Marvel Monday: Terrorists, Communists, and Carnies

In September of 1962 Fantastic Four became monthly. Added to the monthly titles of Journey into Mystery and Tales to Astonish (both now linked to Superheroes), and the bimonthly Incredible Hulk, Marvel Comics was starting to look like a true superhero lineup. And that started with the return of a familiar face in a new superhero context.

You know he's a superhero this time, because the bad guys are Communists.

Marvel Monday: Heroes At Last!

Despite the fact that the only hero in the Marvel universe thus far has been Bruce Banner, August of 1962 saw two new entries into the ranks. And one of them is a bona fide hero! The other isn't yet, but he will be by the end of his issue and the uttering of the words, "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility."

Why did he ever lose the underarm-netting?

Marvel Monday: Ouch! My Science!

Look, I get it. Science and comic books are like oil and water. Comics are a world where FTL is easily attainable, where radiation may as well be magic, and Nuclear Bombs Are Minor Inconveniences.

But sometimes the suspension of disbelief is snapped so completely that you have to wonder what kind of drugs the writers were on. This being July of 1962, I'm going to guess LSD. Welcome to Marvel Monday.

This is almost entirely unlike the actual cover. There was no disco in 1962.

Marvel Monday: Everybody Loves Namor

In May of 1962 Marvel launched their second title exclusively taking place within the Marvelverse, and brought back a Golden Age hero, forever tying the Marvel universe into the Golden Age continuity.

And one of these comics actually was pretty good! Let's look at that one first.

Hulk smash preconceptions of comic book protagonists!

Marvel Monday: I Was A Teenage Ant-Man

After a difficult, but definitely ground-breaking start, there were no new Marvelverse comics in 1961. But they made up for it in January of 1962 by publishing not one, but two Marvelverse comics... although one would only become part of the Marvelverse retroactively.

I am speaking of Tales to Astonish #27, which introduces fandom's favorite punching bag, Henry Pym. Wait, what's that? Referring to Pym in any way that mentions punching, striking, or hitting is in incredibly poor taste? Okay then.

If I seem to be harping on this for a bit, it is only because, as a non-Marvel reader, Henry's wife-beating was practically all I knew about him before reading this. Oh sure, I'd seen him in some episodes of Saban's Avengers, but he was so bland in that rather bland cartoon that I cannot recall anything about him.

So in many ways, this is my first introduction to the character. And it is an odd one.

Marvel Monday: One Giant Leap for Comics, One Small Step for Art

A possibly slightly altered version of the original cover.

In November of 1961 a comic would be released that would change comics forever.

At least, that is what everyone has said since then. And to be fair, Fantastic Four #1 is a big step out of the golden age and into the modern age of comics. They fight with each other! They don't have secret identities! They fight with each other! They have complex relationships! Did I mention that they fight with each other?

Because these guys get along like Putin and the Ukraine. Hah! Topical humor! By the time I get to current Marvel Comics we can all look back and laugh at how dated that makes this blog.