The Avengers #12

Stan Lee // Don Heck
January 1965
**
A standard superteam adventure, as the Avengers take on a megalomaniac & his doomsday device. The villain’s not even new, he’s on loan from the Fantastic Four: a subterranean tyrant & his pale yellow horde. The underground setting, at least, allows Ant-Man to prove he’s not the team’s fifth wheel.
[last issue: The Avengers #11]
[next issue: The Avengers #13]

Daredevil #11

Stan Lee // Bud Powell
December 1965
**

Wood inks, not pencils, his finale with the mag’s first two-parter, some city politics given color by an animal-themed gang. Wood has a great eye for pace, form, & shading—he made magic w/ the shadows for DD’s crimson outfit—but his style, reminiscent of Plastino, may be too straightlaced for the Marvel Era.

last issue: Daredevil #10
next issue: Daredevil #12

also indexed for Dec. ’65
The Avengers #23
The Amazing Spider-Man #31
Strange Tales #139  (Dr. Strange)
Tales of Suspense #72  (Captain America)
The X-Men #15

Daredevil #10

Wally Wood & Bud Powell
October 1965
**

Lee (busy on annuals?) lets Wood pen as well as pencil this conventional tale. As you’d expect from an artist’s story, it’s got a nifty visual hook: a gang fitted in high-tech animal costumes. They work for a hooded villain who aims to spoil a city election—incl. Foggy Nelson, standing for DA.

last issue: Daredevil #9
next issue: Daredevil #11

also indexed for Oct. ’65
The Avengers #21
The Amazing Spider-Man #29
The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2
Journey into Mystery Annual #1  (Thor)
Strange Tales #137  (Dr. Strange)
Tales of Suspense #70  (Captain America)

Daredevil #158

Roger McKenzie // Frank Miller
May 1979
***

The arc climaxes okay: DD duels that shadowy chrono-baddy w/ killer gloves in a graveyard. But the mag gets jazzed up w/ the debut of 22-year-old Frank Miller. Wow! The play of light, shadow & silhouette, the weight of bodies, the angles of panels, & the NY noir display an already mature talent!

last issue: Daredevil #157
next issue: Daredevil #159