“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 146

14 Saturday Sep 2024

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

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1974, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 146, Gerry Conway, Marvel comics, Ross Andru

Fantastic Four 146
“Doomsday: 200 Below!”
Published: February 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Ros Andru
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

After escaping the clutches of Ternak, leader of the creatures that capured them, the Human Torch and Medusa are joined by the Thing in defeathing the climate cannon and restoring the Yeti-like Chosen to human form.

What’s going on here?

After the lackluster previous issue, this was an improvement. It’s not a great issue, but the story has some fun twists and turns and there’s some nice character moments that make up for what is basically a nonsensical plot.

Ross Andru is back for the penciling duties, with inks by Joe Sinnott. The art is serviceable, but rarely exciting. Even a big double page splash (see above) feels a bit tepid. The cover is another by Gil Kane (inks by Sinnott) and another I suspect only the most dedicated Kane fan (Kanatic?) would recognize as by him.

What I liked

A big theme of the last few issues was Johnny’s anger at Reed for zapping Franklin into a coma to shut down his powers and save the world. Here, he talks through his issues with Medusa, who again gets a bigger role in this comic. It’s a nuanced and surprisingly mature conversation.

I don’t love all of Andru’s art, especially his rendition of the Thing, but I do like these long shots of the ice caves:

What I didn’t like

Ben’s appearance in the comic is teased in a way that’s both silly and unsuccessful. He first shows up as a silhouette, yet sounds and acts just like the Thing. But even if a reader was puzzled about who this mysterious figure might be, he’s on the frickin’ cover! Maybe no one thought to tell Kane not to give it away.

The conclusion also felt off, where the solution to ending the Yeti’s aggression is turning them into humans. Forcing a unique culture to give up what makes them special because they were led astray by their leader seems wrong. You can insert the historic analogy of your choosing.

Anything else?

Roy gives a rundown of Marvel’s editorial staff. About half these guys got a chance to be editor-in-chief at one point or another. (Note the adjective for the one woman mentioned is “cute.”)

Does anyone out there have one of these medallions? It’s interesting who Marvel considered its Big Three in 1974.

Overall

This still feels like a low ebb for the Fantastic Four

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 145

07 Saturday Sep 2024

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

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1974, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 145, Gerry Conway, Marvel, Marvel comics, Ross Andru

Fantastic Four 145
“Nightmare in the Snow!”
Published Jan. 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Ross Andru
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Linda Lessmann
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia

Synopsis

Responding to a summons from Black Bolt to return to Attilan, the Human Torch and Medusa are shot down in the Himalayas and attacked by a yeti-like tribe led by the evil Ternak. Ternak captures them, then reveals his plan to lower the world’s temperatures with his “climate cannon.”

What’s going on here

When I started this project several years I was eager to do a complete read-through of the Lee / Kirby issues, and I was looking forward to re-reading the John Byrne run. I was less certain of what I would find in between. The best case scenario would be some bronze-age gems I never would have encountered. The worst case was hokey stories with forgettable villains and inane plots. Reader, this comic represents everything I feared I might find between issues 103 and 232.

It isn’t terrible, per se, but it is deeply silly, and very forgettable. The story seems stolen from a pulp novel, and while you may believe a race of enlightened snowmen can build a machine capable of lowering the earth’s temperature, I am skeptical (today, of course, they would be celebrated as heroes). The issue’s structure is also odd, starting with the crashed pogo plane in the Himalayas, then the attacking yetis, before finally revealing via flashback how Johnny and Medusa wound up there. I had to check I was reading the right issue to make sure I hadn’t skipped one accidentally.

More compelling than the story is the appearance of some interesting names in the credits. This is Linda Lessmann’s first credited issue of the FF as colorist. She would go one to have a long career, mostly at Marvel but also at First Comics. It also marks the return of Ross Andru, who is filling in here for Rich Buckler. As usual, Sinnott’s inks give the FF a generally uniform appearance, but Andru brings his own energy to the comic and his Human Torch looks unlike anyone else’s.

Lastly, Gil Kane is back for the cover, where he is inked by Frank Giacoia. This effort is more successful than his cover two issues ago, although I don’t know that it screams “Kane.”

What I liked

Medusa finally gets a starring role, about a dozen issues into her stint as a team member. It’s still not clear that Conway knows what to do with her, and her personality seems completely generic, but at least she gets more than two speaking panels. Plus, we now know she can feel through her hair (which seems weird?)

I also liked Andru’s handing of the backstory of the yeti-people, aka The Chosen (not to be confused with the Frozen Chosen). It’s very evocative, and reminded me of Hergé’s Tintin in Tibet.

What I didn’t like

Aside from the above-mentioned critiques, the very lengthy flashback included yet another pointless fight between Ben and Johnny, one that serves no real purpose except to remind us how tedious their squabbles have become. Maybe Roy Thomas insisted Conway deploy these Lee / Kirby gimmicks, but Conway should have known better than to go back to this particular well so many times.

Anything else?

Marvel explains its value stamps (the reason this comics and the one before it have holes cut out of them) and it mostly sounds like a scam.