“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 148

29 Sunday Sep 2024

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1974, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 148, Frightful Four, Gerry Conway, Marvel comics, Namor, Rich Buckler

Fantastic Four 148
“War on the Thirty-Sixth Floor!”
Published April 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Colors: Linda Lessmann
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Bucker and Sinnott

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four return from last issue’s battle with the Sub-Mariner to the Baxter Building, where they are attacked by the Wizard, Sandman and Trapster. The battle is turned when Thundra shows up to aid the FF. The issue ends with Namor seemingly invading New York, accompanied by the Invisible Woman.

What’s going on here?

There’s a tension in comic books between the silly and the realistic. A lot of fans love the nutty stories from the Silver Age, where science and logic is abandoned for goofy fun. Other fans prefer stories grounded in reality, where real-world consequences of comic stories are borne out in often grim or disturbing ways. Readers of this blog probably recognize I’m somewhere in the middle; I love the fun energy of comics that are unconcerned with practical concerns, but I like at least some pretense of explanation and structure. When plots are too unhinged, I get annoyed and lose interest.

Fantastic Four 148 is squarely on the goofy side of the ledger. There’s not a lot in this comic that makes a lot of sense, from the random attack of the Frightful Four (Frightful Three?) to Thundra’s unexplained appearance to the out-of-nowhere double-page splash attack by Namor. But despite all that, the story is a lot of fun. It’s pretty much just a series of battles between FF members and the Wizard, Sandman and Trapster, in which they pair-off in various combinations and fight. There’s not a ton of plot involved, and the bad guys’ motivation is simply revenge, but it’s never boring and Buckler brings his high-energy style to it all.

What I liked

Along with the aforementioned fightin’, there were a few smaller moments I enjoyed, such as this sequence with the sandman running his mouth about Reed’s lack of street smarts, while Reed is out-smarting Sandy by sneaking his arm behind him.

I also thought this was a cute panel:

What I didn’t like

I’ve grumbled before about how Conway almost reflexively reaches into the Stan and Jack bag of tricks when he needs a plot device, and the Namor-invades-the-surface-world plot is a textbook example. We’ll see how this plays out (I’m guessing he doesn’t succeed) and how and when Sue’s estrangement from Reed is resolved, but so far it seems pretty uninspired as a storyline.

It’s also worth remembering Conway was very young when he wrote these comics, and while it’s not always evident, occasionally there’s an odd turn of phrase or idea that an older writer might have avoided, like this stray thought from Johnny about how having a sister is like having a wife:

(also, he’s crazy muscular in that left image)

When I started this blog, I had a recurring item I called “Reed Richards is a Jerk” (a play on my favorite line from Kitty Pryde), in which I showed panels of Reed being, well, a jerk. This would have been a very good example:

And while I’ve mentioned this many times, but once again, Medusa has almost no role in this comic, which seems a real waste of potential.

Anything else?

Lots of new names in this Bullpen Bulletins team who would go on to have a huge impact on Marvel and comics in general, among them Larry Hama, Paul Gulacy, Dave Cockrum, Al Milgrom and Klaus Janson.

This ad is another example of what seems to be an ongoing confusion in the ad sales department about who was reading comic books. Were there a lot of car owners and aspiring mechanics reading these things?

Overall

A hoot!

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 147

22 Sunday Sep 2024

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1974, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 147, Gerry Conway, Marvel comics, Namor, Rich Buckler

Fantastic Four 147
“The Sub-Mariner Strikes!”
Published March 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Rick Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Colors: Linda Lessmann
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Buckler and Sinnott

Synopsis

After their adventures in the Himalayas, the Thing, Human Torch and Medusa return to find a distraught Mr. Fantastic with divorce papers filed by the Invisible Girl. When Ben and Johnny fly to Pennsylvania to confront Sue, they are attacked by the Sub-Mariner, who they later learn has abducted Sue and Franklin. The team then mounts an attack on Namor’s underwater citadel, only to learn Sue joined him of her own volition.

What’s going on here?

This issue marks the return of artist Rick Buckler, which is a good thing, mostly (more on this later). It’s also the first issue colored by Linda Lessmann, a new Marvel colorist.

The story fits neatly in the established narrative of Reed and Sue’s unraveling marriage, which really began in FF 130, when Sue left Reed with Franklin, but accelerated in FF 141, when Reed zapped Franklin into a vegetable-like state to prevent his powers from destroying the world. To Gerry Conway’s credit, he has kept the sub-plot bubbling in the background, so readers were well prepared for the bombshell revelation of Sue filing for divorce. Unfortunately, the story deteriorates from there.

What I liked

Buckler has a bold style and likes big panels and splash pages. Here, he gives us two, including a very Kirby-esque design of Namor’s underwater lair.

We also get a a lot of cool, sci-fi type stuff that has made the FF just a fun read over the years. Mento-scan device, anyone?

And Reed’s lengthy explanation of how they are going to fight underwater makes sense, I guess?

I also liked Ben correcting Johnny’s grammar.

What I didn’t like

The introduction of the Sub-Mariner into the plot feels like lazy writing and a deliberate attempt to reclaim some of the old Lee / Kirby magic. Since Sue and her background is so thinly developed, writers like Conway seemingly have no choice but to resort to Namor whenever Sue is questioning her marriage. There’s an implied sexism here, that Sue couldn’t have any reason to want to leave Reed except for another man. Sue is basically invisible in this issue, which is ostensibly about her, and features a bunch of men fighting over her (Medusa, too, is basically ignored). The first time Sue speaks is in the final panels:

The fight between Ben, Johnny and Namor feels pro forma, and geographically implausible, since Pennsylvania does not have an abundance of large lakes. Maybe they fought over Lake Wallenpaupack?

We’ll see how the story resolves but this Reed-Sue Namor love triangle feels contrived and overly familiar.

Also, there’s an unevenness to Buckler’s art in this issue, particularly in this sequence:

Anything else?

Star Wars fans might recognize this exchange, since a version of it appears 31 years later in the Revenge of the Sith (minus the “unthinking buffoon” line, which would have been fun):

Whose idea was it to recruit comic book readers to sell gardening seeds? Do kids know anything about how to grow petunias and pansies?

Overall

Pretty forgettable

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 146

14 Saturday Sep 2024

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1974, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 146, Gerry Conway, Marvel comics, Ross Andru

Fantastic Four 146
“Doomsday: 200 Below!”
Published: February 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Ros Andru
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

After escaping the clutches of Ternak, leader of the creatures that capured them, the Human Torch and Medusa are joined by the Thing in defeathing the climate cannon and restoring the Yeti-like Chosen to human form.

What’s going on here?

After the lackluster previous issue, this was an improvement. It’s not a great issue, but the story has some fun twists and turns and there’s some nice character moments that make up for what is basically a nonsensical plot.

Ross Andru is back for the penciling duties, with inks by Joe Sinnott. The art is serviceable, but rarely exciting. Even a big double page splash (see above) feels a bit tepid. The cover is another by Gil Kane (inks by Sinnott) and another I suspect only the most dedicated Kane fan (Kanatic?) would recognize as by him.

What I liked

A big theme of the last few issues was Johnny’s anger at Reed for zapping Franklin into a coma to shut down his powers and save the world. Here, he talks through his issues with Medusa, who again gets a bigger role in this comic. It’s a nuanced and surprisingly mature conversation.

I don’t love all of Andru’s art, especially his rendition of the Thing, but I do like these long shots of the ice caves:

What I didn’t like

Ben’s appearance in the comic is teased in a way that’s both silly and unsuccessful. He first shows up as a silhouette, yet sounds and acts just like the Thing. But even if a reader was puzzled about who this mysterious figure might be, he’s on the frickin’ cover! Maybe no one thought to tell Kane not to give it away.

The conclusion also felt off, where the solution to ending the Yeti’s aggression is turning them into humans. Forcing a unique culture to give up what makes them special because they were led astray by their leader seems wrong. You can insert the historic analogy of your choosing.

Anything else?

Roy gives a rundown of Marvel’s editorial staff. About half these guys got a chance to be editor-in-chief at one point or another. (Note the adjective for the one woman mentioned is “cute.”)

Does anyone out there have one of these medallions? It’s interesting who Marvel considered its Big Three in 1974.

Overall

This still feels like a low ebb for the Fantastic Four

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 145

07 Saturday Sep 2024

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1974, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 145, Gerry Conway, Marvel, Marvel comics, Ross Andru

Fantastic Four 145
“Nightmare in the Snow!”
Published Jan. 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Ross Andru
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Linda Lessmann
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia

Synopsis

Responding to a summons from Black Bolt to return to Attilan, the Human Torch and Medusa are shot down in the Himalayas and attacked by a yeti-like tribe led by the evil Ternak. Ternak captures them, then reveals his plan to lower the world’s temperatures with his “climate cannon.”

What’s going on here

When I started this project several years I was eager to do a complete read-through of the Lee / Kirby issues, and I was looking forward to re-reading the John Byrne run. I was less certain of what I would find in between. The best case scenario would be some bronze-age gems I never would have encountered. The worst case was hokey stories with forgettable villains and inane plots. Reader, this comic represents everything I feared I might find between issues 103 and 232.

It isn’t terrible, per se, but it is deeply silly, and very forgettable. The story seems stolen from a pulp novel, and while you may believe a race of enlightened snowmen can build a machine capable of lowering the earth’s temperature, I am skeptical (today, of course, they would be celebrated as heroes). The issue’s structure is also odd, starting with the crashed pogo plane in the Himalayas, then the attacking yetis, before finally revealing via flashback how Johnny and Medusa wound up there. I had to check I was reading the right issue to make sure I hadn’t skipped one accidentally.

More compelling than the story is the appearance of some interesting names in the credits. This is Linda Lessmann’s first credited issue of the FF as colorist. She would go one to have a long career, mostly at Marvel but also at First Comics. It also marks the return of Ross Andru, who is filling in here for Rich Buckler. As usual, Sinnott’s inks give the FF a generally uniform appearance, but Andru brings his own energy to the comic and his Human Torch looks unlike anyone else’s.

Lastly, Gil Kane is back for the cover, where he is inked by Frank Giacoia. This effort is more successful than his cover two issues ago, although I don’t know that it screams “Kane.”

What I liked

Medusa finally gets a starring role, about a dozen issues into her stint as a team member. It’s still not clear that Conway knows what to do with her, and her personality seems completely generic, but at least she gets more than two speaking panels. Plus, we now know she can feel through her hair (which seems weird?)

I also liked Andru’s handing of the backstory of the yeti-people, aka The Chosen (not to be confused with the Frozen Chosen). It’s very evocative, and reminded me of Hergé’s Tintin in Tibet.

What I didn’t like

Aside from the above-mentioned critiques, the very lengthy flashback included yet another pointless fight between Ben and Johnny, one that serves no real purpose except to remind us how tedious their squabbles have become. Maybe Roy Thomas insisted Conway deploy these Lee / Kirby gimmicks, but Conway should have known better than to go back to this particular well so many times.

Anything else?

Marvel explains its value stamps (the reason this comics and the one before it have holes cut out of them) and it mostly sounds like a scam.

Overall

A thoroughly mediocre comic book

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 144

31 Saturday Aug 2024

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1973, Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 144, Gerry Conway, Marvel comics, Rich Buckler

Fantastic Four 144
“Attack!”
Published: Dec. 1973
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Bucker and Sinnott

Synopsis

Aided by Darkoth, Mr. Fantastic, the Thing and Medusa escape Dr. Doom’s subterranean New York lair, only to be attacked by the android Seeker. Reed reprograms the Seeker to free the Human Torch, and while Doom flees into space, he is attacked and apparently destroyed by Darkoth.

What’s going on here?

This is a fun, if not entirely coherent, issue. Bucker’s art is big and bold, as we will see, and Conway has crafted a rollicking story that hits a lot of the notes of later Lee / Kirby issues, but probably tries to stuff too much into the comic. This issue feels like the clearest example of how Conway and Bucker’s Fantastic Four differs from the Roy Thomas / John Buscema era. It’s less wordy, less concerned with intricacies of plot, while more exuberant and grandiose.

The issue wraps up a three-part arc that featured the return of Doom and introduced Darkoth. Both appear to die in the final pages, which feels like a classic way to wrap up a big story, but I assume most comic fans knew better than to think it was conclusive.

What I liked

As mentioned, Bucker’s art is dynamic and the double-page spread above is a great example. I’m not sure the FF have had a double-page spread since the Kirby era (and they were pretty rare then) so this was a an exciting surprise when I found this across pages 2 and 3. The panel is big enough to serve up recaps from the last few issues, give a great visual image of the FF’s plight (who knew the New York sewers had stalactites?) and even include an apology about Medusa’s outfit.

Here’s another great Buckler image:

I love the way the Torch pops off the page. It’s like a 3-D comic.

This issue also had a lot of by-play between Reed and Ben, who is distraught and irritable about Alicia being held prisoner by Doom. Reed is at his best as a leader and friend here.

And a bit later:

Conway strikes the right balance here with Reed, who can be a pushy and domineering jerk, but also knows how to motivate his team to get the job done.

The comic had a bittersweet ending, with Ben once again reminded of his monstrosity.

And I liked how Doom refers to his prisoner as “Coach Thorne.” Just like me, he has trouble referring to old teachers by their first names.

What I didn’t like

Overall, the story felt thin and not full developed. Darkoth’s backstory is confusing — is he a demon? is he a cyborg? — and it’s not clear how or where Doom found him. Doom’s plot for world domination, utilizing the mass-hypnotizing vibro-bomb, never feels like more than a McGuffin, while the Seeker shows up out of nowhere and makes little sense. It’s easily defeated, and serves as Doom’s undoing. I’ve written before about how the villain’s androids in the Fantastic Four rarely seem like androids, and have oddly human characteristics for machines. This is another example. Why does an android have muscles? Why does it need to talk? (And what are “nuclear-discharger rods,” anyway?)

Once again, Medusa is barely in the story — I think she only speaks in two panels — and Sue and Franklin are not only not seen, but never referenced. In all, there’s a “let’s throw it against the wall and see what sticks” quality to the story that leaves it unsatisfying.

There’s also this weird interlude, which feels like Conway getting back at the jocks in his high school.

Anything else?

Lots of interesting advertising in this issue. I love these ads for record clubs. It’s reminder of what we think of music from the 1970s wasn’t all that people listened to. Englebert Humperdink, anyone?

Also lots of ads for job training. The economy was not great in 1973.

Lastly, I hate when this happens. Luckily the kid who owned it didn’t cut to cut out any of the story.

Overall

Fun but flawed (like most of ’em)

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 143

25 Sunday Aug 2024

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1973, Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 143, Gerry Conway, Marvel comics, Rich Buckler

Fantastic Four 143
“The Terrible Triumph of Dr. Doom!”
Published November 1973
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Frank Giacoia
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Petra Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

Dr. Doom captures Mr. Fantastic and Medusa, and reveals his plan for world domination by hypnotizing humanity. But as he subdues the Human Torch and Wyatt Wingfoot, Darkoth escapes and frees Reed and Medusa, enlisting them in a plot of revenge against Doom.

What’s going on here

This comic continues the story that began in earnest last issue. The focus is really on Doom and his machinations, and he’s in full, megalomaniac, world-beater mode in this comic. In years to come, Doom’s personality will shift and he’ll become more sinister and less grandiose, but this depiction, thanks to Gerry Conway’s over-the-top script, feels one of an archetypal super villain.

Rich Buckler’s art bolsters this concept of Doom, especially with this amazing double-paged splash that comes out of now where and blew my mind (Doom is addressing Belle Thorne, the wife of Reed’s now-unconscious college friend).

The Kirby influence is unmistakable here, not just in the layouts but in the finishes. But interestingly, this comic was inked by Frank Giacoia, not Joe Sinnott. Giacoia does a great job and is I think pretty under rated as an inker. (If anyone knows the whereabouts of the original art for this DPS, I would love to see it).

Also of note, the cover is by Gil kane and Sinnott, although it’s not obviously recognizable as such (nor does it depict anything that happens in the comic). Kane, a true legend, will go on to draw a few more FF covers over the next few years but never an interior, which is a shame.

What I liked

This was generally a well-plotted and -paced comic, with an exception I’ll get to. I liked the concept of Doom building a massive bunker under Manhattan, as if no one would notice (hopefully it was zoned appropriately). Doom’s scheme of hypnotizing all of humanity with a bomb is basically ridiculous, although no more than a million other comic plot devices. But his demonstration of its ability is chillingly cold blooded, and should be used as evidence for anyone who thinks Doom is warm and cuddly.

This splash page was also unexpected, and amazing:

What I didn’t like

The Darkoth twist at the end wasn’t well set-up over the course of the last two comics and wound up convoluted and confusing (I wouldn’t be surprised if Thomas didn’t have a hand in it). A lot of exposition was jammed into the last page (a Lee / Kirby tic), and this panel, where Darkoth reveals what has transpired, might set a record for the number of words in one comic panel:

Also, this comment from Johnny is just weird, where it seems like he’s telling Wyatt he should be OK with being jailed because his ancestry. Yeesh.

Overall

A solid comic

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 142

17 Saturday Aug 2024

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1973, darkoth, Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 142, Gerry Conway, Marvel comics, Rich Buckler

Fantastic Four 142
“No Friend Beside Him!”
Published Oct. 1973
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Petra Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Buckler and Sinnott

Synopsis

The Thing, disgusted with Mr. Fantastic’s actions in the last issue, flies to Eastern Europe to join Alicia Masters, only to be attacked and subdued by the villain Darkoth. Meanwhile, a distraught Reed —accompanied by Medusa — attend his college reunion, where they are confronted by Dr. Doom.

What’s going on here?

The biggest development in FF 142 is the introduction of Rich Buckler as penciler, replacing John Buscema. Buscema, who took over with issue 107 and penciled almost every issue for more than three years, was responsible for establishing the post-Kirby look of the Fantastic Four, a style reinforced by inker Joe Sinnott, who kept the book’s art uniform even as it changed pencilers. I suspect many collectors wouldn’t have noticed the change if hadn’t been announced. Buscema will return to the FF several times over his career.

Buckler was relatively new to comics, starting in 1970, but would go on to have a long career, primarily at Marvel and DC but also at places like Archie. He may be best known for creating Deathlok, a cyborg killing machine from the future and an amazing character, and for drawing the notorious KISS comic. Buckler sadly died in 2017.

There’s no denying the dynamism of his art, and the Kirby influence:

The other newcomer of note is Darkoth, the villain. This is my first exposure to the character, despite owning a Steve Rude drawing of him and the Thing, for a playing card almost certainly inspired by this comic. So far as a villain, there’s not much to him. He’s got an odd set of powers, and he speaks with Gerry Conway’s over-the-top grandiosity. A little online research reveals there’s more to the character than meets the eye but we’ll deal with that if and when we get to it.

Here’s is my Rude drawing of Darkoth:

What I liked

This was a fun, satisfying issue. It’s been a while since we had the Thing in what’s basically a solo adventure, and it was well structured and paced, starting with the Alicia subplot established in the last two issues. The Darkoth fight was fun, and the jumps between Ben’s story and that of Reed and Medusa, Johnny and Sue, rather than distracting from the flow, added dimension and which all paid off in the climactic scene, the Doom reveal. Doom, of course, makes any FF comic better.

For those keeping track, Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin used this same set-up, including the climactic last panel revealing the bad guy, in X-Men 111 about five years later:

As mentioned above, Rich Buckler’s art packs a (literal) punch. I really liked this splash (who couldn’t?):

What I didn’t like

Oddly, some of Buckler’s panels were annotated with arrows, pointing out details that readers might otherwise have missed. That seems like either a failing of Bucker to make his art clearer, or of Conway and/or editor Roy Thomas, not giving him better direction. Either way, I found them distracting.

Anything else?

Some more ads of note. I have no idea what iced cologne is, and even less of an idea why a 12-year-old comic reader would want some (reading more closely, it seems like an ad to entice women to become saleswomen in a vertical marketing scheme. Even more confusing for 12-year-old comic readers).

The Evel Kneivel toy, on the other hand, is exactly what 12-year old me would have wanted (and I think I did have some version of this as a kid).

Overall

Perhaps Gerry Conway’s best effort to date

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 141

10 Saturday Aug 2024

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1973, Annhilus, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 141, Franklin Richards, Gerry Conway, John Buscema, Marvel comics

Fantastic Four 141
“The End of the Fantastic Four!”
Published Sept. 1973
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: John Romita

Synopsis

After capturing the now helpless Fantastic Four — plus Sue, Franklin, Agatha Harkness and Wyatt Wingfoot — in his Negative Zone stronghold, Annihilus taps Franklin’s comic powers in order to drain them. The FF escape, free Franklin and returns to the Baxter Building, where Reed, fearing Franklin’s powers will destroy the solar system, zaps him with a device that renders him a vegetable. Horrified, Ben declares this is the end of the Fantastic Four.

What’s going on here?

This is a heavy issue. I’m not particularly sure it’s a well-written story, but it has big themes and consequences. The big revelation is that Franklin possesses enormous power that threaten all of existence. His powers had been teased at for years now, but this is the first indication of their scope, and it’s a development that has major ramifications for not just the Fantastic Four but the Marvel universe for decades to come. As but one example, the mid-90s Onslaught storyline, which resulted in the cancellation and reboot of most of Marvel’s mainstream comics, was facilitated by Franklin creating a pocket universe. At some point he is identified as a mutant, although he’s not labeled one here.

It’s not clear who came up with the idea of giving Franklin these god-like powers. In an interview, Stan Lee said after they decided for Reed and Sue to have a child, he and Jack Kirby envisioned him having powers, and liked the idea of keeping readers guessing what they might be. It seems like Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway took that idea and ran with it. His powers have resulted in a lot of interesting stories, but also some petty tedious ones as well.

From my perspective, a super-powered Franklin is a mixed blessing. There is something compelling about the idea of a child with these immense powers, and when they are unleashed in the hands of a great writer, it can be a lot of fun. Hickman’s future Franklin battling Celestials and summoning Galactus might be as good as it gets (from FF 604, art by Steve Epting and Rick Magyar).

But for every fun story, there’s a lot of uneven ones about Franklin’s powers run amok, or Franklin in danger. And when taken together, they tend to reflect poorly and Reed and Sue as parents who are constantly exposing their child to danger.

The other big development is Reed’s panicked decision to depower Franklin, and — it appears — effectively lobotomize him. It’s not the first, and certainly not the last, example of Reed prioritizing the good of humanity or the universe of over personal needs or desires, but it’s a poignant one. Of course, we know know that Franklin eventually recovers but for readers at the time, this must have felt like a pretty significant episode in the marriage of Reed and Sue and the future of the FF.

What I liked

I did appreciate how the stakes were ratcheted up in this story, and how Conway finally resolved long-hanging plot points, such as the disappearance of Agatha Harkness’s house way back in issue 134. Unlike Lee and Kirby, who rarely seemed to plot more than an issue or two in advance, Thomas and Conway unspool their subplots over months, creating bread crumbs for readers to follow. Even in this issue, which wraps up a long arc, Conway teases another story featuring Alicia Masters.

This form of story development isn’t always successful, but it suggests a respect for their readers’ ability to handle complicated ongoing stories. Chris Claremont would of course take this style of storytelling to absurd lengths, letting plots tangle for years, some never to be resolved.

I also enjoyed this splash from Buscema and Sinnott, which has a Kirby-ersque flair.

What I didn’t like

Despite the major themes introduced in this comic, the story itself wasn’t very interesting or well constructed. Basically, Annihilus captures the FF, they escape and defeat him. There’s not a lot of nuance, and it all feels pretty rote until we get to the climax.

One of my gripes about the Conway era has been how underutilized Medusa has been. Here, he rectifies that in the most obvious and silly way possible (Annihilus has imprisoned the FF in a room with an open window???).

We also get this unfortunate exchange between Wyatt — even more under-utilized in this issue than Medusa — and Johnny.

Overall

A pivotal issue the history of the Fantastic Four

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 140

04 Sunday Aug 2024

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1973, Annhilus, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 140, John Buscema, Marvel comics

Fantastic Four 140
“Annihilus Revealed!”
Published August 1973
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Rich Buckler and Frank Giacoia

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four receive a distress call from Sue about Franklin’s manifesting powers, and while they race to find her in Pennsylvania, she is summoned elsewhere by Agatha Harkness. Meanwhile, Annihilus invades the Baxter Building, defeating the returning Fantastic Four and sending them to the Negative Zone before disclosing his origin to Wyatt Wingfoot.

What’s going on here?

There’s a lot packed into this issue, which appears to be Gerry Conway’s first as full writer (up to this point he was credited only as a scripter, with Roy Thomas handling the plots). The highlight is the return of Annihilus, one of the FF’s best villains. and one who has been absent for a few years. The Annhilus plot was cooking in the background last issue, while the Franklin storyline has been developing for a few issues now, and it’s still not clear how (or if) they are related. We also get Annhilus’s complicated backstory, and a lot of inter-team bickering between Ben, Reed and Medusa.

Oddly, the story is interrupted by the events of another comic, Sub-Mariner 67, which doesn’t really effect the flow of this comic, but is blamed by the Thing for the FF not being able to find Sue.

In Sub-Mariner 67, Namor is stricken by a nerve gas, and Triton the Inhuman brings him to the Baxter Building so Reed can save him. Naturally, a fight breaks out. (Story by Steve Gerber, art by Don Heck and Frank Bolle).

Also of note, the cover of FF 140 is drawn by Rich Buckler (with inks by Frank Giacoia), who will go on to replace John Buscema as the lead artist in a few issues. The cover, with its panels, is unusual, but seems perfectly engineered to appeal to 12 year-old comic buyers.

What I liked

The back-and-forth between Ben and Reed was nicely handled by Conway, who seems to understand a friendship that’s both turbulent but build on longstanding respect and mutual history. Here, Ben tells off Reed:

Then, after Reed goes ballistic when Sue calls for help, Ben is reassuring:

I also liked this near-splash page of Agatha Harkness by Buscema and Sinnott:

What I didn’t like

The last third or so of the comic is devoted to Annhilus telling his origin to Wyatt. It’s impossibly convoluted, since it involves his putting on a helmet left by a long-dead alien race in the Negative Zone, and then relating the narration of that species. So we are reading a story told by Annihilus to Wyatt that was told to Annihilus by this other race. And none of it seems particularly relevant to the story.

Anything else?

These look cool

Overall

The return of Annihilus lifts its grade to a solid B.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 139

20 Saturday Jul 2024

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

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1973, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 139, John Buscema, Marvel, Marvel comics

Fantastic Four 139
“Target: Tomorrow!”
Published July 1973
Script: Gerry Conway
Layouts: John Buscema
Finishes: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Stan Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Buscema and Frank Giacoia

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four escape the chasm they plunged into last issue and eventually defeat the Miracle Man, with the help of the ghosts of the Native American elders that granted him his powers. Meanwhile, Franklin’s powers continue to manifest, and a nuclear catastrophe, perhaps caused by Mr. Fantastic’s experiment, looms.

What’s going on here

This is a more-or-less satisfying conclusion to a two-issue story that began with the re-introduction of the Miracle Man as a vastly more powerful character. Here, he displays almost Beyonder-level power, creating a new city and willing into existence quasi-living people and creatures. Given his potential impact on the Marvel universe, it’s probably just as well he’s faded away into obscurity.

This is otherwise an unremarkable issue. It’s not helped by Gerry Conway’s hyperbolic writing (see panel above), which seems even more over-the-top than Stan or Roy’s, maybe because he’s clearly imitating both. There’s a lot of questionable physics and odd plot holes in this story, but it’s basically inoffensive. More interesting are the subplots: Reed’s tinkering with something that seems very dangerous, and more clues about Franklin’s powers. Also, it’s nice to see Sue again after a few issues of her being left out.

What I liked

Speaking of left out, Medusa finally gets a bit more of a role. Her presence on the team still feels incidental, but at least he get a glimpse of her personality in this sequence.

I thought the appearance of the Cheemuzwa spirits at the end was well handled. Yes, mystic Natives are a tired trope, but this was a graceful way to remove the Miracle Man from the board (he apparently shows up just once more, in Marvel Two-in-One 8)

And this sequence with Miracle man being rejected by a woman he just created out of nothing was weird and creepy.

Then there’s this sequence of the FF building a raft. I wasn’t sure if I liked it or hated it, but it’s so ridiculous I think I like it. It reminds me of the montages in the A-Team TV shows, where the the team would assemble some sort of contraption as music played.

What I didn’t like

About halfway through the comic, the action cuts away and we learn of an imminent nuclear threat. It seemed like this was related to the Miracle Man, so I waited in vain to learn how, only for it to be revealed, lamely, that it’s a subplot connected to Reed’s tinkering. I have no problem with setting up next issue’s story, but this was poorly executed.

Anything else?

In previous posts I have written about Stan and Jack created very human androids (or very android-like humans), as if the distinction between alive and machine didn’t much matter. Here, the Miracle Man creates what appear to be living creatures, yet Medusa calls them “androids.” Not sure what Conway was thinking.