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  1. #1

    Default Fantastic Four from the Beginning

    In my quest to read every single issue of the Fantastic Four ever written, I thought it would be fun to start the reading at the BEGINNING. (In the beginning....there was Stan & Jack! Got to begin there.) As well as Marvel have come to their senses and are returning the FF to their proper place of prominence at long last, this seems like the perfect time.

    I propose to read an issue of FANTASTIC FOUR every day or two and then post my thoughts on it. Starting all the way back in those rock 'n' roll, JFK days of the early 60s - specifically 1961. Yes, 1961!!!! This should be fun. Read along if you would like!

  2. #2

  3. #3
    Mighty Member Darkseid Is's Avatar
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    I've been reading these issues too! I just finished issue 9. Namor scrounges up some buried treasure to become a movie producer and make a movie about the FF. Of course it's all a dastardly scheme. It might be one of the best comics ever haha

  4. #4

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    Yes, I love how innocent some of those early issues are. It's great how easily you can find them now, in trades. Used to be it took FOREVER to find.

  5. #5
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    Cool you're doing this. I found a tumblr that is doing the same thing, except it's x-men comics.

  6. #6

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    [IMG] 66550 [/IMG]


    They are coming back. I cannot wait!!!
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    Last edited by dr3821; 06-02-2018 at 07:02 AM.

  7. #7
    Mighty Member Darkseid Is's Avatar
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    Just ordered volume 2 of the Epic Collection seconds ago from Amazon. Issues 19-32 and the first annual. Hopefully I'll have read all of volume 1 by the time it gets to me.

    Who else absolutely loves the annuals? The pin ups of all the villains are just excellent. The Spider-Man Annuals do the same thing. What a great bonus. This really goes without saying but those 60s Marvel guys really knew what they were doing haha

  8. #8
    Mighty Member Darkseid Is's Avatar
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    Damn it all. Just realized the third volume, the stuff with Galactus doesn't come out until August. The same week Madden comes out. This will be a difficult decision to make...

  9. #9

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    "With the sudden fury of a thunderbolt, a flare is shot over the sky in Central City! Three awesome words take form as if by magic, and a legend is born!!" THE FANTASTIC FOUR

  10. #10

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    FANTASTIC FOUR #1, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Released August 8, 1961


    The team are in Central City (find that on a map), and Reed Richards is introduced. Reed for the first time fires the iconic "4" signal into the sky, alerting three other mysterious figures. Susan Storm is with a society friend, Ben Grimm is in a men's clothing store and Johnny Storm is working on a hot rod. It is interesting to read this earliest interpretation of the four. Ben Grimm is portrayed as very angry and rough, not anything like the lovable and humorous Thing that came later. Reed always has his pipe and doesn't look quite as "movie star handsome" as he would be drawn by later artists.

    There is a LOT of story here, comic readers got a lot back then for their measly dime. I like Jack Kirby's art a lot. I am reading a Marvel Masterwork and the art and coloring is gorgeous. The Thing is drawn more gruesome here, still rocky but in a different way from what I'm used to. And he really comes across as bitter. The Human Torch bursts into flames for the very first time in comics and proceeds to melt the hot rod he was working on. Ah, those young people!

    I cannot BELIEVE they crammed this introductory sequence, the origin of the team with their rocket and the Cosmic Rays and then have a whole part with the Mole Man and Monster Island. All in this 1 comic. Stan & Jack were working overtime back then.

    I wonder if Reed Richards got into any trouble from the military since he basically hijacked a rocket and then proceeded to crash it. The awesome Cosmic Rays turn these four hapless humans into the Fantastic Four. I wonder if Ben Grimm would have really joined them in real life? He having been turned into a hideous monster.

    The monsters portrayed are pretty cool. I wonder if any were in the recent Monsters Unleashed story. This first issue feels like a bridge between Marvel's monster mags of the 1950s and the superhero comics that were to come in the 1960s. I've always liked the Mole Man and its interesting to read him in his first appearance. He is a definite villain, but you can't help but feel sorry for him. I can't believe how quickly they wrap things up on the last two pages. Marvel crammed so much story content in here. It really is...fantastic.
    Last edited by dr3821; 06-02-2018 at 06:45 AM.

  11. #11

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    Here is the cover!
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    Last edited by dr3821; 06-02-2018 at 07:33 AM.

  12. #12
    Latverian ambassador Iron Maiden's Avatar
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    If you can ever find one on eBay, do try and find one of the DVD-ROMs that the Gitcorp company produced some years back. The disk I have is all the issues from November 1961 (FF #1) to December 2004(part way into Waid's run) including annuals. It's not the digitized versions like on Marvel Unlimited (which again I recommend highly) but scans of the actual comic books. So you get Stan's soapbox, ads for other comics, the comics that came out that same month and the best part, which is the letters pages. There was a second updated disk produced that included the entire Silver Surfer runs, about 75 of those IIRC. The store I bought mine from didn't have this one. I wasn't aware of it or I would have tracked that one down!

    Great idea starting this thread.
    Last edited by Iron Maiden; 06-02-2018 at 07:38 AM.

  13. #13
    Astonishing Member Oberon's Avatar
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    Very long time fan (62 years old). I think there are only a few from around the late 100-teens into 120's or so

    that I've never read. Have read all their other comics, but not related series in totality or guest starrings

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Iron Maiden View Post
    If you can ever find one on eBay, do try and find one of the DVD-ROMs that the Gitcorp company produced some years back. The disk I have is all the issues from November 1961 (FF #1) to December 2004(part way into Waid's run) including annuals. It's not the digitized versions like on Marvel Unlimited (which again I recommend highly) but scans of the actual comic books. So you get Stan's soapbox, ads for other comics, the comics that came out that same month and the best part, which is the letters pages. There was a second updated disk produced that included the entire Silver Surfer runs, about 75 of those IIRC. The store I bought mine from didn't have this one. I wasn't aware of it or I would have tracked that one down!

    Great idea starting this thread.
    I'd love to get those DVD-ROMs. Especially for the ads and letters page. I'll check it out. I'm surprised no company keeps these in stock. I'd think it would be a big seller.

  15. #15
    Legend HowitzerJoe's Avatar
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    I've been doing this for a few months. I'm in the early 60's now. I have to say, the first 50 issues are largely forgettable to me. It isn't until the Inhumans, Silver Surfer, Black Panther, and Galactus all start to get involved that things start consistently clicking for me as a reader.

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