Fantastic Four #17

 "Forgive me for interrupting you by sending my pseudo-image here. But I am still human enough to wish to gloat over your hapless plight!"

I love the exciting cover to this one, promising so much action. But not as much as I love the declaration that "Marvel Comics Group ushers in the Marvel age of comics". Fantastic Four may not be as good as Amazing Spider-Man, but it's easily the second best title at this point.

It's absolute bonkers, though.

We begin by saying farewell to last issue's guest star, Ant-Man. After all, his appearance in this more popular title is a clear sign that sales of Tales to Astonish must be flagging. No wonder the Thing is seen reading an issue as a subtle hint to the readers. 

Doom, though, is still at large... and he wants power, namely as a member of President Kennedy's cabinet, which is utterly bizarre. Latveria is not yet a thing, and I don't think there's yet any suggestion that he's anything other than American. Still, nice oblique visual hints of Camelot are nice, with JFK and "Caroline's bedtime".

It's probably best not to think about the plot too much, with Doom kidnapping Alicia as leverage but then utterly failing to use her as such when the FF attack his base in, er, a cloud floating above New York. Yep. Bonkers. 

But we end with such fun little set pieces, and the issue has so much overall charm, that I can't help but love it. Especially as we end with Doom jumping out of the plane, ostensibly to his, er, doom, but wevknow damn well that's not going to happen... 

 

Fantastic Four #16

 "The fools! They live in peace! They are contented and happy! But I'll soon put a stop to that!"

This issue is, obviously, bonkers. I mean, a tiny sub-atomic kingdom? An incredibly credulous society that Doom easily conquers due to their naivete? And, yes, a cover that proclaims a "special surprise guest star at the same time as announcing blatantly that it's Ant-Man.

Fascinating, is it not, that all Marvel crossovers so far have involved the Fantastic Four, who have interacted with the Hulk, Spider-Man and now Ant-Man. Will we get any crossovers not involving the FF any time soon? Still, I fear for Ant-Man. The Hulk's title was cancelled soon after he appeared in Fantastic Four #12. Can Ant-Man's tenure in Tales to Astonish be coming to an end? It would be such a terrible shame...! 

And, awkwardly, this issue is really rather good, and shows the FF, who finally seem to be morphing into explorers rather than crime fighters, to be better in stories involving shrinking than a certain Henry Pym. Ouch. I suppose he can console himself with the fact that Sue apparently fancies him... after earlier declaring that they "can't ever be sure that he really exists". First Hulk, now Ant-Man... the FF seem to be perennial sceptics when it comes to the existence of other super powered individuals.

This is a fun little romp, ending with the Thing literally batting away the invasion fleet of the Lizard Men of Tok, which is not a sentence I ever imagined myself typing. I'm enjoying Fantastic Four... and, oh goody, the next title in the Order is the next issue.

Strange Tales #111

 "Bah, you are a weakling! Why would you help men when you can rule them?"

A rather odd issue this time round. The Doctor Strange story is a rather perfunctory introduction for Baron Mordo while the Human Torch story, despite its silly premise ( I mean, Asbestos Man? Come on! It's heath and safety gone mad.) is... actually rather good.

Yes, this week's baddy is yet another embittered scientific genius who craves worldly riches and is thus tempted by crime... albeit after some almost Marxist muses on how his employer, and not he, profits from his genius labours. And so he goads the Torch into battle from an "old castle", for such things apparently exist in the United States, which he can somehow afford on his meagre salary. And so he publicly disgraces the Torch, before impressing some gangsters (including a "king of the underworld" who will never be heard from again) into joining him in crime.

Wonderfully, it's Sue, armed with a truly magnificent beehive, who is the brains of the operation here, suggesting a successful strategy to her literally hot headed little brother- use flame not on Asbestos Man himself, but the environment outside him. Brilliant.

Meanwhile... well, Baron Mordo comes across in his first appearance as just a generic former pupil of the "Master", as he's still known, who now uses magic for greed and power, ending up in a bizarre astral fight with Dr, Strange. It's a very early story, and not many pages, but Strange wins with a trick and... is that it? Hopefully, things will get more substantial in time. 

Fantastic Four #15

 "Good grief! Another power-mad genius for us to contend with!"

The quote above says it all- the Mad Thinker is not exactly the greatest villain of all time, just being another arrogant clever villain, this time the conceit being that he plans things to the second, until Reed defeats him with the "x-factor", or an unpredicted event which the Thinker somehow failed to foresee for reasons that aren't entirely clear... but at least Mr Lumpkin gets another mention! 

Still, it's a surprise that the Thinker becomes such a fixture for the FF, being so dull, and nowhere near as cool as his Awesome Android, overpowered though it seems here. There are some cool moments though, such as our first real experience of Ben's rivalry with the Yancy Street Gang, and Reed again using that gun thingy from issue #1 to summon the team- I think a fixture of these early days? It's also nice to see a bit of wry irony in Stan's captions, describing the Thing as "as lovable and shy as ever".

Interestingly, even as late as this issue the FF are as much crimefighters as they are explorers, with the Thinker seen very much as a gangland figure. It'll be interesting to see that change. Overall, though, a decent enough issue but nothing special. The FF need a far bigger canvas than this sort of stuff. 

 

Strange Tales #110

The Human Torch vs. The Wizard and Paste Pot Pete

"Wait a minute! I'm a partner- not a servant, you know!"

The team-up we were all waiting for, right? I mean, the Wizard is sort of ok, a generic super genius undone by his own arrogance... but Paste Pot Pete, with his literal paste pot? How on Earth did he get to be more than a one-off baddie?

I like how the story leans into his rubbishness, though. He's the supplicant, the one who springs the Wizard from prison and asks to join forces, something the Wizard would certainly never have reciprocated. And, naturally, Pete spends pretty much the whole story resenting the fact that he's being bossed around.

The actual plot is very perfunctory, though, not helped by the fact it doesn't actually start until page five of thirteen, with loads of space taken up with flashbacks of previous stories and the Torch training and, er, doing homework.

Oh, and the Wizard announcing that he and Pete will just operate from his massive house because "The police would never dream I'd go there"? I think you'll find that's "always", not "never", 

Dr. Strange, Master of Black Magic

"I am the symbol of evil! The evil he has done!"

For a very brief five page story introducing Doctor Strange (at last), this is both very good and utterly fascinating. We're introduced to Doctor Strange, with as yet no origin, but just told that he practises what is rather interestingly called "black" magic. We see an unnamed Wong in one panel and briefly meet the Ancient One, here called the "Master". We learn that the "Master" doesn't expect to live long, and that Strange is his successor. We briefly meet Nightmare, and see the Nightmare Dimension. And, as far as lore goes, that's pretty much it. Strange is an alluringly mysterious figure who keeps his magical cards to his chest.

Indeed, with the excellent, creepy art of Steve Ditko, Strange has the touch of the sinister about him. This looks and feels as close to a horror comic as the Comics Code will allow in 1963, a refreshing change. The writing, too, is a huge step up from the Human Torch stuff, with cool concepts and a twist at the end, even if the client being bad is already becoming a bit of a Marvel trope.

But a Nightmare Dimension! Strange entering another person's dreams! This is awesome stuff. 

The Amazing Spider-Man #3

 "Is this the end of Spider-Man?"

Once again we see why The Amazing Spider-Man is absolutely the flagship title in these early years. It's got fun, it's got action- but, with Peter Parker's youthful angst, this issue is a proper character study and that gives it a level of depth that, as of Spring 1963, no other Marvel title quite has.

It's only issue #3 and, as such, it's fun to see a few firsts. We have the first use of what will become known as the Spidey Signal. We have the first use of the title "Daily Bugle", with J. Jonah Jameson still said to be "publisher". And, of course, we have the introduction of Doctor Octopus, or Otto Octavius, who is both an absolutely top tier Spidey baddie and Marvel's foremost example of nominative determinism.

It's the early '60s, so Doc Ock's origin story absolutely has to involve exposure to large amounts of radiation, which is very much in fashion for origin stories at this point, and probably not exactly a good thing for Doc Ock's health a couple of decades down the line.

We never really learn exactly what Doc Ock plans to do with the atomic plant that he seizes, but that isn't the point here- the point is the self-confidence of our talented but very young hero, whose crisis of confidence after his initial defeat to Doc Ock is extremely well handled. It's perfect how it should be a school pep talk by an unwitting Human Torch (who responds to Peter's enthusiastic thanks with a casual "Huh? Oh, sure, sure! Glad you enjoyed it, fella!") that galvanises Spider-Man to defeat Doc Ock with a combination of both the cleverness and the perseverance that we will come to know him for... and, incidentally, Steve Ditko is really good at showing his determined persistence.

Another thing again worth mentioning is that, so far, we've had no real strong sense that this is all occurring in a shared universe. So far it's been like DC of the time- crossovers happen, yes, but there isn't really a rigorously maintained continuity. But it's still very early, and there's no need to define things yet. But I'll note that, after the appearance of the Fantastic Four in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 and the use of the Hulk in Fantastic Four #12, Johnny Storm's cameo appearance here gives us a hat trick of crossovers.

That digression aside, though, this is as good as it gets for early '60s Marvel. 

Fantastic Four #14

 "Why don't you go get a job as a food tester in a poison factory!"

Another strong issue here, and fascinating in many ways. But the sexual politics? Ouch, the 1960s were certainly another time... 

The opening is cool- the FF literally became the first to land on the Moon last issue, that should be a big deal, and so it is, with huge, adoring crowds and lots of publicity. It's a fun little scene, complete with what can only be described as Reed-mania, a full year before the Beatles, already establishing themselves in the UK as Macmillan's premiership is fading away, arrive in the USA.

After an amusingly hi-tech exit, though, it's back to the Baxter building, where they all relax... except Sue, who does some cleaning, because, er, naturally no one questions that it's women's work. And, after a moment where we're reminded of how Sue is torn between Reed and the Sub-Mariner, she types up Reed's notes for him!!! 

We now turn to the actual threat, as the Puppet Master decides to control Namor, who is still searching for his people, to indirectly seek revenge against the Fantastic Four. Of course, it would be far easier to just control the FF directly, but no, apparently not, because "my revenge will be all the sweeter". Ok then.

So what's the plan? He gets Namor to lure Sue to him, alone, and then uses her, the only female, as a peril monkey. Oh dear. So the FF take the bait... alongside Alicia, whom the Thing decides to bring along, ostensibly to stop her crying (sexual politics again with the hysterical woman trope!), but in reality because the plot will later require to suggest her father may be controlling Namor. Naturally, no one objects to putting a blind young woman in danger, because, er, all hail the almighty plot. 

After the Thing conducts some petty vandalism in the car park it's down into the depths of the ocean, where the FF seem to find the Sub-Mariner rather easily. We end, after some enjoyable and creative combat scenes, with the FF suspecting the truth, following Alicia's inevitable prompt, as the Puppet Master is undone by- and I can't believe I'm tying this- Chekhov's octopus.

Bonkers. Utterly bonkers. And magnificent. 

 

Fantastic Four #13

 "Stop tryin' to worry us, you blasted animated rubber band!"

The premise of this issue seems to contain a large quantity of bonkersness- a Communist scientist, not content with trying to beat the USA to the Moon as part of the space race, also wants to get bombarded with cosmic rays and get powers greater than those of the Fantastic Four. So far, so sensible. But his three companions on this journey are not three fellow Soviet citizens... but a gorilla, a baboon and an orang-utan. Er, why? Still, bonkers it may be... but this issue really, really works. And we seem to be in a real sense of transition into the FF being explorers more than crime fighters.

As we begin, Reed has invented a new kind of meteorite-based rocket fuel which will enable him (not NASA!) to get to the Moon, six years before 1969 and just two years since President Kennedy (still alive at this point) had pledged to put a man on the Moon, and bring him safely home, by the end of the decade. Well, job done. 

Naturally, this is done to "keep up with the reds" and... what's this? Our simian-obsessed Soviet scientist, similarly independent of his nation's space agency, launches a rocket of his own at the exact same instant as Reed and, at their firm insistence, Sue, Ben and Johnny? 

This is cool, though. Said scientist becomes Red Ghost, to be a moderately successful villain with the ability to phase through objects and, um, the less said about the other primates the better. But then the comic takes a turn for the awesome- the blue area of the Moon, with air and the ruins of a mysterious lost civilisation! And, while hi-jinks with the Red Ghost continue, we meet the Watcher, unnamed at this point. On the one hand, he's as we expect- like all of his kinds, pledged definitely never, ever, to interfere. Well, except this one time, but this is a one off, and we'll certainly never find him doing anything of the sort ever again. Interestingly, though, he's shown as extraordinarily powerful here, almost omnipotent.

We conclude, after a captive Sue had earlier compared the apes to the "communist masses, innocently enslaved by their evil leaders", with the unsubtle and inevitable sight of the apes revolting against the Red Ghost which is... yeah. still, this is possibly the best Fantastic Four issue so far with its hints of a more cosmic perspective.

The Amazing Spider-Man #2

 "Take a bonus and go out and buy yourself some twist records!"

While not as exceptionally good, or as groundbreaking, as its predecessor, this second issue is nevertheless impressive (despite the silly science- "anti-magnetic inverter" indeed!). It rather helps that, unlike second string villains like the Chameleon (or indeed the Tinkerer!), there's something quite compelling about the Vulture, our first proper Spidey villain, right from the start.

Most interesting, though, is how this issue continues to set and shape the status quo, with Peter earning money through selling photos to J. Jonah Jameson. Interesting, though, is that there is as yet no mention of the Daily Bugle, although Now Magazine is introduced. And Jonah seems to be not so much an editor but the owner of "Jameson Publications", with editors working under him and a massive building with his name on it. It's also fun to see Peter adjusting his costume now that it's to be used for superheroics rather than for entertainment.

The Tinkerer story is a little odd- generic alien invasions really don't feel right with this title- but it's decent enough. More than the stories themselves, though, there's already a feeling that Spider-Man's environment is very grounded and well thought through. 

The Amazing Spider-Man #1

 "Everything I do as Spider-Man seems to turn out wrong!"

Wow. The contrast from the last issue in the Order is as huge as it could possibly be. Yes, it's still melodrama. And yes, up to a point (Steve Ditko being Steve Ditko) there's certainly a whiff of Ayn Rand's dodgy "philosophy". But this is sheer quality, an absolute triumph, easily the best thing Marvel have done up to this point. 

This is Marvel really doubling down on the "superhero with problems" thing- right from the start the issue really emphasises Peter Parker's angst. He's mourning Uncle Ben, but without Ben's salary he and his Aunt May are facing serious problems in paying the bills... and the sheer sense of angst and despair is superbly shown in Ditko's exceptional rendering of a desperate, frustrated Peter.

He's is an impossible moral dilemma- he needs to look after his Aunt May, dismisses the very thought of crime, and resolves to perform again... but in a delicious touch, one can't cash a cheque without a real identity!

Things get worse as journalist (not yet explicitly an editor) J. Jonah Jameson turns the public against him. And, just to twist the knife even further, Jameson doubles down on this as Spider-Man saves his (not yet vulpine!) hero astronaut son. The unfairness just gets worse and worse. And continues into the next story, where his desperate financial situation again takes centre stage. He angrily abandons plans to join the Fantastic Four when he learns that there's no salary on offer... which, as we've previously discussed. Even new generic villain the Chameleon (to become a minor part of his rogues gallery) knows of and exploits his poverty.

All this, of course, is very Ditko, with his hard right and wrong, Mr. A, Objectivist obsessiveness. But here, with the ideology not overt. it really works. This is a truly winning formula- a superhero with real, substantive angst.

And it feels, at this point, that we really do have a shared audience. Not just because of the FF's cameo, but because of Peter's rueful comment that other superheroes, like the FF and Ant-Man, don't seem to have problems like he does!

Tales of Suspense #39

 "Have you never seen an Iron Man before?"

At last we get Iron Man- it really does feel as though it's been forever. Now we just need the X-Men, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, and the Silver Age debut of Captain America, and the main initial Marvel cast will be more or less assembled. 

It's basically the well-known origin story here, but interesting to read this story on its own terms as opposed to the origin of a well-established character. Tony Stark's face is not quite yet recognisable. And the character... it's a brave move to make Stark a glamorous playboy, a "millionaire bachelor", and an inventor of weaponry for the US government- hardly an underdog. But this, of course, is why he must be cursed with the shrapnel close to his heart, forcing him to wear an iron breastplate in order to stay alive. 

It's all very of its time, though- South Vietnam, in the years before the draft. The art is, at times, well, more than verging on racist caricature. And it feels at times as though every other word is "transistor". But this, as an origin, is simple yet solid, and it's already clear that this is an idea with potential.

There's a later short story about Vikings on a desert island, part of the Order only because of references to Odin, that is entertaining enough for what it is. But I'm curious to see the first steps of Iron Man as a character now we've established the origin... 

The Incredible Hulk #6

 "I hate havin' to become that weakling Banner all the time!"

This is the final issue of The Incredible Hulk... for now. It's one of the better issues- not least because the art is by Steve Ditko rather than an increasingly overworked Jack Kirby. But it's also illustrative of how the title, which apparently wasn't selling well, could fail. 

The villain, who will only have a handful of future appearances. is yet another generic all-powerful alien conqueror. He isn't very interesting, and nor is the trite manner of his defeat- although it's interesting to see Rick Jones establish the Teen Brigade, a bunch of teenage radio hams!

But the interest lies elsewhere, as Stan and Steve experiment a lot with the format, trying to make it work- as it clearly doesn't. The gamma machine, as a gimmick to change Bruce to the Hulk and vice versa, doesn't really work narratively- why shouldn't Bruce just stay as himself? Surely any peril sufficient as to involve the Hulk should be rare? It's suspicious how many threats emerge in his vicinity, conveniently giving Bruce a reason to become the Hulk. After all, why should the Metal Master, who wants to conquer all of Earth, start by attacking this particular military base in New Mexico?

So this issue has the gamma machine be unreliable, perhaps an unacceptable risk, along with such silliness as the Hulk having Bruce's head and having to wear a mask! Interestingly, we seem to end with Bruce deciding to remain as himself, and distrusting the machine. It'll be interesting to see how this develops.

Also, to what extent are Bruce and the Hulk different people sharing a body or variations on the same psyche? Rick tells us at one point that Bruce is "not always responsible for what the Hulk does or says". Yet the Hulk- who has been fairly verbally eloquent right throughout, far from the "Hulk smash!" persona of later pop culture- apparently remembers most of Bruce's science knowledge.

Fortunately, we know with hindsight that The Incredible Hulk will eventually be tweaked and will ultimately succeed. But it certainly needs a break and a rethink at this point. 

Fantastic Four #12

 "Miss Storm, a pretty young lady can always be of help- just by keeping the men's morale up."

Ah, General Thunderbolt Ross. Such a feminist paragon. So is Reed, who replies "That's just the way we feel about Sue, General!"...

Anyway... ladies and gentlemen, with this crossover, between what are, as of the beginning of 1963, Marvel's biggest properties, we can sort of say that this is a shared universe. A caveat, though: the existence of crossovers, nothing new in comics in 1963, does not a fully formed shared continuity make. Yet. But it'll be fun to see that emerge, develop and evolve.

Anyway, we start with some fun little moments. Ben and Alicia have been to see a performance of Beethoven's Fifth, although Ben prefers New Orleans jazz. And, when Thunderbolt Ross hires the FF to get the Hulk, blamed for a naughty bit of sabotage, Reed comments, after seeing some footage, that the Hulk seems to exist, implying that this had been in doubt. Er... pot, kettle, Reed? 

Johnny, teenage auto whiz that he is, has redesigned the Fantasti-car, by fan demand(!) with a very impressed General Ross as its first passenger. And the FF meeting Bruce Banner and Rick Jones is a big moment.

Of course, the Hulk is innocent, the true culprit is- you guessed it- a communist spy, caught by the Torch after, er, leaving a membership card in his wallet. If only today’s Russian spies were this rubbish.

The fight between Hulk and the FF (and especially the Thing!) is both enormous fun and no longer than it needs to be. All is satisfactorily resolved- and it’s left nicely ambiguous whether Reed suspects Bruce of being the Hulk.

Excellent stuff, and a real watershed.

Fantastic Four #11

 "I haven't exactly got any super powers, but I can wiggle my ears real good, and..."!

Here we have the debut of Mr. Mxyzptlk the Impossible Man, an omnipotent yet irresponsible trickster. I suppose the half of the issue dealing with him is amusing and entertaining enough. And, although I know this is an incidental detail, I'm surprised to see a police officer in New York referred to as an "inspector". This is the usual term here in the UK at least, but I get the impression that the USA (San Francisco aside, I think?) largely uses military type titles like "lieutenant" or "captain" instead?

Be that as it may, the first story, supposedly depicting a day in the life of the FF and with no external threat, is much more fun and interesting- even if it does have the Thing turning back into Ben Grimm for five minutes yet again, and yet another origin retelling. 

We get some comic relief with some fan letters, and then we meet "Mr. Lumpkin"- no first name as yet. 

The FF are all dressed in very Mad Men type fashions- this is still (just!) 1962, after all. And Reed is seen smoking a pipe once more! 

We get some fascinating backstory. Reed and Ben are old mates from uni, so therefore of a similar age, and both are veterans of the Second World War, so can't be any younger than about forty. Sue, meanwhile, is described as Reed's childhood sweetheart- so the age gap must presumably be less than we might have previously assumed, despite Sue having a (much) younger brother in his late teens? But we're reminded, once again, of the love triangle with the Sub-Mariner that is sadly keeping them apart. This may not exactly be deep and three-dimensional relationship drama, but at least it convinces more than certain parallel situations. Looking at you, Donald Blake and Jane Foster...

This is good stuff. At this point, after a wobbly start, Fantastic Four is the best Marvel ongoing title, although no single issue has reached the heights of the Spider-Man story in Amazing Fantasy #15. 

 

Fantastic Four #10

 "Lead me to that little ol' ray, daddy-o!"

It's fascinating seeing the evolution of these early issues- and, overall, Fantastic Four is by now a far superior comic to Ant-Man in Tales of Suspense or the Torch stories in Strange Tales, especially. Oh, there's bonkersness, certainly, but also moments of real quality.

So the plot is fairly straightforward- after being thrown into space in #6, by a million to one chance Doctor Doom was rescued by the extra-galactic and extremely powerful Ovoids, an alien race we'll be encountering a handful more times in the future. He learns body swapping powers from them and swaps bodies with Reed, and hi-jinks ensue, hi-jinks which seem to come to an abrupt end as Doom's body swap is ended by the shock of his being found out, and it seems to have been a one time deal...? Anyway, he's shrunk out of existence, so we definitely won't be seeing him again, right?

This is more than a little bit bonkers, but it's also fun. And there are quite a few fascinating little details here. The opening scene, with Reed studying Sue's invisibility, is a nice moment. Alicia is described as Ben's "girl friend" and by this point is considered a friend to the whole team. And, er, Sue at one moment has to deal with a sexual pest who, even though it's 1962, the comic makes clear is intended to disgust us... and then causes a motor accident through sheer carelessness. Yeah.

Reed and Sue have a fascinating discussion concerning the love triangle with the Sub-Mariner, in which Reed states that "I thought we had an understanding" for "when the time was right". Yet, in these early issues... Reed seems to be, say, in his forties? And Sue, the Invisible "Girl" has a teenage brother, so are  we looking at a twenty year age gap? Nothing wrong with that, of course, provided that the younger party is old enough to give fully informed consent, but it's very striking.

We also have our first instance of the fourth wall being broken, as Stan and Jack appear, albeit with faces obscured. These are still early days, but the feeling of potential with this book is getting stronger and stronger.

The Incredible Hulk #5

 "Listen, daddy-o, I know your secret... and still I tremble when I see 'im!"

Two stories this time, both rather silly, but both rather fascinating for various reasons, not least of which is the fact that the basic format of The Incredible Hulk- that stress makes Bruce become the Hulk- is still not quite there yet. 

First up we get the introduction of mildly prolific villain Tyrannus. One the one hand he feels like a more developed version of the Mole Man, similarly living underground... but, of course, this isn't necessarily a problem as there's still no actual hint (the use of unstable molecules in both Fantastic Four and Ant-Man is arguable but rather tenuous) that all this is yet envisaged as a shared universe.

Still, Tyrannus has at once a deeper and sillier backstory, having been banished underground by Merlin (mentioned once before in Fantastic Four #5) in ancient times, but he's still alive because he has the actual Fountain of Youth. Oh, and he's conveniently found some subterranean-dwelling and scientifically knowledgeable willing slaves down there, which is somewhat convenient. So, yeah, let's pause for a moment to marvel at the bonkersness of all that.

Oh, and he fears the USA's "atomic might", because every Marvel issue at this point just has to allude to the fact that this is the atomic age at some point. 

The actual story is... well, a series of silly set pieces, and the Bruce/Betty relationship is as basic and superficial as that of Don Blake/Jane. It'll be interesting to see if and when that ever changes.

The following story is another riff on the oh-so-ubiquitous theme of "hero fights communists", but there's some interest in the fact that Red China is persecuting a thinly veiled Tibet here, just a few years after the historical invasion in 1959. We also have Taiwan being referred to as "Formosa", yet another reminder that 1962 was an awfully long time ago.

Most interestingly, though... this is not the "Hulk smash" version of the character, not remotely so. The Hulk isn't really unambiguously different from Bruce, personality wise, and he defeats General Fang via an idea he researches in a book! Oh, and they're still using that machine to change the Hulk into Bruce and vice versa, but we get hints that perhaps, one day, the Hulk may refuse to change back into Bruce. Ominous, and also fascinating to see them slowly working through how they want the lore to work.

Bonkers stuff, but there's a lot of interest here. 

 

Fantastic Four #9

 "I like a woman with spirit!"

I must admit, this issue is bloody good. It's a quirky and intriguing central concept, and there's some good characterisation- particularly with regards to the Sub-Mariner, a very nuanced character.

From the very start, the FF are broke, bankrupt, selling all their stuff and dissolving what seems to be their business partnership. At first I thought this would be a ruse- but no. They genuinely are broke. Their once colossal wealth (at last it's confirmed where it came from- Reed's patents) is all gone, thanks to Reed's bad investments. And this is a nice touch, I think. Reed may be a genius, and may plausibly have been overconfident in his investments.

We also find that Alicia, only introduced last issue, is already a regular character, with a nicely nuanced relationship with the Thing. This sort of thing really adds depth and nuance. And yes, it may be silly that the issue starts with Sub-Mariner watching telly in his solitary undersea home... but the framed picture of Sue is a nice visual touch.

Namor, of course, is plotting to get Sue for himself, so he offers the FF... ahem, one million dollars(!), no doubt a princely sum in 1962, for a film. But the three men are all lured into traps and, well, Johnny's is vaguely racist! I love how Reed's trap seems to literally be the actual Cyclops (no, not that one, not yet) from The Odyssey. 

The ending is... well, Namor's behaviour towards Sue is more than a little #MeToo from the perspective of 2026, but it's a satisfying conclusion, with the Sub-Mariner feeling honour-bound to pay up, ending the team's financial woes.

After all the bonkersness I've trawled through... well, this is still very Silver Age but it's genuinely good. 

Fantastic Four #8

 "Sufferin' snakes... what's that?"

I'm happy to say that, while being utterly mad as one would expect for 1962, this issue was a rather fun read, even if I did raise an eyebrow at Reed being able to use his elasticity to absorb bullets... and fire them back!

This is the first appearance of long-running FF villain the Puppet Master, whose bonkers voodoo abilities have come about because of... radioactive clay. Of course. What else? His puppetry skills are highly impressive, though, to say the least. He even makes a little model prison governor grab a key ring from a little model desk drawer, which is positively superhuman/

We also meet Alicia, shown here as a very naive damsel. From her first appearance she likes Ben, but (Yet again, Reed briefly turns the Thing human again) prefers him on the rockier side. A surprising amount of their eventual dynamic is here already.

Puppet Master himself is surprisingly one note here, and his apparent death makes it seem as though he may not necessarily have been intended as a recurring villain at this point. But it's a good, solid story with lots of set pieces and the team feeling very well-established at this point. A huge improvement from last issue. Can this title sustain the improvement?

The Incredible Hulk #4

 "Wow, was that cat for real?"

These early issues of The Incredible Hulk are, while variable in quality, strangely thoughtful and philosophical at times. Yet it's also fascinating to see how they take so long to settle on the rationale for the Bruce Banner changing into the Hulk. It's no longer a day/night thing, but even by the end of the issue they're far from sure of what they ought to be doing.

After a nicely non-linear start we get back to Betty Ross and a nice character moment- she pines for Bruce, she's noticed he's been a bit off ever since the Hulk... and, more to the point, Bruce is missing. So Betty tells her rather dim father that, juuuuust perhaps, Rick Jones might have some connection to Bruce and the Hulk. So Thunderbolt Ross grabs Rick and demands answers- a tricky situation as Rick could find himself in trouble here.

 The format of the series at this point is so very interesting. Rick can command the Hulk. The Hulk seems stuck in that form, unable to change to Bruce. Rick ultimately uses the machine to change the Hulk to Bruce... and at this point there's no other mechanism for doing so.

Then we have another twist, as Bruce uses the machine to become the Hulk but keep his intellect... but there are interesting hints of personality changes. And these continue into the second story, which had me laughing out loud. So many of these early Marvel issues have throwaway one-off aliens or communists as villains, so of course we get an alien who is really a plane full of Soviet communists in disguise.

We end with some scenes of the Hulk saving people but still being feared and hunted, something I suspect won't be changing... and Bruce and the Hulk can still only change bodies via the machine! 

Journey into Mystery #86

 "I'm happy to play a part in keeping the free world strong and secure against the forces of tyranny."

Yes indeed, those are Thor's words as he happily helps the US military test out a "cobalt bomb". Welcome to 1962, folks. 

This is, I suppose, a pleasingly early introduction of a lasting villain, albeit a fairly minor one, so a welcome relief from all these one-off alien and communist baddies we seem to be getting at the moment. But, I mean, it's not actually very good. Basically, the year 2262 is some kind of generic peaceful utopia but Zarrko, the Tomorrow Man, is an evil scientist with a lust for war and conquest as his only personality trait. He travels back to 1962 (and yes, it's explicitly 1962 here, and I'll be commenting on the "Marvel Time" theory as we go) to nick the cobalt bomb, uses it to conquer the Earth of 2262, but Thor time travels to stop him, after a few ho-hum set pieces. That's it. Not much cop, really.

Some potentially interesting things, though. Zarrko has "Earth's only time machine", so either Doctor Doom's time platform has been forgotten or this isn't all quite meant to be a shared universe yet. Thor summons Odin so he can time travel, our first extended look at the All-Father... and appears, at this point, to be the actual Thor of Norse legend. Is he just Don Blake with Thor's powers? Is he actually Thor? Is this a case of dissociative identity disorder? Things are getting confusing. Donald Blake certainly pops up at the end, and the sixty second rule is in play...

Not a great comic, then, but arguably an important one.