Marvel Team-Up #1
Published and © by Marvel, March 1972
Title: “Have Yourself A Sandman Little Christmas!”
Synopsis: Spider-Man and the Human Torch team on Christmas Eve in an effort to thwart the Sandman’s not-so-nefarious plan.
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Ross Andru
Inker: Mike Esposito
Review: With this so-so Christmas tale, Marvel jumps into the superhero-team-up-title business – a trend that proved quite popular during the Bronze Age (see also: Marvel Two-in-One [reviews], The Brave & the Bold [reviews], etc.). This Roy Thomas story is serviceable at best, with a plot that’s light on action and bereft of drama. The script offers some nice character moments between Spider-Man and the Torch, but much of Spidey’s patented banter falls flat. Also a bit flat is the journeyman art of Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. Not an awful debut, but Marvel Team-Up’s best days were still to come.
Grade: B-
Cool factor: “Two of Marvel’s Mightiest … ” for 20¢!
Notable: It was later revealed in Marvel Team-Up #64 that the unnamed mugging victim in this issue is actually Misty Knight.
Character quotable: “If I ever lost Gwen, I’d cry ‘humbug’ with the loudest of ’em!” – Spider-Man, with an internal monologue that’s a little tragic in hindsight
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on Dec. 3, 2012.
