Finding Silver in Bronze: Marvel Super-Heroes 43

Marvel Super-Heroes #43 (May 1974)
From Tales to Astonish #88 (February 1967)"A Stranger Strikes From Space!"
Stan Lee-Bill Everett
"Boomerang and the Brute!"
Stan Lee-Gil Kane

Doug: Hey, look -- two days in a row with the Hulk! I know we've been really weak on ol' Jade Jaws on the BAB blog, but as I think I've remarked in the past -- I just don't have much Hulk! If I had the dvd-rom, I'd be much more inclined to review more issues. But alas, until that comes to pass, you're going to have to make-do with guest appearances, etc. Today's fare comes from a Bronze Age lot I won on eBay over a year ago.

Doug: Our first story features Namor and is drawn by his creator, Bill Everett. The story has a real Golden Age feel to it -- in fact, on the splash page Stan quips: "Just for kicks we thought we'd try something different... an action-oriented Subbie tale with little or no psychological hang-ups or subliminal social significance! In other words, just a plain, fast-moving mystery yarn... like we used to do in the so-called "Golden Age of Comics"! It won't win any Nobel prizes, but we're hopin' that it grabs you!" Now, if that isn't a preemptive apology, I don't know what is. And to be honest, this story plays (and looks) like just that -- a story 20 years out of its time.Doug: Here's the gist of the story: Namor whups Attuma yet again, so the barbarian sulks away with his tale tucked between his legs. He goes to his lair, where his lackeys egg him on to come up with a better plan to lay waste to Atlantis. Well, if fortuity is what you're looking for, you can't get much better than some advanced aliens who just happen to be speeding by the Earth when an engine of destruction falls out of a hatch and plummets to the Earth, landing right in Attuma's territory. I did not make that up. So the robot makes its way toward Attuma and the boys, they can't beat it, but do manage to subdue it long enough for Attuma -- the dumbest barbarian under the sea -- to monkey around with the control panel conveniently located on the robot's chest and reprogram it to attack Atlantis. Uh huh. Nice one, Stan. I'm telling you, this one wouldn't even have been worth Stan doing all of his jumping around his office acting it out. It's so lame, a one-sentence plot summary to Everett would have sufficed.

Doug: Next we come to the Hulk's portion of the book. You know, when I got this out to read, I'm thinking Gene Colan on Subby and either Marie Severin or Herb Trimpe on the Hulk. Nope -- Everett and Gil Kane. Don't get me wrong -- I appreciate the work of each man, and respect their contributions to comic book history. But given my druthers...

Doug: As the Hulk story kicks off, he's been declared a hero after defeating the deadly Hulk-Killer in the previous issue. The entire cast is assembled around him -- "Thunderbolt" Ross, Betty Ross, Glenn Talbot, and Rick Jones. But lurking in the shadows beyond the throngs of media is a garishly-dressed super-baddie -- the Boomerang! OK, exclamation aside, he's not that scary or interesting. Truth be told, his power is no different than 100 other guys -- he throws projectiles that explode.

Doug: Boomerang launches one of those discs near the Hulk, startling him and setting him off; the environment had already been tense, and it didn't take much to get ol' Greenskin going. Of course Ross is all fired up and immediately flies off the handle. There's a very minor subplot involving none other than Tricky Dick himself -- Richard Nixon! Seems the President wants to pardon the Hulk if it's warranted, and cables Ross to inform him that if, under his authority, he feels that the Hulk should be acquitted of all charges the President will approve it. Fat chance!

Doug: The Hulk leaps away, but Boomerang follows. What basically happens to the end of the story is a slugfest, but with a twist. As they battle into the desert, Boomerang destroys a large dam, hoping to drown the Hulk. Only problem is, Boomerang had subjected Hulk to a strong tranquilizer gas. Hulk sent Boomie reeling up against a mountainside, breaking his leg and destroying his boot jet. As Boomie yelped for help, Hulk/Banner was able to leap to save him, but couldn't hold him long enough to pull him to safety. As Banner took control, Boomerang seemingly fell to his death in the churning waters below.

Doug: I am pretty positive that if I'd seen this on the spinner rack when I was 8 I would not have bought it. The art is really bad, and even though I'm much more of an art aficionado, these stories are so lame it's really inexcusable. By 1968, there were a few writers in the Bullpen to take some pressure off of Stan Lee. He should have used them.