Longbox Junk - Silver Surfer/ Superman

Welcome to Longbox Junk, where the comics are cheap and the reviews are free!

There's been a bit of sad news lately in the world of comics.  The great George Perez has announced that he won't be with us for much longer, due to terminal cancer.  I'm very sure that I'm not alone in considering Mr. Perez to be a living legend among modern comic creators.  He's regarded by many as one of the greatest modern comic artists, and rightly so.  

Judging from the outpouring of fan support and tribute I'm seeing on the internet lately, it's clear that Perez is a man and a talent that will definitely be missed.  I would also like to show my appreciation for George Perez by setting aside my originally-planned review for now and taking the time to spotlight some of his work here. . .but with a bit of a Longbox Junk twist!

Most of the tributes I'm seeing focus on Mr. Perez's fantastic art.  And why shouldn't they?  It's what he's known for. . .fantastic scenes packed SO full of characters and detail that they invite lingering on the page just to take it all in.  It's his trademark and what put him on a well-deserved pedestal among the great modern comic artists.

SO. . .

I'm gonna spotlight a comic without ONE SINGLE PANEL of that signature Perez art everyone loves him for!  That's right. . .I'm going to take a look at George Perez the comic WRITER in this edition of Longbox Junk!  

I want to show another side of this great, multi-talented creator that fans of his art might not be so much aware of by taking a look at a 1996 collaboration between DC and Marvel wherein the two rival companies came together to tell a cosmic tale of titanic trickery across two universes involving two of their mightiest heroes. . .Superman and The Silver Surfer!  

Ready?  Let's do it!

SILVER SURFER/ SUPERMAN

Marvel/ DC (1996)

Folded out to show the villains on the back side

POP!

SCRIPT: George Perez

PENCILS: Ron Lim

INKS: Terry Austin

COVER: Ron Lim & Terry Austin

THE COVER:

I'm actually not a huge fan of Superman (or Silver Surfer, for that matter), but just LOOK at that cover!  Superman is my favorite part of it!  He's a bright image of strength, power, and heroism as he boldly flies across the front of this comic!  And then there's the Silver Surfer. . .a gleaming, powerful being capturing the power cosmic as he speeds along the bottom of the page!  Such a great cover, giving both heroes a their own chance to shine.  Ron Lim knocks it out of the park before we even get to the first page!  

THE STORY:

We begin our tale with Superman in the skies over Metropolis, enjoying the end of an uneventful patrol of the city. . .

. . .And with the Silver Surfer, exploring the galaxy and being surprised to discover a planet where once there was only a barren asteroid.

WHEN SUDDENLY. . .

Superman finds himself transported in the blink of an eye to what seems to be Krypton!  The people seem to be in some sort of panic and Superman is attacked by Kryptonian security forces, who believe the strangely-clad man who just appeared among them is part of an invading force!

Superman tries to fight off the security forces, a bit more of a task than he's used to, with his powers greatly reduced by the Red Kryptonian sun. . .

As Superman tries to escape, the leader of the invading alien force shows himself, a strange, hybrid creature who calls himself "Super Skrull".  There are several odd things, such as Super Skrull knowing Superman's Kryptonian name of Kal-El and that the creature speaks English, but Superman doesn't have time to ponder them as the Super Skrull challenges him to one on one combat!

IN THE MEANTIME. . .

The Silver Surfer is surprised to find himself yanked from deep space and onto the planet Earth, where he once made his home.  But the city he finds himself in is unfamiliar, and his cosmic powers are somehow going out of his control!

As Silver Surfer tries to regain control of his powers, the citizens of Metropolis panic as they realize they have been somehow cut off from the rest of the world.  Lex Luthor's successor, The Contessa, pinpoints the alien Silver Surfer as the cause and is determined to either gain his power for herself, or destroy him. . .

Contessa send robotic minions to take down the Surfer, and as they fight, he realizes he still doesn't have complete control over his powers.  Not wanting to harm civilians, Silver Surfer makes a dash for outer space in an attempt to end the fight. . .

. . .But he is confused when he flies past what should be the limits of Earth's atmosphere and he finds that he still isn't in space, but crashes into an invisible barrier! 

IN THE MEANTIME. . .

The story shifts back to Superman as he battles The Super Skrull.  Weakened by his exposure to Krypton's red sun, Superman finds himself being badly beaten by the alien creature.  But Superman isn't one to back down from a fight when innocent lives are at stake, even a losing one!  

The Super Skrull offers to lower his defenses and give Superman one good punch.  As the alien creature gloats about winning some sort of game, Superman takes the punch, but is thrown back by the Skrull. . .whose body becomes living elastic!

When Superman crashes into a wall and debris showers down on the onlookers, a strange thing happens!  Super Skrull begins to rage about how harming innocent bystanders is against the rules, and he uses his elastic body to save them!

Superman realizes that something is definitely wrong.  The Kryptonians begin to flicker and change form.  Superman now understands that he's been under some sort of mental control and he's not on Krypton at all!  

BACK WITH THE SILVER SURFER. . .

After crashing through the invisible barrier above Metropolis, the Surfer is astounded to discover himself standing in a strange place, with a glass-encased miniature city of Metropolis in front of him.  A hole in the glass case is where he must have broken his way through. . .

As he ponders the strange scene before him, the Surfer is attacked by the automated defenses of something called "The Fortress".  He grabs the bottled city of Metropolis and tries to fight his way out, all the while being taunted by a mysterious voice!  As he battles his way through the defenses, he comes to realize that the voice is actually a living being playing a deadly game with him!

BACK WITH SUPERMAN. . .

The illusion of Krypton dispelled, Superman takes on the Super Skrull with his full powers. . .but as they fight, Superman reveals that he knows that he's actually fighting his old foe, Mr. Mxyzptlk!  But the joke is on Superman when his opponent instead reveals himself to be a strange little creature calling himself The Impossible Man!

Impossible Man tells Superman that he and Mr. Mxyzptlk met in the space between dimensions and became friends.  They agreed to play a game where the two tricksters would swap their greatest adversaries into their own different universes, with the winner being the one who convinced their opponent they were fighting their own enemy first.  Superman had believed he was fighting Mr. Mxyzptlk, so Impossible Man declares himself winner!

Now that he understands he's been used as part of an interdimensional game, Superman demands to be returned to his own universe.  Impossible Man tells him that won't be possible until a winner has been declared and he combines his powers with Mr. Mxyzptlk to swap Superman and the Silver Surfer back to where they belong. 

 Impossible Man leaves to inform Mr. Mxyzptlk of his victory, leaving Superman stranded on the strange planet.  Shortly afterward, Superman is horrified to discover an ACTUAL Skrull invasion force on its way!

When Impossible Man teleports to Superman's universe, he discovers an enraged Silver Surfer protecting Metropolis from Mr. Mxyzptlk.  As he declares himself the winner of their game, Impossible Man realizes that Mr. Mxyzptlk has broken the rules by putting innocent lives in danger.  As Mxyzptlk mocks Impossible Man for being so easily tricked, he flies into a rage and the two begin to fight!

The two tricksters battle, quickly shifting in and out of the forms of their respective universe's greatest heroes. . .Hulk vs. Doomsday, Plastic Man vs. Super Skrull, Wonder Woman vs. Wolverine, Giant Man vs. The Atom, Cyclops vs. Batman, Spider-Man vs. Mister Miracle, Namor vs. Aquaman, and finally Lobo vs. Galactus!  

The battle finally ends when Silver Surfer steps in and uses his powers, demanding that the game be ended and he and Superman be switched back to their own universe.  Impossible Man brings Superman to the Fortress of Solitude so that he can testify Impossible Man won the game, forcing Mr. Mxyzptlk to concede. . .

With all four of the players now in the same space and the game ended, Superman and Silver Surfer agree to help Impossible Man and Mr. Mxyzptlk clean up their mess by taking care of the Skrull invaders and putting Metropolis back where it belongs. . .while the two tricksters agree to send Superman and Silver Surfer back to where they belong.

And so, working together, Metropolis is returned to its normal place. . .

. . .And the Skrull invasion force is sent into retreat.

At the end of it all, Superman and Silver Surfer have a moment between themselves to reflect on the strange adventure.  They part as friends and hope to meet again, but have been told by Impossible Man and Mr. Mxyzptlk that their memories of this encounter will soon disappear completely.  

The End.

THE REVIEW:

Okay, there it is.  Superman and Silver Surfer being used as pawns in a game between two interdimensional tricksters.  Let's break it on down!

I'm gonna be totally honest and up front here.  I intended this review as a tribute to the great George Perez with a bit of a Longbox Junk twist, and the takeaway here is that Perez is known as one of the greatest comic artists and not as one of the great comic writers for a reason.

Hold on! Don't get me wrong here!  I'm not saying his writing is bad at all.  I'm just saying that there's a reason he's better known as a legendary artist.  This is actually a really fun story!  

I love a good "one and done" comic story and this one definitely fits the bill.  It's not deep.  It's not particularly memorable.  The status quo (at the time) of the two heroes doesn't budge an inch.  It just tells a fun tale of two heroes being caught up in a strange game.  

The way that Perez gets Superman and Silver Surfer into each others' universes IS a bit convoluted, and I feel that there must have been a more straightforward story to be told on that end, but other than that, this is just a colorful, action-packed, FUN comic!  And really. . .when it comes down to it, isn't being fun sometimes enough reason to like a comic book?  In my humble opinion, I say YES!

So George Perez does a decent job writing this thing, let's take a look at the art.

So, Ron Lim has a mighty hard row to hoe being the artist on a comic where George Perez is involved.  Let's face it, when most people see Perez's name on the cover of a comic, they're gonna assume he's got something to do with the art.  Nope. . .not here.

Fortunately, Lim steps up to the plate with confidence and knocks it right out of the park!  This comic is simply gorgeous to look at!  Lim has a simple, classic style with nice clean lines and a great touch on facial expressions that brings a lot of character to this comic. 

 There are plenty of little "wow!" moments to be found here. . .Just scroll up and look at some of the pages I scanned to see a few.  My favorites mostly revolve around the Silver Surfer.  His introduction to the story, flying through the stars right into the readers face is simply fantastic!

CONCLUSION

George Perez the writer isn't quite on the same level as George Perez the artist, but overall, this is a comic that is so much fun to read that I don't even care.  The story is fun, the art is fun, this is just a FUN comic from cover to cover!

Sometimes we get so caught up in the dramatic stories of our four-color heroes. . .their loves, their losses, their titanic conflicts, their inner angst. . .that we forget that comics can be FUN.  This story is a perfect breath of fresh air.  A nice little break. 

 Is it the best story ever written?  No.  Not even close.  But is it FUN?  Yes.  And for that, I give George Perez credit where credit is due.  He may be known more as an artist, and he's definitely going to be remembered that way by most comic fans, but he can sure write a fun story when he wants to!

All in all, I found this one shot story to be a nugget of Longbox Junk gold.  Check it out if you just want to read a fun little story that shows a different side of superstar artist George Perez. And not for nothin' but let's not forget page after page of some very nice art by Ron Lim.  It's just a really good comic from end to end.

Up Next. . .

The review I ORIGINALLY had planned. 

A four-issue series that ponders the following question:  What if legendary martial artist Bruce Lee didn't actually die, but was frozen in suspended animation and revived today?  Join me next time and we'll find out!

It's Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises from Magnetic Press (Yeah, I've never heard of them either)

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - One Shots (Part 2)

 Welcome to Longbox Junk, where the comics are cheap and nobody asked me to review them!

 After spending several months grinding through all sixty issues of Marc Spector: Moon Knight, I've decided to cleanse my palate a bit by returning to my favorite kind of comic. . .One shots!  Tight little packages of comic book goodness where the creative team is tasked with giving the reader a complete story in one and only one issue.   

With a single issue to work with, the creative team has nowhere to hide.  It's easy to fail, but when the team is up to the task, the results can be some of the best stories to be found in comics.  

In PART ONE , I was pleasantly surprised to find a handful of decent little stories, without a single stinker among them and a couple of them even being real nuggets of Longbox Junk gold.  How will this batch fare?  Let's find out!

ONE SHOTS (Part 2)

INDIANA JONES AND

THE SHRINE OF THE SEA DEVIL

Dark Horse (1994)

Cover: Gary Gianni

Shrine of the Sea Devil

Reprinted from Dark Horse Comics (1992), Issues 3-6

SCRIPT: Gary Gianni

PENCILS: Gary Gianni

THE COVER:

Indiana Jones is all about action and adventure, and this wonderful painted cover delivers exactly that! Indy clinging to wreckage with a sinking ship in the background and being menaced by a giant tentacle? THIS is the kind of cover that makes me want to get right inside and see what it's about, so let's do it!

THE STORY:

1935. . .The South Pacific. Indiana Jones recovers a map leading to the legendary "Shrine of The Sea Devil".  Unaware that the crew of the ship he has hired is plotting mutiny based on rumors of a rich treasure to be found, Jones and his colleague, Professor Casper, steam toward the undersea location marked on the map.

Anchoring off the coast of an active volcanic island, Indiana Jones suits up to dive into the shark-infested waters.  While Jones explores the mysterious underwater ruins, the crew make their move!  A fight breaks out as they take over the ship.  

Unknown to either Jones or the mutinous crew above, Jones' exploration has awakened a gigantic squid.  It nearly kills Indiana Jones before turning its attention to the ship above.  Frantic crewmen desperately fight the creature's huge tentacles before the ringleader of the mutineers uses explosives in the ship's hold to drive off the giant monster. . .but in the process, he also sinks the ship!

Indiana Jones survives both the squid's attack and the sinking of the ship.  At the end, he is rescued by a passing plane piloted by none other than Amelia Earhart.

The End.

THE REVIEW:

I'm a huge fan of the Indiana Jones movies.  I'll even take a beating trying to defend Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull!  But I'm not very familiar with the comic adventures of Indy.  This is actually the first comic beyond Marvel's straightforward adaptation of Temple of Doom featuring Indiana Jones that I've read.

Unfortunately, my first impression of comic book Indy isn't as high as I'd like it to be.

It's not that the story is BAD.  It's not bad.  It's okay.  But I expect more than okay from a story featuring a character that literally personifies action and adventure.  This story really just wasn't very exciting at all.  I'd say that it was more interesting than anything.  Once again, not bad, but I wanted more.

As far as the art goes, I'm a fan of Gary Gianni and his gritty, sketchy, realistic style.  I REALLY like his painted cover. . .I think this might be the first time I've seen any of his painted work.  The interior art is a touch sketchier than I'm used to from Gianni, though.  It's nicely done, but looks just a little rushed in places.

Overall, this wasn't a BAD story, it's just that I was expecting a little more than what I got.  It's too bad that the first comic I've read featuring one of my favorite characters' adventures outside the movies was just "okay".

NEXT!

KID COLT 

Marvel (2009)

COVER: Luke Ross

Kill The Kid!

Physical collection of Kid Colt (vol. 2 - 2009) digital comic Issues 1 - 5

SCRIPT: Tom DeFalco

PENCILS: Rick Burchett

THE COVER:

A very nice action shot of the title character!  I love the sense of motion and the feeling of a moment frozen in time the artist gives us here.  What more can I say? It's simply a great western comic cover!

THE STORY:

After helping a man during an unfairly-matched gunfight, Everett Hawkmore discovers that he's accidentally fallen in with the wanted criminal known as Kid Colt.  Hawkmore rides with Colt as he tries to clear his name by finding a witness to the gun battle where Kid Colt killed six men in self defense, but was labeled a murderer.

The vengeful Sheriff McGreeley, brother of one of the men killed by Colt, hires a notorious bounty hunter named Sherman Wilks to bring Colt in for a hanging.  During a confrontation with Colt and the Bounty hunter, a gang of brutal scavengers attack, forcing Kid Colt and Wilks to join forces to fight them off.

After the dust has cleared, Kid Colt gives Wilks his side of the story (re-telling the origin of Kid Colt), but Wilks is a man of his word and is still determined to bring Kid Colt in despite him saving his life.  It comes down to a quick-draw gunfight, with Kid Colt being the one to walk away alive.  

In the end, Hawkmore disguises himself as Wilks and uses Wilk's body to collect the bounty on Kid Colt, then rides out with Colt to accompany him as he continues to try and clear his name.

The End.

THE REVIEW:

Okay. . .not a bad little story!  It's got action, adventure, likeable characters, and a couple of twists and turns along the way.  Not much more that I could ask for in a good western tale.  It's not a deep story.  At heart it's actually a pretty simple narrative.  But sometimes all I want in a comic is just a decent story that keeps me engaged without making me strain my brain too much.  This comic does exactly that.  There's not many western comics out there these days, so it's nice to find a good one.

As far as the art goes, I thought Rick Burchett's art from Impact's Black Hood (a severely-underrated nugget of Longbox Junk) was the best part of that series, but his cartoony and sort of exaggerated style isn't really a great match for a western story.  There's nothing wrong with the art and it tells the story nicely, but in my humble opinion something darker and grittier (like the cover) would have worked better.

Overall, this one shot gives the reader a solid western story with lots of action and adventure.  It's not a GREAT story, but it's a GOOD story.  Sometimes you just want a good story.  If you're a fan of western comics, then this is one to keep your eye out for in the bargain bins because there's not many newer ones out there.  

NEXT!

TACO BELL / FANTASTIC FOUR

Marvel (2011)

COVER: Steve McNiven

Originally from Marvel Knights 4 (2004) Issue 1

Wolf at the Door / A Day In the Life of the Fantastic Four

SCRIPT:  Paul Tobin (main) & Colleen Coover

PENCILS: Craig Rousseau (main) & Colleen Coover

THE COVER:

A stunning portrait of Marvel's First Family with sharp details, a fluid sense of motion, and outstanding colors.  The characters almost seem to leap right off the page! Such a great cover.  Too bad McNiven didn't do the interiors.

THE STORY:

The Fantastic Four leap into action when a giant robot runs amok in New York City, draining power and causing massive blackouts.  

As Mr. Fantastic, The Human Torch, and The Thing battle the rampaging robot, Sue Storm follows the trail of destruction back to its creator. . .The Wizard.  It turns out that the robot was never built for evil purposes, but somehow malfunctioned with an ever-growing hunger for energy.

As the battle continues in the streets of New York City, the robot senses a powerful energy source and sends a probe to investigate.  The energy source is none other than the Silver Surfer!  Following the probe back to Earth, the Surfer uses his Power Cosmic to overload and shut down the out-of-control robot.

The End.

THE REVIEW:

So this one's a bit of an odd bird.  From a bit of research, I've found that it's a giveaway comic (hence the Taco Bell logo on the cover) and its "value" varies wildly (as in from $2.00 to $95.00!) enough for me to not really know exactly HOW much this strange little thing is "worth".  I bought mine for a dollar, so I guess I got a good deal.

But enough about that.  The comic itself is pretty thin, coming in at twelve pages long.  The story is just on the good side of okay.  It's obviously written for a younger audience, but it's not bad for what it is.  I liked that they didn't use Doctor Doom as the obvious villain choice, and the guest-starring role of Silver Surfer was also an interesting choice.

The art is light and a bit sketchy, but tells the story nicely.  The scenes with Silver Surfer were actually very well done and probably the most enjoyable part of the comic. . .which is interesting since this is supposed to be a Fantastic Four comic.

There's also a one-page "gag" story showing the individual members of the Fantastic Four fighting crime around the world, then gathering at the dinner table and talking about their day like it was nothing special.  It's a nice little addition that I got a small chuckle out of.

Overall, this is a decent little Fantastic Four story.  Not the best I've read. . .not the worst.  It's written for a younger audience, but is perfectly readable for adults as well.  It's actually more of a Silver Surfer story than anything else.  I'm not even a Fantastic Four fan and I found it pretty enjoyable.  

AND FINALLY. . .

STAR WARS: PURGE

THE HIDDEN BLADE

Dark Horse (2010)

COVER: Chris Scalf

The Hidden Blade

SCRIPT:  Haden Blackman

PENCILS: Chris Scalf

THE COVER:

If you're a Star Wars fan, you don't need ME to tell you how great this cover is!  A dark, menacing portrait of the villain everyone loves to hate, set off perfectly by the brilliant glow of Vader's red lightsaber.  It's a simple cover, but the artist really captured the essence of Darth Vader here!

THE STORY:

Set shortly after the events of Revenge of The Sith and in the aftermath of the Jedi Purge of Order 66, Darth Vader has been tasked by the Emperor to oversee the defense of a vital factory producing armored AT-AT walkers needed to continue the Emperor's brutal takeover of the Old Republic.

While fighting off repeated attacks by rebellious natives, Vader learns that they are led by a Jedi.  He leaves the base he was ordered to protect and goes on the hunt, first tracking down the Jedi's Padawan and defeating him, then barely winning a battle against a gigantic native creature before finally confronting the hidden Jedi.

After a short and vicious battle, Vader defeats the Jedi and returns to the base to find it destroyed in his absence.  He realizes the Jedi revealed himself on purpose to distract Vader and make him neglect command of the base's defense.  The Emperor arrives and is disappointed by Vader's failure.  He leaves his apprentice in the ruins of the factory to meditate on his mistake.

The End.

THE REVIEW:

This short tale of Vader's early days as the Emperor's enforcer was a great read!  It had all the action I want from a Star Wars story, and the ending with the mighty Vader brought low by a simple trick of misdirection aimed squarely at his obsession with hunting the remaining Jedi was surprising and clever.  I was expecting Vader to come out on top in a Darth Vader comic, but having him defeated in such a small and easy way was really interesting!

As far as the art goes, I really enjoyed the moody, painted artwork!  It has a mysterious and hazy quality, with muted tones that are set off by occasional slashes of bright color to great effect.  Every panel on every page invites the eye to linger an extra moment.

Overall, this is a great read for Star Wars fans!  The story of Vader's defeat by a simple trick is engaging and interesting, and the moody painted art is a feast for the eyes.  This is definitely one to keep your eye out for in the bargain bin.  It's a certified nugget of Longbox Junk gold!

CONCLUSION

There you have it. . .another little handful of Longbox Junk one-shots.  All in all, not a bad bunch.  Not quite as good as the first batch, but still not bad.  The clear winner here for me was the Star Wars: Purge Darth Vader comic.  At the bottom of the bunch I'd have to say would be the Fantastic Four comic. . .just because it's such a slim story.  Once again, I'm pleased that there aren't any actual BAD one-shots in the bunch.  All of these are worth keeping an eye out for while Longbox Junkin' through the bargain bins.

Up Next. . .

It's been a while since I did a Longbox Junk Retro Review.

How about a little trip in the paper time machine back to 1966 for a look at Gold Key's G-8 and His Battle Aces?  It's Hun-Punchin' action and espionage in the trenches of World War I battlefields!

Be there or be square.

Longbox Junk Retro Review - Fantastic Four #58 (1967)

Welcome back to Longbox Junk, the place to find more comic reviews that you never asked for than you could ever ask for!  Read it again. . .it DOES make sense!

Every now and then I like to take a step back from my usual bargain bin fare and shine the spotlight on some of the older and more "valuable" comics I own.  I crank up the old Longbox Junk paper time machine and see what's going on in the Bronze, Silver, and Golden Age corners of my collection.  It's a nice little occasional diversion from the dollar box.

The comic at hand is a very recent addition to my collection.  As of this writing, I just got it last week for my birthday from my comic-lovin' daughter.  She took quiet notice of me admiring that sweet cover every time we hit the comic shop for our weekly fix of four color fun over the past year or so that it's been hanging up among the "premium" comics behind the counter.  It was a great birthday present!

BUT. . .

I can't actually read it.  See, I had to cheat a little on this particular Longbox Junk Retro Review because the copy I have is encased in a plastic prison.  Slabbed and graded at a very nice 8.0. I might one day break it free, but for now it's "cover only" for my actual copy of this comic.

What that means is that the pristine pictures to follow are from the digital version of the comic.  Like I said, I had to cheat a little and go online to do this review. . .but with a cover like that, I just HAD to see what the story was!

SO. . .

Disclaimers aside, let's see what this comic has to offer.  Step into the paper time machine with me and travel back to 1967 when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were hard at work on "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine"  Ready?  Let's do it!

FANTASTIC FOUR #58

Marvel (1967)

THE DISMAL DREGS OF DEFEAT!

SCRIPT: Stan Lee

PENCILS: Jack Kirby

INKS: Joe Sinnott

COLORS: Stan Goldberg

COVER: Jack Kirby

THE COVER:

The cover of this comic is what caught my eye and convinced my daughter to buy it for me, so let's linger here for a moment.  Awwwwwwwwwww. . .Yeah!  Just look at that.  Nice.  VERY nice.  Do I really need to say much about this Silver Age spinner rack eye-catcher?  It's just so. . .great.  The colors, the composition. . .there's nothing I don't like about this cover! THIS is the kind of cover that makes me want a comic book.  Let's move on before I just sit here all day. . .

THE STORY:

Our story begins with Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, and The Thing on top of the Baxter Building, where the lightning flashes of a strange thunderstorm reveal images of their enemy, Doctor Doom!

Little do our heroes know that (in the previous issue) Doctor Doom has vanquished and imprisoned the mighty Silver Surfer and somehow stolen his cosmic powers.  Doom was using the storm as a test of his new powers.  Satisfied, he begins planning to destroy the Fantastic Four!

Later that day, Reed and Sue Richards (AKA Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman) leave for a quiet weekend alone together at a cottage they've rented upstate, leaving Ben Grimm (AKA The Thing) to keep an eye on things at the Baxter Building.  But shortly after the newlywed Richards couple leave, Doctor Doom attacks!

The Thing puts up a good fight, but his brute strength is no match for Doom's new cosmic powers, and Doom stands victorious!  The Thing is placed in a state of suspended animation. . .helpless and unable to speak or move.

IN THE MEANTIME. . .

Johnny Storm (AKA The Human Torch), Wyatt Wingfoot (AKA normal human supporting character), and the giant teleporting dog called Lockjaw (Who belongs to the Inhumans, but is temporarily providing the Fantastic Four Deus Ex Machina travel support) suddenly appear in New York.

The stop is an unintended interruption to their continued attempts to breach the Negative Zone barrier trapping the Inhumans so that Torch can be reunited with his new Inhuman girlfriend, Crystal. . .But THAT'S another story!

Torch and Wingfoot don't understand why Lockjaw has brought them to New York when there's more important business to tend to, until they notice the gaping hole in the side of the Baxter Building!  Johnny Storm quickly investigates. . .

AT THAT VERY MOMENT. . .

At the quiet upstate cottage Reed and Sue Richards are spending the weekend at, the couple's mild bickering over Reed's inability to stop tinkering with machines long enough to have a weenie roast with his new wife (Hey-O! But seriously. . .it's just a cookout) is rudely interrupted by Doctor Doom!

Using his stolen cosmic powers, Doctor Doom not only takes Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman by surprise, he is able to easily counteract their abilities.  As Reed and Sue Richards fight for their lives against Doom.

Back in New York City, The Human Torch has discovered the Thing.  He remembers a device in Reed's lab that might work to bring his friend out of suspended animation.  He decides that's a job for Wyatt Wingfoot as he rushes to Reed and Sue's rental cabin to warn them that something's going on.

The Human Torch arrives in time to hear Doom ranting about his new powers and the havoc he's going to be able to wreak.  Johnny rushes in on the attack, heroically intending to sacrifice himself to give Reed and Sue Richards time to escape and come up with a plan to defeat Doom.

Torch quickly realizes he's outmatched by Doom's new powers, and in a last-ditch effort, causes a massive explosion that Reed and Sue barely escape.  Meanwhile, back in New York City, Wyatt Wingfoot uses Reed Richards' "Metabolism Accelerator" on The Thing, bringing him out of suspended animation. . .

Back at the cottage, Johnny Storm is defeated and frozen by Doom. . .but somehow manages to summon the strength to release one last massive blast of fire to free himself!

As The Human Torch escapes to regain his strength, The Thing and Wyatt Wingfoot arrive to join the battle!  Wingfoot is armed with Reed's experimental "Anti Grav Disrupter", and he wastes no time in using it on Doom, causing a massive explosion but seemingly having no effect on Doctor Doom!

Reed Richards realizes that there's nothing they can do against Doom with the stolen powers of the Silver Surfer and orders his team to stand down and surrender.  The Fantastic Four have been beaten!

Doom gloats that Richards has made the right choice, and although he WAS planning on destroying the heroes, a more fitting punishment will be to let them live, knowing that they no longer even matter to Doom.  As the mocking villain makes his exit, Reed lets the rest of the team know that he was just buying time and will never give up!

The End. To be continued. . .

THE REVIEW:

I've mentioned it before, but I'm not really a fan of The Fantastic Four (or super-team comics in general).  Don't get me wrong. . .I've read some mighty fine individual FF stories here and there over the years.  I just can't get into their adventures on a continuing basis for some reason.  I guess I just prefer my FF in small doses.

THAT SAID. . .

I liked this story a lot!  A while back, I did another Fantastic Four Retro Review on the superb issue #50 (You can read it RIGHT HERE ), also by the original Stan Lee/ Jack Kirby creative team.  What impressed me most about #50 was that it was an unusual story for the time in that the title heroes actually LOST the fight and were pretty much useless through the issue. . .and in the next issue, Reed Richards was consumed with what almost seems like PTSD brought on by the experience of being helpless in the face of a cosmic powerhouse like Galactus.

We sort of have the same thing here.  As the cover and title indicate, this is a story where the heroes basically are beaten down and have to admit that they are helpless in the face of a superior enemy.  This was NOT the typical Silver Age comic book superhero story!  There are those who like to bag on Stan Lee's writing, but I give him credit for being able to write a story that steps outside the box a bit (for that time) and gives us a tale of superheroes defeated!  

It's a simple story at heart. . .basically Doctor Doom using his new powers to attack his worst enemies until they ultimately surrender and become the object of Doom's scorn and pity.  But within that simple framework, Stan Lee fills the pages of this comic with one little moment after another that kept even someone that's not a fan of the Fantastic Four turning the pages.  And when I got to the last page, I wanted more! It's a testament to the storytelling ability of Stan Lee that I started off reading one comic to review and ended up reading forward six MORE issues (since I was online anyway)!

I'm not going to go so far as to say it made me a Fantastic Four fan, but there for a short while, I totally got it.  It passed after a half-dozen issues, but this issue's tale of demoralizing defeat gave me enough of a starting point that I was able to enjoy what comes next as Reed once again fights through the depression and anxiety of being helpless and figures out a way to come back out on top. . .then moves on to the next challenges with his family and friends at his side.

I'd say that's a job well done on the story side of things.  

But in comics, the story is only half of the equation.  Let's take a look at the art. . .

I admitted in that same Retro Review of Fantastic Four #50 (that I've mentioned several times now, sorry to keep bringing it up)  that I've never really liked Jack Kirby's art much.  I realize that Kirby stands SO tall in the minds of many comic fans that ANY criticism is pretty much ignored. . .no matter how honest it may be.  And so it won't matter to a lot of people that in MY extremely humble opinion, I find most of Kirby's art that I've seen to be pretty basic compared to some other Silver/Bronze Age artists when you take a good hard look at it.  It's a sort of unpopular opinion, but please don't hurt me.

THAT SAID. . .

While Longbox Junk isn't a comic idol worship blog, neither is it the place to try and topple said comic idols from their well-deserved pedestals.  At Longbox Junk, EVERY comic deserves a fair chance, whether it costs a buck from the bargain bin or it's a slabbed and graded "collectible".

So taking a fair look at this comic, I'd say that Kirby's art holds up its end of the bargain and more! 

 Most of my comics with Kirby art are actually from the 70's when I've been told he was on a bit of a decline . .this is only the third comic from the 60's I have with Kirby art and I can definitely tell the difference.  Where Kirby's later Bronze Age efforts seem lazy, here his art crackles with energy and motion!  

Thanks to Kirby's simple, clean lines and sparse backgrounds, the characters practically leap off the page and right into your face as you read this comic, especially in the action scenes.  I have to give some credit due to the extremely sharp inking of Joe Sinnott and the glorious colors by Stan Goldberg as well. . .even though I AM looking at a modern digitally-recolored version on a computer monitor, so I can't speak for the actual coloring on my slabbed-up copy.  Still. . .a big round of applause for the whole art team on this comic!

From the eye-catching cover to the final cliffhanger, this is one great-looking comic!  Between this issue and #50, I can certainly catch a little glimpse of why Kirby is held in such high regard.  I'm still not a fan of his later work, mind you, but THIS is some good stuff!

CONCLUSION

What we have here is a perfect storm of writing and art delivering an unusual story that makes the reader want more.  Stan Lee throws down some trademark Mighty Marvel bombast that makes even a tale of superheroes taking a beating great.  Jack Kirby ups the ante with artwork that practically jumps off the page.  In this issue alone it's easy to see why the Stan Lee/ Jack Kirby combination has gone down in comic history as one of the greatest creative teams.

I said above that Longbox Junk isn't in the business of comic idol worship, but Lee and Kirby deserve a well-earned round of applause from me for hooking me in to the story of a superhero team I don't even particularly like, and doing it with a tale of them getting a solid beatdown!

Overall, I have to say that this has been one of the best Silver Age comics I've read in quite a while and I give it two thumbs-up and a Longbox Junk seal of approval.  It might be a little pricey to find the original in decent shape, but I see it's been collected, reprinted, and available online, so check it out!

Up Next. . .

Another Longbox Junk Retro Review!

But which one is the question. . .

Phantom Stranger? Black Lightning? Savage She-Hulk? The Shadow? Iron Man? 

SO MANY MORE! I might just have to roll a die or something.  In any case. . .

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - Silver Surfer: Parable

With the recent passing of Stan "The Man" Lee, it's inevitable that there will be a flood of tributes complete with lists of great characters, classic issues, and epic storylines. . .of which there are indeed many.  Stan Lee was a prolific writer with a great imagination and creative talent, and along with equally-talented collaborators such as Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, he helped to create many of the characters that we know and love today.  

So of course we're going to hear about Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four and The X-Men.  We're going to hear about "This Man, This Monster" and "Spider-Man No More", among many other classic stories. . .and rightly so!  

BUT. . .

THIS is Longbox Junk.  And while I DO feel a need to try to pay a small amount of tribute to a man that stood larger than life as the outspoken and ever-present goodwill ambassador of comic books for. . .well. . .pretty much my entire life, I'm not one to reach for the low-hanging fruit.  

No. . .if I'm going to show my respect for Stan The Man, I'm going to dig a little deeper and go right past those well-known issues that are probably FAR beyond the budget of most comic collectors (outside of reprints and collections) and talk about a great Stan Lee story that can be found in original copy at quite an affordable price that will certainly be passed over by many collectors in favor of more "valuable" comics.

Rest In Peace Stan Lee.  You taught me that the value of comics isn't just measured in dollars.  I didn't know you, but I'll miss you, and the world will be a sadder place without you.

Let's do this!

SILVER SURFER: PARABLE

MARVEL (1988)

SCRIPT: Stan Lee

PENCILS: Jean (Moebius) Giraud

COVERS: Jean (Moebius) Giraud

ISSUE ONE

A little background first?

So from what I've read about this odd little two-shot, it came from a chance meeting of Stan Lee and French artist Moebius at a comic book convention.  They were in almost immediate agreement as to what character they should collaborate on and the issues were written using the "Marvel Method" of Stan Lee writing an outline and letting Moebius build the visuals around it, then Stan doing the finished dialogue and Moebius putting in the final touches (including the lettering).  

Moebius saw this project as a bit of a self-challenge, as he'd never worked on an actual mainstream superhero comic book before, and he had to make some changes to his art (in particular the coloring) to fit the newsprint the comics were printed on.  In an interview I read about this comic, Moebius claims it was one of the hardest projects that he'd worked on, as the color palette was extremely limited compared to what he was used to.

At the time of publication, this comic sold very well (It had a pretty high print run, which is probably why it can still be found in dollar boxes today) and was well enough regarded that it won the Eisner Award for best finite series. I find it strange that despite the good reception and critical accolades, it seems to be somewhat forgotten and certainly not very "valuable" to collectors today.

But enough about that.  Let's get into it!

The story goes like this:

A gigantic spaceship is sighted heading for Earth,  plunging the population into fear and panic.  When it lands, the huge figure of Galactus comes forth and demands that mankind worship him, and that their obedience to him will usher in a new age for the planet.

Almost overnight, religions spring up around Galactus, the primary one being led by Evangelist Colton Candell. . .who positions himself as the self-appointed prophet of Galactus.  As Galactus declares his followers worship him by throwing aside their laws and inhibitions and do as they will, the Earth quickly descends into chaos and anarchy.

The Silver Surfer, who has been living in exile (and disguised as a hobo for some reason) on Earth since Galactus' last visit, finally has enough of the chaos and decides it's time to confront Galactus and find out why he's returned when he previously vowed not to harm Earth or Mankind.

And that's pretty much it for the first issue.

It's a deceptively slim story. . .Godlike alien lands on Earth and demands obedience.  Mankind falls into chaos and religious fanaticism.  The forgotten hero decides to take a stand.  But despite the somewhat skeletal framework, there's quite a bit to chew on here.  

Basically, this first issue asks the question, "What would happen if (a) God was right THERE telling you what to do. . .even if it was against what you believe in?  Would you have the courage to resist, or would you just join the crowd and do what you were told to do?"

It's well written and Stan Lee steps outside of his usual bombastic superhero box to ask the reader some hard questions.  There's very little traditional "action" in this comic beyond a few scenes of Earth falling into chaos and rioting.  There's also no other superheroes on the scene of this worldwide event, which I found odd in light of Stan Lee being one of the creators of the modern connected "Comic Universe".  

Judging from the title, I'd venture to say that the oddly isolated nature of this story is meant to teach a lesson more than it is to entertain with superhero appearances.  An interesting departure from what one would expect from someone like Stan Lee, who usually revels in the extended Marvel Sandbox of heroes  he helped create.

The art was also somewhat unexpected.  I'm mostly familiar with Moebius through his "Blueberry" western series.  The lines are a lot thinner than in Blueberry. . .almost to the point that it looks like the work of a different artist.  That's not to say that it's bad by any means. . .the art on this issue is superb. . .it's just different than what I would think of from Moebius.  But then again, I don't have many other examples of his work to compare to beyond Blueberry (which is a great series.  If you haven't read it and you like western comics, you MUST read Blueberry!)

The thin lines, sparse backgrounds, and flat colors combine with very cinematic angles and an unusual lettering style to perfectly complement a story with hardly any traditional superhero action.  Moebius gives what is (in my extremely humble opinion) one of the WORST Marvel villain designs an actual presence, weight, and sense of size that is impressive. . .especially considering that we're talking about a giant purple-clad guy with a ridiculous hat.

Overall, this first issue was a great read.  Stan Lee took a skeletal narrative that can be summed up in 3 short sentences and fleshed it out with a surprising amount of thought-provoking dialogue.  Moebius took one of the most ridiculous Marvel villains and gave him a sense of size and power that makes you believe that he COULD throw mankind into chaos with a demand to be worshiped.  Together, the two of them have crafted a quite interesting comic.

ISSUE TWO

Continuing directly from the first issue, the story goes like this:

The Silver Surfer confronts his former master and demands to know why Galactus has broken his vow not to attack Earth.  Galactus smugly informs his former herald that no vow has been broken, and that he has done nothing except allow humanity to destroy themselves by choosing to worship him as a God.

Silver Surfer decides to take his case to the people, but his pleas for humanity to not follow Galactus without question fall on deaf ears and the Surfer is attacked by the military for speaking against "God".  Their attacks do no harm and the Surfer doesn't retaliate, which makes Galactus angry enough that he takes up the battle with Silver Surfer himself.

As the battle between the Silver Surfer and Galactus rages across the city, it becomes clear to the onlookers that while Galactus has no care for the damage and destruction he is causing, the Surfer is trying his best to save bystanders caught up in the fight, even though they were attacking him only a short time ago.  

Finally, the sister of Galactus' self-proclaimed prophet is killed during the battle in full view of the world as the Surfer begs him to stop the destruction.  The "prophet" publicly denounces his "God" and the U.S. Air Force attacks Galactus, making him realize that his ruse is over and humanity no longer worships him.  Galactus ends his battle with Silver Surfer and leaves Earth. . .but not before promising to return again because he is eternal and man's memory is not.

In the aftermath of Galactus' short reign and his defeat, Silver Surfer is invited to the United Nations, where the leaders of the world now want HIM to be their God.  The Surfer is disgusted that mankind learned nothing from the recent events and purposely makes such impossible demands as a condition of his worship that the Surfer is immediately denounced as a tyrant.  As he leaves, only the former "prophet" of Galactus realizes that the Surfer sacrificed his chance to be a God for the greater good. . .but by then, the Surfer is gone and it's too late.

In the end, Silver Surfer is alone and hated by humanity.  He can only look down on the planet from space and wonder if it's worth protecting at all.  

The End.

Where the first issue is primarily concerned with setting up the conflict between Silver Surfer and Galactus, the second leans HARD into the religious aspects of the narrative, so your enjoyment of this part of the story will depend a lot on how you see panels such as this one:

As you can see, the religious allegories in this issue are not exactly subtle.  There are several layers to be found that question religious belief in general and organized religion specifically.  The title of this story is "Parable" and this second issue takes that to heart. . .giving us a battle between organized religion and  humanistic agnosticism in the guise of a fight between Silver Surfer and Galactus.

There are a lot of questions asked during the course of this issue, and the answers are mostly left up to the reader to decide.  It really shows a different side of Stan Lee than what is normally presented, and I can sort of see why this story generally flies under the radar even though it seems to be pretty well regarded.  It's a thoughtful story that (although it's a bit heavy handed, to tell the truth) asks the reader to look not only inside themselves, but at the world around them.  It doesn't ask "What would Jesus do?" but "What would YOU do?"

CONCLUSION

Basically, this is not so much a Silver Surfer vs. Galactus story as it is a parable illustrating the conflict between organized religion and humanistic agnosticism.  If that sentence made you grit your teeth a little, then this comic is probably not going to be for you.

BUT. . .

If you want to see a side of Stan Lee that isn't often on display,  paired up with one of Europe's finest artists for a one-time collaboration, then this story is definitely worth a look.

This is an unusual story, to be sure.  And it's not for everyone.  But you can feel the spirit of Stan Lee in this story as he uses the comic medium that he loved so much to give us the message that you don't need God to be good, you just need to be good to each other.  To me, that's as fine a memorial to the late, great Stan "The Man" Lee as any.

Up Next. . .

Back to Longbox Junk business as usual.

Be there or be square!