Week Ending December 1, 1973
The previous week in Marvel UK had me worried that reading and reviewing old comics might be an essentially fruitless task due to my adult cynicism. Then, as if these disturbing thoughts had reached out to the past and galvanised Marvel UK editorial team, they step their game up with a belter of a week and I am eight years old again.
Mighty World of Marvel #61
After several weeks reprinting the fantastic covered but disappointingly contented (this phrase scanned way better in my head) Hulk Special #1, we are back to the regular story. Back too is the increasingly magnificent Herb Trimpe, John Severin adds inks to pages that are bursting with scope and scale. The backgrounds and composition have the boldness of an on form Kirby, as a kid I didn't like Trimpe's work on the Hulk, all this shows is that I was a very stupid child. Hulk finds himself in the Savage Land and the domain of Kar-Zar, for the usual period silliness and coincidence, but it looks so gorgeous I really don't care.
The Fantastic Four: The Dreaded Diablo! Reprinting The Fantastic Four #30
This issue of MWOM continues to bring out the heavy artillery of Marvel art, as Kirby and Stone do what feels like a reworking of Dracula, sanitised for the Comics Code of the time. Again, the lush visuals seem miles ahead of the plot and storytelling, but it does leave you with the impression that the FF's pulpy beginnings are being left behind. Diablo himself is a weird mix of megalomaniac and snake oil salesmen, not at all how I remember him in later appearances and part one of the story ends on a faux mid-comic cliffhanger.
Spider-Man Comics Weekly 42
Marvel UK could have given us the original ASM cover for this issue, instead they chose to use the Gil Kane/John Romita version from Marvel Tales #34. You won't catch me complaining anytime I'm offered a slice of Kane goodness.
The Amazing Spider-Man: The Wings of The Vulture! Reprinting The Amazing Spider-Man #48
This is a pretty straightforward story, though it is done exceptionally well. Stan shows some restraint with the dialogue and John Romita is in fine form. The original Vulture is in a prison hospital bed, tricked into revealing the whereabouts of his last remaining supervillian outfit by cell-mate Blackie Drago. This could appear to be an effort to replace the slightly silly concept of a senior citizen with wings as a credible threat to Spider-Man, but knowing how things eventually work out, it adds a much needed arc to an established antagonist. As well as a youthful Vulture, Spidey also has to deal with a cold, making things even harder for him.
The Mighty Thor: The Day of The Destroyer! Reprinting Journey Into Mystery #119
Thor is still tackling the Destroyer, Loki continues to vacillate between killing his brother and saving his life, while Vince Colletta alternates good and bad inks over Kirby's pencils.
The Avengers #11
It is probably quite hard to do an action-packed cover and meet the need to get all the members of your super-team in frame. Which is why you draft in Jack Kirby and Chic Stone to get the job done.
The Avengers: Even Avengers Can Die! Reprinting The Avengers #14
Our last installment ended with the shocking revelation that the Wasp had been shot by one of Count Nefaria's henchmen. We rejoin the story as a distraught Giant-Man and teammates rush their fallen comrade to hospital. Things look grim with Janet in critical condition and the only doctor with the know-how to save her half a world away. This could have been done as a smaller, very human story as the team of supermen and gods seek help. Instead, Stan is unable to resist the temptation to go down the usual route as the erstwhile medical expert has been abducted and replaced by aliens. They aren't even particularly interesting aliens. Anyway, the Avengers hasten an inter-planetary conflict that probably costs thousands of lives and the Wasp is saved. Hoorah.
Dr. Strange: The World Beyond. Reprinting Strange Tales #122
I have mentioned on more than one occasion how these early Dr Strange stories are simple and a little repetitive, but elevated by the visuals of Steve Ditko to something still quite special. It turns out if you get George Roussos to ink over some sparse to the point of unfinished Ditko pencils, whatever alchemy made the weak plots a joy is completely destroyed. Hopefully normal service will be resumed next issue.
At last after 7 days, here it was in my hands - Avengers 11 - and I rushed through to the end to see whether the Wasp survived. She did so I then went back to fully read the story.
ReplyDeleteI also remember dwelling on Giant-Man holding the caption. It seemed like a comic equivalent of breaking the 4th wall. For some weeks I had been frustrated that my favourite Avenger wasn’t in the box in the corner, just as he hadn’t been on the cover of the first issue. If I’d known at the time there were Giant Man strips I’d have been clamouring for them. Imagine the Avengers, Giant Man and Doctor Strange in one comic. That would have been Terrific!
Giant-Man solo stories were one of the unfortunate casualties of the gaps in the UK reprints, think we might see some in The Super-Heroes in a couple of years, but we missed out on a lot of stuff.
DeletePersonally I would have selected Ant Man for MWOM 20 rather than Daredevil but by late 1973 that boat had sailed.
ReplyDelete