Tag Archives: Silver Surfer

Very Short Review: Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

27 Sunday Jul 2025

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Warning: spoilers below

As a longtime fan-slash-collector-slash-blogger of the Fantastic Four, I had anticipated the new movie — the first FF film produced by Marvel Studios — with a mix of optimism and dread. Optimism because Marvel understands its own characters and generally does right by them, even if they veer off from the original source material of the comics. Dread because the three previously released FF movies ranged from mediocre to terrible, dread because the trend of recent Marvel movies has been decidedly downward and dread because the universe doesn’t want us FF fans to have nice things.

I am pleased to report that the dread was misplaced and the optimism justified. The movie wasn’t perfect, and there are lots of things for fans of the comic to quibble about, but it got the main things right: The Fantastic Four are a family, they are scientists and explorers, and in contrast many costumed heroes, their identities are very public.

Unlike other adaptations, the movie doesn’t start with their origins on an ill-fated space flight, but takes up their story four years later. They are at this point established heroes, universally beloved, and Reed and Sue are expecting their first child.

The story is roughly based on the Fantastic Four’s first encounter with the world devourer, Galactus, from issues 48-50, but with many significant differences. There is no Watcher warning the team (and violating his oath not to intervene in human affairs), there is no ultimate nullifier, the Silver Surfer doesn’t discover the goodness in humanity via blind sculptor Alicia Masters (who puzzlingly is not in the movie) and Galactus doesn’t vow to leave Earth alone. But in many ways, this version is just as good as the Stan Lee / Jack Kirby original. Once warned of his approach by the Silver Surfer (who is unnecessarily gender swapped in the movie), the team flies into space to confront Galactus. This cinematic Galactus is vast and terrifying, and the offer he makes the Fantastic Four to spare Earth — Reed and Sue must hand over their unborn son, whose powers are enormous — creates an agonizing dilemma for the team.

Unfortunately, that sequence — and the subsequent birth of Franklin while the FF flee the Surfer — mark the high point of the movie. For the remainder of the film the team struggles with ways to thwart Galactus’s plan while conscious that their choice to protect Franklin endangers all of humanity. The final confrontation, where the team tries to bait Galactus into a teleportation device, seems a bit too obvious a plan for the world’s smartest man. But it is Sue who ultimately defeats the bad guy, creating a satisfying reversal from her Lee / Kirby depictions as the team’s weakest member to now its strongest.

Much as been made of the retro-futuristic world this story is set in, and in many ways it’s the logical place to stage this movie. It pays homage to the Fantastic Four’s 1960s origins, it means the film can reference villains like the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes without appearing (too) ridiculous, and it creates a bubble of isolation from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so this story can be told without wondering why Iron Man isn’t lending a hand. But it’s also frustrating choice, because it’s the same one so many comic creators make. They are so smitten with the Lee / Kirby past they seem to forget that the Fantastic Four is about the future. Hopefully the next film appearance of the FF escapes that trap.

Despite that failing, there’s a lot to like. The performances are excellent, the characters feel both real and true to the comic, and the family dynamic that makes the FF unique is at the center of the film. The movie also includes a nice homage to Kirby, a much-belated official recognition of his contributions to the Marvel Universe.

This movie version of the Fantastic Four isn’t the same as the one in the comics, but that’s OK. If we’ve learned anything after 60 years and nearly a thousand issues, there are lots of ways to tell a great Fantastic Four story.


“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 156

01 Wednesday Jan 2025

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Fantastic Four 156
“Middle Game!”
Published December 1974
Writers: Len Wein and Roy Thomas
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Janice Cohen
Editors: Wein and Thomas
Cover: Bucker and Sinnott

Synopsis

To rescue his beloved Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer hypnotizes the Fantastic Four and delivers them to Dr. Doom, who further humiliates him. The FF, who submitted to the Surfer’s hypnotism to infiltrate Doom’s castle, break free of their confinement and defeat an army of Doom’s androids while Doom plans his next move.


What’s going on here?

This is the second of three comics in this arc (hence the story’s title) and a big improvement over the first one. It’s not great: there’s still a lot of purple prose, Doom’s ranting begins to get repetitive, and the FF-are-trapped-in-individual-cages plot device has become a cliché at this point. But the story is suspenseful — we really don’t know what Doom’s intentions are — and the action sequences are a lot of fun. Hopefully the conclusion of the story maintains the momentum of this one.

The credits for this issue are a bit odd, with Len Wein and Roy Thomas both credited as both writers and editors, but a note in the letters page explains that Wein intended to write the entire arc but stepped down to replace Thomas as editor. Thomas, slated to become the new regular writer, picked up the story halfway through. The Bullpen Bulletins further explains that Thomas is now “editor emeritus” (a lofty title for someone who just turned 34) while Wein is now running the show. This begins a chaotic period where Marvel went through five editor-in-chiefs in four years: Wein (1974-75), Marv Wolfman (1975-76), Gerry Conway (1976), Archie Goodwin (1976-78)and finally Jim Shooter, who took over in 1978 and restored some stability to the company.

What I liked

There’s some big, bold art from Rich Buckler, who seems to have gotten his mojo back, at least for this comic. This is a classic Doom splash page:


And I liked this action sequence:


Hidden in all of Doom’s scenery chewing, there was also this intriguing nugget of backstory, hinting at some unknown motivation for his hatred of Reed. I don’t know what he’s referring to, and I hope it’s revealed in the next issue:


What I didn’t like

As mentioned above, confining the FF in cages designed to counter their powers has probably been employed in half a dozen issues by now. At least in this one Ben and Johnny note how easy it was to escape.


Anything else?

This ad was cool. I wonder if I can still get these cars?


Overall

A marked improvement from last issue

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 155

22 Sunday Dec 2024

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Fantastic Four 155
“Battle Royal!”
Published November 1974
Writer: Len Wein
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Buckler and Sinnott

Synopsis

The Silver Surfer attacks the Fantastic Four in Central Park, but rather than kill them, he explains in a lengthy flashback how he discovered his beloved Shalla Bal was the captive of Dr. Doom. To save her, Doom demanded that he destroy the Fantastic Four.


What’s going on here?

This is Len Wein’s first full issue was writer of the Fantastic Four and I wish I could say it was a promising debut. It’s not. The entire issue hangs on a tired comic-book cliché — one hero must battle another because of reasons — which in this case makes even less sense than normal. The Silver Surfer, with all his cosmic power and wisdom, is really so smitten by Shalla Bal than he sees no other way to save her but killing his friends? That at no point does he think it might make more sense to enlist the aid of the Fantastic Four and the world’s smartest man, Reed Richards? I’m fairly sure that’s what will happen in the next issue, but it doesn’t make this comic any less tedious. It doesn’t help that much of it is narrated by the Surfer, who, as scripted by Wein, speaks in ornate, purple prose. “So, to the crest of this planet’s highest peak I did fly.” Seriously, why does he talk like that?


What I liked

The opening sequence, where the FF is mugged in Central Park, has a fun, gritty-New York-in-the-70s cinematic quality to it. The muggers look like extras in “Warriors.”


And while we know what’s coming, it’s satisfying to see them get their comeuppance when they attack the Thing:


I liked the Doom reveal at the end, although it was pretty obvious the Surfer was in Latveria:

And this was fun: The Surfer hit Ben so hard he knocked off his shoes

What I didn’t like

For the umpteenth issue in the row, the Invisible Girl plays no meaningful role. In fact, she’s not even mentioned or seen in the comic.

As mentioned above, much of the issue is consumed with the Surfer lengthy and convoluted explanation of why he’s attacking the FF. After he unknowingly arrives in Latveria, he then stumbles across the FF battling robots. They are later revealed to be robots themselves, and the whole sequence ultimately has no bearing on the story at all, but simply serves as padding and a way to squeeze in another action sequence.



Anything else?

There’s a letter to the editor from future comics writer Peter B. Gillis. Also, Jane Starr wants a no-prize for naming her hamster Victor Von Doom.


I kind of want this Holiday Grab-Bag:


Overall

A boring slog

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 123

30 Saturday Mar 2024

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Fantastic Four 123
“This World Enslaved!”
Published March 1972
Story: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Jon Costanza (credited as Jon Costa)
Cover: Sal Buscema

Synopsis

After Galactus delivers his ultimatum—either the Silver Surfer becomes his herald again or he will destroy the Earth—Mr. Fantastic counters with a threat to destroy Galactus’s spaceship, stranding him on Earth. Galactus calls his bluff and Reed returns Galactus’s ship, but when the Surfer attempts to follow him into space, Reed stops him, leading the U.S. military to intervene and almost fatally wounding Reed. While the Thing and Torch battle the army, Reed, with the help of Agatha Harkness, broadcasts a message around the world that he has has tricked Galactus, rigging his spaceship to send him to the Negative Zone, where his deal with the Surfer doesn’t apply.


What’s going on here?

This issue wraps up the latest Galactus arc in a perhaps less-than-satisfying way (more on that later). As befitting a big, climactic issue, it includes a number of guest stars, like the Surfer and Agatha Harkness, and yet it feels, given all that’s at stake, that other heroes should appear. I’m not sure where the Avengers are at this point, but the potential end of the world seems like something that would interest them.

Perhaps the most intriguing guest appearance is that of Richard Nixon, who is unnamed but obviously himself, making references to John Mitchell, Henry Kissinger and his reelection.

There’s a long history of U.S. presidents appearing in comics, and I could devote an entire blog post to tracking them down. Sometimes they are generic old white men, and sometimes they seem to resemble whomever is president at the time. Few, however, are as specific as this representation of Nixon.

(One small detail of interest: in the second panel above, there’s a typo in the printed comic, and it reads “he on the open circuit” which is corrected in the digital comic, which I used here).

There are also some creators making their first contributions to the Fantastic Four. After a few years at DC, Jon Costanza joined Marvel in late 1971, and starting with this issue, becomes a semi-regular letterer of the FF. Probably more significantly, FF 123’s cover is drawn by Sal Buscema, Big John’s younger brother. Sal began working in comics in 1968, but this is first work on the Fantastic Four. He later does a few fill-in issues and will become the regular FF penciler for a brief stretch in 1986. While I’ve never loved Sal Buscema’s style, it’s hard not to admire his productivity and longevity. And I do like his extra-shiny version of the Surfer on what’s otherwise a very busy cover.

What I liked

This entire Air Walker / Galactus / Surfer arc has a fun, throw-back feel. An appearance of Galactus makes any comic feel important, and in this issue we get more insight into his psyche. He’s not just a villain intent on destruction, but a weary agent of the universe who can’t control his own destiny.


We’re also treated to some harrowing images of what Galactus’s consumption of Earth might look like.


What I didn’t like

Like a lot of Fantastic Four epics, the climax to this story feels rushed, and this one feels particularly half-baked. Reed appears to have saved the Earth with a bit of legal trickery, based on the Surfer’s pledge to follow Galactus “in this universe,” creating a loophole so Reed can send Galactus to the Negative Zone, where he’s not bound by the agreement. Left unclear, of course, is why Galactus would feel obliged to honor a deal whose spirit is so obviously violated by Reed. Did we miss the panel where contracts were signed and notarized? Will some court enforce it? I suppose Reed (and Stan) could argue that since Galactus violated his pledge to leave the Surfer alone, then he’s just getting what he deserves, but it feels weak.

And all this leaves aside the issue of how Reed altered Galactus’s ship to enter the Negative Zone, something we previously thought could only be achieved through a portal in the Baxter Building.


The comic also digresses into an off fight between the military and the Fantastic Four. It’s distracting and while it creates the opportunity for Reed to be shot by a panicky soldier, and then saved by the Surfer, none it feels very necessary or serves to advance the story.


Anything else?

I liked this house ad: More Marvel for your Bread!

(I’d never heard of Combat Kelly and his Dirty Dozen before. Apparently it was a reboot of a 1950s war comic but it only lasted nine issues in its second incarnation). Luke Cage had a bit more success.


Overall

A bit of a let down.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 122

24 Sunday Mar 2024

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Fantastic Four 122
“Galactus Unleashed!”
Published Feb. 1972
Story: Stan Lee & John Buscema
Script: Lee
Pencils: Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Cover: Buscema and John Romita Sr.

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer battle Galactus, who demands the Surfer rejoin him as his herald or he will destroy Earth. In response, Reed travels to space to capture Galactus’s ship.


What’s going on here

This is an old-school, action-packed comic, with high stakes and lots of drama. I have some quibbles (see below) but on the whole this feels like a return to form for the Fantastic Four after an uneven period following the departure of Kirby. Galactus is a great villain, and his need for the Surfer to be his herald again gives at least a plausible reason for his to return to Earth after promising to spare it.

What I liked

After some predictable fighting sequences, the comic shifts into high gear when Reed travels into space to capture Galactus’s space ship. Bucesma gets to stretch his Kirby muscles, and the sequence has a great mix of wonder and tension.


I also liked this sequence, which is both a testament to the Thing’s power and a bit ridiculous (punching a foot?)


What I didn’t like

The Air-Walker robot, the focus of the last two issues, seems to have been dropped as a plot line. It seems like an elaborate ruse of Galactus’s to draw out the Surfer, and it’s begging for additional explanation.

Also, I recognize the FF has to try to stop Galactus, but — in my view — he should be too powerful to bother having to fight back, hence deploying the Punisher android in earlier appearances. Here, he not only scraps with the Fantastic Four but Ben knocks him off his feet. It serves to diminish what should be a character above physical confrontation.


Further, Galactus should wear long pants. At least they removed the G from his chest.

Lastly, calling the Silver Surfer “whitey” just sounds weird, especially since he’s, you know, silver.


Anything else?

The month marks the debut of Luke Cage, a future member of the FF (very briefly).


Overall

Comics done right!

“The World’ s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 121

16 Saturday Mar 2024

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Fantastic Four 121
“The Mysterious Mind Blowing Secret of Gabriel!”
Published: Jan. 1972
Story: Stan Lee & John Buscema
Script: Lee
Pencils: Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Buscema and Sinnott

Synopsis

The Air-Walker turns humanity against the Fantastic Four, whose effort to battle him are futile, before admitting he was only attempting to lure the Silver Surfer. After the Surfer beats him and reveals him to be a robot, Galactus makes a dramatic appearance.


What’s going on here?

After last issue’s long build up, FF 121 delivers some pay off. There’s a long fight with Air-Walker, some not-too-subtle commentary about religious fanaticism by Stan, a dramatic appearance from the Silver Surfer and two big twists: Air-Walker is a robot, and he was doing the bidding of Galactus. Unfortunately, most comic readers today know Air-Walker as a herald of Galactus (information I first received from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe circa 1983) , but I imagine for a reader in 1972 this would have come as a shocking revelation. Mind-blowing, even (to quote the comic’s title). At this point, Stan may be close to the end of his days as a regular comic writer, but he shows here he’s still got something on his fastball.


Along with the aforementioned plot twists, I did like Stan’s injection of social commentary into the New Yorkers reaction of Gabriel. It’s pretty clear what Stan thinks of zealotry.


There are some great Buscema panels, like this one:


As well as some fun sound effects (which I think would be done by Buscema, not Sam Rosen, the letterer):


What I didn’t like

This issue suffers from the same sluggish pacing of a lot of Stan’s Fantastic Four comics. The FF spend an awful long time either fighting Air-Walker, running away from Air-Walker or escaping New Yorkers doing Air-Walker’s bidding, and so the appearance of the Silver Surfer is jammed into the last few pages. When he arrives to save the day, it’s a tiny panel and he’s about half an inch high. Surely this dramatic scene merits at least a half splash?


Anything else?

In his soap box, Stan take on another fun subject: the Attica prison riots!


Overall

Not bad, not bad at all

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” My 10 Favorite Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four Stories

03 Saturday Jun 2023

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Yes, I know I said I was taking a break from Fantastic Four blogging for a while. And I am. Really. But before I do, I thought I’d be remiss if I didn’t try to do a bit more to commemorate the 107 issues by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the greatest sustained run of creativity in the history of comics.

What follows is a run down of some of my favorite stories from Stan and Jack. It’s not a list of the best issues (whatever that means) and certainly not the most famous. But these are the stories I think of first when I think of their run, and the ones I most enjoyed reading. Could this list change? Yes! Do I feel strongly about the order? No! Are there great issues I left off? Of course! Do I hope you read some of these comics? Absolutely!

10) Fantastic Four 94

Fantastic Four 94 is a delightful comic. It comes very near the end of the Lee / Kirby run, and an indication there despite whatever disagreements the two had, there was still plenty of creative juice in the partnership.

In FF 94, the team travels to Whisper Hill to meet Agatha Harkness, a potential nanny for baby Franklin. Harkness appears to be a witch and her house seems haunted. But rather than tell a typical horror story, however, Stan and Jack upend our expectations by having Harkness become the hero, single-handedly defeating the Frightful Four and leaving the FF baffled. It’s a great story, told with lots of wit and humor.


9) Fantastic Four 13

Fantastic Four 13 is a classic Silver Age story, full of Cold War symbolism, as the FF travel to the moon where they encounter the Russian Red Ghost and his Super Apes. Significantly, the story introduces the Watcher, and expands the horizons for this comic and, eventually, the whole Marvel universe. It’s fair to say that FF 13 initiated the Marvel cosmic tradition that eventually leads to not just Galactus and the Silver Surfer, but the Kree, the Shi’Ar, Adam Warlock, Mar-Vell, infinity stones, Thanos, Guardians of the Galaxy and so on. It’s also just a fun comic.


8) Fantastic Four 28

There was a roughly two year period when the FF teamed up with most of the nascent Marvel universe—the Hulk, the Avengers, Nick Fury, Ant-Man, Dr. Strange, Daredevil—but this story featuring the X-Men was the best. If the plot, featuring mind control and the team’s eventually joining forces to defeat the bad guys, feels familiar, it’s because it’s the template for hundreds of subsequent super-hero team ups. It’s also a great cover that has been referenced many, many times over the years.

7, Fantastic Four 91-93

Another story from late in the Lee / Kirby run. Ben is abducted by Skrulls to fight as a gladiator on a planet where the natives have adopted the appearances and mannerisms of 1920’s gangsters. It’s a great adventure that lets Kirby draw both cool alien stuff AND cool urban New York scenes in the same story. And it has one of the most touching endings of any comic (see above).


6) Fantastic Four 54

Fantastic Four 54 falls in the heart of the Lee / Kirby peak period (issues 44-60) so it’s understandable if it gets overlooked amid stories introducing Galactus, the Black Panther and the Inhumans. But it hold its own. Not only is there a fun and interesting adventure involving Johnny, Wyatt Wingfoot and the medeival knight Prester John, but there are loads of other subplots and supplemental story lines involving Wakanda and the Inhumans. This issue helps establish Wyatt as a major supporting character, and features some of Jack’s strongest work during this middle period (and that’s saying something).


5) Fantastic Four 38-43

This is the first real multi-part Fantastic Four story (aside from issues 25-26, where they team up with the Avengers) and as if to make up for lost time, it’s a sprawling six-parter. It begins with the FF battling, and very clearly losing, to the Frightful Four (featuring the first appearance of Medusa), who render them powerless. Then, an un-powered FF teams with Daredevil to battle Dr. Doom, who has captured the Baxter Building. The team’s powers are returned and in the aftermath of that fight, Ben, who is now in his rocky form again, quits the team in disgust, and falls party to the Frightful Four (they’re back!), who hypnotize him and set him against his team. The Frightful Four captures the Fantastic Four, who then escape and reverse Ben’s mind control, freeing him to defeat the bad guys.

Whew!

It’s a lot, and arguably not one unified story, but I think of it as one epic with many twists and turns. It works in part because the FF keep getting beat, but they pick themselves up and keep fighting.


4) Fantastic Four 78-79

Another story that hinges on the transformation of the Thing back to his human form. Ben is the heart of the Fantastic Four, and his constant struggle with his monstrous appearance lies at the heart of his character. Here, he has to choose between his personal happiness and his duty to his adopted family in a story that is particularly well-crafted and poignant. When human-looking Ben and Alicia are having dinner at a restaurant, it’s so painfully awkward we’re almost relieved when the villain bursts into interrupt them.


3) Fantastic Four Annual 6

This comic is, simultaneously, a ripping Negative Zone adventure, a high-stakes quest to save the life of Sue and her unborn baby, the introduction of a top-tier villain in Annihilus and, arguably, Jack Kirby’s single best issue of the Fantastic Four. With the birth of Franklin at risk, the stakes are high and Stan and Jack rise to the occasion in one of the best Marvel annuals ever.


2, Fantastic Four 48-50

This is probably the most well-known and beloved story from the Lee / Kirby run (and maybe from the entire Silver Age), but its fame and popularity is no reason to exclude it. There are many, many reasons to love this story, from the introduction of Galactus and the Silver Surfer to the Torch’s journey across the universe, but ultimately what sets it apart is its ambition. Stan and Jack gave the FF a threat to the world that not just theoretical, but immediate and seemingly unsolvable. That they needed the help of both Watcher and the Silver Surfer doesn’t diminish the Fantastic Four, but raises the consequences of the threat and hence the story

1) Fantastic Four 57-60

This story concludes the peak Lee / Kirby period and in my considered opinion, it’s the best of their entire run. It’s a gripping story, with Dr. Doom stealing the power of the Silver Surfer and using it to subdue the entire planet, and one that really cements Doom as a bad guy without equal. No one else in comics combines his genius, his ruthlessness and his arrogance with his twisted sense of nobility and purpose. He is a compelling villain and he’s at his best here.

Like all great FF stories, this one also features the Fantastic Four getting their asses kicked. It’s only when they are beaten do we understand how big a challenge they have to overcome. It’s well-paced as well, with the story building over four issues.

But what really sets this story apart is how it combines so many threads of the Fantastic Four up to this point. It’s as if Stan and Jack had been mixing ingredients for five years and they finally pulled the finished cake from the oven. Doom stealing the Surfer’s power, the appearance of Wyatt Wingfoot, the Inhumans sub-plot; they all adds up to be more than the sum of their parts.

That said, they story isn’t without its flaws, particularly the anti-climactic ending, which I have discussed previously. But there is no perfect FF story, even from Stan and Jack (and rushed ending are endemic in their run), and this one comes closer than most.



That’s it! That’s the list! Agree? Disagree? Let me know! And stay tuned for more installments of So Random!, where I analyze a comic picked from my collection at random.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 77

16 Sunday Oct 2022

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Fantastic Four 77
“Shall Earth Endure?”
Published: May 1968
Story: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Script: Lee
Pencils: Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Kirby and Sinnott

Synopsis

The three male members of the Fantastic Four are in the Microverse, where in the last issue they persuaded the Silver Surfer to return to Galactus and spare the earth by finding him another planet to consume. The FF, minus the soon-to-give-birth Invisible Girl, remained behind to pursue the Psycho-Man, and in the opening pages of FF 77, they are whisked via teleportation to the villain’s headquarters. There, they confront him only to discover they were fighting an illusion created by his emotion warping powers.

Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer has returned to the earth’s dimension, and flies across space to convince Galactus to spare the earth. Galactus commands the Surfer to find him another planet to consume, which he somehow is able to do quickly. But when the Surfer asks to be released from his imprisonment on earth, Galactus refuses, saying he needs to be able to find him.

Back in the microverse, the FF fight first a giant version of the Psycho-Man, then one in armor outfitted with weaponry. The FF eventually triumph when the Thing collapses his headquarters around the Psycho-Man, trapping him. But Mr. Fantastic orders him freed, explaining they need him to return to earth since they have been teleported away from their Reducta-craft. Reed tells the Psycho-Man that Galactus threatens his universe as well, and when he examines Reed’s mind and sees he’s telling the truth, returns the FF to their dimension to battle Galactus.


What’s going on here?

This issue concludes the four-issue Galactus/Pyscho-Man arc and unfortunately it ends with a fizzle, not a bang. The story’s problems started last issue, when Reed tells the team they need to remain behind to end the menace of the Psycho-Man. But how he intended to do that is never clear, and even when they have trapped him, it’s not clear what the next move was supposed to be—arrest him? murder him? The confusion about their purpose in the microverse speaks to the general aimlessness of the issue. The Surfer’s reunion with Galactus is unsatisfying and anti-climactic—he finds him new planet to consume in what seems like minutes—and the FF’s confrontation with the Psycho-Man ends with Reed sheepishly needing him to give the team a ride home.

On the plus side, Kirby is on the top of his game in this issue.

They’re fighting again

When I first read this panel, I assumed the Psycho-Man was using his mood altering powers to pit the team against each other. Nope, just their usual bickering.

Crazy Credits

Nil Nisi Optimus translates from latin as “nothing but the best is good enough.” If only that were true.


It’s Clobberin’ Time

Well, sort of.


Mid-century Modern

More Baxter Building interior decor. Is that a Cezanne?


Weird science

Why, yes, it is a computerized matter receiver.


Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Sinnott:

A master at work.

Dig that Kirby Krackle

Some great splash pages in this issue. Like this one:

and this one:

And this sequence:


Also on the newsstands

What else was on sale in May of 1968?


Next issue: The return of the Wizard!

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 76

09 Sunday Oct 2022

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Fantastic Four 76
“Stranded in Sub-Atomica!”
Published: April 1968
Story: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Script: Lee
Pencils: Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Cover: Kirby and Sinnott

Synopsis

In the previous issue, Mr. Fantastic vows to find the Silver Surfer for Galactus, and deduced he shrunk himself into the microword, a dimension between molecules and home of the Psycho-Man. Fantastic Four 76 opens with Reed, Ben and Johnny—Sue is still sidelined because of her pregnancy—boarding the Reducta-Craft and shrinking in pursuit of the Surfer. The team quickly finds him and when they try to corral him, a battle ensues and they are badly beaten by the perturbed Surfer.

Meanwhile, as they fight, the Psycho-Man stumbles upon them—what a coincidence!—and dispatches what appears to be an indestructible android to retrieve the Surfer. But it instead encounters the FF, and battles them to a standstill. Realizing time is running out, Reed sends Ben and Johnny to capture the Surfer while he prepares to battle the android, to his death, if necessary. But just as Reed prepares to grapple with it, the machine disappears, removed by the Surfer. After overhearing the FF, the Surfer now realizes the fate of the earth is at stake, and he says he will voluntarily return to Galactus. The issue ends with the Surfer riding off and the three members of the FF determined to pursue the Pyscho-Man.


What’s going on here?

While there are some cool visuals, and great interplay between Reed, Ben and Johnny, this issue unfortunately feels like padding. The confrontation with the Surfer seems pro-forma, and the fight with the indestructible android reads a lot like other recent battles, such as with Galactus’s Punisher two issues ago, or with the Mad Thinker’s android in issue 71. All these enemies are really proxies for more potent foes, and they lack the same stakes or sense of urgency as when the FF fight the actual villain themselves. This issues ends with a fizzle, too, as the Surfer bails out the FF, and decides to resolve things with Galactus. Reed’s decision to stay in the microverse makes a lie out of the title, “Stranded in Sub-Atomica.”


Best pals

There are some nice moments between the three teammates, such as here when Reed admits his mistake and Ben is quick to forgive him.

And here, when he apologizes for implying Ben and Johnny didn’t take the mission seriously enough.


The sexist sixties

As she has for the last few issues, Crystal continues to patronize Sue by telling her everything is fine.


Doctor who?

In this issue, we learn Sue is nearing full term, despite never appearing visibly pregnant. We also learn that doctors still made house calls in 1968, and men still wore hats.



Weird science

This whole issue is basically all weird science, but I particularly liked Reed’s explanation of how the Reducta-Craft is powered.


Bang! Pow!

Some cool sound effects in this issue. Maybe things sound different in the microverse.


Dig that Kirby Krackle

We have to start with this splash page

Other cool images:


Also on the newsstands

Here’s what else was on sale in April 1968


Next issue: The conclusion to the Galactus / Psycho-Man story!

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 75

02 Sunday Oct 2022

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Fantastic Four 75
“Worlds Within Worlds!”
Published: March 1968
Story: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Script: Lee
Pencils: Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Cover: Kirby and Sinnott

Synopsis

Fantastic Four 75 follows closely behind FF 74, when the team—minus the pregnant Invisible Girl—got wrapped up in Galactus’s quest to locate the missing Silver Surfer, his former herald, so that the Surfer could find new planets for him to consume. FF 75 opens with Mr. Fantastic, the Thing and the Human Torch on an unnamed island off the coast of New York City, waiting for Galactus’s next move.

Galactus—still light years away on his space ship—initially destroys the island, then pulls the trio into space where they black out, before they are revived on the once-again intact island. The team then confronts doppelgängers of themselves created by Galactus, and after a long battle, finally defeat them by switching up opponents. Finally, when Galactus threatens to destroy Manhattan by dropping a massive meteor on it, Reed pledges to find the Surfer. The issue closes with the trio preparing to shrink into the mircoverse, where they suspect the Surfer has traveled.


What’s going on here?

This is a fun issue, with high stakes, great action and some amazing gee-whiz Kirby art, although not all of it makes a lot of sense. It’s not really obvious that subjecting the FF to various trials was supposed to force them to give up the Surfer’s location—Galactus doesn’t make his demands known until after they fight the doppelgangers—and at any rate, it seems like killing them would not be an effective way to get information. Mostly it’s an opportunity to show off Galactus’s power, and have the three FF members fight evil versions of themselves.

The sequence with the FF being lifted into space, nearing death, then waking up on the ground is a particularly good one.


He wears short shorts

This might be Galactus’s last appearance in shorts:

By the time of his next appearance, in Silver Surfer 1 later that year (technically a flashback), he’s in long pants:

Silver Surfer 1 (19868, Lee/J. Buscema/Sinnott)

He’s also wearing long pants in his subsequent appearances in Thor, which Kirby drew.


The sexist sixties

Once again, Sue is not just sidelined, but patronized as Crystal keeps her from learning her team is battling for their lives.


They’re fighting again

Technically they trade blows since they fight versions of themselves, but also in this spirited argument between Ben and Reed.


The incredible Mr. Fantastic

Reed vs. evil Reed


It’s Clobberin’ time


Weird science

Johnny is as skeptical about Reed’s “thought waves” as the rest of us.


Say what?

Halavah, more commonly known as halva, is apparently a middle eastern desert made of sesame seeds and honey. It’s not at all clear why Ben is thinking about it here.


Dig that Kirby Krackle

Some cool comic stuff from Jack


Also on news stands

Looking at what else was on sale in March 1968:


Next issue: Into the micro-verse!