The Annotated X-MEN# 9, Part 1
We haven't done an annotation of a Silver Age comic in ages and I think I still have enough room left here. So, let's dig around in the usual mess of old paperbacks, comics, newspaper clippings and general debris. Here we go, from January 1965, THE X-MEN# 9, where our masked mutants tangle with the Avengers. Marvel heroes almost always fought when they met, it was a tradition that some misunderstanding had them tussle. What I found funny was that there were never any hard feelings once things were straightened out. Daredevil and Spider-Man could beat the tar out of each other for a whole issue but the next time they met, there was no lingering resentment. ("Help you catch the Rhino? Don't you remember kicking me in the face a week ago?!")
I have to post these annotations in installments because (let's be honest) I get hopelessly confused trying to put up twenty images in a row, with commentary. Inevitably, some page will be posted twice and another one skipped and I end up spending the whole day trying to straighten things out.
Page 1. Nice splash page. Eleven characters, the title in big letters, the credits and a pair of promotional blurbs, and the page still does not seem crowded. The two teams face each other across the threat of the bad guy while Professor X (shown as a head) referees, which kind of sums up the story. Giant-Man looks quite intimidating there; I always thought Henry Pym had the bad luck to be in a world and on a team where he was hopelessly by the Big Three. Also, Jack Kirby is inked by Chic Stone, one of my favorite inkers for Kirby as he had a bold, solid style that brought out the raw energy and impact. Having Kirby inked by someone who tried to make his art smooth and pretty would have been missing the point, I think.
Page 2. Off and running as Cyclops saves an ocean liner. I'm too polite to mention that most of an iceberg is below the surface and his power beams really should have gone down into the water to do any good, but what the heck, it's a good dramatic moment. Several of the early Marvel heroes got weak and dizzy after using their powers too freely. Matilda and Samuel there in their deck chairs give us some typical fun Stan Lee dialogue.
Page 3. In the first two pages, all the heroes are shown and their powers demonstrated a little. Marvel Girl's mushy interior monologue reminds us that Lee always said he enjoyed writing the romance titles. Unrequited love and romantic triangles played a big part in the characters' motivations. Did she have her own stateroom? These ARE teenagers after all, and hormones run berserk in those years. I am bemused that liner is already out to sea and Cyclops is just now explaining why he brought them on this trip. Why keep them in the dark? Kirby was great but wildly inconsistent. The small rectangular table in the first panel is in front of Cyclops and holds a container for ice cubes and a box of some kind. In panel four, it has moved to Cyke's right side, seems to be six-sided and holds a lamp. Kirby drew fast and furiously, with the creative force blazing, and getting little details like that straight did not seem to be important to him. The final panel has the famous Kirby square fingertips and Chic Stone's dramatic lighting, with the characteristic squiggle on the chin.
Page 4. Okay, here's Professor X deep underground in a motorized wheelchair full of gadgets, tracking down some bad guy named Lucifer. Why he thinks he can handle this better alone than with five super-powered students with him escapes me. I like Lucifer's turnip-shaped helmet with the rather mean-looking mouth opening showing his whiskers. But he should knock off the "unblinking" bit, his eyes are going to dry out.
Page 5. Love that unexplained Silver Age super-science as the artificial dust devil solidifies into a sort of fishbowl around the Prof. We see he's pragmatic enough to be packing a down-to-earth automatic; telepathic powers are fine but his old Army sidearm has its uses. It's never explained why he calls Lucifer "murderer," but Lee probably figured the villain would be coming back and all would be revealed later, selling future issues.
Page 6. Back to the X-Men, loitering around a Bavarian village. This was near the end for young men wearing suits and ties and fedoras as a regular thing. In just a year or so, fashion lost its mind and even middle-aged comic artists had to grudgingly draw hair and clothing more with the times (although Steve Ditko always seemed to think anything much longer than a crewcut was a sign of demonic possession and moral degeneracy). All right, here come the guest stars. Things will start to rock now. Typical Lee and Kirby touch that Thor lands unseen by the X-Men and he doesn't know who those young tourists down the road are. Notice that Thor is being pulled by his hammer and he seems to be coming in fast. Also, Thor in the movies really should wear a winged helmet in a few scenes, even if only for ceremonies and stuff. I like Iron Man's phrase "so-called enchanted hammer", he's still the skeptical technophile despite all he has seen.
Page 7. Har har, a little goofiness before the slugfest begins. Keep the "comic" in comics, I say, some humor adds to the mix. Our tourist almost runs over a few of the X-Men but he's glad to find "normal people at last" (snerk!)
I have to post these annotations in installments because (let's be honest) I get hopelessly confused trying to put up twenty images in a row, with commentary. Inevitably, some page will be posted twice and another one skipped and I end up spending the whole day trying to straighten things out.
Page 1. Nice splash page. Eleven characters, the title in big letters, the credits and a pair of promotional blurbs, and the page still does not seem crowded. The two teams face each other across the threat of the bad guy while Professor X (shown as a head) referees, which kind of sums up the story. Giant-Man looks quite intimidating there; I always thought Henry Pym had the bad luck to be in a world and on a team where he was hopelessly by the Big Three. Also, Jack Kirby is inked by Chic Stone, one of my favorite inkers for Kirby as he had a bold, solid style that brought out the raw energy and impact. Having Kirby inked by someone who tried to make his art smooth and pretty would have been missing the point, I think.
Page 2. Off and running as Cyclops saves an ocean liner. I'm too polite to mention that most of an iceberg is below the surface and his power beams really should have gone down into the water to do any good, but what the heck, it's a good dramatic moment. Several of the early Marvel heroes got weak and dizzy after using their powers too freely. Matilda and Samuel there in their deck chairs give us some typical fun Stan Lee dialogue.
Page 3. In the first two pages, all the heroes are shown and their powers demonstrated a little. Marvel Girl's mushy interior monologue reminds us that Lee always said he enjoyed writing the romance titles. Unrequited love and romantic triangles played a big part in the characters' motivations. Did she have her own stateroom? These ARE teenagers after all, and hormones run berserk in those years. I am bemused that liner is already out to sea and Cyclops is just now explaining why he brought them on this trip. Why keep them in the dark? Kirby was great but wildly inconsistent. The small rectangular table in the first panel is in front of Cyclops and holds a container for ice cubes and a box of some kind. In panel four, it has moved to Cyke's right side, seems to be six-sided and holds a lamp. Kirby drew fast and furiously, with the creative force blazing, and getting little details like that straight did not seem to be important to him. The final panel has the famous Kirby square fingertips and Chic Stone's dramatic lighting, with the characteristic squiggle on the chin.
Page 4. Okay, here's Professor X deep underground in a motorized wheelchair full of gadgets, tracking down some bad guy named Lucifer. Why he thinks he can handle this better alone than with five super-powered students with him escapes me. I like Lucifer's turnip-shaped helmet with the rather mean-looking mouth opening showing his whiskers. But he should knock off the "unblinking" bit, his eyes are going to dry out.
Page 5. Love that unexplained Silver Age super-science as the artificial dust devil solidifies into a sort of fishbowl around the Prof. We see he's pragmatic enough to be packing a down-to-earth automatic; telepathic powers are fine but his old Army sidearm has its uses. It's never explained why he calls Lucifer "murderer," but Lee probably figured the villain would be coming back and all would be revealed later, selling future issues.
Page 6. Back to the X-Men, loitering around a Bavarian village. This was near the end for young men wearing suits and ties and fedoras as a regular thing. In just a year or so, fashion lost its mind and even middle-aged comic artists had to grudgingly draw hair and clothing more with the times (although Steve Ditko always seemed to think anything much longer than a crewcut was a sign of demonic possession and moral degeneracy). All right, here come the guest stars. Things will start to rock now. Typical Lee and Kirby touch that Thor lands unseen by the X-Men and he doesn't know who those young tourists down the road are. Notice that Thor is being pulled by his hammer and he seems to be coming in fast. Also, Thor in the movies really should wear a winged helmet in a few scenes, even if only for ceremonies and stuff. I like Iron Man's phrase "so-called enchanted hammer", he's still the skeptical technophile despite all he has seen.
Page 7. Har har, a little goofiness before the slugfest begins. Keep the "comic" in comics, I say, some humor adds to the mix. Our tourist almost runs over a few of the X-Men but he's glad to find "normal people at last" (snerk!)