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“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 218

25 Monday May 2026

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Fantastic Four 218
“When a Spider-Man Comes Calling!”
Published February 1980
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Pencils: John Byrne
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Jim Novak
Colors: Ben Sean
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Cover: Al Milgrom and Joe Rubinstein


Synopsis

Disguised as Spider-Man, the Trapster infiltrates the Baxter Building and subdues the Human Torch and Thing before letting the rest of the Frightful Four in. After capturing the Invisible Girl, they corner Mr. Fantastic but Spider-Man, whom they had previously abducted, breaks free, and joins Reed in battling the bad guys. Soon, the rest of the FF join them in defeating the Frightful Four. 



What’s going on here?

This is a pretty pedestrian comic, which is a sequel to an equally pedestrian comic, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man 42, also written by Bill Mantlo. In that issue, The Frightful Four (who have added Electro to their ranks) lure Spider-Man into a trap by pretending to be the Human Torch. Now, with Spider-Man captured, they figure to use the same trick to take out the Fantastic Four.

That Peter Parker issue has a cool cover by Mike Zeck and Joe Rubinstein, but not much else going for it:


Overall, FF 218 is a very by-the-numbers story, in which the FF repel bad guys who invade the Baxter Building. We’ve seen probably a dozen variants of this plot over the last 200+ issues, and this one is as forgettable as most of the others.


What I liked

One fun aspect of the Frightful Four is their constant bickering, and Electro adds an even more curmudgeonly member. The Trapster gets most of the spotlight in this issue and is surprisingly effective at neutralizing half of the FF, even while holding a grudge at everyone who made fun of him when he was Paste Pot Pete.


This is not a great issue for John Byrne, who must have provided only rough pencils for Joe Sinnott to finish, but I liked this image of three villains:


And this one of the Thing being electrocuted:


It’s been a while since we had some wacky credits. These are all building themed, since the splash page is of the Trapster ascending the Baxter Building dressed as Spidey. (It’s possible only New Yorkers would get the co-opted joke).


Lastly, this was a fun sequence:


What I didn’t like

I’ve already outlined my critiques of this issue. There’s nothing awful in it, just not much that’s worth celebrating. It feels a bit like Mantlo is stalling for time as the fill-in guy, stretching out his Spider-Man story before the new creative team takes over next issue.

Anything else?

Some more house ads



Overall

A gentleman’s C

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 117

19 Tuesday May 2026

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Fantastic Four 217
“Masquerade!”
Published January 1980
Writer: Bill Mantlo (based on a Marv Wolfman plot suggestion)
Pencils: John Byrne
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Bob Sharen
Editor: Mark Gruenwald
Cover: Sinnott


Editor’s note: I’ve fallen off the pace a bit on my FF blogging but hope to get back on track starting this coming weekend, inshallah.

Synopsis

After the Fantastic Four’s battle with Blastaar, Mr. Fantastic upgrades the Baxter Building’s security system with the help of Herbie. But the robot turns evil, revealing himself to be the artificial intelligence Doctor Sun (who appeared in FF 206), then capturing the Invisible Girl and battling the Thing and Reed. The Human Torch, out at a disco, returns only to be captured by the Baxter security system under Sun’s control. When Reed realized Sun exited Herbie to enter the building’s computer system, Reed attempts to disable it. Ultimately Sun is defeated when Herbie sacrifices itself to destroy the main computer system.

What’s going on here?

Long time readers of this blog are familiar with my disdain for Herbie, the robot foisted on the FF by his insertion in the 1978 cartoon. I knew this Herbie-centric issue was coming, and I anticipated it with dread, expecting some Impossible Man-type shenanigans. Reader, I was very wrong. This issue is a little gem, with a well-designed plot, some interesting developments and a tidy way of wrapping up the Herbie era.

Marv Wolfman, who left for DC after last issue, gets a plotting credit since it’s clear he had this story in mind for months, given Herbie’s malicious behavior over the last few issues. But the Doctor Sun twist was ingenious and one I definitely didn’t see coming. Interestingly, we never see Sun in his normal cyborg form, making this the rare comic where the villain doesn’t actually appears. And while the “evil robot” concept dates back decades before this comic, it certainly resonates today given our anxieties about AI.

Also of note is the appearance of Dazzler, who meets Johnny at the disco. The two hit off before he was to answer the FF flare, and I wonder why no writer has taken up the idea of them as a couple. It seems like a natural match. Dazzler was introduced the previous year in X-Men, and was in an issue of Spider-Man before her FF appearance, which suggests that Marvel was still hoping the Dazzler TV special would be a thing (it wasn’t). She will get her own series in December of 1980, and it will last a respectable 42 issues.


The uninteresting cover to this issue is by Joe Sinnott, whom I am guessing had to fill in when someone missed deadline.


What I liked

As mentioned, the end of Herbie was handled adroitly and, defying all expectations, it (he? they?) went out as a hero. Ben sums it up nicely here.


John Byrne again delivers some great visuals. I love how he creates a sense of motion and speed by repeating the shape of panels and angle of action.


I thought both this idea — Reed infiltrating a computer’s circuitry — and Byrne’s execution of it were brilliant.


Lastly, this whole page was so well done I couldn’t pick any one or two panels:


What I didn’t like

Over his career Byrne has been shadowed by accusations of sexism and creepy treatment of women. I’m not sure I agree with those critiques but this sequence doen’t help his case.


Anything else?

For years I have seen the “Mark Jewelers” designation on listings for back issues without really knowing what it meant. Today I learned it refers to comics with an advertising insert for jewelry that was targeted at the military, and therefore were primarily sold on military bases. Apparently these are prized by a sub-set of collectors, primarily because they are rare. As it happens, this issue of FF 217, which I probably picked up as a back issue from a comic book store or convention, has the Mark Jewelers insert. And here it is:


Some other cool ads in this issue, some house ads and an interesting one for action figures. It’s easy to forget how big a deal The Black Hole movie was when it came out.



Overall

A better comic than it had any right to be

“The World’s Greateast Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 216

03 Sunday May 2026

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Fantastic Four 216
“Where There Be Gods!”
Published December 1979
Plot: Marv Wolfman
Script: Bill Mantlo
Pencils: John Byrne
Inks: Pablo Marcos
Letters: Irving Watanabe and Michael Higgins
Colors: Carl Gafford
Editor: Mark Gruenwald
Cover: Rich Buckler and Al Milgrom


Synopsis

Now transformed into the evolutionarly advanced Futurist, Dr. Randolph James wanders the streets of Manhattan, dispatching would-be muggers and police officers. Blastaar, on the run in New York since last issue, makes him an ally by convincing him the Fantastic Four want to capture him and return him to his previous state. After battling Reed, Ben and Johnny, the two travel to the Baxter Building, where Blastaar wants James’s help destroying the passage to the Negative Zone. There, James subdues Sue, which triggers Franklin’s latent powers, and he expels Blastaar back to the Negative Zone. James, now aware of Blastaar’s deception, departs Earth to commune with the universe. In the last panel it is revealed the robot Herbie was responsible for opening the portal to the Negative Zone that allowed Blastaar into our world.


What’s going on here?

Another satisfying, well-told comic that nicely tied together the Blastaar and Futurist storylines and delivered a dramatic conclusion. This isn’t the first or last time Franklin’s latent powers are awakened to save the day (a phenomenon some call baby ex machina) and while it later becomes a crutch for lazy writers, I wasn’t troubled by it in this issue. Here, it suggests his powers are still developing and will eventually settle into some sort of predictable pattern. Little did readers of 1979 know that 500 issues and 47 years later, his powers are still being sorted out.

That this comic succeeds is a bit of a surprise, given that it’s very much a transitional issue, with one creative team leaving and another coming aboard. As a result, there are nine credits for this issue — 10 if you want to count temporary editor Mark Gruenwald, who managed to hold it all together. It makes sense Gruenwald kept everything aligned, because for years, before his untimely death in 1996 at age 43, that was his unofficial role at Marvel: The keeper of continuity and editor of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. (In recognition of his importance, Walt Simonson modeled the men who ran the Time Variance Authority, the organization charged with maintaining timelines, after Gruenwald).

As mentioned last time, this is Marv Wolfman’s final issue on the Fantastic Four after an uneven 21-issue run. There were definitely some enjoyable issues, but his run was dominated by the cumbersome Skrulls/Sphinx/Galactus arc, and his occasional sloppiness was a distraction. Bill Mantlo, Marvel’s utility infielder, stepped in to script this issue and write the next two, before he and John Byrne both give way to a new creative team of Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz.

Also filling in is inker Pablo Marcos, who did such a good job in the recent FF Annual. As in that issue, his work is more subtle than Joe Sinnott’s, and he lets Byrne’s pencils shine. Notably, Reed’s appearance changes quite a bit, depending on who is inking Byrne.

On the left are Sinnott’s inks from last issue, on the right is Marcos from this issue.


There are also two fill-in letterers on this issue, Irving Watanabe and Michael Higgins. Normally I don’t pay much attention to the letterer, and there are only a very few, like John Workman and Moebius, whose work I can recognize on sight. But here, it’s very obvious there are two letterers at work. I don’t know who did what, but there’s a big difference between the letters on the left and those on the right.


Lastly the cover is by Rich Buckler, his first FF work in five year, with Al Milgrom on inks.


What I liked

I don’t know if this Ben/Johnny banter is by Wolfman or Mantlo but it was fun. The Reed/Sue exchange is nice, revealing moment about their two characters as well.


Speaking of banter, this was well done, too.


Are the people in the crowd identifiable? I’m guessing that’s Byrne in the beard on the right, and maybe Wolfman behind him.


Byrne delivers his usual excellent work in this issue. I really liked this sequence:


What I didn’t like

Mantlo seems to struggle with the Torch’s voice. Here, he seems to need a reason to save Ben’s life:

And this is just odd (“hairless hyena?)”


The thugs in Marvel’s New York don’t look anything like the thugs I remember when I grew up there. There must have been a sale on purple pants at the thug store, because last issue’s hoods hade the same look.



Overall

A good comic book

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine! Fantastic Four Annual No. 13

14 Sunday Dec 2025

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Fantastic Four Annual 13
Published July 1978
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Pencils: Sal Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Irving Watanabe
Colors: Françoise Mouly
Editor: Marv Wolfman
Cover: Keith Pollard and Steve Leialoha


Synopsis

In the aftermath of their big confrontation with Dr. Doom, the re-formed Fantastic Four is taking stock of their new situation (since they moved out of the Baxter Building) while a mysterious figure is kidnapping homely and blind New Yorkers, while also stealing statues. At Alicia master’s studio, they discover the Mole Man is behind the abductions. He subdues the FF and captures Alicia, and the FF pursue him to Subterrenea. There, he explains he is capturing outcasts who might prefer a life underground and providing them with statues to enjoy (really). He then lets free anyone who wants to return to the surface while Alicia presents the Mole Man with a statue of himself.


What’s going on here?

This is a lackluster comic, and feels like a regular issue that was padded out into an annual. Nothing of much consequence happens, and after the big events of the last few issues, it makes sense for the FF to chill for a bit. Still, I think annuals should bring something extra, either in terms of story or the creative team, to justify the additional length and cost. This story mostly felt tedious. If it’s notable for anything, it’s the presentation of the Mole Man as a sympathetic figure who’s trying to help the misfortunate. I’m not sure it’s convincing but it’s an interesting evolution of a character that’s been around as long as the FF. And you can draw a through line from how he’s treated in this comic to his depiction in the new Fantastic Four movie.

Oddly, this is the second story in a row Alicia has been kidnapped for her sculpting skills..

Bill Mantlo is the writer, and given his history as a last-minute fill-in specialist, I wonder if he was pressed into service because Marv Wolfman couldn’t get it done in time. Sal Buscema delivers his usual workmanlike pencils which are enhanced by some dramatic inking by Joe Sinnott.

The cover is by Keith Pollard and inked by Steve Leialoha making his FF debut. Leieloha’s inks add a supple, fluid quality to the already strong Pollard and the cover is probably the best thing about this comic.

What I liked

Beginning with Len Wein, continuing with Wolfman and now with Mantlo, there’s been a real effort to upgrade Sue’s powers and role with the team. Here, in a well-told sequence, she pursues the Mole Man by herself, then casually insults the rest of the team and puts Reed in his place (although has anyone outside of comics ever referred to someone as “husband-mine?”).


The padded-out story does give Mantlo room for a few running gags, like having Ben encounter obnoxious Yancy Streeters are every turn (incidentally, I’m pretty sure there aren’t any newsboys in NYC in 1978).

I also enjoyed this cameo of Daredevil. It’s completely incidental to the story, but reinforces the idea of all of Marvel’s heroes living in the same world. These little surprises were one of the things I liked most about reading comics as a kid.

What I didn’t like

Whatever Mantlo’s intentions, the central premise of the story felt clunky and forced. The Mole Man is kidnapping ugly people AND blind people? As if they are the same thing? And giving them statues to enjoy? None of it makes much sense and feels half-baked.


And while we have been trained to believe the Mole Man is a formidable opponent, it’s hard to accept he can take down the entire FF by himself. Here, he knocks out Ben with one zap of his staff.


There’s also some sloppiness that speaks to a lack of communication between Mantlo, Wolfman and Buscema. Here, Reed explains the pogo plane is in storage, except the FF just used it to fly to Latveria and back.

And here, Reed claims the flare gun can now fit in the FF’s belts on a shot that shows Sue holding a bulky gun and wearing a skin-tight uniform.


Lastly, Sal Buscema has some strengths as an artist but drawing faces isn’t one of them. Otherwise why would this fireman look so much like Peter Parker?


Anything else?

Fun house ad for Ms. Marvel (later Binary, later Warbird, later Captain Marvel) by Dave Cockrum.


Overall

Meh

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 194

26 Sunday Oct 2025

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Fantastic Four 194
“Vengeance Is Mine!”
Published February 1978
Plot: Len Wein & Keith Pollard
Script: Bill Mantlo
Pencils: Pollard
Inks: Dave Hunt
Letters: Annette Kawecki
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Marv Wolfman
Cover: George Perez

Synopsis

After surviving the crash of the Solar Shuttle, the Thing confronts Darkoth, who eventually overcomes a spell by Diablo and reveals to Ben he is his old friend Desmond Pitts. Ben then battles Diablo and is about to be killed by a solar cannon when Darkoth turns against Diablo, sacrificing himself to save Ben.


What’s going on here?

This comic efficiently wrap up the two-part Ben solo story while resolving the Darkoth storyline. If you didn’t think Darkoth was going to die in some noble fashion, then I guess you haven’t read many comic books. But despite its predictability, it’s a solid story and enhanced by the attractive Keith Pollard/ Dave Hunt artwork.

The next solo story, featuring Sue and the Sub-Mariner, is teased in a short cutaway, but other than that, the story is all Ben’s. No Reed or Johnny.

This the rare FF of this era not inked by Joe Sinnott but Hunt’s inks look great over Pollard’s pencils. Hunt is an interesting case; he seems like a true comic’s journeyman who has hundreds of credits as inker, letterer and colorist, and who spent a big chunk of his career on second- and third-tier titles like The Little Mermaid and Scooby-Doo. This is his second and last issue of the Fantastic Four.

Annette Kawecki is credited as the letterer, her first and only Fantastic Four credit. And George Perez returns to deliver an amazing cover.


What I liked

Even though we could see it coming from a mile away, there was a poignancy to Darkoth reclaiming his humanity by turning on Diablo, knowing it meant his death. Also note the great, over-the-top dialogue by Bill Mantlo, a master of purple prose.


And then, of course, comes his classically melodramatic death scene.


What I didn’t like

Even for a comic book, Diablo’s explanation of how he survived his seeming death and discovered Darkoth is hard to swallow.


Also, these “firehorns” are dumb.


Anything else?

More Star Wars-related ads this month:


Plus some other interesting ads, including another odd one for Pizzaz. Again, I can’t imagine buying this magazine based on these ads.


Overall

A perfectly fine comic book

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 183

03 Sunday Aug 2025

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Fantastic Four 183
“Battle Ground: The Baxter Building!”
Published March 1977
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Pencils: Sal Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Gaspar Saladino
Colors: Phil Rachelson
Editor: Archie Goodwin
Cover: George Perez and Sinnott

Synopsis

Tigra, Thundra and the Impossible Man save the Invisible Girl — defenestrated by the Brute (who is an evil Reed Richards from Counter Earth) at the end of last issue — then they all band together to overcome the Baxter Building’s defenses and attack the Brute. Meanwhile, The Thing, the Human Torch and a powerless Mr. Fantastic strike a deal with Annihilus to recover his cosmic control rod from the Mad Thinker’s Android in exchange for the use of his ship to escape the Negative Zone. The story concludes in the Baxter Building, where the Android attacks the Brute, and restores him to human form. The FF arrives, and the Thing snatches the cosmic control rod, rendering the Android inert. The Mad Thinker escapes and the Counter Earth Reed, no longer evil, enters the negative Zone to fulfill the other Reed’s pledge to return the control rod to Annihilus.


What’s going on here?

This issue marks yet another where a complicated, multi-part storyline ends with a whimper, not a bang. It’s hard to blame writer Bill Mantlo, who was handed this mess by a departing Roy Thomas, and who had to tie it up in a way that made some sense. But all the various plot threads introduced over the last four issues turned out to be easily, and in some cases lamely, resolved. Annihilus? Becomes an ally, then disappears from the story. The Android? Quickly defeated by Ben. The Mad Thinker? Skulks off without ever confronting the FF. Evil Reed? Miraculously cured of his evilness and, much like the nameless villain in issue 51, makes amends by plunging into the Negative Zone. The only loose end seems to be the Impossible Man, who wanders off mid comic.

For Mantlo, being given a thankless assignment was nothing new. He earned a reputation as an emergency fill-in guy, who could quickly churn out a story after the regular writer dropped the ball. It kept Mantlo busy and employed, but as I explored in my 2017 article about Mantlo’s tragic life, it meant he was often overlooked for more interesting work. He eventually quit comics to become a lawyer, only to suffer a massive head injury in a roller blading accident, never to fully recover.

Again filling on pencils this issue was Sal Buscema, adding to the ad-hoc feel of the comic. The “regular” creative team — although they have yet to produce an issue together — of Len Wein and George Perez takes over next issue with a clean slate, thanks to Mantlo and Buscema. (Perez did return for this issue’s cover, but it’s almost unrecognizable as his).

What I liked

The highlight of the comic was the team-up of Sue, Thundra and Tigra. As written by Mantlo, they have three distinct personalities, making for fun interactions. And led by Sue, they also rose to the occasion by fighting their way in the Baxter Building.


I am on the record as being unenthusiastic about Sal Buscema’s art, which is workmanlike without ever being very exciting. But I have to admit, the man can draw a punch.



What I didn’t like

As previously stated, much of this issue suffers from anti-climax or deus ex machina resolutions. The sudden reversion of the Brute to evil Reed by the Andoid’s cosmic rays is one example.


Another is his “cure” from being a bad guy:


Also aggravating, and taking up far too much of this comic to bother reproducing, is the convoluted explanation of the Android’s origins. While it clears up some of the confusion from last issue, it also feels like a cobbled-together explanation to tie the Mad Thinker to Annhilus and tie up the loose ends Thomas began.

Lastly, I am very weary of titles that involve some combination of “Battle” and Baxter Building.”

Overall

An unfortunate pratfall.