America versus Russia: Probes, Cyber War, Cold Wars, and Iron Man As a set of images, the twelve page Iron Man stories of Tales of Suspense- in particular, the ones with America versus Russian intrigue simplified as “Iron Man versus the Titanium Man”-are mostly rock’em, sock’em fisticuffs and ray beams, wreaking more destruction upon one another than their surroundings. Their return bout had resembled the first, though it was a surprise attack rather than a world-televised match. Adoring, hopeful fans of ol’ Shellhead, as nicknamed by writer Stan Lee, gaze on in panels between, faces full of fear, wonder, anxiety, speculation. As they recur among the pages of fighting, they resemble a very involved audience of sports fans. Tales of Suspense #82-84 feature a duel above the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., with mayhem a plenty but little carnage. Except for the oft-scene moment, represented by Tony Stark’s secretary and near-paramour Pepper Potts here, where a bystander be...

The End of Spider-Man Two degrees and a lifetime living away from my hometown later, I still find Amazing Spider-Man, by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and John Romita, eminently readable. Even when I want to strangle Peter for behaving anti-socially, there’s something in either alter ego that draws me cozily back up to those original issues. I read much of the last year of Ditko’s run and the first year of Romita’s- reprinted from 1965 and 1966- when I faithfully collected Marvel Tales. I’ve never owned it, myself, but my absolute favorite was a 1964 issue where Spider-Man becomes the first costumed adventurer to try, out of his sense of responsibility, to hang up his super-hero career. What an inversion of formulaic comics! I was maybe eleven when I read that one; I borrowed it multiple times, a worn back issue with a rolled spine. That battered 1983 reprint left one of my strongest adolescent memories. I can still smell the near-century-old elementary school building on whose ...

The second issue of Amazing Spider-Man, cover dated May, 1963, featured the wall-crawler’s first super-powered enemy. A conflict of youth versus age, the Vulture was an inventor who used his then-rare advantage to become a daring thief. The second story in the issue introduces another villain featured in Spider-Man: Homecoming- The Tinkerer, another rogue inventor, played by Michael Chernus. Courtesy USA Today His post-retirement plans were quite a bit more exciting than a 401 K and a house in Florida. We’re still so early in the Marvel Age at this point, a foe whose power was, primarily, flight and strength, makes a formidable challenge- maybe not as imaginative as what is to follow, but a nice use of visual and a great combatant for the neophyte wall-crawler. As super-villains go, The Vulture was not a bad start. For one, he makes a terrific test of Spider-Man’s new combat skills, as dizzyingly depicted by co-creator Steve Ditko. His technology-based abilities provide an obs...

Comically Bad: the Origin of Doc Samson Yet again, we dig into the highs and lows of Marvel Comics circa 1980. Now, if you’ve never been embarrassed by a comic book, are you a true comics fan? That mixture of eye-widening wonder and face palming shame is the hallmark of championing old comic books. Sure as Thor is the prince of Asgard, it’s your birthright! Face front, True Believer! Some of the dissonance, this time, can be attributed to Marvel Super-Heroes #92 being a relic of a decade before. This is a reprint from 1971- where the Silver Age meets the Bronze Age, the times when new writers and approaches outside of the Stan Lee script were only beginning, as in the hands of Marvel Universe architect Roy Thomas. Roy did so much to make the story world of Marvel coherent (and yes, sometimes incoherent), connected, gave it rules and editorially guidance to help enthusiastic young writers and artists. His efforts on Conan The Barbarian gave Marvel a new Top Five book arou...

The image of Spider-Man most seen in toys and other 1960s, ‘70’s and 1980s merchandise was not usually derived from his rather creepy, gangly, unique look from his visual creator, Ditko, but rather, the more formulaic interpretation by Marvel’s art director, his second regular artist, John Romita. (And yes, his first-ever appearance in the throwaway Amazing Fantasy #15 was on a cover drawn by the other Marvel legend, Jack Kirby. By that count, it was the third time that was the charm, commercially.) I’ve been, in absence of sleep between part-time job shifts, flipping through Ditko’s last issues of Amazing Spider-Man, anticipating something to say for this essay, which tells the story of the passing of the torch (or web shooters) to Marvel’s new hire, John Romita, better known at this point for drawing the kinds of popular romance comics that, until recent years, not one in a hundred collectors sought anymore. The newest issue of Amazing Spider-Man, as #27, under the current num...

Warner Brothers looks like they’ve got the hit, the missing hope and optimism of super hero movies, that some say they’ve been missing, with the smash debut of Wonder Woman! The 75th Anniversary of Wonder Woman spawning events and celebrations in publishing and at conventions all over, such as Kent State University Symposium Sept. 22-24 of last year. At Dragon Con, Wonder Woman was celebrated, not only with the presence of George Perez, who guided DC’s relaunch of Diana almost three decades ago, but with a spotlight on the 70’s Wonder Woman artist (1976-1981) José Delbo. With several DC Universe cartoons since, a show-stopping appearance in Batman vs. Superman, and a major motion picture on the horizon, Wonder Woman seems as popular as ever. Before there was Nicola Scott and Liam Sharpe, there was Mr. Delbo, who drew the Amazonian Princess during her television well-spring of popularity. The Argentinian artist began working professionally at age 16, at the side of anot...