Panel Discussion: Frankly Fond of the Fantastic Four...

 

Redartz:  Yes, it's true. I'm quite fond of Marvel's 'first family', the Fantastic Four. And this affinity goes  back a long way, to nearly the start of my comics interest. You've all heard how I cut my comics teeth on Superman and Spider-man; well after the wall crawler, the FF pulled a strong second place. This probably stems from exposure to (and devotion to) the 1967 Saturday morning exploits of the FF as presented by Hanna Barbera. 

 

That and Spidey were the definite highlights of those cartoon mornings for me, and it led to me picking out some FF issues off the spinners (which was, no doubt, the hope and expectation of Marvel executives). Oddly, though I recall almost all my old Spidey issues easily, those FF issues are more difficult to pin down. One that I do remember distinctly having was Fantastic Four Annual 6, with Annhilus. I was drawn irresistibly to that swirling red Kirby/Sinnott masterpiece cover. It's still a favorite. Incidentally, that summer had two 'swirly' covers, both of which I picked up- the other being, of course, Spider-Man Annual 5. What a combination those two books made...

 

Years later, when I returned to Marvel after years of Archie exclusivity, the second book I picked up was, again, Fantastic Four. This time it was issue 147, in the heart of the Thomas/Buckler era. And I loved it; making the FF another 'must buy' each month. Oh, and Rich Buckler's Kirbyish art really grabbed me. Yes, it was obvious, but the book looked great., and the stories were classics. Doom and the Surfer, Counter Earth, the Inhumans- just so much good reading.  Thomas, Wein, and Wolfman put together a very solid multi-year run on the title. Yes, there were a few reprints and a few clinkers, but overall the FF held a level of quality few comics could match.

 And returning to art, the FF seemed blessed with solid art for most of it's history. From Kirby to Buscema to Buckler to Perez to Byrne; it was like a Comics Art Hall of Fame! Much as I hated to see Buckler leave the book later on, his replacement by George Perez really eased the pain. Still later, Keith  Pollard did wonderful work on the book, and Seinkewicz was different but interesting.  

 

Then there was John Byrne. He took the Four to heights unseen since the days of Lee and Kirby. Under his auspices the Fantastic Four became my number one favorite; even beating out Spider-man and the X-Men. Which was an accomplishment, believe me. His run on the book, over several years, still stands up as a high point in 80's comics. I look through those books even today and am stunned by how good they were, and are. 

But what about the Fantastic Four themselves? What made them appealing to 7 year old, 14 year old, and 23 year old Redartz? The characters, obviously. "Marvel's First Family", indeed. The series had a feel unlike any other, with that family dynamic guiding the storylines and character development. And the characters- four fascinating ones. Reed, the rather obsessive intellectual. Sue, who grew from a seemingly supportive role to become perhaps the team's strongest and most interesting member. Johnny, the Kid, but with heart (and his terrific 'frenemy' relationship with Spidey). And Ben, wonderful Ben. Ben Grimm may be the greatest, deepest character to arise from the minds of Lee and Kirby. So, so many excellent stories have been focused on him, his frustrations, his conflicts, and his personality. No wonder he trails only Spidey on my list of favorites. 

So there's the reasoning behind my fondness for the Fantastic Four. We'll wind up with a few more eye-catching covers that capture the greatness of the series. So after you feast your collective eyes upon them, let's share our thoughts about all things Fantastic! 

 

 

 

The Brave or the Bold: "...Tragedy Tomorrow, Comedy Tonight!"

Redartz:  Good day, and welcome! One of the great strengths of the medium of comics is the versatility it displays. No less than film, books or television, comics can entertain, educate, shock, inspire, tug at the heart and tickle the funny bone. It's the last two that we are dealing with this time.

More specifically, the subject is to consider the ability of our favorite characters to star in both stories  of drama and stories of humor (hence our title above, with a nod to Steven Sondheim). I'm sure that all of us could , given a character, come up with a stirring dramatic story featuring said character. The challenge is to also recall an entertainingly humorous tale as well! As an example, I'll start off. And the subject of my picks are my old favorite, Spider-man.

Spider-man is ideally suited for this subject. At various times, and by different creators, the character has ranged from comic to tragic, usually blending both in the same story. Some of you may bring up other examples from Spidey's backstory, but I'm going with "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" as my dramatic entry. A short story, half of ASM 248; but with volumes of impact. Without spoiling anything (in case any of you haven't read it), the story tells of Spider-man's meeting with a young fan. The tale, by Roger Stern , Ron Frenz and Terry Austin, perfectly captures the essence of Peter Parker's heroism and humanity. And I defy you to read it without getting a lump in the throat before you're through.









 
On the other hand, my humorous pick is a comical gem. "Untold Tales of Spider-Man" Annual from 1996, by Kurt Busiek, Mike Allred and Joe Sinnott, is a perfect example of Spidey's capacity for fun. The story of Peter's date with Sue Storm caps a hilarious battle of egos between Pete and his friendly nemesis, the Human Torch. Some of you might recall that I did a full review of this book some time ago; the book is worth another mention. Brilliantly written, and perfectly illustrated, "A  Night on the Town" is guaranteed to give the reader a giant size dose of laughs.
And that's just one (two, actually) example of a character who carries tears and laughter equally well. What others can you think of?

Panel Discussion: The Best Single Panels, Fantastic Four edition!

Redartz:  Greetings, art lovers! Today we shall look at some panels of Bronze age goodness as presented in the pages of everyone's favorite Marvel family, the Fantastic Four. There were numerous prominent artists featured on the title during the 70's and 80's, each with stylistic elements all their own. But on this book, a famous inker gave the artwork a consistency in appearance unlike most other books published at the time. Yes, we're talking about Joltin' Joe Sinnott. 

Joe inked most of the panels you'll see today, so it sort of becomes an exercise in spotting the fundamental differences in pencilling style showing through Joe's fantastic (of course) inks.

And there are, of course, several examples we'll see of FF art as inked by others as well. So with no further delay, let's see some of what made the FF "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine". In chronological order, more or less...

Jack Kirby pencils, Joe Sinnott inks (Fantastic Four 91)

Where else would we start, but with the King? His reign on the FF  ended early in the Bronze age, but here are a couple panels from a late issue with his pencils. Everything just Looks Right. And very few can render the Torch like he does. Also, note the tight influence of Joe Sinnott's inks. He sets a standard early on that he will maintain for a long while.

John Buscema pencils, Joe Sinnott inks (Fantastic Four 120)

After a brief stint by John Romita Sr., Big John Buscema took over the pencilling chores on the FF. And they were in very capable hands, indeed. Buscema gave the figures a classic, noble look while plainly exhibiting the power of Kirby. Just check out the Thing's (literally) jarring knockout of Annhilus below. Oh, and this full pager of Gabriel is spectacular. Normally I try to avoid full pagers on these panel posts, but as you'll see, some here were irresistable.

Also, the overall look of the book remains consistent, thanks to Sinnott's flawless inks. We see a pattern emerging here.

(Fantastic Four 141)

John Buscema pencils and inks (Fantastic Four 175)

Here we  have a rare example of John inking his own pencils. Different, but very nice.

Rich Buckler pencils, Joe Sinnott inks

Rich Buckler came on late in 1973, and brought a very Kirby-esque look to the book. That said, I always felt Buckler had a fine dramatic sense and could design a killer composition, He was pencilling the book when I started reading it, so he's a personal favorite. 

From FF 157 

This page from issue 157 is a beaut. Incredible use of the borders; incidentally making it impossible to select a single panel from the page. Buckler's Mephisto is a vision of malevolence.

From FF 150

One of my favorite FF stories. From the pageantry of the wedding to the action against Ultron , Buckler handles it flawlessly (with, of course, the continuing eloquence of Sinnott's inking).

From FF 148

Another fine issue, spectacular battle scenes choreographed effectively . Sandman sure looks potent here. And I always felt Buckler drew a perfect Ben Grimm.

George Perez pencils, Pablo Marcos inks (Fantastic Four Annual 14)

I recall being disappointed upon learning that Rich Buckler was leaving the Fantastic Four. But that disappointment was short-lived. The incomparable George Perez came on and gave the book his famous detail.

In these first panels we see the solid inks of Pablo Marcos. He did some very nice work over Perez on the Avengers, and it works again well here.  Love that monochrome panel of Ben and Johnny. And that panel with the possessed FF, with their blanked eyes- creepy. Sort of like Little Orphan Annie...

George Perez pencils, Joe Sinnott inks 

From FF 176 

Here we get the great Perez teamed with the FF's perennial inker Sinnott. And a wonderful team it is. Perez puts so much into a panel, it's incomprehensible. The Impossible Man as a pair of dangling booties is positively inspired. And, you have to enjoy the fun with the Marvel offices...

 

 From FF 187

Another great issue; Klaw never looked better. And that twin panel of Blue-Eyed Benjy is magnificent. Blue-eyed, indeed.

From FF 175

One more set of examples with the Perez/Sinnott combo. Again, Perez can handle a crowd like nobody else. And that panel of the Brute is monstrous.

Keith Pollard pencils, Joe Sinnott inks

Keith Pollard joined the annals of FF-dom and quickly made a name for himself. He had a great knack for facial expressions and composition.His pleading Doom, shown below, is wonderful. As is that fine panel of a pensive Ben recalling his past encounter with Desmond Pitt, aka Darkoth.

And, as we've seen, Joe Sinnott keeps the book looking like the FF we all know and love.

First two from FF 199, second two from FF 193

 

Bill Sienkewicz pencils, Joe Sinnott inks (Fantastic Four 230)

Bill Sienkewicz seemed a bit of a departure for the look of the Fantastic Four. It was moodier, perhaps more 'linear'. I was ambivalent at the time, but find it very attractive now.  This black hole page was another case where selecting an individual panel was too difficult. Beautifully dramatic, almost abstract. And Sinnott's inks keep it comfortable.

Sienkewicz also had a talent for expressions. That panel with Sue and Ben is excellent; their faces speak volumes.

John Byrne pencils, Joe Sinnott inks (Fantastic Four 218)

Finally, we come to the incomparable John Byrne. Initially we have a panel inked by Joe, from Byrne's first run on the title. It looks good, but personally I found Sinnott's inks somewhat less satisfying over Byrne. 

John Byrne, pencils and inks

Here we have Byrne pencils and inks. Aside from the inks of Terry Austin, nobody can ink Byrne as nicely as Byrne himself. This panel of Frankie Raye in space is, shall we say, stellar. Just look at the rings of Saturn. Then there is another full-page treat with Galactus and a bunch of others. It doesn't get much better than that.

From FF 244

From FF 241

Yes, here's another full-pager. I couldn't resist. The lighting effect here is magnificent. 

From FF 236

And here's a rare, tender panel that bears presentation. Truly, Byrne could do it all and do it all well. 

John Byrne pencils, Al Gordon inks (Fantastic Four 284)

Later in Byrne's run, he enjoyed the inks of Al Gordon. Less appealing than Byrne's own, but still very attractive. Gordon has nice, tight inks and a fine sense of detail. Love the background here.

And with that, we've surveyed the artistic Bronze Age history of Marvel's First Family. Have we shown any of your favorite pages or stories? What do you think of the various  pencillers, and was Joe Sinnott successful in keeping the book consistent? Who were your picks for the most pleasing pencils? Your comments are eagerly awaited.