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murphyc1's review against another edition
4.0
I admit that should one really read the stories, they become fairly tedious before very long. Jack "the King" Kirby's artwork, however, never does! The stories are dated, sure, but they provide a hit of sweet nostalgia that hits the spot.
poorsun's review against another edition
3.0
First foray into the FF. Started strong with the intro to Dr. Doom which was cool but then fell off in the middle. Really? A guy with a glue gun? I'm glad he got an upgrade a few issues later.
Also, WTF Mr. Fantastic, just changing Ben back into the Thing against his will.
Also, WTF Mr. Fantastic, just changing Ben back into the Thing against his will.
angrybooklady's review
4.0
I remember skimming through the last couple of these trades, but this one actually has some interesting stories that are integral to the Fantastic Four's history. The origin of Doctor Doom, the reveal of Sue and Johnny's father, Sue and Reed's engagement, etc. There's also the formation of the *snicker* Frightful Four. Sue finally realizes she can do things with her powers besides be invisible, but she gets kidnapped a lot so as not to upset the male:female power ratio.
Speaking of which, the issues in this trade are also very sexist. I'm not going to spend a lot of time complaining about it, because it was the mid-1960's. But there's a lot of your standard "Oh, my poor woman's heart, so filled with love and confusion that I just don't know what to do!" Also Reed is just an unabashed sexist, and it's harder to forgive in him because I already don't like him.
Reed is especially terrible in this because
Speaking of which, the issues in this trade are also very sexist. I'm not going to spend a lot of time complaining about it, because it was the mid-1960's. But there's a lot of your standard "Oh, my poor woman's heart, so filled with love and confusion that I just don't know what to do!" Also Reed is just an unabashed sexist, and it's harder to forgive in him because I already don't like him.
Reed is especially terrible in this because
Spoiler
after the Four lose their powers in a freak plot contrivance, he restores Ben Grimm back to The Thing without his consent. His excuse is that they needed The Thing to defeat Dr. Doom, but I don't buy it. I'm starting to think that Reed has never intended to restore Ben to his former self, and that he dangles hope in front of him as a form of manipulation. The book ends with the newly-Thinged Ben telling Reed and the rest of the Fantastic Four to f*&k off, which I don't blame him for at all.howiedoowinfam's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jbleyle63's review
4.0
Continuing my survey of the early days of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and the other creative contributors from Marvel comics covered so marvelously and comprehensively in the Marvel Masterworks series. This volume bookends two stories featuring arch nemesis Dr. Doom including his origin. I found it entertaining if not necessarily the most sophisticated examples of storytelling.
rayaan54's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
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