Issue(s): Micronauts #39
Cover Date: Mar 82
Title: "Starting over!"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Steve Ditko - Penciler
Dan Bulanadi - Inker
Ann Nocenti - Assistant Editor
Al Milgrom - Editor

Review/plot:
I suspect this is the first issue of the Micronauts that was written specifically with the notion that the series would now be available only on the direct market. I say that in part because it's called "Starting over!", and in part because it begins with the Micronauts invading a comics shop.

Bill Mantlo even makes an appearance.

The rest of the issue definitely serves as a primer for the series, with the Micronauts on Earth discussing their problems and motivations...

...and the main villain, Force Commander, bringing in some help in the form of Duchess Belladonna and Cilicia, characters from earlier issues of the series.

Cilicia sends a wave of Acroyears to attack the Micronauts on Earth, with that second panel below nicely emphasizing the miniature nature of the characters.

What is absolutely amazing to me is that the art on this issue is by Steve Ditko, and while knowing that i can recognize certain facial features and poses, i would never have guessed it if i was just shown the art. Dan Bulanadi is credited with inks; he's not credited as a Layouts/Finishes situation. But that sure seems to be the case. His inks are definitely overpowering Ditko's style, and it's debatable whether or not that's a good thing. Ditko's work around this era has been pretty awful; calling it "old fashioned" doesn't really get to the heart of the problem. And i've wondered on other entries why Marvel didn't get him a stronger inker. But at the same time, what's the point of having Ditko on the book if it's going to look nothing like Ditko? But Bulanadi does a good job keeping this issue looking like previous ones, and it certainly is interesting to see this pairing.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• The Micronaut's ship the Endeavor has been damaged due to attacks beginning in Micronauts #35.
  
• While attacking some Micronauts toys in the comic shop, Bug shouts "Yay *tik* hoo!", which is a phrase he says he learned from Nick Fury in Micronauts #26.
  
• The toys are "like the kind made by Prof. Prometheus" in Micronauts annual #2.
  
• At the end of this issue, the Micronauts realize that humans have made their way to the Microverse before, so they should have the ability to do so too. They refer to Professor Prometheus and Ray Coffin in Micronauts #6 and the Fantastic Four in Micronauts #15.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I may have said this in a different post, but I think Bulandi was an excellent inker that always went under the radar. To me, this is proof. Ditko’s art was awful and dated by this time, but Bulandi manages to make it look like 80’s Marvel house style.

I hope Ditko didn't waste too much time on this because whatever lines he put on the paper are no longer there. I see no traces of his usual stock poses or facial expressions. Makes me wonder if he might deliberately have been trying to suppress his signature style. (Far be it from me to suggest that he might have ghosted the job out).

Well we know there's no chance that Ditko drew that Spider-Man picture in the second scan