“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 114

13 Saturday Jan 2024

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1971, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 114, John Buscema, Marvel, Over-mind, Stan Lee

Fantastic Four 114
“But Who Shall Stop the Over-Mind?”
Published: June 1971
Writer: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Frank Giacoia
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Buscema and Giacoia

Synopsis

Out on bail from their arrest by the NYPD and facing eviction, the Fantastic Four confront the Over-Mind, only to have the fight erased from their memories by his mental powers. To help provide answers, Agatha Harkness contacts the Watcher.

What’s going on here?

This is a much more satisfying issue than the last, as the Over-Mind developed into a formidable foe with an interesting backstory. There are some plot holes, but overall the story moves briskly, the fight is well designed, and the sequence with Agatha Harkness is appropriately creepy.

What I liked

It’s the best issue from John Buscema to date, and maybe not a coincidence that it’s the first not inked by Joe Sinnott: Frank Giacoia inked this issue, presumably filling in. There’s no arguing Sinnott’s power and style, but Giacoia has a lighter touch, which perhaps lets Buscema’s style emerge more clearly. Here’s a panel I really liked:

And this sequence:

What I didn’t like

As mentioned, there are some plot holes. In this issue, the Over-Mind apparently encounters the FF for the first time, yet at the close of last issue we saw him manipulating the mayor to have the FF arrested. Also, there’s an oddly discordant note, when, in the midst of their eviction drama, Ben gets a package with a stink bomb from the Yancy Street Gang. Rather than lighten the mood, it just seems like an annoying distraction.

There’s also the continuing nonsense of the FF’s eviction. Comics and stories about business rarely mix well, and this is no exception. There’s a dozen reasons why the landlord’s actions don’t make sense, and while maybe the average FF reader of 1971 didn’t know them, this sub-plot all seems farfetched. (Yes, I know it’s a comic based on far-fetched events, which is why real-world subjects like commercial real estate law are better left outside its pages).

Anything else?

This issue kind-of, sort-of introduced the Eternals to the Marvel universe, as the Over-Mind discusses that he is following their commands. Initially these Eternals were not connected to the Eternals later introduced by Jack Kirby in his 1976 return to Marvel (these were instead supposed to be the “Eternals of Eyung”) but they were later retconned to be another branch of the Eternals, also created by the Celestials. It’s all deeply confusing, and had no real impact on this story.

Also, some fun ads in this issue, including one with a muscle-man who looks suspiciously like a former governor of California:

Overall

Solid!

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 112

22 Friday Dec 2023

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Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 112, Hulk, John Buscema, Stan Lee

Fantastic Four 112
“Battle of the Behemoths!”
Published: April 1971
Writer: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Buscema and Frank Giacoia

Synopsis

As the Thing battles the Hulk in mid-town Manhattan, Reed and Johnny work frantically to find a cure for Ben’s mind-altered state.

What’s going on here

For some, this is an iconic comic and could be viewed as the real launching point of the Bronze-era FF. It’s the third fight between the Hulk and Thing (the others coming in FF 12 and 24-25) and to date the most sustained slugfest between the two. The cover is an absolute classic, and all those elements together combine to make it prized by collectors (it sells for five to 10 times more than the surrounding issues).

Unfortunately, I’m not sure the story lives up to the issue’s reputation. As mentioned previously, the conflict with the Hulk comes out of nowhere (Reed summons Bruce Banner in the closing panels of last issue) and there’s almost nothing at stake here. Ben and the Hulk are fighting for the sake of fighting, and while it’s a fun brawl that take up essentially the entire issue, it begins to feel repetitive. The real tension in the story is between Reed and Johnny arguing about how to save Ben—Reed accuses Johnny of being a hot head, Johnny accuses Reed of lacking urgency—and that conflict feels pretty familiar.

What I liked

It’s hard to deny the power in Big John’s layouts of the fight scenes. No one really does it better.

I also liked this quieter, almost ethereal scene with Sue and Agatha Harkness.

What I didn’t like

While the story as a whole is pretty lackluster, the end is really disappointing. Ben is distracted by Alicia, the Hulk knocks him out (and disappeared as abruptly as he arrives) and Reed and Johnny arrive too late. It just feels anticlimactic.

Anything else?

FF 112 features an Irving Forbush cameo (or maybe one of his distinguished ancestors).

Overall

You can’t judge a book by its cover.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 111

16 Saturday Dec 2023

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Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 112, Hulk, John Buscema, Stan Lee

Fantastic Four 111
“The Thing Amok!”
Published: March 1971
Story: Stan Lee & John Buscema
Pencils: Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Buscema & John Verpoorten

Synopsis

Ben, his mind affected by his new ability to change to human form, goes on a rampage throughout Manhattan as Johnny tries to keep up. Finally, Reed calls in Bruce Banner to help, only for the Hulk to appear and confront Ben.

What’s going on here?

This is very much a table-setting issue, preparing us for the big confrontation with the Hulk next month, but it’s still pretty effective. As discussed earlier, the groundwork for Ben’s descent was laid over many issues, so it feels organic and earned. It’s not the first time we’ve seen a plot centered around the Thing turning against his teammates (and won’t be the last) but the mechanism for this is more interesting than mind control or sorcery. It’s quite plausible that on some level, were Ben to lose the humanity and compassion that makes him, he would act this way. He has reason to be angry!

There’s also some good foreshadowing of trouble to come with baby Franklin, and again, it’s being spooned out methodically.

What I liked

This feels like the first FF issue where John Buscema is the recognizable artist I’m familiar with. The previous few issues felt like he was either trying to mimic Kirby or Joe Sinnott’s inks overpowered his penciled, but here we see some great Buscema panels.

These crowd scenes are fun. Hardhats on one side, hippies on the other.

There is a great quiet page of Reed, first with Sue, then contemplating how he again failed Ben. We have so many pages of Reed acting like a bullying blowhard that this display of his human side feels refreshing and necessary.

Also, J. Jonah Jameson shows up again, this time with pesky Bugle photographer.

What I didn’t like

The appearance of the Hulk feels really abrupt, the opposite of the slow-boil that got us to this issue. Within seven panels, we go from Reed summoning Bruce Banner to the Thing and Hulk about to fight.

I confess I get annoyed with every interaction the FF has with their landlord (and any other real-world business issue). Maybe I know too much about commercial real estate but it always feels clumsy and unrealistic. I’m pretty sure the FF have lawyers to deal with this sort of thing.

Anything else?

The kid how bought this comic in 1971 took the idea of a check list seriously:

Overall

Steady as she goes.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 110

09 Saturday Dec 2023

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Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 110, John Buscema, Stan Lee

Fantastic Four 110
“One From Four Leaves Three!”
Published: Feb. 1971
Story: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Mike Stevens
Cover: Buscema and Sinnott

Synopsis

A desperate Fantastic Four tries to rescue Reed from the Negative Zone, and all seems lost until a spell from Agatha Harkness saves him. Meanwhile, Ben is becoming more truculent, likely a result of his new ability to change his appearance, and quits the team.

What’s going on here?

This is an an excellent issue, the best yet of the post-Kirby era. The pacing is taut, the suspense is high and there are no wasted panels. Reed genuinely seems screwed and while his rescue by Agatha feels a bit deus ex machina, it’s not like she was invented for this issue, and her capabilities were established many issues ago. The business with Ben’s increasingly aggressive and belligerent attitude was unnerving and well-handled. We know, of course, it will lead to him losing his ability to become human, and it’s to Stan’s credit that he’s unfolding it gradually.

This issue marks the lettering debut of Mike Stevens, the first FF letterer not named Sam Rosen or Artie Simek in 110 issues. It’s also his last FF lettering job, and according to Mike’s Amazing World, he only lettered 16 comics in his career.

FF 110 is also infamous for a printing error, where the magenta and cyan were mixed up on the cover, creating a green team in purple suits. The misprinted issues were recalled, and now sell at a premium ($585 for a 3.0 version, vs. $25 for the standard issue).

What I liked

The cover, for one. It’s great. Also, Big John Buscema gives us an amazing Kirby-inspired collage splash page:

There’s also a fun cameo from J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson. I think Jonah has appeared in an FF issue before, but I’m not sure. But it’s always fun to see different strands of the Marvel universe braided together.

What I didn’t like

Um, nothing? I know, usually I can find something, but this was a wonderful comic. (OK the title is a bit silly. We can all do math, Stan).

Anything else?

This stationary set looks cool. I wonder if any are still out there on eBay.

Overall

10/10. A grade A comic book.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 108

26 Sunday Nov 2023

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1970, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 108, jack Kirby, John Buscema, Stan Lee

Fantastic Four 108
“The Monstrous Mystery of the Nega-Man!”
Published: Dec. 1970
Story: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby, John Buscema and John Romita
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Buscema and John Verpoorten

Synopsis

In a lengthy flashback, Reed reveals the origin of Janus, the Nega-Man, a former colleague who tapped the power of the Negative Zone to heal an injury only to divide into good and evil versions of himself.

What’s going on here?

Jack’s back! Well, sort of. The comic’s pencils are credited to Jack Kirby, and quite a bit of the comic is drawn by him. But there’s a lot of John Buscema in here, too. It’s pretty clear from reading the story that Marvel decided to salvage some unpublished artwork by Kirby, using it in a flashback device to explain the origin of the new villain, Janus. In his blog, longtime Marvel editor Tom Brevoort confirms as much, explaining the Kirby sequences were intended for FF 102, but Stan Lee, unsatisfied with the story, set them aside. This was taking place in the weeks prior to Jack’s departure for DC, so there may have been some bad blood involved as well. It makes sense the ever-parsimonious Stan would find a way to reuse those Kirby pages, even if they are shoe-horned into a story that makes little sense.

What I liked

The Kirby art! Duh. This may not be peak Kirby, but it’s a reminder of what we lost when Jack decamped for DC. Check out this awesome panel:

Also, after years of cataloging all the times Sue is slighted by Reed, here’s a rare example of Reed actually taking her on a mission (not that she gets to do much, but baby steps):

What I didn’t like

The story is unfortunately incoherent. The flashback structure doesn’t help, adding a layer of complexity to an convoluted story, but the way the ploy unfolds is just a mess to begin with. The story does end with a tease of an appearance of Annihilus in the next issue, so here’s hoping things get back on track.

Anything else?

Here’s some more Kirby art:

Overall

A melancholy reminder of what was

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four 107

18 Saturday Nov 2023

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1970, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 107, John Buscema

Fantastic Four 107
“And Now … the Thing!”
Published: Nov. 1970
Writer: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Cover: Buscema and Sinnott

Synopsis

Reed finally succeeds at returning Ben to human form, and this time with the ability o revert back and forth to the Thing. But as Alicia suspects something is not quite right with Ben, a new villain, Janus, breaks into the Negative Zone.

What’s going on here?

The big news here is that this is the debut Fantastic Four issue for Big John Buscema. Buscema had been drawing comics since the 1940s, but only started doing Marvel superhero comics in the late 60s. He’ll be the regular FF artist for the next 30 issues or so and I think of him as the defining Bronze Age Fantastic Four artist. Of course, Sinnott is still inking, so the art has the same consistent feel. In a lot of ways, the ’70s is actually the Sinnott age.

This is also the debut of the villain, Janus, who is a pretty minor figure, only showing again much later in 2001, when Carlos Pacheco was writing the comic, and much later again in Alex Ross’s Full Circle graphic novel, which came out last year.

What I liked

The comic itself is excellent. Along with the drama of Ben reverting back to human—and with it, the unspoken question of how long will it be before he returns to being the Thing permanently—there’s some character development with Johnny, Sue and even baby Franklin, who seems to be manifesting signs of his powers. It’s been a while since the FF had what is sometimes called a “quiet issue,” and this one was very satisfying.

What I didn’t like

More jerk-like behavior from Reed. “He’s never spoken to that way before?” Lady, I can find a dozen issues where he has, and worse.

Also, the title makes no sense. “And Now .. the Thing!” What does that even mean? It’s not like he hasn’t been in every issue for the last nine years. If anything, it should be “And Now … Ben Grimm.”

Anything else?

Some fun ads in this issue.