The Human Torch & The Thing: Strange Tales - The Complete Collection

Strange Tales (1951) #101-134, Annual #2

by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber (Writer), Jerry Siegel (Writer)

Collects Strange Tales Annual #2 and material From Strange Tales (1951) #101-134. After the Fantastic Four's groundbreaking debut, readers couldn't get enough of Marvel's innovative new heroes - especially the Human Torch! So Stan Lee and Jack Kirby gave the fiery teen sensation his own series in the pages of STRANGE TALES! After a hot streak of solo stories, the Torch was joined by the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing, and the two teammates tackled some of the wildest ne'er-do-wells of the Silver the Wizard, the Sandman, the Rabble Rouser, Plantman and the one and only Paste-Pot Pete! Also featuring Marvel's first fire-and-ice battle between the Torch and the X-Men's Iceman - and guest stars Spider-Man, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman!

Genres: Comics, Marvel

520 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2018

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[Gary Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Underappreciated Silver Age Marvel Series that Complements The Fantastic Four

Fun stuff! This collection boasts a whopping 35 Human Torch stories from 1962 through 1965. Most run about 12 pages, and many co-star the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing. The stories are all lighthearted in tone, even silly sometimes (see, e.g., #130, "Meet the Beatles!"), but all are FUN!

These 35 issues of Strange Tales also parallel The Fantastic Four issues 7 through 40, and reading them in tandem is a rewarding experience. Stan Lee plotted and/or scripted 34 of the issues, and Jack Kirby penciled 10 of them. Dick Ayers penciled the bulk of the stories, with the Torch's Golden Age creator Carl Burgos drawing one issue (123) and another Golden Ager Bob Powell penciling the final five (the last of which was inked by erstwhile EC artist extraordinaire Wally Wood).

A notable scripter was Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel penning two issues under the nom de plume Joe Carter. Another prolific DC scripter moonlighting at Marvel was Robert Bernstein, who wrote two issues as "R. Berns." There was titanic talent on display in this oft-overlooked Silver Age series.

There was also an impressive cast of characters who went on to bigger things in other titles. For example, half the Frightful Four debuted in this series: The Wizard in #102 and Paste-Pot Pete (later rechristened the Trapster) in #104. Serpent Squad founding member The Eel first appeared in #112. Spider-Man villain The Beetle debuted in the Burgos-illustrated #123. And still-new super-villains made memorable sophomore appearances here, such as the Mad Thinker, the Puppet Master, the Sandman, and even Kang the Conqueror. "Captain America" makes his first-Silver Age appearance (but note my scare quotes!). Iceman, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch from the fledgling X-Men title turn up, as do the Watcher, Sub-Mariner, and even ol' Webhead himself in that classic 18-page Strange Tales Annual #2 story that set the tone for the Torch and Spidey's rivalry for decades to comes, as well as establishing the head of the Statue of Liberty as their meeting place.

I can't think of a single issue I didn't enjoy. Some yarns were better than others, of course, but none were unreadably bad (well, looking back, a couple came close: the Rabble Rouser in #119 and the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver story in #128). The early ones show Lee, Kirby, and Ayers still in monster-mode, with "Prisoner of the Fifth Dimension" (#103), "The Painter of a Thousand Perils" (#108), and The Sorcerer and Pandora's Box" (#109) each harkening back to the Atlas-era (and all by Lee and Kirby). These are among my favorites.

The early issues also find Johnny and Sue living in a house together in the Long Island suburb of Glenville. There's a sitcom-style charm to these stories as Johnny bristles under Sue's doting and mothering. One of my favorites is #106 where the impetuous Johnny quits the Fantastic Four, dons a beret, and joins forces with the acrobat Carl Zante to form the Torrid Twosome!

The Torch and Thing battle in #116, and in #123 the Thing becomes a regular co-star. I thought the Torch was carrying the book just fine all alone, highlighted with occasional appearances by the FF, but I admit the book became more fun with the Thing's coming aboard. Lee could really write "banter" and he pulled out the stops here.

Speaking of Lee, the one issue he neither plotted nor scripted was #132, "The Sinister Space Trap." It was written by Larry Ivie, a name I was unfamiliar with. I see on Wikipedia he was what was once called a Big Name Fan who created an impressive body of work in several media. It's a shame he's not as well known as he should be. The story he wrote was a good one, even if text-heavy even by Silver Age standards.

The final Torch-Thing tale found the Watcher sending our heroes back to the days of King Arthur. Kang had come, imprisoned Merlin, banished Arthur, and taken over the Round Table. It's a fun story to read but even more to look at with those Wally Wood inks. Wood (and later Jim Starlin) just couldn't draw the Thing's rocky body very well, but that's a mere bagatelle. With this issue the Torch and Thing were edged out of the title to make way for Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, who debuted in #135.

I'm glad they reprinted these in color. The Essential Human Torch floated me over. I hoped for an Omnibus edition, but I don't see that happening. This trade paperback is easier to hold and read anyway. I enjoyed these stories one at a time every few days. I don't think they'd hold up under binge-reading. Enjoy!

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange Tales is an entertaining companion titles to the main Fantastic Four series by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It stars the Human Torch, with later co-star The Thing, as he goes around being a superhero. He has his own cast of enemies, some of which are or would later become Fantastic Four villains. It starts off as a prototype for Spider-Man, with Stan Lee plotting Johnny Storm before the Amazing Spider-Man ongoing begins, but slowly evolves into being a straight-forward companion series to Fantastic Four. Villains from past issues show up again with personal vendettas against the Human Torch, or Fantastic Four villains decide to fight the Fantastic Four and start by singling out the Human Torch.

The early Fantastic Four comics had an interesting dynamic to them, if a little flat. Reed Richards was the genius who was also a demanding jerk, Sue Storm was yet another generic sexist depiction of women that Stan lee was known for, Ben Grimm was a tough guy with a lot of heart, and Johnny Storm was often comic relief as the young and reckless kid. Giving Human Torch his own title in Strange Tales made him more fleshed out- instead of being used for jokes he had his own arc every issue. Without the other three to bounce off of, Johnny was more introspective. Without the other three using their powers, Johnny had to be more creative and inventive with how he used his flame. It showed a different side of the Human Torch than you would see in Fantastic Four while still being true to his representation in that title.

Strange Tales is rarely a mind-blowing title. My favourite issues were #107 (Human Torch vs Namor), #108 (featuring alien technology that ran on art), and #120 (Human Torch teams up with Iceman). Some of the earlier issues in the run offered a hit-or-miss but still unique take on the character, and while later issues (co-starring The Thing) were stronger as a whole they ended up reading as nothing more than inferior Fantastic Four stories. The art is good for a Silver Age title coming from Marvel, with a lot of great flame effects to display Human Torch's powers, but most of the new character designs created specifically for Strange Tales don't have the same flair as those from the Fantastic Four title itself. Many of the reused villains aren't the ones that have stuck around since the 60s and for a good reason.

If you're looking for something to supplement your Fantastic Four reading, Strange Tales offers a nice change of pace. If your favourite member of the Fantastic Four is the Human Torch, Strange Tales gives you more of him and is worth checking out. But if you're looking for some hidden gems of the Silver Age, there are plenty of other titles to choose from. The best parts of Strange Tales are the other halves of the issue that feature the first appearance (and historic run) of Steve Ditko (and Stan Lee) on "Dr. Strange". There's some good humour, and a few interesting stories, but this Complete Collection isn't one I would recommend on its own merits.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

This reminds me of people’s first attempts to replicate Star Wars’ transcendence. Star Wars comes on the scene and everyone realizes the landscape of film, of fantasy, of storytelling had changed, but they had yet to truly know how. And so even within the Star Wars brand itself, the first attempts to replicate and expand it, much of its language fell back into what was known prior. Roy Thomas (a comic writer I respect) does a poor Magnificent Seven/Seven Samurai knock off with Star Wars trappings as the first comic sequel. Alan Dean Foster can’t really get the language down despite ghost writing the film novelization. Most telling, Leigh Brackett, an accomplished and gifted Sci Fi writer of all mediums, is tasked to write the first script of Empire Strikes Back and misses the mark thoroughly. Nothing of her script remains in the final product (and she would die before she could make a second pass) because people could not yet replicate the language of the film. Certainly Empire would codify and cement the concept of Star Wars in its rabid fan-base, but prior, everyone knew the world had changed, they just could not yet replicate it. (Alien got it, but that’s a rare exception)

So, Fantastic Four had transformed a genre. The world was not the same. But the Human Torch stories in Strange Tales shows how they didn’t necessarily all know the why and how the language of their craft had changed. And these stories suffer mightily for that lack.

I could go on, but suffice it to say, this is the first (and arguably the only) failure of that 61-65 stretch of the birth of the Marvel Age of Comics. (Thor was awful to begin, but was great by the time Human Torch and the Thing got the boot from Strange Tales). I give it an additional star because I love continuity and it’s place in history. Heck, I probably love it a little because it is the “bad one”.

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bello corposo questo volume.
I Fantastici Quattro erano da poco più di un anno in edicola, negli USA, quando Lee e Kirby decisero di dare un serial proprio alla Torcia Umana, il personaggio all'epoca più popolare. Lo fanno facendo incontrare la Torcia con l'Uomo Ragno nel secondo annual di Strange Tales.
Storia particolare, perché vede all'opera Stan Lee ai testi, Jack Kirby alle matite (e lui detestava disegnare l'Uomo Ragno) e Steve Ditko alle chine (e lui l'Uomo Ragno l'aveva co-creato).
Poi, dal numero 101 di Strange Tales, partì il serial dedicato alla Torcia Umana prima, e poi alla Torcia ed alla Cosa.
Avventure in qualche caso decisamente naif, e di qualità altalenante sia per i testi sia per i disegni.
Quando c'era Stan Lee tutto sommato la storia non era brutta, a volte anche bella. Interessante il suo trattamento di alcuni buffi supervillain, quale Paste-Pot Pete o la creazione di Wizard e del primo Eel; nonché la storia con Namor.
I disegni sono quelli più altalenanti. Con Kirby si va sul sicuro, con gli altri meno. Se Dick Ayers si difende bene, così non si può dire degli altri.

Nel complesso siamo tranquillamente sulle 3 stelle, ma non consiglierei la lettura a chi non è interessato alla storia della Marvel.

[Al McCarty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection starts out strong. Goofy, but strong, due to some great Kirby art. Nothing beats that first appearance of Paste Pot Pete, lugging his sloppy paste bucket around, wearing his floppy beret. The Painter of A Thousand Perils is another gem. I lost interest toward the end and skimmed the last few stories.

[Edward Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took such a long time to read ,what with it's dense narrative, which made it great value for money. I love the kitschy 60s stories which, though short, were detailed, fun, and important to real fans of the FF.

[Ekenedilichukwu Ikegwuani · Rating 2 out of 5]

these comics are extremely subpar given the concurrently running fantastic four comics. the only smart decision they made was deciding to just end the charade of the torch even having a secret identity

[Pochodnia fandomu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jako solówka Johnny'ego Storma jest to naprawdę solidna część historii. Jego początki są tu cudownie nakreślone absurdalnością fabuł lat 60. i nie da się nie patrzeć na to inaczej.

[cc · Rating 3 out of 5]

johnny constantly getting in trouble with his girlfriend and ruining his dates bc he keeps ‘flaming on’…… i know what you are

[Kris Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why these stories weren't reprinted with early Fantastic Four in the Omnibus or Epics is beyond me.

There are some terrific Silver Age reads in this honorary Epic Collection.

[radueriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

the constant bickering between Torch and the Thing is unfortunately annoying and not charming

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s rather tough for me to give a collection like this, with Jack Kirby work from the early 60s and featuring my favorite member of the Fantastic Four, such a low rating. But these tales don’t have anywhere near the same quality as the stories from that same era of the Fantastic Four magazine did. Kirby is only involved with about 10 of the 35 stories included here, and they are certainly the best of the bunch. Some of the others are little more than gimmicky riffs of super-powered feuds between lame-brained, glory-hounds. What this volume does offer though, is some fun, fast-paced adventures that do tie-in, and eventually pay off in surprising ways, with the simultaneously published Fantastic Four title. In these pages, we are introduced to the Wizard, Paste-Pot-Pete, the Acrobat, the Eel, the Plantman, the Barrcuda, the Beetle, the Man in the Mystery Mask, among other even less auspicious villains. But we also have guest stars like the other members of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Watcher, Iceman, the Beatles, and even Captain America (BEFORE his reintroduction and appearance in Avengers #4. How does that happen? Spoilers!). There are retuning villains from other magazines, like the Mad Thinker, the Puppet Master, Quicksilver & the Scarlet Witch, the Sandman, and even Kang the Conqueror. And if one thing should stand out, it’s the names of the Wizard, the Sandman, and Paste-Pot-Pete (who’ll eventually become more well-known as the Trapster). These three eventually form three-fourth’s of the team the Frightful Four and in this very volume the groundbreaking roots of this antithesis team to the Fantastic Four are told. It even includes the first villain team-up between the Wizard and Paste-Pot-Pete, creating the foundation upon which the Frightful Four will grow. These stories also feature some interesting character development for the Human Torch and the Invisible Girl as they are seen trying to live a fairly normal life in a small town on Long Island away from the Baxter Building. This allows for some silly shenanigans that would not have worked in the pages of the Fantastic Four and the confines of their midtown skyscraper headquarters. So this collection isn’t a complete masterpiece, but it’s still a lot of fun and I do enjoy reading these stories along side the early issues of the Fantastic Four.