Fifty years ago this month - May 1971.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

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What's that you ask? "Is there life on Mars?"

I don't have a clue but, in May 1971, we, no doubt, felt we were about to get an answer, as NASA's Mariner 9 was launched on a one-way mission to that very world.

Would green things with tentacles and cold intellects vastly superior to our own be waiting for it?

Or would it just be rocks and a place that looked like a gravel pit in Surrey?

Stan Lee and Gil Kane smash down the doors of the Comics Code and give us an anti-drugs message to rock the world.

Even more importantly than that, Mary Jane Watson gets to dance in some kind of stage show, and Norman Osborn suddenly remembers he has an alternate identity.

One that involves sitting on a flying broomstick!

You can't accuse Marvel of short-changing us.

It's one of my favourite Avengers tales, as the action-loving assemblers brave giant caterpillars, swamps, Shazam references and voodoo rites, to prevent Psyklop from doing the work of the Elder Gods.

But the heroes don't arrive in time to prevent him shrinking the Hulk to the size of an electron.

I do believe this was my first-ever exposure to the work of Sal Buscema, and I have to say it was quite an introduction.

I know little of this tale but am led to believe it involves the Falcon trying to break free of Cap's shadow, by capturing Spider-Man.

I suspect that idea doesn't end up going to plan.

It's the first Conan tale I ever read; way back, in that legendary Fleetway 1972/1973 Marvel Annual of which UK comics fans still speak in hushed whispers.

Our battling barbarian strolls into town and is promptly attacked by a tiger who's actually a beautiful woman who can change shape.

This leads him to confront her not-so-beautiful father Zukala, and the prerequisite punch-up breaks out.

It would appear this is the issue in which Daredevil helps bring El Condor's revolution to an end.

That does pose the question, is that bird on the cover supposed to be a condor?

Because it really doesn't look like one.

It just looks like a crow.

And not even a very impressive one.

It's deus ex magica, as Agatha Harkness is brought in to weave the spells that will enable Reed Richards to flee the Negative Zone without leading Annihilus back to the Earth.

It's all good dramatic stuff from John Buscema but I'm not sure what that look on the Thing's face is about.

For that matter, what are he, Johnny and Sue actually looking at? They seem to have their backs to the scene Agatha's helpfully casting for us.

How could anyone not love this tale, as the rascally Leader decides the best way to beat the Hulk is make him fight all his foes, one after the other?

Needless to say, thanks to Jim Wilson, things quickly go wrong for the villain who's as high-handed as he is high-headed.

It's one of those Iron Man tales I've no recollection of ever having read, even though I'm certain I must have.

I'm assuming the man with the beard is Kevin O'Brien who I recall ending up with his own, green, suit of armour.

Ramrod's in this one but appears not to be the same Ramrod who once fought Daredevil.

Things are coming to a head because Odin's still managing the unique feat of possessing himself.

I am, though, struggling to remember just how Infinity's defeated.

I do recall Hela nearly ageing Thor to death at the tale's climax and The Silent One intervening to save him but that doesn't explain how Infinity's thwarted.

That's Marvel looked at but what of DC? Is Marvel's deadly rival up to anything interesting this month?

Not as far as I'm concerned, it isn't but these are the two books from it I'd probably snatch from the spinner rack, had I pocket money to spare.

Admittedly, I'm singling out the first of them purely because it's the Phantom Stranger and I could never resist buying his comic.

Also, this one has a cover by Neal Adams and interior artwork by Jim Aparo.

Quite frankly, if a combination of Adams, Aparo and Strangeness of Phantomness doesn't make you want to buy a comic, there's no hope for you.

Hooray! It's one of the first American comics I ever bought, as the Teen Titans return from the past, with a caveman in tow.

Needless to say, they then set themselves the task of civilising him and helping him adjust to the groovy present in which he finds himself.