Tales to Astonish (1959) #87

A strong comic issue should offer a reason to care before the machinery of the plot takes over, and Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 understands that principle. The issue was published on 1 January 1967 as part of Tales to Astonish, with Hulk Killer providing the clearest point of entry. Its premise connects the supporting cast with questions of duty and courage. That combination gives the opening a purpose beyond simply announcing another adventure.

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Story momentum in Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 comes from the gap between what Hulk Killer wants and what the situation will realistically allow. Developments involving the supporting cast draw attention to conflict, while the opposing force widens the consequences beyond a private disagreement. The issue is more engaging than its simple setup suggests, although not every idea receives equal attention. Its best turn is the one that changes our understanding of the people involved as well as the practical problem before them.

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Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 finds useful drama in the contrast between public confidence and private uncertainty. Hulk Killer can appear capable in one moment and uncertain in the next, while the supporting cast can suggest a contrasting response to duty. That friction creates personality without reducing either side to a simple function of the plot. Smaller reactions also help the opposing force feel connected to the wider social world of Tales to Astonish.

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On the page, Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 benefits from writing credited to Stan Lee, particularly when dialogue is allowed to carry tension indirectly. Exposition is most effective when it emerges through disagreement, urgency or a revealing change of mind. The language occasionally carries the habits of 1967, but those habits are also part of the issue's historical voice. More importantly, Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 keeps returning to courage as an emotional concern rather than treating it as a slogan.

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Visually, Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 is carried by pencilling credited to John Buscema. Composition keeps the eye moving in the intended direction, and stillness is used well when Hulk Killer needs a reaction to register. The catalogue does not identify a separate cover artist, so the interior visual credit remains the clearest documented influence. Even when the available space is busy, Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 usually knows which image should carry the dramatic weight.

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Published on 1 January 1967, Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 belongs to Marvel history while still working as an individual piece of storytelling. Beneath the immediate conflict, the issue returns to duty, courage and conflict. Those ideas work best when expressed through mistakes, compromises and moments of courage. The comic format and Marvel imprint place the publication within a wider catalogue, yet its strongest pleasures remain specific to these characters and this particular problem.

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Taken as a whole, Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 is more engaging than its simple setup suggests and easy to recommend to readers exploring Marvel's catalogue in order. Readers should expect that not every idea receives equal attention, but that limitation does not erase the energy of the writing or the usefulness of the visual storytelling. The part I kept returning to was how the dilemma around Hulk Killer turns a question of sacrifice into something personal. By the closing pages, Tales to Astonish (1959) #87 feels like a complete encounter with Marvel history rather than a record that exists only to fill a gap.