Tuesday 7 June 2011

Forty years ago today. June 1971.

They always say, "Never cast a clout till May be out." I don't have a clue what that means but May's most definitely out and it's time to see what clouts our favourite Marvel heroes were casting in June of exactly forty years ago.

Conan the Barbarian #6, Barry Smith, Devil-Wings over Shadizar

I read this one a few years back, in the Essential Conan collection but I'm not totally sure what happens in it. I can say though that Conan clearly comes up against a giant bat and it's obvious from the cover that Barry Smith's art's getting better and better with every issue.
Amazing Spider-Man #97, the Green Goblin

Another Spidey classic as our hero comes up against the Green Goblin while flatmate Harry Osborn battles (not very hard) with drugs. How can our hero defeat the Green Goblin without the dastardly villain revealing his true identity? Personally I'd just snap his neck and incinerate the body but that's probably why I'm not a super-hero.

Captain America #138, Spider-Man

I remember reading this, most likely in the pages of Spider-Man Comics Weekly, but have no recollection of what actually happens in it. The cover feels a bit too jam-packed to me, especially with the red and blue of Spider-Man and Captain America's costumes blending into each other, and the Falcon suffering the even worse indignity of blending in with a bunch of girders.


Daredevil #77, Spider-Man

I really do wish Daredevil tales of this era were more memorable. I must've read this one but have no memory of it at all. The cover looks to have been drawn by Sal Buscema and isn't one of his best but he always did a nice Sub-Mariner.

Fantastic Four #111

Not for the first time in his career The Thing turns against his partners.

Incredible Hulk #140, Jarella, Herb Trimpe

The Hulk has his first ever encounter with Jarella - and wedding bells are beckoning. But will it bring ever-lasting happiness for our green skinned love lummox? I think we all know the answer to that one.

Iron Man #38, Sal Buscema

Iron Man with his arm in a sling and about to be killed by mere hoods with mere bullets? Has our metal clad mangler ever seemed more weak, feeble and useless than he does on this cover?

Thor #180, Hela

Hela decides its time for Thor to die and goes to look for him. I think this issue or the one after was the first time we ever saw her without her mask. She was drawn by John Buscema, so she looked very nice. Appearances though can be deceiving.

X-Men #70, Jack Kirby

I've no idea what happens in this one but it's not looking too good for our atomic adventurers.

Avengers #89, Kree/Skrull War, Captain Marvel

The Kree/Skrull war gets its overture as Sal Buscema gives us an all-time classic image that thankfully completely misrepresents what happens inside. I have it on good authority that Marvel would never dare kill off their greatest Kree-ation.

3 comments:

Simon B said...

Another Marvel-ous month! Some of my all-time fave issues here ( Thor, Avengers )and, er, some that aren't. ( You're right: that Iron Man cover is shockingly bad! )

That Conan issue: blah blah secret cult blah blah giant bat blah blah treacherous wench ( actually it's pretty good and BWS's art is gorgeous )

That Daredevil issue: if you've got no memory of that story don't worry - neither has Daredevil! Some suitably 70's psychedelic artifact turns up in Central Park, Daredevil ends up fighting Namor with Spidey's help for No Real Reason, Spidey and Namor are whisked away to Sub-Mariner no. 40 for part two, Daredevil and crowds of onlookers in Park all forget what happened.
Fact fans alert:
This issue's claim to fame is that Julian Cope got the name The Teardrop Explodes from one panel in the story...

Steve said...

Now that Julian Cope fact I do remember, even if I don't remember the story it happened in.

Boston Bill said...

THE VINCIBLE IRON MAN!