Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 1

Fantastic Four Omnibus

by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

They were visionaries. Explorers. Imaginauts. They were Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. And like their creations - the Fantastic Four - they continually strove to overcome the impossible and achieve the extraordinary. Now, the first three years of their landmark run on Fantastic Four are collected in one oversized volume.

Collecting: Fantastic Four 1-30, Annual 1

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Science Fiction, Fiction

848 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1964

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fantastic Four Omnibus, Volume 1, contains issues 1-30 of the Fantastic Four, plus Annual 1.

By now, most people know the story of the Fantastic Four. Scientist Reed Richards, his girlfriend Sue Storm, her brother Johnny, and Ben Grimm, a friend of Reed's from World War II, fly an experimental rocket into space, passing through a cosmic storm and gaining super powers in the process.

Issues 1-4: The team encounters the Mole Man and his monstrous subjects, has Skrulls impersonate them, battles a hypnotist called The Miracle Man, and face the wrath of Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

Things start off rough for the foursome. Lee and Kirby were laying the foundations of the Marvel Universe, whether they knew it at the time or not. Kirby's panels were already pretty spectacular, though that art wasn't as polished as it would become a couple issues later. Stan Lee's writing has a high cheese factor, however.

Issues 5-8: The team battles Doctor Doom, confronts the combined might of Namor and Doctor Doom, encounter Kurrgo from Planet X, and thwart the Puppet Master for the first time.

Both Lee and Kirby are finding their rhythm. Lee and Kirby are expanding the Marvel universe, although it's looking like they're going back to the Doom and Namor wells a little too early. After the issue with the Puppet Master, I have to wonder how much thought they actually put into Reed and Sue's powers at this point, and would they have went a different way if they knew the Fantastic Four was going to be successful. Things to ponder.

Issues 9-12: The gang battle Namor again, Doom again, The Impossible Man, and The Hulk!

Yeah, Namor and Doom again. The Namor/Hollywood thing was hokey but Doom swapping bodies with Reed was good. I'm not a fan of Impossible Man but he was tolerable in his first appearance. The Hulk fight was actually a little bit of a letdown. Let's hope Thing and Hulk get more time to duke it out next time.

Issues 13-16: In these issues, the Fantastic Four battle the Red Ghost and his super apes, Namor, The Mad Thinker, and Doctor Doom in the Microverse.

I felt like the FF turned a corner with the Red Ghost story and things started clicking more. The Mad Thinker and the Doom story were both also really good for the time period. Ant-Man shows up and the Marvel Universe is really starting to feel like a universe. Oh, and the Watcher is introduced.

Issues 17-20: The gang battle Doctor Doom, The Super Skrull, Rama Tut, and the Molecule Man.

The stories continue the momentum set by the previous four. The menaces are more inventive and I have to think this is the point that Kirby started contributing more to the plot. It's crazy how many books Lee and Kirby were working on at this point in Marvel comics history.

Annual 1: Once again on the throne of Atlantis, Namor declares war on the surface world!

The origins of Namor and Atlantis are told, and Namor goes to war. This was a much larger scale story than the Fantastic Four's adventures up to this point. It would probably be a title-spanning crossover in today's terms. It's also a damn good tale.

Also, I love Namor's cheesy dialogue. For some reason, Stan Lee's ham-fisted dialogue fits Namor like a glove.

There's also a pinup gallery and an expanded version of the story from Amazing Spider-Man #1 where he tried to join the Fantastic Four.
Issues 21-24: The Fantastic Four battle The Hate Monger, The Mole Man, Doctor Doom, and an omnipotent alien child.

The Fantastic Four continues rocketing forward. Sgt. Nick Fury makes his first appearance outside of World War II but before he starts wearing his trademark eye patch. Was it a sign of the times the way Sue Storm was portrayed or just a sign of Stan Lee's mediocre dialogue?

Issues 25-30: The Fantastic 4 take on the rampaging Hulk, clash with the Avengers while battling the Hulk, take on Namor, battle the union of The Mad Thinker, the Awesome Android, the Puppet Master and The X_Men, tangle with the Red Ghost at the Blue Area of the Moon, and encounter Diablo!

The Fantastic 4 ratchets up the pace yet again. The two-parter featuring The Hulk and The Avengers must have been the comic book equivalent of the summer blockbuster in its day. The battle between Namor and Mr. Fantastic was the only time I've ever thought Mr. Fantastic was a bad ass. The X-Men battle was decent but not in the same league as the Hulk or Reed vs. Namor. The Red Ghost encounter was a little better than the team's first encounter with him. The Diablo story was decent but how many mad scientists can the Fantastic Four encounter?

Closing Thoughts: Volume 1 of The Fantastic Four Omnibus laid the groundwork for much of the Marvel Universe. Things really started clicking at the halfway mark and I have to think Kirby had something to do with that. Marvel's First Family's adventures have just begun. I'm looking forward to reading the next omnibus. 4.5 out of 5 stars, adjusted for inflation and the evolution of comic books as a medium.

The 2021 Re-Read: I'd planned on reading this before my son was born but didn't quite get around to it. When comics twitter proclaimed August #JackKirbyMonth, I decided it was time for the re-read.

I've read my notes from the 2016 re-read and not much has changed, honestly. The first few issues are rough, both story and art-wise. I don't think the book really becomes The World's Greatest Comic Magazine until issue 13 or so, when everything starts really coming together. Kirby's art looks best in this volume with Dick Ayers or Chic Stone inking. I don't the think the FF hits its prime until next volume, when Joe Sinnott finally becomes the full time inker.

The book sure leaned on Doctor Doom and Namor as the heavies in the early days. The trip to the moon in issue #13 is almost a symbol for the FF taking the leap to the next level of comics.

[Drew Canole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dawn of the Silver Age of comics and the work that put Stan Lee on the map. Kirby was already a well-known creator with his Joe Simon partnership (Captain America being the most famous).

It's cool to see these guys creating all these off the cuff characters, many of which now have Major Motion pictures!

Most of the stories are villain of the month style - some new baddy wants to take over the world, only the Fantastic Four can stop him. Most issues have some internal bickering, especially Thing and Human Torch pulling pranks on each other. Doom slowly becomes an integral villain. Namor as well, and he creates a sort of love triangle between himself, Susan Storm (Invisible Girl) and Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic).

What I found interesting is I always thought Ben Grimm (The Thing) wanted to be normal but here it's pretty clear Reed wants to find a solution for him but at a certain point Ben says his love interest Alicia Masters, a blind woman, knows and prefers him as The Thing. This probably changes at some point.

This is usually shown as Kirby's high water mark in art, but I think I prefer Kirby's 70s art style. Here he uses a lot of small figures, silhouettes. In the 70s it's mostly larger figures, figures taking up most of the panel. Either way, it is nice art and you can see how influential he was on superhero comics going forward. The American equivalent of Manga's Osamu Tezuka.

There's a handful of panels here that clearly indicate that Stan Lee was just adding the text after the artwork was finished. Like Mister Fanastic working on a large machine and the dialogue is "Just turning this off so I can hear you better!" I'm not convinced that's what Kirby had in mind for that panel. I should have taken photos of each one, but there are quite a few panels where I don't think Kirby and Lee were on the same page about what was supposed to be going on.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well ladies and gentlemen, I have made it through the classic humble beginnings of the Fantastic Four. When this started in 1961 there weren’t many other solo titles going. No Avengers, no Spider-Man ongoing series or Hulk. But they all started coming quickly after the launch of this book. Yes, this reads like a 1960s comic for the most part. Takes a long time to read each issue (as long as 30 minutes sometimes) and it has the old time lingo. However, unlike other 1960 comics like Stan Lee’s X-Men, this book doesn’t constantly recap the previous issue. Doesn’t get repetitive going over the same stuff over and over again. That was nice. Jack Kirby’s art has that classic old school Marvel feel to it. Plus you get a ton of first and/or early appearances of now known characters. You have Mole Man, Doctor Doom, The Watcher, Namor, Skrulls, Red Ghost, Kang as Rama Tut, Thinker, Puppet Master, Impossible Man, Diablo and an early big battle between Thing and the Hulk. I loved seeing early Thing with the crazy temper. Always getting mad and tearing some shit up. Most of the time it was tables and walls at their own Baxter Building. Like c’mon Ben, we gotta live here. 😂 Reading this make me even more excited for the Fantastic Four movie coming out in July. On to volume 2!!

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In terms of importance to the comics industry, these stories are easily five stars. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby established the Marvel Universe with an innovative take on the superhero genre. The pages are bursting with ideas and energy.

Still, the stories reflect the sensibilities of the early 1960s and a time when comics were geared toward children (and under the Comics Code). To a modern reader, the dialogue, art style, and lack of concern for realism may be distracting.

[Jake Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's amazing to look at Fantastic Four #1, with its crude plotting and art (Kirby had clearly spent the last few years mainly on monster comics because the creatures pop while the humans look rough and uncertain) and think that this completely changed the landscape of comics. This omnibus gives you the opportunity to see Lee and Kirby slowly figure out what, exactly, they had on their hands, and in the process invent the Silver Age of Comics on a month-by-month basis. The first 10 issues or so are clearly the work of men feeling their way around a concept, with repetitive plots and inconsistent characterization, to say nothing of how limited the heroes seem at first. This is especially true of Sue, who is a sexist caricature of the times as a woman who mostly just hangs around; and when Lee attempts to address the justified criticism they received about this in issue 10, he doesn't make her stronger or more useful, instead having Reed monologue some bullshit about Abraham Lincoln respecting his mother. It really isn't until all the way to issue #22, wherein the fuller extent of Sue's powers begins to manifest, that she truly feels like an active and crucial member of the team in their adventures.

And yet, around issue 12 or 13, things start to fall into place with great speed. Kirby's artwork becomes bolder, from his intricate designs of technological doo-dads with their complex weavings of pipes and pistons to his exponentially firmer grasp on the characters. He starts to have a field day with Reed in particular, obviously delighting in all the sight gags he can get away with, but even setting aside Mr. Fantastic, there's an elasticity to the art that shakes up his earlier style and sets a new standard. Movement becomes ever more dynamic, and there's a coiled-spring anticipation to even the most banal panels as everything suggests motion. Fights are coherently paneled and some of the bigger showdowns are masterclasses in visual storytelling even if you have to put up with Lee's usual verbosity in the many speech bubbles. Starting with Annual #1 and carrying through the final 10 issues in this set, you can see that while each new issue may not necessarily top the preceding one, all of the individual elements get consistently stronger, and by the end it truly feels like FF has earned Lee's Barnum-esque hokum promotion of "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine." That so many classic stories won't be told until the next few omnibuses collecting the later days of the Lee-Kirby run is wild. If they'd stopped at #30 they'd still be left with a pioneering and landscape-altering comic.

[Roger Whitson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like some of the early issues of the FF: the introduction of the skrulls is appropriately funny, and all of the Namor and Dr. Doom issues are really interesting. But also feel that Lee and Kirby don't hit their stride in this first volume.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lee & Kirby Fantastic Four run remains the ideal template on which a superhero shared universe should be created. While this first omnibus only collects less than a third of their legendary run, these first 30 issues achieve a lot in terms of laying the foundations of other Marvel properties. We are introduced to Doom, the Skrulls, Molecule Man, Hate-Monger, along with a re-introduction to the Sub-Mariner. As the run progresses, there are appearances from other Marvel stalwarts, like the Avengers, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, the Hulk, the X-Men and Nick Fury. It's not always elegantly done (the writing is protracted and often over-explains Kirby's effective artwork), but the stories all feel fresh and creative.

Perhaps my favorite issue in this batch of issues was #19 ("Prisoners of the Pharoah!"), which introduces the readers to Rama-Tut (to be later officially be revealed as Kang the Conqueror in Giant-Size Avengers #2). The story takes the FF back in time to Ancient Egypt using Doom's time machine from FF #5 to recover a rumored radioactive herb that can potentially treat Alicia Masters' blindness. They find themselves embroiled in conflict with the pharoah of the era, who turns out to be a time traveler himself. The story is remarkably creative and results in the creation of a whole new dimension of story telling for years to come.

But the main strength of the original FF run is the ability to create an interesting dynamic amongst the core cast. While Sue Storm is perhaps the most neglected in this regard, the interactions between the Thing and his teammates remains the heart of the series. Additionaly, recurring villains like Namor and Doom round out the issues well.

While the apex of this legendary run is not in these opening 30+ issues, the foundation set by this portion of the run cannot be overstated. A must read for any fan of Marvel Comics, especially for those who are actively interested in seeking out the origin of their beloved characters.

[Sakari · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a trial

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gab es ein Universum vor August ´61? Wir können es nicht wissen. Nur das relativ genaue Datum des Urknalls ist urkundlich belegt: der Rezensent wird geboren und wenig später erscheint das erste Heft der FF, das den Startschuß für ein immer weiter expandierendes, sich verzweigendes Marveluniversum gibt. Der größte mythische Kosmos des 20. Jahrhunderts ist geboren, bald werden Thor, Ant Man und Hulk folgen, etwas später Spider Man, Avengers und X-Men. Und erstmals in der Geschichte der Comics werden die Helden in einer real existierenden Metropole (NY, wo sonst) ansässig sein, werden realistische menschliche Probleme und Kontakte zu ihren Kollegen aus den anderen Heftreihen haben.

Wenn ich mich mit Bekannten unterhalte, die etwas älter als ich sind, kristallisiert sich als die alles entscheidende Frage der 60er und frühen 70er Jahre die folgende heraus: Wer ist besser, Beatles oder Stones?
Mir aber stellte sich damals eine andere Frage: SPIDER MAN oder FANTASTIC FOUR, welches ist das beste Comic Magazin?
Richtiger natürlich "Die Spinne" oder "Die fantastischen Vier", denn ihren Anfang fand meine Superheldenleidenschaft beim BSV-Verlag, wo die Hefte in nicht nachzuvollziehender Numerierung auf den deutschen Markt gebracht wurden und der Hulk noch Halk hieß. Lettering gab es nicht, die Sprechblasen wurden mit der Schreibmaschine gefüllt und die Übersetzungen waren stellenweise sehr eigenwillig, um es einmal gelinde auszudrücken.
Zurück zu den FF. Als Team konkurrierten sie mit den X-MEN und den AVENGERS. Der große Unterschied war, dass die FF immer "familiär" waren. Susan und Johnny sind Geschwister und später würde Sue Mrs Richards werden. Dazu kam der grummelig-grimmige Außenseiter Ben Grimm, der für Auflockerung sorgte. Und auch wenn ich damals die X-MEN extrem spannend fand, waren die FF doch meinem Herzen näher. Sie waren menschlicher und somit eher mit Peter Parker als mit anderen Teams zu vergleichen. Welches Team musste in seiner Geschichte schon das Hauptquartier räumen, weil es die Miete nicht mehr zahlen konnte? Wer haderte mit seiner Andersartigkeit wie Ben Grimm?
Und gerade dieses Team, das wie eine große Familie daher kommt, erlebte Abenteuer, die bald kosmische und intergalaktische Dimensionen annahmen. Während sie ihre Superkräfte noch bei einem vergleichsweise kurzen Trip in den Weltraum erlangten, wo sie kosmischer Strahlung ausgesetzt waren, stießen sie bald in entfernte Galaxien und sogar in andere Dimensionen vor. Und dieser Science Fiction-Aspekt war das zweite prägende Merkmal, das ich liebte. Der Wettlauf zwischen den USA und Russland war mit der Mondlandung entschieden worden, aber der Kalte Krieg dauerte an und das SF-Genre erlebte weiterhin Hochkonjunktur (siehe den zeitgleichen, andauernden Erfolg von Perry Rhodan). Rückblickend sind viele der im Genre herrschenden Vorstellungen von damals abwechselnd mal rührend, mal erheiternd.
Aber dann: Wer konnte dynamischer zeichnen, wer kosmische Konflikte mit solcher Wucht darstellen wie der King of Comics, Jack Kirby? Schon bald waren seine Panels so visionär und bildgewaltig, dass es mich beim Lesen in den Sessel drückte. Die fremden Dimensionen rückten zum Greifen nahe, plötzlich konnte man sehen, was bisher der reinen Vorstellungskraft vorbehalten war. Unnötig zu sagen, dass meine an die eines Jack Kirby nicht ansatzweise heranreichte.
Die Erstlektüre dieser Abenteuer liegt inzwischen weit über 40 Jahre zurück und meine einst umfangreiche Comicsammlung hatte ich vor gut drei Jahrzehnten verkauft, ein nicht wieder gut zu machender Fehler, vor allem, wenn ich sehe, was für Erstausgabenheute verlangt wird. Als Ersatz hatte ich mir vor längerer Zeit eine DVD gekauft, auf der alle Hefte der FF als PDF eingescannt waren. Allerdings hat mir das Lesen der Hefte am PC keinen Spaß gemacht, zumal die Bildqualität zwar durchaus gut, aber mir nicht gut genug war.
Und so habe ich mich jüngst entschlossen, den FF Omnibus #1 zu kaufen. Dieser versammelt die ersten 30 Hefte sowie das erste Annual des Magazins, das Stan Lee bescheiden von Anfang an als das erfolgreichste Comic Magazin aller Zeiten titulierte, in einem Format von ca. A4. Damit sind die Seiten nicht nur deutlich größer abgedruckt, als sie es im Original waren, sondern überraschender Weise handelt es sich um brillante, knackig scharf Panels, wie sie zuvor in dieser Qualität nicht zu sehen waren. Und nicht nur der Druck ist hervorragend, der Omnibus-Band macht als ganzes einen hochwertigen Eindruck. Ein gut gebundenes Hardcover mit Schutzumschlag, was kann man sich mehr wünschen? Und nicht nur besser zu stellen als die einzelnen Hefte, findet man in Rekordzeit auch die einzelne Nummer, die man sucht. Last but not least gibt es auch einige Bonus-Seiten mit Kommentaren von Stan Lee und anderen Desiderata, die das Sammlerherz beglücken.

[David Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The start of what I’m calling “Kirby Month” is also the start of the “Marvel Age”, with ‘The Fantastic Four’! In this first omnibus you get the first 3 years of Marvel's first family by the legendary team of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. In 1961 we were introduced to Reed Richards-Mister Fantastic, Ben Grimm-The Thing, Sue Storm-The Invisible Girl, and Johnny Storm-The Human Torch.Together they gave Marvel their first superhero team to compete against DC’s ‘Justice League.’ The biggest difference however being that these heroes all debuted together in the same mag opposed to forming together after already debuting years prior. The first 30 issues contain some real Marvel and comic history that would later set the tone for comic book heroes. In this omni you get the notable debuts of; the FF themselves, Doctor Doom, the Skrulls, the silver-age return of Namor the Sub-Mariner, Mole Man, The Watcher, Puppet Master, and technically Kang the Conqueror. There are great stories featuring all these characters all done in a cool sci-fi like style. As mentioned, you got Stan Lee on writing and Jack Kirby on artwork. However Kirby was heavily involved in the plots making him more than just the artist on this run. Of course together they are the team responsible for this milestone, it's just sometimes it seems like people get lost into thinking this was a big Stan Lee lead run but it’s very much a Kirby AND Lee book.

This is my second time reading this omni and I gotta say, I enjoyed it a lot more the second time. I remember being bored and felt the over use of dialogue killed the pacing for me, but after reading more silver-age, I found the pacing to be a bit better this time around. I will say it’s still not the best pacing I’ve read in a silver-age comic, it's still enjoyable though and remains fun. Lee and Kirby set up the team of the Fantastic Four to be a group that already knew each other and it sets up some interesting chemistry. Through the run you see them butt heads a lot however it’s very playful and you get great relationships within the group. The characters themselves are done really uniquely as well. Mister Fantastic is the brilliant leader who is always curious to learn more and so invested in his work that at times it can get in the way. The Invisible Girl is slightly done as independent and even evolves not just in character but in power. Lee and Kirby saw people writing in, calling her useless, and each time they came up to bat for their character as well as giving her a bigger role as the run went on. The Human Torch is a young hotshot (PUN FULLY INTENDED) who is a bit immature but learns to pace himself and even though he has a joker front, he’s actually very caring and passionate about his teammates. Finally The Thing, the strong and brute of the group who feels cursed by the way he looks finds love with a person who loves the man he is and not the man he appears to be. I personally love the character of Ben Grimm’s Thing cause you can tell Kirby put a lot of himself into it. There’s a lot of touching moments dealing with the character and he really sets himself up as the heart and glue of the team. The beginning of this run feels a bit slow but about halfway, things crank up! There’s also a lot set up in this run that plays big roles in the Marvel universe with other comic book runs. It really lives up to being called the start of the Marvel age.

As I mentioned this all started for what I’m calling “Kirby Month” and it’s because this is a huge part of Kirby’s catalog. And rightfully so, because this is some GREAT artwork! Kirby’s work in this one starts character focused with not a lot of backgrounds but as the run moves on he really gets into his bag and gives us some fine detail. I love his character designs and stunning action scenes. The scenes with tech are always Kirby’s specialty and in general anything dealing with them traveling to space (A lot of the run). You also have to appreciate the parts of the plotting that Kirby contributed to. A lot of the sci-fi elements and inventions of Mr.Fantastic, the development in the Thing’s character both in appearance and personality, and the interesting rogues gallery of the Four. It’s this early 60s work that really separated Jack from everyone as a creator, as you can tell Jack put a lot of work and passion into this mag. All that while doing other projects eventually and still delivering on time. It really shows how much of a legend Jack truly was.

Overall; I’m glad I was able to appreciate this run more the second time around cause it is some really entertaining and history setting work. It does take a few issues to get into the REALLY good stuff but nonetheless it is still some fabulous work by the original awesome duo!

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 5 out of 5]

This big hard cover volume collects The Fantastic Four #1–30 and Annual #1, that is, not only the beginning of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's legendary run, but also the very beginning of Marvel Comics and the Marvel Age of Comics. The volume also includes the letter pages which is great fun, not only because it offers a view into the FF readership of the time, but also because that readership includes people who have subsequently made names for themselves, be it at Marvel (e.g. Roy Thomas) or elsewhere (e.g. George Martin).

The volume is all written by Lee and pencilled by Kirby, with an assortment of inkers; most primarily Dick Ayers (#6–12, 14–20 and the Annual) and George Roussos a.k.a George Bell (#21–27), but also worth mentioning are Chic Stone (#28–30), Joe Sinott (#5) and Steve Ditko (#13 and the Annual).

As a foundational pillar for the Marvel universe this volume introduces the villainy of Mole Man, Skrulls, Doctor Doom, puppet Master, the Impossible Man, Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, the Mad Thinker and his awesome Android, the Super-Skrull, Molecule Man, the Hate-Monger, Diablo and reintroduces (as a villain of a kind) Namor the Sub-Mariner, Prince of Atlantis. It also features appearances by Spider-Man, Hulk, the Avengers, X-Men, Dr Strange and Nick Fury (working for C.I.A., prior to the creation of S.H.I.E.L.D.).

All in all, this a volume highly recommended to fans of FF, Marvel, superhero comics or the history of comics in general. Because this is an historical milestone, ever so important for the development of both the comics field and the comics market.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a lot of fun to see how so many classic Marvel characters started out, but I think the best stuff comes in the next volume (which really needs to be reprinted because I am not made of money). Also, despite how great Kirby's art is, some of his inkers did not complement his pencils well.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 3 out of 5]

Algo que me parece muy importante a la hora de leer un libro o un cómic, o de ver una película, o de casi cualquier cosa, es entenderlos dentro de su contexto y de su momento. Y darles el cariño y el respeto que se merecen, por supuesto. Así que hablar de los Cuatro Fantásticos de Stan Lee y Jack Kirby es complicado, tenemos que equilibrar la perspectiva del lector contemporáneo con la relevancia, la importancia y el contexto en el que fueron escritos y dibujados en los años 60. Así que creo que voy a empezar por la parte más negativa, para poder pasar luego a lo positivo y dejarlo en todo lo alto.

Los Cuatro Fantásticos son hijos de su tiempo, son el primer cómic de la Era Marvel, con su número 1 publicado en noviembre de 1961, antes de Spiderman, de los Vengadores y de todo lo que iba a venir después. Aquí fue donde comenzó todo, la era moderna de los Superhéroes. Pero las cosas han cambiado mucho desde entonces hasta ahora, los lectores estamos acostumbrados a otro ritmo de narración, a otro tipo de definición de personajes, incluso a otra forma de vivir y de entender nuestro mundo, con roles que entonces se normalizaban y a día de hoy son inaceptables. Y todo esto es el gran problema de Cuatro Fantásticos. La escritura hiperbólica y reiterativa de Stan Lee hoy se nos hace aburrida y lenta, las relaciones entre los personajes son extrañas y es como si siempre estuvieran enfadados, y se pelean tantas veces entre ellos que es sorprendente que tengan tiempo para hacer frente a los villanos. El dibujo de Jack Kirby es... pues es el dibujo de Jack Kirby, y es maravilloso así como es y hay que quererlo así, pero puede no ser atractivo a primera vista. Y por supuesto, choca muchísimo cómo se comportan las pocas mujeres que aparecen, claro. Ya no es el tópico de cómo trata en ocasiones Mister Fantástico a la Chica Invisible, es ya en sí cómo se comporta ella, cómo se la retrata, etc. Esto es lo malo. Pasemos a lo bueno.

Y lo bueno es que son Los Cuatro Fantásticos, que aquí empezó todo. Que son el antecedente de todo lo que vino después. Ah, que esto lo he dicho antes sí. Pero es que es lo importante de este cómic. Hay que entender que en el momento en el que se escribió esto, era completamente original, no había nada que fuera como los Cuatro Fantásticos (sí, existían otras series de superhéroes, claro que Batman y Superman son mucho más antiguos, pero aquí se crea el concepto de héroe Marvel que va a perdurar hasta el día de hoy). Los Cuatro Fantásticos, el Hombre Topo, el Doctor Muerte, Namor (recuperado de los cómics de los años cuarenta), el Hombre Imposible, Alicia Masters, el Amo de las Marionetas, el Pensador, los Skrulls, Rama-Tut... En estos primeros treinta números de la serie vamos a ver como se van estableciendo los orígenes de todos estos personajes en un mundo de creatividad disparada, donde hay hombrecitos verdes del espacio que llegan en platillos volantes, máquinas del tiempo y donde todo es posible, y donde tendremos como invitados al resto de los héroes que fueron surgiendo: Spiderman, los Vengadores, el Doctor Extraño...

En fin, me es muy difícil ponerle la nota a esta lectura, a nivel importancia, influencia y originalidad evidentemente es un cinco, luego a nivel de lectura, desde la perspectiva contemporánea baja bastante, pero creo que sería muy injusto ponerle una nota más baja. Así que bien alto, y tiramos para delante.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big, big fun: and I mean big literally, as these Omnibus collections are each a brick tome. Thank you to my public library for keeping the copy circulating!
Two of these stories, the first conflict between the FF and The Hulk and the first invasion of NYC by the Submariner, I read upon their reprinting in 1970. The comparison and apparent growth in characters and the Marvel style hooked me for life. Here are thirty complete stories, one extra-long great annual story, and a whole lot of editorial and introductory text: three of Stan's introductions from Marvel Masterworks, a relevant chapter from Origins of Marvel Comics, and all the letters pages from those issues! Of these, the editorial matter that stands out is Stan's two-page plot outline to Jack, all verve but no visuals: the first half of the first story. This is a big piece of why we celebrate Jack Kirby in his centennial year. Read on and watch how he comes on strong with the visual storytelling.
Highest recommendation.

[Michael Emond · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a three star because - we have to be honest - the stories are not written for an adult audience. But if you are a comic collector/historian you HAVE to buy this collection. This is where the new wave of comics all began. I don't have to rehash history but for those of you who are not comic book nerds the short story goes like this "Stan Lee was about to quit comics (he was bored, they weren't selling as well) but the publisher of Marvel comics (I think it was called Timely Comics then) told Stanley Leiber (Stan Lee to you and me) to give it one last try and Stan's wife told him to make it a comic he would enjoy. Meanwhile, the DC and Marvel publishers were playing golf and the DC publisher boasted how well his team up book "Justice League of America" was doing, so Stan Lee was instructed to write a team book".
I am going from memory so any or all of those facts may be wrong :).
But the reality is Stan Lee did write a fun team up book called the Fantastic Four and with the tremendous help and creativity of artist Jack Kirby (they were really co creators but Stan wrote the dialogue and helped plot out the stories), It was ground breaking because Stan Lee took the heroes personal lives as seriously as their adventure lives. Sure DC had Lois and Clark but we weren't seeing Clark as a human or seeing his day to day life struggles, we saw Clark so Lois could expose him as Superman. Sure we saw Bruce Wayne but he was a millionaire who never seemed to work. In DC the super heroes had real lives but it wasn't part of their story - just a set up to the adventure. In Fantastic Four (and later Spider-man, Daredevil, Hulk, Iron Man...) Stan Lee made the team's personal struggles as real as their struggles against super villains. The Thing was in love with a blind woman but never felt he was good enough for her, Mr. Fantastic was in love with Invisible Girl but she had a crush on Namor, Invisible Girl felt she wasn't good enough for the team, the Human Torch liked cars (okay - he needed more development).
The art by Jack Kirby is rightly lauded as the greatest of its time (and he only got better in later issues - in fact, the SECOND omnibus is the one you REALLY should buy - it is the best of that era). But I will confess I loved Steve Ditko (artist of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange) better.

Why only three stars? In terms of enjoyment these are still from an era when the stories felt rushed (they were - Stan was writing 6 comics at a time) and because of the way the stories were made (it was called The Marvel Way), the writer plotted out the basics of the story - the artist drew the whole issue based on that - then the writer filled in the dialogue, sometimes not understanding the intent of the artist's panel. Knowing how they were made you can see how the writing doesn't always fit the art or visa versa.

In terms of creativity and comic history and setting the stage for the comics to come - five stars and more - but in terms of "I want to read these again and again" less so. There are some classics in there (the first Namor in the Silver age, Diablo, the fist annual with Namor invading the land world, Super Skrull) you have the birth of so many classic villains - Doctor Doom, the Mole Man, the Skrulls, the Puppet Master, Rama-Tut, The Thinker, the Red Ghost and the first appearances of The Watcher (a truly Kirby inspired character). But you have a lot of sweet but clunky issues - the time Namor set up a movie company to pay the FF a million dollars to try to kill them, the Molecule Man who is basically a god but a not very smart one, the Thinker being defeated because the FF mailman pressed a button.

All in all - buy it if you are a comic lover but for a casual reader they are fun but the better stories are in later issues.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first 30 issues, and the first annual, of what would be christened The World’s Greatest Comics Magazine after only 3 issues are collected in this enormous (and unwieldy to read) volume. Printed on high-quality, archival-grade paper, this volume is a treasured keepsake. The enormous talent of The King, aka Jack Kirby, and The Man, aka Stan Lee, are on full display as they unwittingly ushered in the dawn of the Marvel Age of Comics with The Fantastic Four. In these action-packed 30+ issues you will meet the members of Marvel’s first family: the Human Torch, the Invisible Girl, Mister Fantastic, and the ever-loving, blue-eyed, idol of millions, the Thing. But you’ll also get to witness the return of the legendary Namor, the Sub-Mariner. And there is a whole hoard of newly minted villains to menace our intrepid foursome: the Mole Man and his subterranean monsters, shape-changing alien invaders, the Skrulls, the Miracle Man, the Puppet Master, the all but forgotten Kurrgo, the Master of Planet X, the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, Rama-Tut (the man who would be Kang), the Molecule Man, the Mad Thinker and his stolen android, the Super-Skrull, the Hate Monger (who could just as easily be a stand-in for any of today’s authoritarian despots like tRump or DeSantis) and new menaces like the Infant Terrible, Diablo, and (of course) Doctor Doom. But there are plenty of glorious guest-stars adorning these pages as well: Nick Fury, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Doctor Strange, the Impossible Man, the Watcher, the original (and always uncanny) X-Men and, in what is likely the first big company-crossover event in Marvel history, we get a sprawling two-part, battle-of-the-century, free-for-all featuring not only the Human Torch, the Invisible Girl, Mister Fantastic, and the Thing against the Hulk, but the Avengers join in as well: Captain America, Giant-Man, Iron Man, Thor, the wondrous Wasp and Rick Jones. These stories illustrate just why and how the Jack and Stan collaboration was so industry shattering and these pages offer a first hand view of their synergy reaching a polish that will shortly become legendary. This truly is a masterwork. ‘Nuff Said.

[Julesreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone who is first getting into superhero comics and Marvel and DC and all that (as I currently am), The Fantastic Four is an important place to start. Comics are just so much fun to look at. It doesn’t really matter what the story is, to a degree. Though the first 30 or so issues of FF are pretty dumb, your eyes can easily glaze over them, and find the funny stuff along the way. And though I don’t know if I will go the route of the completist when it comes to my comics reading, I think it is a service to begin at the beginning when it comes to the family that started a lot of what we know to be superhero comics today. Plus, all the propagandistic, semi-fascistic, nationalist, patriotic, conservative bullshit that is the lifeblood of many superhero characters is all here within this massive omnibus. Yay! Comics! Comics! Comics! I likey cartoons!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thirty-one issues of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's first superhero book, collected in a beautiful volume.

I've heard FF called "the beginning of the Marvel Universe" many times, but I honestly took it with a big grain of salt. Marvel hyperbole knows no bounds, and I've never known anyone who was a big FF fan. It's clear from reading this book, though, that the claim is irrefutable. Not only does it really feel like a Marvel book, you can watch the rest of Lee's creations sprout alongside, and share their first team-ups. It's amazing how many characters and concepts from a comic book from the 60's are still in play today.

That said, the first few issues are really rough, Kirby can't draw women, and Lee's dialogue is rarely better than terrible.

Still Fantastic.

[Kevin Thies · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something extremely charming about Marvel's first family. I'm going to be honest, I didn't know much about the Fantastic Four past the movies that came out in the early 2000's with Chris Evans. Cheesy, yes, but entertaining to 10 year old me. My interest has become peeked with the announcement of the new FF movie finding its place in the MCU. I decided since I'm getting back into reading comics again that it was high time I start from the beginning and this omnibus was as good a place to start as any.

First off, I must say that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are truly masters of their craft. I've always known that Stan Lee created Marvel Comics and had something to do with the direction the stories went in, but I didn't know that he could write such compelling stories that kept me wanting more and more. I like the style of early comic writing where each issue was a complete story start to finish. Comics nowadays take ten issues or more to tell a story that never completely wraps. It must've been so exciting in the 60s to receive a new comic each month that felt like a you were getting an entire novel for five cents. Does the writing and art show its age at some points? Sure. But, with each new issue it does get slightly better and the stories become slightly more complex.

Growing up in an age where Spider-Man, Iron Man and basically all of the Avengers from the 2012 movie release were my first introduction to Marvel superheroes really limited my view of the characters that actually make up the Marvel universe. You couldn't have paid me to tell you that one of the very first villains that the FF face was Namor when he was just recently introduced in the movies within the last five years. Or that the skrulls were a menace to them as well, all within the first ten issues. There's so many characters that are either mentioned or that they are faced against that find so much rich history 40 years later it's hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that they were created so early on.

Naturally my favorite storylines were the team-up issues. I know for a fact that Spider-Man takes on more of a role with them later on and I'm excited to see where that leads, but it was really cool to get the extended one-shot issue within this omnibus where he "try's-out" to be part of the team which really showcased his powers and those of the FF. The Incredible Hulk being such a big adversary/villain to them was awesome to see and I absolutely loved the the Avengers team-up that expanded across two issues against the Hulk and the Thing. There's so many others within this omnibus too that were such good page-turners and at times I didn't want to stop reading.

That leads me to the origins of the FF and how they are as a team and individuals. In the beginning, it definitely took some time for the storyline to really take off. The very first issue was really well written, but I don't think Lee quite knew the direction he wanted to take with the characters yet and it took a little for them to develop personalities of their own. Really the only one who didn't feel bland in the beginning was Johnny Storm, but that may be due to the fact that he was just an energetic kid who was enthusiastic about having powers and matured into them pretty quickly. However, once these characters take off, they take off. Surprisingly the Thing has become my favorite member of the FF. I absolutely love his personality and he feels like the most grounded (no pun intended) member of the group.

I went into this story blind and honestly that's how I would recommend most doing it. I'm excited to keep reading and to see how both the FF and the villains develop over time. Maybe I'll even get as far as the original "Secret Wars" run and learn how that reset everything too.

[João Filipi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was so amazing! I had so much fun reading the origin of Marvel as we know it today! For me, Ben and Alicia were certainly the best characters! Their chemistry was so good and their personalities were so relatable. Reed is a very charismatic character who has some flaws, but that means he's a good character! His flaws are necessary in order to understand his character! Johnny is ok! I mean, i didn't feel a strong attachment to johnny as i felt with the others

For me to talk about Sue, i will have to enter the spoiler territory


Sue was a really annoying character at first, because she was always defending Namor, even though he was stalking and harassing her and also trying to kill her family. But then, one of the last issues of this omnibus, Sue finally stands up to Namor, stops defending him and even goes as far to tell him that she doesn't love him! I loved that issue, and it certainly made me like Sue as a character! Sue's defending on Namor was very problematic and i'm glad they changed it to make a compelling story arc


About the villains, Doom was obviously my favorite one, but Namor is a really menacing foe. I would like him more if it wasn't for Sue defending him in the beginning, but when she finally stood up against him, i finally got to like Namor as a villain, because Sue was no longer defending his problematic behavior and i could finally see that the writers were seeing it as wrong

Otherwise, i really liked the book! So far, i have read the Avengers original silver age run, and i didn't like it! But, for me, the Fantastic Four silver age run is one of the best comics i ever read!

[Evan Dossey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd wanted to buy a volume of this for years, but never felt like the time was right. Just recently I looked into it (I love the new Omnibus spine design, even if it messes with some of my other sets), and was sad to see the most recent printing of Vol.1 was OOP while the other three were 50% or more discounted. I lucked into finding this for a reasonable 50% off at a Half-Priced Books (shocking these days!), and grabbed it...then I grabbed the others, too. It was a bit of a splurge, but worth it.

This volume just hold ups so fucking well. Every episodes has something to it. It's completely lacking in pretention (why would Stan & Jack have any reason to assume a 33 year old in 2023 would be reading this, and not a 7 year old at a dime-store), and that's its strength. Idea after idea after idea. Memorable moment after moment. Amazing visuals and designs. Goofy to the end. I loved meeting the original appearances of The Impossible Man, The Android, The Mad Thinker, Doctor Doom, and especially all of this earlier Namor stuff. Usually I try to rush through whatever book I'm reading at the time but I read this one or two issues a night for a month, and it was such a nice way to end the day. I have the other volumes and, after taking a break for other books, hope to similarly savor them. These remind me of what I love most about Marvel Comics.

[Donna Schwartz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been years since I read and fell in love with the Fantastic Four comics (wish I still had them)!
It was interesting to see how things have changed since the 1960's. It will be even more fascinating to see what Marvel can do with the characters in the new movie they are working on, although nothing will really happen until the writers' strike is over.

I wanted to see how all the villains like Dr. Doom and Namor the Sub-mariner developed throughout the first years. Some of the plots are not scientifically correct, but they make sense for the times. Of course, it was written initially for kids.

It did make me crazy the way the Torch and the Thing were constantly bickering. Also, the character of Sue was so fifties! At the beginning all that she did was get rescued! The writers eventually created more powers that made her more of an asset to the team

I also liked the "Watcher" who was an interesting character. The addition of the Avengers and the X-men to the plot lines was interesting.

This is a great book to allow a comparison with what Marvel will do with the movie version.

[Nate]

I’m not a big Marvel reader, but I’ve wanted to check out this book for a while now. I love Jack Kirby, and Fantastic Four is considered to be some of his best work. Plus, it’s the first Marvel comic, full of foundational characters and concepts, so what better series to jump in to?

And I’m glad I did. It’s easy to see why Fantastic Four is so influential from its first 30 issues. The stories are very imaginative, and the characters feel fresh and grounded. I’ve read a number of DC Silver Age comics, and nearly every hero in those is an interchangeable do-gooder with virtually no personality. The Fantastic Four actually have personalities, and we spend a lot of down time with them, even if much of that down time they spend arguing. Some fan letters (generously included in this omnibus*) allude to this fact, pointing out that the characters act like real people with real, human problems. Reed feels guilt over Ben’s condition; Ben’s brash personality is undercut by his big heart and love for Alicia; Sue is caught between her love for Reed and Namor; and Johnny is a fun-loving, slightly insecure, teenager. Of course, the characterization and dialogue are cheesy by modern standards. But for the time, the FF stands out from the crowd.

As for the stories themselves, they feel creative and vital, though some are better than others. I think Lee and Kirby improved as they went on. Unsurprisingly, I liked the Namor and Doctor Doom stories the best, because they’re the most interesting and nuanced villains. I was particularly impressed with Namor - the annual, "Sub-Mariner vs. the Human Race", is probably my favorite story here. The two-parter featuring Hulk and the Avengers is pretty fun, too, and a terrific look at continuity in Marvel’s early years.

Kirby’s art generally looks great. I tend to believe – and it’s been well-documented – that Kirby’s imagination, rather than Lee's plotting and dialogue, was the driving force behind these stories. From that lens, he brings some crazy concepts to the table and rarely runs out of steam. I do find it amusing that the Fantastic Four are basically an update of Kirby’s Challengers of the Unknown.

So, this is a fascinating historical read, and an entertaining one if you can forgive the dated style. Knowing what comes next, I anticipate enjoying the second omnibus even more.

*I spotted letters from Roy Thomas and George R.R. Martin.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic Four #1 - 30 and Annual #1. I enjoy going back and reading the original Marvel titles every so often. It is interesting to see what the culture of the early 1960's was back then and how all these heroes started off their careers. An interesting fact, Sue discovers her force shield ability with Reed's help around issue #24. She didn't have it all along.

LOTS of reading involved here. Reading them all in a row it did get quite repetitive how every four or five issues Namor would capture Sue Storm and the team would go rescue her, but I guess if you read them one every month like they were released you may not realize it as much. Really enjoyed the crossover issues with X-Men, the Hulk, and The Avengers. I like Sue's evolution from a female who gets captured and saved to one that finds her own strength and saves the day on her own sometimes. It was nice to see that changing mentality from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

[Braden Shamo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up after hearing comic connoisseurs rave about the early FF stories. These were extremely influential, and apparently the FF dysfunctional team really broke some molds.

That said, this stuff is BORING. It really, really hasn't aged well. It's like listening to pure "by golly gee" 1950's cliche speak, effortlessly coming up with solutions to defeat bad guys weirder than the last. The way women are portrayed is just weird and clumsy, extremely old fashioned. Which, this is a collection of comic books from the early 60's, so what do you expect? Doesn't mean it's pleasant reading in 2024.

And my goodness the asbestos. So. Much. Asbestos. Poor Human Torch, there's no way he escaped mesothelioma or lung cancer.

This is worth checking out only if you're interested in some history or feel some nostalgia for this era.

[Jake Nap · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume lays down the groundwork for the extremely influential run Kirby and Lee would craft over their 102 issue long partnership. There is also groundwork laid down for the ENTIRE Marvel universe. FF #1 alone is in the second most important single issue of all time behind Action Comics #1. Kirby and Lee introduce Doctor Doom, Mole Man, The Skrulls, the seed for Kang and much more. Not to mention the creation of the FF themselves. A team like this never existed in mainstream comics. They bickered like a family, they all had their own problems but they all also brought something unique to the table. In other words, they were complex characters. Yes, the stories in both volume 2 and 3 are better, but this volume matches those in creativity.

[Karanveer Blagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Omnibus collects the first 30 issues of Fantastic Four along with annual number 1. This is the early stages and it’s obviously there are moments where they are trying to figure out the characters and struggle with the pacing of how to write these stories. However around issue 10 they figure it out and start to roll. The only thing keeping this from being a 5/5 is the lacklustre villains and this is down to them wanting to focus on the story of the team first before bringing in the deep villains. They spend most of the time fleshing out the characters now so later on the motives and decisions are clear based on previous actions clearing up space for more developed villains. This is a perfect introduction to someone who wants to learn about the fantastic four.

[Errrrrrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

In all fairness, I didn't finish this. It's like Clash of the Titans (1981) for me. I can totally agree that at the time they were both ground-breaking, laid the foundation for a lot of future stuff, and if you saw it when it was new and fresh it was probably amazing.

But.

I did that and have that sentimental attachment for Clash of the Titans. I don't have it for The Fantastic Four. And I totally get people rating it higher because they have that view of it, but compared to current stuff, it's dated and just not as evolved or as good.

Read it if you're into it for the nostalgia factor or comic book history, but if you just want a good comic you can find a lot better.

[Simon MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much of the Marvel Comics universe is created in these first 30 issues of the FF collected in this volume. I love that from the very beginning Ben Grimm (The Thing) and Jonny Storm (The Human Torch) have a contentious big brother/little brother relationship.

The think that holds this volume back reading it in 2021 is the depiction of Sue Storm (The Invisible Girl) is so painfully bad. She's barely a caricature in these issues and anyone reading this collection would be particularly disappointed by the depiction of women from the 1960's.

[Kirby Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful compilation of the first 30 FF issues, including the first annual, with Stan's intros (written for when these were published in 10-issue volumes) and a few other extras. Even though the stories now seem tame, for those of us who grew up in Marvel's golden age, this is enthralling material - and once you're through the first year or so, the writing quality improves with each issue. By Omnibus Volume 2, the stories become memorable, the art stellar. Can't wait!