The Essential Human Torch volume 1

Essential Human Torch, Vol. 1 by Stan Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Essential Human Torch Volume 1 collects the Human Torch's solo tales from Strange Tales 101-134 + Annual 2. They are by no means essential.

When I was around 12, The Human Torch was one of my favorite characters for some reason. I had a few stories contained in this tome when Marvel reprinted them in the 1970s. This fell into my lap a couple years ago for my birthday and I gnawed through it out of obligation.

Marvel took some interesting chances back in the day, one of which was giving The Human Torch a solo shot in Strange Tales, not knowing that Benjamin J. Grimm would be the solo star of the Fantastic Four AND Marvel's top tough guy until Wolverine usurped his spot.

The stories exemplify the silver age, meaning that they are enjoyable in their own way and are cheesier than a five pound brick of cheddar.

The Human Torch takes on The Wizard, Paste Pot Pete, The Wizard AND Paste Pot Pete, The Eel, Plantman, The Acrobat, the Sorcerer, Asbestos Man, The Sandman, Puppet Master, The Beetle, and others. For the time period, I'd say the stories are average or just below. Nothing earth shattering. Also, every story uses asbestos as a plot device, leading me to think some of Torch's old foes may have contracted mesothelioma. It's weird to think that most of the Frightful Four started off as Human Torch villains rather than Fantastic Four villains, though. There's also an Iceman team up that makes me think Marvel has been leaving money on the table by not doing a Torch and Iceman buddy book.

It's wild to think Marvel had doubts about bringing back Captain America and had him appear in a Human Torch comic to test the waters. Maybe this run's place in history was to serve as a launchpad to bring back Cap? Oh, and The Beatles first appearance in a comic. The Thing co-stars for the last year's worth of tales, probably to see if that made things more interesting. It did.

Jack Kirby does the art on some of these. Naturally, these are the best. Dick Ayers and Bob Powell split most of the rest. I like Dick Ayers when he's inking Kirby but not so much on his own. Double entendre alert - Dick's Thing is awful. Carl Burgos even draws a Torch strip, not long before Marvel brought the original Torch out of mothballs just to have him job to Johnny.

The Essential Human Torch was an enjoyable but unremarkable collection of silver age comics featuring the Human Torch. Three out of five stars.

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