We're back to the Silver Age of Marvel. A few notes and some housekeeping before we dig into this post's offerings. Some readers on Facebook have asked what I use for my reading order. A big part of the endeavor/project for me is to view some of these things through a historical lens. What is driving some of the themes and how are comics reflecting the world around them? For that reason I try to read things in publishing date order using Mike's Amazing World of Comics website as a reference when things get confusing. If there is an editorial note call-out like what recently happened between Avengers and Tales of Suspense, I'll break the order to keep story events in-line. I've also been asked if I prefer the Silver Age Marvel since that's the majority of the posts. I don't straight up prefer it, but I find the Golden Age material harder to write about because of the nature of the anthologies. In 1941, most issues have 8-9 features, so its easier to me to due themed posts, character spotlights like last week, or weird and forgotten facts (see Golden Age Weirdness posts). In an average week, I'm reading 20 or so current books, 3-5 Silver Age books, and 2-3 Golden Age books. I might experiment with mixing that up, but the Silver Age posts get a big response. One thing that will likely change is that I will read from one publisher at a time for the Golden Age in one month chunks. I'll try to do mix it up, because there are some great things from Quality, Timely, and Fawcett that deserve coverage. The last question I am most frequently asked is why don't I do the DC Silver Age. The honest answer is I don't know where to start it, and there isn't the clear break with DC and Marvel. There are characters that I would like to think belong in Silver Age coverage like Captain Comet and Phantom Stranger but their first issues were being published concurrently with the last issues of JSA All-Star which in my mind is firmly Golden Age. I'm open to suggestions. With the Q&A out of the way , on with the show:
Amazing Spider-Man #21 is a textbook case of the highs and lows that Peter Parker experiences for which most modern writers lack the right nuance. Peter Parker wins and loses (most forget the wins) and the losses aren't all tragedy (which most writers also forget), but he can have a pretty crummy day. Here Peter does one good deed, returning the lost wallet of Dorrie Evans, and triggers a series of events that leaves him feeling unappreciated. This issue features the return of the Beetle, a character I have a lot of affection for. I think he is the upper echelon of villain to come from Strange Tales and Lee and Ditko make good use of him. Johnny is portrayed as his usual dim self, and the Torch/Spider-Man rivalry gets set on its ear. Normally Spider-Man is jealous of the adulation received by the Torch, but here the impetus is Johnny being jealous of the more mature and "normal" Peter Parker which is a nice reversal. There is a little exploration of the perils of a public identity as Dorrie is put in danger by the Beetle learning she is the girlfriend of the very public Johnny Storm. It is within this issue and the Amazing Spider-Man annual that I think the Torch/Spider-Man relationship is cemented. To quote Johnny at the end: "Sometimes I think he's a terrific guy...and other times I want to knock his block off!"
In FF #34, industrialist Thomas Gideon bets he can destroy the FF in one week....and almost succeeds. One of my favorite podcasts is The Fantasticast which is currently covering FF comics from the 70's. They recently covered a set of issues featuring the return of Thomas Gideon and Steve Lacey mentioned that he quite liked Gideon's first appearance but wasn't sure why. There is a lot of good here. The nature of the antagonist was a good change from the cosmic and galactic threats the FF has been facing lately. There are some nice meta moments with Gideon's son being a fan of the FF and an avid follower of there comic. Kirby does some phenomenal work with Reed in this issue. There is a lot of engulfing Ben in unique poses, a shot where he rebounds while being pulled by the police, and another where he becomes human trolley for Sue. He doesn't fully morph like Plastic Man would, he forms wheels from his feet and slightly elongates his arms behind him while she holds, but stays very recognizably human. There is a pathos in seeing Gideon and how he treats his family. In a lot of ways he is a dark reflection of Reed. There are a few weaknesses, Gideon making a 360 at the end doesn't ring true. Yes he almost lost his son, and I can see him repenting from his ways and promising to spend more time with his family, but renouncing ALL wealth?!? The way that Gideon turns the team against each other is mostly well-done except for Johnny. Sue attacks Johnny because a scene has been staged to make Sue believe Johnny is an impostor. Johnny assumes Sue must be under the thrall of the Puppet Master specifically, because she is attacking him. He says it several times and makes a one time event in FF#8 sound like a common occurrence. It would have worked better if Reed and Johnny were on the backfoot from an attacking Sue and Ben, but because they share the Strange Tales feature, Johnny and Ben are the attackers and Johnny's motivation which isn't shown gets restated -- repeatedly.
Work is a little hectic this week, so this may be the only post. Some things to look forward to: I plan on a Secret Wars post, a Darth Vader down post, and a Batman Super-Heavy post when those storylines conclude and I've read them. I've been thinking about doing some posts on some of the current comic TV shows. I'm really digging Flash and Suprgirl so at a minimum, they'll get some coverage.
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