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Marvel Masterworks: The Silver Surfer #2
Marvel Masterworks: Silver Surfer, Volume 2
Back-to-press and fully restored by popular demand! The world's favorite space-faring super hero in his continuing saga of anguish and adventure! He sacrificed himself to save his home world of Zenn-La from the planet-devouring menace Galactus, saving those he loved in exchange for a life of servitude as the Silver Surfer. Now, after disobeying his master, Norrin Radd is stranded on the planet Earth - forever removed from his love, Shalla-Bal, and from the beckoning spaceways! A high point of epic adventure and lyrical drama, THE SILVER SURFER took the comic-book super hero to all-new heights. Using their ravaged protagonist as a lens through which they could comment on the social injustices of the era, Stan Lee and John Buscema turned the Surfer into the ultimate outsider archetype, reflecting the reader's world in his metallic skin. In these pages, the Surfer will face ghosts from beyond the grave seeking redemption, the horrors of war, the devious Mephisto, and mighty Marvel heroes including Spider-Man to the Human Torch and the Inhumans. So what more do you need to know? Reserve that copy today, True Believer! Collecting SILVER SURFER #7-18.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
17 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Marvel Comics
9,813 books403 followersMarvel Publishing, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media. Marvel Entertainment, Inc., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, owns Marvel Publishing (since 2009).
Marvel counts among its characters such well-known properties as Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, Wolverine, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Daredevil, Thor, the Sub-Mariner, the Punisher, Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange, and the Silver Surfer; antagonists such as Dr. Doom, the Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Venom, Magneto, Sabretooth, Galactus, the Red Skull, the Kingpin, and Bullseye; and others. Most of Marvel's fictional characters operate in a single reality known as the Marvel Universe, with locales set in real-life cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The comic book arm of the company started in 1939 as Timely Publications, and by the early 1950s had generally become known as Atlas Comics. Marvel's modern incarnation dates from 1961, with the company later that year launching Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others. Marvel has since become the largest American comic book publisher, surpassing its longtime competitor DC Comics.
On December 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4.24 billion.
--from Wikipedia
Note: Although currently owned by the Walt Disney Company, this author is kept separate due to it's long history prior to it's acquisition - over 70 years.
Marvel counts among its characters such well-known properties as Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, Wolverine, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Daredevil, Thor, the Sub-Mariner, the Punisher, Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange, and the Silver Surfer; antagonists such as Dr. Doom, the Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Venom, Magneto, Sabretooth, Galactus, the Red Skull, the Kingpin, and Bullseye; and others. Most of Marvel's fictional characters operate in a single reality known as the Marvel Universe, with locales set in real-life cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The comic book arm of the company started in 1939 as Timely Publications, and by the early 1950s had generally become known as Atlas Comics. Marvel's modern incarnation dates from 1961, with the company later that year launching Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others. Marvel has since become the largest American comic book publisher, surpassing its longtime competitor DC Comics.
On December 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4.24 billion.
--from Wikipedia
Note: Although currently owned by the Walt Disney Company, this author is kept separate due to it's long history prior to it's acquisition - over 70 years.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 28, 2019
the second half of Silver Surfer's silver age run.
I found this a bit funner than the previous volume because it looks like they didn't really know what to do with the Surfer, and so they tried to turn him into a horror comic which ended up being weird in a good sort of way. Instead of just battling it out with space aliens, here The Surfer takes on Dr. Frankenstein, A ghost pirate, and a coven of witches (he even did a guest appearance over at Tomb of Dracula around this time period). Mephisto even returns from the previous volume a couple of times to cause trouble. Like last volume's Thor vs. Surfer issue, the Surfer finds himself taking on heroes here, too. Spider-Man, the Inhumans, and the Human Torch tangle with the silver sentinel.
The main problem here is that Silver Surfer's power level is pretty undefined. Sometimes he can heal a critically dying person with the point of his finger, and sometimes he can't heal people at all. Bullets can't touch him, but a stray chunk of space rock knocks him out cold. He says he can easily use his power to blend in with people, but when he does go incognito he just puts on a hat and trench coat.
Overall, these are decent silver age comics but I'm glad this early run stopped here because they obviously had nowhere to go with Surfer's character at this point.
I found this a bit funner than the previous volume because it looks like they didn't really know what to do with the Surfer, and so they tried to turn him into a horror comic which ended up being weird in a good sort of way. Instead of just battling it out with space aliens, here The Surfer takes on Dr. Frankenstein, A ghost pirate, and a coven of witches (he even did a guest appearance over at Tomb of Dracula around this time period). Mephisto even returns from the previous volume a couple of times to cause trouble. Like last volume's Thor vs. Surfer issue, the Surfer finds himself taking on heroes here, too. Spider-Man, the Inhumans, and the Human Torch tangle with the silver sentinel.
The main problem here is that Silver Surfer's power level is pretty undefined. Sometimes he can heal a critically dying person with the point of his finger, and sometimes he can't heal people at all. Bullets can't touch him, but a stray chunk of space rock knocks him out cold. He says he can easily use his power to blend in with people, but when he does go incognito he just puts on a hat and trench coat.
Overall, these are decent silver age comics but I'm glad this early run stopped here because they obviously had nowhere to go with Surfer's character at this point.
August 9, 2019
I enjoyed this volume more than the first. In V1, Surfer spends more time wallowing in self-pity, but in V2, there's a rising frustration and anger, culminating in one of the most outstanding splash pages I've ever seen in a Marvel comic. It's even more relatable (and timely), if you are the type of generally tries to be and do good in the world, but constantly faced with negative emotions and actions.
As a whole, the series is a little repetitious, with Stan trying to find some reason for the Surfer to interact with at least one other character in the Marvel Universe. The art also solidifies a little with Adkins' inking on the majority of issues, and the very last issue is drawn by none other than the King himself, Jack Kirby. While his style is dramatically different than Buscema's, it's a treat unto itself.
Be warned, the series ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, but it is still a joy to read this early Marvel book.
As a whole, the series is a little repetitious, with Stan trying to find some reason for the Surfer to interact with at least one other character in the Marvel Universe. The art also solidifies a little with Adkins' inking on the majority of issues, and the very last issue is drawn by none other than the King himself, Jack Kirby. While his style is dramatically different than Buscema's, it's a treat unto itself.
Be warned, the series ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, but it is still a joy to read this early Marvel book.
May 19, 2020
Meh.
John Buscema, brilliant penciler. Nice issue by Jack Kirby, as well.
Nevertheless, these stories are not for me. Somehow, boring.
John Buscema, brilliant penciler. Nice issue by Jack Kirby, as well.
Nevertheless, these stories are not for me. Somehow, boring.
September 27, 2017
Marvel Masterworks: Silver Surfer Volume 2 collects issues #7-18, the final issue, of his first solo series. The Surfer has been exiled to Earth by Galactus and bemoans humanities hatred of him while finding the compassion to help them in their times of peril while his loved one, Shalla-Bal, attempts to reach him across the cosmos.
There isn't much that makes this collection any better or even as good Volume 1. The one thing it does have going for it is that the issues are a lot shorter (20 pages now with exception of the awful issue #7 at the original 40 page length). There is also a handful of more prominent Marvel characters and villains, but there is also even more terrible one offs (the most egregious being Frankenstein and his monster in #7). Mephisto makes a couple appearances and his role as the archvillain works out well enough, but no one really seems like a threat to him. My favorite comic of this collection was the final issue where he fight both the evil Inhumans and the good Inhumans.
My big problem with these comics is they make Silver Surfer seem whiny and hypocritical. He talks about how he wants to be non-violent towards humanity because of his compassion, but then loses his shit and attacks them because they are scared of him. At no point does he ever stop and try to communicate who he is and what his purpose is or like tell them he have saved the world a billion times. He's so prone to violence that there is even an issue where the Fantastic Four send Human Torch after him because he's trying to fight the US military and at the end it's revealed that they just wanted him to give them advice about some tech they were inventing and he feels bad, sulking off to lament about the barrier that keeps him here. Don't even get me started on the Spider-Man issue where they literally fight because neither one knows who the other person is. It's dumb.
You can definitely tell there was a lot of confusion on Stan Lee's part about what to do with the Surfer. Should they keep him as a guest in the more mainstream titles? Do they try make his comic more mystical/horror based or keep is cosmic? The final issues teases another Silver Surfer series to follow this one, but it doesn't happen. He became relegated to being a guest character until the late 80s when he got his own comic once again.
All in all, it's sort of fun if you look beyond the fact that the Surfer is never really given any chance to look inwardly at himself and try to address his own aggression and judgments of humans. You can tell Stan Lee really used him as a philosophical conduit and even mentions in the intro to Volume One that Surfer is his favorite character that he created. The shorter comics really improve the pacing and the artwork in these by John Buscema is just phenomenal. Recommended.
There isn't much that makes this collection any better or even as good Volume 1. The one thing it does have going for it is that the issues are a lot shorter (20 pages now with exception of the awful issue #7 at the original 40 page length). There is also a handful of more prominent Marvel characters and villains, but there is also even more terrible one offs (the most egregious being Frankenstein and his monster in #7). Mephisto makes a couple appearances and his role as the archvillain works out well enough, but no one really seems like a threat to him. My favorite comic of this collection was the final issue where he fight both the evil Inhumans and the good Inhumans.
My big problem with these comics is they make Silver Surfer seem whiny and hypocritical. He talks about how he wants to be non-violent towards humanity because of his compassion, but then loses his shit and attacks them because they are scared of him. At no point does he ever stop and try to communicate who he is and what his purpose is or like tell them he have saved the world a billion times. He's so prone to violence that there is even an issue where the Fantastic Four send Human Torch after him because he's trying to fight the US military and at the end it's revealed that they just wanted him to give them advice about some tech they were inventing and he feels bad, sulking off to lament about the barrier that keeps him here. Don't even get me started on the Spider-Man issue where they literally fight because neither one knows who the other person is. It's dumb.
You can definitely tell there was a lot of confusion on Stan Lee's part about what to do with the Surfer. Should they keep him as a guest in the more mainstream titles? Do they try make his comic more mystical/horror based or keep is cosmic? The final issues teases another Silver Surfer series to follow this one, but it doesn't happen. He became relegated to being a guest character until the late 80s when he got his own comic once again.
All in all, it's sort of fun if you look beyond the fact that the Surfer is never really given any chance to look inwardly at himself and try to address his own aggression and judgments of humans. You can tell Stan Lee really used him as a philosophical conduit and even mentions in the intro to Volume One that Surfer is his favorite character that he created. The shorter comics really improve the pacing and the artwork in these by John Buscema is just phenomenal. Recommended.
August 24, 2018
Perhaps some will say it’s the nostalgia talking... but Buscema’s Surfer work never fails to stop me in my tracks. It’s the colors. And the faces. And the poses. And the framing. Simply put, it’s eye-sex. He had those Kirbyesque black dots DOWN. I’ve heard it referred to as the “Kirby Krackle.” Whatever it is, it very effectively conveys blinding heat and Power Cosmic!
These stories are great. They focus on your standard Silver Surfer themes, namely man’s pension for paranoia, greed, deception and violence.
Mephisto may look like a corny villain (he really does,) but he shines in this volume. He’s an irredeemable piece of shit, which contrasts well with the ever-noble Norrin Radd.
It’s a shame that this series was cancelled so early. I’m glad Marvel came to their senses and allowed Englehart to bring the greatest silvery hero ever back to life a decade later.
If you love superhero awesomeness, look no further. Excelsior!!!!
These stories are great. They focus on your standard Silver Surfer themes, namely man’s pension for paranoia, greed, deception and violence.
Mephisto may look like a corny villain (he really does,) but he shines in this volume. He’s an irredeemable piece of shit, which contrasts well with the ever-noble Norrin Radd.
It’s a shame that this series was cancelled so early. I’m glad Marvel came to their senses and allowed Englehart to bring the greatest silvery hero ever back to life a decade later.
If you love superhero awesomeness, look no further. Excelsior!!!!
May 18, 2023
I like the kid in issue 14 who says "What good does it do me to be watchin' all this [Spider-man and Silver Surfer fighting] no one's ever gonna believe it when I tell them!" Even back then people only did it for the Gram. The zombie ghost cyborg pirate villain was a breath of fresh air to the stale plots, but he overstayed his welcome spanning two issues.
Overall this is more of the same from last book. Surfer goes around the world, and people are scared and fight him and then may learn their lesson for a second and forget it or never learn at all. The saving grace in the repetition is the amazing art, though not as psychedelic anywhere as the last collection.
Oh and even though I was way past done with Mephisto stories before too many more appeared here, at least we got to see Mephisto in a blue trench coat trying to be a regular person to hilarious effect.
Overall this is more of the same from last book. Surfer goes around the world, and people are scared and fight him and then may learn their lesson for a second and forget it or never learn at all. The saving grace in the repetition is the amazing art, though not as psychedelic anywhere as the last collection.
Oh and even though I was way past done with Mephisto stories before too many more appeared here, at least we got to see Mephisto in a blue trench coat trying to be a regular person to hilarious effect.
February 25, 2023
Another epic
As with the previous volume, this collection is top notch! Buscema's artwork is unparalelled, and the stories are all out action!
The Surfer's lamenting gets a little tiresome, but this is still a fantastic read and is as true today as it was 50 years ago when it was first published. Mankind is no better, sadly.
A great collection and fantastic read!
As with the previous volume, this collection is top notch! Buscema's artwork is unparalelled, and the stories are all out action!
The Surfer's lamenting gets a little tiresome, but this is still a fantastic read and is as true today as it was 50 years ago when it was first published. Mankind is no better, sadly.
A great collection and fantastic read!
July 21, 2021
Awesome art complemented by some good narrative. I specially liked the numbers involving Warlock.
September 17, 2023
Silver Surfer #7-18.
March 10, 2017
I'm one of the few who was happy when they dropped the page count...it made these issues feel a little less interminable.
Read
May 9, 2021Questo volume ristampa storie apparse sui seguenti albi americani:
Silver Surfer 7-18
Fntastic Four annual 5 (solo una storia breve)
Silver Surfer 7-18
Fntastic Four annual 5 (solo una storia breve)
October 27, 2014
The artwork is less satisfying in last two issues drawn by Buscema: figures become stiff and often seem to float in front of the backgrounds like cutouts rather than inhabiting a three dimensional space. This seems mainly due to the heavily outlined figures inked by Chic Stone and the lack of graded coloring on Mephisto who appears here as a uniform bright red rather than in shades grading from brown and dark red through pink and white as in earlier appearances.
The final issue re-unites the Surfer with his creator, Jack Kirby, and pits him against another signature Kirby creation, The Inhumans. As can be expected of “The King”, each panel expresses maximum energy; Kirby’s more massive Surfer makes his displays of power more convincing. The drawings often seem to embody the laws of physics – each hurtling figure or thrown punch an illustration of mass in destructive motion.
Occasionally during his periods of bemoaning man’s inhumanity, the Surfer works himself into a rage and vows to use his power as a means of chastising humankind. These seldom last more than a few panels before he sees some helpless victim in danger who he feels compelled to help. At the end of issue 18, after becoming involuntarily involved in the Inhumans’ civil war, he works himself up into the grand-daddy of all snits and the issue ends with a full page close-up of the Surfer’s enraged countenance as he vows to battle against mankind and to “be the deadliest one of all!” A teaser line at the bottom of the page says, “Next: The Savagely Sensational NEW Silver Surfer!” Alas, there was to be no issue 19 and the Surfer’s rampage, like the Christian Day of Wrath, has been indefinitely postponed.
The final issue re-unites the Surfer with his creator, Jack Kirby, and pits him against another signature Kirby creation, The Inhumans. As can be expected of “The King”, each panel expresses maximum energy; Kirby’s more massive Surfer makes his displays of power more convincing. The drawings often seem to embody the laws of physics – each hurtling figure or thrown punch an illustration of mass in destructive motion.
Occasionally during his periods of bemoaning man’s inhumanity, the Surfer works himself into a rage and vows to use his power as a means of chastising humankind. These seldom last more than a few panels before he sees some helpless victim in danger who he feels compelled to help. At the end of issue 18, after becoming involuntarily involved in the Inhumans’ civil war, he works himself up into the grand-daddy of all snits and the issue ends with a full page close-up of the Surfer’s enraged countenance as he vows to battle against mankind and to “be the deadliest one of all!” A teaser line at the bottom of the page says, “Next: The Savagely Sensational NEW Silver Surfer!” Alas, there was to be no issue 19 and the Surfer’s rampage, like the Christian Day of Wrath, has been indefinitely postponed.
April 13, 2015
More surprisingly good adventures from the Silver Surfer, this time reprinting issues 7 to 18 (the final issue). Including appearances from Spider-Man, the Abomination and Captain America, it's a real shame that the series was cancelled as it ends on a cliff-hanger that has never been rectified, with the Surfer's next appearance in The Mighty Thor #193 having him acting as normal, rather than how he appears in the final panel of this book.
November 29, 2023
I read these as they came out originally back in the day, but I find the Surfer's whining removes much of the joy of reading him when you have the ability to binge read.
May 7, 2015
August 1969 - September 1970. Silver Surfer, although immensely powerful, sees himself as a man of peace who will not kill, and all humans -- and pretty much everyone else in the universe, except his lady-love -- as hostile and violent. Makes for some odd stories, although he does manage to defeat the super-villains and escape without killing anyone.
April 28, 2023
Buscema & Kirby are gods. The first half is much more a horror comic, & gems include Dr. Frankenstein creating a Frankensurfer, Mephisto empowering the Ghost of the Flying Dutchman, & a witch coven trying to ritualize the Surfer & Abomination. The second half is a Marvel fight comic, as the Surfer battles Spidey, the Torch, S.H.I.E.L.D., & the Inhumans
February 9, 2016
The Marvel Masterworks volumes are fantastic reprints of the early years of Marvel comics. A fantastic resource to allow these hard to find issues to be read by everyone. Very recommended to everyone and Highly recommended to any comic fan.
July 2, 2024
Yet another OCD upgrade/ double-dip. At least I have a perfect version preserved for posterity. The Mephisto stories are my favorites, followed by the one with witches coven where they conjure the Abomination.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews