Hulk 1-6
Well, it seems like several people have recently been reading stuff from the early days of the Marvel Age, so now I’m throwing my hat into the ring, as I just read the brief first Hulk series from 1962 (and early ’63). I have them collected in this little pocketbook that was first published in 1978:

I also had this book back in the day and read these stories over and over again. Back then, and this time around as well, I think my two favorite stories are from issues #2 and 6, i.e., the ones in which the Hulk faces the Toad Men…

…and the Metal Master, both powerful menaces from outer space.

My preference for these issues may have to do with the fact that Steve Ditko was involved in both: he inked Kirby’s pencils in #2 (I think Ditko is one of Kirby’s better inkers, and underrated in that regard) and did the complete art in #6.

One thing that’s really apparent in all of these stories is that they read a lot like the SF and horror fare that were still the staple of Timely/Marvel’s output at that point. The stories all involve either super-science gone awry, invading aliens or more Earthly threats from below ground (i.e., Tyrannus), with occasional plots by those dastardly commies to spice things up. The Hulk, of course, is an unusual superhero, and although the foundations for what would become one of Marvel’s most popular and enduring characters were set here, it was apparent that Lee, Kirby & co. hadn’t yet really found a formula to make him work, as evidenced by the fact that at first they had him only transform into the Hulk at night (like a werewolf) while later he could transform back and forth at will using some kind of gamma-ray device that Banner had made, and there was also that brief period in issue no. 3 and the first half of no. 4 in which he responded to Rick Jones’ commands and didn’t turn back into Banner at all.
A few other, to me, notable details:
1. I really preferred the original red and blue color scheme for the Ringmaster’s outfit, rather than the standard Marvel supervillain green and purple that later became the norm.

2. Back when I first read these as a kid and even now I find all of the insults flung around by the various characters really amusing, e.g., General Ross repeatedly calling Banner a ‘milksop’. And tied to that, what a complete jerk Hulk was when he had (most of) Banner’s intelligence in the last three issues:

Of course, the general dickishness wasn’t limited to the Hulk:

3. This bit in issue no. 6, when the aforementioned gamma ray device started to have some unwanted side-effects, like transforming Banner into Hulk, but with the former’s face intact.

Man, if he’d stayed that way he could have been a charter member of the Headmen…

I agree with Edo that, artwise, the two issues to which Ditko contributed are my favorites of that original Hulk run. Ditko really brought out ol' Greenskin's savagery. I'm also pretty sure that the audience quickly caught on that Stan and Jack had no clue what to do with the character past the origin and their obvious confusion led directly to the book's cancellation.

As for the recoloration of Ringmaster's costume, I'd guess that main colorist Stan Goldberg switched it so he would contrast visually with Spider-Man, the next hero he confronted.

Cei-U!
I summon the suppositions!

A peculiar (but perhaps understandable) request in the letters page of The Amazing Spider-Man #7:






I can understand they are no doubt time consuming to put together. But I like letters pages. I’m gonna guess that the letters page either went on temporary hiatus or wasn’t dropped.

I believe it’d have been peculiar to use the FF letters page as a “dumping ground” for letters pertaining to all titles.

Also, wouldn’t it be more labour-intensive to have to produce two extra Spidey pages than a letters page?

Interjecting- The Fourth World never really grabbed me, neither did the Eternals. I liked what Kirby did with Mister Miracle and The Forever People, but that was about it. I am however sad that the Inhumans and The Eternals now have such a bad reputation among the general public because of how poorly the tv and film did

I made a start last week on one of the series that I planned to re-read this year (as mentioned over in the Classic Comics New years Resolutions thread), with the first two volumes of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.




For the uninitiated, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a nifty steampunk-style mash-up of turn-of-the-19th/20th century adventure heroes and penny dreadful-type action/mystery adventures. The central conceit is that all of the fictional tales of the era are true and the public domain characters from those fiction books can team-up together. While the LoEG doesn't have the intellectual heft of some of Alan Moore's other works, such as Watchmen or From Hell, it's also a lighter and (dare I say it) more fun read, though it never once come close to eclipsing those earlier masterpieces.

The first volume introduces the team – a kind of Justice League of America torn from the pages of Victorian English literature – consisting of reimagined versions of Allan Quartermaine, Mina Harker, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, and Captain Nemo. In all honestly, I've always thought that these first two volumes were the best instalments of the LoEG series overall – and of them both, Volume 1 is definitely the superior. Volume II is still highly entertaining though, and perhaps slightly more action-packed, as our heroes face off against H. G. Wells's Martian invasion. Volume II also features a simultaneously amusing and horrifying diversion into the domain of Dr. Moreau (from The Island of Doctor Moreau) who is now living with his beast-folk in the South Downs of England.

Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill work very well together in their subtle, and at times not-so-subtle, exploration of this "parallel Earth" Victorian era. An awful lot of thought and attention have gone into these two volumes and half the fun with the LoEG is spotting all the literary and cultural references and Easter Eggs that pepper the narrative and artwork. Like a lot of Moore's best work, these two volumes hold up really well to repeat re-readings. That's partly because the stories are so strong and the characters so three-dimensional, but it's also because there's always some new plot point or Victorian era detail to spot. All in all, these two TPBs are solid gold.

Finished reading the Spider-Man vs. Silver Sable trade paperback. It collects Amazing Spider-Man #265, 279-281 and Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man #128-129.

A couple years ago I had read the similar trade paperback Spider-Man vs. Black Cat and thought to myself, I should really start reading 1980s Spider-Man. I didn't, but in reading this collection I am once again considering a change to my Reading Goals for the year.