Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 5

Rating:
Summary: The F.F. meets the Inhuman, Galactus and the Silver Surfer
Review: "Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four, Volume 5" is the highpoint in the history of the title that has proclaimed itself to be "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" for the simple reason that once you face down "God," which is basically what the F.F. does when it tackles Galactus, it is all down hill from there. Volume 6 is very good and represents the point where Jack Kirby's artwork was at its peak, but this volume, which collects issues #41-50 plus Annual #3 where Reed Richards and Sue Storm get married, is still just that much better.

The first three issues continue the on-going battle with the Frightful Four, showing the emphasis writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby had on multi-part story lines rather than rotating villains each month: #41 "The Brutal Betrayal of Ben Grimm" has the Thing, still reeling being transformed back into a monster, becoming the pawn of the Frightful Four in their ongoing battle against the F.F.; #42 "To Save You, Why Must I Kill You?" continues the story with a fight between the Thing and Mr. Fantastic; #43 "Lo! There Shall be an Ending" ends the epic battle between the good buys and the bad guys; we then interrupt our regularly scheduled comic for Annual #3, "Bedlam at the Baxter Builder," as Reed and Sue's wedding day arrives and so do all of the superheroes in the Marvel Universe and Doctor Doom along with a host of super villains. At least Sue does not wear her costume to the ceremony (although Reed does), and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents keep stan and Jack from crashing the reception. If Doctor Doom did not show up for the wedding this would have been the first of these volumes not to have a battle between the F.F. and the Lord of Latvaria.

The honey moon starts another storyline involving the Inhumans: #44 "The Gentleman's Name is Gorgon" starts off with Madam Medusa fleeing from Gorgon and asking the F.F. for help; #45 "Among Us Hide...the Inhumans" introduces us to Triton and Karnak; #46 "Those Who Would Destroy Us" has Black Bolt finally showing up and moping the floor with the Thing; and #47 "Beware the Hidden Land" concludes the battle on the Inhumans' home turf. However, this is just the prologue to what is to come: #48 "The Coming of Galactus" has the F.F. returning home to find the Watcher violating his oath not to get involved by trying to find a way of hiding Earth from the Silver Surfer who arrives and promptly summons Galactus; #49 "If This Be Doomsday" finds the F.F. scrambling to come up with some way of defeating Galactus, who is planning on eating the planet, while Alicia Masters, Ben Grimm's blind sculptress girlfriend befriends the Silver Surfer and convinces him to battle Galactus; and #50 "The Startling Saga of the Silver Surfer" finds the herald turning on his master and the Watcher helping the Human Torch find a device that will get Galactus to leave the Earth alone. However, not before the Silver Surfer is exiled to the planet he chose to defend. This allows Johnny Storm to go to college and meet his new roommate, Wyatt Wingfoot.

If you take the wedding issue out of the equation then you have three story lines taking up the ten issues of "The Fantastic Four" included here, which is why these issues stand out more than your ordinary superhero fights a different villain every month comic book. The other thing that makes these stories stand out is that the villains get equal time throughout, exemplified by the Silver Surfer playing a key role in stopping Galactus from snacking on planet Earth. Of course the Inhumans turn out to be merely a misunderstood meta-race rather than mortal enemies, so that prevents the proceedings from deteriorating to the standard battle between good and evil. Meanwhile, Ben Grimm continues to suffer with the curse of being the Thing, Johnny finally heads off to college, and Reed and Sue try to build a happy home in the Baxter Building. You can date the point in time when this really was the world's greatest comic book magazine to a couple of issues before this point, when the Frightful Four stripped the F.F. of their powers and Daredevil helped them against Doctor Doom, but if you want to see them at their best, Volume 5 is the one that has those classic stories reprinted in color.

Rating:
Summary: The F.F. meets the Inhuman, Galactus and the Silver Surfer
Review: "Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four, Volume 5" is the highpoint in the history of the title that has proclaimed itself to be "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" for the simple reason that once you face down "God," which is basically what the F.F. does when it tackles Galactus, it is all down hill from there. Volume 6 is very good and represents the point where Jack Kirby's artwork was at its peak, but this volume, which collects issues #41-50 plus Annual #3 where Reed Richards and Sue Storm get married, is still just that much better.

The first three issues continue the on-going battle with the Frightful Four, showing the emphasis writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby had on multi-part story lines rather than rotating villains each month: #41 "The Brutal Betrayal of Ben Grimm" has the Thing, still reeling being transformed back into a monster, becoming the pawn of the Frightful Four in their ongoing battle against the F.F.; #42 "To Save You, Why Must I Kill You?" continues the story with a fight between the Thing and Mr. Fantastic; #43 "Lo! There Shall be an Ending" ends the epic battle between the good buys and the bad guys; we then interrupt our regularly scheduled comic for Annual #3, "Bedlam at the Baxter Builder," as Reed and Sue's wedding day arrives and so do all of the superheroes in the Marvel Universe and Doctor Doom along with a host of super villains. At least Sue does not wear her costume to the ceremony (although Reed does), and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents keep stan and Jack from crashing the reception. If Doctor Doom did not show up for the wedding this would have been the first of these volumes not to have a battle between the F.F. and the Lord of Latvaria.

The honey moon starts another storyline involving the Inhumans: #44 "The Gentleman's Name is Gorgon" starts off with Madam Medusa fleeing from Gorgon and asking the F.F. for help; #45 "Among Us Hide...the Inhumans" introduces us to Triton and Karnak; #46 "Those Who Would Destroy Us" has Black Bolt finally showing up and moping the floor with the Thing; and #47 "Beware the Hidden Land" concludes the battle on the Inhumans' home turf. However, this is just the prologue to what is to come: #48 "The Coming of Galactus" has the F.F. returning home to find the Watcher violating his oath not to get involved by trying to find a way of hiding Earth from the Silver Surfer who arrives and promptly summons Galactus; #49 "If This Be Doomsday" finds the F.F. scrambling to come up with some way of defeating Galactus, who is planning on eating the planet, while Alicia Masters, Ben Grimm's blind sculptress girlfriend befriends the Silver Surfer and convinces him to battle Galactus; and #50 "The Startling Saga of the Silver Surfer" finds the herald turning on his master and the Watcher helping the Human Torch find a device that will get Galactus to leave the Earth alone. However, not before the Silver Surfer is exiled to the planet he chose to defend. This allows Johnny Storm to go to college and meet his new roommate, Wyatt Wingfoot.

If you take the wedding issue out of the equation then you have three story lines taking up the ten issues of "The Fantastic Four" included here, which is why these issues stand out more than your ordinary superhero fights a different villain every month comic book. The other thing that makes these stories stand out is that the villains get equal time throughout, exemplified by the Silver Surfer playing a key role in stopping Galactus from snacking on planet Earth. Of course the Inhumans turn out to be merely a misunderstood meta-race rather than mortal enemies, so that prevents the proceedings from deteriorating to the standard battle between good and evil. Meanwhile, Ben Grimm continues to suffer with the curse of being the Thing, Johnny finally heads off to college, and Reed and Sue try to build a happy home in the Baxter Building. You can date the point in time when this really was the world's greatest comic book magazine to a couple of issues before this point, when the Frightful Four stripped the F.F. of their powers and Daredevil helped them against Doctor Doom, but if you want to see them at their best, Volume 5 is the one that has those classic stories reprinted in color.

Rating:
Summary: Bad scanning
Review: I was terribly disappointed with the printing of this book. Jack Kirby's wonderful art was spoiled by bad scanning. I suggest you don't by this book without seeing it.