Week Ending December 22, 1973

It is 1973, Christmas is just a week away, Marvel UK is putting out some cracking weeklies, what a time to be alive. Kids these days with their Tic Toks and inpenetratable slang think they have reached the pinnacle of human existence, well they never experienced the joy of picking up their favourite comic and blowing the change on as many 'eight chews for a penny' as you could afford. Suckers.

Mighty World of Marvel #64

Ron Wilson and Mike Esposito supply an alternative to the original US cover, getting the job done with little fanfare or fuss. 

The Incredible Hulk: The Brute Battles On! Reprinting The Incredible Hulk #112

The Hulk was facing the threat of the Galaxy Master last week, an impressive disembodied mouth with the suggestion of classic vampire fangs. It is a shame the when this wonderful design is dropped almost immediately for a generic mallet-fisted gaint with one eye. The Hulk slugs it out as political maneuvers play out amongst the leaders of the alien world he finds himself on. Trimpe continues to impress me with his art, his character design and action scenes might not rival Kirby, but his imagination and talent can't be denied. Yet another old school artist that I have learned to appreciate. 

The Fantastic Four: The Trap is Set! Reprinting Fantastic Four Annual #2

Last week we were treated to the masterclass of Dr Doom's origin, away from the mainstream of FF stories, Stan and Jack were free to do some of their best work so far. Doom is now back in the team's storyline and the clash of what we now know of the serious Victor Von Doom and the silliness that has crept into the FF stories is a little jarring. Doom is rescued from space by Rama Tut (The Artist Soon To Be Known As Kang) and for no obvious reason, the pair jump to the conclusion that they might be the same person, displaced in time. Wacky conceit established, Doom jets off to make the lives of the Fantastic Four miserable. 

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #45

Jazzy John Romita brings some serious Norman Rockwell vibes for this cover. It is an unusually naturalistic piece of work that is only let down by the UK colouring, the original probably doesn't get as much praise as it deserves. 

The Amazing Spider-man: In The Clutches of The Kingpin! Reprinting The Amazing Spider-Man #51

The Kingpin has taken control of organised crime in New York City but Spider-Man is back from the world's shortest retirement. Steve Ditko and Stan Lee might get the credit for the bulk Spider-Man's top bad guys but Romita/Lee must get a very honourable mention for Wilson Fisk. His look is perfect from the start, with only his 'disintegration cane' and 'gas tie-pin' seeming like unnecessary gimmicks. Mr 400lbs-Of-Muscle-Not-Fat is a straight out of the gates bona-fide threat to Spider-Man, and a welcome change of pace from his costumed foes. 

The Mighty Thor: What Evil Is This? Reprinting Journey Into Mystery #120

After a few weeks lulling us into a false sense of security, Vince Colleta is back to his old habit of rubbing sand in the eyes of Jack Kirby fans. It is a horrible looking episode, made even worse by some ropey looking UK edits (anyone for a badly drawn Jarvis?) however, on the upside, the final panels see the return of the Absorbing Man, which for me can pretty much save any story. 

The Avengers #14

Ron Wilson and Mike Esposito knock out a cover that at first glance seems pretty engaging, but then I noticed the bizarre fashion choice of giving the Minotaur what appears to be a hairy pair of shorts. Plus the printing error that leads to a black arrow pointing to the Mole Man, just saying "Mole Man!" like the worst game of Where's Wally ever. 

The Avengers: Four Against The Minotaur! Reprinting The Avengers #17

You may recall that last week I commented on the three new Avengers behaving like little more than bland cardboard cutouts. This week's story possibly overcorrects a bit, with both Quicksilver and Hawkeye dialing the douche to eleven and the Scarlet Witch taking over the position of flirt-in-chief recently vacated by the Wasp. The personality swings are actually a bit of a device to show the growth of team spirit in the new arrivals during an otherwise standard new super team run-in with the Mole Man that Stan is contractually bound to provide. Still, it adds much needed texture and sets up the characters for how they will develop in the future. 

Dr. Strange: The Domain of The Dread Dormammu! Reprinting Strange Tales #126

With impressively frugal preamble, Dr Strange finds himself up against his most powerful foe yet. Steve Ditko is on full art duties again so we get several pages of prime trippy weirdness, the unnamed first appearance of Clea and the brilliantly designed Dormammu himself. Not much actually happens, but it happens in spectacular style.