The Classics - Tales of Suspense #79, 80 and Tales to Astonish #82

   Last week we talked about the classic Marvel "split" comics, which offered two separate adventures in a single comic, each running 10 or 12 pages long.

   It made me think about this story, what I believe to be the first-ever story crossover in the Silver Age. 

   One of Marvel's hallmarks from the beginning of its resurgence in the 1960s was the guest star (or guest appearance) - so it wasn't unusual to see Thor fly by Spider-Man, or the X-Men's Angel to appear in an early issue of Iron Man.

   As a reader, it was exciting and it helped cement the "reality" of the growing Marvel universe, and it was a heck of a lot of fun. 

   But those guest appearances were limited to cameos (something Stan Lee has further mastered in his film career, come to think of it). Sometimes it meant a brief team-up - the Human Torch and Daredevil sometimes worked with Spidey, Dr. Strange provided his expertise to the Fantastic Four - that sort of thing.

   But each story stood alone, until this story. It started in Tales of Suspense #79 (printed in 1966), as Iron Man found himself under attack by the Sub-Mariner's foe, Warlord Krang, who had kidnapped the Lady Dorma (Namor's love interest).    

   Iron Man survives the attack and his armor is badly damaged - and then he's confronted by Namor, who's furious that Iron Man interfered in his attempt to rescue Dorma. 

   That led into the next issue - ToS #80, and a battle between the two heroes (continued stories were nothing new by this point). The battle raged through the issue - and then continued into Tales to Astonish #82!

   I may be wrong (and I admit I haven't done exhaustive research here, so feel free to correct me), but I believe that's the first time a story started in one title and continued in another title altogether - something that is way too common today.

   I suspect it wasn't exactly intentional. Gene Colan was drawing both Iron Man and the Sub-Mariner's stories at the time, but he only drew two pages of Astonish. The credits say he came down with the flu, and the rest of the issue was drawn by Jack Kirby! Also, the issue was plotted by Stan Lee and scripted by Roy Thomas, so you get the sense that there was a serious deadline problem that may have forced Marvel to juggle things around.

   For whatever reason, it's a bit of a landmark - and a heck of a fun issue, as Kirby kicks out the stops for a teeth-rattling, earth-shaking battle royal between the two powerhouses. The ending is a bit convenient, but it's a heck of a lot of fun.

   Crossovers are at the other end of the spectrum today as they're used more as a sales took than a storytelling device (or so it seems to me) - but that's an argument for another day.

Grade: A

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The Classics - Tales to Astonish #53

   This week's news included a few features about the upcoming movie Ant-Man (which I'm looking forward to if just because of the director, Edgar Wright), so it seemed like a good time to dig out an old issue of Tales to Astonish for this week's "Classic" review.

   As I've mentioned before, I was a big fan of the original Giant-Man series (by the time I discovered the series, Hank Pym had just changed from Ant-Man to Giant-Man), even though, in retrospect, the stories were just average at best.

   This issue, published in 1964, was a favorite for several reasons. It has a terrific cover by Jack Kirby, the script is by Stan Lee (though not his best work), and it features the Porcupine, a villain I particularly liked, even though he never rose about the "D" list.

   He was (basically) the equivalent of an evil Iron Man, with a mechanized suit loaded with weapons. But when he took the suit off, he was just a dumpy guy with a beard.

   In this issue's lackluster battle, he actually comes close to defeating an injured Giant-Man, but (in a clear indication of how ho-hum this series was), he actually defeats himself (and was rarely seen again after this issue).

   And yet I loved the series! Perhaps it was the warm (if chaste) relationship between Giant-Man and the Wasp, perhaps it was the clear storytelling by artist Dick Ayers, perhaps I just always wanted to be taller.

   Whatever the reason,  I have nothing but fondness of this series, and I have high hopes for the film - hopefully it'll spark that same fondness in the hearts of fans everywhere.

Grade: C+

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The Classics - Tales to Astonish #60

In the history of comics, it's typical for more than one comic book character to appear in an anthology title, but I think Marvel was the first to make extensive use of the "split" comic, where two characters who have little in common share the issue equally.

Part of the reason was because Marvel was limited in how many comics it could get distributed each month. A split comic gave the reader two characters to choose from - if he or she didn't like one character, perhaps they'd like the other.

There were three comics that featured a double-billing: Tales of Suspense hosted Iron Man and Captain America; Strange Tales featured the Human Torch (later replaced by Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD) and Dr. Strange; and Tales to Astonish featured Giant-Man and, starting with this issue in 1964, the Hulk.

Sadly, the stories didn't always live up to the promise. The Giant-Man story in this issue, for example, is mighty weak. An FBI Agent is captured by the Commies, so Giant-Man races to the rescue. Along the way he has to fight a small army of intelligent gorillas - and that's all you need to know. It's not Stan Lee or artist Dick Ayers' finest moment.

The Hulk story is only a little better - thanks in no small part to the classic team of Lee and Steve Ditko. The story focuses on a new invention by Bruce Banner - an indestructible suit of armor that is hijacked by a spy. Can even the Hulk stand against a creature that can't be hurt? But because of the page limitations, the story is just getting going when we get to the "To Be Continued" line.

As a kid, I loved the split books, and they're still a nostalgic treat. But as a grownup, I find I don't care for them as much. Ten pages just doesn't give the story much time to get going, and the books didn't really take off until the continued story became a common storytelling tool.

But even if the stories were shaky, the characters were wonderful - I wish Giant-Man and the Wasp will one day receive the kind of care and storytelling that they deserve.

Grade: C+

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The Classics - Tales to Astonish #70

By 1965 Marvel was really starting to hit on all cylinders, so fans were shocked when drastic changes happened in two of the three "split books" Marvel published.

Tales of Suspense continued to carry the adventures of Iron Man and Captain America, but over at Strange Tales, the Human Torch was booted out and the first half of the comic was handed over to a new concept - Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD. But at least the Torch continued to star in the Fantastic Four.

Tales to Astonish had the most drastic change, as Giant-Man and the Wasp disappeared from the comic (and from The Avengers), and were replaced in "Tales" by Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

It was a shocking development because Namor really wasn't a hero, not unlike the book's other star, the Hulk. In fact, I believe Namor was the first anti-hero to appear in comics.

He often fought the good guys, but he usually had a reason for his behavior - and in his "modern" version, he was portrayed as a regal character, with a code of honor.

It didn't hurt that Namor took over this comic just after his appearance in Daredevil #7, which I consider one of the greatest comics of all time (as mentioned here).

While I was a bit lukewarm to Namor moving into this comic at first, I was quickly won over by the quest storyline that writer and editor Stan Lee kicked off with this issue.

To prove his claim to the throne of Atlantis, Namor must find the Enchanted Trident of King Neptune - a quest that pits him against a number of monsters and menaces, with lots of court intrigue going on around the edges.

The amazing art was provided by some guy named Adam Austin - known better today, of course, as Gene Colan. His (dare I say it?) fluid artwork was a perfect match for the undersea adventures, even when saddled with an inker like Vince Colletta, whose style wasn't a good match at all.

Namor has always been a tricky character to handle - he's a hot-head, he's got a big ego, he tends to punch first and ask questions later - but this series in Tales to Astonish put him on the road to being a full-fledged, regal hero. There have been bumps in the road, but he's one of Marvel's oldest heroes, and he's earned his place in comics history.

In retrospect, it was good to see him finally getting the attention he deserved, even at the expense of a character I really liked - Giant-Man (who eventually returned to the Avengers as Goliath).

None of this is to take away from the back-up feature in the comic, as Lee teamed up with some guy named Jack Kirby for an over-the-top Hulk adventure, as Bruce Banner lies at death's door thanks to a bullet in the brain, and the Leader attacks with a 500-foot-tall indestructible Humanoid. Just another day in the desert.

For the next three years (or so) Namor and the Hulk shared half a comic before they finally graduated into their own titles - but that's a Classic review for another day.

Grade: B+

The Classics - Tales to Astonish #58

While I couldn't tell you where I bought most of my comic books, occasionally issues stick in my mind, usually for the oddest reasons.

Take this issue of Tales to Astonish from August 1964. This one, I remember clear as a bell - and the memory makes me think about what a different world we're living in.

All those years ago (45, to be exact) - at least in the sleepy suburb where I grew up - there was no such thing as stores being opened 24 hours a day, and almost everything was closed on Sunday.

In fact, other than bars, the only store that stayed open until 9 p.m. was the town newsstand. So late one evening, my Dad realized he was out of cigarettes, and he had to rush to get to the newsstand in time.

I volunteered to go along - in those days, there was nothing unusual about a kid buying cigarettes for a parent (though the clerk would occasionally look outside to make sure mom or dad were sitting out in the car).

Of course, I was hoping that I'd be allowed to pick up a comic book at the same time, too. Dad gave me the money for his purchase and told me I could buy a comic. I rushed into the store and the clerk pointed out the just-opened box on the floor - the latest delivery of comics!

It was the first time I could remember seeing a shipment arrive like that, and it was difficult to choose from all those bundles, but finally I settled on the latest adventure of one of my favorite characters, Giant-Man. (I must confess, I don't remember what other titles were in the box, but making that agonizing choice was all part of being a kid with limited change to spend.)

The comic, which I loved at the time, featured the battle with the mysterious Colossus, who appeared on a mountain in Africa. The battle is light-hearted, with a fun script by Stan Lee and solid art by Dick Ayers and Paul Reinman, but it's ultimately pretty silly.

It doesn't hold up well, and it's not much more than a recycled Atlas-era science fiction story - but it's a light bit o' fun.

The backup story features the Wasp taking on "D-list" bad guy The Magician, which is mostly interesting because the story is briefly referenced in the Busiek / Ross Marvels series, as a fashion line is based on the Wasp.

So while it's not the greatest comic ever, it holds fond memories for me, both for the entertainment I got from the comic, and for the times when Dad would let me tag along and enjoy the chance to feel like a big boy at the staggering age of 8.

Grade: B-