Not Brand Echh #6

Marvel's gleefully self-deprecating humor comic hits its Valentine's stride with this 1968 "Big, Batty Love and Hisses Issue!" — and the cover by Marie Severin says it all. A spoof Spider-Man dangles upside-down, camera in hand, over what appears to be a chaotic wedding scene featuring parody versions of the Human Torch (here "the Human Scorch") and a red-haired bride, while a crowd of gag-ified Marvel characters — including stand-ins for Doctor Strange and the Inhumans' Lockjaw among the rowdy assembled guests — shower the proceedings with hearts and rice. Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Tom Sutton, and Sam Rosen bring their talents to the interior laughs, making this one of 1968's most cheerfully unhinged comics for anyone who loves their superheroes served with a side of slapstick.