Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics, Vol. 1

Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics #1

by Carl Burgos, Paul Gustavson, Bill Everett

In celebration of 65 years in comic book publishing the House of Ideas is proud to present the first four issues of the comic series that launched Marvel Comics. This monumental hardcover volume re-masters and restores these first four historic issues and collects them for the first time. Return to the Golden Age of comics with the original tales of Sub- Mariner, the Human Torch, the Angel, and Ka-Zar.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Westerns, Adventure, Fiction

263 pages, Hardcover

First published January 11, 2012

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

[Greg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nostalgia is a funny thing. It's wonderful for some. Boring and meaningless for others. And then there's the journey one makes of going from one of those mindsets to the other while going through the experience. Take, for example, the tradition of Saturday movies in the U.S., mostly in the 40s and into the 50s. In the days between the advent of talkies and television, children often spent hours at the movies watching a variety of shorts—cartoons, multi-episode serials, educational films—culminating with a feature film. Those serials, like Flash Gordon, the Mysterious Mr. M., or the Batman, were inspirations for modern day movie makers like George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg. The American broadcaster TCM often runs those serials on Saturdays, and after watching a few, the predictability of the scripts and the primitive special effects usually lead to a loss of interest: wonderful expectations followed by the mindless boredom of disappointment. And although I have not watched any of the current Marvel/DC-based superhero films of the past couple of decades, I was, in the late 60s and early 70s, a big follower of Marvel comics.

It was with that feeling of nostalgia that I was driven to get this volume. The kid in me wanted to relive that feeling I had reading Marvel comics. What could be better than a collection of the very first four editions of any Marvel Comics! Hoo-boy! That kid is some kind of idiot. What a boring collection this is. Only people with a historical interest in American comics should get anywhere near it. Cheap rip offs of the Lone Ranger, Superman, and Tarzan. I mean, really cheap! Unbelievably boring Sub Mariner and Human Torch stories. I'm over the nostalgia. No way I'm putting myself through this again. (Actually, that's not true. I only got halfway through. But, idiot that I am, I know I'll end up reading the rest of this terrible collection. More self-inflicted misery ahead.)

[Michael Neno · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is tabula rosa for Marvel comics, reprintings of the earliest comics Marvel published, starting in 1939: Marvel Mystery Comics 1-4. The (Golden Age android) Human Torch gets his start here; some of the other serialized strips are the Tarzan ripoff Ka-Zar (pulled over from the company's pulp magazines), Ferret, a bland detective with a ferret on his shoulder, The Angel, a bland superhero with no powers, the robot Electro, boldly drawn by Steve Dahlman. The star of the show is Bill Everett's lovingly written, drawn and colored Sub-Mariner, here, as always, an enraged terrorist wanting to sometimes destroy western civilization and helping it at others. A Roy Crane-influenced war strip, American Ace, died too soon, but every issue of Marvel Mystery Comics is worth your time, a precious snapshot of comics history.

Beware: avoid the original 2004 printing, which I unwittingly paid good money for. It's the worst comic book reprint reproduction I've ever seen; it looks like a bad microfiche source, wretchedly "fixed", with illegible lettering, dropped out and darkened art in every panel and incorrect coloring. That reconstruction was by Jerron Quality Color in Sparta, Illinois. The cover price was $50! The 2011 edition, by Pacific Rim Graphics (art) and Wesley Wong (colors) is markedly improved.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

(my edition is a white bordered paperback)

a lot of fun in here! i didn't realize how good bill everett was. there haven't been a lot of sub-mariner stories i've liked, now i want to read the character.
there are several stories of the golden age angel by paul gustavson, the only major timely character to not appear in the invaders. reading these i think roy thomas made a big mistake. the angel is a rich guy w/a great mustache and some super strength and a colorful costume. the art quite different than everett's is just as good.
the torch and ka-zar are worth the read. there are three episodes of american ace, gotta find the sequel to this volume so i can find out what happens next.
the only stories that fail are the masked raider, these don't come close to rawhide kid, kid colt or two-gun.

at then end of the book are reprints of marvel and ka-zar pulp covers, house ads and unused cover art.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ah, nostalgia! As Kundera said, "happiness is the longing for repetition." But even nostalgia couldn’t salvage this one. I understand the significance—this is where it all began for Marvel Comics, the foundation of a cultural phenomenon. Over the years, I’ve read many of these stories randomly and even snagged some hardcovers during past Amazon sales.

That said, the art reflects its era, but the storytelling leaves much to be desired. The plots are overly simplistic and linear, with little to no development. It’s easy to predict every twist and turn, and unfortunately, this rinse-and-repeat formula extends to most of the characters. While it’s an interesting historical artifact, the content feels dated and lacks the depth needed to keep modern readers engaged.

[Bbrae · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I’m being totally honest, this is my first comic book in a while. I’ve read other comics but I wouldn’t say I have the right knowledge to review one. What I can say is that I really enjoyed reading it, even if it was difficult reading some parts since the quality of the pdf I was reading wasn’t great. What I noticed is that, compared to new comics, it has a lot of descriptions. But in this moment, with the comics knowledge I have (and the fact that I stopped reading books for a week to read this, so I was used to the “just reading no illustration”) I don’t find it frustrating, I actually enjoy it.
My favorite one was definitely “the human torch”, it was the most interesting.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had previously read All-Winners vol. 1 and didn't really care for it. By that point, the Human Torch had paired with Toro and their adventures were pretty self contained and sillier than an episode of Super Friends. Similarly, Namor wished he could join the U.S. Army, but was prevented by his not being an American citizen. I liked this volume much better. The Human Torch and Sub-Mariner stories had a level of continuity I've seen in Golden Age comics only in Wonder Woman. In issue #3, the Human Torch meets a character named Johnson, and Johnson continues to be a character in the fourth issue. Although the story takes pace more quickly than it would in a modern comic, the stories develop and change. In issue #2, Namor is a cop-killer, but by issue #4, he regrets his actions. In issue #4, he takes on "Jim Hamond" as a pseudonym. (Later texts give it a double-M; I guess that comes later).

I share the contempt Roy Thomas has for The Angel--he's basically a 1%er (and that's all we know about him--his Thomas Halloway identity hasn't been revealed yet) who seems to use lethal force as a first resort. Given the recent police murder of Eric Garner via strangulation, I wasn't crazy about a superhero who strangles criminals, even those who have clearly done evil things.

I don't share Thomas's contempt for Electro (the first of three major Marvel characters of that name), at least in conception. The first story, appearing in issue #4, has Professor Philo Zog hire twelve stocky and intelligent men from an employment agency to work as agents of justice, while Zog uses a giant robot called Electro to come in when things get too tough for one person. It remains to be seen if the stories are executed at all well, even for their time. The first story seems about average.

Ka-Zar seems to be adapted directly from the pulp novels that were published a few years earlier. They're OK, but I like Kevin Plunder better.

Ferret's first story is a bit confusing. American Ace has nice, Winsor McCay type art but isn't too impressive, and the Masked Raider is about as primitively drawn a knockoff of The Lone Ranger as I can imagine. After the first two stories, the civilian time for him in the story is cut off, too.

Namor, the Human Torch, and Electro make me want to read the second volume, despite my boredom with All-Winners vol. 1.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big slab of marvel history.
To be honest, I know this comic is a big deal due to the premiere of Namor and the Human Torch, but I found there stories the least entertaining.
Instead of being Tarzan of the oceans, Namor is just a jerk from day one. Most of his heroics seemed to happen almost by accident.
The Torch very quickly goes from heroic monster to full super hero, but that only happens because the writers think he should be a hero. It feels like a default.

The fun stuff was the obscure characters:
The Masked Raider: a decent Lone Ranger rip off
Ka-zar: No, not that one. This one is a Tarzan clone set in the Congo with a quartet of animal sidekicks.
Angel: More pulp hero then super, but he does have a cape.
Electro: starts out as a typical robot hero, but then adds a group of agents to help Electro and gets pretty cool.
Shame none of them ever got more attention.

Even the text stories, which are usually bland filler were pretty solid.

A fun read and a look at where marvel began.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Equal parts fascinating, perplexing, and charming. Reading through these stories from some of comics' earliest issues shows several surprises: Each issue was 64 pages, contained half a dozen 8- to 16-page stories, and covered a dizzying variety of genres - from (proto)superheroes, to jungle lords, to detective stories, to cowboys, and more. Impressively, in some of the continuing features you can already see signs of improvement and refinement of the art and writing over the course of just these first four issues - as the creators involved figure out which elements work, or don't - while in other cases a running feature (such as a fighter pilot) doesn't catch on and is replaced in the next issue with something else (such as a robot). Accounts of the time describe comics' initial era as something of a mad, slapdash, feverishly improvised atmosphere, and - despite the usual simplicity of the stories found herein - that jumble and excitement absolutely comes through.

[Judah Radd · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times, a bit of a struggle, especially with the Masked Rider and Ka-Zar (the latter of which is also shockingly racist by today’s sensibilities)

Despite that, the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and Angel stories are truly awesome for the time. Namor is especially great. It’s astonishing how well Bill Everett’s art has aged, and the writing is very mature.

I’ve always known about these characters from Silver Age onward... it was fun traveling back to the Golden Age and seeing what they were first like. I had a rewarding experience. Obviously, comics have evolved and I’ll always prefer the styles I’m used to, but this was ground breaking stuff and I think every fan should check it out.

[Chris Shockey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

Finally! The roots of Marvel Comics in readable digital volumes! Great stories by great artists and writers from Timely Publications, the direct forerunner of MARVEL COMICS! If you are an aficionado of golden age comics, DO NOT miss these volumes telling the early adventures of Prince Manor the Sub-Mariner and the Original Human Torch!

[José Ignacio ZG · Rating 2 out of 5]

This hasn't aged well. It is an easy guess why everything in these pages but Namor and The Human Torch has been almost entirely forgotten. Anyway a landmark in the origin of superheroes and the foundations of the future Marvel Comics.

[Judith (Judy The Dreamer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Namor drags the rating down. Like always.

[Lser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty cool. Love masterworks for re-making old comics in high quality.

[tony dillard jr · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1939, comic books were relatively still in their infancy. The previous year's debut success of National's Action Comics, thanks to a mysterious super man from planet Krypton, inspired countless publishers to test the waters of this new medium. New York City's Martin Goodman was one of those commissioners who took notice.

Already having published several pulp magazine devoted to action and adventure, sci-fi and of course, sex, Goodman founded Timely Comics. Then taking the name for one of his publications, Marvel Science Stories, Goodman hired Funnies Inc. to produce a book's worth of new material for his first ever comic book called Marvel Comics.

The first and third stories are tales that I know by heart. They introduce a yin-yang pair of anti-heroes who will lay the foundation for the plethora of heroes that will define the Marvel Age of Comics and beyond. Carl Burgos kicked things off with an android that bursts into flames when exposed to oxygen. First deemed a menace to society, exposure to natural elements corrects the design flaw allowing the Human Torch to control his flammable powers. Then Bill Everett takes readers to the icy waters off the coast of Antarctica where a human-Atlantean hybrid is the underwater kingdom's newest weapon in a proposed attack against the land breathers.

Compared to Carl Burgos work, Bill Everett's Sub-Mariner was year 3000 stuff. Compared to the adventures of Superman over at National, the first 3 stories starring Prince Namor was year 3001 material. Why Bill Everett isn't given the level of love and respect of Jack Kirby or Wil Eisner is beyond me. Dying in 1973 at a young age of 55, I think Everett's lesser body of work compared to other super stars of the golden age of comics is to blame for this.

The rest of the material in issue #1 along with the other 3 issues contained in this collection are the stuff of the pulps. The overly powerful un-super powered Angel is much like the Shadow, taking on the dregs of the criminal underworld; only he's decked out in a blue leotard. Ka-Zar, who one day will become lord of the dinosaur filled Savage Land, got his start as a pulp hero. Much like Tarzan, Ka-Zar is able to communicate with the animals and acts as their protector from the greedy white men and fierce natives that seek African wildlife for game and sport. Rounding things out was a Western starring the Masked Rider, a clone of the Lone Ranger, who wore a full black mask in the desert heat as his took on cattle rustlers and claim jumpers.

A name change comes in issue #2. Marvel Comics became Marvel Mystery Comics, perhaps to further differentiate the comic book from the pulp title. A new character debuts in the second issue. 'Perry Webb, American Ace' is a young lad who is traveling throughout Central Europe in his small propeller plane. The fictitious leader of a small European nation has amassed a small but formidable war chest and is about to begin a massive campaign to rule the world. Poor Perry Webb arrives in the first nation to come under attack and soon finds himself injured and with a wrecked air ship. As Perry recovers, the American Ace talks of needing to fulfill a special mission. Sadly readers will never discover just what that mission was as Issue #3 was Perry Webb's last appearance in Marvel Mystery Comics.

Younger readers will hate these books. The artwork is considered by many, including foreword author Roy Thomas, to be quite primitive. Because of the newness of comic books, that detriment can be overlooked. What many readers might not be able to excuse is the level of violence towards women, stereotypes of Asians and Africans, and other outdated portrayals that were overtly glorified in the pulps. Yet, with Martin Goodman's Marvel Mystery Comics, there's a level of respect towards minorities and females as well as aptitude to point out the sinful faults of white men that foreshadows a lot of groundbreaking stuff that Stan Lee will be championed for doing differently than the Distinguished Competition in the 1960s and 70s.

If you wish to see what was the essential blueprint of 'Stan's Soap Box', these golden age collections are the things to read. Without them, there would be no Fantastic Four, no Black Panther, and definitely no Marvel Age of Comics. As for getting my hands on the other 6 volumes of this collection, I would love to read the rest. I don't think I'd want to add them to my collection as these books aren't really items I have on my wish list. I got this book in a grab bag years ago and Marvel Masterworks books are not cheap- hardcover or trades. Especially, since you only get 4 issues in each volume! But if I found further books for a good price, I would acquire and read them before trading for something else that I really needed to have on my bookshelf.

[Arthur Cristian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The origins of Marvel Comics date back 86 years (at the time of writing this review). In the first four issues of Marvel Comics, we are introduced to a handful of characters, some of whom will fade away, while others will eventually evolve into major figures in Marvel history. One of these is the Human Torch, who in the future will be revamped into a completely different persona as a member of the Fantastic Four.
I’ll start with the one story I couldn’t care less about: the Masked Raider. Western tales of justice in the wild west just don’t click with me, and the terrible artwork doesn’t help; you can barely tell characters apart. Beyond him, others vanish after these early issues, like the American Ace. That one had promise, set in an alternate version of our own World War timeline, but it didn’t last. Another element that stood out, but not for good reasons, was the short filler stories. They left no lasting impression and are very forgettable.
By issue four, two new stories are introduced: Electro, which shows some promise, and Ferret, Mystery Detective, which didn’t grab my interest at all.
Now, onto the four staples of these issues:

The Angel: very different from the X-Men character of the same name. Here, he’s more like a powerless Superman—always arriving at the right moment to save the day.

Ka-Zar: Marvel’s take on Tarzan. Even knowing the inspiration, his jungle-set stories are surprisingly entertaining and offer a nice change of scenery from the usual city backdrops.

The Human Torch: an android who can ignite into flames. Across the four issues, his storyline steadily develops, adding layers to the character. I’m intrigued to see whether his story continues with the same strength.

Namor the Sub-Mariner: the most compelling of them all. He’s morally grey, almost more of an anti-hero than a hero, and his unpredictability makes his stories a standout. He looks villainous, with sharp features and a menacing expression, and his hostility toward humans adds to that impression. But when he falls in love, his moral compass is tested, torn between helping humanity and protecting the underwater world.

I’m not sure how soon I’ll dive back into the Golden Age, but at some point, I’ll continue my journey to see how Marvel, and its art and stories, evolve.

[Stéphane Savoie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review. In 1939, the comics form was new, and super hero comics had no conventions. Most of these stories are amateurish derivatives (Masked Raider, Ka-Zar), and the only true superhero, Angel, is just bland as hell. But the weirder stories (Human Torch, Namor, and even Electro) have something great going on. There's an energy there, especially in Namor.
There's also American Ace, which is a story. With airplanes, and an analogue of Germany. It's... doing something? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The art reproduction isn't great, with some pixelation visible.
An interesting historical artifact, but you'll find yourself skipping 2/3 of the content, or 1/3 if you're dedicated. (Sorry, Ka-Zar. I really tried, but you're a truly boring Tarzan ripoff)

[DOUGLAS J BERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original content, quite nostalgic.

Ok color artwork. Reminds you of the early dick Tracy when it comes to color choices and delineation. Early versions of Torch, Namor, Kazar and Electro. Amazing what you could get for a dime, no blank panels!

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Includes tales of The Torch, The Angel, Submariner, The Masked Rider, Jungle Terror (a bonus story), Ka-Zar and others. Some story lines continue from one issue to the next. I thought the most interesting line was Sub-Mariner, who was attempting to go after anyone planning to go to war.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featuring the first appearances of the original Human Torch (who wasn't human), the Angel (a vaguely Superman-like vigilante with no powers and a very '30's mustache), the Masked Raider (a Lone Ranger clone), Ka-Zar (a Tarzan clone), and the first Marvel appearance of Namor the Sub-Mariner.

The tales of the Torch and Sub-Mariner are fairly interesting, strangely progressive, and a bit twisted. They both would probably be considered anti-heroes at best these days, both actively attacking regular human civilization mostly out of reasons of self-preservation. The remaining characters were largely familiar as versions of more popular heroes, and their stories weren't nearly as interesting. There's a lot packed in each of these four issues - 64 pages for 10 cents each, back in 1939.

[Rich Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is somewhat interesting to hold even a reprint of the first Marvel Comic book in your hands. There's very little here that sets it apart from any other comic book of that era, with the exception of the beautifully murky inking and coloring of Bill Everett's Sub-Mariner. The first adventures of the Human Torch are very primitive artistically, as as those of many other features in this series. But there is that forties' charm to them, especially when you realize that the nooks and crannies of the tales were cliches back then.

The restoration and printing of this first volume is above par. If you are a Marvel fan, or more importantly a Timely Comics fan, then this is a great way to start your reprint collection.

[Edward Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite stories out of these were surprisingly Namor The Sub-Mariner, who hasn't really changed over the decades. The rest of the tales are definitely "of their time", which is a nice way to say not very good. The Angel is probably the worst of the lot, with Ka-Zar a close second, while the Human Torch is simply mediocre.

[Anne Mey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very first comic stories from Marvel and their imagination knew no boundaries at the time ! It's great to see the start of The Human Torch and The Sub Mariner, really fascinating characters. Namor's grumpy attitude is particularly refreshing in the middle of so many heroic figures.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic reprint of these Golden Age of Comics issues. The first appearance of such iconic characters as the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner appear here. Great collection of rare comics. Very recommended

[J.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best stories in here are Ka-zar, Namor, and Electro.