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

[AJD]

Nice review harry. Those early DD books really aren't very good. There's a reason he was a B-list character in Marvel books until Frank Miller came along.

 

While I understand the Spoon Van Dyck accent thing, after the Australian accent of Tegan in Dr Who, no Brit is ever allowed to complain about the way English accents are presented.

[Harry Lime]

Nice review harry. Those early DD books really aren't very good. There's a reason he was a B-list character in Marvel books until Frank Miller came along.

 

While I understand the Spoon Van Dyck accent thing, after the Australian accent of Tegan in Dr Who, no Brit is ever allowed to complain about the way English accents are presented.

 

Fair point about the accents but I do like complaining

 

The actress that played Tegan lives in the same area as me but I thought she was Australian? Are you saying the BBC dumbed the accent down to make it acceptable to us Pommies?

Edited January 25, 2017 by Harry Lime

[AJD]

Yes, Janet Fielding is Australian. But she naturally speaks like

.

 

You'd think that would be Australian enough for anyone, but no... I imagine the dialogue on the set went like this:

 

Director: Cut! Janet, love, can you be more Australian?

 

JF: I am Australian, so I doubt it.

 

Dir: no, I mean sound more Australian

 

JF (sarcastically): Strewth! Stone the flamin' crows mate, get off ya high horse.

 

Dir: perfect!

 

We now return from this antipodean interlude to your regularly scheduled meander through the comic book world.

 

 

[Harry Lime]

You're right, AJD, there's a big difference. Oh well, that's one less thing for me to get grumpy about

 

 

In the preview to ASM #33 I mentioned there were two books that I considered my 'grails' when staring collecting. Well, here's the second one although I probably share that with a lot of folk.

 

 

Fantastic Four #48 March 1966

 

My Copy - Grade 3.0

 

 

Cover: 4/5 ~ Really tough one to view objectively as it's such an iconic story. How would I feel seeing it for the first time? Well, on the plus side there's the apprehensive crowd (and look at 'em, they're even cramming the roof-tops) staring upwards. This is strongly reminiscent of classic 50's sci-fi films. The FF look even more afraid, perhaps they have a better view being at the front. And the simple but effective blurb adds to the portentous atmosphere. On the negative side there's a giant fat, bald guy in a toga and wearing lilac slippers. Hmm, hard one to call and I went with iconic. As I said objectivity was really hard in this one.

 

Art: 4.5/5 ~ So much to admire from Kirby in this month's offering. We start with some typical Kirby machinery and the creation of the Negative Zone around the Great Refuge, not forgetting Black Bolt back-handing his mad brother (very satisfying). Then things get trippy as the we head out into the endless reaches of space to get our first glimpse of the Silver Surfer. Back on Earth the weirdness is ramped up a notch by two suns and then a flaming sky. The panicking mob was excellently done. More awesome cosmic panels with the Surfer follow and then the flames are replaced by orbiting space debris. As an aside from all the galactic stuff going on I thought Kirby did a great job with Sue this month really capturing her annoyance with Reed. Finally, we learn what's been causing all the weirdness as it's revealed that the Watcher (with a very nifty looking Matter Mobilizer) is trying to shield the Earth from the prying senses of the Surfer. It's too no avail though and we just have time for one more fantastic full page photo-montage of Galactus' sampling ships before we meet the big guy in the final panel. Funnily he didn't seem as big as I remembered him but hey, at least he isn't a cloud!

 

Story: 4.5/5 ~ The story starts at the end.....of the Inhumans arc. Mad Max has triggered his Atmo Gun setting up some nasty vibrations but utterly failing to kill off mankind because, apparently, the Inhumans are just like us but with powers. Erm, but wouldn't that have meant that humans & Inhumans would have been equally obliterated? Time to go back to the drawing board, Maximus. However the Atmo Gun is very effective at setting up an impenetrable barrier around the Great Refuge when slipped into reverse gear which the FF only just manage to escape by the slimmest of margins and Sue's force field. That part over and done with they head back home and all the aforementioned strangeness starts. I won't dwell on the plot because virtually everybody will know it but one part I really liked was Ben knocking out some random street thug with a flick of his finger, I don't know it it was intentional but it seemed like foreshadowing for the Earth's coming extinction by Galactus in just as dismissive a manner. The foreboding and mystery in the story, is supplemented by the Watcher (always such a cool character) and his dire but somewhat vague warnings about the big, giant G.

 

Quote of the Day ~ "My journey is ended! This planet shall sustain me until it has been drained of all elemental life! So Speaks Galactus!"

 

My assessment ~ So far, the book that contains the most quintessential sci-fi elements that the Fantastic Four are renowned for. We're not messing with egotistical, megalomaniacs any more. This time it's serious!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Edited August 13, 2017 by Harry Lime

[AJD]

Nice write-up Harry. I really like this story arc (more than the ASM one you did earlier, truth be told). I was surprised when I first read it to find that this "three issue arc" is actually two issues long, just spread over three. The first part of #48 and the second half of #50 are different stories.

 

As for the cover, I showed the three to my wfe. She thought #49 is great, #50 is cool and #48 has a giant guy wearing a nappy* on the cover...! So, yeah, iconic aspects aside, maybe it's not that great. I agree with her about #49 - probably my favourite FF cover.

 

 

*diaper to our Commonwealth-challenged readers.

[Harry Lime]

Nice write-up Harry. I really like this story arc (more than the ASM one you did earlier, truth be told). I was surprised when I first read it to find that this "three issue arc" is actually two issues long, just spread over three. The first part of #48 and the second half of #50 are different stories.

 

As for the cover, I showed the three to my wfe. She thought #49 is great, #50 is cool and #48 has a giant guy wearing a nappy* on the cover...! So, yeah, iconic aspects aside, maybe it's not that great. I agree with her about #49 - probably my favourite FF cover.

 

 

*diaper to our Commonwealth-challenged readers.

 

Your wife would have the perfect objective viewpoint, I should have consulted her before delivering the scores. And I agree with the overall assessment of the covers, unfortunately I don't have #49. It's one of those books that just seems to elude my grasp every time I see one.

[Harry Lime]

Sorry if anyone is actually missing these reviews. Circumstances have played their part in their absence. Firstly I was awaiting a consignment of earlier books (pre-66) and then we had the board change over. I also had to attend to some sad family business, my father died. I do intend to start the journal up again soon as I'll have some nice early FF's amongst others to cover although I'm really hoping we can keep posting here and not be forced to use the 'new' journals and it's horrible bloggy format.

Thanks for reading.

Edited May 7, 2017 by Harry Lime

[Tony D]

I'm very sorry about the passing of your father. 

[Harry Lime]

Thanks, Tony.

[AJD]

Welcome back Harry - I'm looking forward to more silver age goodness. I'm sorry your absence was for such a sad reason.

[Harry Lime]

On 09/05/2017 at 1:56 AM, AJD said:

Welcome back Harry - I'm looking forward to more silver age goodness. I'm sorry your absence was for such a sad reason.

Thanks, Andrew.

Ok, let's see if I can remember how to do this. When I left off we were in early '66, there's quite a few books I've got now which precede that date so I'm going to have find some sort of time travelling device to cover them. I was going to ask Doom if I could use his machine but with so many journeys I'm afraid I would end up a lackey of Latveria. Best if I ask someone based closer to me and with a device better suited to haphazard trips. 

Ahh, the crotchety reply was in the affirmative so it's off we go. 

Fantastic Four #11 Feb 1963

My Copy - Grade 3.5

Cover: 2/5 ~ Split panel so not going to one of my favourites, Kirby's early occasional struggles with drawing Sue are highlighted and then there's the lack of action as well. However it's intriguing as we are left pondering why the FF seem in such a fright over a weedly looking, eraser-headed, green alien. Coincidentally, very similar sky to the one used on the last book reviewed, #48.

The issue is split into two stories so I'll do them separately.

A Visit with the Fantastic Four

Art: 2/5 ~ Really not a lot to get excited about, the splash page is nice as we see 1962 Manhattaneers (?) queuing up to buy the latest FF and I'm sure the few panels of the kids playing at FF must have inspired some to come up with their own designs (cosplay in it's infancy). But the rest is very minimalist in keeping with the story.

Story: 2.5/5 ~ So there's no action aside from a hilarious Yancy Street prank and a very strange fourth wall breaking format which wasn't too jarring except for the bits about Sue where it got preachy. Short back story about Ben & Reed's relationship prior to their superpowers and the origin story retold. Nothing exciting or even slightly portentous but still interesting and experimental.

Quote of the Day ~ "Blankety blank fans, and comic magazine heroes, and letters to the editor pages! Ohhh, my achin' back!"

 

The Impossible Man

Art: 4/5 ~ Kirby has his creative juice on full flow with this story. He can draw anything he wants when it comes to the Impossible Man and doesn't let us down here. Taking nearly every opportunity and panel to change the 'skinny runt' into something new and unexpected.

Story: 3.5/5 ~ It's certainly an experimental month in FF land as this highly off-beat story demonstrates. The Impossible Man isn't evil or even bad, he's just like a kid wanting fun all the time (very reminiscent of #24 in that regard but this came first, so....) but that makes him quite dangerous to the staid Earth authorities and immensely frustrating for the FF who have no answer to his instantaneous Poppupian evolutionary processes which enable him to evade any kind of attack except one...boredom. Yay! Reed Richards, being quite an expert in the matter, correctly deduces that ignoring the Impossible Man will cause him to leave the Earth and seek more entertaining worlds. It works and we can now look forward to more deadly and destructive pursuits from the FF's adversaries in the future.

Quote of the Day ~ "Name? We Poppupians have no names! We know who we are! And now, good day!"

My assessment ~ A book I can remember very well from childhood, probably because of it's highly experimental nature, and a book I've wanted for a while although not as much as the next offering. You wouldn't want to read too many like it but once in a while a story like this is a little gem.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

[Harry Lime]

Fantastic Four #13 April 1963

My Copy - Grade 3.5

 

Cover: 4/5 ~ How great must this have been in '63 when man hadn't even made it out of orbit and the FF are strolling around with nary a spacesuit as well! Despite all the blurbing I still consider this a semi-classic cover and an absolute must buy, although I wish my copy had a bluer 'atmosphere' left. It leaks away, you know.

Art: 3.5/5 ~ Interesting to see Ditko named as inker, don't think I've seen him on a FF before. This is a very spacey themed issue and only the first few pages are set on Earth before we have a Race into Space. I found the Red Ghost's transformation sequence and the Human Torch's extra-vehicular sojourn to be especially well done here but it's the blue area of the Moon, in particular the dead city & Watcher's house that must take most of the plaudits although disappointingly there wasn't quite enough panels to satisfy my voracious curiosity. The early Thing is as smoochy as ever, the Red Ghost suitably megalomaniacal and the Watcher in his first appearance has the decency to not expose his legs quite so much but his head seems way larger than 'normal'.

Story: 4/5 ~ A cracking pace to the story which hardly lets up as we witness the aforementioned race to the Moon. The Red Ghost and his 3 super-apes' cosmic ray induced transformation. The introduction of the Watcher and a short back-story. His decree that the potenial warring on the Moon between the Earth's greatest nations be settled mano a mano and the culmination of the conflict all fly by. The only parts which jarred a bit was the political undercurrents surrounding the Communist adversary but it being 1963 and approaching the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis it was completely understandable and I certainly didn't mark it down because of it.

Quote of the Day ~ "It's beyond human understanding! It's too alien - - too different! I - I don't even know what I'm looking at!"

My assessment ~ Two early FF's have always grabbed me since I first read 'em. FF #4 and this. It's taken a while to get one, I bought one on e-bay that had to be returned (pieces falling off as I opened the bag for the first time). I almost bought a lower grade than this one found by a fellow boardie but held off because a chunk of the cover was missing but finally I have one! Now for some serious saving and maybe in a couple of years I can land a #4 as well.

Thanks for reading!

[Duffman_Comics]

On 15/05/2017 at 1:58 AM, Harry Lime said:

Thanks, Andrew.

Ok, let's see if I can remember how to do this. When I left off we were in early '66, there's quite a few books I've got now which precede that date so I'm going to have find some sort of time travelling device to cover them. I was going to ask Doom if I could use his machine but with so many journeys I'm afraid I would end up a lackey of Latveria. Best if I ask someone based closer to me and with a device better suited to haphazard trips. 

Ahh, the crotchety reply was in the affirmative so it's off we go. 

Fantastic Four #11 Feb 1963

My Copy - Grade 3.5

Cover: 2/5 ~ Split panel so not going to one of my favourites, Kirby's early occasional struggles with drawing Sue are highlighted and then there's the lack of action as well. However it's intriguing as we are left pondering why the FF seem in such a fright over a weedly looking, eraser-headed, green alien. Coincidentally, very similar sky to the one used on the last book reviewed, #48.

The issue is split into two stories so I'll do them separately.

A Visit with the Fantastic Four

Art: 2/5 ~ Really not a lot to get excited about, the splash page is nice as we see 1962 Manhattaneers (?) queuing up to buy the latest FF and I'm sure the few panels of the kids playing at FF must have inspired some to come up with their own designs (cosplay in it's infancy). But the rest is very minimalist in keeping with the story.

Story: 2.5/5 ~ So there's no action aside from a hilarious Yancy Street prank and a very strange fourth wall breaking format which wasn't too jarring except for the bits about Sue where it got preachy. Short back story about Ben & Reed's relationship prior to their superpowers and the origin story retold. Nothing exciting or even slightly portentous but still interesting and experimental.

Quote of the Day ~ "Blankety blank fans, and comic magazine heroes, and letters to the editor pages! Ohhh, my achin' back!"

 

The Impossible Man

Art: 4/5 ~ Kirby has his creative juice on full flow with this story. He can draw anything he wants when it comes to the Impossible Man and doesn't let us down here. Taking nearly every opportunity and panel to change the 'skinny runt' into something new and unexpected.

Story: 3.5/5 ~ It's certainly an experimental month in FF land as this highly off-beat story demonstrates. The Impossible Man isn't evil or even bad, he's just like a kid wanting fun all the time (very reminiscent of #24 in that regard but this came first, so....) but that makes him quite dangerous to the staid Earth authorities and immensely frustrating for the FF who have no answer to his instantaneous Poppupian evolutionary processes which enable him to evade any kind of attack except one...boredom. Yay! Reed Richards, being quite an expert in the matter, correctly deduces that ignoring the Impossible Man will cause him to leave the Earth and seek more entertaining worlds. It works and we can now look forward to more deadly and destructive pursuits from the FF's adversaries in the future.

Quote of the Day ~ "Name? We Poppupians have no names! We know who we are! And now, good day!"

My assessment ~ A book I can remember very well from childhood, probably because of it's highly experimental nature, and a book I've wanted for a while although not as much as the next offering. You wouldn't want to read too many like it but once in a while a story like this is a little gem.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

"A Visit with the Fantastic Four". I like this as it is one of the classic comics (pioneered by Marvel) that breaks the "fourth wall". It makes me believe the FF are "grounded" in a somewhat "realer" world than their DC cousins.

"Impossible Man"? Always thought that this was Marvel's Mxyzptlk (can't believe I can spell that without looking it up ) and Batmite. I did like that Byrne explored how powerful this character could be.

 

 

[AJD]

11 hours ago, Duffman_Comics said:

 

"Impossible Man"? Always thought that this was Marvel's Mxyzptlk (can't believe I can spell that without looking it up ) and Batmite. 

 

 

I'll bet you can't spell it backwards.  

Other than #1, I don't think I've read any FF before the Galactus trilogy. Thank you for reading them for me Harry!

[Harry Lime]

On 20/05/2017 at 0:01 AM, AJD said:

I'll bet you can't spell it backwards.  

Other than #1, I don't think I've read any FF before the Galactus trilogy. Thank you for reading them for me Harry!

My pleasure, man.

Fantastic Four #15 June 1963

My Copy - Grade 1.5 (Continuing in the tradition of my abdominally low-grade early FF's.)

 

Cover: 2.5/5 ~ I like the way the ruptured wall has been incorporated into the design so we avoid the split panel look but there's far too many speech bubbles floating around detracting from the art and shouldn't the 'Awesome Android' be showing more an interest considering how close it is to the FF?

Art: 2.5/5 ~ A dialogue heavy tale that necessitated a lot of small panels but Kirby does a good job at keeping them surprisingly detailed for the main part. The stand-out moments for me were the crystalline Baxter Building and the trippy effects of Reed's home brewed gas cannisters. The Thing is still 'smoochy' in places but seems to be evolving now into the iconic look of later issues.

Story: 3/5 ~ I tend to like the more complicated stories and the Thinker is nothing but a very elaborate planner. Sure, there were a few absurdities in the plot but I'm a tad more forgiving with these earlier tales. And for a story which was light on action and heavy on emotional motives it was quite enjoyable. The first couple of pages had a strong déjà vu of #1 about it. Then the FF find reasons to all go their separate ways whilst we're introduced to the Mad Thinker and his schemes for city-wide domination. As FF megalomaniacs go he wasn't annoying (my usual gripe with them) and you have to admire the efficiency of his time-keeping. Eventually, of course, the FF decide that the single life is maybe not as good as they thought it would be and return home to foil the Thinker's best laid plans with the unwitting help of not a mouse but the returning and most unlikely of heroes, 'ol Lumpkin the postman (previously seen #11). 

Quote of the Day ~ "I can't even poke a hole thru it! A thing like that can give a guy a complex!"

My assessment ~ Nothing spectacular or gripping but an enjoyable enough tale. The main interest, for me, was seeing the FF in isolation as they go through their humdrum business and tried to follow their individual 'dreams'.

Thanks for reading!

[Harry Lime]

Next up a book that's as hot off the presses as any 53 1/2 year old book can be. Bought on ebay a week ago, delivered Friday, read yesterday.

Fantastic Four Annual #1 September 1963

My Copy - Grade 2.0  My first and only multi-coloured logo Marvel annual.

 

Cover: 2/5 ~ Can't go any higher than this for what is a fairly bland looking piece with a split panel and far too much blurbing. I love the logo though! It's almost certainly a Kirby drawn Spidey gracing the cover as he's credited for the artwork in the retelling of the FF meet Spidey story (from ASM #1) covered in this annual, Ditko is the inker. I'm not reviewing that story here or the reprinted FF origin story but I will say in respect of the other printed features, that the rogues gallery pin-ups were both numerous and very well done. The Baxter Building schematic (save for future reference!) a joy for the nerd in me and the Q&A about the FF section was both funny and very much a product of it's time (unstable molecules, Sue's hobbies; cooking, cosmetics, reading romance novels).

Art: 4/5 ~ Wonderful splash page followed by a double page spread of Namor's coronation. He has finally found his Atlantean peoples and Kirby pulls out all the stops to showcase his wonderful inventive talent for drawing the aquatic realm and all it's denizens. But this time Namor's legions are not limited to beneath the waves as they invade all of the human cities (presumably just the coastal ones) although we only see the New York invasion. Some of the craft we see here are fantastic, following piscine forms but with an added dollop of Kirby's sci-fi wizardry.

Story: 3/5 ~ For such a long tale, 'the longest uninterrupted super-epic of it's kind ever published!!' according to the blurb on the splash page, it sped along at quite a rate and was never dull. There were moments of highly dubious pseudo-science as is common with these early FF's but I kinda love 'em. The origin of Namor's race ( Mermanus) is explained. We get to read the origin of the Sub-Mariner as his Atlantean mum and polar explorer father meet & wed (Namor is a dead ringer for his dad). Namor's brief annexation of mankind is halted by one of Reed's thoroughly brilliant and incredibly quickly assembled machines (really Namor, you didn't think to deal with the FF first?). Then follows a rather awkward final battle between the FF (minus Sue; yep she got herself kidnapped again) and the Sub-Mariner on the cramped hull of the FF's sinking 'U-Car'. Frustratingly, the Thing & Namor never really get to blows with each other as the Atlantean Prince seems to prefer manipulating Reed's body into unusual configurations. The battle is ended by the sight of a drowning Sue which causes Namor to whisk her off to hospital at top speed. Unfortunately this act of altruism costs Namor his kingdom as both the aristocratic Lady Dorma and the Warlord Krang feel betrayed by their prince helping the enemy in such a manner.

Quote of the Day ~ Such a lengthy story deserves two quotes. One about Namor and one by Namor.

"How regal he looks! Even in those simple swimming trunks, he seems every inch a prince - - a man who was born to rule!"

"Am I to be a king without a kingdom - - a man without a home? More than a sea creature - - yet, less than human! Is there never to be a place for me - - on the surface, or in the sea?"

My assessment ~ Very happy to have this, even such a low grade version. A great big slice of that early FF magic. Yummy!

Thanks for reading!   

 

 

[AJD]

Great stuff Harry. I've never read that story, but now I know the backstory to a scene in Marvels where Namor and his forces invade NY. (If you haven't read Marvels, you should. I think you'd love the many references to classic Marvel scenes.)

[Harry Lime]

13 hours ago, AJD said:

Great stuff Harry. I've never read that story, but now I know the backstory to a scene in Marvels where Namor and his forces invade NY. (If you haven't read Marvels, you should. I think you'd love the many references to classic Marvel scenes.)

Thanks, Andrew. I had never heard of Marvels and after a brief investigation I'll be sure to try and snag it now.

[Duffman_Comics]

I'll echo AJD's recommendation - "Marvels" is a particularly rewarding read if one is familiar with the Marvel Universe from Fantastic Four #1 through to the beginning of the Bronze Age. Terrific Alex Ross art, too.

As to early silver age Marvel annuals, I like to think of them as the prototype for later "event" mini series/title arcs.  FF Annual #3, the wedding of Reed and Sue was a milestone that changed the MU - then years down the track, Secret Wars performs a similar function - albeit with a lot more sizzle than steak.

[Harry Lime]

On 06/06/2017 at 1:46 PM, Duffman_Comics said:

I'll echo AJD's recommendation - "Marvels" is a particularly rewarding read if one is familiar with the Marvel Universe from Fantastic Four #1 through to the beginning of the Bronze Age. Terrific Alex Ross art, too.

As to early silver age Marvel annuals, I like to think of them as the prototype for later "event" mini series/title arcs.  FF Annual #3, the wedding of Reed and Sue was a milestone that changed the MU - then years down the track, Secret Wars performs a similar function - albeit with a lot more sizzle than steak.

Yes, I've seen a few Marvels on ebayUK but they seemed a bit overpriced. Perhaps when my funds allow for the purchase of a 'luxury' item I'll snag 'em. I haven't got FF Annual 3 but I have got the story of Reed & Sue's wedding reprinted in a later FF annual, you've made me want to get it out and read it now.

Next up is my earliest ASM and the only single digit one I own. A Christmas present, indirectly, from my wonderful girl who told me to buy some some books I wouldn't normally splash the big bucks on and for me anything in triple figures is big bucks....I know, I'm such a tight wad.

Amazing Spider-Man #8 January 1964

My Copy - Grade 5.5

 

Cover: 3.5/5 ~ Normally I wouldn't go so high for a multi-panelled cover but Spidey's pose is so iconic, the yellow so eye-catchingly vibrant and the blurbing so well incorporated into the Torch's flaming trail that it deserved a higher score than normal. I won't be reviewing the 'added attraction' as it's basically Spidey & the Torch throwing one-liners at each other whilst throwing flamin' buzz-saws and webbing. A piece of fluff, presumably thrown in because the main story is only 17 pages as opposed to the normal 20. It is drawn by Kirby however and inked by Ditko which is of some interest.

Art: 3.5/5 ~ I mentioned earlier in this journal, ASM #25, that Ditko seems to struggle with robots (as far as I've seen) and the same weakness is apparent here. The Living Brain is a box with rather spindly legs (must be one helluva gyroscope keeping it balanced) and large unwieldy arms, why would it need arms anyway? Lots of disbelief suspension required for this story. Ditko does a great job with the human participants in the story though and the Parker/Thompson boxing match is wonderful. Misgivings about the robot aside the following almost epic fight between Spidey & the Brain is very well done, setting it in the claustrophobic school corridors really suited Ditko's penchant for close-quarter action.

Story: 3/5 ~ Certainly not a dull tale and it excels in one aspect of Spidey's life that was unique to him at this time, namely his high-school career. It does lack any wider impact though for being almost exclusively set in one location, Midtown High, and for featuring an antagonist who has accidentally been set on a rampage by the flicking of a wrong button or two, did I mention the large dollops of disbelief suspension? So after Parker dispatches Flash with a flick of the wrist, even this falls prey to Peter's normal bad luck as he's accused of striking when Flash's head is turned. Spidey has to deal with the Living Brain running amok in the classrooms and corridors of the school. This takes much longer than one would anticipate leading to a lengthy struggle but Spider-Man eventually reaches the controls and deactivates the machine. For once there's a happy ending as Peter manages to turn the tables on Flash by adding two and two to make five and accusing him of being Spider-Man in front of a believing crowd of teenagers.

Quote of the Day ~ In commemoration of the last appearance of Parker's glasses and the fact I really struggled to get a decent quote from this story.

"I've had it! I'm through pretending to be a pantywaist to conceal my real identity! I don't need those specs anyway!"

My assessment ~ Almost certainly the most 'fillerish' of the very early Spideys but still an enjoyable enough read and it made me very happy last Christmas and, hopefully, for many more to come.

Thanks for reading!

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by Harry Lime