Welcome to Make Ours Marvel, the weekly show where Michael Kaiser and Jon M. Wilson read chronologically through Marvel Comics’ spandex adventures and discuss their thoughts with little to no authority.
In this episode…
- The Fantastic Four #48 (Mar 1966)
- Amazing Spider-Man #34 (Mar 1966)
- The X-Men #18 (Mar 1966)
- Daredevil #14 (Feb 1966)
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The Fantastic Four #48: I first read this story in an FF Treasury Edition when I was a kid, which cut out the beginning pages, so none of the Inhumans’ story shown at all. That treasury is long gone *sob*, but I think page one had the cover at the top, and the first 2 panels of the Silver Surfer in space at the bottom. And the other change is a few pages later, where Johnny’s dialog changes slightly from “break thru the barrier” to “free the Inhumans”, giving a little context of why the FF are flying in a plane. An interesting approach to make the treasury seem like a complete package, since as you guys have noted plenty, lots of Marvel’s comics were this continuing format where stories flow one to the next within issues.
Now I did get a separate trade collection as a teenager (which is ALSO long gone, dang it!), that reprinted the issue in all of its glory, and that was when I learned about the removed pages. Isn’t that fascinating? Hello? Guys? … Hello?
Oh fine, Watcher and Reed be jerks, Galactus cool, but those awful colors! He was recolored purple in the above reprints. Yes, Big G is established as being different sizes, for me, the first time was FF #242-244 (Byrne’s Terrax-Galactus trilogy), where he shrunk because he was low on energy. Oh no, Galactus suffers from shrinkage.
Amazing Spider-Man #34: The Kraven part was fine, but I’ve been thinking more about Peter, Gwen, and his classmates. As a shy nerd myself, I totally sympathize with major social awkwardness of teenagers, and not knowing what to say or how to say it, so not saying anything. Now it doesn’t quite pan out, as Peter has come out of that shell ever since getting his powers, but Peter has always been the hero I sympathize with the most, so I can’t help but project onto him.
Whew, Gwen is certainly not a great person, and has the classic femme fatale look. And… Ditko makes her so gorgeous! Suckered in by a pretty face! I should know better at my age! ARGH!
The X-Men #18: Magneto cloning his own mutants? That’s pretty Sinister, Mister!
OMG, this issue was NOT good. You guys covered everything, but one of my pet peeves is that balloon. It went up almost to space, somehow didn’t explode from the low outside air pressure, and comes down right by the mansion! Zero wind moving it away, zero change of location from the earth’s rotation! GAH!
Daredevil #14: I don’t mind DD in a new setting too much, especially when by happenstance. He happened to be on a boat and got swept up into this adventure. I DO mind when he reads something in the paper and thinks “trouble is Madagascar? They need my help! Let me get on a plane and fly 37 hours and … oh it’s all over now.”
Ok, Lord Plunder is a cosplayer. Let’s review his looks. British lord, scientists, pirate, and now super-villain with an un-ironically bad outfit. I fear when he becomes a furry and joins the Ani-Men.
I’m getting weary of the Tony-Pepper-Happy, I mean the Matt-Karen-Foggy love triangle. And yes, seeing practically the same thing in 2 comics makes it worse. Ugh.
Thanks for another great episode! Until next time, or until Galactus meets his ultimate challenge, the Impossible Man, make mine Make Ours Marvel.