Harry's Marvellous Meanderings through the Comic Book World 1 1

[Hibou]

Yeah, good point about the UK sales.

 

I've used that site a lot. I consider the cover date to be your 'birthday book'... it's more fun that way. It's interesting to see what was on the newsstand when you were born, however!

[Harry Lime]

Another 'birthday' book.

 

Fantastic Four #33 December 1964

 

My Copy - Grade 3.5 Qualified & Apparent! Another dodgy ebay buy. Missing Namor pin-up and has top & bottom staple holes but only on the last half of the wraps (past the centrefold if that makes any sense). No idea if it's production related, it has what appears to be the original staples securely attached.

 

 

Cover: 3/5 ~ I believe this is the first use of the photomonatge effect on a cover so it's certainly unique enough however it's not that exciting although the B&W coral certainly makes the colourful characters pop!

 

Art: 4/5 ~ Another wonderful deep-sea montage inside the covers and lots of well-executed action and machinery Kirby style + who doesn't love a giant ugly fish autopsy on their splash page?

 

Story: 2.5/5 ~ Although I like the ambivalence between the FF & Subby and the parallel of Sue's 'interest' in him I didn't find the FF's role of subterfuge in supporting Namor to be either that interesting or particularly plausible. And it certainly took one giant leap of disbelief suspension at the end for Reed's drowning averting stretch to the water's surface.

 

Quote of the Day ~ "Holy Cow! What's that? Last year's winner of the 'Miss Yancy Street' beauty contest?" This was a very hard issue to get a decent quote from so I went for Ben and, ironically, the first line.

 

My assessment ~ It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to. Damn that 60's British kid who cut out Namor so he could gaze longingly at the noble brow, the bulging biceps, thrusting thighs and scaly speedos! All sorts of things wrong with my copy and an upgrade is definitely not beyond my reach.

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime

[Harry Lime]

And the final birthday book.

 

Journey Into Mystery #111 December 1964

 

My Copy - Grade 6.0 This has a third staple about half inch below the top one but I'm 90% certain it's production related.

 

 

Cover: 4/5 ~ This is a nice cover. Bifrost, cosmos, and Balder's sword penetrating the 'warp'. Certainly wins the craved for 'Birthday Cover of the Month' award.

 

Art: 3.5/5 ~ As has been happening recently the Asgardian scenes steal the show but the action on Earth is portrayed dynamically enough this month to earn it that extra grade point as well.

 

Story: 3/5 ~ Fast paced, action packed and dual plotted. This issue has a lot going for it. Definitely the best JIM so far. Although Thor still lacks a certain 'je ne sais quoi' that comes so easily to the FF & Spidey. Perhaps it's because he is a god, and that must make him doubly difficult to write, but there's precious little tension in his tales. He needs more powerful foes than a souped-up Hyde & Cobra tag-team. One part I loved was Loki being apprehended by Thor's friends who knew damn well what he was planning to do with Odin's note to the healer.

 

Quote of the Day ~ "There! How amused the immortals of Asgard would be to see the Thunder God changing wiring like an earthbound electrician!"

 

My assessment ~ This is getting harder & harder to decide upon, fuzziness in my collecting is a theme which will become more apparent later on. I'm definitely going to sell the earlier, craptastic JIM's but this one I think I'll probably keep.

 

SOLD!

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime

[Harry Lime]

Fantastic Four #34 January 1965

 

My Copy - Grade 6.0

 

 

Cover: 2.5/5 ~ I used to find this cover quite intriguing until I read the book, afterwards it's fairly plain. I'm splitting the score here because of that.

 

Art: 3.5/5 ~ Some great fight scenes between Ben & Reed and not bad Invisible Girl/Torch action. Kirby also does good work on the palatial surroundings of Gideon something we have not seen before. Overall though, this # is just slightly down.

 

Story: 2/5 ~ A modern morality play in 20 colourful pages? Yep, this has the distinct feel of an experiment by Lee/Kirby. Very much a product of it's nascent hippy days, indeed the team are ahead of the curve here and I give them credit for attempting such a tale I only wish they could have done it without Gideon hammering home the same corny, megalomaniac message again & again. And the trite ending where his son is very nearly hoist upon his father's petard definitely ups the cheese rating.

 

Quote of the Day ~ "At the rate I'm going, it will take me three more years to drive you all out of business and to take over financial mastery of the entire world! That is too slow! I haven't the patience to wait! I want to own everything--and I want it now!!"

 

My assessment ~ Not a bad looking copy with good PQ, and despite being far from the best FF I've ever read, this is a keeper.

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime

[vaillant]

Huh? I still miss #34 but I seem to recall the story is great (I have #35, but re-read it recently in italian).

What makes you feel that is handled in a "corny" way?

 

Also, cut some credit to #33, if only because it's the first appearance of Attuma.

[Harry Lime]

Huh? I still miss #34 but I seem to recall the story is great (I have #35, but re-read it recently in italian).

What makes you feel that is handled in a "corny" way?

 

For the reasons I stated, those being Gideon's unending, ego ridden rants to all & sundry (he's like the Molecule Man without the molecules but with plenty of loose change) and then a total flip at the end when he fears his son may be lost in time which was really easy to fix, btw. All Reed had to do was switch the power off on the Time Displacer.

 

Also, cut some credit to #33, if only because it's the first appearance of Attuma.

 

No exceptions for first appearances are made. The book is judged on it's own merits.

[vaillant]

Well, but these are realistic (unlike most of today's "entertainment"). You don’t like the prose, maybe?

 

P.S. Poor Attuma…

[Harry Lime]

Yeah, I didn't find it that realistic and Gideon's prose is very hackneyed. I admit that the FF's I have in the late 20's-mid 30's range have been in the doldrums a bit but I know they pick up soon.

 

@Attuma

 

Cheats never prosper!

[Harry Lime]

Amazing Spider-Man #21 February 1965

 

My Copy - Grade 3.0

 

 

Cover: 4/5 ~ A flaming Torch chucking fireballs? An acrobatic Spidey caught mid-pose in a contortion only he can pull off? A purple & green Beetle poised to strike? Lovely stuff!

 

Art: 4/5 ~ Ditko maintains the level of previous offerings, it's very difficult for me to find fault with his work on ASM so far. Here he excels himself with some great close-quarters fight sequences, followed by a great aerial 'battle' and back to indoor action for the final fight. Interspersed as always with some great character work and a great last page where Spidey's introspection is portrayed in a masterful manner.

 

Story: 3.5/5 ~ Not quite up to the 'trilogy' but still plenty of fun. The story moves along at a great pace, is action packed and contains just enough of those special Spidey moments. Although in this case it's probably a Parker moment when he mouthed off to the unflaming Johnny Storm for indirectly making Betty cry.

 

Quote of the Day ~ "I wonder if the world will ever acclaim me as it does others? Or am I always to go through life shunned and loathed! If only I could reveal my secret identity..if I could let people realize who I am..!...but I just don't dare!

 

My assessment ~ For some reason this is an issue that rarely comes to sale in the UK and it took me a long time to get this one. It's good enough for now but I would love a farm fresh imported from the States copy if only to get rid of that ugly Thorpe & Porter stamp.

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime

[Harry Lime]

Now a surprise! My earliest Avengers. I did have 9 & 11 but sold them on the boards here.

 

Avengers #13 February 1965

 

My Copy - Grade 4.0

 

 

 

Cover: 3/5 ~ The Avengers being repulsed by Nefaria's sickly green rays of stickiness pretty much sums up the story. I do like the control panel though, touch of Kirby magic there.

 

Art: 3/5 ~ I liked the work done on the castle & interiors. The rest was average enough but got the job done.

 

Story: 2/5 ~ A faintly ludicrous story involving time stopping light bulbs, 3D projection technology which was invented by the 'Maggia' but not Doom? Unnecessary castle relocation (surely it would have been easier to rent one of Doc Ock's secret hideouts). Super powerful 'fly-paper' and a carelessly abandoned antidote to said fly-paper. Also Nefaria's laughably scared insistence that the authorities don't send him back home because "the Maggia punishes failure" when he is the head of the Maggia. Did he forget that? Is he going to spank himself really hard?

 

 

 

Quote of the Day ~ "I'll admit he's good looking, Jan. But I'll bet that beard would tickle when he kisses a gal!"

 

My assessment ~ Long ago I mentioned that I first got back into collecting comics via the LCBS. They had predominately SA Thor's & BA Avengers so my focus was on these two titles to start with. After a while I found I was buying and enjoying the FF and ASM's more and I realized I couldn't afford to collect everything! Something had to go and in my mind that was the smallish Avengers collection I'd amassed. Sold off a lot of late bronze/copper issues on ebay and I'm still trying to shift these early SA ones. So this and the rest of the Avengers that may be featured are definitely living on borrowed time.

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime

[Harry Lime]

Fantastic Four #35 February 1965

 

My Copy - Grade 5.0

 

 

Cover: 2/5 : ~ I can't really put my finger on why but this cover has never excited me. It put me off buying it for a while just for that, mostly, illogical reason.

 

Art: 3/5: ~ Pretty standard Kirby fare, some great fighting action and I loved the ice/water section near the end (I know I'm weird). It was interesting to see Kirby's take on Peter Parker, a humanised Namor!

 

Story: 3/5 ~ Some nice implicit crossover stuff in this issue. A chance meeting with Prof X and Cyclops (in civvies). Johnny referencing ASM #21 with Parker (yay, it pays to have multiple Marvels). I liked how the story was essentially split into two but remained in the same location. The FF's campus 'action' and then the Dragon Man action inspired by a returning Diablo and his improved potions. Touch of Frankenstein about the story/ending but it was ok. The last three panels (no spoilers) hint at new things to come.

Hopefully this issue sees the end of the fairly average run that Lee/Kirby have been creating and their diabolical plan to lull us into a false sense of mediocrity will be exposed in the future.

 

Quote of the Day ~ "He was built to be stronger than Ben! He can fly and use flame like Johnny- - and he has Diablo's brain behind him! He's more powerful than us, Reed! It'll be the fight of our lives!"

 

My assessment ~ Again the ugly T&P date stamp but all issues sold in the UK at this time carried them, no pence copies. This copy will have to do for the moment. Saving my pennies for the big hitters now.

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime

[notbrook]

Great blog Harry!

 

As a fellow Brit I can relate to those pesky Thorpe & Porter stamps being a constant eyesore on my collection.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed binge-reading through your blog and will look out for more posts.

 

It's quite refreshing that you buy/sell your Marvel's based on the strength of the story and art, amongst the many thousands of collectors who buy/sell based on key characters! I'm currently reading the FF run from the start onwards, annoyingly it's all on the iPad, cheaper but not as immersive. If you need any issues to fill in any blanks I'd be happy to send them over, they are original comic scans.

[Harry Lime]

Great blog Harry!

 

As a fellow Brit I can relate to those pesky Thorpe & Porter stamps being a constant eyesore on my collection.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed binge-reading through your blog and will look out for more posts.

 

It's quite refreshing that you buy/sell your Marvel's based on the strength of the story and art, amongst the many thousands of collectors who buy/sell based on key characters! I'm currently reading the FF run from the start onwards, annoyingly it's all on the iPad, cheaper but not as immersive. If you need any issues to fill in any blanks I'd be happy to send them over, they are original comic scans.

 

Thanks a lot for your comments, man. It's much appreciated.

 

I'll have to decline your offer though. I can only review books that I actually have the 'hard-copy' of. Aside from the early FF's my collection is fairly complete. I think I'm missing about 7 copies from 30-400.

[Harry Lime]

What's this? Four books from the same month?

 

Journey Into Mystery #113 February 1965

 

My Copy - Grade 6.0 I've got plenty of books with poor centring but not a book as badly wrapped as this one. Look at that bottom edge! On a positive note it is bright & very glossy.

 

 

Cover: 2/5 ~ I suppose the blurb would have drawn them in and lovers of microscopes would be thrilled but it's not that interesting and...OMG the Gargoyle is back!....back away from the spinner, kid......slowly back away.

 

Art: 3/5 ~ Some nice Asgard action to start with apparently to placate Kirby and then the rest of the book isn't too shabby either. With a couple of lovely panels of Bifrost (I love that rainbow bridge) and one exceptional one. The stone elevator & car deserve a mention too.

 

Story: 2/5 ~ If this ish had been Asgard free it probably would have scored one but I like the scenes with Odin's temper-tantrum, Loki's scheming and Thor's drinking buddies planning to help their friend. Yes, the Gargoyle is back from the drink? Dredged up from the bottom of the Hudson where he had lain for 6 months. He now apparently has a 'special touch' which can turn someone permanently into stone. Ok, fair enough, he probably needed to be a bit more threatening but any explanation as to his new found power, Stan? Nah, zilch, diddly-squat. He also still wants Thor's power of immortality at least Thor put him straight on that one this time around. So the Gargoyle repeats his actions of #107 and goes after Blake as that's when he met Thor before. And because Odin has stripped Thor of his powers the resulting action is reminiscent of the previous encounter as well, Blake running away from the big stone cheese. GG even says the same things "There is no place you can flee where I cannot follow" Erm, the Hudson river? Final absurdity, after Thor's powers have been restored; Thor uses the electricity from a traffic light to fuse the Gargoyle's stone molecules together. Did he forget that he could summon lightning?

 

Quote of the Day ~ "Only the strong dare to be gentle, my Lord! And only the wise can be as forgiving as Odin!"

 

My assessment ~ What is it with the Grey Gargoyle? Why do Stan & Jack lose their ability to tell a coherent and at least a somewhat believable tale? Just when I thought the JIM's were getting better, but it's another one for the sale pile.

 

SOLD!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime

[Harry Lime]

Amazing Spider-Man #22 March 1965

 

My Copy - Grade 3.0

 

 

Cover: 2.5/5 ~ Quite a difficult one to decide upon. The absence of our hero, 'cept for the ol' Spidey signal, is certainly intriguing but would a circus act be enough to make me part with the shekels back in '65?

 

Art: 4/5 ~ Some more quality work from Ditko here. He always keeps things interesting. Special marks for another close-quarter fight sequence, the Python scene and the last panel of Aunt May's house/neighbourhood (did I mention the part where I was weird?).

 

Story: 3/5 ~ Definitely the weakest ASM so far and probably a bit of a filler episode. The Masters of Menace are no real threat to Spidey, his chivalry is though as he refuses to grapple with a woman (Princess Python). How times have changed! Despite the weakness of his opponents though, Lee/Ditko still manage to tell an enjoyable tale without the use of contrivance or absurdity.

 

Quote of the Day ~ "How about that!! I'll bet it's the first time a spider ever tied a python into a knot!! What a dandy paper-weight he'd make!"

 

My assessment ~ Happily keep this but would like a small upgrade if only to improve the PQ which is quite tanned although not brittle.....yet!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime

[Harry Lime]

Avengers #14 March 1965

 

My Copy - Grade 5.5

 

 

Cover: 2.5/5 ~ I like the city & the ice. I don't like Giant-Man's awkward placement, the purple dudes and the general busyness of the scene.

 

Art: 3.5/5 ~ Some panels were unintentionally funny; the splash page (Giant-Man doing an uncanny Ministry of Silly Walks impersonation). Iron Man standing on one leg twirling aliens on the end of his repulsors. But there is some great work on the alien city and the galactic war and the Avengers' ship was pretty cool as well. Although am I the only person to think that they would have to make their way back to the Arctic to retrieve it?

 

Story: 2.5/5 ~ Better than #13 if only because it contained less absurdities. Yep, in the mighty world of Marvel I don't count a race of aliens living undetected in the polar regions as inherently absurd. There was a little bit of tension over the 48 hours the Wasp had to live and hence the time frame the Avengers had to find the only man on Earth to save her. It certainly wasn't gripping though. In the end the Watcher turns up (yay) and sledgehammers home the irony that if Jan hadn't been shot (chain of events ensued etc) then the Earth would have been blown up. Oh well, that's good then.

 

Quote of the Day ~ "He is here! No!..He is over there! He is everywhere! He hops about like a mechanical man!"

 

My assessment ~ Nowhere near enough in this to make me change my mind about selling this.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

SOLD!

Edited October 20, 2016 by Harry Lime

[Rockblazer]

I've been reading Thor for a long time and The early Journey into Mystery stories are somewhat weak until Issue 112 on. I feel Lee and Kirby started to hit their stride about that time and they had a golden run for the most part until Jack left the series sixty some issues later.

My favorite storylines are from these issues even more than Walt Simonson's run years later.

So if you continue your Journey and Thor reviews I expect you will see more four and five out of five's in the coming issues.

[Harry Lime]

I've been reading Thor for a long time and The early Journey into Mystery stories are somewhat weak until Issue 112 on. I feel Lee and Kirby started to hit their stride about that time and they had a golden run for the most part until Jack left the series sixty some issues later.

My favorite storylines are from these issues even more than Walt Simonson's run years later.

So if you continue your Journey and Thor reviews I expect you will see more four and five out of five's in the coming issues.

 

I've read quite a few of the SA Thors so I know the standard does improve. I'm hoping for a consistent improvement from the dozen or so JIMs left to review.

 

 

[Harry Lime]

Fantastic Four #36 March 1965

 

My Copy - Grade 4.5 Bought this at the same as the FF#30 from the same dealer. This too has a CC sticker on the back giving a 4.5 grade. Spot on in this case and thankfully it's also complete.

 

 

Cover: 4/5 ~ It's a great cover & grabs your attention with the imminent and apparently unseen arrival of the evil Frightful Four. Ben being shackled already, heightens the sense of danger. Artistically it's way above average as well, with the detailed city-scape below, the unusual viewpoint and all the protagonists in plain sight, well crafted & placed. I'm willing to forgive Medusa's hair apparently hanging from the sky.

 

Art: 3.5/5 ~ On the whole some good work done. I particularly liked the juxtaposition of the two panels on page 8. The evil FF above and a whole boat load of super-heroes below. The anti-grav trip into the stratosphere was also very well done. On the negative side it looks like Jack rushed some faces in the smaller panels and Sue on page 13, despite a new hair-do, looks plain ugly.

 

Story: 4/5 ~ The FF definitely meet their match in this issue although they were ambushed but in their own headquarters? Time to invest in a burglar alarm, Reed. The love interest hinted at in the previous issue comes to fruition and Reed & Sue's engagement is announced to the world. Ahhh, what could go wrong? How about some anti-grav discs, metamorphic sand, some decidedly strong PVA & flaming hair of uncanniness! Yep, the evil FF have the FF, albeit minus the Torch, in one hell of a spot and it's up to Alicia to save the day by firing off one of the FF's signal flares. On the subject of Ben's g/f how mad was I that the Wizard sent her off to die a cold and breathless death in the high atmosphere? Very mad!! What a ! Thankfully Johnny came to the rescue but I was really hoping the Thing would land a haymaker on the Wizard for such a despicable act. Also Sue should get special credit for using her powers a lot more than in previous issues. Along with her new hair-do it's looking like Women's Lib is finally hitting the 60's!

 

Quote of the Day ~ "Imagine us beating the invincible Fantastic Four! I can't get over it! We did what nobody else could ever do! Not the Sub-Mariner! Not Doctor Doom, or the Hulk! Nobody except - - the Frightful Four!"

 

My assessment ~ I was quite surprised to pick this copy up for as little as I did. I don't think I'll have the same luck with an upgrade so this is a keeper.

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime

[Harry Lime]

Next up is Claudio's favourite book.

 

Journey Into Mystery #114 March 1965

 

My Copy - Grade 5.0

 

 

Cover: 3.5/5 ~ A battle cover! Probably too much blurbing going on to lift it higher but the clash of the protagonists is dynamically drawn. You can almost hear the sound of hammer against ball and chain.

 

Art: 4/5 ~ Some great action sequences by Jack with plenty of exploding debris, fighting, whirling and a special mention for Loki's new outfit and his demonic looking face on page 4.

 

Story: 3/5 ~ Erm, it's not that bad. Sure the origin is a bit weak (Loki's magic hand drops a magic potion into Creel's drink) but Creel himself is a perfect match for such an awesome power, unlike certain French chemists I could mention. Another weak point in the story is the journalist who first tells Blake of the escaped convict and where he happens to be and then later said journalist happens to be carrying some dynamite?!? Ok, the first part I'm willing to let go for the sake of advancing the plot but the second....ridiculous! Thor however finally meets a mortal who is not a pushover (thanks Stan/Jack for listening), indeed the impasse looked like it was never going to be broken, at least by brute strength alone. However we do not find out how the situation is resolved because Thor is whisked off at the end by his Asgard buddies to save Jane Foster (kidnapped again) from Loki.

 

Quote of the Day ~ "That means I beat 'im! I'm the first guy in the world ever to make Thor run for cover like a whipped dog! And, if I can beat him...now I know I can beat anyone!" Seems to be the month for Marvel's heroes to get their butts kicked!

 

My assessment ~ As with a lot of the JIM's this issue was a surprise. Unlike a lot of them however it was a pleasant one. I faced this issue with some trepidation having been warned how bad it was but I found it to be much more like the later SA issues. Perhaps it was the fact that Thor faced a real threat for once so no contrivances or absurdities were needed. Although I admit there were a couple still included. Probable keeper.

 

SOLD!

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Harry Lime