Tower Comics produced some memorable heroes in a very short time, thanks mostly to the artistic genius of Wally Wood and others of his generation. The most powerful member of the THUNDER Agents was Dynamo. But in his other persona he was Len Brown, a hapless hard-luck chap who failed often at love and was almost always attempting to recoup his reputation as knucklehead moves in the field. Dynamo might have been the stupidest hero ever, but even then I am forced to admit I identified with his failings.
The THUNDER Agents tapped into both the spy craze of the time as well as the superhero craze, bonding (pun intended) several adventure tropes. Like super-spies, Dynamo was armed with the Thunderbelt, a device which was specific to his body chemistry and gave him his vast strength as well a measure of invulnerability. Dynamo was a high-tech Superman.
But Dynamo is on my favorites list because of the artwork of Wally Wood. Wood was an exceedingly itinerant artist who fashioned stellar pages of comic artwork using suspect techniques. But all I ever knew was that any comic with the name of Wally Wood attached to it looked better than most of the other comics on the stands. Helped by stalwarts like Chic Stone, Steve Ditko, and Gil Kane as well as assistants like Dan Adkins and Ralph Reese, the Tower pages continue to glow with a quality apart from the average comic of the time.
Rip Off
Now if only Stan Lee or Roy Thomas had scripted them, they may have lasted longer. They did look great though.
ReplyDeleteWho can ever know, but my choice would have been Archie Goodwin. Any would have been fantastic.
DeleteRip Off
Tower Comics had a great premise that came in the whirlwind of the 60s spy craze. Great characters and very nice Wood art here.
ReplyDeleteTower always seemed to be about the artwork, but it was a dazzling blend of two Silver Age fads.
DeleteRip Off
I've never heard of Dynamo, but stupidest hero ever? Interesting, I may have to check him out.
ReplyDelete