Books With Pictures - and Some Without

Doug: Hello, and thanks for coming  around this week. It's good to be back in the blogger's chair, even if only for a few days. When last we met, it was over at Back in the Bronze Age when I contributed a post on DC's imaginary stories. That was over a year ago! And other than school work, I've really not written since May 2017. But I've done a heckuva lot of reading, and today I'd like to share some thoughts on the tomes I've consumed over the past 12 or so months.

A year ago I decided to start keeping track of the books I was reading. Since we quit blogging in November 2016, it really freed up time in the evenings for some leisurely reading. And as I got to forming that habit, I found that I'd missed regular reading - and particularly reading comics. Formerly, the comics I read were always blog-oriented. That's not a bad thing - I think our repository of reviews is a real treasure. But we're talking about me consuming 1-2 comics in a week over the 7+ years the BAB was active. However, that commitment had necessitated (at least, that's the story I'm telling) the acquisition of a massive amount of collected editions. At last count I have over 350 books on my shelves. For most of those books, they sat idle since arriving, waiting for a post idea or review to liberate them from their resting place. Once the blog shuttered, I felt able to crack open all of the books I'd amassed. If an evening goes the way I'd like, I'm on the couch or in the recliner with a tpb or hardcover, keeping an eye on some college sports or the Cubs. On a good night, I'll read 2-3 comics. I'd also add that the fact that our sons have been out of the house over the past few years has contributed to my disposable evening time. So you see how it's possible to rip through the amount of material I've read (see below).

Karen long ago said that we live in the golden age of reprints. She's not wrong. Just two weeks ago I finished the Batgirl Bronze Age Omnibus, collecting the character's early appearances in Detective Comics and Batman, up through the Batman Family years. Think about that... A 500-page hardcover devoted to mostly 8-10 page back-up stories, and featuring a C-list character. Karen was right!

You can count the Planet of the Apes B&W magazine strips among material I never expected to read. Thank goodness Boom Studios did what it took to put that mysterious content in my hot little hands. And if you've not seen these archive-like editions, you are missing out. The reproduction is outstanding - heavy stock, the same size as originally published, and wrapped by a sturdy hardcover. I have the first two volumes and intend to buy the next two. And speaking of those "damned, dirty apes", if you're into prose then you might like Tales from the Forbidden Zone. Karen and I both read it, and I can guarantee if we'd still been writing, you'd have seen our thoughts on it. Not every short story was a winner, but more often than not there was a smile and some thoughtful reflection before moving on to the next chapter. One story I'd mention specifically involved Taylor and Nova in a "What if Taylor had survived the nuke at the end of Beneath the Planet of the Apes?" Good stuff.

For our readers who've been with us for a few years, you'll recall that I have done contract work for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's education department. After spending 10 days each July in Washington, DC over the past seven summers, I am somewhat melancholy to report that I am not going back this year. However, my interest in the subject remains high, and you can see across my three reading logs that I've continued with my professional development by reading various selections in Holocaust witness and history. Two books I'd highlight to those interested: if you would be inclined to read a rather raw survivor testimony, told within months of liberation, then Five Chimneys is excellent. Certainly, it's a tough read, but very compelling throughout. If you want a concise history of some of the nuances of the event and era, then I heartily recommend Peter Hayes's very accessible Why? Explaining the Holocaust.

I didn't always care for the books I chose. Last summer I decided to give one of Edgar Rice Burroughs' last Tarzan novels a whirl. Tarzan and the Foreign Legion could best be avoided. In addition to Burroughs' formulaic storytelling, the racism that was so prevalent through the World War II era is off putting. I finished it, but can't say I bettered myself for the experience. Richard Wright's Come Together: Lennon & McCartney in the Seventies was OK, but the author's style was a little wonky; often he was repetitive. If he'd said one more time how much the four Beatles loved each other like brothers, I was going to scream. For funnybooks, I really liked the Essential Man-Thing once Gerber quit toying with the Nexus of Reality. I didn't care for that supernatural/occult stuff... which makes me wax hypocritical, as I absolutely loved the DC Comics Classics Library Roots of the Swamp Thing. I also found volume 2 of the Secret Society of Super-Villains disappointing as compared to my childhood memories. But overall, when you look at the almost-70 books on the lists, there were mostly hits among a few misses.

Shoot, why not toss you a good, better, best type of list?

Good: I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the Aquaman trade "Death of a Prince". Outside of Super Friends, I had zero experience with DC's King of Atlantis. So I was interested at my growing enthusiasm as I waded through these Bronze Age reprints from Arthur Curry's days as a back-up feature in Adventure Comics. Solid art from Mike Grell and Jim Aparo, and a nicely done payoff at the end. Recommended.

Better: Beatles '66 by Steve Turner was wonderful. Turner begins his book in December of 1965, and then charts the careers and lives of the Fab Four month-by-month through December 1966. It's tough to say that the book "centers" on any one thing, as the last world tour, the decision to stop touring, increased drug use, the recording of Revolver, and the appearance of Yoko Ono all conspired to make the year of my birth a landmark era for the Beatles. Great book, and I'd read it again.

Best: I gave no thought to this whatsoever beyond my initial impression. It wasn't even close, or worthy of further consideration. The best thing I've read in the past 12-15 months was the Uncanny X-Men Omnibus, volume 1. The 800+ page heavyweight collects Giant-Size X-Men #1, and X-Men #s 94-131. Also included is the George Perez-drawn X-Men Annual #3. As most of you know, this title just kept picking up steam. Aside from the 2-3 filler issues (the Dreaded Deadline Doom), every issue was pulse pounding and senses shattering. You know what I'm saying!

As to my coming-up reading list, I've already pulled three hardcovers for immediate consumption: Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams, volume 1, Spider-Man Newspaper Strips, volume 1, and The Inhumans Marvel Masterworks, volume 2. Once school's out in a few days, I'll commence to also wading through a large stack of real books -- I need to finish Rep. John Lewis's (D-GA) memoir Walking with the Wind, and then I have a caboodle of additional Civil Rights books already purchased: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. For lighter fare, my son gave me Tim Kurkjian's (ESPN baseball commentator) book, I'm Fascinated by Sacrifice Flies: Inside the Game We All Love and Keith Richards's autobiography, Life.

So what are your thoughts? What are you reading presently, or recently? What would you recommend to me, or do you see something we share that you'd pass along to a friend? If you are just happening by this space for the first time ever, you must know that in order to join our Loyal Order of Water Buffalo Lodge a comment must be made and left for all to see. True story. All you veterans -- you know the drill.

The Ancient Origins of the Inhumans

The Inhumans -The Origin of the Inhumans
Stan Lee/Jack Kirby
Contains part or all of Fantastic Four #s 36, 38, 41-48, 50,52,54-65, Annual #5, Thor #146-152, Not Brand Ecch #6

Karen: The Inhumans have a long and complicated history in the Marvel universe. They've mostly served as supporting players and guest stars, occasionally getting a shot at their own book. Currently they've become more prominent as real world business concerns have pushed them to the forefront, as they essentially have usurped the role that mutants once held as the super-powered outcasts hiding among normal human beings. They've also become key figures on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD TV show, although none of the established comics characters have appeared.  But they started out very differently, as members of a mysterious hidden race of people with ancient origins. Marvel has put together a nice TPB called The Origin of the Inhumans that takes issues and partial issues from different sources to tell the story of the Inhumans. If you don't like books where you only get part of an issue, then this isn't the TPB for you. However, in my case, I had the FF issues already. I was most interested in the Thor back-ups found here. And, I just wanted everything in one place. This is less a review of the book than a discussion of the piecemeal origin story of the Inhumans.

Karen: Their first appearances came in the pages of Fantastic Four, where readers were as puzzled by the strange group as the FF themselves.  "Are they mutants?" Sue Richards  asked her husband Reed Richards upon their first encounter in FF #46 (January 1966). "No, Sue! They seem to think of themselves as Inhumans - and they may be right!" Later, Reed states that, "I realize now that they are a slightly different type of life which evolved without mankind knowing it...and they've combined all their inhuman powers for their mutual safety!" Sue surmises, "Then Medusa wasn't some sort of freak, but rather part of some strange unsuspected race!"

Karen: Shortly after this, the FF encounter The Seeker, an Inhuman who has been charged with bringing renegade Inhumans back to their home, the Great Refuge,whether they like it or not. He provides the FF, and the reader, with a very short explanation of the Inhumans' origins. The Seeker says that their civilization dates back to prehistoric times. His people developed a highly advanced society, capable of genetic manipulation. Using this knowledge, they created people with super-powers. However, regular Homo sapiens were still far more numerous, and still a threat (how??), and so the Inhumans retreated to their Great Refuge -a hidden city.

Karen: This was basically all we knew about the beginnings of the Inhumans until almost a year and a half later, when the details of how they developed so far past the rest of humanity were revealed in an unlikely place: the back pages of Thor. Previously, the Thunder God's mag had featured Tales of Asgard as a back-up feature, and this seemed fitting; but out of nowhere, starting with issue #146, cover dated November 1967, the Inhumans took over the back up spot for seven issues. The first two stories dealt directly with how the Inhumans came to be; the next two tales revealed Blackbolt's origin; and the final three stories were simply a Triton solo adventure. (For the curious, after those seven stories, the decision was made to devote the entire book to the Thunder God, and not long after, the Inhumans popped up in Amazing Adventures, splitting that book with the Black Widow). The initial tale "The Origin of ...The Incomparable Inhumans!" reiterates what The Seeker had said previously: that his people had advanced beyond humanity far back in time, when mankind was just beginning to develop tools and language. But expanding on this, we are shown the homeland of the Inhumans, the island of Attilan, a technological marvel. The people here are dedicated to knowledge -both the story and visuals here cannot help but conjure up thoughts of the legends of Atlantis. The leading scientists have made a new discovery -Terrogen Mist. At this point, the Inhumans are not Inhuman -they are advanced, yes, but have no special powers. Randac, their leader, muses that the Terrogen Mist "...might unleash a deadly plague upon the Earth! But its mysterious power might also erase the natural, basic weaknesses in man -- allowing us to become more than human--allowing us to advance a step beyond Homo sapiens..." Randac decides he will test the Mist on himself, and in doing so, becomes the first ancestor of the Inhumans.

Karen: In the second tale, "The Reason Why!", Lee and Kirby draw together threads from disparate Fantastic Four stories over the previous two years, as they tie the Inhumans' beginnings together with an unsuspected source: the alien race known as the Kree. A giant humanoid Sentry, placed by the Kree on Earth thousands of years prior, comes out of hibernation when it senses the activity at Attilan. The Sentry -Sentry 459, who has already made a 20th century appearance, battling the FF in Fantastic Four #64 (July 1967) - travels to the city and explains to Randac and others that the Kree stopped at Earth long ago and used their scientific capabilities to artificially give an evolutionary 'boost' to one tribe of Homo sapiens. Randac and his people are relieved -at last they know why they are so much more advanced than the rest of humanity. The Sentry is also aware that Randac has exposed himself to the Terrigen (note change in spelling) Mists, and asks if he was changed. Randac fires off an energy blast and says he  will allow all his subjects enter the Terrigen chamber, to gain powers as he has. The Sentry proclaims that the people of Attilan will be known as the Inhumans -and he warns them that the Kree may return some day, and may not be benevolent. 

Karen: If this origin story sounds familiar to you, it may be because you've read Chariots of the Gods or just watched a lot of the History Channel. It's essentially the 'Ancient Astronauts' theory, and it's been around a very long time. It's been a staple of science fiction stories in print and TV and film. The Inhumans' origin mashes together the ancient astronaut legend with Hidden Race stories, like Hollow Earth tales, the Shaver mysteries, and so on. Blackbolt and company were provided with a solid science fiction lineage that gave them strong roots in the Marvel universe - part of the FF's supporting cast, born of both Earth and the cosmos, they could fit into any sort of story that Lee/Kirby could contrive. 

Karen: Blackbolt himself received the spotlight in the next two Thor back-up issues (Thor #s 148 and 149, Jan-Feb 1968), as the silent king's birth and youth were explored. Born to Agon and Rynda, the chief geneticists of Attilan, Blackbolt is shown exhibiting powers as an infant -no Terrigen Mist is mentioned here. In this sense, he seems more like a mutant than an inhuman. He has control over electrons -which seems to allow him to manipulate both matter and energy. The babe creates toys for himself from thin air, although we are told this power will fade as he grows older. Other powers, such as levitation, will, however, grow stronger. Unanticipated, though, is the newborn's sonic scream, which decimates the building he is in and several others, although he is unharmed, due to a force shield he constructed subconsciously. 

Karen: When we catch up with Blackbolt in the next issue, he is now a young man of 19. He has spent his youth separated from his people inside soundproof quarters. His father Agon, now introduced as ruler of the Inhumans, appears on a viewscreen and tells his son that he is trusted to remain silent among his people, and can leave the chamber. His cousins Karnak, Gorgon, Medusa, and 8 year old Crystal come to greet him. Unfortunately, so does his brother Maximus, who tries to cause Blackbolt to scream by zapping him with a weapon. Maximus thinks this will show Blackbolt is unworthy of being Agon's heir. Blackbolt resists, although he is in great pain, and his cousins restrain Maximus. But a dismayed Blackbolt realizes he will have to control himself and remain silent for every moment of his life.

Karen: I'll be the first to admit I haven't read every appearance of the Inhumans that came after, although I was always pleased to see them wherever they did appear. I think the way they were inserted into the Fantastic Four and the Marvel universe itself was brilliant. If you go back and look at each appearance as it happened in the FF or Thor, there's some amazing world-building going on. Lee/Kirby bring in Medusa as a member of the Frightful Four in FF#36 (March 1965) and she remains a villainess of unknown origin for several issues up until the other Inhumans start to appear with Gorgon in issue #44. I haven't researched it, but I would guess that when Medusa was first brought in, the idea for her to be part of some hidden race probably hadn't been hatched yet. But it all worked out flawlessly. Similarly, when the Kree, the Sentry, and Ronan the Accuser were introduced in Fantastic Four #s 64-65, were the plans already afoot to have the Kree be the creators of the Inhumans? Only months after these issues came out, the story of the Kree's experiments appeared in the back pages of Thor. Serendipity or careful planning? Either way, it all meshed together beautifully and created a foundation that has served later writers and artists well. 

Karen: Kirby obviously had a fascination with the ancient astronaut theory. He used it again when he returned to Marvel in the 1970s and created The Eternals, who resemble the Inhumans in that they are the super-powered  products of alien 'seeding' of Earth, and live apart from mankind. But they are different too, in that they were initially meant to be outside of regular Marvel continuity and  were supposed to be the source of mankind's many mythologies. But the Eternals got scooped up into the mainstream Marvel universe and then the two groups with their similar backgrounds had to be reconciled, which of course they were, despite all the convolutions this involved.

Karen: Of course, Kirby was also the creative force on Marvel's adaptation/extension of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which also explored similar themes of alien visitation in prehistoric times.

Karen: Re-reading the Inhumans' initial introduction into the Marvel universe in the 1960s pages of the Fantastic Four was a distinct pleasure. Of course, the FF at this time was truly "the world's greatest comic magazine" - a perfect example of two creators at the pinnacle of their abilities. Each issue provided another tantalizing detail, another glimpse into an amazing unseen world of possibilities. I can only imagine how exciting it must have been to have read these issues as they first appeared! But even today, the story of the Inhumans is well worth the effort of discovery.

If You're Going to San Francisco... Amazing Adventures 7-8

Amazing Adventures #7 (July 1971)(Inhumans cover by Neal Adams)
"An Evening's Wait for Death!"
Roy Thomas-Neal Adams/John Verpoorten

Doug: I know I said that the last four week's worth of reviews was probably going to be it from me for the foreseeable future, but here I sit again. Writing/scanning/arranging/etc. these reviews is a labor of love -- trouble is, for much of the year it's just been a labor to find the time to do it! But lately I've been able to scare up a couple of hours here and there without taking quality time out of the marriage. So what the heck -- I like comics and you like reading about them. Today we'll be looking at an Inhumans story, spread over two issues of Amazing Adventures. Let's go.

Doug: We open on a beach under the control of Red China (because back in the Cold War you had to say it that way). The Inhumans -- Gorgon, Karnak, Medusa, and Triton -- crash-landed there at the end of the previous issue after a skirmish with Maximus. Black Bolt is elsewhere. This was during the time that Black Bolt had amnesia inflicted upon him by Maximus and was in the city of San Francisco. In defending a young man and his uncle from some thugs, Black Bolt had afterward donned civilian clothes. But unable to speak and truly wanting to converse with the boy, Black Bolt had lapsed and uttered the word "I..." It was enough to split a large naval vessel in half. Needless to say, people were on the lookout for the guy who did that.  But back on the beach, our cousins are unconscious when the Red Army shows up. They try to figure out the best course of action to deal with these "monster". As they debate, the commanding officer tells his troops to put down their weapons. Trouble is, that's right about the time everyone wakes up. And naturally Gorgon mistakes all the movement for an attack. So we get a little brouhaha, and Triton hops into the waters to help. He swims out and then down until he finds a large electronic switch on the side of a cliff. He triggers it, and back on the surface a panel opens from the side of a mountain to reveal a slick aircraft. Turns out it had been stashed there months earlier by these very Inhumans (although I couldn't find when). They make their getaway.

Doug: In San Francisco we find Black Bolt, still in civvies and with the boy he'd protected, accosted by an African-American man with a mechanical hand that looks an awful lot like something you would want to avoid the business end of. The man says he knows about the silent man and what he did, and that he can help. The boy asks about the gun-like contraption and the man suddenly converts it to a hand! What a device! He says they must get into his car, and that he will take them somewhere that's safe. As they slide into the back seat, it's suddenly revealed that the boy's (we now know his name is Joey) uncle Roscoe is in the front seat and up to no good. As gas fills the back seat, Joey's uncle and our new villain -- a Mister Dibbs (In the Heat of the Night and Sidney Poitier's "Mr. Tibbs" came out in 1967, but Roy must have been a fan) -- drive off with a costume draped across the front seat. The costume of Black Bolt. Dibbs remarks that the power in that suit is going to bring his plan to fruition.

Doug: We cut to the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of California. Our four Inhuman travelers have set their craft down in the water and hop a hoverboard-type of contraption to make their way to shore. They don't land in directly in San Francisco as you might have guess, but instead turn up on Muscle Beach. It's really sort of silly -- I don't know if it was Roy or Neal who wanted to work this in. But as our costumed Himalayans reach the sand, the muscleheads decide that a) these new arrivals are weirdos and b) they need to be shown that it's a private beach. Well you can guess how this fight will go. Triton again figures that it's he who must end it, so creates a diversion to draw the bodybuilders away. Medusa and Karnak usher Gorgon out and into the city after they steal clothes from the beach's locker room. Emerging, they hail a cab and ask to be taken to the only place they know: Johnson Street. The only reason they know it is because the cabbie had his radio on and a disturbance was reported. In a city the size of San Francisco, Medusa figures any lead is a good lead.

Doug: And, as fate would have it, who do you think is in the middle of the unrest? Why sure -- it's Mister Dibbs. And Black Bolt, now in costume. Dibbs and his armed militants have come to take a stand against their living conditions, their lack of civil rights, and the "crushing heel of white society". If the mayor will not bring down the rat-infested tenements, then Dibbs has a way to do it himself: Black Bolt. To be continued.

Amazing Adventures #8 (September 1971)(Inhumans cover by Neal Adams)
"An Hour for Thunder!"
Roy Thomas-Neal Adams/John Verpoorten

Doug: As I was thinking about what to read for today's reviews, I kicked around some George Perez JLA, some black-and-white Frankenstein Monster, and maybe a Dave Cockrum Legion tale. When I came back to the Perez notion, I remembered the discussion we'd had on Inhumans #2 a couple of months ago. Since I have the Inhumans Marvel Masterworks,
 volume 2, I decided to check out the entire issue -- which was, by the way, my first Inhumans as I'd missed the premier. But in looking through it I recalled that the first four issues were all pretty serialized. So I moved away from that. But lo and behold! Right next to that Masterworks sat the Inhumans Marvel Masterworks, volume 1. Ah ha! I immediately turned to Amazing Adventures #8, recalling the cool Thor cover. Leafing through, it was obvious that I needed to also read and review #7, which you just finished reading. So here we are.

Doug: Oddly enough we open this issue in Avengers Mansion. This is the era of the Kree-Skrull War, and this is a great line-up! They are assembled near a visi-screen, watching the goings-on in San Francisco. As Mister Dibbs shouts the name of Black Bolt, the Scarlet Witch wonders aloud who he is. Cap says he does not know, either. Now hey -- didn't the Avengers and the Fantastic Four always share files? I just found this odd. Roy was writing both books and was certainly the resident Marvel scholar, so he would know if this was off. It sure seemed peculiar to me. Suddenly Thor enters the monitor room and claims that he alone will go to San Francisco to right this coming wrong. Just like the Muscle Beach scene in the previous issue, this appears to be a way to raise up a brawl. But, I suppose that's a long-standing Marvel tradition, so I'm going to play along.

Doug: Back in the City by the Bay, Dibbs is spouting his rhetoric and claims that for years he worked within the system to try to enact change -- a change that white politicians would hear nothing of. Well that was all going to end this day, and by demonstration he was going to show his followers how. Black Bolt barely whispers and one of the projects comes down. A representative of the mayor quickly calls out to Dibbs, saying that they'll work with him. Dibbs will have none of it and relates a tale of his youth. It's unfortunately a typical urban story of this time period (shoot -- of now, to say sadly...), full of poverty, vermin, and the protection of youth. Dibbs is angry, and he's promised to bring the entire area to the ground. Off to the side the Royal Family witnesses this in horror as their liege has used his power for violence. They change and leap to action as Dibbs' men fire smoke grenades near the National Guard.

Doug: Still without Triton, Medusa and her remaining male cousins take the fight right to the militants. It's tough to say who is right and who is wrong in a situation like this, but certainly the means of action by Dibbs and his men do cross a line. Ever the blusterer, Gorgon hoists a VW Beetle to get some attention. The compact car is suddenly sliced in half by a certain hammer made of Uru. Thor makes a grand entrance, but announces that the insurgents are under his protection. Now that's not how I'd have figured it. Karnak leaps at Thor while Medusa holds the Thunder God's arms with her tresses. A strike to the Son of Odin's wrist causes him to drop Mjolnir and since this is the Bronze Age -- you know what that means (tick, tick, tick...)! But we cut then to a hide-out across town, where Joey is being guarded by one of Dibbs' men. There's a radio playing, so Joey knows the score. He manages to get away, but not before looking into another room -- a room into which his guard had called. And he sees...

Doug: We cut back to Johnson Street where it's Gorgon who now (unwittingly) keeps Thor separated from his enchanted hammer. The Inhumans move against Dibbs, who leaps off a tank to meet their charge. He peels off the fake hand to again reveal the gun-like device at the end of his right arm. As Medusa uses her hair to grab the weapon and throw Dibbs off-balance, gunshots suddenly ring out from stage left. The smoke from the grenades has dissipated enough that the National Guard and police can now get through. Dibbs sees that this is it. But Thor reaches Mjolnir in the confusion and uses its power to whip up a thunderstorm, driving law enforcement back with wind and lightning. Thor makes his way to Dibbs and tells him that he knows what he's going through. Dibbs scoffs, incredulous that a god could say such a thing. But Thor remarks that he knows the pain Dibbs has faced. Dibbs wonders if Thor has seen some secret file on him, and then reveals the truth: Cancer was going to take his hand and perhaps his life. But his physician -- Dr. Donald Blake -- gave it to him straight. Dibbs, now mad at the world and for seemingly losing all he'd worked for, said he would see Tony Stark about his hand situation. And after that, he had something to do. Thor tells Dibbs that he's watched him from afar, and that all reason has left him. Dibbs turns to implore Black Bolt to speak and complete the mission. But Thor whacks Dibbs on the back of the head, ending his day. The Royal Family rush to their king, begging him not to speak. And then we find that it's not Black Bolt in costume at all -- no, it's Roscoe, young Joey's uncle. And just as he parts his lips to speak, the antenna atop the mask suddenly recharges with the energy of the sun. And Roscoe is not fit to take it. News later that day reports how a stranger in a strange suit had died that afternoon, and that Lionel Dibbs would be awaiting a trial. Joey heard this, in the company of his companion who had been restrained in the room next to him: Black Bolt.

Doug: So... I'm not going to categorize myself as an Inhumans expert, but I've read my fair share of their adventures. Certainly by 1971's history, I'd say that I have read almost all of them. And I never got the impression that it was Black Bolt's suit that gave him his powers. I guess I always figured it was the Terrigen Mists that had empowered him (see the Inhumans back-ups in late Silver Age Thors) with the curse of the voice, with flight, etc. As to the antenna? I really never thought about it much. I mean, isn't the same deal on Lockjaw, and isn't it a part of him? I'm asking -- help a brother out if you know the answers to these questions. When Roscoe spoke at the beginning of the demonstration and the building fell -- how'd that happen? Oh, yes -- and raise your hand if you're ticked off that Thor and Black Bolt never actually fought inside the book. False advertising, I say!

Doug: And what of the script? Roy Thomas is obviously sitting in for Denny O'Neil in a story we've somewhat read before (see our review of Green Lantern #76, as well as other GL/GA issues). Notice how Neal Adams was the penciler on both tales? I'm not saying social justice in comics is wrong -- I think the fact that Thomas and O'Neil, and Stan Lee and others as well, wanted to bring light to important political issues is probably commendable. And that it plays with a heavy hand? I don't know -- maybe that's my problem, not theirs. We could debate that all day, and certainly bring the topics discussed right up to today's relevance. Adams art was great as it usually is (even if John Verpoorten's inks gave it a scratchy texture). If I'd quibble, it's that Adams could draw Thor a bit beefier. But that splash page of the Avengers was magnificent. The man was born to draw that team! Or was it the X-Men...?

This Cover Made Me Buy This Comic Book - Inhumans 2

Doug: Here's one from the autumn of 1975 that 9-year old me snatched from the clutches of the spinner rack. What I couldn't wait to find out was how Black Bolt was going to snatch Medusa from the clutches of that big eater. The suspense! This was my entry point to the Inhumans short-lived series, as I never saw #1 anywhere. It's a good cover, full of action, even if the perspective of the robot's right arm seems off and Black Bolt's trajectory isn't going to take him any place near the action any time soon. But who's quibbling about the Kaptroids? I had to read about the Star-Slaves!!

Spotlight On... Keith Pollard

Doug: If you were reading Marvel Comics in the late Bronze Age, then you were looking at Keith Pollard's pictures. With extended runs on Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Thor, as well as work on the Inhumans, Master of Kung fu, Captain America, and seemingly a million one-offs. Pollard was everywhere. And how about this distinction? Pollard was the penciler on the 200th issues of Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, as well as on the 300th issue of Thor. That's an honor. Thoughts?

Hooking the Reader, Only to Fizzle?

Doug: For my 49th birthday, which was 10 days ago, my in-laws got me a $20 Barnes and Noble gift card. I'm usually an Amazon kind of guy, because I feel their prices are better. But of course I took the plunge and snagged a used (although when it arrived it was as new as new can be) copy of Super-Villains Unite: The Complete Super-Villain Team-Up for $16. Thumbing through the book (which is thick -- I got a great deal) I was struck with how below-average the art was in the series. Lots of not-so-good Herb Trimpe, some really early Keith Giffen that is baaaaaad, etc. But the first appearance before the ongoing was actually in Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up #1. It featured two reprints, but the framing story was drawn by Big John Buscema. For the second G-S issue, DC guys Mike Sekowsky and Jack Abel turned in the pictures. While obviously a couple of notches below JB, it was serviceable. When the series finally began in 25c form the first issue featured George Tuska and the second Sal Buscema. So really, to get this ball rolling there was some pretty solid art. But as I said, it devolved quickly.

Doug: All this got me to thinking -- Marvel seemed to have a "hook" artist at the beginning of many of their 1970s start-ups. But did that last? Did the series (of course most of them barely made it past a second year of circulation) continue to deliver? Let's stick to the John Buscema theme for a minute. Below are the covers to three other series that Buscema was tapped to kick off: Ms. Marvel, Nova, and She-Hulk.

Doug: Obviously John Romita provided the cover for Ms. Marvel #1, and Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott did the honors on Nova. Big John penciled the She-Hulk book. For the record, Buscema stuck around for three issues on Ms. Marvel, two on Nova (before giving way to his brother, Sal), and only penciled the inaugural issue of She-Hulk. I'm not going to denigrate the work of guys like Mike Vosburg, but let's be honest -- he isn't JB! And as I said above, each of these books petered out around the 25th issue.

Doug: So what else? Marvel had tried to get an Inhumans series going earlier in Amazing Adventures. It lasted around 10 issues before the second attempt was made a few years later. It should have succeeded -- during its short life, the book featured pencils by George Perez, Gil Kane, and Keith Pollard. Perez, young and green, handled five of the first eight issues. But Kane's style is such a stark contrast to that of Perez, was that a factor in perhaps driving readers away? Hard to say. Another book in which Kane was involved was the Champions. Maybe this book had other issues involving the writing and/or hero line-up, but covers by Kane, Ron Wilson, and Rich Buckler couldn't save the book from the interiors of Don Heck and George Tuska (in fairness, both past their prime). 

Doug: So speaking of interiors, one of the great mysteries of short-lived series in the Bronze Age is the survival of The Invaders. From the get-go Frank Robbins was on duty (often inked by Frank Springer) -- to say Robbins' art is not to my liking would be an understatement. I've read his scripting on the Batman books -- I absolutely have no problem at all with him as a writer. But I have a struggle each time I try to read books he penciled. To further confound the Invaders problem, the series enjoyed wonderful covers by John Romita (I'm featuring the second issue, as I'd shown the first issue's cover a few weeks ago) and then an extended run by Jack Kirby. Many have said that Kirby should have done the interiors as well. By the way, the fifth issue, penciled by Rich Buckler, was a treat.

Doug: What do the readers say? I guess we're talking about a subject that comes up then and again -- covers vs. interior art and also the major issue of short-lived series -- the often-revolving creator carousel. And what's your opinion on those first-issue artists? I was surprised at how many kick-offs John Buscema shepherded us through. Was he editorial's go-to guy? Was he the Bronze Age's Jack Kirby, in terms of "if we want this to be good and get off the ground, Big John has to do it"? Do you think these series had a focus, or were they merely to take up shelf space in order to cut into DC's market share? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Readers' Musings -- It's 'Totally Random' Day!

Today let's hear what's on your mind, regardless of what it is.

Doug: Here's one that's occurred to me on multiple occasions -- Why does Black Bolt wear a mask? I understand why Medusa does -- after all, she started off as a goon. But what's the rationale for a monarch, unknown by the public and with no secret identity, to cover up his face?

Doug: I vividly recall seeing the Amazing Adventures with Killraven and the War of the Worlds series when I was a kid. But to this day I have never read a single story. They always looked great on the shelf, but always got squeezed by the other mags I bought regularly.

OK -- your turn!

Giant-Size July: Fantastic Four Annual 5

Fantastic Four Annual #5 (Nov. 1967)

"Divide--and Conquer!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Credited to Joe Sinnott; actual inker was Frank Giacoia

Karen: The cover to this one says it all -this annual is jam-packed with heroes and villains! We've got the FF (of course!), plus all of the Inhumans, and the Black Panther, squaring off against the groovy-looking Psycho-Man in his first appearance. Using Mike's Newstand as my gauge, this annual would have been out at the same time as FF #68. That issue featured the Mad Thinker carrying out a plan to mess with the Thing's mind to turn him against the rest of the team (sound familiar?). The events of this annual were not mentioned until issue 70. In my opinion, this is the beginning of the decline for the Lee-Kirby team. There were still some potent stories to come, like the Surfer in the microverse, but we were definitely on the waning edge of the duo's magnificent run. This is reflected in the main story of this annual, which we review here. It's not terrible by any means -in fact, it's a fun romp, appropriate for summer as it reminds me of a typical summer blockbuster, 'popcorn' movie, full of bombast but a little light on the details. The villain, the Psycho-Man himself, is a spectacular Kirby design, who would have fit in well with the Celestials or perhaps the New Gods. But there are a string of coincidences and contrivances to get all the characters in the same place that scream of minimum effort by the creators that is somewhat disappointing. Also, your eyes do not deceive you -despite Joe Sinnott being credited as inker, he definitely did not ink this issue. As soon as I started reading the book, I could tell it was not Sinnott inks -this was particularly evident when looking at the Thing, who has a much craggier appearance than the usual smooth Sinnott style. I did some research and found that this issue is generally credited to Frank Giacoia, and that makes a lot more sense to me.

Doug: I agree with you -- right from the splash page it's evident that Joltin' Joe is not manning the brush in this tale. I felt Giacoia's inks actually contributed to your comment about this not being a great story. With some of the missteps along the plotting, and Stan's dialogue not always matching Jack's pictures, the lack of polish on the art seemed to step this one down. And since Giacoia inked the rest of the magazine, I think we're pretty safe in assuming he's in the chair here in the main story. And as you said, this may very well mark the beginning of the decline of the FF as Marvel's most innovative and interesting book.

Karen: We start in the middle of things, with the FF in a flutter after Sue Richards, the Invisible Girl, has fainted at the FF's Baxter Building HQ. Everyone's upset as Reed carries Sue to bed but she assures them she's fine, it was just the heat. Ben feels a bit awkward and takes off on his sky-cycle. Not far away, the wildly-garbed Psycho-Man whips out his magic box, or should I say his psycho ray, with its three enormous, Senior-sized buttons labeled 'Fear,' 'Doubt,' and 'Hate,' and terrorizes a hapless minion who failed to deliver the mysterious "Component Five" to the proper address. By pressing the 'Fear' button, he causes the poor man to imagine some horrible thing coming after him. He jumps out a window. You would think this would be his end, but we are told that that he landed on a ledge below. Yeah...right. The Psycho-Ray seems like it could be a precursor, in appearance anyway, to a Mother Box. The Psycho-Man turns and faces his other minions. Here is where I felt this issue really fell short: instead of some wildly imaginative characters, we instead got three boring stooges who would have fit in better as members of the Green Goblin's Enforcers or the Circus of Crime, not as agents of the high-tech, alien-like Psycho-Man. There's Livewire, who looks like a cowboy; Ivan, a bald guy with a gun; and Shell-Shock, a hairy guy with a gun. It's like Kirby ran out of gas here. These three cretins decide to mouth off to the obviously superior Psycho-Man and he fires up the psycho-ray again, this time giving them a dose of Doubt. They come crawling back to him, literally. He tells them if they want to stay in his good graces, find Component Five. It seems it was delivered to a blind girl. Hmmm...

Doug: In regard to Livewire, I kept seeing Kid Colt whenever he was on-page, but as you remarked he also bore a resemblance to Montana from the Enforcers. And despite my agreement as to Kirby's less-than-inspired creation of those three "toughs", I will say that Jack never shortchanged the reader on the designs of his main bad guys. We've heard through the years how many artists would complain about being assigned to team books such as the Avengers or the Legion of Super-Heroes. I'd argue that being assigned to a book with Galactus, or the Psycho-Man, would drive an artist nuts. Look at the detail in those designs!

Karen: The Thing is at his girlfriend Alicia Masters' apartment (who happens to be blind... you see where this is going...) and she tells him that she got an unexpected delivery. He examines it -it appears to be a large golden cube. As he tries to figure out how to open it, he hears a voice and is startled to see a monster. He's not sure why, after all he's seen and done, but he's overcome with fear. But he goes ahead and battles the creature anyway. But it is far more powerful than he is. Desperate to protect Alicia, trying to rally himself, he yells his battle cry, "It's clobberin' time!" The monster disappears, as if it was never there -but the Thing is so overcome with exhaustion, he passes out. Towering over him is the Psycho-Man, who admires his perseverance. Ben had been fighting his own fear of losing control of his strength and hurting others. Few victims of the psycho-ray even fight back. With the Thing out of the way, the Psycho-Man and his goons grab Component Five and take off, but not before the villain blabs that it's the final thing he needs to complete a gigantic version of his psycho-ray that will allow him to control the emotions of everyone on Earth! Once they take it to his base on a Caribbean island and install it, he'll be master of the world! Hoo boy.

Doug: Odd to have one's base of operations in the Caribbean, but then I suppose no one enjoys 24-hour do-badding; the locale would certainly be advantageous for those off hours. It cracked me up how Psycho-Man's three lackeys were all gung ho to overthrow him, yet now -- after being subjected to one of his emotional rays -- are all about doing whatever bidding needs done. Did you think a monster was the best way to depict Ben's fear of hurting others? Why wouldn't that have manifested itself in a fear of touching anything? We could have seen Alicia want to hold Ben's hand or ask him to kiss her and him drop to the floor quaking in distress. A monster seemed too easy a vehicle and didn't really convey what I thought was going on.

Karen: I agree, that's just one of the 'shortcuts' the story takes, rather than really fleshing certain ideas out. The Caribbean is a popular spot it seems. The Black Panther has purchased an island there and named it, somewhat immodestly, Panther Island. He is running along the beach with his men, using equipment to detect some intruders who just landed there. He dismisses his men and travels on alone, intent on finding out who the strangers are. Suddenly his feet are grabbed by long red strands of hair! He is pulled into a clearing to face Medusa and Karnak of the Inhumans. Karnak immediately attacks the Panther, while Medusa tries to calm her cousin down. But before things get too far, a powerful figure appears -it is Blackbolt, ruler of the Inhumans. Blackbolt signals for peace, and intrigued, the Panther stops and takes it all in. Then the slient king flies off towards a small rock outcropping in the water. He uses his mastery over molecules to "harden" the water into a bridge the other three can cross. Medusa says that Blackbolt senses danger. She wishes that their cousins Gorgon and Triton were with them as well. Karnak reminds her that Gorgon is on an errand and will return soon, but Triton is with Crystal in New York, staying with the FF and her boyfriend, Johnny Storm. At this the Panther perks up. "The Torch? Then, we share a friend in common!" He declares that whatever the danger is, they'll face it together. Karnak uses his power to detect weakness and strikes the rock perfectly, shattering the reef into a million pieces. I'm not really clear why the Inhumans are here -it seems they knew about Psycho-Man somehow, but if there was an explanation in here, I missed it. 

Doug: If I was T'Challa, I'd be suing the realtor or former owners of the island for not engaging in full disclosure about the property! And above you mentioned the contrivances of this story -- seriously? The Psycho-Man is hanging out in the islands and on the same one at the same time (no less!) that T'Challa decides to open up a western branch of his Wakandan kingdom. Yeah... I was also unclear as to the goals of the Inhumans at this point. I also wondered if the intruders that T'Challa had detected were the members of the Royal Family, or Psycho-Man and his goons? I suppose we're to believe it was the Inhumans, as it's Blackbolt who detects the presence of the others. Still -- Wakandan tech was so advanced that I still think it was the Psycho-Man that T'Challa was unwittingly looking for. Question -- in terms of coloring, do you prefer the Panther as colored here with the blacks highlighted by gray, or the more common coloring of the blacks highlighted by dark blue? I am partial to the latter.

Karen: Hmmm, I am used to the dark blue, but I find myself also appreciating the grey color too. But I guess if I had to choose one it would be the blue. It seems darker and sleeker.

Karen: Back in New York, Ben and Alicia come rushing into Reed's lab, where we find the rest of the FF (and Crystal) hanging out. Ben excitedly tells Reed that they have to go after Psycho-Man, but Reed calmly says they can't go anywhere without a plan. Ben gets more agitated but Reed says there's another reason he doesn't want to rush off -Sue's pregnant. Everyone is stunned -and then delighted. Kirby draws Ben and Johnny reacting like big kids, running around carrying Reed through the HQ, while Alicia and Crystal hug and congratulate Sue. Ben's excited to be an "almost uncle" and Red and Sue tell him they'd like him to be the Godfather. It's a charming slice of Fantastic Four family life. After the excitement settles down, Ben decides that if they're going to have a kid to look after, they really do have to make sure they catch the Psycho-Man, and just because Reed and Sue can't go after him, there's no reason he and Johnny can't. "I ain't gonna let no kid of ours git born into the same world with creeps like them runnin' around loose!"

Doug: I loved the aspect of communal ownership and care for this unborn baby. You are right in that it truly set this magazine apart from the rest. Through the years it made the Fantastic Four, along with Amazing Spider-Man, two standout titles among the others. Although Avengers has always been my favorite, it never could equal some of the warm fuzzies generated by the well-rounded casts and ingrained emotions of FF and ASM.

Karen: The previously-mentioned creeps are setting up the Psycho-Man's machine on his hidden Caribbean base. Oddly enough, they are putting Component Four into place -is this the same component they took from Alicia's apartment? That was called Component Five. And the art shows only four such components. This seems like a lapse on Lee's part.  Psycho-Man tells his minions that the base has been discovered by intruders -of course, he's taking about Blackbolt and company. He tells them to get out and take care of them. Now hold on -these three grade Z guys, with their trick guns, are going to take on Blackbolt, the Panther, Medusa, and Karnak? Blackbolt alone should be able to handle all of them! Sheesh. As the three prepare to exit the underground base, Blackbolt blasts through.  Ivan whips out his solar pistol and blinds Blackbolt. Livewire uses his electric lariat to tie up Medusa, while the Panther has to dodge Shell-shock's seeker missile. He manages to evade it long enough to bring it back to his enemy, blasting him. Karnak goes after Livewire, jumping through his lariat and knocking him out. Once Blackbolt recovers his sight, he easily takes down Ivan, one punch sending him sailing. 

Doug: I also noticed the disconnect in the names of the components. In fact, I went back to that previous scene to be certain I'd read it correctly. But when the editor is also the writer, I guess missteps can fall through the cracks. 

Doug: If you think that goons come in groups of three, which they often do, then consider some other groups as compared to this unnamed trio: The previously mentioned Enforcers, with no super powers at all. The mainstay on the Frightful Four, including the Wizard, the Trapster, and the Sandman. Shoot -- even the Ani-Men! I'd concur that Blackbolt by himself could take out any of those trios; this group of misfits shouldn't have been any trouble. So this was a really unsatisfying part of the story. Although antagonists, there was no real sense of antagonism.

Karen: The Psycho-Man is adjusting his device, when he realizes his minions have been overcome. Nevertheless, he finishes the job, and decides to first use his tool on his attackers. Blackbolt and crew race towards his location but are stopped by a wall. Suddenly, a glow appears in the air -it is the Inhuman dog Lockjaw, teleporting in with Triton, Johnny Storm, and the Thing. How did they know where to go? Karnak says, "Perhaps he sensed we needed them!" That's as good an explanation as we'll get, and about all we need I suppose! The good guys all line up and do that slow-motion march towards the wall, with Blackbolt up front, leading them. You can just imagine some cool soundtrack music to accompany this scene. Lee writes, "We suggest you study this illustration carefully, and perhaps even file it away in some safe repository - for it is unlikely you will soon see another such awesome aggregation of raw power as now confronts your ever lovin' eyes!"

Doug: While it's a great visual, perhaps done best in Monsters, Inc., I was underwhelmed. Among the Silver Age FF Annuals, this one ranks far behind #2, #4, and #6 on my favorites list (I don't think I've ever read #1, if anyone's wondering, and I think #3 has become so cliched that it's lost what must have been some bright luster when first published). All that being said, there is a definite sense of anticipation whenever we read a tale where the cavalry arrives to make all things right!

Karen: The wall seems to disappear and a bizarre multi-limbed creature pops up and attacks. Blackbolt, the Thing, and Triton begin wrestling with it but it is like the mythical Hydra -when they hurt it , it grows more limbs. Triton puts up a good fight but it taken down. Meanwhile, Medusa and Karnak seek out the source of a mechanical humming sound. It appears to come from behind a wall, which Karnak strikes. Rather than shattering, the wall sticks to his hand like tar. As he struggles, the Psycho-Man watches from another room, pleased with his Fear device. An alarm goes off and he becomes aware that the Panther is sneaking up on him. He uses the machine on the stealthy hero and the Panther believes he is being attacked by a catlike humanoid.

Doug: I don't know what you saw, but I saw this monster as some sort of inhuman speaker. Check 'im out: tweeters on his upper arms, woofers on his mid-arms! Perhaps the biggest thing he had going for him was an unending case of UGLY! I almost got the sense while reading this that Kirby had never left the monster books of a decade earlier. Even with the psycho ray, it's a plot device that we might have seen in Tales of Suspense, pre-Iron Man. But I suppose there's no harm in recycling an idea and putting it in a new context, in this case with our beloved FF cast of misfits. And always a fan of the metaphysical realms, Kirby did indeed borrow that Hydra element from Greek mythology. As to the fellow who attacked the Panther? At first glance, he could be Blastaar's kid brother!

Karen: On the surface of the island, Gorgon returns from his errand to find the Inhumans' base empty. Alarmed, he spots the "hard water" bridge Blackbolt had created earlier and heads for the rocks, which now have smoke coming up from them. Inside Gorgon finds the Torch and Medusa battling a fire-proof monster. Gorgon stomps his hoofed feet and dispels the creature -so if it was an illusion, it was one everyone could see? But it was the Torch's fear, why could they all see it..oh, never mind. Next they group runs off and finds Karnak, who was also freed from his sticky situation by his cousin's thundering feet. But cousin Triton isn't fairing so well. He is trapped inside a clear, dry cube. Without any humidity, he'll die. Gorgon stomps again and the shock waves cause the cube to disappear. The group find Blackbolt and The Thing, whose titanic foe has also vanished. Now they are faced with that wall which bars their way. But the Thing is having none of it. He tears the wall apart, only to come face to face with the enormous muzzle of the Psycho-Man's weapon. The Psycho-Man says that a single blast will be enough to destroy all of them. Acting swiftly, Blackbolt uses his little antenna doohickey on his forehead to fire an energy beam and completely destroy Psycho-Man's ray. But the villain doesn't seem very upset. "I am Psycho-Man, soon the master of Earth!" he proclaims. "We should'a guessed -another nut!" Ben says. Psycho-Man says that despite the destruction of his big old gun, he can always build another one. In the meantime, he'll wipe them out with his Psycho-ray. He then decides to tell them his story -hey, why not, right? -he's not a human being at all, but a denizen of Sub-Atomica, the tiny worlds within worlds that exist at sub-microscopic levels. He is the greatest scientist of his world -which is faced with over population. Looking for places to expand to, he discovered the Earth. Figuring Earthlings would be defenseless against his mind-weapons, the Psycho-Man created this artificial body and began his one-man invasion, preparing the way for his people. While his speechifying goes on, the Panther has recovered from his fight and makes his way towards the chamber. Just as the Psycho-Man turns his Fear ray on the heroes, the Panther springs on him. But he comes up with a limp, lifeless suit. Confused, the Panther looks for help. Ben explains, "He can't bother us any more than any pint-sized germ floatin' around the joint!" Karnak ponders the villains' fate. "I wonder! Has he returned to the sub-atomic world from whence he came? Or is he now forever trapped within that now useless suit?" Seemingly unconcerned (where is Reed when you need him!) the heroes wrap it up, satisfied that they've ended the Psycho-Man's threat.

Doug: In addition to Kirby's fabulous costume and character designs, he was also quite adept at technology. I was happy to see Ben astride the jet cycle near the beginning of the story, and I've always liked the sleek look of the craft on which Gorgon rides. Of course, none of that tops the rocket shoes Ben wears in the poster later on in this magazine (we've featured it several times -- check it out here). Anyway, your point about Gorgon's dispelling of the monster is well-taken. If it was the Fear ray that the Psycho-Man had employed, why would each person present have seen the same thing? Certainly T'Challa was engaged with a wholly different beastie (Karnak's fear was different as well). Did the thunder of Gorgon's hoof break the concentration of those who were under the ray's control? I don't want to say there weren't well-done elements of this story -- there were -- but there was enough head-scratching going on by me that left me a bit dissatisfied. 

Doug: I did like Psycho-Man's origin, and maybe some of our readers can clue me in -- is he from the same sort of Sub-Atomica as Psyklop, or Jarella? This sort of idea, where the very atoms and molecules can be universes in their own right, should have opened up an endless array of story possibilities. 

Karen: I think you can see what I meant about this being a 'popcorn' movie annual. It's big, it's goofy, it's fun, but it doesn't stand up to a lot of scrutiny. Still, it wasn't a bad way to spend 30-40 minutes! The Psycho-Man was an interesting foe, and this makes me want to pull out the FF issues with his appearances that followed.

Doug: Yes, agreed. If I recall, the second story featuring this base villain is more interesting, and would of course feature Joe Sinnott back on the inks. Speaking of, it's no secret that Sinnott was as much a part of the success of the Silver Age FF as Terry Austin was to the Bronze Age X-Men. But I feel like I've unfairly denigrated Frank Giacoia's work throughout this post. I really don't have a problem with Giacoia overall. I just don't know that I'd ever say that he'd be my go-to guy. He's steady, not going to get in the way... but when it comes to the "look" of certain books in certain timeframes, I want the Cadillac version. And in this particular case, that would involve Joe Sinnott.


Karen: Yes, Joe Sinnott was sorely missed here. Something  I find interesting is that this annual and the next year's (number 6) are really a set when you look at the events contained in them: in this one, we get the announcement of Sue's pregnancy with Franklin, and then a year later, in number 6, we have the story of Reed, Ben, and Johnny risking everything in the Negative Zone to ensure that Franklin and Sue both survive the childbirth. The two annuals are linked in that both dealt with the pregnancy, this one more peripherally than #6. But even so, it's as if they felt the need to put these events (the announcement and then the birth) into annuals rather than regular sized issues. Although I'd say annual 6 is a far superior read!

Karen: As a summer-time bonus, we're including some  pin-ups of the 'incomparable' Inhumans that were a part of this Annual! Enjoy!