Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #95

Review: To be honest, I have never understood the phrase, “a world he never made.” It is closely associated with Howard the Duck (trapped in one) and it supplies the title for this Hulk tale. The question is, Who has ever lived in a world he did make?

[Brian Cronin of CBR had a column revealing the quotation’s source in a poem by A.E Houseman, “The Laws of God, the Laws of Man.”  It’s the poet having a hissy fit over not being his own god. There were so many theological and psychological red flags in that poem that it took me a week to finish writing this paragraph.]

Oh, right…the story. So Hulk is on his way to meet the High Evolutionary though he has no idea why or how to work the ship. Then he meets Sir Ram who can fix everything; Ram navigates the storm and dies. Then Hulk Banners out. All of this is witnessed by the High E who shows himself a bit of a drama queen, wanting Hulk, then he’s up (Hulk is coming), he’s down (cosmic storm), he’s up (storm over), he’s down (Hulk changes to Banner), and in the end, he’s up for a cliffhanger (Bruce is his new guinea pig). All while trembling at the thought of his rebellious New Men. Meanwhile, Hulk and Bruce have some confusing bits of their own. Fast paced sci-fi adventure.

And Subby is still in his bad mood. Dr. Walter Newell (the future Stingray) builds an underwater city for various scientific purposes and Namor’s first impulse is to destroy it. That’s his second and third instincts, too. In fact, it takes a major disaster in the form of an enemy attack, cracked dome, and the villain slaughtering refugees to let Namor allow Dorma to persuade him to save lives. The action is rather confusing and it isn’t clear why anyone survived an underwater city being flooded. And the villain pressing a button to let Namor into his sub, squabbling, then pressing another button to eject Namor is rather comical.

Comments: Hulk story: Part two of three parts. First meeting of Bruce Banner and the High Evolutionary.

Subby story: Part one of five parts. First appearance of Dr. Walter Newell, who becomes the hero Stingray in SUB-MARINER #19. The Plunderer is Parnival Plunder, brother to Ka-Zar, introduced in DAREDEVIL #12-14 and 24; this is his next appearance, and his first without either Ka-Zar or Daredevil. Story co-written by Raymond Marais.

The letters page includes one by Jim Dee, who may be the “Comics for Sale” zine pioneer of that name; there is also one signed “Battery Locker "E" Div.”