issues of Amazing Spider-Man and now we have Spider-Man showing up in a Strange Tales Annual. I don't know sales figures but my guess is the FF and Spider-Man are by far the biggest selling titles at this point thus we're getting them guest starring with each other so much. I have always thought Spider-Man and the Human Torch are one of those great friendships in comics and that seems to be true from the start. It's also interesting because I think even in the 1960s, this kind of guest starring wasn't a very common thing. There seems to be some real trending setting going on at Marvel already.

This was a fun issue. Spider-Man and the Torch are very similar characters and it's fun to see them grate on each other so much. It's also funny that Spider-Man can't stop running his mouth, even when he's trying to get the Torch to help him. This issue doesn't disappoint as far as Silver Age Spider-Man/Torch team ups go. Their rivalry always proves to be entertaining.

I was a little disappointed that their first real team up was wasted on a lame one shot villain like the Fox. The villain stable is pretty thin at this point but I can't really blame them for that. Marvel has only been around for 2 years at this point. Still, seeing the Vulture and Wizard team up might have been fun to see.

The art felt pretty rushed in this issue. There are a lot of distant shots of Spider-Man that have zero detail whatsoever. I imagine they were in a crunch to get out an extra issue and it's disappointing to have to look at the mediocre art in this book.

Overall, this was a fun but forgettable book. I was entertained reading it from start to finish. I never felt myself checking the page numbers as I was leafing through and that's all I ask of these early comics.

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

Notes: The Fox is a one time villain so his first appearance in this book isn't very important. This issue would mark the first time that Spider-Man has appeared outside of his own comic book in a first run story. This is also the first official team up of Spider-Man and the Human Torch.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #20

Strange Tales #113

Cover Date: October 1963

Plot Overview: Johnny Storm has a date with  Doris Evans and arrives in style as the Human Torch. Doris isn't impressed at all and constantly complains about Johnny's "Flaming On". Johnny is torn on Doris. He appreciates her liking him for him but the glory hound in him is not pleased with the prospect of being a normal person. While on their date, her father gets into an argument with the gardener Samuel Smithers and fires him.

Smithers has been experimenting and trying to increase the I.Q. of plants. A freak accident suddenly makes his device work. He decides it's time to get revenge on Mr. Evans for firing him. Smithers dubs himself Plantman and robs the jewelry store that Mr. Evans works at. He leaves a watch behind so that the police suspect him.

Johnny promises to help Doris out and later encounters Plantman. Plantman uses the dew on the various plants to put out the Torch's flames. He then has the plants hold the Torch captive until he escapes. Johnny was beaten but he vows to win the next time he encounters Plantman.

Plantman takes over a local park and starts his plans of world domination. The Torch hears of the events and arrives on the scene. Plantman again manages to dose the flames of the Torch but this time Johnny has one last ace up his sleeve. He creates a giant fireball that wilts the plants in the area. The plants turn on Plantman for getting them into this situation. The Plantman flees and vows revenge.

Doris thanks Johnny and then complains about his "Flaming On" as he flies away as the Human Torch.

My Take: This issue was a really quick read for some reason. Sometimes, these older books can feel like a real chore to get through with all the text. This one felt like there was a little less text than normal. It made it a more enjoyable experience that's for sure.

The story was competent. It felt very monster of the week to me. Your standard bad guy gets powers and gets beaten by the hero. Plantman himself is a standard archetype of villain. He actually looks a lot like the Shadow in this book, only with green clothes. They give him a more super villain kind of getup later on.

This issue also continues the trend of introducing some villains with a little staying power this month. Rama-Tut, the Porcupine, Crimson Dynamo and even Molto the Lava Man make some repeat appearances for Marvel throughout the 60s and into the 70s. I said it a few issues back but it's really nice to see Marvel introducing some super villains into the fold instead of having the good guys beat up on generic Communists all the time.

This was a pretty throwaway story though. It was a fun and quick read but I doubt I'll remember it a couple of weeks from now. It was more there to fill up space for a month. Don't mistake that as bad though. It was a competent story and I've easily read worse and will probably read worse.

The art was rock solid in this issue. Nothing looked terrible. The trees and plants attacking the Human Torch didn't look as ridiculous as it could have looked. There were some good backgrounds in this issue too. There always seemed to be something behind the characters. I noticed every little blank backgrounds throughout the issue.

I give this ** out of *****.

Notes: This issue marks the first appearances of Doris Evans and Plantman. I believe Doris Evans will hang around as a sort of love interest for the Human Torch for a little while. Plantman is another one of those C list villains that shows up off and on again. He'll eventually get hired by Count Nefaria and form a team with the Eel, Porcupine, Unicorn and Scarecrow. That team up is a favorite of mine and that happens in  X-Men #22. Unfortunately that's in the far distant future but it's something to look forward to. I consider him to be another classic low level villain though.

Next Issue: Strange Tales Annual #2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strange Tales #106

Cover Date: March 1963

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #13

Strange Tales #105

Cover Date: February 1963

Plot Overview: The Wizard becomes a model prisoner so that he can get access to the hospital wing. He uses several chemicals to eat a hole through his cell wall which allows him to escape. The Wizard challenges the Human Torch to a rematch.

Johnny Storm sees the challenge and gets ready to head off but Sue forbids it. So Johnny makes a fake version of himself to distract her long enough for him to escape. The Human Torch arrives on the scene and the Wizard uses a variety of attacks that the Torch foils. The Wizard figures out that Sue has entered his home and sneaks off and captures her after exposing her with a spray.

The Wizard tells the Torch that there's a bomb in the room but he will let the Torch enter if he turns off his flames. The Torch agrees. Sue and Johnny are now trapped with the bomb and the Wizard reveals that if the temperature rises the bomb will go off. Sue and Johnny can't reach the bomb so Johnny takes a gamble and uses his flame powers to disable the bomb before it can go off. Johnny becomes the Torch and launches the bomb into the sky where it explodes harmlessly. The Torch then uses his powers to escape the room. The Wizard tries to escape but the Torch sets off the sprinklers which causes the Wizard to slip. The Wizard has been captured. The issue ends with Sue throwing something at Johnny after he made a sarcastic comment about her help.

My Take: I enjoyed this issue quite a bit. It was essentially a direct continuation of the battle they were having last time. The Wizard was using his gadgets to try and best the Torch. The art felt a lot better this time as the Wizard didn't look quite as ugly as I remember. Overall, I found the story to be fun and it even developed the relationship between Johnny and Sue a little.

It was nice seeing other members of the Fantastic Four in the book. I like seeing their relationships develop and it's an added bonus that this book is mostly about how they interact with Johnny. I've been surprised that there haven't been more appearances by FF members so far but I guess Lee wanted the Torch to stand on his own a bit too.

I found this to be a fun story. It was mostly action and a death trap and that's just fine with me. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby really seem to pour a lot of attention into this book. Strange Tales just seems to have better overall stories and art than the other two anthology books have on a monthly basis. I'm guessing that's because it's a Fantastic Four spin-off and the cash cow for the company at the time. They probably put that extra bit of effort in so that it retains the same amount of quality as the FF book does. Where with a few of the other titles I feel like they just throw things together some months.

My main complaint with this book is that the prison people would even let the Wizard anywhere near the hospital wing. He might be a model prisoner but I would like to think that a competant staff would keep a guy like the Wizard away from chemicals just to be safe. Okay, so maybe a real prison would probably make the same mistake. Let's move on...

Good overall issue here. I'm really surprised by Strange Tales as I never thought a Johnny Storm solo title would entertain me. I'm glad to be wrong with this so far.

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

Notes: This is the second appearance of the Wizard. He last appeared in Strange Tales #102.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #12

Strange Tales #104

Cover Date: January 1963

Plot Overview: Johnny Storm is at the bank when Paste-Pot Pete enters the scene to rob the bank. Storm can't turn into the Human Torch because it will expose his secret identity. Pete makes his escape and Storm uses his flames to have a fake Human Torch chase him. Pete escapes on a motorcycle until Storm can finally become the Human Torch.

Pete arrives on a military base and uses his paste to subdue the guards. He steals a top secret missile and plots to sell it to the highest bidding nation. The Human Torch arrives and makes several failed attempts at stopping Pete's truck and the stolen missile. Storm flames expire and Pete glues him to a missile. The missile accidently fires with Storm still attached. Storm regains his flames and manages to escape the missile.

The Torch melts the truck around Pete and ruins his tank with his flames. Pete has one last shot and uses it to grab on to a plane. The Torch runs to the radio tower and warns the plane that Pete has attached himself to the wing. Pete bails out as the plane turns around.

Pete climbs aboard a getaway boat and escapes into the fog. The government thanks the Human Torch for his help and he wonders if Pete will return as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: Paste-Pot Pete as presented in this issue is completely ridiculous. He is the worst excesses of Silver Age super villain creation. I would actually have expected him to show up in a DC book the way he's presented. He comes across like a Batman villain from that era.

The art was really poor in this issue. It felt really rushed and there were no real backgrounds to speak of. Considering the art in some of the other issues from this month it was easily the worst issue to come out.

The story was typical for an anthology title. Quick paced and a lot of action. It works even if Pete is really lame as a villain. The Human Torch is actually working really well as a solo character. I have to admit that I'm surprised by that. I always thought that he needed the other members of the Fantastic Four to play off of to be interesting. I do hope that the Thing starts to show up a little more in this title though. I like the way the two interact with each other.

Back to the story. It was very typical of the early 60s. Bad guy wants to sell top secret military plans to the Communists and the hero foils him. I don't think Paste-Pot Pete was right for this story in that regard though. It was a little ridiculous seeing a guy break into a military base using only glue. They did sort of reference how ridiculous it seemed in the issue but it was still pretty ridiculous to me. Even with Pete's flaws it was still a fairly fun little read and I only rolled my eyes a handful of times.

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

Notes: This is the first appearance of Paste-Pot Pete. He'll eventually assume the identity of the Trapster and become an iconic C list super villain. Okay, I might be exaggerating there slightly. For me, the Trapster is the poster child for your C or D list Marvel villain. His primary targets as a villain are the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. He'll have a stint in the Frightful Four and the Sinister Six. He's also appeared on several of the Marvel cartoons.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #11

Strange Tales #103

Cover Date: December 1962

Plot Overview: Johnny Storm investigates a series of houses sinking into a swamp. The houses are being built here because swamp land is cheap. An old man continually warns the workers about swamp demons. The Torch returns at night and sees the old man and two aliens use some device to make the house sink into the Earth.

The Torch confronts the old man and he reveals himself to be an alien himself. The alien uses a gun to put out his flames. The alien takes Johnny to his home world and takes him to see Zemu. Zemu orders that Johnny is locked up in a giant water tank to show how powerful he is.

A young woman Valeria and her father free Johnny from the water tank. Johnny once again becomes the Torch and destroys the army of Zemu. The Torch alerts the planets population and convinces them to revolt against their master. Zemu is captured and Valeria declares her love for the Torch. The Torch returns home and gets in trouble in class for day dreaming about Valeria.

My Take: This was one of those really outdated stories that just too naive to work today. The villains and supporting cast were all pretty forgettable. This was really similar to the Thor story that was in the last Journey Into Mystery so that's kind of annoying. Johnny Storm, as a character, doesn't work by himself. He needs other characters to bounce his personality off of. You can't be a wise guy if there's no one around to crack wise at. Unless you're Spider-Man and just talk for the sake of talking.

The art was pretty good in this issue. The splash of the futuristic city was really nice but it was really close to the futuristic city in Journey Into Mystery. You can look at that in two ways. You can look at it as lazy or look at it as being good continuity. I'm going to go with good continuity just this one time. There was a decent amount of action in this issue and it came off pretty well.

Overall, I found this story to be utterly forgettable and not that fun of a read. It was a quick read but there was nothing that made me want to keep going. I was kind of glad when it was over honestly.

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

Notes: This is the first and only appearance of Zemu and this unnamed race of people.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #10

Strange Tales #102

Cover Date: November 1962

Plot Overview: The Wizard watches a newsreel of the Human Torch defeating the Destroyer from the previous issue. He decides that he's going to use his powers to defeat the Human Torch. He uses a machine and pretends to be captured and draws the Human Torch out to save him. The Wizard brings the Torch to his house as a thank you.

He shows the Torch many of his inventions and uses one to douse the Torch's flames. The Wizard locks him up and uses a costume to disguise himself as the Torch. Disguised as the Torch he runs amok around the city.

The Torch regains his flames and escapes his prison. He confronts the Wizard and the Wizard challenges him to face him tonight. The Torch says that he'll defeat the Wizard with a phone call. The Torch arrives and the Wizard has a challenge for him. He has photos that prove the Torch's innocence. The Torch has to either kill the Wizard with his flames or flame off and fight him like a man. If the Torch does nothing then the Wizard will throw the pictures into the fire.

The Torch says he has a hidden power, the power to move things. The pictures leave the hands of the Wizard and into the hands of the Torch. The Wizard gives himself up. After the Wizard is taken away, Sue Richards reveals herself. They talk about how smart the Wizard was but he couldn't think of everything.

My Take: This issue was a really fun read. The art was good and the pacing was really fun. This is one of the first of the anthology stories that I've read that really seemed to work. It was 13 pages but it was fast paced and is leaving the character development to the Fantastic Four title. The story was really simple and had a logical conclusion.

This wasn't an all-time classic or anything. This was like that 80s action movie that you really enjoyed and watched 10 times but isn't highly thought of in a critical sense. Some of these issues can be a real chore to get through but this one was a real pleasure. I had my doubt about reading Human Torch stories but this gives me hope that it will be a solid read every month.

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

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Wizard. The Wizard becomes a fairly regular antagonist of the Fantastic Four over the decades. He'll eventually become a member of the Frightful Four. This is also one of the first books where the events of the last issue directly impacted the events of this book. The Wizard watched the Human Torch on a newsreel and then decided to challenge him.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #9

Strange Tales #101

Cover Date: October 1962

Plot Overview: A local amusement park has received several threats in the mail by a man calling himself the Destroyer. Several attempts at sabotage are made but the Human Torch makes the save each and every time.

The Destroyer finally challenges the Human Torch to a battle. The Torch arrives but falls into a trap laid by the Destroyer. The Torch is saved by several teenagers arriving on the scene. The Torch heads back to the park to see what the Destroyer is after.

The Torch finds a submarine and uses his powers to force them to surface. The police arrive and with the help of the Torch they capture the crew and the Destroyer. It's revealed that the Destroyer is the owner of the paper that was receiving the threats. The Torch reveals that they're Communists and that the park was interfering with the Destroyer's ability to pass on information.

My Take: This was a fairly throwaway issue. It felt more like one of those one shot backups you'd find in the back of an Annual or something like that. This also didn't feel much like the Human Torch. They're pushing the secret identity part really hard and that doesn't seem to be a factor in the Fantastic Four books.

The story itself was a quick read and generic. You could've stuck almost any character in here and gotten the same story. It wasn't badly written, it just wasn't original. The art was a little rough around the edges. It felt a little rushed and looked more like earlier in the year when they were still trying to figure the characters out.

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

Notes: The Human Torch becomes a regular feature in Strange Tales. He'll keep the top billing in this comic until Nick Fury and SHIELD take over several years later in issue 135. This is also the first and only appearance of the Destroyer in the Marvel Universe. This story also establishes that the Human Torch has a secret identity that he's operating under.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #8