Tales to Astonish 39

In this issue:

The Vengeance of the Scarlet Beetle!
10 pages :: Jack Kirby/Dick Ayers
reprinted in Marvel Tales 4

A battle atop a water fountain and a really silly (but fun) monster. Its too bad they didn't have some continuity and use one of their earlier insect monsters to take on the Ant-Man.

Yeah! Ant-Man vs. Grottu! Ant-Man vs. Krang! Maybe Henry Pym would have developed his growth serum and become Giant-Man earlier to take on either of these.

The Scarlet Beetle battled Henry Pym again years later in the back-up story in Iron Man (1st series) #44!

This comic had one of the more attractive covers of the silver age. Inside Kirby made a comic that consisted almost soley of drawings of ants and beetles look interesting. To most any other artist it would have been a nightmare and a paycheck. While the story was pure schlock, as one would expect from the times, it held my interest. The backup story by Don Heck was charming. And the Ditko story at the end, was a rare gem that fitted into Stan Lee's claim as a “little O. Henry style story”.

My mom bought me this comic book when I was a kid. I had a very large comic book collection at the time. The Ant-Man was my favorite super-hero, due to his cool costume. The main reason that I liked this book so much is the 3rd story, THE TOY SOLDIERS, by Lee & Ditko. It's a classic fantasy story, and as a kid, I read it many times. I still have a copy of this great comic book, and I still read it now & then.

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