The Ultimate Silver Surfer

"The Ultimate Silver Surfer" is a collection of fifteen prose short stories all centering on the original Herald Of Galactus - and later superho/cosmic wanderer - the Silver Surfer, aka Norrin Radd. Techically divided into three sections (although the first is only a single story long) it covers 'Origin' (an adaptation of the Surfer's first appearance and story arc back in the comics Fantastic Four {Volume 1} #s 48-50), 'Exile' (the period when Norrin was confined to Earth by a Galactus-placed force field over the planet that prevented his leaving but did not interfere with the comings or goings of other beings or objects); and 'Freedom', set after the exile is broken and the star-spanning adventures are free to take place. It might have been nice to have a couple of prequel tales precede the origin, but the fifteen tales presented run a good range. Tom DeFalco's "The Silver Surfer" is the adaptation of the first Surfer comic tale and, unfortunately, it didn't really translate into prose form that well. The dialogue comes off very uncomfortably. The early-to-mid 60s was a fantastic period of imagination and creation for Marvel, but there were a few areas that had yet to be ironed out; the dialogue of many of the issues from those days is one of them. (This isn't a reflection on the writing skills of Stan Lee or Marvel's other early contributors. In an interview Stan once talked about how one of the chief problems in the early days was that business higher-ups were always trying to get comics writers to simplify and minimize their dialogue; one problem that Lee himself ran into was that the higher-ups thought he was using too many words with more than two syllables. It would have been hard trying to not have problems with dialogue when working under those circumstances. Fortunately Lee and the other creators made comics so big in the 60s that the companies eventually decided it was time to just let them write the way they wanted to). The opening tale here isn't a stand-out of the collection despite the huge importance to Marvel mythos of the story it's telling, but it does serve as a good introduction to the characters and concepts for readers who aren't up on the Surfer's origins. The stories in the 'Exile' section are often introspective and several involve the Silver Surfer's attempts to understand humanity and its self-contradictions. 'To See Heaven In A Wild Flower', by Anne Tonsor Zeddies, finds the Surfer in Africa discovering that famine exists on as prosperous a planet on Earth, and has Norrin both trying to understand why this is and trying to alleviate the problem. Silver Surfer comics were among the first that had its protagonist often confronting non 'supervillain'-related crises such as those that arise from political, natural, or social conditions, and it's fitting to have similar themes in this book. 'On The Beach', by John J. Ordover, is a stunning tale that would fit well in any 'best-of' science fiction short

Though I love the collection of adventures in this book, my favorite is the history/origin of Silver Surfer. I believe this particular story is Stan Lee's masterpiece. The descriptions of Zenn-la and its society, Norrin Radd joyously learning to surf on lava flows, his love for Shalla Bal, saving his planet, the transformation to Silver Surfer, losing his humanity while serving Galactus, and finding it again in time to help the Fantastic Four save earth are truly mesmerizing. I both laughed and cried when I read this tale. I am rarely affected this way when reading about a superhero; but in reading this story, I have come to believe that Silver Surfer is the greatest superhero of all time. I realize this highly debatable. And I am not trying to alienate or argue with fans of other great superheroes like Ironman, Thor, Superman, etc., but I truly believe Silver Surfer is the most powerful and interesting superhero character ever created: He learned to surf on lava flows as a mere youth before ever receiving his powers from Galactus. Additional powers are continually and conveniently revealed in his adventures. ("Good thing Galactus bestowed this useful power upon me; now I can save this entire planet.") He is supremely fast. He can fly into a sun without being damaged at all. He doesn't even need his board to travel, though it is a really cool mode of transport. He doesn't seem to have an Achilles heel like Superman does with Kryptonite. He has inner strength and is incredibly self-sacrificing and honorable. Since he is not human, he does not seem to have human flaws such as pride, greed, etc. And he helped the Fantastic Four battle Galactus. How much more powerful and amazing could any superhero be? I believe Stan Lee created an incredibly pure character (similar to Faramir) though not without flaws, so he is also interesting. I was also extremely impressed with the fact that a single person, Alicia Masters, could turn the tide so quickly in a story. After spending only minutes with her, Silver Surfer had an understanding that the earth was worth saving and was compelled to confront, and ultimately do battle with, Galactus. Finally, one of the most exciting events of this story occurs before Galactus arrives to destroy Zenn-la. My heart actually beat faster when Norrin Radd and Shalla Bal began "moving toward one another." Though nothing actually happened (mainly because they were interrupted and the story is tasteful) those simple words were incredibly sensual to read. There is definitely something to be said for the power of suggestion and leaving things to our imagination. In this case, lack of graphic sexual detail is so much more intense than a full description. I have only described my favorite tale in this book, the history/origin of the Silver Surfer. The rest of the stories are also exciting to read. I recommend this book for fans of all superheroes, though especially those of Silver Surfer. J.H. Sweet

Like in a dream,it all becomes real.Visual art manifests in the deep realms of the mind.A journey into the nether reachs of the universe. Out there ,light years from earth is our sister planet.The ultimate silver surfer lives in the hearts and minds of the true believers!@ Gilbert Kea,Rainbow Bridge!

It's funny, I liked the Surfer better after Steve Englehart freed him from being imprisoned on Earth, but the stories in this great anthology that take place while he was still trapped are a lot better. The stories by Ann Tonsor Zeddies, Len Wein, Keith R.A. DeCandido, James Dawson, and Dave Smeds are some of the best Silver Surfer stories _ever_. The outer space stories aren't as good, and neither is the Tom DeFalco & Stan Lee origin, although Dan Persons's "A Game of the Apocalypse" is a phenomenal ending piece with the best use of Galactus since John Byrne's FF comics. It's a lot better than the stupid Galactus stuff that Ron Marz and Mike Lackey were doing in the comic book.