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…
- Thor #126 (Mar 1966)
- Tales to Astonish #78 (Apr 1966)
- Sgt. Fury #28 (Mar 1966)
- Tales of Suspense #76 (Apr 1966)
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Thor #126: The big battle with Hercules was pretty epic! Totally agree there wasn’t a lot of story in the issue, but if you want to read a great action-filled fighty fest, this is a good ‘un. Just don’t think about the disappearing hammer (Thor’s) and mace (Herc’s). Or Odin’s bad parenting. Or Jane’s why-can’t-they-write-her-better-ness. So besides that, YEAH!
It might seem like the Asgard’s Tales quest was a waste of time, since they didn’t find anything and have to turn right back around and go to Asgard. But maybe it wasn’t about the search. Maybe it was about the friends they made along the way. (No it wasn’t, argh!)
Tales to Astonish #78: Namor and Puppet Master. I don’t like the Puppet Master’s look here. Just no. Do not like.
Have you guys discussed, how does “water” make Namor stronger? Fish and other ocean creatures are “weaker” on land because their bodies aren’t designed to exist outside of a water environment. But amphibious creatures (frogs, crabs, turtles) are equally adept, it’s just the buoyancy of water let’s them do different things while submerged that’s not possible on land. But they can’t suddenly do backflips on land just by spraying them with a sprinkler. So how is this a thing for Namor?
Plus, there’s zero calories in water, so it’s not like it’s spinach or something. Dang it, now I’m trying to make up Namor lyrics for Popeye’s song. I’ll keep working on it.
Hulk and the waffle trap! LOL! Waffles! That was hilarious, Jon!
You talked about “Hulk should be a curse for Banner, but instead these issue show Banner being a curse for Hulk.” I get that vibe too, but I think that actually lasts a long time. When I think of the occasional issue I read in the 70s, that was still the case. Now in the 80s and 90s when Peter David wrote the Hulk, he balanced the stories with Banner and the Hulk pretty equally, until he fully fused them. But I’m thinking more and more that “Banner is a distraction” will continue. Guess we’ll see.
Why is Betty’s hair blue-grey? Seriously! Are they trying to make her look old? Were the artists worried about confusing her with Betty Brant again?
Tales of Suspense #76: I fear you’re right, turning Happy into the Freak was solely to give him amnesia to preserve Tony’s secret. BLEAH! I know, the secret identity is “very important” to superhero stories, but BLEAH!
So Mandarin. Again. And they’ve never explained why he originally targeted Tony, and I guess they never will because this story would be the perfect time to do so! Tony and Mandy face-to-face, and it’s all “I’ll use YOU to destroy IRON MAN, because REASONS!”
I do hope we get some answers about Cap and woman from past and woman in present, which is our past too just not so much in the past. … I dunno what that means, I just write random stuff, guys!
The cartoon Ultimate Spider-Man has completely changed Batroc the Leaper for me, because in that show, he was always jumping and saying “Leap!” as he did. I want that in this comic so bad! Or even as sound effect. Can you picture a big Kirby “LEAP” in the top of a panel?! WANT!
Until next time, or until the X-Men fight the Woman-darin, make mine Make Ours Marvel!