Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch, Vol. 2

Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch #2

by Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, Ray Houlihan

Marvel presents more Golden Age goodness, reprinting HUMAN TORCH #5b-8 from 1941-42. (Yes, folks, odd numbering was not solely the province of modern comic books: the Torch's solo book has two #5s!) This hardcover collection remasters and restores these early adventures featuring two titanic and epic-length battles between the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner. First, amidst a raging World War, Sub-Mariner declares all-out war on the surface world attacking Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini before he sets his sights on New York City! Only the Human Torch, Toro, Kazar, the Patriot and the Angel stand in his way of total world conquest. Then the most fantastic plot in the history of modern warfare plunges the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner into an epic struggle against each other when the villainous Python hypnotizes the Torch into aiding Hitler's cause. Plus, Torch and Toro face off against the Secret Arsenal, the Legion of Despair and Agent X. Also featuring "Tubby & Tack," "Swoopy the Fearless,

Genres: Comics

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Max Finkelstein created Jim Hamond, the Human Torch, for Timely Comics (later evolved into the Marvel Comics) in 1939, using the pen-name Carl Burgos. He also created the Thunderer for Daring Mystery Comics. Both series were published by Timely Comics, the forerunner of Marvel. He was drafted in 1942 and did mostly commercial art in subsequent years, occasionally drawing science fiction stories for Marvel, by that time known as Atlas. He also drew the first story featuring the Beetle (Abner Jenkins) in Strange Tales #123, starring Johnny Storm, the second Human Torch. Two years later, in Fantastic Four Annual #4, Marvel published a battle between the two Human Torches, resulting in the death of Jim Hamond. Although his daughter tried to preserve as much as possible, Burgos set fire to much of the Human Torch materials he had retained from the 1940s, considering the story an excuse to reassert trademark on a character they were not using simply to spite him.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the best Golden Age Marvel volume I have read so far, including two book-length stories (5B and 8) that really hint at what Marvel Comics would be like in the future. 5B (there were two issue fives to make up for no #1, which was Red Raven Comics #1, still mostly unreprinted) includes The Patriot and his sidekick, Casey, The Angel, and Ka-Zar in guest appearances, the latter emulating Noah's Ark. Apparently, Marvel doesn't consider the David Rand Ka-Zar canon, which would be easier were it not for his guest appearance. The Patriot disappears after 5B but will continue to appear in Marvel Mystery Comics until its rebranding as Marvel Tales after issue #92. Smitten with Rathia, Namor goes to war against both Allies and Axis for the troubles they have caused to the undersea kingdom. The Human Torch turns to villainy twice in this volume, first after being drugged by Namor, then later after the Angel's old foe the Python forces Dr. Horton, his creator, to overpower the Torch beyonf his controls. Horton was believed to have been burned to death by the Torch since Marvel Comics #1, but we are told that he was secretly still alive helping to develop weapons for the government. The fact that the Torch is shown eating (Namor drugs him with a chicken dinner) is because he is apparently more of a synthetic man like the Vision than an android. Issue #8 squarely places Namor and the Torch as the best of friends, Fittingly enough, this issue is considered to take place after the entire run of Invaders Classic: The Complete Collection, Volume 1 and Invaders Classic: The Complete Collection, Volume 2 . The previous issue is supposed to occur after issue 16, and the rest all before.

The portrayal of Nazis in this volume is absolutely hilarious. Hitler gets mad at the Python, whom he had sprung from Alcatraz himself, for calling him "Schickelgruber" (which was not Hitler's real name, though it was apparently his mother's maiden name), and he selects the Python as the most ruthless of American villains by pulling bound copies of Marval comics off his bookshelf! Hitler, Goering, anf Goebbels are portrayed as incompetent clowns for propaganda purpsoes, and it certainly is amusing. Less amusing are some of the Japanese stereotypes in the volume, along with one extreme caricature appearing on an irrelevant splash page for a story that doesn't even have Japanese villains in it. I felt a little weird riding a Flushing-bound train surrounded bty Asian people while reading this part. The first two issues were originally readied for press before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but the other two definitely note it much like Marvel did post-9/11.

Thomas's introduction notes that issue #8 is by unknown creators, with Burgos and Everett both serving in the military at the time. The art varies wildy in quality, ranging from excellent on pages 206-208 to bad anatomy on pages 235-236. According to Fandom, the artists have since been identified as Harry Sahle, Allen Simon, Eddie Robbins, and Carl Pfeufer, although it's not specific who did what. The writer is Ray Gill. Backup material in this volume includes one-pager humor strips featuring Tubby an' Tack, two page strips (in #8 four pages that look like they were dsigned as one-pagers despite a continuing story featuring Swoopy the Fearless and Windy, who live in the kingdom of Moronia ruled by King Moron, and text stories by Bill Jay, Andrew McWhiney, and Mickey Spillane (two by the latter). Jay introduces what seems intended to be an ongoing character in Horatio Crown, 300-pound detective for New Scotland Yard, who is bascially one big fat joke. McWhiney writes a typical adventure story involving train workers who stop an attempted rail-bombing. Spillane's stories are a little better, one involving a circus animal handler Mark Castel who deals with a vengeful tiger named Keena, and another involving an aircraft crew who attack Tokio [sic]. The book closes, apart from bonus layout sketches, with a page of Basil Wolverton's Peculiar People, which looks forward to his 1970s Plop! covers but are nowhere near as deranged.

Overall, if you read one Golden Age Marvel hardcover, this one would be my top recommendation thus far. I've been reading these more or less in order (not entirely possible via interlibrary loan, as I'm doing it, because of overlap), and I'm glad I didn't skip it to get to U.S.A. Comics vol. 2 with its bevy of unfamiliar chaeacters intriguing me. After reading the last two volumes of Marvel Mystery Comics, I wasn't that enthused about reading more Torch stories, but I was impressed. The copy I got came from the Washington State Library. I often criticize the presentation of two-page spreads in these volumes for being poorly aligned, but, at least in this copy, the two-page spread on pages 232-233 depicting the Torch and Namor battling on the George Washington Bridge is excellently presented.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think that it's the era of the whole thing, but it's pretty much overly descriptive, repetitive, and frankly, it didn't age well. None of these stories did. Everything her from script to dialogue is repetetive and unnecessary.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Torch Treats Toro Terribly.

Torpedoes Travel Towards Torch.

Wait I've got one more.

Torch Tracking Terrorists Triggers TNT.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good selection of the Golden Age Marvel comics just as American was entering WWII. This volume reprints the first time the comic heroes fight Nazi and Japanese soldiers. These comics give a peak into the social mind of the times from this long ago decade. Very recommended