Fantastic Four 89
“The Madness of the Mole Man!”
Published May 1969
Story: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Script: Lee
Pencils: Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Kirby and Sinnott

Synopsis

This issues picks up where issue 88 left off, sort of. The Thing is now at the Richards’ new house and under attack by the Mole Man, when last issue he very clearly was not present. Now he and the rest of the team are blinded and stumble about trying to defeat the Mole Man. The Mole Man has the upper hand until Mr. Fantastic tricks him into damaging his staff, and the Invisible Girl removes his glasses, rendering him helpless. Reed is badly injured, but revived by Ben.

A new subplot introduces a Skull “slaver” who is traveling to earth to abduct an unnamed contestant to compere in the Skrull’s games. Who could it be?

What’s going on here?

I hate to say it, but this issue is a dud. Last issue had a fun set-up and revealed a genuinely surprising villain, but this comic took a turn to the pedestrian. Most of the issue is a simple fight between the Mole Man and the FF and even blinded, it shouldn’t have been that difficult for them to overcome a non-powered human. I can think of half a dozen ways Reed could have concocted to end the fight much earlier, leaving room for a more interesting twist. And not only is there a very obvious continuity error of including Ben in the battle, when he was supposed to be in the city, but Stan and Jack chose not to include Alicia in the story, whose blindness surely would have made the story more interesting. What better answer for a villain who wants to turn the world blind than a character who already is blind?

More interesting was the tease for next issue’s story featuring the skulls. Although just three pages, two were splashes, and together they promised more drama and fun than the turgid story we were reading.


The Space Race

The Skull subplot features a rare Kirby collage—we haven’t seen one of these in a while—and a reference to the Apollo missions, which were building to the first moon landing in a few months.

It becomes more obvious in the next panel:

I love you, man!

FF 89 also features a declaration of Ben’s affection for Reed. It would be more poignant if the outcome —Reed is going to be OK!—didn’t seem so obvious.

The sexist sixties

Sue can’t just fight bad guys like normal hero. She has to be “an uncaged tigress.”

It’s Clobberin’ Time

Even this seems sort of lackluster.

Mid-century Modern

It’s hard to believe Reed and Sue were really going to live in this place, but they brought all their stuff.

We Get Letters

And I thought Doom-stans were a 21st century phenomenon.

Dig that Kirby Krackle!

A couple of great splash pages this issue.

First, the Skull slaver:

Then an iconic image of Johnny:

Also on Newsstands

What else was for sale in May 1969?

Next issue: The Skulls are back!

Fantastic Four 88
“A House There Was!”
Published April 1969
Story: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Script: Lee
Pencils: Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Kirby and Sinnott

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four, which now includes Crystal, arrive back at the Baxter Building following their adventure in Latveria and greet Alicia, who is watching the still-unnamed baby of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl. After a joyful reunion, the team then heads off to inspect the suburban house Sue first visited a few issues ago, and which has featured in some forboding vignettes in subsequent issues.

The house, which is mostly subterranean and unusual in almost every way, emits a low-level buzzing, and seems to affect the eyesight of the FF members, yet despite all that, Reed and Sue buy it and begin to move in. Reed, however, is attacked by the house’s security system when he attempts to drill holes in its walls. It is then revealed the house is connected to the Mole Man and his plan to conquer the surface world by blinding everyone. On the last page, the FF (minus Ben, who is remaining in the city with the baby and Alicia) are blinded as the Mole Man reveals himself.

What’s going on here?

There’s a lot to like about this issue. After the high drama and high stakes of the last four issues, the team needs time to relax at home, and the first few pages show the Fantastic Four as a family, cooing over the baby and gently teasing each other. The house-hunting excursion (which was preceded by hints over the last few issues that something wasn’t right about the house) has the feel of the prelude to a horror story, with an oblivious family stepping into something evil. And Jack seems to have a lot of fun drawing both the extremely modern house, and the clothes the FF are wearing on the visit.

There are, of course, some inexplicable plot developments, like why Reed and Sue buy a house that gives them headaches and blurry vision.

The Mole Man is a genuinely surprising villain (as teased on the cover) and so surprising I forgot he was in it since the first time I read it. His connection to the house isn’t made very clear, and it seems odd that the FF should stumble into a trap he didn’t lay for them, but crazy coincidences are pretty standard for this comic at the point.

Dynamite threads!

Jack drew back-to-back splash pages which both show off the FF’s amazing outfits (what exactly is Crystal wearing?) and create tension as they enter the house.

Domestic bliss

These scenes are quite charming and really drive home that the team is first and foremost a family.

The sexist sixties

Not only do Sue and Crystal serve the men, but they wear frilly aprons to do so. (I am assuming “hot buns” was not a double entendre).

The incredible Mr. Fantastic

Woody Allen

Another topical reference that hasn’t aged that well.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Joe Sinnott

For sale

Learn to speak good!

Bullpen Bulletins

A beard survey!

Dig that Kirby Krackle!

Here’s a great sequence:

And some other cool images

Also on Newsstands

What else was on sale in April 1969?

Next issue: The FF battle the Mole Man!