Issue(s): Hulk #138
Cover Date: Apr 71
Title: "...Sincerely, the Sandman!"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Herb Trimpe - Penciler
Sam Grainger - Inker

Review/plot:
The Hulk has landed in the ocean after falling from space last issue. The Abomination, who was falling with the Hulk, is nowhere to be seen.

The Sandman is turning back into glass, so he seeks out a doctor who does total blood transfusions. Betty, still in the hospital from her nervous breakdown, is the same blood type as Marko, so she receives his blood and turns into a glass statue.

The Hulk fights the Sandman for a bit, but doesn't rescue Betty.

There's a nice art sequence on pages 10 and 11 showing a dream sequence and then a cutaway of the hospital depicting Bruce and Betty talking at the same time the Sandman threatens the doctor. It's the most experimental i've ever seen Herb Trimpe. It's pretty nice.

Even Trimpe's use of the Sandman is more creative than his previous appearance.

The Marvel Superhero reprint cuts a few panels of Bruce Banner talking to Jim Wilson. The "black" dialogue is pretty bad ("Be leaving in the morning." "Too bad Miss Ross got to stay here, though". "Just keep your baby blues on 'ol Jimbo."). Banner thinks to himself that "When it comes to sheer guts, even Rick Jones had nothing on Jim."

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - Betty turns into a glass statue.

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• The Sandman was turned to glass in Hulk #114. He was cured by the Wizard prior to Fantastic Four #94, but apparently not permanently.
  
• Betty has been in the hospital since Hulk #132 where she had a nervous breakdown because she thought Bruce was trapped inside the Hulk forever.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Super Heroes #88

I like 'the Wishy Washy Wizard'. It goes well with Paste Pot Pete. Perhaps they could've thought of a cool name for the Sandman and gotten Fin-Fang-Foom to replace Medusa.

The Fairly Frightful Four.