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Tales to Astonish #87: Review

Jan 1967
Stan Lee, John Buscema

Story Name:

The Humanoid And The Hero!


Synopsis

Tales to Astonish #87 Synopsis by Librarian

This content is being supervised.



Story #2

Moment of Truth!

Synopsis

Credits: Writer: Stan Lee. Pencils: Bill Everett. Inks: Bill Everett. Colors: ? Letters: Art Simek.

Synopsis: Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner is heading for Columbus Circle in New York where Lady Dorma and Warlord Krang are being held by the army as bait for Namor. Krang’s treatment is wearing off, his and Dorma’s skin turning blue again and they are losing the ability to breathe out of water. Dorma sends a mental warning to Namor about the trap so he is ready to leap into the air and fly away as the army opens fire on him. A shell grazes his arm as he swoops down and carries off the captives, diving into the sea to revivify all three of them. When freed, Krang attacks the wounded Namor, punching him mercilessly while boasting of how he will take the throne. Dorma rushes into the city and has Lord Vashti operate the Royal Teleportation Beam, bringing Namor and Krang into the palace. Namor is rushed to the Medi-Ray chamber where his serious wound (from the shell a few pages earlier) is healed….

Namor convenes his court to pass judgment on Krang and Dorma. The Warlord is defiant so Namor challenges him to a fight between them for the throne of Atlantis. And to compensate for his prodigious strength, Namor allows Krang to employ any kind of armor or weapons he chooses while Namor will fight unarmed in only his green Speedo. Krang dresses in electrified armor and faces his foe. Namor takes him down in only seven panels. He then sentences Krang to solitary confinement in the furthest deeps. Then Dorma is brought before him and Namor, having had the whole story of how she was deceived by Krang into agreeing to marry him, decrees that she shall henceforth sit beside him as a peer. And they live happily ever after, though the last panel promises “The greatest threat of all” in the next issue….



 

Review / Commentaries

Rating:
4 stars

Tales to Astonish #87 Review by (June 26, 2024)
First time the Hulk transforms into Bruce Banner in front of Betty Ross, Thunderbolt Ross, Glenn Talbot, and others. First time the Hulk collapses in the outcome of a fight.

Review and Additional Comments by Peter SilvestroAnother adrenaline rush of an issue with Bruce now transforming at the strangest times (seeing Rick Jones in danger? Wasn’t that what got him here in the first place?). The Humanoid makes for an exciting foe, one who can outfight the Hulk and we don’t see those too often. And Boomerang is readying himself for the next issue, having run out of things to say to himself. The surprising bit is that Glenn Talbot turns out to be a decent guy: he has the opportunity to destroy Hulk twice but does the right thing both times. And Ross sees Bruce as a hero, sort of, and one who should be listened to. These two instances of decency on behalf of Hulk’s military enemies will likely change and very soon as the previous status quo provides more grist for cool stories.

And it all wraps up with a fight between Namor and Krang, the Snidely Whiplash of the briny deep, for the throne of Atlantis. Nice simple tale carries a strong emotional wallop as the hero defeats the villain and humiliates him. Or it would be if Subby weren’t such a cold unlikable good guy. But he’s the designated hero so we’ll cheer for him—up until he’s the one to send a tsunami at New York over a perceived slight.

Hulk story: Inker Mike Esposito credited as Mickey D. Letterer Art Simek credited as Artie S.

Subby story: Part eight of eight parts, four of which were unnecessary. Krang returns in issue #91; that didn’t take long. GCD mentions Marie Severin contributed to the pencils and Frank Giacoia and Dick Ayers did some inking.




> Tales to Astonish comic book info and issue index

Elektra

This comic is in the following collection:
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Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK (1962) #1-6, TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #100, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #102, and material from TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #59-99 and #101.

Excelsioring your collection:
Statue Hulk (Battle of New York) 1/10 - Infinity Saga - BDS Art Scale - Iron Studios
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

John Buscema
Mike Esposito
?
Gil Kane (Cover Penciler)
Gil Kane (Cover Inker)
Stan Goldberg (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Art Simek.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Betty Ross
Betty Ross

(Elizabeth Ross)
Boomerang
Boomerang

(Frederick Myers)
Bruce Banner
Bruce Banner

(Robert Bruce Banner)
Hulk
Hulk

(Robert Bruce Banner)
Sub-Mariner
Sub-Mariner

(Namor McKenzie)