Fantastic Four #22

Cover Date: January 1964

Plot Overview: An experiment of Reed's increases Sue's invisibility powers. Now she can create a shield and make other objects invisible. Meanwhile, the FF field numerous complaints from neighbors about the dangers of Reed's experiments. Reed decides that maybe he should experiment in a more secluded area. As luck would have it, there's an ad for an island for sale.

Reed and the FF take off to check out the island in the U-Car. The island is concealed by a barrier reef so the Torch burns a path through for them. The island is quite creepy but Reed thinks it will work for his purposes.

Suddenly, the U-Car begins to sink. The Torch tries to see what's going on but the steam caused from his flames puts him out. Reed makes the save and is critical of how careless Johnny was. They spot a mysterious figure watching them and chase him to a nearby cave. They fall into a trap. They're in a ring surrounded by a radioactive wall.

They come face to face with the Mole Man. The Mole Man reveals that he's planning to pull the cities of New York and Moscow under the ground. The Americans and Russians will blame each other and start a nuclear war. The FF spring into action but the Mole Man captures each of them in specially made prison cells.

They each use their powers to escape their prisons in the nick of time. The battle continues and the Mole Man escapes with the trigger to sink the cities. Reed let's him go and herds the other members of the FF to the found U-Car. The other members doubt his motives but as they escape the whole island sinks. Reed reveals that he rewired the trigger and New York and Moscow are safe.

My Take: I have mixed feelings on this issue. The first half of the book had some good energy with the antics of the various FF members.The art also was really good in this issue. The characters really had a lot of personality. I might have missed it in a previous issue but this felt like a big jump in the quality of the art. It's like Jack Kirby decided to try a more detailed approach in this issue.

The second half of the issue, I didn't like as much. The Mole Man capturing them in various prisons. I've felt like they've used that plot device several times and it feels kind of tired. The second he captured them, it felt like the air just went out of the story. I would rather they just had more straight up battles in this book. The gimmicks are just tiring at times.

Reed was also kind of a jerk in this issue. He was very short with the other members of the team during the mission. That seems different for him but I could be glossing over some instances in previous issues. Reed being a little grumpy is a little more characterization than he's shown in previous issues though. I would prefer they dial it back a little from this issue but I think it makes him a little more interesting.

Overall, I'm just going to say it was an average and forgettable issue. There were some character things I liked and I laughed at a few of the moments earlier. I also like that Sue has a broader range of powers now and she can do more than sneak up on the bad guys. It will be nice to see her be more useful in more situations. Outside of that, I didn't like how the fight with the Mole Man went. I'm just going to cut the difference on this one.

I give this **1/2 out of *****.

Notes: The Thing utters his catchphrase "It's Clobberin' Time" for the very first time in this issue.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #51

Fantastic Four #21

Cover Date: December 1963

Plot Overview: The Thing shakes the Baxter Building with his new punching bag which brings the other members of the FF  to his room. The thing is upset over the Hate-Monger causing trouble around the country. The other members agree that he is a troublemaker but they can't do much about him.

The  FF hit the strees and come across the Hate-Monger giving a speech. He incites a riot and the FF leap into action. The Hate-Monger decides to test out his Hate-Ray on the FF. They immediately turn on each other and begin fighting among themselves. They call it quits as a team and head in separate directions.

Reed returns to the Baxter Building and finds that Nick Fury is fighting with the lobby staff about seeing Reed. They know each other from World War II. Nick Fury reveals that he's now a colonial and a member of the CIA. He needs the FF's help with a rebellion in San Gusto. Reed says that he can handle it himself and takes off in the pogo plane. The other members of the FF see this and get upset that Reed took the pogo plane. Fury goads them into going to San Gusto as well and they take off in one of the FF's rockets.

The Hate-Monger watches all of this and heads back to San Gusto with his men. Meanwhile, Reed disarms several groups of rebels and stumbles upon the Hate-Mongers hideout. He gets paralyzed by nerve gas and captured by the Hate-Monger's men. The Hate-Monger's plan is simple. He's going to use the Hate-Ray on the entire world and turn everyone against everyone.

Just then Nick Fury hits the scene and forces the Hate-Monger to give Reed the antidote at gunpoint. The Hate-Monger manages to escape but Reed has the antidote. He tricks the other members of the FF into taking the antidote and the team is back together again.

The FF hit the scene just as Nick Fury ran out of ammunition. The Hate-Monger decides to blast the Human Torch with a stronger dose of the H-Ray but Sue knocks his aim off. The H-Ray accidentally hits two of his men and they shoot the Hate-Monger for bringing the FF down on him. Fury decides to unmask the Hate-Monger revealing Adolf Hitler. Fury isn't sure if it was the real Hitler of a duplicate. The issue ends with the FF saying that the Hate-Monger can never truly be defeated as long as men have hatred in their hearts.

My Take: This was a very interesting issue. Stan Lee very lightly touched on some social issues in the beginning with the Hate-Monger preaching hatred of immigrants. It was quickly forgotten when the FF turned on each other but it was interesting to see it pop up in a comic book. The Golden Age Superman dealt with a lot of the issues of his era but that kind of storytelling seemed to fade as the Comics Code came into being.

Reed Richards went solo for a good deal of the book and I liked that. It was nice to see him flex his muscles a bit. I've felt he doesn't get the same screen time that the Thing or Torch get so this was refreshing to see. Ii found the H-Ray to be a little lame but the cover of the issue gave that away. It's the Silver Age, you have to take the kooky with everything else.

I liked the reveal of the Hate-Monger as Adolf Hitler. He would have been a much older man but they played him off as probably being a clone. It was a nice surprise in the grand scheme of things and it showed that Lee was thinking outside of the box a little bit. I also thought that Nick Fury added a nice change of pace as a guest-star. He feels different from the other characters running around the Marvel Universe at this time.

The art was solid on this issue. The story was pretty down to earth though so there wasn't anything super memorable. The Hate-Monger didn't look bad as a villain. The quasi-KKK outfit was an interesting choice. I would actually be interested in seeing if there are any Stan Lee interviews about this issue or character. It made me wonder if there were specific events that lead to this issue or if it was Lee trying to be socially relevant at the time.

I give this *** out of *****.

Notes: This issue has the first appearance of the Hate-Monger. He's a solid C list villain that bothers mostly Captain America over the years. Several different guys take up the cowl but I think he's mostly gone by the 1980s. This book also features the first current timeline appearance of Nick Fury. He had previously been starring in the WWII war book Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos. This was a very different version of Fury to the one that people know today. He didn't have the eye patch for starters and he's with the CIA instead of SHIELD. I'm not sure when the more familiar version of Fury shows up or if we get to see how he loses his eye. I'm interested to see how he develops as the 60s progress.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #50

Fantastic Four #20

Cover Date: November 1963

Plot Overview: An orb appears outside of the Baxter Building and the FF try to subdue it. Sue ends up getting sucked in and the other members follow. They are greeted by the Watcher and he's decided to give them a warning about a threat to the galaxy. He shows them a nuclear accident that creates the Molecule Man. The Molecule Man figures out that with his wand that he can control any molecule and bend it to his will. The Watcher can not help them past that and sends them back to New York.

Upon their arrival they find the Baxter Building to be gone and the Molecule Man giving orders to the people of New York. Reed confronts him but the Molecule Man creates two magnets and uses them to try and pull Reed apart. The Torch makes the save and then goes in for his turn. The Molecule Man creates a shield and then easily escapes the Torch. The Thing charges in but the Molecule Man makes a mountain out of the pavement and then throws the Thing into the sewers and tries to crush him with the pipes.

Reed and Sue devise a plan while the Torch rescues the Thing. Reed distracts the Molecule Man while Sue tries to grab the wand but is unsuccessful. The FF are at a loss and decide to retreat for the time being. The New Yorkers are dismayed to see their heroes defeated. The Molecule Man sends the people of New York out to find the FF while he seals the island of Manhattan inside of a special bubble.

The FF flee through the streets of New York until the Yancy Street Gang helps smuggle them to Alicia Master's apartment. The Thing is not amused about being helped out by the Yancy Street Gang. Reed figures out that the Molecule Man's powers only work on inorganic material. Reed has Alicia disguise the FF as statues. She calls the Molecule Man in and he decides to change the statues to amuse himself. The feedback from attempting his powers on organic molecules cause a powerful feedback that stuns him. The FF use that chance to grab his wand and the Watcher arrives on the scene and takes the Molecule Man into custody.

My Take: The Molecule Man was kind of an interesting villain. Nice and powerful with a sort of original power set. Of course, he had to have a weakness to exploit because it's the Silver Age. But it ultimately made sense within the context of the story and it wasn't like his weakness has a color or something.

This issue felt a little different than some of the previous issues of Fantastic Four. The heroes come back to an essentially conquered New York and have to save the day from a position of weakness. It was a nice change of pace plot wise. The pace was also really good in this story. The fight scenes got a decent amount of pages and it felt like the plot was constantly moving forward. It also feels like they've started to cut down on the number of word ballons and exposition coming from the characters. It feels like the books are getting a little more streamlined with fewer clunky chunks of dialogue.

Now, I did have a problem with the energy bubble at the beginning of the issue. The FF's first instinct was to attack and I'm not sure that's what they should be doing. Reed is a scientist at heart and I could see him telling everyone to hold off while he examines it. What they did felt rash and not in the spirit of how I think adventurers and scientists would react to that.

I really dug the art in this issue. The Molecule Man looked a little silly but he was memorable. The facial expressions in this book were also really good. I think this was probably one of the better drawn books I've seen since starting this project.

I give this *** out of *****.

Notes: This issue features the first appearance of the Molecule Man. I would classify him as a C list villain. He pops up here and there in various books throughout the years. He's been seen as recently as a few years ago if I remember correctly. Another little side note to this issue. An episode of the 1960s animated Fantastic Four series was very loosely based on this issue.

Next Issue: Tales to  Astonish #49

Fantastic Four #19

Cover Date: October 1963

Plot Overview: Reed calls for The Thing and Alicia Masters to come to the Baxter Building. When they arrive, he explains that he had been studying up on ancient Egypt and discovered a tale of a blind ancient Pharaoh. This Pharaoh was cured by a radioactive plant. Reed proposes that they use Doctor Doom's time machine from issue #5 to travel back in time and retrieve this plant for Alicia Masters.

They head to Doom's abandoned castle and teach Alicia to use the machine. She sends them to the past where they are immediately confronted by an ancient Egyptian army. The army is no match for the FF until suddenly their powers are sapped away and they all collapse.

The FF are captured and taken to the Egyptian leader Rama-Tut. He explains that he's a time traveler from the year 3000. He came back in time in the Sphinx to loot history. He crashed and damaged his ship when he arrived and was stranded here. He was also blinded in the crash but still managed to conquer the Egyptians with his special gun. His damaged ship leaked radiation and infected the plants which then healed him. He further explains that his gun can dominate the FF and make them slaves.

Rama-Tut sends Reed, Thing and the Torch off as slaves and decides that Sue will become his bride. Each member of the FF try to fight the rays powers but have no success. Until one day, the hot Egyptian sun turns the Thing back into Ben Grimm. The change removes the effects of the ray gun and he escapes from slavery.

Ben manages to get the gun away from Rama-Tut and releases Sue from it's power before becoming the Thing again. Sue uses the gun to release the Torch and then the Thing. Rama-Tut escapes to his Sphinx ship while the Torch finds Reed and releases him as well.

The FF storm the Sphinx and are briefly caught in a water trap but the Torch manages to defeat the trap. They find Rama-Tut but he escapes in a smaller ship and travels back to the future. They muse about who Rama-Tut might actually be until Sue finds the plant that restored Rama-Tut's vision. The Thing is overjoyed at this news. They head to the present only to discover the vial didn't return with them. Reed explains that a fail safe in the machine probably won't allow radioactive material to travel with them. Everyone is dismayed at this setback as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: Rama-Tut as the villain here is a little silly but I enjoyed this issue. It was a straight forward adventure with nothing too ridiculous. This issue also holds up quick well following the Annual. It didn't feel like a giant letdown after a really good story there.

I really enjoyed the time traveling here. It was a little different of a situation from the more recent issues. It's also nice to get a villain that isn't Dr. Doom or Namor for variety. I also really liked that the ending was a downer. Spider-Man has been doing that a lot but it really feels like a novelty for this time period. It was cool that things weren't wrapped up in a nice little package when everything was all said and done.

The art was good as always when it comes to the Fantastic Four. It's Jack Kirby, what more can you say on the art front? He has the character models down and is pumping out consistent quality on a monthly basis.

This gets *** out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of Rama-Tut. Rama-Tut himself is a fairly minor character but he branches out into more important characters like Kang the Conqueror and Immortus. There are multiple versions of Rama-Tut over the year due to his time traveling. Like I mentioned, Kang is the most important version of Rama-Tut to the MU. Kang himself will appear in Avengers #8 about a year later.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #48

Fantastic Four Annual #1

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: Namor has found the citizens of Atlantis and take his place as their king. Lady Dorma professes her love for Namor while Warlord Krang professes his love for Dorma. Namor has decided to exact his revenge on the surface world with the armies of Atlantis.

We switch scenes as the Thing and Torch are up to their usual antics around the Baxter Building. Reed breaks things up and says the group needs a vacation. Strange sea creatures have been spotted so he booked them a cruise. While out at sea, Johnny spots a monster. The FF head out to sea in a boat and are captured by Namor. He tells them to warn the U.N. of his coming and then expels them back to the surface.

Reed and a professor tell the U.N. of Namor's origin. How he is the product of a marriage between a surface man and an Atlantis princess. After their discussion, Namor reveals himself, he was disguised as the professor, and Atlantis invades New York. The Torch counterattacks but can only do so much damage by himself.

Meanwhile, Reed has developed a device to fight the Atlantis invasion and sends the Thing out to catch a prisoner. The Thing eagerly follows orders and brings some soldiers back. Reed notices that they can not breath water and knows he can use his machine. Reed's machine works and Atlantis is forced to retreat.

The last half of the issue is a giant brawl between the FF and Namor. He captures Sue at one point and takes her to his main ship. The Lady Dorma gets wind of his affection towards her and tries to drown Sue as a result. Sue is nearly lost until Namor and the other members of the FF put their differences aside briefly to save her. Sue ends up recovering and Namor returns home. Upon his return, the other citizens of Atlantis have left him. He chose the surface over them and they abandoned him for it.

My Take: This was a 37 page story with a ton of action. It really felt like a culmination of the Namor appearances in the Fantastic Four book up until this point. Namor got a lot of screen time here and they really developed him in a big way. He is a much more tragic character and you can see the seeds of him being more of an anti-hero than a villain in this issue.

After that, it feels like they have the Fantastic Four formula down with this Annual. The Torch/Thing antics feel right, the Reed/Sue relationship feels right. The book just feels like the Fantastic Four now.

This was a really great annual. It had bios on most of the villains from the series up to this point and it reprinted the origin of the FF from issue 1 as well. This would've been a fantastic buy for 25 cents when it was initially released.

I left my review a little vague on the details because of the length of the story on this one. The fight was pretty big and long and I didn't want to give away too many of the details on this one. Honestly, if you were to read an early Fantastic Four issue, you should check out the Annual. It was a really good tale.

I give this ****1/2 out of *****

Notes: This book features the first appearance of Warlord Krang. He'll be around as time progresses. I wouldn't call him important by any means. This book also features the re-introduction of Atlanteans, Lady Dorma and many other characters into the Silver Age of Marvel. The Atlanteans will be an important part of the Marvel Universe going forward. Lady Dorma is mostly a side character with a minor role in Marvel history.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #19

Fantastic Four #18

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: The Fantastic Four take it easy for once while on another planet the Skrulls are plotting revenge. A Skrull scientist introduces the Super-Skrull who has superior versions of all the FF's powers. The Super-Skrull demonstrates his powers to the approval of the Skrull ruler. The Super-Skrull heads to Earth to conquer the FF.

Meanwhile, the FF have headed to a local department store. The other shoppers recognize them and they hear about a spaceship landing while fleeing the crowds.

The Human Torch is the first on the scene and is surprised when the Super-Skrull uses his powers. The Super-Skrull makes short work of the Torch and Reed takes him on next. Reed tries to trap the Super-Skrull but he uses his superior elasticity to escape. Reed tries to smash the Super-Skrull with his sledgehammer attack but the Super-Skrull quickly grabs a giant rock that stuns Reed when he strikes. The Thing arrives but the Super-Skrull is too strong for him. The Torch recovers and manages to stun the Super-Skrull with a burst of fire and Reed uses that opportunity to call for a retreat.

Reed quickly discovers that there are rays powering the Super-Skrull from space. He develops a jammer that if put on the Super-Skrull will depower him. He determines that Sue is the only person that has a shot at putting the device on him.

The FF send out a challenge to the Super-Skrull to face them on a deserted island for a final showdown. The Super-Skrull arrives and unveils that he has hypnotic eyes. He immobilizes Reed, Torch and the Thing during the course of the fight. Sue takes him by surprise and attaches the device. The Super-Skrull chases Sue but Reed grabs her and the Super-Skrull falls into a big hole. The Human Torch traps the Super-Skrull inside of the hole as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: This was a really good issue. There wasn't any Silver Age ridiculousness, the pace was really good and there was a ton of action in the book. This book to me is what the Fantastic Four is all about. They meet a challenge that they can't conquer alone so Reed finds a way to save the day and they work together to defeat the bad guy. This was very straightforward and very much about the action and the resolution to a problem.

It feels like they've really got the Fantastic Four as a concept down. The characters feel pretty fleshed out and their interactions seem well refined. At this point, I open these issues with certain expectations of how the characters should act and they don't disappoint.

I would say this has been the second best issue of the Fantastic Four to this point. Issue 12 with the Hulk was better but I feel that is the standard that all future FF issues will be judged against for the near future.

If I had one complaint storyline wise, it's that the Super-Skrull really didn't make a lot of use of his invisibility powers. That's not a big complaint with the story though.

The art in this issue was a bit of a mixed bag. The Torch and Super-Skrull flying around in flames could be confusing at times. It wasn't always to tell who was who at first glance in several panels. I also don't like the close ups of the Skrulls, their eyes look like teddy bear eyes and it makes it hard to take them seriously. Other than that, good issue with some good visuals in there.

I'd give this **** out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Super-Skrull and Dorrek VII. Dorrek VII wasn't mentioned by name that I saw but he shows up here and there until the late 70s. He's not a major character or anything, he just appeared enough to warrant a mention. The Super-Skrull is a pretty big FF villain throughout the years. He's in that second group that you think of after Dr. Doom, Namor and Galactus. He'll appear pretty regularly throughout the entire Fantastic Four history.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #47

Fantastic Four #17

Cover Date: August 1963

Plot Overview: The FF return from the events of last issue and almost immediately start up a search for the at large Dr. Doom. He is nowhere to be found so the FF head to an unnamed social event. They get mobbed by the crowd and a janitor helps them escape. The janitor reveals himself to be Dr. Doom after the fact and he placed a device on each member of the FF.

Doom unleashes what looks like inflatable balloons and they hone in on the devices. Each member of the FF get harassed by one of the balloons and head back to the Baxter Building. Reed discovers the devices planted on them and the balloons disappear as soon as he removes the devices. Doom has been watching the whole time and reveals that was just phase 1. Phase 2 sees him abduct Alicia Masters and uses her abduction to keep the FF at bay. Doom then demands a spot in the President's cabinet.

When that is denied, Doom unleashes havoc on the world. Reed reveals that he has a plan to battle Doom. He shows a scouting report of Doom's ship. Doom has disintegrator rays attuned to their atomic structure so Reed devises a formula to turn the Thing to Be Grimm.

Grimm flies up to Doom's ship and breaks in. The FF quickly join him and split up. They each face a deathtrap set up by Doom but each escape quickly. They confront Doom and reveal that what Doom was watching were doubles created by the Human Torch.

Doom flees to try and get to Alicia Masters but he finds that she's been replaced by Sue Storm. Sue gets the better of Doom in hand to hand combat until Doom pulls a gun. Just then the rest of the FF hit the scene and Doom jumps out of the plane and disappears into the clouds. The Thing is thrilled to see Alicia Masters and the Torch wishes he had jumped out of the ship due to all the mushy stuff too. We're promised a villain with the powers of every member of the Fantastic Four for the next issue.

The Ridiculous: Reed creates a radar device that has a specialized search for steel on flesh.

My Take: This issue was really clunky. A lot happened in 22 pages and it really felt like they were trying to do too much with the story. To me, a manhunt for Dr. Doom, followed by the deathtraps, followed by the showdown would've worked better than the couple of pages with the inflatable balloons. The panic that each member went through, minus Reed, kind of bothered me. 17 issues in and the FF seem to be fairly seasoned super heroes. I don't feel like each of them would've acted so irrationally when presented with an enemy they couldn't hurt. I really disliked this part of the story.

The rest of the story was okay though. I liked that this issue picked right up where issue 16 left off. I liked that they finally let Sue cut loose a little bit and get a little physical in a fight. I liked when they got to the deathtrap and showdown parts. I liked a lot of parts of this issue. That first part with the balloons really just took the book in a weird direction.

It really feels like they haven't figured out Dr. Doom yet. He seems kind of like a generic mad scientist type right now. And his tantrum about being ugly and not understanding people felt like a shallow attempt to try and develop him more. Doom without Latveria just doesn't work. He's interesting as a ruler that is evil but wants what's best for his people.

The art was good as always for this book. You can almost never complain about the job that Jack Kirby does on this book every month.

I'd give this *1/2 out of *****

Notes: This issue features a cameo appearance by then President John F. Kennedy. This issue marks the first of many appearances by U.S. Presidents in Marvel Comics.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #46

Fantastic Four #16

Cover Date: July 1963

Plot Overview: The Human Torch returns to the Baxter Building during a blackout and finds that his teammates have been shrunk and are being sucked into a vent. The Torch acts quickly and welds the vent shut. The others return to their normal size. Each member admits that they've randomly shrunk in size previously and were ashamed to admit it to their teammates. They each relate their story and decide to call upon Ant-Man.

Ant-Man hear about their problems and travels to the Baxter Building. He gives Reed a sample of his formula in the hopes it might slow the process down next time they shrink.

Time passes and one day the various members hear a woman warning them of Dr. Doom. They gather together and suddenly shrink into the Microverse. They're immediately confronted by Dr. Doom who has become the ruler of this world. The Thing tries to attack Doom but he shrinks them to an even smaller size. The FF try to put up a fight but Doom and his minions manage to capture them.

The FF are sent to a prison in a pool of acid. They meet the king and Princess Pearla. She mentions that Dr. Doom is planning to sell all of them to an alien race called the Tok. Reed tries to think of ways to escape. Meanwhile, the Ant-Man comes searching for the FF and realizes they've been shrunk and follows them to the Microverse. Ant-Man fights the guards of Doom but gets taken out and captured.

Meanwhile, in the prison. Reed figures out that the Walls can block the acid. They manage to pull parts of the walls off and make a capsule to escape. They float to the surface and enlarge themselves upon leaving the capsule. Sue helps Ant-Man escape and then steals the gun of Dr. Doom as the heroes win the day. Doom flees and heads back to the normal sized world. The FF and Ant-Man follow him back. The FF plan to hunt down Doom as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: This was a really fun issue from start to finish. The characters have really been fleshed out now and you're getting good interaction every issue. You can really see how Marvel had become a different entity with characterization and heroes that were easier to relate to by this point.

The art was really good for this issue. Probably one of the strongest issues of Fantastic Four from an art perspective so far. Doom has been tweaked and looks more like the Doom you see in the books today.

I was getting kind of tired of Namor and Doom trading off as the bad guys but they gave him a break for several issues so he seemed fresh here. I liked how Dr. Doom was in the same situation he was left at the last time we saw him. That was a nice bit of continuity. Ant-Man also was a fun guest in this issue. He made sense and added to the story.

Dr. Doom trying to sell them to aliens was kind of ridiculous sub-plot though. It seemed to be tacked on and mostly filler to flesh out the 22 pages of comic here. It wasn't bad, it just felt like an unneeded layer of story. I don't feel like Dr. Doom needed that for motivation. Just capturing the Fantastic Four and having them as prisoners would seem to be enough for him. The story was a fun read but I think this part was kind of a big flaw to it.

I'd give this **1/2 out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Microverse. It's a fairly minor part of the Marvel Universe but versions of it will pop up over the years. The last several months have also seen the characters starting to appear in each other's books more. The Marvel Universe is feeling more like a working single universe instead of just titles loosely existing in the same space.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #45

Fantastic Four #15

Cover Date: June 1963

Plot Overview: Each member of the Fantastic Four is acting fairly disgruntled and restless as the issue opens. Meanwhile, the Mad Thinker gathers the biggest mobsters in New York so that he can become a king of crime. He has made a foolproof plan to get rid of the Fantastic Four so that they can take over the city.

The Thinker's plan goes into effect as each member of the FF get recruited into an outside venture. The team agrees to temporarily disband and go their own ways. The Thinker's plan has succeeded and he uses a meteor crash to break into the Baxter Building. The Thinker now has control of all of Reed Richard's scientific research.

Each member of the FF tires of their new lifestyle and decide to return home. They meet up and find that the Baxter Building is encased in crystal. The Thinker appears and challenges the FF to a battle.

The FF fight their way to the top floor where the Awesome Android is waiting for them. The Android makes short work of the Torch and Thing so it's up to Reed and Sue to take it down. Reed immobilizes the Android and Sue hits an off switch. With the Android defeated, the FF confront the Thinker. The Thinker threatens them with an array of weapons until a mysterious field disables all the weapons and the FF subdue him. The Thinker is confused by the outcome and Reed puts out that he didn't calculate for the human factor. Reed had Willie Lumpkin hit a special button at a certain time to disable all the weapons. The Thinker vows revenge as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: I'll admit up front, I'm not a big Mad Thinker fan. I find him to be a little boring and have tended to avoid his appearances over the years. With that said, this was a fairly enjoyable comic.

It was a nice character development issue as each member has grown tired of being a hero but finds their idealized job to not be fulfilling. There wasn't a ton of action in this issue but I don't really think that was the point. It was more about developing the characters.

The art was solid as ever. It's nice to see the art has improved so much since the first couple of issues. Those could get really rough to look at.

I'd give this **1/2 out of *****.

Notes: This is the first issue of the Mad Thinker and the Awesome Android. They'll remain fairly consistent villains for the Fantastic Four throughout the history of the book. This is also the first time they are referred to as living in New York if I'm remembering correctly.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #44

Fantastic Four #14

Cover Date: May 1963

Plot Overview: The Fantastic Four return from the moon with much fanfare. They get absolutely mobbed by their adoring public and with the help of the Torch escape back to the Baxter Building. Reed catches Sue looking for Namor and realizes that for all of his accomplishments he can't totally win the heart of Sue.

We shift scenes to the Puppet Master leaving a clinic. He's been in hiding for ever since he last battled the Fantastic Four. He mulls over which of the FF's villains he should assume control of and finally settles on Namor. Namor falls under the spell of the Puppet Master and lures Sue into a trap. He captures her easily and encases her in this giant bubble.

Namor projects himself to the other members of the FF and challenges them to battle. Thing takes a brief diversion and grabs Alicia Masters. They search for Namor until he springs a trap on them. The Human Torch uses his intense flames to help them escape the first trap. Unfortunately a giant creature grabs their sub and they are presented to Namor. Sue is still trapped in the bubble and being held by a giant octopus.

He challenges them to battle. The Torch is first and Namor uses a creature called a Flame-Eater to absorb his flames. The Thing jumps in and Namor uses a fungus that entombs the Thing into a giant rock. The Thing breaks free and Reed joins the fight. He uses his elongation powers to hold Namor while the Thing rescues Sue from the giant octopus.

The Puppet Master has been watching all of this from a nearby submarine and is not amused. He wants Namor to kill the FF. Namor tries to resist but eventually has to obey. He uses a sort of fish that spews gas on the FF. It has no effect as Reed used his hesitation to put gas masks on everything. Reed, Torch and the Thing charge but Sue steps in front of them. She wants them to stop because Namor was obviously under control.

Meanwhile, the giant octopus attacks the Puppet Master's submarine. It begins to crush the sub and the hold over Namor is broken. Namor is confused about the presence of the FF and tells them he has to continue searching for his people. The FF leave and everyone is a little confused as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: 14 issues in and this is the second time another villain has used Namor to try and take out the Fantastic Four. This is also his fourth or fifth appearance in 14 issues. Namor really isn't my favorite villain and I wish they would've had a more diverse cast of villains for these early issues. It gets a little boring having the same couple of villains show up over and over again. It also hurts that the Torch and Namor fought in a really fun battle in the last issue of Strange Tales.

This was still a fun issue despite those flaws. This felt like more like the Marvel I know and love. The characters are starting to feel right and the tone/pace of the stories are also starting to feel right. Some of these early Marvel books have been absolute chores to get through and it's nice that the books are starting to get fun.

The art was good in this issue. It's the usual quality you get from Jack Kirby.

I'll give this **1/4 out of *****.

Notes: Nothing of note really happened in this issue. They were heading back from what happened in issue 13. The continuity continues to build in the Marvel universe. You'll start to see more guest appearances from the various heroes as 1963 progresses.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #43

Fantastic Four #13

Cover Date: April 1963

Plot Overview: The FF head to the moon to test a new kind of rocket fuel that Reed has discovered. Meanwhile, the Red Ghost plans to head to the moon to claim it for Russia. The Red Ghost has also trained a team of apes to help him. The first part of the Red Ghost's plans involve being bombarded with cosmic rays.

The FF realize there's another rocket up there and send the Torch to investigate. The Torch witnesses the apes revealing their new powers. They notice the Torch and one pushes him away with it's magnetic powers. The Torch informs the other members of the FF. They eventually land on the moon and head out to search for the Red Ghost. The Thing encounters the Red Ghost and his apes but the battle is quickly stopped.

The Watcher reveals himself and explains that it is his job to observe the events in the universe. He has decided to intervene in this situation. He's going to have the Fantastic Four battle the Red Ghost and his apes. The Watcher transports them to a ruined underground city. The Red Ghost takes them by surprise and gets the best of the FF in the first battle. He captures Sue as the battle comes to a close.

Reed tells the Thing and the Torch that they lost because they tried to fight with brute force. They need to use their brains. He's going to go search for a weapon to battle the Red Ghost. The Torch and Thing head out to find Sue.

Meanwhile, the Red Ghost leaves Sue and his caged up apes to set a trap for the other members of the FF. Sue takes the chance to release the apes who break out of the room and free her. Sue catches up with the Thing and Torch and stops them before the Red Ghost can spring his trap. They pursue the Red Ghost until he enters the Watcher's house. The Watcher casts him out and Reed uses a paralyzing ray to win the day for the FF. The apes release the Red Ghost so they can take their revenge on him. The FF head back to Earth as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: The Red Ghost would be at the bottom of my list when it comes to preferred Fantastic Four villains. I don't find him to be particularly menacing or compelling as a character. He's always felt like that villain the writers would use when they just wanted a filler issue or two.

With that said, this was a solidly average issue. Nothing bad, nothing good. A little on the boring side but not too boring. It filled a month gap for the comic and it served it's purpose for that. My main problem is that I don't like the Red Ghost concept and his apes. It just felt a little on the ridiculous side. I did enjoy the story a little more than I had expected to though.

The art was pretty solid for this issue. It has steadily improved since issue 1. The characters are starting to look more like themselves and it feels like there are more colors in the issues now.

On a side note. The team has really started to develop character wise. Ben has become less of an angry monster and more of the lovable guy that we know him as. The Torch is the Torch. Sue and Reed are still missing some aspects though. Sue's problem in the main book is that most of her character development comes from the love triangle she has with Reed and Namor. When you subtract that, she plays the damsel in distress more often than not. She has gotten some character development in the Strange Tales feature but that hasn't really translated in this book yet. Reed is slowly but surely developing. He's a science geek and the leader right now. Past that, he needs work.

But this is issue 13. This has been an amazing run of comic books for this time period. Some really unheard of stuff going on here. You have character development, continuity and the stories really just build on each other. It's amazing seeing how this differs from the Justice League comics of the same time frame.

I'd give this ** out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearances for the Red Ghost and the Watcher. The Red Ghost will be a recurring villain for the Fantastic Four over the years. I wouldn't call him an important bad guy or anything. He's more of a C list villain that manages to survive the various eras of comic books. Which is surprising to me because he seems similar to a lot of the other early Marvel villains that disappeared. A lame Silver Age concept that writers ran away from once the 1970s hit.

The Watcher is a bigger deal. He'll show up for a lot of the big time events. He never really does anything, he'll narrate here and there and generally just be around. I would say he's a very notable character for Marvel though. I was actually surprised to see him show up. I had always thought he first appeared when Galactus first appeared for some reason.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #42

Fantastic Four #12

Cover Date: March 1963

Plot Overview: The U.S. military mistakes the Thing for the Hulk and tries to capture him. A higher up calls off the attack and apologizes to the Thing. The Thing returns to the Baxter Building just in time for Thunderbolt Ross to arrive. Ross wants the Fantastic Four to take care of the military's Hulk problem. This leads to Reed, Johnny and the Thing dreaming up scenarios where they capture the Hulk.

The FF show off their new FantastiCar before heading to the desert with General Ross. Reed Richards and Bruce Banner meet as there's a big meeting. Banner's assistant Karl Kort has a run in with The Torch and Thing and quickly exits the scene. Banner swears that the Hulk isn't responsible for the recent damage. He believes it's a saboteur that he's dubbed the Wrecker.

The Torch and Thing grow tired of waiting and barge in and cause havoc as the meeting comes to a close. The Torch hands Rick Jones the wallet of Karl Kort and asks if he'd return it. Rick goes to find Kort and realizes that Kort is literally a card carrying Communist.

Back at the base, the FF have fixed up an experimental rocket sled and have the Thing ride it. The Thing hits a sabotaged piece of track and crashes. Banner approaches to ask for their help because Rick has been captured by the Wrecker. Banner doesn't want to reveal he's the Hulk so they ultimately don't believe him. Banner heads to his secret cave and becomes the Hulk. The Hulk comes upon the Fantastic Four and takes out the Thing with one punch and uses dirt to put out the Torch's flames. The Hulk smashes his way to the surface where he escapes Reed. He uses his sonic boom clap to take out Reed, Johnny and Sue. The Thing attacks and they battle until a mysterious ray takes out the Hulk.

The Thing follows the ray and smashes a giant robot he finds. This leads the Thing to a chamber where Karl Kort is. Kort tries to use a ray gun on the Thing but Sue disarms him. The FF have cleared the name of the Hulk. The Hulk watches as the FF return home at the end of the issue.

My Take: This was a great issue. It really felt like it clicked. The characters were really distinct and came across well developed. The story wasn't goofy or too wacky. They had an idea of having the Hulk fight the Thing and they executed on that idea. No silly pseudo-science, no bait and switch or anything like that.

The art was really great in this issue. All of the characters looked really good and the action scenes were good. I also enjoyed that there was some action in this issue. Marvel has been really hit and miss with giving us actual fights in the comics. And I always enjoy when they go through with a battle.

Other than Amazing Fantasy #15 this was probably the best comic I've read since doing this. I would hold this issue up against anything that's come out today and I feel it could hold it's own. It's still a little rough around the edges but the quality of a good story is in there.

I'd give this issue ****1/2 out of *****

Notes: This issue is the first time that Marvel characters have truly crossed over in the Silver Age. To this point there had been little references to other comics like someone reading a Hulk comic. But nothing like this. It even went so far as to have supporting cast interact with the heroes. This is really important as one of the huge innovations that Marvel did was having a shared universe.

Don't get me wrong. DC characters crossed over before this of course but Marvel really made it feel like any of the characters could turn the corner and just run into another Marvel character. That's where their real innovation in the shared universe department came from.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #41

Fantastic Four #11

Cover Date: February 1963

Plot Overview: The Impossible Man from Poppup arrives on Earth. He asks a bunch of homeless guys if he can share their food and they inform him that he needs money. They also tell him that he needs to go to a bank. So the Impossible Man heads to a bank and helps himself to all the money he wants. The police try to stop him but he can change to whatever he wants. The police inform the Fantastic Four of the alien.

The FF arrive on the scene and find the Impossible Man is enjoying a meal. He explains that the people of Poppup can instantly evolve into whatever they want. He's come to Earth for a vacation because he grew bored with Poppup. The Thing has enough of talking and tries to strike the Impossible Man but gets a bunch of thorns in his fist. The FF attack but the Impossible Man easily evades them and heads out to the streets.

It dawns on the Impossible Man that he can do whatever he wants because he's the strongest creature on this planet. He proceeds to steal a cab. The FF manage to stop the car as the military arrives. The Impossible Man turns into a bomb and Reed tosses him into the atmosphere. Impossible Man explodes and flies back down to Earth. The Torch uses his flames to create a hypnotic pattern and causes the Impossible Man to crash to the Earth. The FF check on him and the Impossible Man is delighted to know that they really care about him. He plans to stay on the Earth forever.

Reed comes up with a final plan. He convinces everyone to just ignore the Impossible Man. Citizens are confused but listen and ignore various antics from the Impossible Man. He finally grows bored and leaves Earth looking for a new planet of fun.

The second story of the issue features the Fantastic Four answering fan mail. They recap Ben and Reed going through college and WWII together. They also recap the FF origin and the many contributions that Sue has made to the team. This story ends with a surprise party for Sue. The editors note explains that this story was a visual way for them to answer several fan questions.

My Take: This was much better than the last issue. The Impossible Man story was a typical heroes overcoming a trickster villain. It was a solid effort to the story. The second story was okay for what it was. It was a different take on addressing the fans but I would've rather just had a longer story with the Impossible Man or a second story with some action.

There were some nice bits of continuity in here though. Sue and Reed have a brief moment over Namor. Sue is unsure of who she's really in love with. They've brought that up numerous times over the first 11 issues and it's nice to see a character arc in this era of comics. Reading DC Comics around this time is like getting a giant reset button every issue.

The art was pretty good as always.

This issue was solid. My only real complaint with it was the second story just felt like filler and a waste. It did feature some character development. I'm just being picky I think. A much better effort than the last issue though. Issue 12 features the Hulk!

I'd give this *** out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Impossible Man and Willie Lumpkin. The Impossible Man will be a villain for the Fantastic Four into the modern day. He'll bother a variety of other heroes throughout the decades to. He's not a major villain or anything though. He's strictly a C lister that provides some fun issues here and there. I always look forward to and enjoy the Impossible Man showing up in a comic. Willie Lumpkin is the mailman for the Fantastic Four. He'll make appearances here and there over the years as a supporting character.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #40

Fantastic Four #10

Cover Date: January 1963

Plot Overview: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby make their Marvel Universe debut here. They're working on a story for the Fantastic Four when Dr. Doom makes his return. He forces them to call Reed Richards so that he can ambush him. Reed arrives and Doom successfully captures him.

Doom explains to Reed that after their last encounter he encountered a superior race of aliens. Doom shows off his newest trick and switches bodies with Reed. The rest of the FF arrive and Doom as Reed has the FF capture Reed as Doom. The Torch and Thing offer some ideas but Doom has the best idea. They put Reed in this tube prison. After the FF leave, Doom reveals that Reed will run out of oxygen in about an hour.

Back at the Baxter Building the other members of the FF discover zoo animals that have been shrunk to a tiny size. They confront Doom Reed about if he's the one that stole them from the zoo. Doom Reed explains that he wants to shrink the FF to increase their powers. The FF are excited by this idea and Doom Reed reveals that he's going to shrink them into nothingness.

Reed Doom manages to escape and arrives at the apartment of Alicia Masters. Sue also happens to be there and KOs Reed Doom. Alicia senses an inner good in Doom. The Torch and Thing arrive. Reed Doom pleads with them and Thing hesitates. They decide to take him back to Doom Reed. During the encounter the Torch and Thing sense something off about Doom Reed.

The Torch creates a mirage and Doom Reed reveals himself. He loses his mental control and they switch back to their real bodies. Doom tries to fight them off but wanders into the reducing ray. Doom shrinks into nothing. Reed finds it to be a fitting end as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: Boy, this issue was a real mess. Dr. Doom spent a whole page explaining this ridiculous idea to the other members of the Fantastic Four. And honestly, who would believe that? This is a case where the characters were dumbed down in order for the villain to get one over on them. Dr. Doom's idea wouldn't even make sense to a lay person as he said at the time. And you would think he could've just said they had to shrink down to go do something for the U.S. government or something like that.

I just didn't like this issue at all. It was too complicated, the logic gaps were hard to overlook and it just came off poorly. It was also a fairly boring issue as it felt like people sat around talking for the entire issue.

I can't really think of anything about this issue that I enjoyed. It took me forever to read because I kept getting bored with it. This was easily the least enjoyable issue I've read thus far during this project. On the bright side of things, the Impossible Man makes his first appearance in Fantastic Four #11. He's one of my favorite villains.

A quick side note to all of this, they really need to get some new villains in there. I think Dr. Doom and Namor combined have appeared in 5 out of the 10 issues so far. I know that they're the main bad guys but I get tired of seeing the same antagonists over and over again. Hopefully starting with issue #11 that starts to improve.

I'd give this 3/4* out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in a Marvel comic.

Next Issue: Tales To Astonish #39

Fantastic Four #9

Cover Date: December 1962

Plot Overview: The Fantastic Four are bankrupt. Reed Richards invested a vast amount of their money into the stock market but the market crashed. Reed has decided to sell all of their equipment to pay off their creditors. They get into a big argument and the Thing briefly leaves the group. While he's gone the rest of the FF get an offer to do a movie. The Thing returns after visiting Alicia Masters and they decide to do the movie. They're out of money so they have to hitchhike to Hollywood.

They arrive in Hollywood and it's revealed that Namor the Sub-Mariner is the one that offered them the movie roles. He wants to make a movie about one of his battles with the FF and is offering a million dollars if they agree to do it. The FF agree.

Namor tricks the FF and sets a trap for Reed, Johnny and Thing. He sets Reed down on an island with a Cyclops. He puts Johnny on an island with natives that have an anti-fire potion. And finally he battles the Thing on a random beach. Reed and Johnny manage to escape their traps with clever thinking. Namor and the Thing have a great battle. The Thing figures out that he can only beat Namor if he gets him out of the water. So Thing drags Namor to the shore and holds him until he starts to wear down. Suddenly, a lightning bolt hits the Thing and turns him back to Ben Grimm. Namor easily defeats Ben Grimm.

Namor returns to Sue and explains what he's done. He explains that with them out of the way he wants Sue to be his bride. Sue refuses and says that Namor will have to defeat her too. Namor uses various powers to find her but Sue manages to elude him. Reed, Johnny and the Thing arrive and attack Namor. Sue breaks up the fight and explains that they signed a contract. Namor agrees and pays them the money and returns to the sea. The movie ends up becoming a giant hit and the FF's financial troubles are over.

My Take: This was another one of those ridiculous Silver Age plots in action. Usually for a plot like this to work the characters have to be written as stupid to fall for the plot. But Stan Lee actually had a solid approach. The FF never really trusted Namor, they just were desperate for money. So at least the characters had a motivation to look the other way for this one.

I enjoyed this story quite a bit. The Thing and Namor duked it out for about 3 pages and that's been a rarity in these early Marvel titles. It was nice to get a taste of some real action. The art was great again and the plot worked despite being a product of the Silver Age. This issue really shows why Marvel was so revolutionary at the time though. It took a ridiculous Silver Age plot and made it workable by motivating the characters instead of bending the characters to the plot.

I'd give this *** out of *****

Notes: There were several celebrity cameos in this issue. I vaguely recognize them but the only one that was said by name was Jackie Gleason. Alicia Masters made a brief appearance in this issue so it looks like she was meant to become a regular cast member. Her primary role here seems to be humanizing the Thing. She sees his inner beauty and relates that to him on a regular basis. That's about it for this issue. I think this is appearance number 3 for Namor as he's the main antagonist for the team at this point. Sorry for brief layoff, I was busy with life for the last week.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #38

Fantastic Four #8

Cover Date: November 1962

Plot Overview: The Thing decides to leave the Fantastic Four after Reed won't let him into the lab. Sue follows him and tries to convince him to return. As they're talking they see a man climbing the bridge and preparing to jump. Reed and the Torch save the day.

The scene shifts to a man called the Puppet Master and his daughter Alicia. He found radioactive clay that allows him to control people if he makes a clay puppet of him. He decides to target the FF after they interfered with his plans. He makes a puppet of the Thing and summons him to his home.

The Thing obeys and Sue follows. As they arrive Alicia, who is blind, reveals that Sue is also there. The Puppet Master quickly uses ether to capture Sue. He then disguises Alicia as Sue and sends her off with the Thing. The Puppet Master then takes control of the warden to the local prison.

The Thing attacks Reed and the Torch and Reed tricks Thing into striking a certain experiment. The chemicals turn the Thing back into Ben Grimm. Reed explains that he didn't let Thing into the lab because he didn't want to reveal the experiment before it worked. Ben turns back into the Thing and Alicia seems to have taken a liking to him.

Sue awakens and tries to escape the Puppet Master and ultimately fails. She does manage to alert the FF and they arrive on the scene. They fight a giant robot and the Puppet Master makes his escape. The FF then thwart the prison riot that the Puppet Master had created.

The book ends as the Puppet Master reveals his plans for world domination to Alicia and ultimately slips on a puppet of himself and falls out the window.

My Take: The art to this issue was really good. This book had a decent amount of action in it considering the Puppet Master really has no powers. It was a fairly quick and light read as well. I enjoyed the story quite a bit and I'm not really a Puppet Master fan. The issue wasn't a classic or anything like that. It was just a fun read.

There wasn't a lot of character development in this issue. The Thing got the bulk of it as his future love interest in Alicia was brought in. The books at this point seem to take one character per issue and focus on developing them in some way. I didn't see that in this book and I felt it suffered a little because of that. All four characters need some work and fleshing out. They're a lot more developed than their contemporaries at DC but still lacking pieces that you know and love about the characters.

I'd give this issue **1/2 out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Puppet Master and Alicia Masters. The Puppet Master will become a fairly big villain for the Fantastic Four over the years. He's never on the level of a Dr. Doom but he's a solid secondary threat. Alicia Masters will become a love interest for the Thing. The Thing also is starting to crack wise a little more. He's still mostly about the tantrums and tirades but the jokes are slowly creeping in.

Next Issue: Tales To Astonish #37

Fantastic Four #7

Cover Date: October 1962

Plot Overview: Planet X is being menaced by a runaway asteroid. Kurrgo sends one of the only two rockets they have to Earth to fetch the Fantastic Four. Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four are arguing about attending a very important dinner in D.C. Sue, Johnny and Thing all seem hesitant to go and have their reasons for it. Reed finally convinces them and as they head to the dinner the spaceship lands.

The robot of Kurrgo uses an aggression ray to turn the population of Earth against the Fantastic Four. The robot later confronts the FF and offers them a chance to come to Planet X. He explains that they'll eventually be captured if they stay on Earth and Planet X is safe for them.

They arrive on Planet X and Kurrgo explains the situation. He also explains that the FF will die with his planet if they don't figure something out. Johnny and the Thing attack the robot but Sue ultimately breaks up the fight. Reed gets to work and develops a reducing gas. With this gas they can shrink the entire population of Planet X so that they can fit on one spaceship. They can find a new planet and start over.

The asteroid approaches and Kurrgo releases them to escape in the other ship. The FF have to escape through a planet that is breaking apart at the seams but eventually make it to their ship.

Meanwhile the population of Planet X shrinks down and begins to enter the ship. Kurrgo dreams of using the antidote on just himself and being a thousand times larger than everyone else on Planet X. Kurrgo lags behind and drops the antidote as the planet breaks apart. Kurrgo tries to pick it up and then realizes the ship has taken off without him.

As the FF head back to Earth, Reed reveals that there was no antidote. He says that size is relative and it won't really matter for the people of Planet X anyways.

My Take: This issue felt like filler more than anything. There was no real significant character development in this issue. It showed off Reed's scientific prowess and I guess this is the first issue that really focused on him. He's still the least developed of the three. He's smart leader guy right now and that's about it. Johnny, Sue and Thing are much more well rounded as characters.

The art was good this issue. I love old 1950s and 60s style robots and this issue had the perfect example of one.

The plot was a little ridiculous though. This is a perfect example of an over thought Silver Age comics solution to a problem. I also didn't see the point of the double cross on Reed's part. The aliens really didn't have any other option so why offer a fake antidote. They would've gone along either way. I didn't really care for this issue that much. The last couple of issues really had a definite direction to it with Namor and Dr. Doom and this issue really felt out of place to me. It felt like this issue was a victim of the title going monthly. I wouldn't be surprised if this was in the vault or something and the issue that they meant to do wasn't ready yet.

I'd give this issue *1/2 out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of Kurrgo. This is also the first time that the Fantastic Four have traveled to another planet. That's really it for this issue.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #36

Fantastic Four #6

Cover Date: September 1962

Plot Overview: Sue arrives at the Baxter Building and finds the other members of the FF. There's been no sign of Dr. Doom since they battled him last issue. They go through some fan mail and then the scene shifts to the sea. Namor is out swimming with the fish of the ocean.

Dr. Doom spots Namor and approaches him in peace. Doom wants to team up with Namor because he feels that is the only way to beat the FF. Namor is hesitant because he doesn't want to injure Sue and it's obvious that he's in love with her. Doom convinces Namor that he should resume his mission of revenge. Doom shows Namor his invention the magnetic grabber. He gives it to Namor as part of his plan.

Namor comes to the surface and walks through the streets of New York. Meanwhile Johnny finds a picture of Namor and confronts Sue about it. They argue and as Reed and the Thing arrive so does Namor. Namor approaches them as a friend. Reed and Johnny don't believe him and search the building for possible traps. Just then the building begins to shake and lifts off of the ground.

Namor reveals that he planted the trap but Dr. Doom has double crossed him. The building lifts into space where Dr. Doom has a giant spaceship. He plans to hurl the Baxter Building into the sun. Reed and Johnny make failed attempts at stopping Doom. Namor finally decides it's up to him. After jumping into a tank of water he hurls himself into space. He breaks into Doom's ship but is shocked when he tries to open the hatch. Namor channels the electricity and uses it to blow up the cockpit. Doom is hurled into space and grabs onto an asteroid.

Back on Earth the FF find the device but can't remove it. Suddenly the device takes off on it's own. It returns to Doom's ship right before Namor crashes it into the sea. Namor returns to the sea as the issue ends.

My Take: This was another really good issue. This was primarily a Sue issue and she's being built on her crush on Namor. I find it interesting that her engagement to Reed has only been mentioned in passing but the Namor stuff has gotten a decent amount of screen time in two issues so far. I thought Dr. Doom was written a lot better in this issue. He was much more of a master schemer that used Namor and the FF as chess pieces to eliminate his biggest threats in the world.

There were a lot of little things to like. Reed explains how his suit stretches and I found that to be a nice touch. It was also interesting that Namor had built some comfort under the sea and it had eaten away at his desire for revenge against the human race. That was really an interesting concept to explore with that type of character.

The art in this issue was also really good. It's probably the best Fantastic Four issue to date as far as the art goes. My only complaint is that the FF have stopped appearing in civilian clothes. They just seem to wear the uniform around the Baxter Building. I kind of miss them having regular people clothes on.

Notes: This is the first time that the FF HQ was referred to as the Baxter Building. This issue also marks the first mention of the Yancy Street Gang. The Thing acted like he had heard of the gang but never had any dealings with them. Later on, it will be revealed that the Thing was a former leader of the gang. The Yancy Street Gang also eventually develop into a comedic foil for the Thing. Dr. Doom also saw a redesign in this issue. He looks more like his well known form. Last issue he had an outfit that you would expect to see on an elf or something.

Also a very important note. The Fantastic Four title becomes a monthly title with this issue.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #35

Fantastic Four #5

Cover Date: July 1962

Plot Overview: The Human Torch and Thing argue as the issue starts. Suddenly a net covers the FF's HQ and a man announces himself as Dr. Doom. Reed recognizes the voice and recalls going to college with Doom and how he was horribly disfigured in a lab accident.

Doom demands Sue as a hostage and she has no choice but to agree. The other members of the FF eventually turn themselves over. Doom wants them to travel back into the past and obtain the jewels of Blackbeard. Reed, Torch and Thing have no choice but to accept.

In the past they disguise themselves as pirates and are quickly drugged and conscripted onto a pirate ship as part of the crew. The Thing wakes up and the FF begin a battle with the crew. After seeing the Torch in action the pirates decide to end the battle. Just as the battle ends another ship approaches. The Thing leads a successful attack on the ship and the pirates celebrate thing as Blackbeard. Reed figures out that the Thing is really Blackbeard and that the treasure chest they found is what they've been looking for. They decide to replace the jewels with junk to double cross Dr. Doom.

Thing decides to stay because he's accepted and a leader in this time period. Reed and the Torch argue but Thing has them tied up by the crew. Just as this happens a tornado hits the ship and the FF regroup on an island. Thing admits he was being foolish and they find the chest. Just then Dr. Doom recalls them to the present. He eagerly checks the chest and realizes he's been double crossed.

The Thing attacks Dr. Doom and smashes him to pieces revealing a robot. The real Dr. Doom announces that he's going to drain the room of oxygen to end the FF. Doom is so busy that he forgets that Sue Storm is in the room. She sabotages the machine and then releases the other members of the FF. Dr. Doom makes his escape in a jetpack and the Torch makes an unsuccessful attempt at capturing him. The Torch is dismayed that Dr. Doom and Namor are both loose in the world. Reed says that they'll defend the world against future threats from Doom and Namor as the issue ends.

My Take: I'm not really a fan of time travel storylines. Okay, I take that back. I'm not really a fan of time travel storylines that aren't Back to the Future. I will give this issue a little credit. I did like that the Thing became Blackbeard. I thought that was a nice touch and a little unexpected on my part. The art was good in this issue. The Thing actually looked pretty good for the first time ever.

Speaking of the Thing. He got the bulk of the character development in this issue. He's starting to shift from an angry out of control monster into more of a man trying to cope with being an outcast of society.

What else can you really say about this issue. It's a very important historical issue as Dr. Doom is one of the key villains in the Marvel Universe. He's barely in the issue though.

I didn't dislike the story that much. I just found the last issue to be much stronger and I think I was just expecting more from an early Doom appearace.

I'd give this issue ** out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of Dr. Doom. His concept hasn't really been thought out at all in this issue. He's really a mad scientist with an interest in black magic that stays in a creepy castle. It takes a few years for the Dr. Doom you know from the current comics to really take shape. Johnny Storm was also reading the first issue of the Incredible Hulk at the beginning. He made fun of the Thing for looking like the Hulk to start their argument. How's that for advertising?

Next Issue: Incredible Hulk #2

Fantastic Four #4

Cover Date: May 1962

Plot Overview: The issue starts off by recapping the Human Torch leaving the team. Reed blames the Thing for driving him off. They decide to search for the Human Torch and split up in the Fantasticar. Reed and Sue seach with little success but the Thing finds the Torch easily. The Torch has been working on cars in a garage. They get into a fight as a result and the Torch escapes when the Thing turns back into Ben Grimm for a brief time.

The Torch heads to the bad side of town and spends the night at a flop house. He finds a Namor the Sub-Mariner comic and begins to read it. Some of the other guests comment that one of the guys there is as strong as Namor. The man is suffering from amnesia and they proceed to provoke him into a confrontation. The men threaten to beat his memory back into him. The Torch breaks it up and says they should figure out what he looks like first. He uses his flame powers to shave the man and reveals that it's Namor.

The Torch grabs Namor and drops him into the ocean. The water restores Namor's memory and he decides to head back to his Undersea Kingdom. Namor finds that his kingdom has been destroyed by nuclear testing and that his people have moved on. He vows revenge and heads back to the surface. He informs the Torch that he's going to destroy mankind.

The Torch signals the FF and informs them of what's happening. Meanwhile Namor uses his special horn to awaken the sea monster Giganto. Giganto attacks the city and easily fights off the FF's first assault. The Thing heads to a local military depot and grabs an atomic bomb. He climbs into Giganto while he sleeps and uses the bomb to take him out.

Sue uses the distraction to steal the horn from Namor but he easily captures her. She becomes visible and Namor instantly falls in love. He makes an offer. Sue can marry him and he won't destroy the human race. Reed, Thing and the Torch try to attack but he easily fights them off. Sue agrees to marry him to save mankind. The Torch has one last trick up his sleeve and creates a giant tornado that casts Namor and Giganto back into the sea. The horn is lost at sea. The issue ends with the FF pledging to defend the world against future threats from Namor.

My Take: What can you say. This is an iconic issue of the Fantastic Four. It introduces one of the most important characters in the entire series and establishes a subplot that is still going on to this day. The characters are also starting to develop a little more. The Thing made what could be considered his first wisecrack at the end of the issue. He's also coming across less like an out of control monster and just more as a very violent and grumpy kind of guy. I hope they move past Thing being the main source of division within the team though. The art is also a huge step up from the first two issues. It looks much more polished than the first issue.

I don't have a lot of negatives to say. The Fantastic Four haven't really fought a villain in the typical superhero way. They've mostly found solutions to the issue at hand and then catch the bad guy at the end. I'm really enjoying seeing how the Fantastic Four are developing as characters and as a comic book though.

I'd give this issue ***1/2 out of *****.

Notes: This issue reintroduces Namor to the Marvel Universe. He's more of a straight up villain at this point than the anti-hero he was in the 40s. For those interested in the Namor vs. Aquaman talks, Namor predates Aquaman by 2 years in case you were wondering. This is the first time the city was referred to as New York. It was Central City in the first issue and wasn't referred to as anything for issues two and three. This is also the first time that Johnny Storm uses his trademark "Flame On" phrase to turn into the Human Torch.

Next Issue: Incredible Hulk #1