Rating: 
Summary: Great stories, ok format.
Review: The Marvel Essential series of books leaves me with a bittersweet feeling. While I love the stories, think it's great that we get twenty issues reprinted per volume, and can't deny that the price is right, there is always the spectre of the superior Marvel Masterworks series hanging overhead. Here are the facts: With the Essential series you get about twenty comics reprinted in a paperback format, with black and white artwork, on what seems to be pulpy acidic paper. The Masterworks series, which cost about three times as much, give you (usually) ten comics reprinted in hardback format, with color artwork, on glossy paper. The choice is clear for me: Make Mine Masterworks!
Rating: 
Summary: Lee/Kirby build a legend
Review: This book has better plotted stories than the 1st "Essential FF". However, the idea of the group fighting/breaking up recurs too many times as a plotline. Other than that, we get several excellent Dr. Doom stories-his origin and the "Battle of the Baxter Building" are classics. The Baxter Building story has a poignant moment when Reed Richards must decide whether to turn Ben Grimm back into the Thing (possibly forever). The Hate Monger, in his 1st appearance is a very provacative character for the era. The stories featuring Dr Storm and Gideon are pure melodrama best read only by completists. Plus we get 5 crossovers with other characters (4 in a row at one point)-Most of them carried by the misunderstanding that leads the FF to battle other heroes. However the Daredevil crossover is a classic. These stories function as filler before the next volume which should feature the premiere appearances of Galactus, Silver Surfer, the Black Panther and the Inhumans.
Rating:
Summary: Lee/Kirby build a legend
Review: This book has better plotted stories than the 1st "Essential FF". However, the idea of the group fighting/breaking up recurs too many times as a plotline. Other than that, we get several excellent Dr. Doom stories-his origin and the "Battle of the Baxter Building" are classics. The Baxter Building story has a poignant moment when Reed Richards must decide whether to turn Ben Grimm back into the Thing (possibly forever). The Hate Monger, in his 1st appearance is a very provacative character for the era. The stories featuring Dr Storm and Gideon are pure melodrama best read only by completists. Plus we get 5 crossovers with other characters (4 in a row at one point)-Most of them carried by the misunderstanding that leads the FF to battle other heroes. However the Daredevil crossover is a classic. These stories function as filler before the next volume which should feature the premiere appearances of Galactus, Silver Surfer, the Black Panther and the Inhumans.
Rating:
Summary: Lee/Kirby build a legend
Review: This book has better plotted stories than the 1st "Essential FF". However, the idea of the group fighting/breaking up recurs too many times as a plotline. Other than that, we get several excellent Dr. Doom stories-his origin and the "Battle of the Baxter Building" are classics. The Baxter Building story has a poignant moment when Reed Richards must decide whether to turn Ben Grimm back into the Thing (possibly forever). The Hate Monger, in his 1st appearance is a very provacative character for the era. The stories featuring Dr Storm and Gideon are pure melodrama best read only by completists. Plus we get 5 crossovers with other characters (4 in a row at one point)-Most of them carried by the misunderstanding that leads the FF to battle other heroes. However the Daredevil crossover is a classic. These stories function as filler before the next volume which should feature the premiere appearances of Galactus, Silver Surfer, the Black Panther and the Inhumans.
Rating: 
Summary: Jack Kirby at his best!
Review: This is not only an excellent book, but it is also a classic study at how important an inker is on the penciller. Starting in issue 44, Joe Sinnott took over as inker of Jack Kirby's work and the result is startling. Sinnott dramatically improved the art and brought out the talent that Jack Kirby has.
The stores themselves and mixed, but the Galactus tale still holds well including the introduction of the Silver surfer. My personal favorite is the battle with Dr. Doom after he stole the Silver Surfer's powers. Doom pontificates in all his bravado and the FF finally realize (du) they are out of their league. If you've ever wanted to see why the silver age of comics was the silver age of comics, get this book!
Rating:
Summary: Jack Kirby at his best!
Review: This is not only an excellent book, but it is also a classic study at how important an inker is on the penciller. Starting in issue 44, Joe Sinnott took over as inker of Jack Kirby's work and the result is startling. Sinnott dramatically improved the art and brought out the talent that Jack Kirby has.
The stores themselves and mixed, but the Galactus tale still holds well including the introduction of the Silver surfer. My personal favorite is the battle with Dr. Doom after he stole the Silver Surfer's powers. Doom pontificates in all his bravado and the FF finally realize (du) they are out of their league. If you've ever wanted to see why the silver age of comics was the silver age of comics, get this book!
Rating:
Summary: The Glory Days of the FF vs. Galactus and the Silver Surfer
Review: Volume 3 of "The Essential Fantastic Four" is the one we have been waiting for because with issues #41-63 and Annuals #3 & $ of "The Fantastic Four" we are talking the period where this truly was "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine!" This is also where the FF have their greatest battle, against the threat of Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer, and Annual #3 presents the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Those stories alone would make this particular collection required reading but during this period Stan Lee and Jack Kirby also created the Inhumans and the Black Panther, substantially adding to the Marvel pantheon. But the clincher is that having come up with the ultimate FF story (everything is anticlimactic after you essentially stop a god from devouring your planet) there is another classic multi-part story as Doctor Doom steals the Surfers cosmic powers. Actually, I like those stories a bit more (check out the classic cover for issue #60), but then it is hard for Lee to go wrong with any sort of Silver Surfer story at this point in history. Also, from an artistic standpoint I think Jack Kirby clearly reached his heights as an artist during this period, but a large measure of credit also goes to inker Joe Sinnot, who replaced Vince Colletta. Just compare the drawings of the Thing in the first story to those in the last in this volume and the improvement is obvious. If you go back to the first volume of "Fantastic Four" repeats the difference is even more striking. Kirby was also experimenting with zip tones, using photographs, working in a lot more in terms of backgrounds for his panels, and indulging in splash pages in the middle of stories. When you think of how long Kirby had been drawing comic books at that point in his career, the fact that his artwork could suddenly improve so dramatically is astounding. In terms of artwork and stories, this is as good as the "Fantastic Four" ever got in its celebrated history. When I think of the FF, the stories in this volume are the ones I remember best.
Rating:
Summary: HULK vs. THING-'nuff said
Review: While this issue also contains many great classics such as the introduction of the Frightful Four,a fab X-Men crossover and a couple great Dr. Doom tales,it proudly re-produces the greatest comic-story ever told. FF#25 is,in my opinion,the greatest fight ever produced by the twin towers of Lee & Kirby(I, by the way have,over the years,read every issue of all Avengers,Spiderman,FF,Thor,Hulk,X-Men...all the way down to Dazzler,Spiderwoman and even (ouch) Eternals,titles marvel has come out with, as a great family friend founded and still owns the main comic/book store in St.Paul,Mn.-my hometown). The whole issue is one big knock-down drag-out between aunt Petunias favorite nephew bashful benjamin and old jade jaws, the likes of which has rarely been approached and never equaled in all of comic-dom. Face Front True Believers- this one is a can't miss!
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