Monthly Archives: March 2005

Reprints of 1966 issues of THOR continue with “The Verdict of Zeus” from #129. It’s pretty impressive how much story they were putting in just 16 pages each issue back then. This issue has Thor returning to New York, with a very funny sequence where he’s talking to a crowd on the street and then taking a cab to Jane Foster’s place.

We then turn our attention to Olympus, in all its ornate glory, where Pluto announces to Zeus that Hercules has been tricked into taking over Pluto’s punishment in the underworld. Hercules also battles his way up to Olympus, only to be told that the contract is binding, and he must find someone willing to battle on his behalf.

Back to Thor, he speaks to Jane (and briefly meets her new room-mate, the mysterious and kind of freaky looking Tana Nile, setting up another future story) and tells her he’ll be renouncing his godly heritage for her love. Returning to Asgard, he finds out Odin has been looking for him.

Turns out it’s the time fated for Thor’s trial on the Day of Three Worlds, so he has to delay his discussion about Jane. Meanwhile, Hercules has no luck finding any willing to battle on his behalf, and is really to accept his fate rather than live in a world where valor means nothing. That’s when Thor, hearing Hercules’ plight during his trial, arrives and announces he’ll fight for Hercules.

As I mentioned about the previous issue, I’m a big fan of this storyline, all the more amazing when you consider that this was originally published on the same month as FF #51. Talk about firing on all cylinders. Just the various drawings of Asgard and Olympus in all their majesty are worth it.

Tales of Asgard continues running a year behind with “The Sword in the Scabbard” from JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #117 (1965). This begins the major saga for the feature which would run for the next dozen episodes. It seems that the immortals of Asgard have been a bit bored, and when Asgardians get bored, they fight. This displeases Odin, who goes to find Thor and Loki. He orders the fighting to cease and takes his sons to see the Oversword (aka the Odinsword, a massive sword which will cause the end of the universe if it’s unsheathed) and shows them that it’s developed a massive crack. He tells them they’ll have to lead an expedition to discover who was responsible it. A great start to a fun story that introduces some nice Asgardian background characters and concepts.

Vince Colletta inks throughout, including the cover from #128.

Published 1973

This is a favourite issue of KAMANDI for many readers, myself among them. Following their involvement in the Bulldog/Leopard wars, Kam and Ben come across a flying figure that’s neither a bird nor a plane. Before they find out more they find a giant comic strip mural carved in stone, telling the story of how the great hero “Mighty One” saved the world during the Great Disaster, creating the Landbridge between North America and Europe. It turns out the gorillas of this region have passed along the legend of Mighty One, distorting it along the way, and do things like fire themselves off catapults with a cry of “Up, Up and Away”.

(and I never noticed before that the “Demonstration Course” has a giant DC logo)

Kamandi is especially interested in the legend, and convinces Ben to compete to prove he’s the Mighty One, competing on such trials as moving a giant stone called the “Daily Planet”. In the end Ben wins the rights to Mighty One’s suit, which one of the gorillas tries to claim but Kam rescues, insisting it be left for the inevitable return of the real Mighty One.

As I said, a favourite from this series, as well as one of the best Superman stories from the era (certainly among those that don’t actually mention Superman…). The giant comic strip mural on the double page spread is spectacular, and the whole thing shows a great understanding of the character.

Long time Kirby assistant Steve Sherman is credited with suggesting the idea for this story, and D. Bruce Berry inks the cover and story.

Published 1975

Another of Marvel’s cover-to-cover reprints of key issues from the early 1990s, this one marking the first appearance of Doctor Doom from 1962 in the 23 page “Prisoners of Doctor Doom” story. It’s also the first FF issue inked by Joe Sinnott, later the inker most associated with FF through the second half of Kirby’s run and the decade after that.

Following a brief prelude with Doctor Doom departs from his lair to capture the FF, we switch to the as-yet-unnamed Baxter Building where Johnny is reading that new Hulk comic, comparing Ben to the Hulk. Welcome to the Marvel age of subtle cross-promotion. This leads to a fight of course (I’m sure Johnny regrets burning that copy of HULK #1 now), and even Reed’s starting to notice how they’re always fighting amongst themselves when they don’t have a super-powered meance to face. This is sharply cut off when Doom attacks. Reed gives the quick version of Doom’s origin, a great little sequence that left a lot of room for later stories to flesh out.

Using Sue as a hostage, Doom sends the rest of the FF back in time to retrieve Blackbeard’s treasure chest. The boys go back, get period disguises and soon find themselves drugged and taken prisoner aboard a ship. Ben wakes up and attacks first, with a great scene of him coming up through the floor.

The adventure continues with a battle with another pirate ship, after which we find out that Ben is in fact the Blackbeard of legend. Reed realizes that there must be something more to the treasure than Doom has let on, so he replaces it with chains, and Ben briefly turns on his team-mates, planning to stay in the past where he can be accepted as a giant orange pirate. A sudden tornado then appears, knocking out the ship, and when the trio wash ashore Ben realizes the error of his thinking, and Doom’s time machine appears to take them back. Back in the present, they battle Doom and are saved by Sue, with Doom finally escaping in the end.

This is a great issue, I think my favourite of the first ten issues of FF. A very dense story, with a lot of interesting concepts and clever twists, plus showing the tightening continuity (with some references to the Sub-Mariner from the previous issue) which would soon definitely set Marvel apart. Plus of course Sinnott’s inks are great. Kirby’s pencilling at this stage is obviously quite different from the work Sinnott would be inking a few years later, but Sinnott brings it out well.

The only notable ad this issue is the full-page house ad for INCREDIBLE HULK #1. The letter column includes a note from Roy Thomas praising the use of continuity up to #3 (I’m sure Namor showing up in #4 just blew his mind) and signing up for a two-year subscription.

Published 1992