Top 5 Fantastic Four covers

[dlw66]

Tana had a thread going a few months ago asking people to cite their top-5 Avengers covers; why don't we do the same thing for the FF? Have at it!!

My all-time favorite FF cover, the first cover-appearance of Galactus!



Only two issues after my last reference; the emotion conveyed by Kirby/Sinnott is so well done!



I'm a sucker for "floating heads" covers, and this one is very colorful...



You don't often think of the Doctor soiling his hands...



In debate between this cover and the cover to FF #12, I went with this one, in part because of its simplicity but also due to no other Big John art on my list!



EDIT: Hopefully I've fixed all of the broken links -- www.comic-covers.com must not allow linking to their site! I've now used the ever-reliable Silver Age Marvel Comics Cover Index.

[sharkar]

Great choices. In particular, I have always loved #49 and #51's covers.

So, excluding those two covers, here are my 5 FF favorite covers (all from the Silver Age, natch):

My absolute favorite FF cover--I saw this cover somewhere and this is what made me want to start reading the FF (though I never actually bought this issue until years later). I had no idea who the FF or the Inhumans were...I was just mesmerized by all the colorful costumes set against that white background; the vivid red of Medusa's hair; the nearly-identical positioning of Medusa and Johnny's bodies; and by the movement of the heroes toward the villain. (Too bad T'Challa is almost an afterthought.)



Similar to dlw's #46...as long-time forummers may know, this particular floating heads cover has always been another favorite of mine (see the Silver Age artists thread... !



Our heroes just look so ridiculous here...



I love the symmetry and design of this cover. I guess I like almost any FF cover that features the Inhumans (though not #99, it seemed rushed and sloppy). By this time I was actually reading the FF--I remember the November day I bought this issue (well, my parents actually did the buying...but I did the choosing!), along with X-Men #52 and Avengers #60 (wedding of YJ and Jan)...I couldn't wait to get home and read all three comics!!!



The Doom figure is rather pedestrian (he's loomed large on a good number of FF covers over the years, hasn't he?)...but I like how the FF are positioned here. Nice work on the faces. Victims!

EDIT: replaced cover images

[Tana Nile]

Hoo boy, your two posts are a hard act to follow! But I'll give it a whirl anyway, expanding it into the Bronze age:



This cover just sort of sums up the Marvel Universe to me, or at least my interpretation of it.




One of the first FF issues I ever read. Maybe that's why to this day I have a dislike of Reed and a fascination with Doom.




Another early FF for me, and I love Buscema's dynamic poses here.



Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott - Kirby clone? Maybe. But in any case, it made an impression on me!



I'm not a huge Byrne fan, but I really liked this cover (and when he did it again in Superman a few years later!)

[Doctor Doom]

Brilliant thread- I don't think it would shock anyone here if I noted the Four are my absolute favourite super hero team in existence and, yes, probably my favourite comic series ever. No offence to Earth's Mightiest intended.



Fantastic Four 39- "A BLind Man Shall Lead them". The theme is later repeated in a phenomenal spread in Byrne's run, and the menacing figure of Doom while our heroes are helpless is what MAKES it.

..I agree on this one:


The poise, the stance of the Thing, Sue's face, the plight of Reed... everything. Phenomenal issue. Phenomenal cover.


Issue 244: "When Calls Galactus". Need I say more? Love the giant hand and the stark imagery.


The theme of Doom's hand revealing the issue inside is brilliantly done, and it's a very unique cover in general. Doesn't hurt that it contains debatably my favourite FF issue ever.


Those are by far my top four- in my mind, no other cover, even from the classics, can touch them. But here's some more recent ones, just for the sake of pointing out some powerful covers in the last ywo or three years.


FF 524. It's VERY simple, and an old, old image, but htis is probably my favourite rendition of it.


The issue itself NEVER delivered on it but C'MON, I defy anyone who knows anything about Thor and Doom to not want to know what happens

And just because I love it as well, the next issue:


FF had some GREAT Civil War covers, but that's my favourite. It's simple, it's direct, it's powerful- the haunted figures of Reed and Sue, torn apart by this schism. It's exactly what Civil War was all about.

[Shiryu]

Do you realize how many covers I have to browse through now to choose my fav 5?

Oh, what a painful task... ;D ;D

Will be posting mine soon

[dlw66]

NOTE: Most of the images used in the first couple of posts were from the Silver Age Marvel Comics Cover Index, which is down at the present time. Sorry for any inconvenience!

[Shiryu]

They will probably be quickly back, but just in case here are Dlw's covers from FFplaza

#1: 49



#2: 51



#3: 46



#4: 60



#5: 112

[dlw66]

Thanks, Shiryu!! There must have just been a little hiccup with their site. It's back up this morning -- and I'm very glad as it's such a great resource!

[Doctor Bong]

Fantastic choices, everyone!
Almost all those covers trigger so many memories for me!
Like sharkar, I've always liked the Inhumans.
#54 was one of the 1st FF issues I ever read... I remember as a kid I was very impressed with the Human Torch as a character, but now Ben is my favorite.
I always wanted to read #26, but I was never able to do so. Was it the 1st (real time) team-up between the FF and the Avengers? Wasn't there a 2nd or 1st part somewhere else, perhaps the Avengers or some other magazine...? I forget if the Hulk had a mag at the time... And does anybody know if the story was collected on paperback later?
I like a lot too that cover with Gladiator victorious over the FF, Tana, but I didn't know that Byrne had "recycled" it later on Superman... I think it was a stroke of whimsical genious on his part. Do you remember which characters appear on the Superman cover, replacing the FF...?
I also always liked #244, Doom, quite the dramatic composition!
As far as #258, would you believe I don't recall ever seeing it before....? But I agree, a wonderful cover as well.
#524: it might well have been done for dramatic, artistic purposes but, what are the "official" measurements of the Thing on his "classic" form? I was under the impression that he wasn't really that huge (tall) but then, as with many other characters there probably hasn't been a lot of consistency when depicting him... Also, I seem to recall his hands are bigger on relation to his body than the ones of an average human being. A little bit like the Beast when it comes to that, right...?
Does anybody know how many times the Thing and the Hulk have clashed...?
Looking at all these kicka-- covers and considering, like dlw66 said, that so many of the stories inside delivered on their promises, it's hard not to agree that, for a very long stretch (no pun intended) of time this was, indeed, "The world's greatest comic magazine!".

[Tana Nile]

May 21, 2008 13:04:28 GMT -5 Doctor Bong said:

I always wanted to read #26, but I was never able to do so. Was it the 1st (real time) team-up between the FF and the Avengers? Wasn't there a 2nd or 1st part somewhere else, perhaps the Avengers or some other magazine...? I forget if the Hulk had a mag at the time... And does anybody know if the story was collected on paperback later?

FF #25 was the first part of that story. It was indeed the first meeting of the two teams, and it did not go well! In the typical marvel manner, they bickered over how to proceed before eventually finding a way to work together. I know these stories were collected in a treasury edition back in the 70's, and they can also be found in the Marvel masterworks series. but I am not sure if they are in a TPB. Anybody know?

I like a lot too that cover with Gladiator victorious over the FF, Tana, but I didn't know that Byrne had "recycled" it later on Superman... I think it was a stroke of whimsical genious on his part. Do you remember which characters appear on the Superman cover, replacing the FF...?

here it is... appropriately, Supes has trashed Blok, Brainiac 5, Sun Boy, and Invisible Kid.

Does anybody know how many times the Thing and the Hulk have clashed...?

I've wondered this myself. Off hand, I can think of about 7 times. I might try to compile a list.

[Doctor Bong]

Thanks, Tana!

[Shiryu]

I've done a bit of sorting. Here are my faves

Number 1 is certainly this

You can really get the idea that a menace above all others is going to show up in the issue, and the cover manages to show it very well.

Number 2 is

Well, doesn't really need an explanation, does it? ^^

Number 3 is

Just the sheer power coming from Doom in this cover is amazing!

Number 4 is

# 29. The human anatomy is not the best, but I like the misty city in background, the Watcher outline and the sense of tragedy that seems to fill the picture. The title also adds to the mistery.

Number 5 is

Just seeing Ultron facing the FF is quite a shock!

And finally number 6 is

It kind of reminds me of King Kong, but it's visually very impressive IMO.

PS: I know they were meant to be 5, but couldn't resist it ^^

[sharkar]

May 21, 2008 13:04:28 GMT -5 Doctor Bong said:

Does anybody know how many times the Thing and the Hulk have clashed...?

From what I can recall, it's been at least 20 times.
EDIT: I should have included some details. I checked my issues and here's what I came up with:

FF #12 (based on the timing, this may be the first Marvel crossover!)
FF #25-26
FF# 111-113
FF #133
FF #166-167
FF #266-268
FF #320
FF #347-349
Hulk #122
Hulk #350
Marvel Feature #11
Marvel Two in One #46

I'm sure there are other issues, too. But what really jacks up the number are the various Thing one-shots- -or Hulk & Thing one shots- -that featured the two; I don't have these issues but I know I've seen them in the past.


Their initial battle was way back in FF #12. Hulk's own comic had just been canceled after six issues (to make room for the new Spider-Man comic, among other reasons; remember, Marvel was limited to the number of books they could publish, because their distributor was owned by National Periodical Publications aka DC)...but Stan wanted to keep the Hulk in the limelight; hence, the immediate, high profile appearance in FF.

And a few months later, the Hulk joined the Avengers and hung around for a few issues (though he officially quit at the end of Avengers #2). He then made an appearance in Spider-Man and then he received his own feature in Tales to Astonish.



BTW, I love everyone's covers...a lot of interesting choices here!

[sharkar]

May 21, 2008 15:07:43 GMT -5 Tana Nile said:

I know these stories were collected in a treasury edition back in the 70's, and they can also be found in the Marvel masterworks series. but I am not sure if they are in a TPB. Anybody know?

I have not seen FF #25-26 in a tpb, but the stories are included in FF Essentials vol. 2 (b&w , though).

May 21, 2008 15:07:43 GMT -5 Tana Nile said:

... appropriately, Supes has trashed Blok, Brainiac 5, Sun Boy, and Invisible Kid.

That's pretty funny. (I guess it would've been an insult to Reed if reserve LSH member Elastic Lad had been used instead of Brainy? )

[Shiryu]

Here is another list of Hulk vs Thing battles

FANTASTIC FOUR #12
HULK THING: HARD KNOCKS #4
FANTASTIC FOUR #25
FANTASTIC FOUR #26
HULK #122
FANTASTIC FOUR: TWGCM #5
FANTASTIC FOUR #112
HULK #153
MARVEL FEATURE #11
GIANT-SIZE SUPERSTARS #1
FANTASTIC FOUR #166
FANTASTIC FOUR #167
RAMPAGING HULK #5
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #46
THE BIG CHANGE
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE ANNUAL #5
HULK #278
MARVEL FANFARE #21
FANTASTIC FOUR #320
HULK #350
HULK #365
HULK ANNUAL #18
FANTASTIC FOUR #368
INFINITY WAR #6- FANTASTIC FOUR #370
FANTASTIC FOUR #374
FANTASTIC FOUR UNLIMITED #4
HULK #450
IRON MAN VOL. 2 #12
HEROES REBORN: THE RETURN #1
HULK #9
HULK/THING HARD KNOCKS #1-4
MONSTERS ON THE PROWL #1
FANTASTIC FOUR #534-535
WORLD WAR HULK #2

The source is www.leaderslair.com/gammapeople/hulksmashes/hulksmashes.html

[sharkar]

Wow! That's fantastic, Shiryu...thanks! And thanks for the link- - that is one great website/resource.

[dlw66]

May 21, 2008 20:27:03 GMT -5 sharkar said:

Wow! That's fantastic, Shiryu...thanks! And thanks for the link- - that is one great website/resource.

Yes, I've perused Leader's Lair before, and it covers some aspects of Marveldom that I was not always a regular collector of!

A couple of comments on the list --

Giant-Size Super Stars #1 is sometimes referred to as Giant-Size FF #1, as the "Super-Stars" was dropped in place of "Fantastic Four" and the next issue was GS FF #2.

"The Big Change" is a Marvel Graphic Novel -- one of the oversized books published by Marvel in the last '80's-early '90's (I believe The Death of Captain Marvel was the first in the series).

I've always liked the cover to Marvel Feature #11, which I believe also served as a try-out for Marvel Two-In-One, featuring of course, the Thing.

[Shiryu]

The link doesn't work. Is this the pic you were referring to?



I agree on Leaderslair. It's a bit biased pro Hulk at times, but overall a very good resource!

[dlw66]

Yes.

That site has been frustrating me. The images appear when I first make the post, but upon a refresh, they are gone. I will need to quit using that site, as they must have linking blocked.

Thanks again for the save!!

[Shiryu]

OT: congratulations for your 3000th post!!

IT: if it happens again, save the pic on your pc and upload it on www.tinypic.com, then host it from there

[sharkar]

May 22, 2008 13:10:45 GMT -5 Shiryu said:

OT: congratulations for your 3000th post!!

Congrats, dlw!

May 19, 2008 12:52:31 GMT -5 dlw66 said:

NOTE: Most of the images used in the first couple of posts were from the Silver Age Marvel Comics Cover Index...

Speaking of samcci, they have a very interesting feature about Spider-Man covers on which the character himself does not actually appear...though there's a Spider-Man "spotlight" or his visage is shown, so he's accounted for symbolically.

But in going through the FF covers the other day, I was struck by a couple of Silver Age covers that don't display any of the four main characters- -not even symbolically (excluding the corner box, of course). As far as I can tell, this was really unusual for Silver Age Marvel covers.

What's more, these covers were produced in quick succession, just a couple of months apart (in '68). Not only is this a testament to Stan and Jack's fondness for the Silver Surfer (and his popularity with readers), but it also speaks to Marvel's confidence in their flagship book- - except for the bland little corner box, Marvel didn't feel a need to use any of the FF--or their likenesses--on the cover as a selling point.

[Shiryu]

That's an interesting find. Back in the day, covers very much reflected the inside of the book and, without the previews magazines or the websites, they were the foremost ad for a title. Not including the title characters clearly shows the faith they had in Galactus and the Surfer.

[dlw66]

In regard to the covers of FF #'s 72 and 74, there's an interesting article in The Jack Kirby Collector #33 (the FF issue) on "Kirby Krackle". The author discusses Kirby's movement away from standard speed lines, squiggles, and the like to denote power and energy and instead fell in love with series of black dots placed in such a way as to convey that same energy, concussion, etc. These covers serve as examples of just this...

[sharkar]

May 23, 2008 4:18:18 GMT -5 Shiryu said:

Not including the title characters clearly shows the faith they had in Galactus and the Surfer.

My thoughts exactly, Shiryu; and these two FF-less, Surfer-centric Fantastic Four covers also served as a "trial run" for the Surfer's own book, which debuted a few months later (cover dated August 1968).

[Shiryu]

Definitely sounds like an advertising gimmick then. Pity the Surfer's book didn't last too long. How many issues was it in the end?

[dlw66]

The 1968 Surfer series ran 18 issues. Numbers 1-17 were by Lee/Buscema, #18 was by Lee/Kirby.

Now if you don't think that was a drastic departure, art-wise. Nothing against Jack in his own right, but to read 17 issues and look at Buscema and then to see that style changed to Kirby's more cartoony pictures...

[Doctor Doom]

May 23, 2008 20:49:43 GMT -5 dlw66 said:

The 1968 Surfer series ran 18 issues. Numbers 1-17 were by Lee/Buscema, #18 was by Lee/Kirby.

Now if you don't think that was a drastic departure, art-wise. Nothing against Jack in his own right, but to read 17 issues and look at Buscema and then to see that style changed to Kirby's more cartoony pictures...

Guess we're gonna have to disagree, Doug, because I honestly think it doesn't matter whther we talk past, present or, I think, the future to come, nothing tops Kirby in raw energy and power. I love JR Sr, Buscema, Ditko etc to bits, but I think none of them even came close to Kirby. Cartoony? Maybe, but the power in those pics- even in Surfer 18, which was hardly Kirby's best- is hard to top!

[Shiryu]

May 23, 2008 20:49:43 GMT -5 dlw66 said:

The 1968 Surfer series ran 18 issues. Numbers 1-17 were by Lee/Buscema, #18 was by Lee/Kirby.

Now if you don't think that was a drastic departure, art-wise. Nothing against Jack in his own right, but to read 17 issues and look at Buscema and then to see that style changed to Kirby's more cartoony pictures...

Interesting. I wonder if this sudden change was due to artistic reasons, or if Lee hoped that Kirby would bring more readers since he usually drew the Surfer on FF.

[dlw66]

May 24, 2008 5:45:38 GMT -5 Doctor Doom said:

May 23, 2008 20:49:43 GMT -5 dlw66 said:

The 1968 Surfer series ran 18 issues. Numbers 1-17 were by Lee/Buscema, #18 was by Lee/Kirby.

Now if you don't think that was a drastic departure, art-wise. Nothing against Jack in his own right, but to read 17 issues and look at Buscema and then to see that style changed to Kirby's more cartoony pictures...

Guess we're gonna have to disagree, Doug, because I honestly think it doesn't matter whther we talk past, present or, I think, the future to come, nothing tops Kirby in raw energy and power. I love JR Sr, Buscema, Ditko etc to bits, but I think none of them even came close to Kirby. Cartoony? Maybe, but the power in those pics- even in Surfer 18, which was hardly Kirby's best- is hard to top!

Don't get me totally wrong, my good Doctor (or Santa -- I never said I dislike Kirby at all. My only point, and I didn't state myself clearly I know, was that after Buscema's realism, his lithe figures and beautifully expressive faces -- Kirby was quite a departure and not one to my particular tastes in comparison.

As a similar example, there's an old Tales of Suspense, back when Gene Colan was doing the Iron Man feature, where IM is battling Namor. Stan's note in the front of the book states that Gentleman Gene took ill shortly after beginning the ish, and Kirby ably stepped in to complete it and meet the deadline. When the reader turns from page 3 to page 4, it's as if one has stepped into a different reality altogether. Gone is the moody, somewhat dark or muddy Colan look (with the prettier Wayne Boring-type bodies) and present is the four-color in-your-face Kirby style. Not that that's bad, it's just such a departure.

Kirby's work with Joe Sinnott within the pages of many of these covers above is without peer, and I love the run from the Inhumans saga up through about the time Crystal joined (maybe a little later). But, when looking at Kirby as compared to the more realistic aritsts (Colan, both Buscemas, Adams, Steranko, etc.) I would prefer to look at the realism.

But I don't "not appreciate" Jack. I still don't think I've been convincing, but maybe you can sort of get my meaning.

[Doctor Doom]

Whoops,- I fear it's my fault, Doug, for not bringing MYSELF across. I know you appreciate Kirby- Heck, I'm not sure anyone can really love comics and not. I never meant to imply you didn't, I get what you're saying. Obviously, preferring th realistic style etc is just a legitimate difference of opinion. I wasn't questioning that- I was just saying that while I get that other artists have their own stylistic benefits, I prefer Kirby overall. I wasn't questioning your views on Kirby, just disagreeing.