tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post1521873226785631654..comments2024-03-19T10:41:35.976-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: Thing 1 and Thing 2: Fantastic Four #161Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-31635123167043981422011-08-08T22:34:28.571-05:002011-08-08T22:34:28.571-05:00Just for clarification, those '70s Human Torch...Just for clarification, those '70s Human Torch stories combined reprints from Johnny Storm's solo series from Strange Tales in the early 60s with reprints from the original Human Torch (Jim Hammond) stories from the '40s! I thought it only lasted 8 issues, all of which I collected at the time. Yeah, the stories weren't all that great, but they were a bit of absurdist fun (but not nearly as good as some Steve Gerber absurdities). I think in one tale the more antique Torch flew to Saturn or some other planet and back in a matter of hours and all under his own flame powers, causing my younger self to ponder how the heck he kept aflame when he got into space. Of course, the very idea of the Human Torch is so fantastically (or is that marvelously?) absurd that ya just gotta go with the flow.<br />Oh, and re Lemnoc's comment, that Brute story was rather creepy, although I didn't think it was truly tasteless, but it certainly had some elements of unsettling horror evocative of a Steven King novel. Realistically, though, Sue would've guessed much quicker that this was the wrong Reed -- after all, she already knew there was a doppelganger about and despite looking like her Reed and speaking with his voice, his mannerisms and behavior would have been significantly different enough that she or even Ben & Johnny should have figured it out within just a short time of hanging around him. Just another of those fantasy elements.Fred W. Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07602124919964053532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-81269814456248941162011-08-08T19:11:54.663-05:002011-08-08T19:11:54.663-05:00Just to share this detail, I really didn't lik...Just to share this detail, I really didn't like these initial masthead 'heads' of the FF ~ MUCH preferred George Perez's redrawing of them.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-369769250631581952011-08-08T16:09:30.197-05:002011-08-08T16:09:30.197-05:00Yes, I remember this book when it first hit the st...Yes, I remember this book when it first hit the stands. I'd been reading FF for about a year or so. This marks the beginning of a long story arc that ends in an unsettling, tasteless bit with RR stranded in the Negative Zone with IIRC yet another RR from another reality (aka the Brute) shacking up with RR's unknowing wife (eww!).<br /><br />I seem to recall Richards spending his time floating around on a Negative Zone rock, bellyaching and pumping himself up about his experiences in... WW2, of all things. This would probably put Richards in his mid- to late-50s even then, and I remember at the time thinking that seemed faintly ridiculous--like he hadn't been battle-tested since?? Maybe that arc was the last time the whole WW2 service thing got brought up in standard continuity?<br /><br />At any rate, Valeria in her little knit skullcap looks pretty mod today!Lemnocnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-8609178356965658672011-08-08T13:29:13.585-05:002011-08-08T13:29:13.585-05:00I'm not as big a Buckler fan, since I loved Bu...I'm not as big a Buckler fan, since I loved Buscema/Sinnott way too much. But I did always enjoy Buckler penchant for his dramatic splash and closing full-page cliff-hangers. The stories may have been dismal, but his final page was always cool.<br /><br />Yes, I remember being let down by the Torch solo book, expecting like others, some new stories some team-ups. Despite the incredible leaning towards Spidey, having a Torch team-up every few months in MTU would have been good.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-21407830574106307032011-08-08T13:27:42.395-05:002011-08-08T13:27:42.395-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-74614592716644006972011-08-08T12:26:12.220-05:002011-08-08T12:26:12.220-05:00Ah, thanks for the info, Karen.Ah, thanks for the info, Karen.dbutler16https://www.blogger.com/profile/00046066729353639991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-26214282939519901532011-08-08T10:11:35.922-05:002011-08-08T10:11:35.922-05:00This was my first FF mag. When I look back on it ...This was my first FF mag. When I look back on it now, it's just got a ton of crazy stuff going on.bliss_infintehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433733609487959653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-1168781612890498822011-08-08T10:01:39.708-05:002011-08-08T10:01:39.708-05:00DButler, IIRC, The Human Torch title in the 70s wa...DButler, IIRC, The Human Torch title in the 70s was just a reprint of his stories from Strange Tales in the 60s. I don't think there was any new material. Although when Marvel Team-Up first came out, the plan was to alternate Spidey and Torch as the stars, but well, you see how that worked out.<br /><br />KarenKarenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032477453891087135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-86958256657923741912011-08-08T09:41:28.306-05:002011-08-08T09:41:28.306-05:00Wow, I never knew, until reading the scan here, th...Wow, I never knew, until reading the scan here, that the Human Torch had his own series back in the day. However, it was a little before my time and only lasted 9 issues (thanks, comicbookdb) so I guess it's not so surprising that I didn't know of it.<br /><br />The way everything's being thrown in here, plus some time travel, and multiple sets of the same characters from different earths, it reminds me a bit of Busiek's Avengers Forever series.dbutler16https://www.blogger.com/profile/00046066729353639991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-53002975991927496042011-08-08T06:41:59.082-05:002011-08-08T06:41:59.082-05:00Another fun romp and to be honest when I first rea...Another fun romp and to be honest when I first read this as a kid I don't recall getting this confused with the Avengers story -- I think by this point I was used to all these multiple other Earths.<br />Probably it was that bit about Reed potentially losing his powers that most piqued my interest, and that subplot wouldn't be resolved until issue 200!Fred W. Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07602124919964053532noreply@blogger.com