Comments on: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and The Fantastic Four

By: andy

andy — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:31:30 +0000

“It’s often said that what distinguished Marvel from DC Comics was the realism of the former, but this isn’t true at all. Marvel succeeded, particularly in Fantastic Four, by being more cosmic.”

This is a really good point. There’s a lot of talk about the “realism” of the Marvel Universe, but if you really look at it a lot of that doesn’t go anywhere especially interesting. What made Marvel great was how in your face it was compared to DC, and the way it seemed to draw on and energize classic pulp sci-fi/fantasy tropes. The FF going bankrupt in that one issue was kind of cute, but it’s not like I ever wanted to read something like it again despite Stan Lee often citing “money troubles” as a great distinguishing trait of Marvel heroes.

By: tchernabyelo

tchernabyelo — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:36:38 +0000

AN interesting point about the Fantastic Four being primarily explorers, and one that I suspet was picked up by Warren Ellis who, when writing “Planetary” (one of the few comics post-90s that I love), recast the FF, in effect, as the ultimate villains – a riff on the fact that they would constantly discover or even invent fantastic new technologies during their adventures, none of which ever made the slightest change to the world beyond their tower headquarters.

By: Mister_Alex

Mister_Alex — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Great article! I remember learning about The Fanatstic Four from a library book and was fascinated by the odd villains they fought. Never knew where to begin in reading back issues, but the mythos all its writers and artists created for characters like the Skrulls and Galactus is incredible.

By: Vaughn Heppner

Vaughn Heppner — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:21:30 +0000

That was a fantastic article. Kirby brought awe. Yes. I totally agree. I remember so well sitting on my cousin’s bed as a seven or eight year old boy. I read about Galactus then and was awed by the story. I knew then as a young boy that I would own tons of comics. Kirby awed me then and he continued to do so for years. He was the master. Thanks for your article!

By: John ONeill

John ONeill — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:57:52 +0000

Terrific article about my all-time favorite comic run, Matthew. Several keen insights, but the one I value most was:

> The FF are explorers, not crime-fighters or warriors

Indeed. Well said, and when you view the team in that light (particularly their leader, Reed, who lead them into most of their adventures), it gives you more insight into how Kirby liked to hang his tales.

Not as selfless heroes out to right wrongs (as their contemporaries, Spider-man and Daredevil, to pick two non-Kirby books), but as brave explorers helpless in the face of their own curiosity and desire to explore. The constant sense of awe in the book always seemed to me to be the natural reward for that motivation, and what made the book the most adult Marvel title (at least to my pre-teen eyes).

Fantastic Four was the first title I seriously collected once I had the money to do so, and I still remember reading the early issues (starting in the late teens — best I could so on my student budget) all the way through to 100 or so. It was a marvelous journey.