Marvel Comics #1: 80th Anniversary Edition

Marvel Mystery Comics #1

by Carl Burgos, Paul Gustavson, Frank R. Paul (Cover Art)

Collects Marvel Comics #1, Saga of the Original Human Torch #1, Marvels #0 and Marvel Comics #1 70th Anniversary Edition.

The book that kicked off the Marvel Universe back in 1939 - presented in glorious hardcover, with an extensive array of special features! MARVEL COMICS #1 promised action, mystery and adventure - and it delivered! The original android Human Torch blazed his way into readers' hearts, and Namor the Sub-Mariner made a big splash! Golden Age pulp star Ka-Zar swung into comics, and costumed detective the Angel made his debut! Plus: Western adventures with the Masked Raider - and terror in the jungle! And from this one issue, published 80 years ago, grew the entire Marvel Universe! Now, MARVEL COMICS #1 is collected along with retrospective stories, bonus artwork, insightful essays and more!

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2019

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

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hey, Jeff! For the modern comic book reader, what’s worse – reading black and white reprints or reading stuff from the Golden Age of Comics?

We’ll random Goodreader, this is a frequent question I get PM’ed, along with: Will you dance at our wedding? What celebrity do you most resemble and would you like to earn extra money (!!!) working from home? My short answers are:

1) No, but I can sing a Pablo Cruise medley.
2) Fred Flintstone on a bender
3) I’ve worked in the porn industry; it’s hard work and it’s not for me, thanks.

While black and white comics do have the original story sans color, it’s like reading a coloring book and some of the transfers are too dark or too light and can be a chore to get through. With some exceptions, reading Golden Age Comics is like watching a children’s orchestra performing a piece of classical music – the notes are there, but they’re played at the wrong tempo, volume, out-of-place, etc. Extended listening/reading can either give you a headache or put you to sleep – even if your kid is playing second violin.

This book contains the very first Marvel comic book, published in 1939 – in several iterations: the re-touched original, the re-colored original and a photo stat of the original.

Did I want to read the same thing three times in one sitting? Uh…no.

Plus the Human Torch story got retold a few other times, once as a miniseries and as part of the Marvels story line. Excerpts of each are also included here.

Once through (and once is enough), thank you, the issue contained:

The origin of the Human Torch (not Johnny Storm, superhero pimp of the Fantastic Four, but the android).



Professor Horton created an android/robot, but the problem was, every time the android was exposed to oxygen, it/he burst into flames. Nice work, Professor!



So the professor shows it to reporters and something called the “Board of Science” and they both say “WTF, are you insane, he’s going to set a bunch of stuff on fire and burn sh*t down, get rid of that thing!!”



But not before the Human Torch, who starts off with the mind of a child, runs amok and sets a bunch of stuff on fire and burns sh*t down.

So the professor seals him in an airtight canister and buries it. The Torch gets out and again runs amok, sets a bunch of stuff on fire and burns sh*t down.



Feeling bad he jumps in a mobster’s pool, gets captured and used as a, well, human torch to set fires to warehouses of owners who don’t pay protection money.



He gets hot under the collar this is a lie; he wears a flame retardant spandex suit that doesn’t have a collar and goes after the mobsters, discovers a flame on/off switch, the ability to fly and to throw flame balls and such.



Professor Horton bails him out of jail, by saying Mr. Torch isn’t a real boy, but property, even if he did barbeque a bunch of people and cause millions in damage.



The professor sees $$$$!!!



The Torch gets angry, they get into a heated argument, the Torch then gives The Professor a brand new skylight by burning a hole in his roof and flies off to eventually light a fire under Hitler’s ass.



Also included were a cowboy story, a jungle adventure, an early Kazar story (without Shanna, the She Devil, so pbbbt)…



…an “exciting” short story about auto racing that I’m sure nobody has ever read. A peace loving, benevolent, super hero named The Angel…



Beaten to a pulp? Oh, wait…

…and Bill Everett’s first Namor story. Was Namor a little different back then?

Namor welcomes surface dwellers…



…helps push their ship faster…



…and does a meet and greet with a contingent of humans.



Good ol’ Namor! Death to those air-breathing humans!



With apologies to Fountains of Wayne, Namor’s Mom has got it goin’ on!

Bottom Line : This is a decent tribute – packaged with celebratory bells and whistles – that said, I would only recommend it for comic book historians (there’s a bunch of essays for armchair reading) and pyromaniacs.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this primarily because my interest in the Masked Raider was piqued after reading MARVEL COMICS #1000.

[Daniel Kleven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Featuring the first ever Marvel Comic from 1939, in its original coloring, as well as a "reprint" with updated coloring, it also contains the "Saga of the Original Human Torch" (1990), and "Marvels #0" (1994). I found these original comics fascinating.

Just as interesting, for anyone interested in the history of Marvel Comics, is 25 pages of in depth history covering the founding of the company and its various iterations over the years. The essays situate the writers, inkers, and publishers of the comics in the context of 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s America, with a particularly detailed account of the publishing industry, the "pulp" papers, and of course, the rival, DC Comics.

Fascinating stuff.

[Al McCarty · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange collection. Marvel Comics #1 is the most valuable comic book in existence, so why not collect every iteration of it in one hardcover? Why, indeed, not? So, we start with that, the first Human Torch, the first Angel, the original Sub-Mariner by Bill Everett, a cowboy tale, a jungle yarn, a text tale about race driving, and then the first appearance of Ka-Zar of the jungle, who, along with Human Torch and Namor, would be resurrected in the Silver Age.
But, why stop there? Next, the first issue of Human Torch from 1990, a re-telling of that same story. And then, Marvels #0, with art by Alex Ross, another re-telling of the Torch's origin, but, wait! That's not all, you also get a re-coloring, re-iteration of MC#1, for no reason, then a gallery of spoofs and reinterpretations of that famous cover. More info about Carl Burgos & Bill Everett, articles by Roy Thomas, a lot of info for those that care, but it just seems to be too much retread of the same material. Why not throw in #2 while we're at it?

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where it all started.

The old story is, well, nostalgic I guess. That's what you can give. It's not interesting in todays standards and it's not telling much. The artwork is of its time. The retelling though here are solid. Especially the rework on artwork panel by panel. It's a nice restoration and remake to see and compare.

[Colin Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unless you’re excited about reading the same comic for 200+ pages, I’d recommend skimming it in the library or bookshop to enjoy the different visual approaches to the same work. The narrative is kinda dull the first time (that it was written for different era could be some of it), but beyond tedious the fourth time.