Essential Ant–Man

(Marvel, 2002)
™ and © 2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Tales to Astonish was a short story anthology series that gave birth to some of Marvel’s greatest heroes. Essential Ant-Man reprints about stories from Tales to Astonish #27 and #35 through #69 in a black and white, ad-free format.

Highlights include the reprinted issue 27, when we are first introduced to Henry Pym, a scientist who develops a reducing potion and ends up having his life saved by one lone ant. “The Man in the Ant Hill” was a nice stand-alone story, typical of the horror genre of the time. Then eight issues later, Stan Lee returned readers to Dr. Pym, who has now fixated so much of his studies on ants that he devises a protective helmet and costume to wear as he studies them in depth. Thus, the Amazing Ant-Man is born.

By issue 44, it was decided that Ant-Man needed a partner. And so the Wonderful Wasp was introduced. Unlike other sidekicks, the Wasp was a young woman looking for adventure, and stories soon began playing around with idea of a romance between the two main characters.

And don't miss another momentous change was introduced in issue 49, when Dr. Pym decided to double his options by creating an enlarging formula that allows him to switch from Ant-Man to Giant-Man with the popping of a capsule from his belt.

— Ron Black

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Notes

Writer

Artist

#1

February, 2002
Cover Price: $14.95
1 copy available for $11.00

Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, H.E. Huntley, Al Hartley, Leon lazarus

Jack Kirby, Don Heck, Dick Ayers, Larry Lieber, Steve Ditko, Carl Burgos, Bob Powell