This one begins in Saturday Comics and ends in The Treasure Chest of Terrible Toys.
Everyone knows that Spider-Man’s black costume, which he picked up on an alien planet, turned out to be a symbiote which tried to bond with him and control him. That creature eventually became Venom, one of Spidey’s greatest foes (and bad guy in Spider-Man 3. Hey- is this also a Late Night Movie House crossover? Yeah, why not?)
Anyway, the only thing that can get the alien off of Peter Parker are powerful sonics. Spidey goes to the Fantastic Four where Reed Richards uses a special sonic gun to free Pete and trap the alien. (Not that he stays trapped for long…) Problem is, Spidey had no clothes on under the suit, so he borrowed an old FF costume to go home in. Of course, the Fantastic For do not wear masks, so Spider-Man had to get inventive.
Which brings us to the toy. Eventually every single person in every single panel of every single comic book ever published will get its own action figure. And this is no exception.
Allan Keyes and I are on opposite sides of the fence on this one. He says that this is the one action figure he actually would go out and buy. I think it is totally ridiculous. (BTW- note the packaging. Yet another Spider-man costume variant.)
I just can’t see spending money on this. It was funny in the comic as a two panel joke, but as an action figure? Really? This looks like it is headed to the Island of Misfit Toys to me… or maybe just the Treasure Chest of Terrible Toys.
Why is Saturday Comics being reposted at Christmastime? because this one features not just Batman, not just big apes, not just Jimmy Olsen, but read on for the Christmas Classic Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
You’re welcome.
December 10, 2011
Sometimes comic companies seem to lose their minds. You look at what they put out and you wonder who they expect to buy it. I’m not talking about a badly written story or an issue with bad art, I am talking about a comic whose very cover makes you think that just maybe the publisher has had a stroke. This week I present five WTF? covers and I am proud/sad to say that I own four of them.
There was a time that Batman was so popular that you could put anything on the newsstands and it would sell as long as it had Batman on the cover. Now while I am firmly of the opinion that everything is better with apes, this one leaves me scratching my head.
First of all, the ape is wearing a cowl, presumably to protect its identity. But Batman goes right ahead and blows it by blurting out his name. Way to go, Bruce.
Secondly, the gorilla must have ripped that flag pole out of its base on the roof, and I am just not sure gorillas are that strong. And really, did Batman and Robin have no other way of getting across the rooftops? Did they forget their Batropes at home?
And finally, why? Why bother? Does Batman really need an ape sidekick?
But I have to be honest. If I were a kid I would have totally bought that issue.
Sticking with Big Apes (forgive me) we have this issue of Konga’s Revenge, based on the Ape from Konga which you may recall from The Late Night Movie House of Crap.
This is a comic book starring a giant rampaging ape. Did that not offer enough creative opportunities that the creators found it necessary to send him back in time too? Is Konga that much more exciting when facing a Trojan warrior? In my opinion, once you have a giant ape running amok, why mess with a good thing?
I’ve covered Jimmy Olsen comics before and I am more convinced than ever that DC had no clue what to do with that book.
I must admit that not only do I own this book, I love it. It really is a lot of fun. But above all, you have to admire the sheer ego, gall, and chutzpah it took for Stan Lee and Jack Kirby to put themselves into the comic- and as the stars, no less!
The premise is that, on “our” Earth, the editors and staff of Marvel Comics received a mysterious package that turned them into the Fantastic Four. That’s Stan Lee as Mr. Fantastic, Jack Kirby as The Thing, Sol Brodsky as The Human Torch, and Flo Steinberg as The Invisible Woman. Admittedly, the Marvel bullpen was already legendary, and none more so than Stan and Jack, but to put themselves out there are comic book stars? Sheer hubris.
Honestly, I look at that cover and I cannot decide between “genius” and “crap.” And while I think I fall on the “crap” side of things, I’ve got to say that with a cover like that, how could that comic not sell?
On the other hand, the movie is utter, utter trash.
Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride 
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