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Post by Myke Gee on Jul 13, 2022 19:16:18 GMT -5
*ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON MAY 23, 2019*
DECEMBER 1969
(Cover Date: February/March 1970)
The year and the decade come to a close. A lot of good reads this year and I’m glad that I read them! Here’s what I thought of the December 1969 books (cover-dated: March 1970). I’ve forgotten to mention this in the last few reviews, but all of this month’s issues are being read for the first time. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #82. Peter Parker’s life is running true to form. He’s broke and ready down in the dumps because of the consequences that his dual life brings. Then, he gets the idea to go on a late-night talk show. The same show where parolee, Max Dillon aka Electro, works as, you guessed it, an electrician. Electro informs J. Jonah Jameson that Spider-Man will be appearing on the show and Jameson decides to pay him to defeat and unmask Spider-Man. Fun issue and I’ve always been an Electro fan. Grade: B+AVENGERS #73. The Sons of the Serpent return and the issue of race comes with them, as always. When the team first encountered them, the Black Panther wasn’t a member yet. Now that he is, circumstances have made it so that he’s determined to take them on alone. Of note, also, is the first appearance of Monica Lynn, who would play a major role in future Panther appearances in JUNGLE ACTION. Very interesting story and one that is, unfortunately, still relevant today. Thank goodness it isn’t getting the one-n-done treatment. Grade: ACAPTAIN AMERICA #123. Here’s something that was kind of rare in these days that JUST hit me: a female villain. Of course, Suprema is not the first, but she was definitely one of the few. Her game is that she wants to become the biggest, baddest crime Lord there is. On her side is a small army of goons and “witchcraft”. All of that is challenged when she decides to use her “powers” against S.H.I.E.L.D., who just happens to be hosting Captain America, at the time. I, actually, had fun with this one. Solving the mystery of her abilities was part of it. Grade: B-DAREDEVIL #61. One thing that drives me crazy is the inconsistent writing of characters. In this case, Mr. Hyde. Here’s a guy that’s strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with Thor. Yet, he teams up with Cobra on the regular and gets his ass kicked by Daredevil. Now, that, usually, takes about 2 to 3 issues to get done, but it happens. When last we saw the Jester, that story, also, required 3 or 3 issues to be told. NOW, the three of them get together and they’re all defeated in ONE ISSUE?!! I get that time is hardly linear in the comic book universe but come on!!! Anyway, it wasn’t a horrible story, but this one-n-done mandate that seems to be going on at Marvel made this story feel very rushed. Grade: C-FANTASTIC FOUR #96. The FF end the year by taking on the Mad Thinker and, this time, four not-so-awesome androids. The Thinker is a villain that I just don’t get. He shows up with a “foolproof plan” only to prove one thing: he’s a fool. In that sense, I guess he’s no different from any other villain hat keeps returning just to have their butts handed to them by the hero de jour. So, in a nutshell, he sends four FF androids to replace them, only to have, ONCE AGAIN, underestimated Reed Richards. This story has its moments, but it feels so run-of-the-mill, like an inventory story. Grade. C+INCREDIBLE HULK #125. Now, a rampaging beast again, the Hulk finds himself by a lake after defeating the Leader and destroying the Ross family home. Of course, he throws another tantrum, calms down, and, eventually, reverts to Bruce Banner. Meanwhile, Glen Talbot receives news of an extinction-level comet headed toward Earth. Banner, also, hears about this on the radio after the story was leaked. He makes his way to the nearest Air Force base to lend his scientific expertise. He ends up, as Banner, flying a rocket into space to intercept the comet and returns to Earth as the Hulk....aaaannndd with the Absorbing Man! Don’t try to make ANY sense of this story, just enjoy the bludgeoning battle of titans. Grade: BIRON MAN #23. The first thing that threw me off a little was that the story, actually, starts on the cover of the book. Normally, I just sort of glance at the cover until it’s time for me to pick my favorites for the month, then, hit the splash page and go. Yet, reading this splash felt like a page was missing. So, I looked again, and the cover flowed into the splash. Anyway, Iron Man takes on a new villain called...*sigh*...the Mercenary. 🙄 I mean, can you get any more spot-on than that? So, I guess that next month the Hulk will be fighting a villain called... the Villain. Also, the Mandarin and Orca are tied for GQ’s Man of the Year compared to the Mercenary’s get-up. (Man, the Kangaroo🙄doesn’t seem so lame anymore) 😏🙄😒 Moving right along, despite the goofiness of his entire visual concept and name, the Mercenary is, actually, quite formidable. This guy, nearly, matched Iron Man gadget for gadget. A very good story with something of a twist ending. Grade: B. SGT. FURY #75. Todd Taylor suggested that I give this particular issue a try because it was, somewhat, controversial at the time. Really sad story. “The Deserter”. The title, pretty much, sums it up. Fury and company get a new Howler and the story opens with him standing in front of a firing squad. He’s all piss and vinegar in the beginning, but then, it all goes wrong for him. This story is an interesting look at what a person would do when faced with his own mortality; time of war, notwithstanding. Great story, but the war genre still isn’t my cup of tea. Grade: A SILVER SURFER #13. The Surfer takes on RBR (Really Big Robot) #537. This one is called the Doomsday Man. Created by American scientists after the first moon landing; its purpose was to accompany mankind into space in hopes of conquering other planets. Wow!!! Human beings really are a bunch of A-holes, aren’t they? The D-Man is definitely powerful enough to be a match for the Surfer, but it’s, basically, a tool. It doesn’t speak. It has no motivation to do what it does. It’s just a tool; a weapon in the form of a man. Therefore, it has no personality to make him interesting to me. Grade: CSUB-MARINER #23. A couple of issues ago, we had the debut of one of THE best costume designs in comics history with the Stingray. This issue, we have....Orka. *Sssiiiiigggghhh* Fail, fail, FAIL!!! Talk about ugly!!! Fortunately, the character’s a bit more interesting than his attire. Orka is the product of Dr. Dorcas; the villainous scientist who gave us Tiger Shark (love that guy 😀). His origin is detailed by the exiled warlord, Krang (yep, he’s here, too). Also, present are the Lady Dorma and a few other Atlanteans presumably of high rank. All of this is a derivative of Mad Super-Villain Scheme #1: Revenge. It’s a high-energy, action-packed story that’s a little dry in a couple of spots, but still enjoyable. Oh, one more thing: it continues next month. Grade: BTHOR #173. Whenever the Circus of Crime shows up, my whole disposition changes, lol!!! Where’s the Kangaroo 🙄 when you need him? Characters this lame has NO business fighting Thor. What next? Do they take on the Silver Surfer? Fortunately, Ulik the Troll was here, too. I, also, find it insulting that the Ringmaster’s goofy hat could hypnotize him. Anyway, the story: CoC plans goofy heist, Ringmaster enslaves Ulik, Thor intervenes, bad guys lose. LOL!! It’s, actually, a better story than it sounds. Grade: B-X-MEN #65. As I stated last week, I had no idea that Neal Adams drew another issue past #64. It wasn’t included in the early 80’s reprints where I first read that classic run. Probably because, although Adams returned, Roy Thomas stepped away for an issue as Dennis O’Neal scripts this issue. I wonder if this was the first collaboration of O’Neal and Adams? Their work on GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW is equally legendary. Gotta research that later. As for this issue, the X-Men face the threat of the planet-conquering Z’Nox race. A race so deadly, they bring their entire planet along with them. Along with Havok and Polaris acting as members of the team, we get the return of Professor Charles Xavier; believed to have died in issue #42. Really good story despite the fact that the team stopped an alien invasion in one issue. 😏 Grade: BWell, that’s the year 1969! LOTS of good stories and moments this year. “The Tablet Saga”, the FF vs Doom in Latveria, damn near EVERY issue of THOR, the Thing on the Gangster Skrull planet, the Neal Adams run on the X-Men, and much more. We said goodbye to DOCTOR STRANGE and S.H.I.E.L.D. and “see you soon” to CAPTAIN MARVEL. Looking ahead, I see that the Marvel horror books are coming. Looking forward to a few, but the ones that reprint old 50’s books will not be reviewed. Also, speaking of “not reviewed”, if anyone is wondering why I didn’t review any of the Annuals this year, it’s because all of them were reprints. As for this month, not a lot of high marks again. Only two “A's” in the whole bunch. If this was a season finale week, Marvel would be getting some very lukewarm ratings. So, I’m going to take a short break from this. A couple of weeks, maybe. I’ll resume the first or second week of June. Until then, take care, everyone. Top Books of the Month:1) AVENGERS #732) SGT. FURY #753) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #824) X-MEN #655) INCREDIBLE HULK #125Top Covers of the Month:1) SGT. FURY #752) KID COLT OUTLAW #1433) SUB-MARINER #234) INCREDIBLE HULK #1255) RINGO KID #2
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 13, 2022 20:43:47 GMT -5
How about that? You finally rated a Sgt Fury issue, and like me for most of 1969, rated it as an A. Unfortunately later in 1970 the great run of books for this title will dissapate as every other issue becomes a reprint and eventually writer Gary Friedrich will move on to other projects, most importantly Ghost Rider
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Post by Farrar on Jul 13, 2022 21:31:42 GMT -5
AVENGERS #71. The matchups should be, fairly, obvious and, as usual, the thought of the Vision fighting the Torch is always intriguing. I don’t remember if it was mentioned that they are one and the same at this point, but it still intrigued me. The Vision's origin wasn't established until Steve Englehart wrote Avengers #133-135, later retconned by John Byrne in Avengers West Coast #50 and again by Kurt Busiek in Avengers Forever. Not as early as #71, but a couple of years later the seeds are sown. I've read in some interviews that Roy Thomas says it was Neal Adams who came up with the idea and pitched it to Roy, who approved it, when they were starting to work on the Avengers. So in the first Thomas-Adams Avengers issue, 1971's Avengers #93, in the Fantastic Voyage/"Journey to the Center of the Android" chapter we get Hank Pym reacting to something he sees (not shown to us) in the Vision's body--"What's this?"--together with a Roy-scripted caption telling us that we readers may "one day" learn what Hank saw. Then in 1972's Avengers #102, also scripted by Roy, there's a Sentinel who scans/analyzes the Vision's physical make-up and concludes that the Vison is "three decades vintage" -- that is, his parts are 30 years old, a reference to the 1940s Human Torch--with a "later modification by addition of a solar battery" (Ultron's addition). Roy left the Avengers book soon after but as chaykinstevens wrote, later on Englehart, who succeeded Roy as the regular Avengers writer, ran with this and fleshed out the Torch-Vision connection. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Jul 14, 2022 16:26:42 GMT -5
IRON MAN #23. The first thing that threw me off a little was that the story, actually, starts on the cover of the book. Normally, I just sort of glance at the cover until it’s time for me to pick my favorites for the month, then, hit the splash page and go. Yet, reading this splash felt like a page was missing. So, I looked again, and the cover flowed into the splash. Anyway, Iron Man takes on a new villain called...*sigh*...the Mercenary. 🙄 I mean, can you get any more spot-on than that? So, I guess that next month the Hulk will be fighting a villain called... the Villain. Also, the Mandarin and Orca are tied for GQ’s Man of the Year compared to the Mercenary’s get-up. (Man, the Kangaroo🙄doesn’t seem so lame anymore) 😏🙄😒 Moving right along, despite the goofiness of his entire visual concept and name, the Mercenary is, actually, quite formidable. This guy, nearly, matched Iron Man gadget for gadget. A very good story with something of a twist ending. Grade: B. The splash page was used as the cover, with Marie Severin contributing an extra page (page 15) to bring the interior page count back to 20. Perhaps her page was originally intended for the cover. X-MEN #65. As I stated last week, I had no idea that Neal Adams drew another issue past #64. It wasn’t included in the early 80’s reprints where I first read that classic run. Probably because, although Adams returned, Roy Thomas stepped away for an issue as Dennis O’Neal scripts this issue. I wonder if this was the first collaboration of O’Neal and Adams? Their work on GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW is equally legendary. Gotta research that later. As for this issue, the X-Men face the threat of the planet-conquering Z’Nox race. A race so deadly, they bring their entire planet along with them. Along with Havok and Polaris acting as members of the team, we get the return of Professor Charles Xavier; believed to have died in issue #42. Really good story despite the fact that the team stopped an alien invasion in one issue. 😏 Grade: B According to Roy Thomas, Neal Adams plotted the issue on his own. Thomas wasn't keen to script something he hadn't co-plotted, and asked O'Neil to provide the script. I think O'Neil and Adams were first paired on Detective Comics #395, cover dated January 1970. Marie Severin redrew the monster in X-men #65, Adams' version of which apparently looked more like a dog. The dialogue still included lines about Fido and mailmen.  Adams talked about the alteration in an interview in Comic Book Artist #3. link |
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Post by Myke Gee on Jul 14, 2022 17:43:38 GMT -5
The Vision's origin wasn't established until Steve Englehart wrote Avengers #133-135, later retconned by John Byrne in Avengers West Coast #50 and again by Kurt Busiek in Avengers Forever. Not as early as #71, but a couple of years later the seeds are sown. I've read in some interviews that Roy Thomas says it was Neal Adams who came up with the idea and pitched it to Roy, who approved it, when they were starting to work on the Avengers. So in the first Thomas-Adams Avengers issue, 1971's Avengers #93, in the Fantastic Voyage/"Journey to the Center of the Android" chapter we get Hank Pym reacting to something he sees (not shown to us) in the Vision's body--"What's this?"--together with a Roy-scripted caption telling us that we readers may "one day" learn what Hank saw. Then in 1972's Avengers #102, also scripted by Roy, there's a Sentinel who scans/analyzes the Vision's physical make-up and concludes that the Vison is "three decades vintage" -- that is, his parts are 30 years old, a reference to the 1940s Human Torch--with a "later modification by addition of a solar battery" (Ultron's addition). Roy left the Avengers book soon after but as chaykinstevens wrote, later on Englehart, who succeeded Roy as the regular Avengers writer, ran with this and fleshed out the Torch-Vision connection. Great stuff, gentlemen!! Thanks for the info! |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 15, 2022 9:37:17 GMT -5
I think it's really interesting to see all the covers together.. I had no idea Marvel was doing knock offs of Casper and Dennis the Menace (to compete with Harvey?)
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 15, 2022 10:27:02 GMT -5
I think it's really interesting to see all the covers together.. I had no idea Marvel was doing knock offs of Casper and Dennis the Menace (to compete with Harvey?) It was still about attracting the general public which included females with romance and teen humor comics as well as young children. Homer The Happy Ghost and Peter The Little Pest, I believe, were all reprint stories from the 1950's or earlier |
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Post by Icctrombone on Jul 17, 2022 6:00:41 GMT -5
I agree that the level of competence for various villains ( Mr. Hyde) is often malleable depending on the story. During this time Marvel didn't have a line of editors questioning plot points and a lot of stories slipped through. As for the Circus of Crime, I love them even though they never win.  |
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Post by Myke Gee on Jul 18, 2022 18:18:17 GMT -5
Now, I'm up to the 1970s issues. I still have the same format, but there will be a few changes as the year goes on. As always, I hope that everyone enjoys them.*ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON JUNE 28, 2019* JANUARY 1970
(Cover Date: March/April 1970)
So, after a brief hiatus, I’m back to sharing my opinions of classic Marvel stories after reading them for the very first time. Although I’ve never read many of the really early 70’s books, this was the decade that it started for me. DAREDEVIL AND THE BLACK WIDOW #97 (March ‘73 cover) was one of the earliest Marvel comics that I can remember reading. Anyway, here’s what I thought of this month’s books.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #83. The only reason why I have any knowledge of this issue is that it was reprinted in the first and only issue of MARVEL TALES that I ever bought. Reading it now, the only thing that I remember is the Schemer who later becomes *SPOILER ALERT* the Rose; despite the fact that the Schemer looks as old as the Kingpin in this issue. If you don’t know why that matters, then, I didn’t spoil everything. 🙂 As for this story, he’s, basically, a guy who’s got a mad-on for the Kingpin and wants to become the new crime lord. When an attack on one of the Kingpin’s trucks causes Gwen Stacy to be injured, the Webhead gets pissed. Grade B+
AVENGERS #74. No matter what some may say, the issue of race is STILL a very real part of America. Some comics fans like to say that they read them to escape the issues of the real world. Kudos to Marvel for reminding us that, though we seek to escape, the real world and its issues await. The conclusion of the Sons of the Serpent story did not disappoint. I love that it did not pretend to solve the problem, but it did bring an end to THIS part of the problem; namely, ending a group of bigots’ attempts to start a race war. Great story and art by the classic team of Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Tom Palmer. Grade: A
CAPTAIN AMERICA #124. *Sigh* Sometimes, I’m at a loss for words when it comes to this series. I don’t think I’ve ever read a series that’s not quite good enough to be elite, but nowhere near bad enough for me to say “to heck with it! I can’t read any more of this!” (Well, I guess DAREDEVIL fits here, too) Generally, you get the Red Skull, A.I.M., and MODOK. This month, MODOK returns, and he sends.... the Cyborg to defeat Cap. (First, the Mercenary, now the Cyborg. Stay tuned for the Villain or the Bad-guy 😆) Throw in a little Cap/Sharon Carter drama and you get another story that really does nothing to evolve the character. Enjoyable, but nothing spectacular. Grade: C+
DAREDEVIL #62. AVENGERS #69 gave us the debut of the Squadron Sinister and the first member to break out on a solo career was Nighthawk. His origin is given as playboy millionaire, Kyle Richmond tells the story of how one night he and his parents were walking home from the movies....er.... wait a minute. Wrong guy. *Ahem* Millionaire, Kyle Richmond, tells of how the Grandmaster arranged for him to get his night powers. After the battle with the Avengers, he sets out to discredit Daredevil by becoming the new “hero” in town. Another decent-at-best story, but made a bit more fun by Nighthawk. Grade: C+
FANTASTIC FOUR #97. The FF enters the 1970s facing a Creature from the Black Lagoon clone. Only, there’s a slight twist to this creature’s story which I won’t give away. I will say that this creature has the ability to assume human form and speak. Yet, the latter ability seems to be lost sometime later in the story. However, I guess if Stan had allowed the creature to explain himself, the story would have been over by page 10. Grade: C+
INCREDIBLE HULK #126. After the events in SUB-MARINER #22 which left Dr. Strange trapped in their dimension, Bruce Banner finds himself kidnapped by a cult that worships the Undying Ones. With the Undying Ones determined to invade Earth, the cult sends Banner into their dimension with the hope that the Hulk can defeat the Night-Crawler; guardian of the dimension that is the gateway to Earth. Needless to say, guest-starring Dr. Strange. The Hulk has been a whole lot of fun lately and this issue is no exception. Grade: B+
IRON MAN #24. Maybe my shortest review ever. This issue was well written and drawn, but quite boring. Grade: D
SILVER SURFER #14. As the Surfer glides through Earth’s upper atmosphere, he notices a meteor heading towards the planet. In fact, as he moves to intercept, he sees a second meteor on a collision course with the first. Even though the two will collide with each other and not the Earth, the collision will still cause catastrophic damage. The Surfer manages to destroy both meteors, but a piece of the debris struck him in the head, leaving him weak and disoriented. Falling to Earth, he looks for a place to recover, and what better place to clear one’s head than New York. 😄 Enter the ever-amazing Spider-Man. Like an episode of “Three’s Company”, everything’s a big misunderstanding as the two heroes fight for no, apparent, reason. Not as momentous a meeting as I had hoped, but in the single issue era, as good as we’re going to get. Grade: B-
SUB-MARINER #24. Remember IRON MAN #22 where Iron Man was fighting the Titanium Man who was fighting the Crimson Dynamo? Well, we’ve, kinda, got the same thing going on here. Namor was captured last issue by Warlord Krang, Dr. Dorcas, and Orka, the Killer Whale. After Namor was secured, the trio decided to recapture the Lady Dorma, Vashti, and the other Atlanteans that escaped while battling Namor. As Dorma and Vashti were about to be captured, Tiger Shark arrives. (Always love it when he’s on the scene) He decides that he would fight the trio if Dorma agrees to marry him. The ol’ smoothie, actually, called her “Miss Seaweed of 1969! 😆😅😂 I guess he’s got a thing for redheads. 😆 Anyway, to save the life of Vashti, she agrees. Thus, Tiger Shark attacks and Namor frees himself and he attacks but doesn’t team up with TS. So, like the Iron Man issue, we now have Tiger Shark vs Orka vs Namor vs Krang. It’s one big melee that’s interesting enough to keep you fixated, but, it wasn’t quite as fun as the Iron Man issue. Grade: C+
THOR #174. Last month/week in the Silver Surfer’s book, we met RBR (Really Big Robot) RBR #537, the Doomsday Man. This week, we meet RBR #538, the Crypto Man. He’s the creation of, yet another bitter, bruised-ego scientist named Jasper Whyte. Whyte creates a machine that allows him to transfer a person’s strength into an RBR; in this case, the Crypto Man. He spots the Thunder God flying overhead and zaps him with a ray that drains half of his strength. That strength is, then, transferred into the Crypto Man. Next, is bedlam, destruction, and devastation until half-strength Thor steps in. Another story that’s enjoyable, but seems a bit rushed because of the new single-issue mandate. Grade: B-
X-MEN #66. So ends an era, if not a series. For the last time, it truly is a shame that the best year of X-Men stories, in MY opinion, wasn’t enough to save the series from becoming a bi-monthly reprint book. It will be five years before we see new X-Men stories, as well as new X-Men. I’ve enjoyed this series and I’ll be sad to it go. As for its last issue, I really liked it. I always roll my eyes whenever I see other heroes fight the Hulk because, aside from Thor and, occasionally, Iron Mon, those battles are, usually, tempered by a writer trying not to make the star of the book look bad. Same case here. Not one X-Man, solo or collectively, has the power to stop him. However, they’re battling to save the life of Charles Xavier, whom, until last issue, everyone thought was dead. So, seeing as this is the last issue for a while, Roy Thomas let the crew off easy. Still, I truly enjoyed the story. Grade: B+
So, the decade that introduced me to comics started off, somewhat, unceremoniously. There were a couple of gems this month, but, overall, everything else was kind of average. Still, I’m in this for the long haul. Can’t wait until next month. Until then, take care, everyone.
Top Books of the Month:
1) AVENGERS #74
2) X-MEN #66
3) INCREDIBLE HULK #126
4) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #83
5) THOR #174
Top Covers of the Month:
1) CAPTAIN AMERICA #124
2) X-MEN #66
3) SILVER SURFER #14
4) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #83
5) CHAMBER OF DARKNESS #4
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Post by Myke Gee on Jul 25, 2022 17:45:57 GMT -5
For whatever reason, this review has no opening paragraph. Since I posted this just over 3 years, I have no clue as to why I wrote it like this. I hope that everyone enjoys it, still. *ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON JULY 6, 2019*
FEBRUARY 1970
(Cover Date: April/May 1970)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #84. Spider-Man begins his search for the Schemer after learning that there’s a $5,000 reward for his capture. His search not only leads him into a confrontation with the Schemer and a car that has more gadgets than the Batmobile and K.I.T.T., combined. Hints are given as to the Schemer’s true identity (for the other 9 people that don’t know) and the Vanessa Fisk character is fleshed out a bit more. Clearly, the one-n-done days are over already as part three comes next month, and that suits me just fine. Some stories demand more than one issue to tell, and this seems like one of them. Grade: B+AVENGERS #75. Before I get into the story, is there any question as to what this month’s top cover will be? One of THE most iconic covers in Avengers history and, maybe, Quicksilver’s coolest moment, lol! Now, to this issue. One thing that I’ve really been curious about was.... when did the Scarlet Witch and the Black Widow become redheads? 😂 Well, she shows up here sporting auburn locks, and nothing is mentioned as to why. Same with Quicksilver in his new colors. Not that either moves the story along, it just seems odd that nothing was said. Amidst all of this, is Arkon the Magnificent (just ask him). This is the first appearance of one of my favorite characters. As always, he shows up because his world is dying and, instead of asking nicely for help, he demands it. Oh, and he also has the hots for Wanda. 😏 Great story, as the Avengers seems to be really heating up, lately. Grade: ACAPTAIN AMERICA #125. After a session of pining over Sharon Carter, Cap goes to Vietnam to rescue a missing peacemaker named, Dr. Robert Hoskins. Once there, he finds both sides using the disappearance of the beloved peacemaker as propaganda to ramp up the conflict. He also discovers that the Mandarin is the real big bad here and attempts to force him to tell where the doctor is being held. Let the battle begin. The Mandarin is, actually, tolerable this issue since he doesn’t do anything goofy like he’s always done in the past. Grade: CDAREDEVIL #63. Usually, I like when the Gladiator shows up in a book. Even when he’s outclassed by the likes of Iron Man (or, at least, he should have been). This time he’s in prison and faking amnesia; claiming that he’s not the Gladiator and that he has no memory of ever being him. Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson go to the prison to prove that he’s faking. Needless to say, they do which leads to a quick change by Murdock and another slugfest between DD and the Gladiator. Another one-n-done with the feel of an inventory issue. Grade: C+
FANTASTIC FOUR #98. In this issue, it’s July 1969 and Apollo 11 is about to head to the moon. But, not before Reed Richards learns of a Kree plot to destroy Apollo 11 before it can reach it. The team, minus Sue, heads to the moon where they encounter a Kree Sentry (colored more like a Sentinel in this issue, for whatever reason). The team must battle the Sentry and defeat it before the lunar landing. Honestly, I’ve never found the Kree Sentries particularly interesting. They’re just more RBRs (Really Big Robots), in my opinion. (Although, I do like the Sentinels. Hmmm....) An enjoyable issue, but, not much more than that. Grade: C+INCREDIBLE HULK #127. This issue is something of a head-scratcher. First, let me reiterate for those who have never read one of my reviews or for those that may have (probably) just forgotten: the Mole Man, Tyrrannus, Grotesk, and most other subterranean cures for insomnia do nothing for me. So, imagine my disappointment when the cover raves “Not one...not TWO...BUT THREE of Marvel’s most Sinister Super-villains!!!” and I get Mole Man, Tyrannus and....Mogol??? So, what makes me scratch my head is how Mogol is depicted as this badass capable of going two-to-two with the Hulk. Then, when the final scene comes, he’s beaten so easily. Oh, and in case anyone cares, Moley and the T-Man are just playing Subterranean Turf Wars....again. 🙄😏 💤 This issue was a bit of a letdown after all the really fun issues published, lately. Grade: D+IRON MAN #25. The Sub-Mariner discovers a pipeline spewing toxic wastes into the ocean. Namor traces the pipeline back to its source, Meridian Island; an island where Stark Industries are working on a new Solar Energy Converter. Namor, then, seeks to destroy the machine and Tony Stark, who was on the island to check on the project, changes into Iron Man to stop him. During the battle, Stark realizes that unsafe measures were used to move the project forward and keep it under budget. Both heroes, then, work together to destroy the Solar Energy Converter, but, the result is fatal. Good story and Iron Man and Namor always seem to make for a good battle/team-up. Grade: B-SUB-MARINER #25. A tale somewhat similar to IRON MAN #25, as the issue begins with the discovery of dead Atlanteans killed by poisonous canisters dropped from the surface world. This time Namor, uncharacteristically, responds with, not a declaration of war, but with actions that show that Atlantis would rather have peace. Namor, then, takes his newfound stance to the United Nations where he, of course, is met with mistrust and hostility. Not, particularly, an action-packed issue, but, enough to satisfy action junkies and a good enough story to keep you turning the pages. Grade: B-SILVER SURFER #15. I swear, I think that the writers of the 70’s sitcom, “Three’s Company”, must have grown up reading SILVER SURFER. Every episode was based on some type of misunderstanding. How it lasted 9 seasons baffles me. Anyway, for the 2nd issue in a row, the Surfer finds himself in conflict with fellow heroes over a misunderstanding. Last month, it was Spider-Man. This month, the FF; particularly, the Human Torch. However, this time, there’s something of a twist to the misunderstanding angle. Grade: BTHOR #175. Prior to Walt Simonson’s run on this book, I was NOT a fan of Thor outside of the Avengers. All of the Shakespearean dialogue just wasn’t for me. Yet, since I started this journey (no pun intended), Thor has been a HUGE surprise!!! I’ll admit that, in the beginning, I was ready to drop this title. Those stories by Robert Bernstein were horrible!! Then Stan took over the writing (yeah, THAT Stan who “never wrote anything” 🙄🙄🙄) and it has just gotten better and better. This issue, Odin begins the Odinsleep, and Loki uses this opportunity to bring together the enemies of Asgard and attack. Looks like the beginning of another epic and magnificent storyline. Grade: A
A bit better this month. Two books, this month, earned an “A” to only one last month. But still, this was a bit of a lackluster month. Here’s hoping that next month is better. Until then, take care, everyone. Top Books of the Month:1) AVENGERS #752) THOR #1753) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #844) SILVER SURFER #155) I can’t decide which of my two B- books were better, so, I’ll declare a tie for IRON MAN #25 & SUB-MARINER #25. Top Covers of the Month:1) AVENGERS #752) TOWER OF SHADOWS #53) DAREDEVIL #634) CAPTAIN AMERICA #1255) SUB-MARINER #25
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,199 
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Post by Confessor on Jul 25, 2022 18:34:38 GMT -5
Bumping the thread for Myke's latest review, which was initially posted in the wrong place, but has been moved here by everybody's favourite moderator, yours truly.  |
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Post by Myke Gee on Jul 25, 2022 19:30:11 GMT -5
Bumping the thread for Myke's latest review, which was initially posted in the wrong place, but has been moved here by everybody's favourite moderator, yours truly. Thanks again!!! |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 25, 2022 19:36:27 GMT -5
One thing that was irking me when these books came out was the amount of superflous word ballons beggining to appear on Marvel's covers. Marvel used them alot at the very beginning of the Marvel Age in the 60's then tapered off, relying on the dynamic artwork and some captions instead. Now they're back with a vengeance, appearing on over half of the covers and will continue to do so for some time
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Post by Farrar on Jul 25, 2022 19:56:48 GMT -5
... AVENGERS #75. Before I get into the story, is there any question as to what this month’s top cover will be? One of THE most iconic covers in Avengers history and, maybe, Quicksilver’s coolest moment, lol! Now, to this issue. One thing that I’ve really been curious about was.... when did the Scarlet Witch and the Black Widow become redheads? 😂 Well, she shows up here sporting auburn locks, and nothing is mentioned as to why. Same with Quicksilver in his new colors. ... Scarlet Witch: Remember the early X-Men issues in which she appeared? In the early X-Men appearances, #4-7, #11, and in guest appearances in other series --JiM #109 and Strange Tales #128 --Wanda had brown hair. Her haircolor was changed to black when she came over to the Avengers with Avengers issue #16. It remained black from #16-#53, when she left the Avengers. Then when she returned to the Avengers in #75, her hair was back to brown--now a more reddish-brown--with Avengers #75. In #81's lettercol Marvel referred to the color as "auburn" and stated that Avengers writer Roy Thomas had just discovered the old X-Men issues and wanted her hair back to its original color. Quicksilver's new blue costume in #75 was never commented on in-story (I have read that Roy T asked for the new light blue color because it more closely resembled "silver")....similar to when Wanda's headdress changed in #36, no one in-story commented on it either (even though she'd been away from the team for a few issues). Black Widow: Her haircolor started out as dark brown in her first appearance in Tales of Suspense #52 but in subsequent Suspense appearances was black. Then when she got her makeover in Amazing Spider-Man #86 , all of a sudden she was a redhead a la Medusa or MJ or Marvel Girl. Since then, it's been explained over the years that red was her hair's natural color. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Jul 26, 2022 4:08:42 GMT -5
AVENGERS #75. Before I get into the story, is there any question as to what this month’s top cover will be? One of THE most iconic covers in Avengers history and, maybe, Quicksilver’s coolest moment, lol! Now, to this issue. One thing that I’ve really been curious about was.... when did the Scarlet Witch and the Black Widow become redheads? 😂 Well, she shows up here sporting auburn locks, and nothing is mentioned as to why. Same with Quicksilver in his new colors. Not that either moves the story along, it just seems odd that nothing was said. Amidst all of this, is Arkon the Magnificent (just ask him). This is the first appearance of one of my favorite characters. As always, he shows up because his world is dying and, instead of asking nicely for help, he demands it. Oh, and he also has the hots for Wanda. 😏 Great story, as the Avengers seems to be really heating up, lately. Grade: A
FANTASTIC FOUR #98. In this issue, it’s July 1969 and Apollo 11 is about to head to the moon. But, not before Reed Richards learns of a Kree plot to destroy Apollo 11 before it can reach it. The team, minus Sue, heads to the moon where they encounter a Kree Sentry (colored more like a Sentinel in this issue, for whatever reason). The team must battle the Sentry and defeat it before the lunar landing. Honestly, I’ve never found the Kree Sentries particularly interesting. They’re just more RBRs (Really Big Robots), in my opinion. (Although, I do like the Sentinels. Hmmm....) An enjoyable issue, but, not much more than that. Grade: C+SILVER SURFER #15. I swear, I think that the writers of the 70’s sitcom, “Three’s Company”, must have grown up reading SILVER SURFER. Every episode was based on some type of misunderstanding. How it lasted 9 seasons baffles me. Anyway, for the 2nd issue in a row, the Surfer finds himself in conflict with fellow heroes over a misunderstanding. Last month, it was Spider-Man. This month, the FF; particularly, the Human Torch. However, this time, there’s something of a twist to the misunderstanding angle. Grade: B Arkon is cool looking but it always appears that he has to come and try to steal from earth to get what he wants . Why can't you ask? Wanda changes her hair color from time to time just like woman in the real world do. Maybe its jarring because comic fans are used to seeing characters in the same clothes/ hair/ costumes for years. I saw a young lady with blue hair yesterday. FF # 98Sorry Mike, the FF don't go to the moon, they go to an island that the Sentry creates somewhere in the Pacific. Why would it be an issue though, the FF went to the moon in issue # 13 where they met the Watcher. The artwork in this issue pops and many iconic reprinted panels come from this issue. Silver Surfer # 13I'm okay with misunderstanding fights ( thats's a Marvel thing) but the Torch? Surfer seems to always fight people that are not in his league and we are supposed to be worried. |
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