tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post8689987097956374748..comments2024-03-19T10:41:35.976-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: Stepbrothers -- Fantastic Four #26Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-54586517256992693762011-12-17T05:19:14.814-06:002011-12-17T05:19:14.814-06:00These are some dandy action-filled covers, but art...These are some dandy action-filled covers, but artistic license is pretty well in force. The skyscaper the Avengers and the FF battle on against the Hulk is pretty tiny, but it doesn't glare at you.<br /><br />That isn't the case with the Rawhide Kid cover. That guy hanging out the window must've gotten hold of proto-Pym particles or that's perhaps the set from "Terror of Tiny Town". <br /><br />All that said, this bust up is one of the great fights in all of Marvel. I prefer the Avengers #3 frolic, but this one has the Thing and that's not bad at all. <br /><br />Rip OffRip Jaggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09936426877024852134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-89200865330406407392011-12-16T20:39:38.559-06:002011-12-16T20:39:38.559-06:00I think Fred qualifies for a No-Prize for explaini...I think Fred qualifies for a No-Prize for explaining the discontinued use of the anti-gamma ray pill. Bronze Age rules for winning a No-Prize required someone to not only point out a writer's mistake but to come up with a plausible reason why it wasn't actually a mistake.Anthonynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-83898359317067955812011-12-16T19:08:42.400-06:002011-12-16T19:08:42.400-06:00While Stan & Jack weren't quite at their p...While Stan & Jack weren't quite at their peak yet, this was still a fun issue -- essentially the sort that Marvel's younger fans were sure to enjoy just for all those characters, 9 superheroes, one mad man-monster and Rick Jones, in a free-for-all, tripping over one another, with Kirby action and visual gags and Lee's verbal bombast. The FF cover wasn't one of Kirby's best, but I still like it for being unique and getting all 11 stars of the story in it, even if Kirby was doing a twist on his previous cover (and, ahem, somewhat aping King Kong posters). The amount of work Kirby put in at Marvel in those days is amazing, with not only several regular titles, but also most of the covers, many layouts and fill-in jobs. His work did get much better and far more detailed when he was working on fewer mags just two years later but from the get-go he was re-earning his monicker "the King" over and over again.<br />Anyone else think all that pill-popping by Hank & the Hulk may have had some psychological side-effects? Maybe that explains why Banner quit using them to control his Hulk-outs and Hank's later mental breakdowns.Fred W. Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07602124919964053532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-91976369803503127922011-12-16T11:56:57.176-06:002011-12-16T11:56:57.176-06:00Karen – regarding Hulk’s IQ and sympathy - I think...Karen – regarding Hulk’s IQ and sympathy - I think you’re right, but I think much more than that, it’s that the 70’s dumb Hulk mostly just wanted to go & live somewhere quiet and for everyone to leave him alone. This ‘smart’ Hulk is actually Hell-bent on a mission of what is basically petty jealousy and revenge and he doesn’t care who gets hurt along the way. Not much sympathy there.<br /><br />I also agree that the resolution is a bit strange, which kind of reinforces the fact that this story was just an excuse for a big slugfest and to trash a few city blocks. Also, if Banner had such a simple way to cure himself of being the Hulk, why didn’t he just take one of those anti-Gamma multi-vitamins every morning? <br /><br />Karen - Regarding the lack of backgrounds, I think Jack was getting a bit overwhelmed already by this point. Not only was he drawing so many books, but also team books which we know are a killer. In May 64 (or rather FOR May 64, as we know they were done 5 months in advance) he was doing FF, Avengers and Xmen, but also these issues ALL featured teams VERSUS TEAMS, so a massive cast list to work with. The X men were perpetually fighting Magneto and the Brotherhood, and in this same month Subby guested. Meanwhile, over in the Avengers, they were fighting Zemo and the Masters of Evil in issue #6 and at the same time you have the Avengers and the Hulk guesting in the FF. The next issue of FF features the Xmen guesting as well. In addition, at this point he was drawing the FF annual on top of everything else, and Thor was facing off against the Cobra and Mr. Hyde, so in this month there was literally no one-on-one stuff at all, every super hero comic was a cross-over or 3,4,5... 10-way free for all. I guess he was also doing Millie, and various romance & westerns as well. <br /><br />If you look at other comics that came out that month, you can feel Jack’s absence. Daredevil had just started, which significantly Kirby was not drawing, and Bill Everett had taken 6 months to deliver the first issue, but even with need for a different artist clear, Kirby was still too busy and they asked Joe Orlando to do DD #2. Over in Strange Tales, the Human Torch was being drawn by..wait for it.... Carl Burgos ( .....wrong Torch, surely, you think?). Don Heck was doing Iron Man in TOS, and Dick Ayers (never really an artist, more an inker to my mind) had taken BOTH Giant Man in TTA and Sgt Fury off Jack’s hands. <br /><br />Considering that when he & Stan sat down to do FF#1, he didn’t know where his next job was coming from, they certainly had some impact, those boys. <br /><br />RichardAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-48589315995720498002011-12-16T11:33:47.149-06:002011-12-16T11:33:47.149-06:00Thanks to Doug & Karen for another great write...Thanks to Doug & Karen for another great write-up!<br /><br />Imagine being a kid and seeing this issue at a drug store in 1964. All those heroes on the cover! <br /><br />I first read this via reprint in FF Annual #4, where it was reprinted back-to-back with #25. <br /><br />I agree, Hulk isn't very sympathetic here, this isn't the Hulk that refuses to kill a deer in Hulk #170. <br /><br />The "anti-gamma" pill really feels like Stan Lee painted into a corner. Why didn't Ross have access to those pills? Why didn't Banner take them so he could control his "Hulking up"?J.A. Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15800901321134394272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-47605989333150543912011-12-16T10:48:56.065-06:002011-12-16T10:48:56.065-06:00My favorite line from this issue: the Thing to Tho...My favorite line from this issue: the Thing to Thor, "Hey Curly, is that get-up of yours for real?"<br />Despite the ending, still a great conclusion to a really fun, action-packed story.Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-31482017205856087802011-12-16T10:27:23.498-06:002011-12-16T10:27:23.498-06:00Agreed! These are fun issues (can't WAIT to re...Agreed! These are fun issues (can't WAIT to read this via a Masterworks book soon..), but 'the stride' for FF didn't hit until Mr. Sinnott wandered by Jack's desk. <br /><br />Kinda like Ditko's Spidey..: I appreciate the original stories and characterzations, but greatly prefer the Romita/Andru years.<br /><br />LOVE seeing the Avengers in the FF mag, arguably one of the earliest team cross-over appearance issues.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-23167519961421337492011-12-16T08:34:41.008-06:002011-12-16T08:34:41.008-06:00There's a lot of great action in here, but the...There's a lot of great action in here, but the heroes acted like morons, in typical Marvel Silver Age fashion, and I thought Rick popping an "anti-gamma ray pill" into the Hulk's mouth to suddenly end the fight was a bit of a cheap cop-out. All in all, a good issue, but I like #25 better. I think the FF really hits their stride around #44, though.dbutler16https://www.blogger.com/profile/00046066729353639991noreply@blogger.com