Thursday 10 May 2012

Forty years ago today - May 1972.

Mere days ago, the world's 38th best blog about comics looked at what our favourite Marvel heroes were up to exactly fifty years ago. Now to see what they were up to precisely ten years later.

No doubt those intervening years brought greater maturity and an increased willingness to sort out problems by negotiation rather than fisticuffs.

Conan the Barbarian #15, Elric

Conan continues his team-up with Elric.

I still don't think it was a combination that really worked but the forces of evil had still better watch out.
Amazing Spider-Man #108

Spider-Man comes to the rescue of Flash Thompson whose Vietnam past catches up with him.

It's OK but, on reflection, it's probably my least favourite story from the first ten years of Spider-Man's history.
Avengers #99, the War with Olympus

Barry Smith's second stint on The Avengers continues, as the forces of Olympus cause yet more trouble for Hercules and his mates.
Captain America #149, Batroc the Leaper

I don't like to prejudge a comic but I do generally feel that any issue that has Batroc on the cover probably isn't going to be a masterpiece.
Daredevil #87, Electro

Another of those stories I've read but have no recollection of.

I do always wonder why people don't just throw a bucket of water over Electro.

Or maybe I'm just showing my ignorance of electricity.
Fantastic Four #122, the Silver Surfer and Galactus

This is more like it.

The Silver Surfer?

John Buscema?

Galactus causing mischief in a funfair?

What more could you ask of a comic?
The Incredible Hulk #151, the Crawling Unknown

Was there such a thing as a bad Hulk story from this era?

No there wasn't.

Was there even such a thing as a mediocre Hulk story from this period?

No there wasn't.

That means it's another classic as Jade Jaws finds himself up against a politician who turns out to be even more of a creep than all the others.
Iron Man #46, the Guardsman

I've no idea what happens in this one but I do love its Gil Kane cover.
Thor #199, Hela vs Pluto

Any Thor story that has Hela in it is good enough for me - especially one where she's effectively the good guy.

I still think she should've been shown totalling Pluto though.

Frankly, he's nothing compared to Julie.

I've decided Hela's real name is Julie.

I have no reason for this.

6 comments:

Dougie said...

The Guardsman was basically a green, Irish Iron Man- but I don't remember how he died. He made a cameo appearance in Avengers 99, in any case.A vengeful brother turned up, in comic book fashion, around 1977 or 78.

I think that Electro story was a Colan/Conway collaboration. Electro had a slightly tweaked costume and his dialogue was supposed to point to a form of mental illness, which, rather than being " a full-time nut", was novel for Marvel villains at the time.

Kid said...

You're mistaken...Hela's real name is Ella. Her cat's name is Vumess.

Steve W. said...

Thanks for the info, Dougie.

Kid; to me she will always be Julie, in honour of Julie Andrews, with whom I like to feel she has so much in common.

I do remember that scene where she ran through the mountains singing, "The hills are all dead, with the sound of Hela."

Dougie said...

I also like Elric's bibbety-bobbety hat and Falcon without wings. Does anyone else prefer Falcon as a, well, falconer?

B said...

Put the Hulk and Trimpe together and you just can't go wrong!

Simayl said...

I have to agree that The Incredible Hulk was going through a purple patch forty years ago and I am not talking about Bruce's taste in trendy ,seventies, fashionable strides.