Single Issue Hall of Fame: Tales of Suspense #62

This was one of the first Silver Age books I ever bought, and Tales of Suspense #62 still holds up as my favourite of the Cap/Iron Man period. Let's start with the Captain America story. It's fairly derivative, but it save by the spectacular Kirby art (inked by Chic Stone). This is one of the first times I really 'got' Kirby. The crazy fight sequence with the extraordinary fluidity of motion really grabs your attention. According to the GCD, this one has been reprinted 73 times. The Iron Man story, on the other hand, is much more narrative driven. The Mandarin captures Iron Man, and like any good villain worth his salt, selects this as the perfect time to deliver a soliloquy. It's quite well done, and Don Heck's artwork is glorious. It's fairly topical, as Chinese Communists and the impact of the Great Leap Forward plays a role in what makes a Mandarin. All in all, it's a fine issue - a testament to what Lee, Kirby and Heck could crank out with dizzying speed.