The Essential Fantastic Four: Volume 2

Marvel Comics provides another great look at the early years of the Fantastic Four. It is a black and white collection of issues 21- 40, along with FF Annual #2. These comics were originally published in the 1960s. As these stories are almost five decades old, they provide a fascinating insight into another time. The reader will soon notice that many men are wearing hats. A style of dress that is clearly outs of sync with today's fashions. In addition, many of the reporters are using old style 8-mm movie cameras. The still photography is done using old style cameras with big flash bulbs. This book provides the readers with some classic origin stories. The most notable is the origin of Dr. Doom, the FF's greatest adversary. In addition, the reader will find the origin of Diablo and the first appearance of the Frightful Four. One story contains an early post war appearance of Nick Fury. He is introduced as a Colonel with the CIA. This is a change from his own comic as a World War II sergeant and before his more significant role as the Director of SHIELD. This book also contains the usual assortment of other characters such as the Mole Man, Namor, Super Skrull, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers to name a few. One nice aspect of this book is that it provides some fascinating insights into the FF themselves. In particular, the reader will find the first appearance of Sue Storm's force field. Originally, she only had the power of invisibility. Only after this comic series ran for a couple of years did the writers decide to give her an additional power. Another interesting back-story is the fate of the Storms' father. It turns out he was in jail. In true Marvel fashion, he gets a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his children, Sue and Johnny. Unfortunately, he is eventually killed by the Skrulls. Bottom line: this is a great book for any fan of the Fantastic Four. The stories are timeless and entertaining despite the passage of nearly fifty years. The reader will not be disappointed.

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!

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.

Another excellent tome in the "Essential" collection, this one covers the "mid" years of the Lee/Kirby run, between the outstanding inventiveness of the earliest material and the legendary run in the #40-#60 range that introduced Galactus, the Inhumans, etc. So what's the highlight here? Well, #20-#40 pretty much are reprinted, and even in black and white they mostly shine - the best stories include the origin of Dr. Doom, a slam-bang battle between the FF, the Hulk and the Avengers, an awesome confrontation between a powerless FF and Doom, and the introduction of the Frightful Four! Woo! Great stuff! I'm only knocking this down one star because of the hideous inking Kirby's pencils got on the first five or so issues included in this collection - it's slapdash and sketchy, awful stuff compared to Chic Stone's great inking in the last 2/3 or so of this mammoth book. Buy it!

Emblazoned upon the top of every Fantastic Four comic book isthe banner that says "World's Greatest Comic Magazine".These are some of the stories that often earned that distinction as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby hit their stride. Am axnoiusly awaiting vol 3, which will contain the first appearances of the Silver Surfer and Galactus. These are the kinds of stories which formed the basis of the Marvel Comics Universe.