Thursday, December 22, 2011

ASTONISH, Part 2

(Continued from Part 1 )

ANT-MAN was one of those series that kept being re-tooled as it went.

In TTA #44 (Jun'63), we not only learned more about his background, but
were introduced to Janet Van Dyne, who became his crime-fighting parter--  
The Wasp!  Then, not long after, Ant-Man became GIANT Man!  (GI-Ant).
He and The Wasp also helped form the superhero team that was Marvel's "answer" to DC's Justice League Of America-- THE AVENGERS.  In fact, Ant-Man was the one who suggested they form a regular team-- and  
The Wasp was the one who came up with the name!

MARVEL FEATURE 8  /  art by Jim Starlin & Mike Esposito   (March 1973)
(The first time I read this story, it was a "Dreaded Deadline Doom" reprint that was the result of Craig Russell filling in for one issue of DR. STRANGE. I know, it doesn't make sense to me, either.)
TALES TO ASTONISH 44  /  art by Jack Kirby & Don Heck   (June 1963)
The very month after The Wasp debuted, Ant-Man guest-starred in FANTASTIC FOUR !  The story was one later adapted for the 1967 Hanna-Barbera F.F. cartoon show, but Ant-Man was nowhere to be found in the TV version.

FANTASTIC FOUR 16  /
art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers   (July 1963)
TALES TO ASTONISH 45  /  art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers   (July 1963)
TALES TO ASTONISH 46  /  art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers   (August 1963)
TALES TO ASTONISH 47  /
art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers (and DON HECK)   (September 1963)
TALES TO ASTONISH 48  /  art by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky   (October 1963)
TALES TO ASTONISH 49  /  art by DON HECK   (November 1963)
TALES TO ASTONISH 50  /
art by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky   (December 1963)
TALES TO ASTONISH 51  /
art by Jack Kirby & George Roussos   (January 1964)




(Continued in Part 3)

Artwork Copyright (C) Marvel Comics

Raw scan of MARVEL FEATURE #8 from my collection
Raw scans of #44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 & 51
     and FANTASTIC FOUR #16
     supplied by Barry Pearl

Restorations by Henry Kujawa

1 comment:

  1. There are absolutely NO Marvels that scream nostalgia to me more than ASTONISH, SUSPENSE and STRANGE TALES!

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