Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #74

Review: Finally Hulk gets to fight a foe worthy of his power, this big red amphibian guy and it’s cool but there’s a few interesting bits as the series slowly gropes its way toward being one of Marvel’s all-time gems. Herein, Banner’s mind in Hulk’s body feels Hulk’s mind is taking control in situations where Hulk is the expert e.g. fighting monsters. This bodes ill for Banner whose grip on Hulk’s brain is tenuous at best. The big surprise in the story is that it has a definite end; the series has been running since issue #60 as one ongoing serial, a continuous narrative broken up into chapters but still one story. But here, the big tough guy is sent home and the Leader gets what he has always wanted—and it kills him. Nice moral to the story. What’s next? We’ll see!

The story doesn’t move far with Subby still fighting the Faceless Ones, who resemble pointy-eared frog men, since last issue. And Krang gets tough with his rebellious citizens. The real hero is Vashti, who sets out by seahorse (because they’re the most psychically sensitive of sea creatures), allowing the horse to steer by following the fish grapevine to locate Namor. Actually that would make the seahorse the smartest one in the issue, wouldn’t it? But its contributions are minimized and its participation unrewarded, in a clear case of speciesism. (Joke.) Another thing I’ve just noticed: the Subby series gives Stan Lee a lot of opportunity to devise silly and strictly literal names for all sorts of things; this issue alone shows us the Robo-Tank with Sense-Stun Rays, a Plasti-Cage, a Mobile-Defensive Wall, and the Magna-Beam. A challenge: show these names to a friend who is not familiar with early Marvel and ask him what he thinks they do. My prediction: they’ll get at least four out of five. Who knew Subby would be more fun than Reed Richards for crazy inventions with dumb names?

Comments: Cover credits: Hulk inset: Bob Powell/Mike Esposito

Hulk story: The Leader dies but returns, alive and well, in INCREDIBLE HULK #115. Hulk knows the Sub-Mariner; they teamed up in AVENGERS #3. It seems the inhabitants of Earth have a reputation for braggadocio in the rest of the universe; wonder who ratted us out? Artist Mike Esposito credited as Mickey DeMeo.

Subby story: Part five of seven parts. Penciler Gene Colan credited as Adam Austin. The letters page includes one by future comics dealer Bud Plant.