“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 178

22 Sunday Jun 2025

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 178, Frightful Four, George Perez, Marvel comics, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four 178
“Call My Killer — The Brute!”
Published October 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: David Hunt
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Hunt
Editor: Thomas
Cover: John Romita and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

The Thing is retrieved from the Negative Zone and captured by the Frightful Four alongside the rest of the Fantastic Four, Tigra and Thundra. The villains announce a billion dollar ransom for the team, but the city of New York is unable to deliver and the team faces death when the Impossible Man coincidentally pulls the plug on the Baxter Building’s power, freeing the heroes. They defeat the Frightful Four and the evil Reed Richards of Counter-Earth is apparently exiled to the Negative Zone — but it is revealed that it’s the real Reed, and the evil Reed has secretly infiltrated the Fantastic Four.

What’s going on here?

If last issue was an example of a successfully whimsical issue, this one is a successful return to classic adventure storytelling. There are some gags, but it’s mostly a taut, action-packed issue that delivers on the implicit promise of all Fantastic Four comics. The evil Reed / Brute plot creates suspense and the rest of the Frightful Four are just menacing enough to be compelling villains. Roy Thomas has struggled to stick the ending of his previous multi-part story arcs—which unfortunately tend to end with a whimper, not a bang—but I’m hopeful the payoff of this one will match the buildup.

This issue again features excellent George Perez pencils, and unusually, he’s inked not by Joe Sinnott but Dave Hunt (who also colored this issue). For better or worse, Sinnott had been inking the FF for more than a decade by this point and no matter the penciler, he brought a uniform, consistent look to the comic. Under Hunt’s inks, Perez’s pencils look lighter and crisper, and it’s a preview of what we will come to see from him on New Teen Titans, where he was inked by Romeo Tanghal.

I’m not that familiar with Hunt, who had a 30-year career as an inker, letterer and colorist. He seems like a classic comic journeyman. Also of note is the return of John Romita as cover artist (inked by Sinnott). He was then serving as Marvel’s art director, and I suspect he came to the rescue as an emergency fill-in.

What I liked

There’s a great fight scene in this comic, brilliantly choreographed by Perez, with the Fantastic Four and Frightful Four trading partners. It’s a lot of fun.

This issue also featured an amusing tour of politicians responding to the Frightful Four’s ransom demands. Often real politicians in comics are only alluded to but here it’s quite explicitly Abe Beame who is the mayor. The others are pretty obvious too. Ford’s comment is a reference to Washington’s refusal to bail out New York in 1975 (“Ford to City: Drop Dead”). Note this issue came out the weeks before the 1976 presidential election.

As mentioned, the business with evil Reed-slash-the Brute is pretty effective. This is a powerful sequence from Perez:

And while the switcheroo at the end was a bit predictable, it lends itself to a nice cliffhanger:

And I really liked this exchange between Ben and Reed, which reveals the family dynamic that’s at the core of the FF:

What I didn’t like

The issue opens with Ben drifting in the Negative Zone, but is instantly transported back to the Baxter Building with no real explanation. It suggests Thomas didn’t really have a plan after last issue and was making it up as he went along.

Anything else?

Some fun ads in this comic:

Overall

An excellent Fantastic Four comic book

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 177

15 Sunday Jun 2025

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 177, Frightful Four, George Perez, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four 177
“Look Out For The Frightful Four!”
Published Sept. 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Marie Severin
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four confront the Frightful Four (really, just three) in the Baxter Building and are subdued by the Trapster’s booby trap. Imprisoned, they are forced to watch the villains audition a potential fourth member. Among them is Tigra, who initially pretends to be a villain before freeing the Human Torch and the Thing. In the ensuing battle, a villain named the Brute appears and manages to force the Thing into the Negative Zone. The Brute is then revealed to be a transformed version of Reed Richards from Counter Earth.

What’s going on here?

Like last issue, much of this comic is ridiculous and played for laughs. But unlike last issue, which was self-indulgent and tiresome, this comic is a lot of fun. The central conceit — the Frightful Four are auditioning new members and for reasons unexplained, they want the Fantastic Four to watch — makes no sense. But it allows for a procession of characters both new and familiar to troop through the Baxter Building and interact with the pompous Wizard and the hapless Sandman and Trapster. It’s a clever idea and one well executed by Thomas, aided by Perez’s stellar artwork.

While mostly a goof, the story does end in a dramatic showdown and big reveal, with a classically Thomasian call-back to an obscure comic, in this case Warlock 6 and 7, where the Brute was first introduced. I am completely unfamiliar with this character, and had to dredge up the issue to find out on this version of Earth, he alone was transformed by the cosmic rays and during a full moon, transforms into a purple monster. In the Warlock comic, he was manipulated by Man-Beast into battling Adam Warlock. At some point he turned evil and made his way to Earth proper.

Warlock 6 (1972), script by Mike Friedrich, art by Bob Brown and Tom Sutton.

The cover is a return to form for Kirby, and even features some Kirby Krackle. Marie Severin handles colors in this issue, further proof she could do just about anything in comics when given the chance.

What I liked

As mentioned, the parade of characters hoping to join the Frightful Four makes this an entertaining comic. There’s the Osprey …

… the Texas Twister, the debut of a character who would pop up here and there over the years (note the painful accent) …

… the return of Thundra (in a great Perez sequence)…

… Captain Ultra, another debut for a D-list character …

… and Tigra, who recently debuted and would become a founding member of the West Coast Avengers.

Sue doesn’t have a lot to do in this issue — and to be fair, the rest of the FF are mostly sidelined too — but she does get to do this:

Lastly, Thomas manages to dispose of the Impossible Man quickly, and he blessedly is mostly absent from this issue:

What I didn’t like

I regret I never started tracking how many times the Fantastic Four have been captured and imprisoned in cells or devices uniquely configured to neutralize their powers. Surely it’s been a dozen instances by now.

Anything else?

I’m curious about this encyclopedia of comics. Has anyone seen one in person?

Overall

Successfully putting the comedy in comic books.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 176

08 Sunday Jun 2025

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

≈ 2 Comments

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 176, George Perez, Impossible Man, jack Kirby, Roy Thomas, Stan Lee

Fantastic Four 176
“Improbable As It May Seem — The Impossible Man Is Back In Town!”
Published Aug. 1974
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Michele Wolfman
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

After their confrontation with Galactus, the Fantastic Four return to Earth with the Impossible Man in tow. The alien causes trouble on the streets of New York, then in the offices of Marvel Comics, where he and the FF interact with members of the staff. The team then discovers the Frightful Four have taken over the Baxter Building while the Fantastic Four was off planet, setting up a confrontation in the coming issues.

What’s going on here?

It’s hard for me to write about this issue without sounding like a grump. At this point, my thoughts on the Impossible Man are pretty well documented, so this comic was always going to be a tough sell for me. It’s obviously a light-hearted romp, and it should be read that way. The depiction of the Bullpen — which here includes Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Thomas, Perez, Archie Goodwin, Marv Wolfman, Sal Buscema, Marie Serevin, John Verpoorten and Gerry Conway — was a novelty in 1976, and for die-hard Marvel fans of the era, it must have been a thrill to see their favorite creators. The issue also continues a tradition of fourth wall-breaking stories taking place at Marvel that began with Fantastic Four 10.

And yet … reading it almost 50 years later, it falls flat. Most of the jokes are obvious and ponderous, the Impossible Man’s hijinks are predictably tedious and it all feels like an extended goof that mostly served to amuse its creators. Thomas wrote a lengthy editor’s note that explained the genesis of the issue, which was that he didn’t have a better idea. It shows.

Two art notes: Jack Kirby once again did the cover (inked by Joe Sinnott) and Michele Wolfman colored the issue, her first and only FF credit.

What I liked

This issue marks the return of George Perez, and he delivers great work, even when hampered by a inane storyline. Here’s a great action sequence:

And I loved his crowd scenes in Central Park:

Here’s his version of the Marvel offices, including a very slimming self portrait:

While most of the inside jokes were duds, this one amused me:

What I didn’t like

The story had a lot of filler, like this gag:

FWIW, hailing and riding in a taxi took the FF two full pages.

This exchange between Ben and Reed seemed off. Reed is really comparing Ben’s appearance to Joe DiMaggio’s???

This panel would make no sense unless you read Thomas’s note (it’s Marv Wolfman and Sal Buscema).

Anything else?

Uncanny X-Men Annual 7, a very silly issue featuring (guess who?) the Impossible Man, paid tribute to this comic with an extended scene in the Marvel bullpen.

Overall

If you don’t have something nice to say, better to say nothing at all.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four Annual No. 11

01 Sunday Jun 2025

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four Annual 11, Invaders, John Buscema, Marvel comics, Namor, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four Annual 11
“And ~~Now~~ Then the Invaders!”
Published March 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Sam Grainger
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Phil Rachelson
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott

Editor’s note: As I mentioned a while back, I am tackling this annual out of order, since it appeared after issue 170 and the end of the Power Man story arc. It’s basically a standalone story so it’s

Synopsis

After a training exercise in the Baxter Building, the Fantastic Four discovers they accidentally triggered Dr. Doom’s time machine, and sent back a sample of vibranium to 1942 Germany. As a result, the Nazis were able to build more accurate rockets and conquer the world. The FF travel back in time and joins the WW II super hero team The Invaders to storm Baron Zemo’s castle and thwart his plan to launch the souped up missiles at London. After recovering the vibranium and restoring history, the team returns but the Thing realizes not all the vibranium made it back.

What’s going on here?

This is a fun but uneven comic with a lot to unpack. Notably, it’s the first FF annual with new content since the great Fantastic Four Annual 6 way back in 1968 (there were some Giant-Size FF’s that served the purpose of annuals, although they appeared quarterly).

It’s also the first time the FF encounters the Invaders, a team invented by Roy Thomas that ret-conned a number of World War II-era heroes into a super team. (He may have based his idea on the All-Winners Squad, a Golden-Age comic with some of the same members, but that was released in 1946, after the war). The Invaders debuted in its own comic in 1975 and given all the times the FF comic was used goose the sales of other Marvel titles, it’s probably not too surprising Thomas engineered a cross-over between the two titles.

Thomas had a decades-long fascination with World War II super heroes. Along with the Invaders, he created the Liberty Legion, a sort of B-team led by Bucky that appeared in Marvel Premier. Later, at DC in 1981, he created the All-Star Squadron, a massive team that spun out of the Justice Society and contained just about every Golden Age DC character. Also at DC he created Young All-Stars, a post-crisis version of the All-Star Squadron (which theoretically no longer existed).

In typical Thomas-ian form, Fantastic Four Annual 11 is more convoluted than it needs to be, with lots of exposition and obscure call backs. But it’s also a rollicking read, with clever nods to the paradoxes of time travel and to the novelty of the FF reuniting with characters like Namor and the original Human torch.

In a twist, the story ends on a bit of cliff-hanger, when Ben learns that he has to go back to World War II, a story which takes place in Marvel Two-In-One Annual 1 and features the Liberty Legion.

Fantastic Four Annual 11 is also the first and only work on the FF by inker Sam Grainger, over John Buscema’s pencils. Grainger, who had a two-decade career on titles from Charlton, Marvel, DC and First comics, does serviceable work here. The cover is by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott.

What I liked

As a concept, the story works well. While the details are a little hard to swallow — the FF just happens to knock a tube of vibranium onto the time machine and they just happen to accidentally trigger it and send the tube back to 1942 where it just happens tp fall into the hands of Nazi scientists— the premise is fun. The idea that all Germany needed was more precise rockets with which to defeat Britain, and that vibranium was the one missing ingredient, is an intriguing one and nuanced enough to make the story more effective. It’s another entry in the long line of “What if Hitler won?” future histories covered by authors ranging from Len Deighton to Phillip K. Dick. The panels of the swastikas hanging in New York and London are chilling:

The story also reunites Sue and Namor, leading to some uncomfortable moments for Reed:

I also liked this sequence of Namor going all-out against the Nazis:

There is a lot of banter in this comic, some better than others. I liked this exchange between Ben and Reed, and Ben’s comments are poignant, given what we know is to come (note how different Reed looks when he isn’t inked by Joe Sinnott). “Alley Oop” was a newspaper comic strip.

This climactic sequence was ridiculous but fun.

This is a nice series of panels from Big John Buscema:

What I didn’t like:

There is a lot of heavy-handed explanation in this comic. This sequence is an example:

This was weird and awkward:

As I mention, not all banter is successful. Does Reed really watch Chico and the Man?

Anything else?

There are a few instances where Thomas seems to be poking fun. Here, Ben expresses what we all think about the Watcher, who seems to break his vow of non-interference more often than he upholds it:

And here, alongside a totally inane comment from Sue, Namor seems to echo a line made famous by Tony Curtis, “Yondah lies the castle of my faddah” (although that appears to be an urban myth – Curtis never said that line).