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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 6, 2015 19:41:40 GMT -5
Fantastic Four #4 Credits Writer: Stan Lee Penciller: Jack Kirby Inker: Sol Brodsky Synopsis: With Johnny having quit the team in a huff the previous issue, Reed, Sue and Ben set out to find the impetuous teenager and bring him back into the fold. It's the Thing who eventually tracks the Torch down, and after a brief altercation and temporary reversion of the Thing's form, the Torch escapes to hide in the Bowery of NYC. While resting in a boarding house, the Torch makes the astonishing discovery that a mysterious bum suffering from amnesia is actually the legendary Sub-Mariner. Playing a hunch, the Torch drops Namor in the ocean to make certain that he's who he appears to be. The waters instantly revive Namor, and with his memory returned, he immediately swims off to Atlantis to reunite with his people. Unfortunately, Namor finds that his undersea kingdom has been destroyed by undersea atomic testing and that his people have long since fled the area. Enraged, Namor declares war on the surface world, and using an ancient Atlantean horn, he summons Giganto, a mountain sized monster from the oceans depths. After NYC is evacuated and the armies weapons prove useless, the Thing straps an atomic bomb to his back and heroically travels inside the monster, plants the bomb, barely making it out in time. An angry Sub-Mariner threatens to call forth more monsters, but the quick thinking Human Torch creates a vortex with his powers that sucks up Namor and Giganto and deposits them far away in a deep part of the ocean. His monster summoning trumpet seemingly lost, Namor vows to have his revenge. First Appearances: Sub-Mariner (first Silver Age appearance); Giganto Comments: Now things are really starting to heat up. Obviously the reintroduction of Namor the Sub-Mariner was a monumental addition to the series, but perhaps just as importantly, this is the first mention that New York City is the location of the FF's headquarters. Though things will become more apparent as other heroes are introduced in the coming months and start interacting with each other more frequently, this issue is the true beginnings of the Marvel Universe as we've come to know it. We now have a clear link to the Golden Age thanks to Namor that will eventually lead to the reintroduction of Captain America (an even more important addition) and even the original Human Torch. Namor has always been one of my favorite characters, and given that he's not only Marvel's first super-hero, but the first real anti-hero in comics, his importance can't be overstated. In fact, I've always felt that the character was a bit underrated and underappreciated given that importance. I guess we can chalk it up to the age-old bias against aquatic characters? I never got that. I love underwater adventures and always thought Kirby did a fantastic job of making them exciting. This is also Stan and Jack's best work so far. We're starting to clearly see Stan's gift for humerous, relatable dialog and Jack's art is starting to get more dynamic. I think Sol Brodsky's inking in issues #3 and 4 are big improvements over Klein's work in the first two issues. Brodsky just seemed to be a much better fit for Kirby's style. Characters Development: The interesting thing that sticks out for me in this issue, as it pertains to the development of the FF, is once again the Thing. In the beginning of the issue he's still his gruff, petulant, somewhat frightening self, directing his misplaced frustrations at the hot-headed Torch, but by the second half of the issue there has always appeared to me to be a subtle change in his character. During the garage scene the Thing threatens and menaces the Torch, but after the FF answer Johnny's signal flair, he seems to have had a change of heart and is actually glad that Johnny's okay. We're then treated to one of the Thing's most iconic and heroic acts when he straps the bomb on his back and actually going inside Giganto to win the day for the FF. I've always felt that the presence of Namor, the anti-hero with an eye for Sue, was directly responsible for the Thing evolving out of that role and into one that would make him one of Marvel's most beloved and noble heroes. We also get the first glimpse at the Reed/Sue/Namor love-triangle that will be developed beautifully by Stan and Jack in the coming years. I think the concept might have been most important to Reed's character as it allowed him to show a little heart and emotion and reminded the reader that as smart and as "with it" as Reed was, he's still a guy with emotions and jealousies just like everyone else. Personal Rating/Historical Importance: 7/10. This is clearly the best issue of the FF to date and in tone and execution we're clearly seeing a glimpse at the epic style of storytelling that's soon to come. From a historical perspective, I feel that this issue is one of the most important issues of the FF for the reasons I listed above.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 6, 2015 21:20:47 GMT -5
I felt that way about X-Men, too.. the first couple issues were really just Stan working things out in front of the world while he settled on what he wanted. It's funny, you'd think in today's world of instant feedback and creators talking with fans online that'd happen more today, but it's just the opposite. I like the fact that the creators of this period took into serious consideration what the fans liked and disliked. They wanted the FF to have costumes, so Stan and Jack thought about it and they gave them costumes. That said, this period of comics, and the FF in particularly, was probably the most fertile ever. They seriously listened to the fans but that didn't hinder the creative explosion at all. In fact, it might have fueled it. |
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 6, 2015 21:22:54 GMT -5
I think I'm going to get, at the very least, two issues read and reviewed a day during the week. Sometimes I'll get more and I'm still going to try to get a bunch done on the weekend. I wasn't sure how this would work out for me, but I'm actually enjoying the issues more now that it's tied to doing a review thread. I might become a review thread junkie...
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 7, 2015 9:27:25 GMT -5
Incredible Hulk #1
 Credits
Writer: Stan Lee Penciller: Jack Kirby Inker: Paul Reinman Synopsis: As our story opens we’re introduced to Dr. Bruce Banner, the creator of the world’s first gamma bomb, and head of the scientific task force in charge of the bombs initial test. During preparations for the test, one of Banner’s assistants, Igor, demands that Banner share the secrets of his gamma ray research with his fellow scientists. This altercation is cut short when General “Thunderbolt” Ross enters, demanding to know why there’s a hold up in the bomb’s testing. Betty Ross, the General’s daughter, introduces herself and apologizes to Bruce for her father’s blustering comments. Just as the test is about to commence, Banner notices that a teenage boy has driven out into the restricted test area. Frantic to get to the boy and warn him of the danger, Banner tells Igor to delay the countdown and speeds off to the testing site. Igor ignores the order, and when Banner arrives and throws the protesting boy into a nearby protective trench, he is hit with a full dose of gamma radiation from the bomb. Awaking inside the military’s medical facility, he’s introduced to Rick Jones, the boy he saved, and can’t understand why he’s still alive after being hit by so powerful a dose of lethal gamma radiation. When a Geiger Counter starts going wild, Bruce Banner undergoes his first transformation into the creature that would soon be known as the Hulk. The Hulk destroys the wall of the facility and escapes, and after a run in with some of the soldiers and totaling a jeep, the hunt is on. Rick tags along with the Hulk, who is being led by the Banner aspect of his personality back to his cabin. There the Hulk and Rick discover that Igor is frantically searching for Banner’s gamma ray formula. Igor shoots the Hulk, but this has no effect, and after crushing Igor’s pistol, the Hulk attacks him and hurls him onto a desk filled with scientific apparatus. This leads Rick to discover Banner’s gamma ray formula hidden underneath a shattered beaker. After Rick explains to the Hulk that he and Banner are one and the same, the Hulk fly’s into a rage, claiming that he doesn't want to be human and that with his power he could take over the world. The Hulk comments that only Rick knows his true identity, but before he can act on his seemingly sinister thoughts, Rick is saved when the Hulk reverts back to Banner with the coming of dawn. When the military personnel arrive at Banner’s cabin searching for the Hulk, they discover Igor and reveal that he’s really a spy they’ve been looking for. After being consoled by Betty Ross, Banner and Rick ponder their next move, dreading his next inevitable transformation with the coming of night. While imprisoned, Igor relays information about the Hulk to his communist masters behind the Iron Curtain. The information is then passed on to the hideously deformed Gargoyle, an evil scientific genius determined to conquer the world, who now wants to harness the power of the Hulk. Are scene shifts back to the residence of General Ross and Betty Ross, and after Betty encounters the Hulk while taking a nighttime walk, she faints and is later discovered by her father. General Ross vows to hunt the Hulk down at all costs. The Gargoyle has secretly traveled to the United States, and with the help of a special gun that fires will-sapping pellets, he takes control of the Hulk and Rick Jones and makes his clandestine way back behind the Iron Curtain. However, during the trip the Hulk reverts back to Banner when he’s exposed to sunlight. After discovering that the Hulk is one of the United States greatest scientific genius’, the Gargoyle reveals that he hates being a hideous freak and would give anything to be a normal man again. Banner agrees to help the Gargoyle, changing him back into his original human appearance, only now without his scientific genius. The Gargoyle helps Bruce and Rick escape back to America in his secret escape rocket and then proceeds to destroy his stronghold in a massive explosion.
First Appearances: Hulk/Bruce Banner; Rick Jones; General “Thunderbolt” Ross; Betty Ross; Igor; Gargoyle Comments: The Hulk has always been my favorite Marvel character, but during his early evolution, he doesn't much resemble the character that I'd grow to love. Still, this first issue is probably my favorite of the early Marvel origin issues behind Spider-Man’s and Thor’s. For one of the earliest comics of the Marvel Age, I think it’s a fairly strong issue that’s densely packed with plot. (Thus my longest synopsis to date!) I do feel that the ending is a bit rushed and lackluster, but that seems par for the course with early Marvel comics. As I’m sure you know, the Hulk is gray in his origin issue, but is colored green from here on out starting with the next issue. This little bit of trivia, which had everything to do with coloring limitations early 60’s comics, would be picked up on by later creators and turned into something that would add a lot to the Hulk’s mythos. Characters Development: Unlike the Thing, the Hulk isn't a very sympathetic character in his origin issue. In fact, he’s downright sinister at times. This had a lot to do with the initial conception of the Banner/Hulk dynamic being a modern day Jekyll and Hyde and perhaps it had a bit to do with Stan and Jack not yet being certain that the Hulk would work as a monstrous anti-hero. Rick Jones comes off as your typical rebellious, but instantly loyal to anyone who shows him kindness, troubled youth and Betty is portrayed as little more than a fawning, fainting, willow. To her credit, she’s the most perceptive of any of the supporting characters, particularly pertaining to the Hulk. Thunderbolt Ross is handled well in his initial appearance; you can clearly see his disdain for intellectuals in his instant dislike of Banner and his equally instant hatred of the Hulk illustrates his inability to tolerate personalities or situations that he can't dominate and control. Personal Rating/Historical Importance: 6/10. An above average story as far as early Marvel Age comics go. Its plot dense, that’s for sure. This does elevate it a bit in my eyes, even though the story probably would have worked better if split into a two-parter in the pages of Journey into Mystery, Tales to Astonish or Tales of Suspense. (One wonders if the Hulk would have caught on even soon if he’d been allowed to share time with another character as he later did with Giant-Man and then Sub-Mariner?) Historically, this being the origin of the Incredible Hulk easily earns it a solid 10 rating. Of all the early Marvel characters, no character more strongly symbolized Cold War era misgivings in regards to the use of atomic weapons. It’s true that the Hulk’s initial solo series would eventually fail, but he would go on in the 70’s to become Marvel’s second most popular character next to Spider-Man.
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Post by Hoosier X on Apr 7, 2015 15:23:09 GMT -5
I first read Fantastic Four #4 in an over-sized Marvel Treasury Edition in the 1970s and BOYOBOY was I impressed! I still am.
You gotta love that bit where the guys in the flophouse are harassing Sub-Mariner just because they see some 16-year-old kid reading an old comic.
And where they evacuate New York because of the fear of the Sub-Mariner's vengeance! That boggled my mind as a kid! And then the big whale-like monster just trashing a whole city block by falling on it with his chin?!?!?
And the Thing walking around in the monster's stomach? And fighting the weird goblins that live in the monster's body? And the horn floating around, taken by the Invisible Girl?
And my favorite bit in the whole issue: The Thing's boots!
Except maybe for #6, #4 is the best out of the first ten issues.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 7, 2015 20:04:44 GMT -5
It was certainly a stroke of genius to bring back Namor. The thing I like about these early issues is that, apparently, Sue likes to "troll" cabbies, teenagers at soda fountains and pedestrians in general, with her invisibility powers. "Here, take the money! What? Never mind the fact that you can't see me, man! Drive! *snicker*" And did she really have to turn invisible just to drink a soda? That poor kid.
I also think it's hilarious how quickly the Thing's helmet was dropped. "Jack, that helmet thing just isn't working. Lets give him boots! If that works with the fans, we'll try bringing back the fedora without the trenchcoat!"
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Post by Hoosier X on Apr 7, 2015 21:52:00 GMT -5
I forgot to mention Namor's orange trunks!
Were they ever orange in the Golden Age?
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 7, 2015 23:30:59 GMT -5
I might be wrong, but I think they were orange in his first appearance.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 8, 2015 19:06:56 GMT -5
I had a bit of a stomach bug, so I apologize for not posting a review yesterday. I'll be redoubling my efforts and correcting this tonight and tomorrow.
Also, I'll now have access to Sub-Mariner, Captain Marvel and Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD. I needed those in my collection anyway. I hated the idea of not being able to cover the full scope of the Marvel Age in terms of superhero comics.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,197 
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Post by Confessor on Apr 8, 2015 20:23:19 GMT -5
Loving this thread, Trebor! Keep them reviews comin'!
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 10, 2015 17:48:08 GMT -5
Fantastic Four #5 Credits:Writer: Stan Lee Penciller: Jack Kirby Inker: Joe Sinnott Synopsis: Our story begins as we encounter the FF's most menacing foe to date, a master of both science and sorcery, Doctor Doom! The scene shifts to the FF relaxing in the Baxter Building. The Thing takes offense at the Torch comparing him to the Hulk (after reading the first issue of the Hulk's own comic no less) and a brawl between the two breaks out. After Reed manages to calm things down, the FF are attack by Doom, who succeeds in covering the top floors of the Baxter Building in a gigantic electrified net. After demanding that they send out Sue as a hostage, and making them promise not to attack him, Doom transports the group to one of his remote castle bases. There he explains that he wants them to travel back in time, using a time machine of his own invention, to steal the fabled treasure of Blackbeard the Pirate. To encourage their haste, he keeps Sue as his prisoner and gives them 48 hours to complete the task. The FF travel back in time, and after procuring proper period clothing, and disguising the Thing with in a eyepatch and fake black beard, they find themselves in a local tavern. There two swarthy looking pirates decide that they'd make fine additions to the crew, and after drugging them, they have them brought onboard. The Thing is the first to wake up, busting through the deck and taking out the captain. The FF easily defeat the pirates, but before much more can be said, the ship is attacked by another pirate ship. The FF then board the newly arrived ship and defeat this band of pirates as easily as the first. The pirate crew hail the Thing as "Blackbeard" and Reed realizes that the Thing's presence in this time period is the what started the Blackbeard legend. After hauling out the treasure chest that Doom wanted from the pirate ships hold, Reed replaces the mystical jewels in the chest with chains, rationalizing that they must be powerful artifacts if Doom wanted them so badly. Unfortunately the Thing refuses to leave, the idea of getting to live out his life as a legendary pirate having gone to his head. The Thing has Mr. Fantastic and the Torch tied up and put in a lifeboat, but at that moment a twister appears and destroys the pirate ship. Reed and Johnny make it to shore with a struggle and find an embarrassed and apologetic Ben Grimm waiting for them. After locating the chest, Doom brings them back to the present. Doom explains that the chest contained gems that were enchanted by none other than Merlin the Magician, but is enraged when he discovers the deception. The Thing attacks Doom, but after landing a blow discovers it was simply a Doombot. The real Doom appears on a view screen and begins to drain the oxygen from the room Reed, Ben and Johnny are in. Sue turns invisible and manages to save them by overloading the controls to the room. The FF escape Doom's castle, and after the Torch attempts to smoke Doom out by burning down his fortress, Doom manages to escape thanks to his rocket-powered flying harness. First Appearances: Doctor Doom Comments: Wow. This one has it all. Not only do we get the first of many hilarious fights between the Torch and the Thing, a pirate adventure mixed with a time travel story, a clever bit of advertising for the Incredible Hulk comic, but we're introduced to the greatest supervillian of all time, Doctor Doom. Doom kicks off his comic career in style; the Doom-Shark Copter, the completely unthreatening pet tiger, a wacky plot to steal Blackbeard's treasure...that just so happened to be Merlin's magic jewels. Still, as crazy as it all was, it just works. I always have fun reading this issue. A true classic. As far as the art and story goes, I feel it's a giant leap forward. Stan and Jack now seem to have a better grasp of how to balance the bickering with humor, which is probably the main reason the issue is so enjoyable for me compared to the previous installments. This is clearly Kirby's best art so far on the book and we can see him getting more daring and dynamic with his splash pages and layouts. Of course, the presence of the great Joe Sinnott is a big part of this. Characters Development: The relationship that we've come to know and love between the Torch and the Thing is now taking shape. There's a playfulness to their banter and to their mock-battling that wasn't present in the previous issues. Sue shows a lot of courage by fearlessly allowing herself to be taken hostage by Doom, but that has a lot to do with the fact that Stan and Jack simply don't know what to do with her yet. Still, she does save the day and the rest of the FF. Even though we don't get much of a look at Doom's psyche in this initial appearance, his uniqueness and the obvious history he has with Reed is more than a little tantalizing. Personal Rating/Historical Importance: 7/10. The pure fun I have reading this issue is enough to override many of its flaws. It's perhaps not quite as good as #4, but the characterizations are more developed and more enjoyable overall, making it more or less on par. Doom's first appearance is an obvious milestone and can't be overstated. For me, he's the single greatest, and arguably most important, character in the entire FF mythos. Without him the Marvel Universe just wouldn't be as interesting.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,860
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Post by shaxper on Apr 10, 2015 18:58:32 GMT -5
Ah, the story that provides the problematic detail that Doctor Doom can time travel on a whim. Was this the issue where Doom also barged in on Lee and Kirby? Gotta love that early Silver Age Marvel.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 10, 2015 19:00:42 GMT -5
Incredible Hulk #2 Credits:Writer: Stan Lee Penciler: Jack Kirby Inker: Steve Ditko Synopsis: The Hulk emerges from a nearby swamp and starts causing havoc in a small town, but Rick Jones arrives on the scene and manages to calm the Hulk down enough to lead him away from the frightened townsfolk. We're then introduced to the Terrible Toad Men, a highly advanced alien race who have mastered the power of magnetism. At the same time we discover that Banner has devised a plan to control the Hulk by constructing a prison of 10 foot thick stone in a natural outcropping that formed under a nearby lake. He tells Rick that every night it will be his responsibility to seal him in the stone prison until he can discover a cure for his transformations. Rick loyally agrees. At that moment the Toad Men arrive, having tracked Banner down because of his scientific genius; their plan is to get him to divulge Earth's level of technological advancement so they can best prepare their coming invasion. Banner refuses to cooperate, and after the Toad Men send Rick back to Earth, Banner transforms into the Hulk and easily defeats the alien invaders. After the ship is detected by a U.S. anti-missile base lead by Thunderbolt Ross, the spaceship is shot down, causing it to crash land on Earth. The Toad Men escape underground before Ross and the military arrive. It now being daylight, they find a lone Banner in the wreckage. Thunderbolt Ross is convinced Banner was piloting the craft and has him arrested. The escaped Toad Men signal to begin the invasion and the sky is filled with alien craft, causing panic among the populace. The Toad King then explains to the populace of Earth that if they don't surrender at once, that the Toad Men will use their power over magnetism to cause Earth's moon to leave its orbit, causing untold destruction to the Earth as it draws closer. With the coming of night Banner transforms into the Hulk once again, and after busting out of his prison, he proceeds to General Ross's house (knowing enough that it was Ross who imprisoned him) and there he encounters Betty Ross. The Hulk kidnaps Betty and instinctively takes her back to Banner's lab. Rick arrives and attempts to convince the Hulk that he's needed to stop the alien invasion, but the coming of dawn causes the Hulk to revert back to Banner. Formulating a plan to use his Gamma Ray Gun to repel the aliens, Banner and Jones steal onto the military base, use the gun on the invading fleet, which then causes them to be hurled out of control into the void of space.
First Appearances: The Toad Men
Comments: This issue is of course famous for being the first appearance of the green skinned Hulk. The Hulk will remain green for the next 24 years. In reality this was a change brought on by coloring limitations of the period, but it was later retconned into very important story elements. Beyond the Hulk moving closer to his iconic appearance, there isn't much to say about this issue beyond the debut of the underwater cave prison. The science in this issue is particularly bad, even by Silver Age standards, and I can't help but feel that the Toad Men are just all kinds of lame. To be fair, not every alien race bent on invading Earth can be as interesting as the Skrulls, but these rejects from Mystery Science Theater 3000 just do not excite. I don't believe they made a return appearance until John Byrne used them in his comedic Sensational She-Hulk run sometime around 1989. The art, however, is much improved from the first issue. When you have Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko as the art team, it's hard to go wrong. Neither are operating at the peak of their powers, but the Hulk is much more impressive looking and it's clear that he's gaining mass and presence as the artists develop his appearance. Characters Development: The Hulk's personality is still nebulous. He seems wayward and aimless at first, but there is the scene in the spaceship where he ponders using the Toad Men's technology to wipe out mankind. Clearly Stan and Jack don't see him as even a reluctant hero yet. They still don't seem to have a handle on the Hulk/Jones relationship and it's unclear why the Hulk casually slaps Rick around in one moment and is easily calmed down and lead back home in the next. Personal Rating/Historical Importance: 5/8. This is a very average issue. I'm given it a pass by grading it average because I'm taking into account how early this is the Marvel Universe's development. They're still shaking out the bad habits of the Atlas era with these generic alien invasion plots. I give it a fairly high historical importance only because of the shift to the iconic green appearance.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 10, 2015 19:11:26 GMT -5
Ah, the story that provides the problematic detail that Doctor Doom can time travel on a whim. Was this the issue where Doom also barged in on Lee and Kirby? Gotta love that early Silver Age Marvel. If memory serves, it's issue #10 when Doom first meets and threatens Lee and Kirby by casually destroying an ashtray with a well placed energy zap. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Apr 10, 2015 22:14:24 GMT -5
That Hulk one sounds like it should be a DC comic, with random aliens and magic magnetism and all.
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