She-Hulk #7

   OK, I’m generally a sucker for any comic that includes Giant-Man - or Ant-Man, for that matter - and this issue of She-Hulk earns bonus points because it includes both!

   The story has She-Hulk helping in the search for a scientist who has made himself tiny, and (having seen too many viewings of the movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids), he’s lost in a backyard setting.

   And there’s an added complication - if he’s not returned to normal soon, he’ll explode (and I’m sorry, but that bit is entirely stolen from the Silver Age Atom. I’m just sayin’.)

   Since it’s his specialty, Giant-Man is brought in to help with the search - which takes a surprising turn or two and leaves the She-Hulk and her assistance, Hellcat, is big trouble (no pun intended).

   The art by Javier Pulido is very nice, incorporating a fresh style, good character designs and lots of fun with the environment.

   This series has been a bit on the odd side so far, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s unpredictable and fun, and well worth checking out.

Grade: B+

 

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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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Age of Ultron #10 AI

I have to admit, I always get scared when a Marvel comic focuses on Hank Pym / Giant-Man.

That's because, so many times in the past, the character has been treated like absolute crap.

He's been driven mad, he struck his wife (Janet Van Dyne) once and was forever after labeled a wife abuser, he created the artificial intelligence that became the world-destroying Ultron, he's been through numerous costume and name changes - Ant-Man to Giant-Man to Goliath to Yellowjacket to Hank Pym to Yellowjacket again and most recently back to Giant-Man (where he should stay, with any luck).

So I approached this "aftermath to Age of Ultron" issue with some trepidation. I was relieved to see that Mark Waid was writing it - he certainly has respect for the history of the character.

Thankfully, my faith was well placed. This is a comic that intends to set Pym on his future path, and as a long-time fan of the character, I'm delighted to see where they're going. It's also heartwarming to see Giant-Man done properly - fighting the bad guys, helping emergency crews - you know, hero stuff.

But I'll continue to live in fear if the new Avengers A.I. comic (which this issue is obviously setting up) doesn't do well.

Pym has all the potential in the world, but he's also a big target for writers who like to deconstruct classic heroes. I'd appreciate it if they'd keep their grubby paws off his one.

Grade: A-

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