Aquaman #59 - Mera and Guess Who?

Does Mighty Mera here remind you of someone else? 

Aquaman #59, 1977-8
Juan Ortiz

Hint: This time Mera is not based on the Wasp. The panel's based on a different John Buscema illustration!

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Black Widow in Avengers #83 (1970) John Buscema, with inks by Tom Palmer

Yep, as soon as I saw Mera here, I knew she was based on  Natasha from one of my all-time favorite Avengers comics--the Lady Liberators issue! 

Aquaman #59 Mera

 

More Mera and guess who??

Left: Avengers #57, 1968   John Buscema
Right: Aquaman #59, 1977-8, Juan Ortiz

Aquaman #60: Mera

 As I've mentioned, I stopped reading comics way back at the dawn of the Bronze Age. In the last decade or so I resumed my interest in comics--specifically comic book history--so I've been catching up on the old characters. One of the fun things about reading stories and series that I'd never read before is seeing all the swipes from the Silver Age! I recently posted a few from the Ant-Man series in Marvel Feature.

And now, here's what popped out at me as I was reading the 1978 Mera back-up feature in Aquaman.  This panel immediately caught my eye: 

Aquaman #60,1978
Juan Ortiz, penciler--inked by Vince Colletta

Okay, just Mera punching someone.  Yes, I know--it's a standard typical pose. But upon seeing this panel for the first time, I was strongly reminded of another panel from the Silver Age. Can you guess which one? 

Scroll down. 

Time's up. Let's take a look: 

TOP: Aquaman #60,1978 - Juan Ortiz
BOTTOM: Avengers #60,1968 - John Buscema

 

Yes, it's Big John Buscema again, from Avengers #60! 

Oh, I can hear the chorus now: "But Shaaarrrr--it's just a punch! C'mon, how many different ways can an artist draw a punch?"

Yes, I understand that--but look at the length of the punching upper arm; the other arm in the background; the waist indentation; the curved hip; the knuckles. There are too many similarities. If not a swipe, then the Avengers panel was certainly an inspiration. 

My curiosity piqued, I then took a look at the other stories in this Mera mini-series. And what I found confirmed for me that this was not just a coincidence. Stay tuned!  

Avengers #44 and Marvel Feature #10 - The Red Guardian

 

Avengers #44 (1967) John Buscema
Marvel Feature #10 (1973) P. Craig Russell

Avengers #53 and Marvel Feature #10 - The Black Panther Strikes!

 

Avengers #53 (1968) John Buscema
Marvel Feature #9 (1973) P. Craig Russell

Avengers #42 and Marvel Feature #10 - Cover by John Buscema

 This one's from a John Buscema cover: Avengers #42.

Avengers #42 (1967) John Buscema
Marvel Feature #10 (1973) P. Craig Russell

Check out the complete Avengers #42 cover over at the Grand Comics Database. 

Avengers #59 and Marvel Feature #10 - S'more Buscema

 

Moving on to Marvel Feature #10.

Avengers #59 (1968) John Buscema
Marvel Feature #10 (1973) P. Craig Russell

Avengers #59 and Marvel Feature #9 -- More Buscema, Baby!

More from Avengers #59 and Marvel Feature #9

Avengers #59 (1968) John Buscema
Marvel Feature #9 (1973) P. Craig Russell

Yep, it's the Wasp--and Hank as Yellowjacket and Hank as Ant-Man. 

Jeez Hank 😖  

Avengers #59 and Marvel Feature #9 -- Buscema, Baby!

 Happy 2022, everyone😊

Recently I read some issues of Marvel Feature. I'd never read this series before, so it was an unexpected bonus to come across some Silver Age swipes 😁  Yay!  

Today, Marvel Feature #9, pencils by the great P. Craig Russell, who was just beginning of what would be an illustrious career. Here in this early effort he was credited as "Craig Russell."  Ant-Man and the Wasp were headlining the series. 

Avengers #59 (1968) John Buscema
Marvel Feature #9 (1973) Craig Russell

Fantastic Four #152 (Pt 17) Medusa, Sue, Sub-Mariner, Mahkizmo

                           Fantastic Four 27 (1964) Kirby          Fantastic Four 152 (1974) Buckler               

The Metamorphosis:
We saw Buscema's panel sometime ago. Here are all three side by side--it's a veritable game of telephone!***. 

FF 27 (1964) Kirby                  FF 136 (1973) Buscema          FF 152 (1974) Buckler

***No-prize to True Believers who get the prehistoric reference. 

Avengers #103 and #82 - Quicksilver's Cargo

1970: Avengers #82 John Buscema

1972: Avengers #103 Rich Buckler

Avengers #103 and #75 - Quicksilver Sequence

1972: Avengers #103 Rich Buckler


The above sequence is based on two separate panels from Avengers #75.

1970: Avengers #75 J. Buscema

        1970: Avengers #75 John Buscema

Avengers #103 and #75 - Classic Quicksilver

Pretty standard pose of Quicksilver running at superspeed.

1970: Avengers #75  John Buscema

1972: Avengers #103  Buckler

Avengers #102 and #79 - Quicksilver and Vision Back to Back

1970: Avengers #79  J. Buscema

1972: Avengers #102 Buckler

Avengers #102 and #76 - Arkon and Vision Back to Back

1970: Avengers #76 J. Buscema 1972: Avengers #102 Rich Buckler

Avengers #102 and #58 - Double Vision

(Top) 1968: Avengers #58 - John Buscema
(Bottom) 1972: Avengers #102 - Rich Buckler

Another angle.

                              1968: Avengers #58 - Buscema           1972: Avengers #102 - Buckler                                           

Avengers #102 and #79 - Don't Fear the Grim Reaper

Classic Grim Reaper

(Top) 1970:  Avengers #79 - John Buscema

(Bottom) 1972: Avengers #102 - Rich Buckler

Avengers #101 and #56 - Captain America to the Rescue

(Top) 1968 - Avengers #56  John Buscema
(Bottom) 1972 - Avengers #101 Rich Buckler

Update!
In response to Silver Fox's comment, here's a Kirby image that I'd stumbled on some time ago. It's from Captain America #105 (1968) and when I first saw it I was immediately reminded of Avengers #56 (and by extension #101). However I think the lead time is just too short between Cap #105 and Avengers #56 (the Cap issue was on sale a mere month before the Avengers comic); I doubt Buscema had access to this image. Besides, it's a fairly standard composition. 

Anyway, here's the Kirby image from Cap #105:  

1968: Captain America #105  Jack Kirby

Behold the Vision! Avengers #57 and Marvel Two-In-One #39

Classic Vision stance! First, Vizh flexing some muscle in his debut in Avengers #57-- by Big John, natch...

1968: Avengers #57 - John Buscema 

...and here's Vizh in Marvel Two-In-One #39--Ron Wilson's version.

1978: Marvel Two-In-One #39 - Ron Wilson

The full Buscema panel from #57.

1968: Avengers #57

Black Panther Bonanza! By Buscema, Buscema, and Buckler

First of all, isn't the magnificent, magisterial, glorious, gorgeous, and altogether amazing Chadwick Boseman the perfect Black Panther?  What a performance, and what a film! 

Now as for comics, who's your favorite delineator of the Black Panther? There've been some great work over the years by many excellent artists, but for my money no one drew a more regal, powerful Panther than John Buscema--though others have come mighty close. 

Below, some classic T'Challa art by Big John and disciples.

Top: John Buscema - Avengers #74 (1970)
Bottom: Sal Buscema - Avengers #78 (1970)
Inker on both: Tom Palmer

Top: John Buscema - Avengers #56 (1968)
Bottom: Rich Buckler - Avengers #106 (1972)