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Post by Hoosier X on May 17, 2024 22:34:54 GMT -5
We haven’t heard from Jane Foster for a few issues. That’s because it’s the off-season for GET JANE FOSTER! The last time we saw Nurse Foster, Balder was giving her an Asgardian Mickey Finn so she could sleep and forget everything. So she’s going to wake up and wonder what happened during the last two or three days. Then she’s going to find out that Dr. Blake is missing. After reporting this to the police, she’s going to take a vacation in the Hamptons. And then … spring training starts! She has to get ready for the new season of GET JANE FOSTER! And what better place for spring training for a made-up comic-book game than the X-Men’s Danger Room at the mansion in Westchester? So stay tuned! Prepare yourself for another exciting season of GET JANE FOSTER! beginning in Journey into Mystery #120! I would definitely buy the Jane Foster one shot with that in it I think a one-shot set in the 1960s and written from Jane Foster’s point of view would be awesome. Is Jane Foster a native New Yorker? Has that ever been mentioned in the canon?
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Post by Hoosier X on May 17, 2024 21:27:22 GMT -5
Journey into Mystery # 119 This was very likely the first old issue of JIM that I ever saw. I had seen the Thor stories in The Origins of Marvel Comics and Bring on the Bad Guys, but I don't think I'd seen any other old Thor stories, unless you count the beat-up copies of Thor #206, #229 and #231 that I had picked up at used-book stores. This was around 1975 or 1976. It was only 12 to 14 years since the classic Marvel comics of the early 1960s, and some of those comics were sneaking into circulation because uncles and older brothers and cousins were going off to college or into the military or moving away, and old comics were turning up in barns and closets, and younger relatives were getting ahold of these comics and keeping them or selling them. I had a Detective Comics #300 (decorated on the cover with extra dots all in red ink on the cover) and a Flash #117 (first Captain Boomerang) that I had gotten from a kid who acquired his uncle's comics. And I remember my friend Rick had a Fantastic Four #8 that he'd acquired from somewhere. And somebody had a Journey into Mystery #119. I don't remember who it was. I remember being kind of fascinated with it because I hadn't read very much old Thor. I noticed that one of the panels in the story was from the cover and I flipped through it to see if the other panels were right from the story. And there they all were! It's the end of a long story arc that started back in JIM #114, so I was a bit confused. (And the arc continues for a few more issues! This issue just shows us the end of the Destroyer subplot.) Here's Thor flailing around against a powerful robot (created by Odin, animated by a big-game hunter) inside a ... Vietnamese temple? With his hammer broken? Wow. And here's Loki, imprisoned ... and trying to save Thor? And I also got to see Odin in his Odin-jammies. Even though nowadays, I've come to love this whole ongoing story arc, I don't remember thinking much of it at the time. What I really loved was Tales of Asgard! It's so cool! They're getting for some kind of exciting quest. And some of the warriors are being introduced. Hey! I know some of these guys! I hadn't been reading Thor very long (my first issue was in the 240s) but I recognized Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing and Volstagg the Voluminous! Volstagg gets a few panels interacting with Thor. The Thunder God even muses that Volstagg is probably joining the adventure to get a break from his wife and 15 children. This must be the first appearance of the Warriors Three! Also appearing for the first time are a couple of sketchy looking dudes known as Kroda the Duelist and Magrat the Schemer. Kroda has something that looks like an espresso mug over his eye. Magrat looks like Picard with long hair. They don't do anything in this story, but I bet we'll hear from them soon. I suspect they are up to something.
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Post by Hoosier X on May 16, 2024 14:31:18 GMT -5
I've got to nominate Farrar for this one, too. Over the years, Farrar's posts often clarify, correct, amplify, and/or illustrate with skill, authority and grace. Farrar's knowledge of female characters, both super and non-super; and of the contributions of female artists, writers and editors is unsurpassed hereabouts. Not to mention Farrar's command of the intricacies of the now-misty Silver Age, which is crucial to all of us, and not just to posters of a > ahem< certain age. I think Farrar deserves recognition at last. I second!
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Post by Hoosier X on May 16, 2024 14:28:32 GMT -5
We haven’t heard from Jane Foster for a few issues. That’s because it’s the off-season for GET JANE FOSTER!
The last time we saw Nurse Foster, Balder was giving her an Asgardian Mickey Finn so she could sleep and forget everything. So she’s going to wake up and wonder what happened during the last two or three days. Then she’s going to find out that Dr. Blake is missing.
After reporting this to the police, she’s going to take a vacation in the Hamptons. And then … spring training starts! She has to get ready for the new season of GET JANE FOSTER! And what better place for spring training for a made-up comic-book game than the X-Men’s Danger Room at the mansion in Westchester?
So stay tuned! Prepare yourself for another exciting season of GET JANE FOSTER! beginning in Journey into Mystery #120!
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Post by Hoosier X on May 16, 2024 14:15:13 GMT -5
Mr. Trombone! You forget Tales of Asgard! And this is an important one!
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Post by Hoosier X on May 16, 2024 13:48:27 GMT -5
I'm nominating "You Got Some Batsplainin' to Do!': A Thread for Batman Fans" started by Hoosier X way back in 2014 and is not just a humorous journal of Hoosier's trek through both Batman and Detective, but also an insightful, critical take on various ages of the character from the 50s through (so far) the early 70s. I always have enjoyed Hoosier's acceptance of some of the silliness baked into the Schiff era, but I also love that he has never simply accepted the notion that everything about pre-New Look Batman was by definition dreck and that the New Look was the Late Renaissance by contrast. He combines his knowledge of context and an appreciation of nuance with an idiosyncratic, breezy style that makes for enjoyable reading. Thanks, Hal! I just read #420 last night. It’s one of those 48-page 25-cent issues from the early 1970s. I love the Don Heck art on the Batgirl stories. And the crazy 1950s reprints!
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Post by Hoosier X on May 16, 2024 13:45:10 GMT -5
I'd like to nominate The Hoosier X / Icctrombone SA Thor Review thread battle. Those two know how to make silly Silver Age shenanigans a whole lot of fun. I also respect their dedication, updating it regularly over the course of five months thus far. Aw Thanks, shax! It’s been a lot of fun! I was just about to leave a short comment about GET JANE FOSTER!
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Post by Hoosier X on May 12, 2024 10:56:57 GMT -5
Journey into Mystery Annual #11965 "When Titans Clash!: Thor Vs. Hercules!" This is a pretty good one. It's a rather simple tale that reminds me a bit of the Thor vs. Hulk story in JIM #112. Thor runs into another very powerful being and, with a minimal amount of prologue, they fight. The fight with Hercules is set in the mythical past. Well, maybe not the mythical past, since the story is canon. The legendary past? The ancient past? Or maybe just a long time ago, before Odin punished Thor by banishing him to Midgard in the guise of Don Blake. Thor and Loki are pursuing shenanigans, exploring Jotunheim, far away from Asgard. Loki seems to be a bit reluctant to be cavorting about this barren land, but Thor is eager to stir up some trouble with the storm giants. And then ... Oh! Look! Storm Giants! The storm giants were expelled from Olympus many ages ago. And there seems to be a secret cave to Olympus in Jotunheim. And now it appears that the storm giants want to return to Olympus and have been searching for the portal! (The portal is basically just a big mound with a hole in it.) Thor attacks them joyously, wielding Mjolnir like a dandy with his cane and singing the glories of battle. But during the battle, he gets caught in a rock slide and he falls into the portal and ends up in Olympus. It must be Olympus! Ther's a centaur! And a satyr! And a nymph playing a lyre! Thor wanders around a bit and tries to cross a bridge, but there is another powerful figure demanding right-of-way across the bridge, commanding Thor to yield. Well, Thor is not having any of this "yielding" crap. So Thor and this big dude (who turns out to be Hercules) beat up on each other for seven pages over who should cross the bridge the dirst, even after the bridge is destroyed on the first page of the fight. Oh, what a glorious seven pages they are! The Kirby/Colletta art makes this feel like a real FIGHT! They punch each other and throw boulders and then hurl each other across the landscape. Hercules grabs a metal pole and wraps it around Thor, but he just flexes and busts it! And then Zeus shows up and stops them with a gesture. They are both noble and strong, and each is deserving of the victory. But they can't keep fighting forever. They should stop fighting and be friends! So they shake hands and vow eternal friendship. Then Zeus sends Thor back to Jotunheim, and while Loki is telling Thor that he didn't abandon him (he just went to get help), Zeus fills in the portal to Olympus so there won't be any more of that Asgardian rabble wandering in anymore. THE ENDThis lead story was only 15 pages, so there's plenty of room for old JIM reprints! And I think they did a pretty good job of picking the better stories from early in the Thor series. We get Loki's first appearance from JIM #85, the first appearance of the Radio-Active Man from #93, the Demon Duplicators from #95 (OK. This is a bad one.) and the first Lava Man from #97.
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Post by Hoosier X on May 11, 2024 19:52:01 GMT -5
I’m sorry, Destroyer-fans, but we won’t be tackling Journey into Mystery #119 just yet.
You see, there was a Journey into Mystery Annual #1 that went on sale on the same day as Journey into Mystery #119!* So Mr. Trombone and I held a closed-session special emergency meeting to discuss this development, and we decided that I would review JIM Annual #1 and Mr. Trombone will be reviewing JIM #119 a few days after.
I read the annual earlier today and it’s so great! I mean, I knew that, but it kind of gets lost in the shuffle because I always read it in a Marvel Masterworks volume where it’s printed after JIM #120, and I guess I’m always ready to go on to #121 in the next volume. But today, I read it very carefully, word by word. I’d forgotten how good it is! I’ve had a beat-up copy of JIM Annual #1 for almost 30 years, and I think I must usually skim it because I’ve been in the habit of reading JIM #100 to #135 pretty regularly for the last ten or twelve years or so.
I’ll get to it tonight or maybe tomorrow morning.
* Or so it says at Mike’s Amazing World of Comics. That’s pretty reliable, isn’t it?
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Post by Hoosier X on May 11, 2024 18:00:01 GMT -5
Journey into Mystery # 118Tales of AsgardThor is prepping for the quest to see who has cracked the Oversword and is getting a weapon from and maps from ancient and wise Marduk.He gives Thor something called the Crimson glove. Apparently, it can compel someone to tell the truth when they are touched by it. Loki enters the chamber with someone called Braggi who is to be the overseer of the sailing crew. When Thor shakes his hand, he tells Thor that he will slay him when he gets the chance. Thor kicks his behind and chases him away. Before Thor can touch Loki with the glove to see if he was part of the conspiracy, Loki departs. To be continued. I probably shouldn't have been so dismissive of this episode of Tales of Asgard. It's actually very entertaining. This little saga began in the previous issue and will go on for a while. In this installment, Thor is consulting with the very wise and renowned Asgardian Consultor of the Gods known as Marduk. He has a very special article of clothing stored away, and he wants to give it to Thor for the quest that's supposed to start at some point in the next 17 issues. He has this neat extender device that allows him to reach the top shelf, from which he retrieves ... THE CRIMSON HAND! It's a big red glove. If you wear it while shaking hands, both parties must tell the truth! While Thor is trying it on, Loki walks in with this shady-looking guy named Bromo (or something like that). (Mr. Trombone says above that his name is Braggi, and he's probably right. But I like calling him Bromo.) Loki has hired Bromo to be the overseer of the vessel they are using for the upcoming quest. Because who is better equipped to select someone for the most important positions on the ship than Loki? I can't think of anybody aside from my cat, who is not available. So Thor and Bromo shake hands while Thor is still wearing ... THE CRIMSON HAND!! Thor says, "I greet you, Bromo, and I wish you well!" And Bromo responds with: "I am a hired assassin and I'm going to kill you first chance I get ... Wait! What did I say?!" This is a bit too blatant even for Thor to ignore. So they fight and Thor beats him up and knocks off Bromo's cool battle hat (experts might call it a helmet) and tells him to get lost, I guess because getting your hat knocked off is the worst punishment for an attempted assassination. Loki recognizes THE CRIMSON HAND and finds a reason to leave as he apologizes for accidentally hiring an assassin. Thor seems to be a little suspicious that Loki might have been fully aware that Bromo was an assassin. The story ends with a guy blowing a big blue trumpet, calling all warriors, and in the background, you can see the golden Asgardian ship as it's being readied for the quest. TO BE CONTINUED ... (I was joking about how long it takes for the ship to set sail on the quest. But I did skip ahead a bit just now to see how long it takes. It doesn't happen in the next issue! Still, the next installment is pretty cool. When I was a kid, one of my friends got ahold of a beat-up copy of Journey into Mystery #119 and I remember thinking that this Tales of Asgard episode was pretty darn cool, despite the way that nothing happens. It's like a Jane Austen novel.)
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Post by Hoosier X on May 9, 2024 22:40:57 GMT -5
It is good to be the All-Father! He has the best hat! He has the best bathtub! He has the best bathrobe and the best bath slippers! And he also has the best jammies and an Asgardian racecar bed! He should have a giant, fluffy, long-haired gray and white cat with its own cat tree and another giant bed. The best cat bed in the universe!
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Post by Hoosier X on May 9, 2024 22:37:08 GMT -5
Sleeping on the floor in the Odinjammies is just as comfortable as sleeping in the bed.
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Post by Hoosier X on May 9, 2024 17:13:19 GMT -5
Journey into Mystery # 118“ To kill a Thunder God “ And then the Hunter takes out Thor with a gas bomb and ties him up and then one of the bearers brings him valuable-looking Viking artifacts and then the Hunter finds the Destroyer and animates it with his soul, or something. And then … From this point on, you kind of forget all the stuff that made you roll your eyes until your sockets hurt. It’s all so great. Thor vs. the Destroyer. The Destroyer having no trouble picking up Mjolnir and waving it around. Loki realizing the flaws in his plan and rushing off to warn Odin. THE ODINSLEEP! Never before has a mere mortal witnessed Odin napping in all his glory! IN HIS ODINJAMMIES!! It’s so awesome! And then Odin’s guards have no trouble apprehending Loki and entrapping him in a cell! And then the Destroyer breaks Mjolnir in two and traps Thor in the floor of the temple! I ALMOST CAN’T STAND IT! And then there’s Tales of Asgard and I guess something happens in that too.
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Post by Hoosier X on May 9, 2024 16:27:25 GMT -5
I started JIM #118 and there’s already, on the second page, something I have to comment on before I contribute a full response. Thor is flying around Vietnam with the young villager Kim, and he just tosses her into the nearest US helicopter, with the open side doors and fully-armed soldiers, and pats himself on the back for making sure she’s “safe” after all the tragedies of the previous issue. I guess he’s proud of himself for not just dumping her in the jungle from several hundred feet in the air. OK. I should have kept reading. There’s a big-game hunter, with a Tarzan-style retinue, in the area. Like he’s looking for the elephant’s graveyard. In a war zone. Also, an ancient Norse temple, hidden in the side of a hill, that contains a metal, Ragnarok-powered super-killer robot created by Odin to protect Earth from anything that gets past the Asgardians. So, yes, Kim is probably much safer in the helicopter than anywhere on the ground. Just, hang on to something, Kim!
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Post by Hoosier X on May 9, 2024 13:38:11 GMT -5
I started JIM #118 and there’s already, on the second page, something I have to comment on before I contribute a full response.
Thor is flying around Vietnam with the young villager Kim, and he just tosses her into the nearest US helicopter, with the open side doors and fully-armed soldiers, and pats himself on the back for making sure she’s “safe” after all the tragedies of the previous issue.
I guess he’s proud of himself for not just dumping her in the jungle from several hundred feet in the air.
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