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Fantastic Four Omnibus
Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 2
Multiple Marvel Milestones await in the second FF Omnibus! The wedding of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Girl! The origin of Doctor Doom! The return of the original Human Torch! The FF's first trip to another galaxy, the introduction of the Inhumans and the coming of Galactus! Plus: Skrulls, Atlanteans, Subterraneans and more! Guest-starring the Silver Surfer, the Black Panther and Daredevil!
Collecting: Fantastic Four 31-60, Annual 2-4
Collecting: Fantastic Four 31-60, Annual 2-4
807 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1967
24 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,574 books2,323 followersStan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 11, 2021
Fantastic Four Omnibus, Volume 2, contains Fantastic Four 31-60, plus annuals 2-4.
Annual 2: Doctor Doom's origin is retold and he teams with Rama Tut against the Fantastic Four!
Yeah, Doctor Doom again. While I already knew Doom and Reed went to college together, it was nice to read the story for the first time.
31-34: The Fantastic Four take on the Mole Man, the Invincible Man, Attuma, and a billionaire named Gregory Gideon.
Introducing Franklin Storm, Sue and Johnny's father, only to kill him off seemed like a waste. The Invincible Man battle was the best issue of these four. Special bonus: Since this omnibus includes the original letters page, George R.R. Martin has two letters published, starting his long tradition of writing frivolous things when he should be working on something important.
35-38: The Fantastic Four take on Dragon-Man and Diablo, The Frightful Four, go to the Skrull homeworld, and take on the Frightful Four a second time.
Kirby's dynamic pencils drove the debut of two new threats, Dragon-Man and the Frightful Four. It's not very often you see super heroes defeated but the Frightful Four did just that. How is the Fantastic Four going to operate powerless?
On a side note, Medusa's hair is kind of a ridiculous super power. "Your clumsy fists and guns are no match for my uncanny hair!"
39-43: A powerless Fantastic Four go up against Doctor Doom with Daredevil as their ally. No sooner do they get their powers back than The Thing leaves and joins forces with the Frightful Four!
Yeah, you know you're in deep shit when Daredevil joins your team and he's the heavy hitter. The three issue conflict with the Frightful Four went a little long but I'm really digging the silver age cheese factor from Medusa.
Annual 3: It's the day we've all been waiting for! Reed Richards and Sue Storm are getting married. Too bad Doctor Doom is assembling an army of super villains to attack the Fantastic Four when they are the most vulnerable.
Doctor Doom sets out to ruin the wedding of Reed and Sue, setting a precedent for every future super hero wedding to follow. Doom's allies include but are not limited to The Puppet Master, Red Ghost, Mole Man, The Mandarin, Kang, Grey Gargoyle, The Super Skrull, Cobra, the Executioner, The Enchantress, Black Knight, The Melter, Mister Hyde, Elector, the Beetle, the Mad Thinker, and the Awesome Android. Luckily, the X-Men, Daredevil, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and Doctor Strange are on hand.
44-47: The Fantastic Four meet the Uncanny Inhumans!
This proved to be a timely read since the Inhumans are the surrogate X-Men until Marvel gets the movie rights back. This is the story that introduces them, starting with Medusa on the run and ending at the great refuge, with plenty of super hero misunderstandings in between.
The Inhuman Royal Family act much as they do these days. I'm glad someone besides Stan Lee eventually writes the Fantastic Four, though. His dialogue is kind of terrible and Sue Richards has almost no personality beyond wanting to please her husband.
48-50: At last, the Galactus Trilogy!
Fresh from their debacle with Maximus the Mad, the Fantastic Four arrive home to find New York in chaos, but that is nothing compared to the shitstorm headed their way, for the Silver Surfer has arrived and, soon, Galactus! Galactus' arrival and the following two issues are some of the best comics from this era. While I haven't read all of Lee and Kirby's run, I'd be shocked if this wasn't their prime. The art is quintessential Kirby and Lee's also at the top of his game.
51-56: A mad scientist steals the Thing's powers and has a change of heart. The Black Panther battles the Fantastic Four and helps them battle Klaw. The Human Torch and Wyatt Wingfoot meet Prester John. The Thing battles the Silver Surfer and the Fantastic Four, minus the Human Torch, battle the much improved Klaw!
The Fantastic Four continues to expand the Marvel Universe, this time by introducing the Black Panther and Wakanda. The Kirby-ness goes up another notch as Kirby machines and Kirby dots are all over the place.
Annual 4: The Fantastic Four battle the original Human Torch and the Mad Thinker!
The FF, primarily Johnny, battle the original Human Torch, who was revived by the Mad Thinker. Due to Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, I'm pretty sure this story was only written to retain Marvel's copyright on the original Human Torch. Kind of a shitty thing to do to Carl Burgos. Also, this story also illustrates how much Marvel has played fast and loose with time over the years. At this point, Reed and Ben were still acknowledged as being in World War II.
57-60: Doom steals the power cosmic!
While the Kirby-tude of this story can't be denied, it was kind of a letdown in the end. Still, it was great seeing Doctor Doom running wild for a few issues... with no other heroes stopping by to help.
Closing Thoughts: The second big honkin' Fantastic Four omnibus was even better than the first. So much of the foundation of the current Marvel Universe was established in these issues. While the dialogue is almost unbearable at times, the concepts and the art were the top of the game at the time. 4.5 out of 5 stars, adjusted for the passage of sixty years.
The 2021 Re-Read: My thoughts haven't changed all that much during the past five years. The Fantastic Four doesn't really become The World's Greatest Comic Magazine until Joe Sinnott starts inking Jack Kirby's pencils with issue #44. The FF got their asses handed to them a few times but they still wound up on top in the end. While I find Stan Lee's dialog embarrassing at times, it's hard to top a run like Fantastic Four #44-60.
Annual 2: Doctor Doom's origin is retold and he teams with Rama Tut against the Fantastic Four!
Yeah, Doctor Doom again. While I already knew Doom and Reed went to college together, it was nice to read the story for the first time.
31-34: The Fantastic Four take on the Mole Man, the Invincible Man, Attuma, and a billionaire named Gregory Gideon.
Introducing Franklin Storm, Sue and Johnny's father, only to kill him off seemed like a waste. The Invincible Man battle was the best issue of these four. Special bonus: Since this omnibus includes the original letters page, George R.R. Martin has two letters published, starting his long tradition of writing frivolous things when he should be working on something important.
35-38: The Fantastic Four take on Dragon-Man and Diablo, The Frightful Four, go to the Skrull homeworld, and take on the Frightful Four a second time.
Kirby's dynamic pencils drove the debut of two new threats, Dragon-Man and the Frightful Four. It's not very often you see super heroes defeated but the Frightful Four did just that. How is the Fantastic Four going to operate powerless?
On a side note, Medusa's hair is kind of a ridiculous super power. "Your clumsy fists and guns are no match for my uncanny hair!"
39-43: A powerless Fantastic Four go up against Doctor Doom with Daredevil as their ally. No sooner do they get their powers back than The Thing leaves and joins forces with the Frightful Four!
Yeah, you know you're in deep shit when Daredevil joins your team and he's the heavy hitter. The three issue conflict with the Frightful Four went a little long but I'm really digging the silver age cheese factor from Medusa.
Annual 3: It's the day we've all been waiting for! Reed Richards and Sue Storm are getting married. Too bad Doctor Doom is assembling an army of super villains to attack the Fantastic Four when they are the most vulnerable.
Doctor Doom sets out to ruin the wedding of Reed and Sue, setting a precedent for every future super hero wedding to follow. Doom's allies include but are not limited to The Puppet Master, Red Ghost, Mole Man, The Mandarin, Kang, Grey Gargoyle, The Super Skrull, Cobra, the Executioner, The Enchantress, Black Knight, The Melter, Mister Hyde, Elector, the Beetle, the Mad Thinker, and the Awesome Android. Luckily, the X-Men, Daredevil, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and Doctor Strange are on hand.
44-47: The Fantastic Four meet the Uncanny Inhumans!
This proved to be a timely read since the Inhumans are the surrogate X-Men until Marvel gets the movie rights back. This is the story that introduces them, starting with Medusa on the run and ending at the great refuge, with plenty of super hero misunderstandings in between.
The Inhuman Royal Family act much as they do these days. I'm glad someone besides Stan Lee eventually writes the Fantastic Four, though. His dialogue is kind of terrible and Sue Richards has almost no personality beyond wanting to please her husband.
48-50: At last, the Galactus Trilogy!
Fresh from their debacle with Maximus the Mad, the Fantastic Four arrive home to find New York in chaos, but that is nothing compared to the shitstorm headed their way, for the Silver Surfer has arrived and, soon, Galactus! Galactus' arrival and the following two issues are some of the best comics from this era. While I haven't read all of Lee and Kirby's run, I'd be shocked if this wasn't their prime. The art is quintessential Kirby and Lee's also at the top of his game.
51-56: A mad scientist steals the Thing's powers and has a change of heart. The Black Panther battles the Fantastic Four and helps them battle Klaw. The Human Torch and Wyatt Wingfoot meet Prester John. The Thing battles the Silver Surfer and the Fantastic Four, minus the Human Torch, battle the much improved Klaw!
The Fantastic Four continues to expand the Marvel Universe, this time by introducing the Black Panther and Wakanda. The Kirby-ness goes up another notch as Kirby machines and Kirby dots are all over the place.
Annual 4: The Fantastic Four battle the original Human Torch and the Mad Thinker!
The FF, primarily Johnny, battle the original Human Torch, who was revived by the Mad Thinker. Due to Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, I'm pretty sure this story was only written to retain Marvel's copyright on the original Human Torch. Kind of a shitty thing to do to Carl Burgos. Also, this story also illustrates how much Marvel has played fast and loose with time over the years. At this point, Reed and Ben were still acknowledged as being in World War II.
57-60: Doom steals the power cosmic!
While the Kirby-tude of this story can't be denied, it was kind of a letdown in the end. Still, it was great seeing Doctor Doom running wild for a few issues... with no other heroes stopping by to help.
Closing Thoughts: The second big honkin' Fantastic Four omnibus was even better than the first. So much of the foundation of the current Marvel Universe was established in these issues. While the dialogue is almost unbearable at times, the concepts and the art were the top of the game at the time. 4.5 out of 5 stars, adjusted for the passage of sixty years.
The 2021 Re-Read: My thoughts haven't changed all that much during the past five years. The Fantastic Four doesn't really become The World's Greatest Comic Magazine until Joe Sinnott starts inking Jack Kirby's pencils with issue #44. The FF got their asses handed to them a few times but they still wound up on top in the end. While I find Stan Lee's dialog embarrassing at times, it's hard to top a run like Fantastic Four #44-60.
June 16, 2023
Annual 2
-Origin of Doctor Doom. Super iconic, especially for fans of MF DOOM who've heard the Stan Lee narration hundreds of times sampled in his songs. Includes a battle with FF where Doom meets up with that Pharaoh guy in space and decide rather quickly that they are in fact the same person. It's a bit odd that they'd jump to that conclusion... just because Doom built a time machine.
The Fantastic Four 31 - Mole Man
Battle with the Mole Man. We also meet Susan Storm's father who is a highly talented sergeant in jail for murder. He breaks out and helps Susan.
The Fantastic Four 32 - The Invincible Man
A skrull takes over Susan's fathers body. The dad ends up saving the day and sacrificing himself. It turns out his murder charge was a bit trumped up - he's actually a great person.
The Fantastic Four 33 - Sub-Mariner
Sub-Mariner's love interest asks the FF to help - his kingdom is being challenged by a warlord named Attuma. It's a pretty cool underwater battle scene with some iconic Jack Kirby action. It hints that perhaps FF and Sub-Mariner can be allies.
The Fantastic Four 34 - Mr. Gideon
A super rich guy (not a masked villain!) decides the next step is world domination... and of course needs to defeat the FF first. He turns each member against each other but eventually they defeat him and he decides being a loving husband and father is a worthier cause.
The Fantastic Four 35 - Dragon Man / Diablo
FF visit a college and there's a weird science experiment that gets taken over by Diablo and a killer humanoid Dragon is unleashed.
The Fantastic Four 36 - Frightful Four
Susan and Reed announce their engagement and are getting lots of publicity. That's one thing that's cool about FF comics, these guys actually get treated like celebrities which I think is quite realistic. They also constantly get complaints of property damage! The Frightful Four are Sandman, Paste-Pot Pete (Perhaps the greatest super villain ever created, he has a bucket of paste and a spray gun), The Wizard, and Medussa.
The Fantastic Four 37 "Behold! A Distant Star" - Skrulls
FF go to outerspace to go to the Skrull galaxy. There they find themselves in a scrap with a wealthy Skrull the Evil Morrat. After his defeat the Skrulls make peace with Earth.
The Fantastic Four 38 - Frightful Four (Again)
The FF almost die at the end but Susan's forcefield protect them from a huge "Q-Bomb" blast, but they appear to have lost their powers in the final panel.
The Fantastic Four 39/40 "A Blind Man Shall Lead Them!" - Doctor Doom and Daredevil
The FF have no powers, they are rescued by a submarine crew. Back in NYC Doctor Doom is after them but Daredevil assists. In the end the FF get their powers back with a ray gun. Unfortunately, in order to defeat Doom, Reed has to use the gun on Ben Grimm turning Ben back into the Thing. It's interesting that Grimm doesn't seem to willingly want to sacrifice being normal to defeat Doom - Reed makes the decision for him. Stan Lee avoids the cliche heroics.
Frightful Four Saga
Fantastic Four 41- The Brutal Betrayal of Ben Grimm
in the last issue Grimm was normal again but Reed changed him back to The Thing in order to defeat Doom. So he's pretty upset now! He ends up skipping out of town in the back of a pickup truck and ends up at a gloomy house. Where the Frightful Four happen to be (Paste-Pot Pete, Sandman, Wizard, Medusa). The rest of the FF are searching for Ben meanwhile to Frightful Four have turned The Thing into a teammate using an ID Machine. The Frightful Four manage to capture the FF.
Fantastic Four 42 - To Save You, Why Must I Kill You?
The FF escape the contraptions keeping them hostage and a big battle ensues with Ben Grimm on the Frightful Four's team. Human Torch gets captured and pretends to be brainwashed too. So the 6 of them chase Reed and Susan.
Fantastic Four 43 - Lo! There Shall be an Ending!
The Frightful Four realize Human Torch's deceit. Meanwhile Ben has chased Reed and Susan back to the Baxter Building where Reed manages to subdue Ben and un-brainwash him but nearly kill him in the process. The Frightful Four show up but get their butts kicked. Only Medusa escapes.
Fantastic Four Annual 3 1965 - The Wedding of Sue and Reed "Bedlam at the Baxter Building"
The FF are essentially celebrities at this point. So their wedding is a big deal, but all their enemies take is as an opportunity to attack. Including Doom, Puppet Master, Red Ghost, Mole Man, The Mandarin, Super Skrull, and many other minor characters.
But there to help are Col Fury, The X-men, Dr. Strange, Thor, Captain America, Daredevil, Iron Man, Spider-man etc.
It's a celebration of all the characters Marvel had created up to that point.
Even Attula comes to take over the land world and the Watcher comes to help by giving Reed a TIme Displacer that sends all the enemies to the immediate past.
Inhumans Saga
Fantastic Four 44 The Gentleman's Name is Gorgon
The introduction of Inhumans I think it technically issue 45, but this starts that storyline.
Sue is trying to be a housewife to Reed while Reed is inventing new tech like an automated dish-washer. Medusa abducts Johnny. Gorgon shows up and attacks the Baxter Building. The Dragon Man happens to be asleep where Medusa takes Johnny and attacks them. Gorgon is after Medusa because she's an inhuman. All of the characters have an epic battle on a building.
Fantastic Four 45 Among Us Hide... The Inhumans
So Gorgon crashes the building down. The FF defeat Dragon Man and take him back to headquarters. The Frightful Four are in jail now and can't escape. Johnny is tired of being single and happens to bump into a gorgeous girl (Crystal) but she runs away from him with some debris flying around so Johnny isn't even sure if she was real. But later sees her again and meets her giant dog Lockjaw and she tells him about the Inhumans. Gorgon and Medusa are there too. We meet Triton (water lizard thing) and Karnak (guy that can punch really hard) and Black Bolt (their leader) comes in in the last panel to attack the FF.
Fantastic Four 46 Those Who Would Destroy Us
The FF try to fight Black Bolt and rest of the Inhumans but get beat pretty soundly. A guy named The Seeker breaks into the FF headquarters and steals Dragon Man. The Seeker is after the Inhumans and captures Triton and later the FF. He tells the FF the whole backstory about inhumans, humans, the Great Refuge that was built to protect the genetically altered inhumans. So no inhumans are allowed outside of this Great Refuge. Dragon Man wakes up and wreaks havoc including breaking Triton's water tank.
Fantastic Four 47 Beware the Hidden Land
Susan tries to help Triton by creating a bubble around him and filling it with water. Seeker reveals his boss is named Maximus the Magnificent. Ben and Dragon Man fight ending up in Ben's GF's (Alicia) place. The inhumans all leave but Reed wants to follow them, Susan doesn't saying that the inhumans have their own laws. Its revealed that Maximus is the false King and Black Bolt's brother. Black Bolt is the true king but has lost the power of speech but he takes the crown from Maximus. Maximus is power hungry but feigns innocence. The FF find the Great Refuge, a small high-tech city in the high Andes. The FF intrude and Reed tells Black Bolt they need to stop hiding, humans are not the enemy. Triton realizes Maximus is the real enemy.
Galactus Saga
Fantastic Four 48 The Coming of Galactus
Maximus is trying to kill all the humans and is plan would have worked but its revealed that inhumans are humans too so his vibration gun thingy doesn't work. The inhumans lock themselves into the Great Refuge as a huge dome covers the city. Johnny is upset that he can't see Crystal.
Meanwhile a silver dude on a surf board is flying though the cosmos headed to Earth. He's observed by Skrull who reveal that Galactus can't be far behind the Silver Surfer. Weird things are happening to the sky including fire which gets blamed on the FF. The Watcher tells Ben about Galactus who shows up at the very end. Galactus is here to consume the Earth for power. Ben destroys the device Galactus planned to use which pisses him off. The Watcher gets Johnny to go into a time space distortion and travels to the centre of infinity to a huge space station to fetch a weapon.
Fantastic Four 49 If This Be Doomsday
Galactus and The Watcher have a chat. The FF try to fight Galactus but their attacks are like a mosquito bite to him. Silver Surfer meets Alicia who convinces him humans are worth saving.
Fantastic Four 50 The Startling Sage of the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer tells Galactus not to destroy Earth which doesn't go over too well. The Watcher is worried this turn of events will actually ruin his plan. Johnny comes back with a device that could erase the solar system in a microsecond - the Ultimate Nullifier. Silver Surfer is the herald to Galactus no longer. Galactus leaves. Ben is worried Alicia is more interested in the Surfer than him.
Johnny goes to College and meets a large student named Wingfoot and they seem to become fast friends. It's revealed that Crystal wants to escape the Great Refuge and see Johnny again.
The Fantastic Four #51 This Man... This Monster
Iconic splash page of The Thing standing in the rain. He believes his girlfriend is more interested in Silver Surfer than him. He's just recently been turned back into The Thing. Johnny is off to college, Reed and Susan are newly married. Poor guy!
He gets duped by a bald guy who steals his powers. As The Thing, this villain goes to the Baxter Building. Ben as a human can't convince Reed he's the real Ben. Reed goes into a dimensional sub-space relying on The Thing to hold a rope for him... but the villain wants to kill Reed until he has a change of heart, flies into the dimensional machine and rescues Reed sacrificing himself in the process.
See Alex Ross's Fantastic Four - Full Circle (2022) for an inspired sequel to this story.
The Fantastic Four #52 The Black Panther
The FF are invited to Africa to meet this Black Panther character. They grab Johnny from college along with his new friend Wyatt Wingfoot (who ends up saving the day).
The Inhumans are still struggling in their Great Refuge prison.
Black Panther beats up the FF until Wingfoot stops him.
The Fantastic Four #53
Continuing the Black Panther story...
We get a lot of background detail about Wakanda, Black Panther, T'Chaka, and their old enemy an ivory hunter who is searching for vibranium to power his sound transformer. It just so happens that Wakanda is attacked at that very moment by Klaw the Sound Master. For some reason only now does Black Panther realize where Klaw must be hidden and finds his base with ease and beats up Klaw.
The Fantastic Four #54
Still in Wakanda, The FF are involved in a game of baseball and enjoying their stay.
This issue is about trying to break the Great Refuge barrier trapping the Inhumans.
Johnny misses the Inhuman Crystal and wants to break them out. Johnny goes on a journey to an old tomb and finds Prester John an ancient knight who holds a weapon called the Evil Eye. But later Wingfoot and Prester John prevent Johnny from using the weapon on the barrier because it would have killed him.
The Inhumans may have figured out a way to shatter the barrier. But Black Bolt nearly perishes in an attempt to break the barrier.
The Fantastic Four #55 Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer is roaming Earth and goes to talk to The Thing's girlfriend Alicia. The Thing and Silver Surfer fight. Meanwhile Johnny and Wingfoot are in the Andes and run across Lockjaw.
The Fantastic Four #56 Klaw
Klaw, the Black Panther villain, is back and has levelled up now sporting a red jumpsuit and metal sonic gauntlet. Reed got some vibranium brass-knuckles from Black Panther that help him win the fight.
Johnny and Wingfoot with Lockjaw are exploring.
The last panel shows Doom spotting Silver Surfer.
The Fantastic Four Annual #4 The Torch that Was
Johnny and Wingfoot with Lockjaw show up in the Baxter building by Lockjaw's teleportation. The original Human Torch is found by Mad Thinker and escapes, battling Johnny Storm. Kirby draws a pretty epic full page splash of the two colliding.
The Fantastic Four #57 Enter... Dr. Doom
Sandman attacks the FF but is quickly defeated but restraining him proves difficult. Doom talks with Silver Surfer and pretends to be a benevolent ruler. Doom tricks Surfer and steals his power.
The Fantastic Four #58 The Dismal Dregs of Defeat
Doom comes to face the FF with his new powers. Doom beats them up but in the end allows them to live knowing they will face abject hopelessness against his powers. Reed plays on Doom's vanity to survive.
The Fantastic Four #59 Doomsday
The Inhumans finally break free. That's got to be the longest set-up to pay-off so far in the FF comics. Doom is just pure evil now, beating up a defeated Silver Surfer and planning Doomsday. He goes around messing up the environment all over Earth. Reed hatches a plan.
The Fantastic Four #60
Continuing Doomsday...
The FF try to fight Doom. Meanwhile The Watcher once again gets involved in human affairs, not very good at staying out of it these days. A strange craft flies by Doom and sucks away much of his cosmic power and seems to fly towards where the Silver Surfer is.
Not Brand Echh "The Silver Burper"
A silly FF parody by Lee and Kirby.
-Origin of Doctor Doom. Super iconic, especially for fans of MF DOOM who've heard the Stan Lee narration hundreds of times sampled in his songs. Includes a battle with FF where Doom meets up with that Pharaoh guy in space and decide rather quickly that they are in fact the same person. It's a bit odd that they'd jump to that conclusion... just because Doom built a time machine.
The Fantastic Four 31 - Mole Man
Battle with the Mole Man. We also meet Susan Storm's father who is a highly talented sergeant in jail for murder. He breaks out and helps Susan.
The Fantastic Four 32 - The Invincible Man
A skrull takes over Susan's fathers body. The dad ends up saving the day and sacrificing himself. It turns out his murder charge was a bit trumped up - he's actually a great person.
The Fantastic Four 33 - Sub-Mariner
Sub-Mariner's love interest asks the FF to help - his kingdom is being challenged by a warlord named Attuma. It's a pretty cool underwater battle scene with some iconic Jack Kirby action. It hints that perhaps FF and Sub-Mariner can be allies.
The Fantastic Four 34 - Mr. Gideon
A super rich guy (not a masked villain!) decides the next step is world domination... and of course needs to defeat the FF first. He turns each member against each other but eventually they defeat him and he decides being a loving husband and father is a worthier cause.
The Fantastic Four 35 - Dragon Man / Diablo
FF visit a college and there's a weird science experiment that gets taken over by Diablo and a killer humanoid Dragon is unleashed.
The Fantastic Four 36 - Frightful Four
Susan and Reed announce their engagement and are getting lots of publicity. That's one thing that's cool about FF comics, these guys actually get treated like celebrities which I think is quite realistic. They also constantly get complaints of property damage! The Frightful Four are Sandman, Paste-Pot Pete (Perhaps the greatest super villain ever created, he has a bucket of paste and a spray gun), The Wizard, and Medussa.
The Fantastic Four 37 "Behold! A Distant Star" - Skrulls
FF go to outerspace to go to the Skrull galaxy. There they find themselves in a scrap with a wealthy Skrull the Evil Morrat. After his defeat the Skrulls make peace with Earth.
The Fantastic Four 38 - Frightful Four (Again)
The FF almost die at the end but Susan's forcefield protect them from a huge "Q-Bomb" blast, but they appear to have lost their powers in the final panel.
The Fantastic Four 39/40 "A Blind Man Shall Lead Them!" - Doctor Doom and Daredevil
The FF have no powers, they are rescued by a submarine crew. Back in NYC Doctor Doom is after them but Daredevil assists. In the end the FF get their powers back with a ray gun. Unfortunately, in order to defeat Doom, Reed has to use the gun on Ben Grimm turning Ben back into the Thing. It's interesting that Grimm doesn't seem to willingly want to sacrifice being normal to defeat Doom - Reed makes the decision for him. Stan Lee avoids the cliche heroics.
Frightful Four Saga
Fantastic Four 41- The Brutal Betrayal of Ben Grimm
in the last issue Grimm was normal again but Reed changed him back to The Thing in order to defeat Doom. So he's pretty upset now! He ends up skipping out of town in the back of a pickup truck and ends up at a gloomy house. Where the Frightful Four happen to be (Paste-Pot Pete, Sandman, Wizard, Medusa). The rest of the FF are searching for Ben meanwhile to Frightful Four have turned The Thing into a teammate using an ID Machine. The Frightful Four manage to capture the FF.
Fantastic Four 42 - To Save You, Why Must I Kill You?
The FF escape the contraptions keeping them hostage and a big battle ensues with Ben Grimm on the Frightful Four's team. Human Torch gets captured and pretends to be brainwashed too. So the 6 of them chase Reed and Susan.
Fantastic Four 43 - Lo! There Shall be an Ending!
The Frightful Four realize Human Torch's deceit. Meanwhile Ben has chased Reed and Susan back to the Baxter Building where Reed manages to subdue Ben and un-brainwash him but nearly kill him in the process. The Frightful Four show up but get their butts kicked. Only Medusa escapes.
Fantastic Four Annual 3 1965 - The Wedding of Sue and Reed "Bedlam at the Baxter Building"
The FF are essentially celebrities at this point. So their wedding is a big deal, but all their enemies take is as an opportunity to attack. Including Doom, Puppet Master, Red Ghost, Mole Man, The Mandarin, Super Skrull, and many other minor characters.
But there to help are Col Fury, The X-men, Dr. Strange, Thor, Captain America, Daredevil, Iron Man, Spider-man etc.
It's a celebration of all the characters Marvel had created up to that point.
Even Attula comes to take over the land world and the Watcher comes to help by giving Reed a TIme Displacer that sends all the enemies to the immediate past.
Inhumans Saga
Fantastic Four 44 The Gentleman's Name is Gorgon
The introduction of Inhumans I think it technically issue 45, but this starts that storyline.
Sue is trying to be a housewife to Reed while Reed is inventing new tech like an automated dish-washer. Medusa abducts Johnny. Gorgon shows up and attacks the Baxter Building. The Dragon Man happens to be asleep where Medusa takes Johnny and attacks them. Gorgon is after Medusa because she's an inhuman. All of the characters have an epic battle on a building.
Fantastic Four 45 Among Us Hide... The Inhumans
So Gorgon crashes the building down. The FF defeat Dragon Man and take him back to headquarters. The Frightful Four are in jail now and can't escape. Johnny is tired of being single and happens to bump into a gorgeous girl (Crystal) but she runs away from him with some debris flying around so Johnny isn't even sure if she was real. But later sees her again and meets her giant dog Lockjaw and she tells him about the Inhumans. Gorgon and Medusa are there too. We meet Triton (water lizard thing) and Karnak (guy that can punch really hard) and Black Bolt (their leader) comes in in the last panel to attack the FF.
Fantastic Four 46 Those Who Would Destroy Us
The FF try to fight Black Bolt and rest of the Inhumans but get beat pretty soundly. A guy named The Seeker breaks into the FF headquarters and steals Dragon Man. The Seeker is after the Inhumans and captures Triton and later the FF. He tells the FF the whole backstory about inhumans, humans, the Great Refuge that was built to protect the genetically altered inhumans. So no inhumans are allowed outside of this Great Refuge. Dragon Man wakes up and wreaks havoc including breaking Triton's water tank.
Fantastic Four 47 Beware the Hidden Land
Susan tries to help Triton by creating a bubble around him and filling it with water. Seeker reveals his boss is named Maximus the Magnificent. Ben and Dragon Man fight ending up in Ben's GF's (Alicia) place. The inhumans all leave but Reed wants to follow them, Susan doesn't saying that the inhumans have their own laws. Its revealed that Maximus is the false King and Black Bolt's brother. Black Bolt is the true king but has lost the power of speech but he takes the crown from Maximus. Maximus is power hungry but feigns innocence. The FF find the Great Refuge, a small high-tech city in the high Andes. The FF intrude and Reed tells Black Bolt they need to stop hiding, humans are not the enemy. Triton realizes Maximus is the real enemy.
Galactus Saga
Fantastic Four 48 The Coming of Galactus
Maximus is trying to kill all the humans and is plan would have worked but its revealed that inhumans are humans too so his vibration gun thingy doesn't work. The inhumans lock themselves into the Great Refuge as a huge dome covers the city. Johnny is upset that he can't see Crystal.
Meanwhile a silver dude on a surf board is flying though the cosmos headed to Earth. He's observed by Skrull who reveal that Galactus can't be far behind the Silver Surfer. Weird things are happening to the sky including fire which gets blamed on the FF. The Watcher tells Ben about Galactus who shows up at the very end. Galactus is here to consume the Earth for power. Ben destroys the device Galactus planned to use which pisses him off. The Watcher gets Johnny to go into a time space distortion and travels to the centre of infinity to a huge space station to fetch a weapon.
Fantastic Four 49 If This Be Doomsday
Galactus and The Watcher have a chat. The FF try to fight Galactus but their attacks are like a mosquito bite to him. Silver Surfer meets Alicia who convinces him humans are worth saving.
Fantastic Four 50 The Startling Sage of the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer tells Galactus not to destroy Earth which doesn't go over too well. The Watcher is worried this turn of events will actually ruin his plan. Johnny comes back with a device that could erase the solar system in a microsecond - the Ultimate Nullifier. Silver Surfer is the herald to Galactus no longer. Galactus leaves. Ben is worried Alicia is more interested in the Surfer than him.
Johnny goes to College and meets a large student named Wingfoot and they seem to become fast friends. It's revealed that Crystal wants to escape the Great Refuge and see Johnny again.
The Fantastic Four #51 This Man... This Monster
Iconic splash page of The Thing standing in the rain. He believes his girlfriend is more interested in Silver Surfer than him. He's just recently been turned back into The Thing. Johnny is off to college, Reed and Susan are newly married. Poor guy!
He gets duped by a bald guy who steals his powers. As The Thing, this villain goes to the Baxter Building. Ben as a human can't convince Reed he's the real Ben. Reed goes into a dimensional sub-space relying on The Thing to hold a rope for him... but the villain wants to kill Reed until he has a change of heart, flies into the dimensional machine and rescues Reed sacrificing himself in the process.
See Alex Ross's Fantastic Four - Full Circle (2022) for an inspired sequel to this story.
The Fantastic Four #52 The Black Panther
The FF are invited to Africa to meet this Black Panther character. They grab Johnny from college along with his new friend Wyatt Wingfoot (who ends up saving the day).
The Inhumans are still struggling in their Great Refuge prison.
Black Panther beats up the FF until Wingfoot stops him.
The Fantastic Four #53
Continuing the Black Panther story...
We get a lot of background detail about Wakanda, Black Panther, T'Chaka, and their old enemy an ivory hunter who is searching for vibranium to power his sound transformer. It just so happens that Wakanda is attacked at that very moment by Klaw the Sound Master. For some reason only now does Black Panther realize where Klaw must be hidden and finds his base with ease and beats up Klaw.
The Fantastic Four #54
Still in Wakanda, The FF are involved in a game of baseball and enjoying their stay.
This issue is about trying to break the Great Refuge barrier trapping the Inhumans.
Johnny misses the Inhuman Crystal and wants to break them out. Johnny goes on a journey to an old tomb and finds Prester John an ancient knight who holds a weapon called the Evil Eye. But later Wingfoot and Prester John prevent Johnny from using the weapon on the barrier because it would have killed him.
The Inhumans may have figured out a way to shatter the barrier. But Black Bolt nearly perishes in an attempt to break the barrier.
The Fantastic Four #55 Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer is roaming Earth and goes to talk to The Thing's girlfriend Alicia. The Thing and Silver Surfer fight. Meanwhile Johnny and Wingfoot are in the Andes and run across Lockjaw.
The Fantastic Four #56 Klaw
Klaw, the Black Panther villain, is back and has levelled up now sporting a red jumpsuit and metal sonic gauntlet. Reed got some vibranium brass-knuckles from Black Panther that help him win the fight.
Johnny and Wingfoot with Lockjaw are exploring.
The last panel shows Doom spotting Silver Surfer.
The Fantastic Four Annual #4 The Torch that Was
Johnny and Wingfoot with Lockjaw show up in the Baxter building by Lockjaw's teleportation. The original Human Torch is found by Mad Thinker and escapes, battling Johnny Storm. Kirby draws a pretty epic full page splash of the two colliding.
The Fantastic Four #57 Enter... Dr. Doom
Sandman attacks the FF but is quickly defeated but restraining him proves difficult. Doom talks with Silver Surfer and pretends to be a benevolent ruler. Doom tricks Surfer and steals his power.
The Fantastic Four #58 The Dismal Dregs of Defeat
Doom comes to face the FF with his new powers. Doom beats them up but in the end allows them to live knowing they will face abject hopelessness against his powers. Reed plays on Doom's vanity to survive.
The Fantastic Four #59 Doomsday
The Inhumans finally break free. That's got to be the longest set-up to pay-off so far in the FF comics. Doom is just pure evil now, beating up a defeated Silver Surfer and planning Doomsday. He goes around messing up the environment all over Earth. Reed hatches a plan.
The Fantastic Four #60
Continuing Doomsday...
The FF try to fight Doom. Meanwhile The Watcher once again gets involved in human affairs, not very good at staying out of it these days. A strange craft flies by Doom and sucks away much of his cosmic power and seems to fly towards where the Silver Surfer is.
Not Brand Echh "The Silver Burper"
A silly FF parody by Lee and Kirby.
June 24, 2025
Another omnibus diving into the history of the Fantastic Four. First issue is annual #2 which gives us the back story of Doctor Doom. This was a nice start to this book. We get the return of other characters as well such as Namor, Mole Man, and Dragon Man to name a few. Poor Sue continues to be depicted in not the best light. Always worrying and being pessimistic. Plus Stan Lee had Reed talking to her wildly a few times. Like do as I say woman, I run this outfit. Like I know it was the 1960s but damn Stan Lee 😂. This book is full of first appearances from several characters. Inhumans, Galactus, Silver Surfer, Black Panther, and Wyatt Wingfoot. Medusa was the first Inhuman to appear and I never knew it was as a villain. She was part of the Frightful Four which was The Wizard, Sandman, Paste Pot Pete who later changed his name to Trapster and Medusa herself. I also got to see why they called Black Bolt’s brother Max the Mad. You get to see how Johnny was always the hot head running off into to situations he shouldn’t have and falling for Medusa’s sister, Crystal. You see Ben being the curmudgeon and always wanting to throw hands no matter who it was, Dr Doom or even Galactus himself. The final story in here is where Fox took some ideas for their 2nd FF movie with Silver Surfer. Jack Kirby’s art was solid all the way through here and it was cool learning all of this classics Fantastic Four knowledge.
December 18, 2015
There's a lot of revisionist history about Ol' Stan Lee and the Marvel Bullpen. Some of it's fair. Some not. But there is a moment about halfway through this volume where Johnny Storm is lying on the ground after having traveled through galaxies and dimensions beyond what he'd ever imagined where he lies quivering on the ground whimpering, "We're just ants. Ants!" where I defy you not to get swept up with the revolutionary fever fans must've felt in 1967 when Jack Kirby and Stan Lee simply changed the way we saw the world.
Working under insane deadlines, with no real staff, trying to fabricate the illusion of a bustling creative atmosphere that simply didn't exist, two great artists, already on the tipping point of middle age and having been in the industry for over two decades, completely exploded a form of art. And you can see it. Right here. In this book.
Is it all great? No. Some of it is incomprehensible in it's sloppiness. And then some of it is The Watcher and Galactus and the Silver Surfer and The Inhumans and the, Holy Sh*t the sky is on fire!!!
Just wonderful.
P.S. Watch the letter pages closely for a certain famous author who might just have a thing or two to say about winter coming...
Working under insane deadlines, with no real staff, trying to fabricate the illusion of a bustling creative atmosphere that simply didn't exist, two great artists, already on the tipping point of middle age and having been in the industry for over two decades, completely exploded a form of art. And you can see it. Right here. In this book.
Is it all great? No. Some of it is incomprehensible in it's sloppiness. And then some of it is The Watcher and Galactus and the Silver Surfer and The Inhumans and the, Holy Sh*t the sky is on fire!!!
Just wonderful.
P.S. Watch the letter pages closely for a certain famous author who might just have a thing or two to say about winter coming...
October 2, 2021
If you only ever buy one Fantastic Four omnibus, let this be the one. Why? Well, as the cover reveals, it includes the Galactus trilogy. That alone makes it worth the price of admission, but it’s not the only reason to invest in this weighty, 830-page tome. From the first issue in 1961, the Fantastic Four rewrote the rules of super-hero comics. Unlike DC’s bland goody-goodies, here was a group of reluctant heroes who squabbled, fought among themselves, had relationship problems, even had trouble paying the rent on their HQ. They didn’t even have costumes to begin with, and when they did they were just blue boiler suits.
That said, it wasn’t until 1965’s issue #35 (reprinted in this volume) that things really took off. In a story called ‘Calamity on the Campus!’ we’re introduced to Dragon Man, a scaly, super-strong, fire-breathing android, created in a laboratory in the university where teenage Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, is enrolling as a student. On the surface, this looks like your typical ‘monster-of-the-month’ yarn, and it would have been had not Kirby’s extraordinary story-telling sensibility led him to weave it into a much bigger picture.
That picture begins to emerge in the next issue with the introduction of the Frightful Four, a mismatched group of villains consisting of Paste-Pot Pete, an unpromising character who rapidly reinvents himself as the Trapster; a devious mechanical genius called the Wizard; some-time Spider-Man villain, the Sandman; and Madam Medusa, a mysterious woman with long, prehensile red hair. In many respects, she is typical of the sort of strong female characters Kirby created throughout his career, albeit one who harbours a secret not revealed until several issues down the line.
After a fill-in sci-fi issue, we get to the real meat in an extraordinary tale called ‘Defeated by the Frightful Four!’ The title does not lie. The FF really are fought to a standstill, stranded on a remote atoll and then blown up by their enemies. Another radical innovation in Marvel Comics. Elsewhere, heroes invariably won hands down by the end of every issue.
The next tale, ‘A Blind Man Shall Lead Them!’, has the FF stripped of their powers and their Baxter Building HQ invaded by their arch-enemy, a revenge-driven Doctor Doom. The blind man of the title is Daredevil who, in his day job, is the FF’s lawyer. The FF are represented as being genuinely in peril. Reading this issue at the time, I feared they were up against unbeatable odds this time and that one or all of them might die. It took 20 years to track down a copy of the follow-up, ‘Battle for the Baxter Building,’ which features seven pages devoted to an epic, gut-wrenching struggle between Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing, and Doc Doom which shows Jack Kirby at his inventive best as a storyteller, ably supported by Stan Lee’s dialogue.
The next few issues build up to the gloriously over-the-top ‘Wedding of Sue and Reed,’ a.k.a. ‘Bedlam in the Baxter Building!’, that plays out in FF Annual #3, also reprinted here. This features almost the entire cast of all the Marvel Comics published at the time, from the X-Men through to Millie the Model. The plot, such as it is, has Doctor Doom unleashing a ray that makes practically every super-villain in the Marvel Universe converge on New York to spoil the wedding day by wiping out the FF. Of course, they haven’t allowed for the fact that the wedding guests include all of the Avengers, the X-Men, Nick Fury and assorted agents of SHIELD, Daredevil, Spider-Man, well, you get the picture. The result is an absolute riot in which Kirby has huge fun!
The next four issues introduce the super-human race, the Inhumans, revealing that Madam Medusa, who we met back in issue #36, is one of their number. We now meet her kin, from the Faun-like Gorgon to the awesome, unspeaking Black Bolt. But even this isn’t enough for Kirby.
The story arc in issues #48-51, published early in 1966, introduces Galactus, essentially the Old Testament God portrayed as the supreme villain simply because he considers humans too trivial to worry about wiping us out. It also introduces the Silver Surfer, a tragic, cosmic messiah who turns against God (Galactus), thus becoming a cross between Lucifer as fallen angel and Christ as Redeemer. Heady stuff. This arc is often cited as the best in the entire history of the Fantastic Four and even in the whole history of comics.
As if that wasn’t enough, this is followed by arguably the greatest single issue FF story ever, #51’s ‘This Man … This Monster.’ It’s certainly high on my list, demonstrating how magnificently moving a tale Kirby and Lee at their best were capable of producing.
Do things slow down after that? No. The next story arc introduces the Black Panther. Kirby already had a track record of introducing black characters in sympathetic roles. Here he creates the first full-on black super-hero in mainstream comics. Not only that but he locates him within a high-tech paradise in the heart of Africa, one whose scientific creativity outstrips anything the rest of the world has to offer. Wonderful!
After a run of twenty issues that pack in more creativity than most of us achieve in a lifetime, the pace does ease up a little in the remaining issues of this collection, but only a little. They’re still great stories.
Here, then, we have an unprecedented run that introduces an impressive cast of new characters, in the process creating the integrated Marvel Universe that now forms the basis of one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. Also, where other super-heroes were stagnant, Marvel characters changed, actually developing as human beings as time went by. Not only that but they interacted believably with a recognisably real world. Instead of Gotham City or Metropolis, they inhabited a recognisable New York, complete with its architecture, street furniture and cynical inhabitants. All this made it much easier for us to relate them as individuals. Not for nothing are Kirby and Lee often referred to as the Lennon and McCartney of comic books.
As an added bonus, Kirby’s dynamic pencil art is enhanced by some of the best inkers he ever worked with, including my all-time favourite, the great Chic Stone, who inks the first nine issues in this collection as well as several beautiful ‘Marvel Pin-Up’ pages of various heroes and villains. A few issues are inked by Vince Colletta, best known for inking much of Kirby’s run on ‘The Mighty Thor’ and the early issues of Kirby’s Fourth World saga at DC. His work on the FF is often criticised, but seeing it here, restored, increased in size and printed clearly, it looks much better than it did in the original comics. After Colletta, the brilliant Joe Sinnott, often voted Kirby’s best ever inker, takes over the gig.
The art restoration is done with more sensitivity than in the first FF omnibus. There’s still a problem with the colours. Marvel never allow for the fact that the original comics were printed on poor quality newsprint that muted the colours. The same colours on good quality, semi-glossy paper look garish if not toned down. Ah well, you can’t have everything, though I’ve never understood why… Usually, I’d knock off a star for the dodgy colouring, but in this case, the stories are so good that it’s impossible not to give the book the full five.
To sum up, this collection contains an amazing run of creativity that more than lived up to the Fantastic Four’s billing as ‘The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!’
That said, it wasn’t until 1965’s issue #35 (reprinted in this volume) that things really took off. In a story called ‘Calamity on the Campus!’ we’re introduced to Dragon Man, a scaly, super-strong, fire-breathing android, created in a laboratory in the university where teenage Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, is enrolling as a student. On the surface, this looks like your typical ‘monster-of-the-month’ yarn, and it would have been had not Kirby’s extraordinary story-telling sensibility led him to weave it into a much bigger picture.
That picture begins to emerge in the next issue with the introduction of the Frightful Four, a mismatched group of villains consisting of Paste-Pot Pete, an unpromising character who rapidly reinvents himself as the Trapster; a devious mechanical genius called the Wizard; some-time Spider-Man villain, the Sandman; and Madam Medusa, a mysterious woman with long, prehensile red hair. In many respects, she is typical of the sort of strong female characters Kirby created throughout his career, albeit one who harbours a secret not revealed until several issues down the line.
After a fill-in sci-fi issue, we get to the real meat in an extraordinary tale called ‘Defeated by the Frightful Four!’ The title does not lie. The FF really are fought to a standstill, stranded on a remote atoll and then blown up by their enemies. Another radical innovation in Marvel Comics. Elsewhere, heroes invariably won hands down by the end of every issue.
The next tale, ‘A Blind Man Shall Lead Them!’, has the FF stripped of their powers and their Baxter Building HQ invaded by their arch-enemy, a revenge-driven Doctor Doom. The blind man of the title is Daredevil who, in his day job, is the FF’s lawyer. The FF are represented as being genuinely in peril. Reading this issue at the time, I feared they were up against unbeatable odds this time and that one or all of them might die. It took 20 years to track down a copy of the follow-up, ‘Battle for the Baxter Building,’ which features seven pages devoted to an epic, gut-wrenching struggle between Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing, and Doc Doom which shows Jack Kirby at his inventive best as a storyteller, ably supported by Stan Lee’s dialogue.
The next few issues build up to the gloriously over-the-top ‘Wedding of Sue and Reed,’ a.k.a. ‘Bedlam in the Baxter Building!’, that plays out in FF Annual #3, also reprinted here. This features almost the entire cast of all the Marvel Comics published at the time, from the X-Men through to Millie the Model. The plot, such as it is, has Doctor Doom unleashing a ray that makes practically every super-villain in the Marvel Universe converge on New York to spoil the wedding day by wiping out the FF. Of course, they haven’t allowed for the fact that the wedding guests include all of the Avengers, the X-Men, Nick Fury and assorted agents of SHIELD, Daredevil, Spider-Man, well, you get the picture. The result is an absolute riot in which Kirby has huge fun!
The next four issues introduce the super-human race, the Inhumans, revealing that Madam Medusa, who we met back in issue #36, is one of their number. We now meet her kin, from the Faun-like Gorgon to the awesome, unspeaking Black Bolt. But even this isn’t enough for Kirby.
The story arc in issues #48-51, published early in 1966, introduces Galactus, essentially the Old Testament God portrayed as the supreme villain simply because he considers humans too trivial to worry about wiping us out. It also introduces the Silver Surfer, a tragic, cosmic messiah who turns against God (Galactus), thus becoming a cross between Lucifer as fallen angel and Christ as Redeemer. Heady stuff. This arc is often cited as the best in the entire history of the Fantastic Four and even in the whole history of comics.
As if that wasn’t enough, this is followed by arguably the greatest single issue FF story ever, #51’s ‘This Man … This Monster.’ It’s certainly high on my list, demonstrating how magnificently moving a tale Kirby and Lee at their best were capable of producing.
Do things slow down after that? No. The next story arc introduces the Black Panther. Kirby already had a track record of introducing black characters in sympathetic roles. Here he creates the first full-on black super-hero in mainstream comics. Not only that but he locates him within a high-tech paradise in the heart of Africa, one whose scientific creativity outstrips anything the rest of the world has to offer. Wonderful!
After a run of twenty issues that pack in more creativity than most of us achieve in a lifetime, the pace does ease up a little in the remaining issues of this collection, but only a little. They’re still great stories.
Here, then, we have an unprecedented run that introduces an impressive cast of new characters, in the process creating the integrated Marvel Universe that now forms the basis of one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. Also, where other super-heroes were stagnant, Marvel characters changed, actually developing as human beings as time went by. Not only that but they interacted believably with a recognisably real world. Instead of Gotham City or Metropolis, they inhabited a recognisable New York, complete with its architecture, street furniture and cynical inhabitants. All this made it much easier for us to relate them as individuals. Not for nothing are Kirby and Lee often referred to as the Lennon and McCartney of comic books.
As an added bonus, Kirby’s dynamic pencil art is enhanced by some of the best inkers he ever worked with, including my all-time favourite, the great Chic Stone, who inks the first nine issues in this collection as well as several beautiful ‘Marvel Pin-Up’ pages of various heroes and villains. A few issues are inked by Vince Colletta, best known for inking much of Kirby’s run on ‘The Mighty Thor’ and the early issues of Kirby’s Fourth World saga at DC. His work on the FF is often criticised, but seeing it here, restored, increased in size and printed clearly, it looks much better than it did in the original comics. After Colletta, the brilliant Joe Sinnott, often voted Kirby’s best ever inker, takes over the gig.
The art restoration is done with more sensitivity than in the first FF omnibus. There’s still a problem with the colours. Marvel never allow for the fact that the original comics were printed on poor quality newsprint that muted the colours. The same colours on good quality, semi-glossy paper look garish if not toned down. Ah well, you can’t have everything, though I’ve never understood why… Usually, I’d knock off a star for the dodgy colouring, but in this case, the stories are so good that it’s impossible not to give the book the full five.
To sum up, this collection contains an amazing run of creativity that more than lived up to the Fantastic Four’s billing as ‘The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!’
August 7, 2021
I wanted to read the classic FF run at least once in my life because of its impact on the comics industry and because it was the start of the MCU. Reading this material in 2021 for the first time in this collected edition is obviously not the same as reading it fresh in single issues as they came out.
Some elements have stood the test of time better than others. For example, the Marvel method reveals its strengths as well as its weaknesses. Some issues feel rushed. Lee's sometimes uses too many words, especially compared to European comics of that time. I skipped the text in the dialogue boxes because it's superfluous. And I often just glanced over the dialogues in the fight scenes because the art speaks for itself.
It was nice to finally read some of those classic FF stories, even though the FF is not my favorite team book by a long stretch. None of its individual members appeal to me in any way, but as a team they work.
Kirby's art is one of the main features of this title for me. It's astounding to see the giant leap in the quality of the art, when about halfway through the book Joe Sinott joins the team as Kirby's inker and the art just explodes. This alone made this worthwhile read for me.
Some elements have stood the test of time better than others. For example, the Marvel method reveals its strengths as well as its weaknesses. Some issues feel rushed. Lee's sometimes uses too many words, especially compared to European comics of that time. I skipped the text in the dialogue boxes because it's superfluous. And I often just glanced over the dialogues in the fight scenes because the art speaks for itself.
It was nice to finally read some of those classic FF stories, even though the FF is not my favorite team book by a long stretch. None of its individual members appeal to me in any way, but as a team they work.
Kirby's art is one of the main features of this title for me. It's astounding to see the giant leap in the quality of the art, when about halfway through the book Joe Sinott joins the team as Kirby's inker and the art just explodes. This alone made this worthwhile read for me.
July 6, 2023
DC may have ushered in the Silver Age with the Barry Allen Flash and Hal Jordan Green Lantern, but Fantastic Four really defines this era of comics, and the issues contained in this second volume really do a lot to prove Stan Lee's hyped slogan "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine." The first 30 issues already demonstrated a steady escalation of ambition, from Kirby's increasingly wild art to Lee slowly getting his corny, self-conscious style more firmly around the characters, but after only a few relatively sedate issues that are "merely" excellently drawn and well-executed, right around issue #36 this becomes a nonstop barrage of invention. New, now-iconic characters are introduced one after the other; the stories traverse a range of killer one-shots and mini-arcs ranging from the initially hostile but slowly warming relations with the Inhumans to the Reed/Sue wedding chaos to "This Man, This Monster" to the Galactus trilogy; and Kirby truly comes into his own, surpassing his own foundational legacy as a Golden Age touchstone with psychedelic crackles and distortions and avant-garde cut-up techniques that are light-years ahead of what any other superhero book had to this point. Even Stan, always the weakest element of any classic Marvel run, finds his voice here in a way he would only top with the best Spidey issues, popping off a number of legitimately funny wisecracks while keeping focus on the all-too-human external and internal conflicts the characters face. It's no wonder the Fantastic Four never really matched this level again; these comics are so great they established an entire company, an entire decade of comics.
March 11, 2024
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby at their best. The Galactus trilogy, Black Panthers introduction, the Inhumans introduction, the Silver Surfers introduction etc, etc.
My favourite comic book art and storytelling from this era.
My favourite comic book art and storytelling from this era.
May 13, 2016
Technically I returned the Omnibus to the library awhile ago, and just finished the Marvel Masterworks vol 6 today, but whatever.
I and you don't have the patience for me to go over every issue here, but lemme tell ya, they're the best yet. The omnibus is worth getting just to read the original fan letters, the most interesting of which are from young American soldiers sent off to Viet Nam, or foreign dignitary's children, or Communists taking affront to always being portrayed as the bad guy, or women (like the one who came up with the name Alicia Masters) being patronized by Lee.
Everybody talks about the Galactus saga being the hallmark of this era, but after his initial awesome introduction I felt the story a bit stale- there's no forward momentum, and it's all solved by a Deus Ex Machina in the guise of another one of the Watcher's Fantabulous Machines.
Of more interest to me are the Inhumans, whose nigh-Shakespearean drama is a breath of fresh psychedelic air (although in a strange way, and I'm not the only one who thinks this, they appear to be weirdly based on the Munsters).
It's with the initial encounter with the Inhumans that Lee/Kirby introduce a formula Kirby will perfect later in his own saga, the Fourth World: introduce a flashy, mysterious harbinger in one issue, then in consecutive issues open up a new expansive cosmos wider and wider. WHO IS GORGON? WHO IS THE SEEKER? Etc. (Incidentally, the Seeker comes and goes and doesn't add up to anything but man is it cool when he's first on the scene.)
The pattern of story wrapped up-new story begins in each issue has been abused to death, but when it's first introduced here it feels like you're getting two stories for the price of one. I even like the pointless wanderings of Wyat Wingfoot, the Human Torch, and Lockjaw. That would've made a great miniseries.
All my favorite FF themes are still here: Sue + Reed's sexless marriage, the Thing's existential dread, and there's even sports drama when Johnny's at college.
And, of course, we have the introduction of the Cosmic Beatnik, the first native of the Marvel Universe, the Silver Surfer. And Black Panther's no slouch either! (even though his arch nemesis kinda sucks). And Doctor Doom riding a surfboard in the sky! What more do you want? 'Nuff said!
I and you don't have the patience for me to go over every issue here, but lemme tell ya, they're the best yet. The omnibus is worth getting just to read the original fan letters, the most interesting of which are from young American soldiers sent off to Viet Nam, or foreign dignitary's children, or Communists taking affront to always being portrayed as the bad guy, or women (like the one who came up with the name Alicia Masters) being patronized by Lee.
Everybody talks about the Galactus saga being the hallmark of this era, but after his initial awesome introduction I felt the story a bit stale- there's no forward momentum, and it's all solved by a Deus Ex Machina in the guise of another one of the Watcher's Fantabulous Machines.
Of more interest to me are the Inhumans, whose nigh-Shakespearean drama is a breath of fresh psychedelic air (although in a strange way, and I'm not the only one who thinks this, they appear to be weirdly based on the Munsters).
It's with the initial encounter with the Inhumans that Lee/Kirby introduce a formula Kirby will perfect later in his own saga, the Fourth World: introduce a flashy, mysterious harbinger in one issue, then in consecutive issues open up a new expansive cosmos wider and wider. WHO IS GORGON? WHO IS THE SEEKER? Etc. (Incidentally, the Seeker comes and goes and doesn't add up to anything but man is it cool when he's first on the scene.)
The pattern of story wrapped up-new story begins in each issue has been abused to death, but when it's first introduced here it feels like you're getting two stories for the price of one. I even like the pointless wanderings of Wyat Wingfoot, the Human Torch, and Lockjaw. That would've made a great miniseries.
All my favorite FF themes are still here: Sue + Reed's sexless marriage, the Thing's existential dread, and there's even sports drama when Johnny's at college.
And, of course, we have the introduction of the Cosmic Beatnik, the first native of the Marvel Universe, the Silver Surfer. And Black Panther's no slouch either! (even though his arch nemesis kinda sucks). And Doctor Doom riding a surfboard in the sky! What more do you want? 'Nuff said!
July 4, 2016
Reading these Fantastic Four Omnibuses has given me a new appreciation for what Kirby and Lee did for superhero comics and for the storytelling fabric of the United States. Later writers and artists took the medium and the mythology to new heights, but those heights were achieved, as they say, by standing on the shoulders of these two giants. This volume contains the Galactus Trilogy, the cosmic, mythology-altering superhero epic by which all future "event comics" would eventually be measured, and "This Man, This Monster," one of the best human-level superhero stories ever told. It also introduces the groundbreaking (if problematic) Black Panther and the high weirdness of the Inhumans, along with other major players in the Marvel Universe to come. Don't get me wrong: there are flaws in Lee's storytelling and dialogue, and Kirby's art is at times clearly the prototype for what came after it. But even with those feet of clay, these two are heroes, and my understanding of comic book history is richer for having read these masterworks. Highly recommended for any superhero fan.
June 6, 2013
When I think of the Fantastic Four, it's mostly the stories from this volume that immediately spring to mind. A lot of the groundwork for the modern Marvel mythos is established here: the Inhumans, Silver Surfer, Galactus, and the Black Panther! The final story with Dr. Doom stealing the Silver Surfer's power cosmic and wreaking havoc on the planet is rife with great character moments, especially the "oh crap!" moment when Reed realizes what Doom has accomplished. If I were to criticize any of the storytelling, it would be the drawn out saga of the trapped Inhumans and Johnny's months-long quest to free them (dragging poor Wyatt Wingfoot with him). However, that stuff is minor compared to the rest of the rich, creative lore Stan and Jack brought forth.
Bring on Omnibus, Volume 3.
Bring on Omnibus, Volume 3.
April 4, 2015
This actually took me about two years to read and i got it in a big shipment from the states. I read it piece by piece getting through to galactus and the famous thing story. The writing was certainly wordy but really full of energy. I usually read everything in a book so the letter columns were at once a fabulous glimpse of the comics culture of the time and an occasional chore. I guess it just showed how the world building was going on off the pages as well as on them. I liked the style of enjoying the story moments over water tight continuity or realism.
The art stood up over time, and as much as the kirby gizmos, i like the dramatic facial expressions and poses that add to the melodrama.
The art stood up over time, and as much as the kirby gizmos, i like the dramatic facial expressions and poses that add to the melodrama.
December 22, 2021
Why So Serious? Make the FF Fun Again!
Twenty-nine issues of the regular Fantastic Four title, plus three king-size annuals, and a Not Brand Ecch spoof to boot. This collection really captures the transition in the title as well as in Silver Age Marvel. For a striking contrast, look at the early issues from late 1964 and then flip to the end of the book's stories from early 1967. It is during this collection's run that the Fantastic Four began taking itself very, very seriously, and at times Lee and Kirby's reach exceeded their grasp.
The issues in the 30s continue the grand tradition established in the first omnibus with mostly single-issue stories that are escapist fun. The Mole Man and Dr. Doom return, the Frightful Four and Dragon Man are introduced, and Daredevil guest stars for an issue. This early period culminates in a three-part banter and battle against the Frightful Four. Issue 43 was aptly titled, "Lo, There Shall Be an Ending" because it did indeed mark the end of the series' opening chapter.
The next issue introduced Gorgon of the Inhumans, Kirby's proto-New Gods whose protracted storyline will drag on and on through many future issues. Issue 44 also marks Joe Sinnott's coming aboard as regular inker. He gives the book's new direction a consistent, streamlined and stylized look. I am sure many fans cheered this change of direction, but I am not among them. The cover story and centerpiece of this omnibus is the celebrated "Galactus Trilogy" from #48-50 that introduced that outsized menace along with his minion the cult-favorite character the Silver Surfer.
As an aside, I am in my mid-fifties, and began reading Fantastic Four way back in 1976 when a young George Perez was the artist. I was also buying the Marvel's Greatest Comics reprints, so was familiar with some of the Lee and Kirby run. But the "Galactus Trilogy" in its entirety and as originally published had always eluded me, so I was very excited to read it at long last. And... it was a tremendous letdown! All those aging fans at the comic book shop, from whom I learned so much comic book history as a kid, built it up to be the pinnacle of not just the title but of Silver Age Marvel. Yeah, it's a good story, but undeserving of the hyperbole heaped upon it in the half century since (let's face it; the Frightful Four trilogy of #41-43 was a lot more fun to read with its cigar-chomping Ben and all the testosterone-charged infighting and vying for Medusa's attentions).
The issues in the 50s feature the iconic "This Man, This Monster" in #51, a two-part intro and origin of the Black Panther, a forgettable fight with Klaw, a full-issue slugfest between a jealous Thing and the clueless Surfer, and an interminable four-issue story where Dr. Doom steals the Surfer's cosmic powers. I don't know about you, but for me the 50s dragged on and on, punctuated as they were with frequent cutaways to the stultifying soap opera of the Inhumans and to that lovesick brat Torch pining for Crystal amid his misadventures with Wyatt and Lockjaw. The Kirby/Sinnott art made wading through the turgid prose a lot more pleasant, though I noticed Kirby cutting corners with more four-panel pages and full-page splashes.
There was a bone tossed to fans of the FF's halcyon days. On page 2 of Annual #4 the team is reading through fan mail and Ben mentions feeling neglected since the Yancy Street Gang hasn't sent him a booby-trapped letter in a long time. That was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal issue that, like so many others in the latter-half of this collection, are just pages-long fight scenes. Even Roy Thomas in his afterword admitted Lee and Kirby were "treading water" in the wake of the Galactus Trilogy.
Many of the comics in this collection were new to me, ones that I missed in Marvel's Greatest or those then super-expensive $1.50 Treasuries. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read these issues at all. For many years I was resigned to the fact I would probably die without ever having read the complete Lee & Kirby run. In the omnibi I get to read them uncut, with letters pages, and looking brighter and sharper than ever. Onward to Omnibus Vol. 3, which boasts one of my favorite and most fondly remembered four-part sagas--the "Gangster Planet" epic spanning Fantastic Four #90-93. Here's hoping that between #60 and 90 Lee and Kirby stop believing the fan mail from sycophantic philosophy majors and just make the FF fun again!
Twenty-nine issues of the regular Fantastic Four title, plus three king-size annuals, and a Not Brand Ecch spoof to boot. This collection really captures the transition in the title as well as in Silver Age Marvel. For a striking contrast, look at the early issues from late 1964 and then flip to the end of the book's stories from early 1967. It is during this collection's run that the Fantastic Four began taking itself very, very seriously, and at times Lee and Kirby's reach exceeded their grasp.
The issues in the 30s continue the grand tradition established in the first omnibus with mostly single-issue stories that are escapist fun. The Mole Man and Dr. Doom return, the Frightful Four and Dragon Man are introduced, and Daredevil guest stars for an issue. This early period culminates in a three-part banter and battle against the Frightful Four. Issue 43 was aptly titled, "Lo, There Shall Be an Ending" because it did indeed mark the end of the series' opening chapter.
The next issue introduced Gorgon of the Inhumans, Kirby's proto-New Gods whose protracted storyline will drag on and on through many future issues. Issue 44 also marks Joe Sinnott's coming aboard as regular inker. He gives the book's new direction a consistent, streamlined and stylized look. I am sure many fans cheered this change of direction, but I am not among them. The cover story and centerpiece of this omnibus is the celebrated "Galactus Trilogy" from #48-50 that introduced that outsized menace along with his minion the cult-favorite character the Silver Surfer.
As an aside, I am in my mid-fifties, and began reading Fantastic Four way back in 1976 when a young George Perez was the artist. I was also buying the Marvel's Greatest Comics reprints, so was familiar with some of the Lee and Kirby run. But the "Galactus Trilogy" in its entirety and as originally published had always eluded me, so I was very excited to read it at long last. And... it was a tremendous letdown! All those aging fans at the comic book shop, from whom I learned so much comic book history as a kid, built it up to be the pinnacle of not just the title but of Silver Age Marvel. Yeah, it's a good story, but undeserving of the hyperbole heaped upon it in the half century since (let's face it; the Frightful Four trilogy of #41-43 was a lot more fun to read with its cigar-chomping Ben and all the testosterone-charged infighting and vying for Medusa's attentions).
The issues in the 50s feature the iconic "This Man, This Monster" in #51, a two-part intro and origin of the Black Panther, a forgettable fight with Klaw, a full-issue slugfest between a jealous Thing and the clueless Surfer, and an interminable four-issue story where Dr. Doom steals the Surfer's cosmic powers. I don't know about you, but for me the 50s dragged on and on, punctuated as they were with frequent cutaways to the stultifying soap opera of the Inhumans and to that lovesick brat Torch pining for Crystal amid his misadventures with Wyatt and Lockjaw. The Kirby/Sinnott art made wading through the turgid prose a lot more pleasant, though I noticed Kirby cutting corners with more four-panel pages and full-page splashes.
There was a bone tossed to fans of the FF's halcyon days. On page 2 of Annual #4 the team is reading through fan mail and Ben mentions feeling neglected since the Yancy Street Gang hasn't sent him a booby-trapped letter in a long time. That was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal issue that, like so many others in the latter-half of this collection, are just pages-long fight scenes. Even Roy Thomas in his afterword admitted Lee and Kirby were "treading water" in the wake of the Galactus Trilogy.
Many of the comics in this collection were new to me, ones that I missed in Marvel's Greatest or those then super-expensive $1.50 Treasuries. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read these issues at all. For many years I was resigned to the fact I would probably die without ever having read the complete Lee & Kirby run. In the omnibi I get to read them uncut, with letters pages, and looking brighter and sharper than ever. Onward to Omnibus Vol. 3, which boasts one of my favorite and most fondly remembered four-part sagas--the "Gangster Planet" epic spanning Fantastic Four #90-93. Here's hoping that between #60 and 90 Lee and Kirby stop believing the fan mail from sycophantic philosophy majors and just make the FF fun again!
June 20, 2023
Truly had to savor the experience of reading some of favorite comics from Marvel's Silver Age. This omnibus collects issues #31-60 along with Annuals #2 ("Origin of Doctor Doom" & "The Final Victory of Dr. Doom!"), #3 ("Bedlam at the Baxter Building!") and #4 ("The Torch That Was").
This volume starts off strong with the origin of Dr. Doom and then a current day story of Doom meeting Rama-Tut and them planning to destroy the FF in different periods of time. The story is quite silly since Rama-Tut and Doom both speculate that they might be the same person, but at no point does the story question how this could be possible.
The next batch of issues depict the FF taking on the Mole Man again, helping the Sub-Mariner take on a brewing undersea civil war, and meet the long absent father of Sue and Johnny Storm. After a skirmish with the Skrulls once again, a new supervillain team threatens the team. They are the "Frightful Four", a group of supervillains hoping to be suitable foils to the First Family. The kicker is that these are all basically nobodies - the team is led by the Winged Wizard who joins forces with Sandman, Trapster and Medusa. Arguably Sandman is the biggest name of the bunch, but introducing Medusa becomes the stepping stone for a much bigger saga.
Annual #3 is the famous Sue/Reed wedding issue where the nuptials are threatened when tons of supervillains hope to land an assault on the Baxter Building. But nearly every superhero (Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, Daredevil, Nick Fury, etc.) in existence comes to the rescue of the FF, making this one of the earliest ambitious crossovers in superhero comics. The issue ends with a fun little fourth wall break where Stan and Jack are stopped from gate crashing the wedding.
It's the stretch following this annual that justifies the five-star rating. Starting with Fantastic Four #44, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby hit their groove and deliver one banger issue after another. We get the formal introduction of the Inhumans via the return of Medusa and the blossoming romance between Johnny and Crystal. Then we get issues #48-50, the absolute apex of Fantastic Four stories. "The Coming of Galactus", or simply "The Galactus Trilogy", is the realization of what Marvel Comics can be. The Silver Surfer heralds the end of the Earth, and only Reed's wit, Alicia Masters' humanity and the Watcher's intervention can stop the coming of Galactus. This story fires on all cylinders, both in terms of writing and art. The Surfer remains one of Jack Kirby's finest creations in my opinion, and this story is peak sci-fi comics.
But the mastery doesn't end with the Galactus Trilogy, because the following issue is "This Man...This Monster", known to be Stan Lee's favorite issue he ever wrote. While it's not my personal favorite FF comic, I can still see why Stan would feel this way. It deals heavily with depression and redemption, and really digs deep into what makes a hero. The twist is that the real hero in this issue is not actually any member of the Fantastic Four, but the nameless villain of the issue. Following this issue, there's the fantastic introduction of the Black Panther who gets his own origin story in issue #53. The closing issues are all just as strong, with a multi-issue arc of Doom stealing the Silver Surfer's cosmic powers and being able to ride the surfboard around. It's hokey for sure, but still a blast.
While the Fantastic Four is what it is because of Kirby's epic imagination, it's hard to deny how much Stan Lee managed to work in tandem here. I haven't always found his storytelling to be anything impressive, but if there was ever a stretch where the duo found a great groove working together, then this was it. Kirby's artwork takes on new life at this point, balancing the mundane with the epic sci-fi concepts immaculately. The collages, while never my favorite thing about his work, really work well in this run.
This may not read the best for modern audiences, but if you're ever willing to try reading Silver Age comics, this should be the run worth considering. I always felt that dubbing Fantastic Four as "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" was too premature with the early issues, but Fantastic Four #44-60 do a great job earning that moniker.
This volume starts off strong with the origin of Dr. Doom and then a current day story of Doom meeting Rama-Tut and them planning to destroy the FF in different periods of time. The story is quite silly since Rama-Tut and Doom both speculate that they might be the same person, but at no point does the story question how this could be possible.
The next batch of issues depict the FF taking on the Mole Man again, helping the Sub-Mariner take on a brewing undersea civil war, and meet the long absent father of Sue and Johnny Storm. After a skirmish with the Skrulls once again, a new supervillain team threatens the team. They are the "Frightful Four", a group of supervillains hoping to be suitable foils to the First Family. The kicker is that these are all basically nobodies - the team is led by the Winged Wizard who joins forces with Sandman, Trapster and Medusa. Arguably Sandman is the biggest name of the bunch, but introducing Medusa becomes the stepping stone for a much bigger saga.
Annual #3 is the famous Sue/Reed wedding issue where the nuptials are threatened when tons of supervillains hope to land an assault on the Baxter Building. But nearly every superhero (Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, Daredevil, Nick Fury, etc.) in existence comes to the rescue of the FF, making this one of the earliest ambitious crossovers in superhero comics. The issue ends with a fun little fourth wall break where Stan and Jack are stopped from gate crashing the wedding.
It's the stretch following this annual that justifies the five-star rating. Starting with Fantastic Four #44, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby hit their groove and deliver one banger issue after another. We get the formal introduction of the Inhumans via the return of Medusa and the blossoming romance between Johnny and Crystal. Then we get issues #48-50, the absolute apex of Fantastic Four stories. "The Coming of Galactus", or simply "The Galactus Trilogy", is the realization of what Marvel Comics can be. The Silver Surfer heralds the end of the Earth, and only Reed's wit, Alicia Masters' humanity and the Watcher's intervention can stop the coming of Galactus. This story fires on all cylinders, both in terms of writing and art. The Surfer remains one of Jack Kirby's finest creations in my opinion, and this story is peak sci-fi comics.
But the mastery doesn't end with the Galactus Trilogy, because the following issue is "This Man...This Monster", known to be Stan Lee's favorite issue he ever wrote. While it's not my personal favorite FF comic, I can still see why Stan would feel this way. It deals heavily with depression and redemption, and really digs deep into what makes a hero. The twist is that the real hero in this issue is not actually any member of the Fantastic Four, but the nameless villain of the issue. Following this issue, there's the fantastic introduction of the Black Panther who gets his own origin story in issue #53. The closing issues are all just as strong, with a multi-issue arc of Doom stealing the Silver Surfer's cosmic powers and being able to ride the surfboard around. It's hokey for sure, but still a blast.
While the Fantastic Four is what it is because of Kirby's epic imagination, it's hard to deny how much Stan Lee managed to work in tandem here. I haven't always found his storytelling to be anything impressive, but if there was ever a stretch where the duo found a great groove working together, then this was it. Kirby's artwork takes on new life at this point, balancing the mundane with the epic sci-fi concepts immaculately. The collages, while never my favorite thing about his work, really work well in this run.
This may not read the best for modern audiences, but if you're ever willing to try reading Silver Age comics, this should be the run worth considering. I always felt that dubbing Fantastic Four as "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" was too premature with the early issues, but Fantastic Four #44-60 do a great job earning that moniker.
March 25, 2022
La historia de los Cuatro Fantásticos continúa avanzando, y con ella, la historia del propio universo Marvel. Y no es poco lo que la exaltada imaginación de Kirby y Lee nos dejan ver en esta segunda parte de la colección, que recoge los números 31 a 60, así como un par de anuales. Y si la primera parte está llena de grandes primeras apariciones, esta segunda parte tiene capítulos que, por sí mismos, son historia.
A nivel de composición de la historia, poco a poco van quedando atrás los episodios autoconclusivos, Marvel había descubierto que los lectores compraban más sus historias si estas continuaban, y vamos a cambiar ese formato que había predominado durante toda la primera parte por uno que se dirige más hacia una historia río, dividida en sagas, pero con tramas que se extienden incluso por varias de estas sagas. Ojo, esto no significa que de pronto aparezcan grandes obras literarias, en muchas ocasiones alargar las historias sirve de excusa para que las escenas que ya eran recurrentes lo sean aún mucho más, es decir, vamos a tener más enfrentamientos entre los propios personajes, que aún siguen gastando mucha mala baba y lo mismo se enfrentan a los Cuatro Temibles que entre ellos porque Johnny le ha hecho una broma a Ben y ese tipo de historias. Pero estas sagas permiten también mejorar la calidad de lo narrado, darle más trasfondo a esos nuevos personajes e ir incorporando incluso cierta pátina de misterio que no tiene por qué desvelarse antes de la página 24. A nivel dibujo... pues Kirby sigue siendo Kirby, seguimos teniendo esos dibujos expresivos, tensos, esas fotografías del cosmos, esos aparatos retorcidos y que a mi me recuerdan siempre al Cuarto Mundo...
Y en cuanto al contenido.... Pues qué os voy a decir. Estela Plateada y Galactus, Pantera Negra y la nación de Wakanda, los Inhumanos... Sobre estos tres pilares fundamentales transcurre esta segunda parte, que se apoya especialmente en la presentación de los Inhumanos para gran parte de su contenido, convirtiéndose en una historia secundaria que ocupa bastantes números el cautiverio de Attilan y la búsqueda por parte de Johnny Storm y su amigo Wyatt Wingfoot de una forma de acceder a ella para reencontrarse con su amada Crystal (es lo que tiene el amor en los Cuatro Fantásticos, que puedes tardar viñeta y media en enamorarte). Por supuesto que hay apariciones de otros personajes, como el Doctor Muerte o el Pensador Loco, pero incluso en muchas ocasiones estas se relacionan con las tres grandes tramas principales, como es el caso de Muerte robándole el poder cósmico a Estela Plateada; o la presentación del Hombre Dragón, que se vincula a la primera aparición de la Familia Real Inhumana.
En fin, con las mismas carencias ya comentadas en la reseña de la primera parte, y sin perder de vista lo que estamos leyendo y en qué momento se escribió, esto sigue siendo historia de la literatura universal.
A nivel de composición de la historia, poco a poco van quedando atrás los episodios autoconclusivos, Marvel había descubierto que los lectores compraban más sus historias si estas continuaban, y vamos a cambiar ese formato que había predominado durante toda la primera parte por uno que se dirige más hacia una historia río, dividida en sagas, pero con tramas que se extienden incluso por varias de estas sagas. Ojo, esto no significa que de pronto aparezcan grandes obras literarias, en muchas ocasiones alargar las historias sirve de excusa para que las escenas que ya eran recurrentes lo sean aún mucho más, es decir, vamos a tener más enfrentamientos entre los propios personajes, que aún siguen gastando mucha mala baba y lo mismo se enfrentan a los Cuatro Temibles que entre ellos porque Johnny le ha hecho una broma a Ben y ese tipo de historias. Pero estas sagas permiten también mejorar la calidad de lo narrado, darle más trasfondo a esos nuevos personajes e ir incorporando incluso cierta pátina de misterio que no tiene por qué desvelarse antes de la página 24. A nivel dibujo... pues Kirby sigue siendo Kirby, seguimos teniendo esos dibujos expresivos, tensos, esas fotografías del cosmos, esos aparatos retorcidos y que a mi me recuerdan siempre al Cuarto Mundo...
Y en cuanto al contenido.... Pues qué os voy a decir. Estela Plateada y Galactus, Pantera Negra y la nación de Wakanda, los Inhumanos... Sobre estos tres pilares fundamentales transcurre esta segunda parte, que se apoya especialmente en la presentación de los Inhumanos para gran parte de su contenido, convirtiéndose en una historia secundaria que ocupa bastantes números el cautiverio de Attilan y la búsqueda por parte de Johnny Storm y su amigo Wyatt Wingfoot de una forma de acceder a ella para reencontrarse con su amada Crystal (es lo que tiene el amor en los Cuatro Fantásticos, que puedes tardar viñeta y media en enamorarte). Por supuesto que hay apariciones de otros personajes, como el Doctor Muerte o el Pensador Loco, pero incluso en muchas ocasiones estas se relacionan con las tres grandes tramas principales, como es el caso de Muerte robándole el poder cósmico a Estela Plateada; o la presentación del Hombre Dragón, que se vincula a la primera aparición de la Familia Real Inhumana.
En fin, con las mismas carencias ya comentadas en la reseña de la primera parte, y sin perder de vista lo que estamos leyendo y en qué momento se escribió, esto sigue siendo historia de la literatura universal.
June 19, 2019
This book, particularly issues 44-67(I know this book ends at 60), are peak silver age goodness. These issues are some of the most important comics of all time, laying the groundwork for the entire Marvel Universe. In just the stretch of issues mentioned above, you get The Inhumans, Galactus, the Silver Surfer, Black Panther, Wakanda, The Kree and Adam Warlock (Then known as Him). That doesn’t even cover the creations over the course of the whole run. Issues 48-51 in particular are the shining moments of the entire Silver Age. Issues 48-50 are The Coming of Galactus, a story so awesome it set the standard for comic story arcs. Chris Claremont, writer of the greatest X-Men run of all time in an interview with Near Mint Condition said “Each story is one issue, the arc can be continuous but each issue is one issue. If it’s really good, you can do a 2 parter. If you wanted to go longer than a 2 parter, you better have The Coming of Galactus” That reigned true for at not only Marvel, but for the entire industry for a long time (Claremont and his damn Dark Phoenix Saga). Issue #51 however, is quite possibly the best single issue of all time. “This Man This Monster” shows why Ben Grimm is such a great character. That issue also has my favorite page of all time, that splash page when Reed first enters the Negative Zone. This omnibus in particular is one of the formative moments for comics as a medium and should be read by absolutely everyone.
April 29, 2024
Collecting issues #31-60 and Annuals #2-4, the second Fantastic Four Omnibus is where the Lee-Kirby FF really comes together. On the one hand, Joe Sinnott comes aboard as inker (from issue #44) and gives Kirby a real solidity and slickness, even as the King of Comics defines his Marvel style (the mad tech, the photomontage splashes) and gets to drop a few books in favor of, well, his favorites. You get the sense that previous inkers didn't render everything, or that Kirby couldn't draw as much detail because he was on too many projects at once. This batch of issues is also when the book started to be much more serialized, with fights continuing for several chapters, and ongoing subplots taking their time to bloom. The FF have a WORLD now and we dare follow characters other than the team and Alicia Masters - the Watcher, the Inhumans, the Black Panther and the Silver Surfer are all recurring characters, and Johnny's college roommate Wyatt Wingfoot is an honorary member of the team, often more useful than the people who were the blue suit! The cover sells you on the introduction of Galactus; other classic tales contained herein include "This Man... This Monster!", the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, and Dr. Doom stealing the Surfer's Power Cosmic (the collection also includes a Not Brand Echh! parody of that very tale).
October 31, 2023
I am giving this collection a 4.8 rating which I will explain as I talk about the epic stories that are including in this collection.
Black Panther's introduction, The Inhumans intro, Galacticus and Silver Surfer, the Frightful Four, and more.
Not only were these stories epic, they were also personal. Ben Grimm's desire to be human and his wish fulfilled for a moment. The wedding of Reed and Sue--which is why I didn't give this book five stars: man on man, I forgot how utterly misogynistic these comics were. They wrote Sue as a shrewish housewife always making dinner and telling Reed what he should be doing, but Reed--Oh my gosh--telling her to stay out of the fight, hide, and yelling at her for interrupting his work. I am surprised that they let that relationship keep going for as long as they did.
He is a kind of pig and she worries about why no one noticed her new hair cut. I know these are from the sixties, but still...these are hard to read sometimes because that just isn't life any longer.
Black Panther's introduction, The Inhumans intro, Galacticus and Silver Surfer, the Frightful Four, and more.
Not only were these stories epic, they were also personal. Ben Grimm's desire to be human and his wish fulfilled for a moment. The wedding of Reed and Sue--which is why I didn't give this book five stars: man on man, I forgot how utterly misogynistic these comics were. They wrote Sue as a shrewish housewife always making dinner and telling Reed what he should be doing, but Reed--Oh my gosh--telling her to stay out of the fight, hide, and yelling at her for interrupting his work. I am surprised that they let that relationship keep going for as long as they did.
He is a kind of pig and she worries about why no one noticed her new hair cut. I know these are from the sixties, but still...these are hard to read sometimes because that just isn't life any longer.
July 21, 2025
Things really pick up in this second omnibus collection of original Fantastic Four stories by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. We get the silly Frightful Four, the Black Panther, the Silver Surfer, Galactus, and the Inhumans.
The stories here start to span multiple issues which allows the development of character a bit more. Also, Jack Kirby’s art is really in top form here. The other factor in play that would recommend this volume is some of the themes. A power African nation, a world devourer, a curious alien, and the mysterious Inhumans make for interesting stories. Probably the best, though, is the one off issue “This Man… This Monster,” where a mad scientist trades places with the Thing to discover the self sacrificing heroism of the Fantastic Four.
All that said, these are still two dimensional comics where each of the characters have their tropes. Stan Lee’s writing while at times original and progressive in issues around race, is pretty dreadful and terribly sexist.
All of that said, this was a fun read in the lead up to the new Fantastic Four movie coming out in 2025.
The stories here start to span multiple issues which allows the development of character a bit more. Also, Jack Kirby’s art is really in top form here. The other factor in play that would recommend this volume is some of the themes. A power African nation, a world devourer, a curious alien, and the mysterious Inhumans make for interesting stories. Probably the best, though, is the one off issue “This Man… This Monster,” where a mad scientist trades places with the Thing to discover the self sacrificing heroism of the Fantastic Four.
All that said, these are still two dimensional comics where each of the characters have their tropes. Stan Lee’s writing while at times original and progressive in issues around race, is pretty dreadful and terribly sexist.
All of that said, this was a fun read in the lead up to the new Fantastic Four movie coming out in 2025.
September 4, 2024
This book is an interesting study of how the Fantastic Four writers were evolving the main characters of the comic book issues.
Two of the characters went through the most changes. Sue, the Invisible Girl (?), begins to be less of someone to be protected and more of a person in her own right. She becomes more assertive in this volume and develops more powers which make her a more important part of the group. Her relationship with Reed, moves into new territory. No more Namor from Atlantis.
The second character that goes through his own evolution, is Sue's brother, Johnny, who is a teenager but finally decides to go to college. He begins to develop as a person separate from the group and falls in love.
The one strange thing about this volume is the last 8 pages, which is shorter than the regular issue's length. Dr. Doom's name is changed to Dr. Bloom, Reed's name is changed to Weed, and Ben drinks a potion that turns him into the Hulk. Very weird and Not very interesting.
Two of the characters went through the most changes. Sue, the Invisible Girl (?), begins to be less of someone to be protected and more of a person in her own right. She becomes more assertive in this volume and develops more powers which make her a more important part of the group. Her relationship with Reed, moves into new territory. No more Namor from Atlantis.
The second character that goes through his own evolution, is Sue's brother, Johnny, who is a teenager but finally decides to go to college. He begins to develop as a person separate from the group and falls in love.
The one strange thing about this volume is the last 8 pages, which is shorter than the regular issue's length. Dr. Doom's name is changed to Dr. Bloom, Reed's name is changed to Weed, and Ben drinks a potion that turns him into the Hulk. Very weird and Not very interesting.
November 2, 2021
If ever a collection of comics deserved five stars it's possibly this one. The King of comic collections - not just the run of comics that started it all for Marvel, but still a delight to read today and marvel how, what initially feels like a disparate hodgepodge of ideas, slowly evolves into a series of longrunning storylines (Frightful 4, then Inhuman), bizarre ideas (Galactus) and heart-wrenching morality plays (This Man This Monster), not to mention the constant everpresent threat of one of the coolest looking villains in comics, Dr.Doom (indeed, the volume starts with an annual featuring his origin story, which is brilliant) and the introduction of the Black Panther, which shows Lee well on the pulse when it comes to writing about race (shame he's not so good with women, but we'll let that pass).
If you're remotely interested in comics you should be interested in this.
If you're remotely interested in comics you should be interested in this.
July 27, 2022
Despite there being some fantastic (pardon the pun) comics towards the final third of this book - including the unveiling of the Inhumans, the Galactus trilogy, “This Man, This Monster”, and the introduction of the Black Panther - I found a lot of it fairly lack lustre. There’s nothing bad, just typical Silver Age writing and plotting that gets a little tired when reading issues back to back. And whilst I enjoy the Inhumans place in Marvel lore, their constant B-plots after being introduced became a little much, breaking the pacing of some otherwise fine stories.
Some other highlights include the initial storylines involving the Frightful Four team, as well as Annual #2 - which stands to be one of my all time favourite comics due to the brilliantly constructed origin of Doctor Doom, subsequently followed by an intoxicating battle of wits between himself and Mister Fantastic.
Some other highlights include the initial storylines involving the Frightful Four team, as well as Annual #2 - which stands to be one of my all time favourite comics due to the brilliantly constructed origin of Doctor Doom, subsequently followed by an intoxicating battle of wits between himself and Mister Fantastic.
February 1, 2020
Jack Kirby’s art alone deserves five stars. He truly is the king of comics. Even compared with today’s comic book artists he’s light years ahead of them. I especially love his mixture of collages and comic art that he did during this run. The price tag alone is worth it just to flip through the pages.
The stories in this volume are a mixed bag for me. I’m not a huge fan of Stan Lee as a writer. I think he should have just focused on character creation and left the writing to Kirby. In this volume the two great storylines are the introduction of the Inhumans, Galactus and the Silver Surfer.
I’m a DC guy but I have mad respect for what these creators did and any true fan of comics needs to read these stories at least once.
The stories in this volume are a mixed bag for me. I’m not a huge fan of Stan Lee as a writer. I think he should have just focused on character creation and left the writing to Kirby. In this volume the two great storylines are the introduction of the Inhumans, Galactus and the Silver Surfer.
I’m a DC guy but I have mad respect for what these creators did and any true fan of comics needs to read these stories at least once.
June 30, 2023
It was great to see the evolution of the mag from volume one through volume two. In this collection, they focus more on a specific rogues gallery rather than inventing new villains each issue. Longer arcs are introduced, making for richer stories. They still can't write Sue well, but Ben ends up as the star here. The issues where he deals with his physical appearance and the role Reed plays, wind up as the most memorable. The Inhumans are great at expanding the FF universe, and Lockjaw is a great addition.
June 16, 2020
I love these stories. The momentum built through the FF's first 30 issues ramps to a higher level as the Inhumans enter the storyline, Stan starts blending storylines over multiple issues, Jack's art gets ever more detailed and epic, and all the other elements - the inking, the covers, even the letters page - get caught up in the act. This is where Marvel's golden age began.
May 27, 2025
Galactus and the Silver Surfer came to Earth the same month that Rubber Soul by The Beatles hit the shelves. It's unreal to think how quickly Lee and Kirby created The Inhumans, Galactus, the Silver Surfer, and the Black Panther, all in under a year.
I've read this stuff multiple times over the years and it never gets old.
I've read this stuff multiple times over the years and it never gets old.
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June 25, 2019Let’s rattle off the list: Galactus, Silver Surfer, the Negative Zone, the Ultimate Nullifier, Inhumans, Doctor Doom’s origin, Black Panther, Sue and Reed’s wedding, “This Man This Monster”, the Frightful Four... yeah, Lee and Kirby were on fire here. It’s amazing seeing so many foundational concepts and characters introduced one issue after another. The creativity and storytelling stands out even to this day, and it’s easy to see why Fantastic Four is touted as one of the best Silver Age comics. They’re certainly the best I’ve read from the era.
The Galactus Trilogy rightfully gets a lot of acclaim. It’s epic, gripping, imaginative, and infused with Marvel’s trademark humanity. However, it’s “This Man This Monster” that takes the cake for for me. Lee and Kirby craft a story that gets to the heart of heroism and redemption better than many superhero comics do. It’s wonderfully told and drawn, with no less than three spectacular Kirby splash pages.
Beyond that, there’s little I can say about these comics that hasn’t been said a thousand times over. They’re classics for a reason. Every comics fan - at least every Marvel fan - should read them at some point.
The Galactus Trilogy rightfully gets a lot of acclaim. It’s epic, gripping, imaginative, and infused with Marvel’s trademark humanity. However, it’s “This Man This Monster” that takes the cake for for me. Lee and Kirby craft a story that gets to the heart of heroism and redemption better than many superhero comics do. It’s wonderfully told and drawn, with no less than three spectacular Kirby splash pages.
Beyond that, there’s little I can say about these comics that hasn’t been said a thousand times over. They’re classics for a reason. Every comics fan - at least every Marvel fan - should read them at some point.
June 28, 2025
It’s better than the first volume, first introduction to popular characters like the Black Panther, Silver Surfer and the Inhumans. Great story runs with Galactus and Doctor Doom. The wedding special was fun as well
June 30, 2021
The best of the best by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
February 4, 2022
Surely this was the pinnacle of the Lee-Kirby partnership.
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