Customer Reviews

Essential Silver Surfer, Vol. 1 (Marvel Essentials) (v. 1)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To begin with, this Essential volume deserves some serious praise. It makes some exceptionally pricey bronze age issues available inexpensively, manages to reprint the entire run of Silver Surfer vol. 1 in one book, and even goes so far as to include the Silver Surfer's only solo story prior to SS #1, which took place in a Fantastic Four Annual, not in the Silver Surfer title. For these reasons alone, this is one of the more worthwhile Essential volumes out there.

For what it's worth, Silver Surfer #1-14 were reprinted in color (the Essential volumes are in black & white) in "Fantasy Masterpieces" during the late 1970s, and each of those issues can be found in most comic shops for $1 a piece, but the last four Silver Surfer issues and the Fantastic Four annual would be difficult to find inexpensively without this edition.

But my real disappointment with this compilation lies in the fact that it's considered volume 1. Silver Surfer began in Fantastic Four and, unknown to most, spent a lot of time appearing in that title before he recieved his own title, as well as a revamped origin. Silver Surfer appeared in Fantastic Four 48-50, 55-61, 72, and 74-77. Many of these stories were major turning points for the Surfer and featured him prominently. He refers to them frequently in the Silver Surfer series. While it's true that these issues are already reprinted in the Essential Fantastic Four volumes, most fans looking to read up on the Surfer won't know to start there.

Truthfully, I feel that those were some of the Surfer's best stories. In his first incarnation, the Surfer was Galactus's compliant herald, who genuinely seemed to live for serving his master. He roamed throughout the universe, searching for consumable planets so that Galactus wouldn't have to. Galactus gave the Surfer the freedom to travel the cosmos, and the Surfer gave Galactus the freedom to live without constantly searching for nourishment. Through this exchange, the two became more than master and servant. They depended upon each other, traversing the cosmos alone, but together. In essence, they were soul mates.

Stan Lee never wrote anything with much subtlety, yet this relationship somehow managed to remain implied without either character declaring it every five seconds. There was something beautiful about this master/servant relationship. It was functional, liberating, and intimate. Of course, we only saw this relationship briefly, as the two characters made their first appearances in Fantastic Four #48 and #49. Once the Surfer discovered that the newest planet he had found for Galactus (Earth) was inhabited, everything changed.

Later incarnations of the Surfer make this story out to be so simple and black & white, but the original story shows a great reluctance on both the part of the Surfer and Galactus to fight each other. Neither wanted to hurt the other or break the bond of their master/ servent relationship. After the Surfer does defy Galactus, and Galactus condemns him to live on Earth by constructing an invisible barrier around the planet through which the Surfer cannot pass, our hero goes on to regret his decision, wondering why he sacrificed everything for a primitive, hate-filled race that never seems to trust him nor his intentions.

The Silver Surfer series (reprinted in this volume) really plays up the Christ-like qualities of the Surfer, portraying him as being a martyr despite himself. Though he regrets his decision, he's constantly placed in situations where he's forced to sacrifice his freedom for mankind's sake once again. However, the Silver Surfer series also revamps the Surfer's origin, making his sacrifice more about leaving his home planet of Zenn-La than about losing his bond to Galactus (a villain). I found the original premise more complex and fascinating, which is why I prefer the early Fantastic Four appearances. The issues printed in Essential Silver Surfer are good stories too, but someone that really wants to understand The Surfer should start at the begining.

For those of you that are curious, here's the complete listing of the real "essential" early Silver Surfer appearances, as well as where they are reprinted. Though SS does make appearances in several other titles during this time (some of which have yet to be reprinted), none of those appearances could be considered "essential" for Silver Surfer.

Fantastic Four 48-50: SS's first appearance and separation from Galactus,(Essential Fantastic Four vol. 3)
Fantastic Four 57-61: Doctor Doom betrays SS and steals his power, SS loses faith in humanity (never fully regains it), (Essential Fantastic Four vol. 3)
Fantastic Four 74-77: confronts Galactus again (Essential Fantastic Four vol. 4)
Fantastic Four Annual 5: First solo story (Essential Fantastic Four vol. 4 & Essential Silver Surfer vol. 1)
Silver Surfer 1-18: origin is revamped. Fights Mephisto and others for first time (Essential Silver Surfer vol. 1)
Fantastic Four 120-128: Stan Lee's final work on The Surfer for many years (probably in Essential Fantastic Four vol. 6, which has not yet been released)
Fantastic Four 155-157: Not written by Lee, but good stuff! Mephisto fights SS again and brings Shalla Bal into it (probably in Essential Fantastic Four vol. 7 or 8, which has not yet been released
Silver Surfer mini-series 1-2: Stan Lee's final work on the Surfer, also intended to be SS's final confrontation with Galactus (in the future). Reads like an Elsewhere graphic novel, (never reprinted, available CHEAP in comic stores).

And that's about it. In every SS appearance after that, he's a drastically different character, no longer controlled by Stan Lee. I hope this crashcourse was helpful to some of you. Essential Silver Surfer vol. 1 is a necessary volume, but it's not the place to start (or finish).

When the Silver Surfer was given his own comic book, a bi-monthly oversized title, there was a rather significant retooling of the character. When the Silver Surfer first came to earth in "Fantastic Four" #48 he was the herald of Galactus, zipping around the universe finding planets for his master to eat. After his first battle with the F.F. the Surfer encounters the blind Alicia Masters who hears a certain nobility in his voice. However, the Surfer declares that "nobility" has no meaning for him. Alicia, who has never sensed "such unimaginable loneliness in a living being," convinces the Surfer to challenge Galactus, who is defeated. But for effrontery Galactus removes the Surfer's space-time powers. The surfer will roam the galaxy no more.

Stan Lee and John Buscema reintroduced the Surfer by revealing his origin in the first issue and for the first time we learned of how Norrin Radd had lived a troubled life on the planet Zenn-La, with his beloved, Shalla Bal. The planet had lived in peace for generations and Radd despairs over the idea of paradise unearned. Then Galactus shows up and Zenn-La proves defenseless before his power. Norrin Radd flies to meet the invader and offers to be his herald, thereby solving the problem that Galactus eats inhabited worlds because he does not have the time to find planets where no intelligent life exists. Transformed into the Silver Surfer, Radd says a farewell to Shalla Bal and heads off on the path that will lead him to be exiled on Earth.

This origin makes some radical changes in the Surfer, because if you take this issue as gospel and apply it retroactively you have to wonder why the Surfer was no longer looking for planets without intelligent life when he landed on Earth (What about Mars? Venus? Jupiter? Or would Jupiter give Galactus gas?). But the main addition is the whole back-story of Norrin Radd, which adds another layer of tragedy to the Surfer being trapped on Earth. You also have John Buscema as the Surfer's artist, and while it might be heresy his version actually looks cooler than Jack Kirby's.

Including in "The Essential Silver Surfer, Volume 1" are the first eighteen issues of "The Silver Surfer" and a Lee and Kirby Surfer adventure form "Fantastic Four" Annual #5. In the mix are the Surfer's first encounter with Mephisto (#3), a battle with the Mighty Thor (#4), a brief reunion with Shalla Bal (#11), an encounter with Spider-Man (#14), a battle with the Human Torch (#15), and a two-part return engagement with Mephisto (#16-17), who ended up being the Silver Surfer's main enemy in these comics (Mephisto is behind the villains in issues #8-9 as well). Jack Kirby draws #18, where the Surfer fights the Inhumans.

There are a few less than stellar issues, such as the encounter with the Frankenstein monster (#7), but overall this is a good series, especially the early ones where the stories are 40-pages long and where the crossovers where more limited. Keeping the Surfer out of the mainstream Marvel Universe was one of the things that made him so special, which is why the longer this series went the less special he became. That is why Volume 1 is the one most worth having, even if these comics are reproduced in black & white (and why Volume 1 of the Marvel Masterworks series devoted to the Surfer which reprints the first six issues in color looks so attractive to fans of the character).

There was always something about Marvel Comics which separated them from the pack, at least at the beginning. Whereas top competitor DC had cranked out superheroes for years, Marvel's heroes always seemed much more tangible, more human.

Much of this is due to Stan Lee's writing. While descending into self-parody later, one cannot help but feel a frisson in reading Lee's early stuff: the angst-ridden Spider-Man, the tumultuous Fantastic Four, the tortured Hulk. Lee made heroes and comics that teenagers could identify with.

And then he made the Silver Surfer.

The Surfer was a mass of contradictions: a peace-loving alien imbued with incredible power in the service of world-devouring Galactus; a faithful herald who betrayed his master; an intergalactic traveller confined to Earth. The Surfer was so over-the-top, it was hard for anyone to identify with him.

And yet we love him anyway. Why? Perhaps because the Surfer's alien naivete allows us to see the world anew. Or because Stan Lee's lofty prose finally seems to have found a suitable subject.

Either way, I guarantee you'll love this collection of early Silver Surfer tales. Excelsior!

The original 18 issues of the Silver Surfer have always had a bit of a mythological feel to them. Even back in the early 1970's when I started reading comics, there was something awe-inspiring about them. Already the back issues were commanding a premium price, due in part to low distribution on several issues. The title never sold well which is one reason why so many issues had guest stars such as Spiderman or Thor. Still, this was always Stan Lee's favorite character and you can see in reading the stories that this was some of Stan's best work since the early Fantastic Four issues. His dedication to developing the martyr-like character of the enigmatic Surfer makes these issues still relevant and highly readable today, nearly 40 years later.

The other thing this book had going for it was the fantastic art of John Buscema. While Buscema never got the kind of accolades that contemporaries like Neal Adams and Jack Kirby did, Bucema's work was always first rate and always consistent. John never took an issue off the way other artists did. His last page always was as good as the first and no one captured the majesty of the Surfer like Big John, not even Kirby.

The book re-prints all of those 18 issues which would cost a small fortune if you were to buy them today on the secondary market. Issue #3 introduces the Demon Mephisto, a frequent foe of the surfers. Mephisto was often mistaken as being Satan, a mistake he would often encourage. Issue # 4 was one of those low distribution covers and features one of the most popular and dramatic covers of the Silver Age with The Surfer Battling Thor. One real tough thing about the Surfer was his lack of villains. I mean when your main foes are Galactus and Mephisto, it's hard to get too excited about The Ghost or Doomsday man.

The last few issues of the run is where they tried to boost sales by featuring scads of guest stars including Spiderman in #14, The Fanstic Four in #15, Nick Fury in #16 & 17, and the Inhumans in the final issue.

If you read just one of the Essentials books, make it this one!

This book is thick with lots of great art in the easy to view balck and white state. the only problem is that the paper is cheap--newsprint. it would be nice to have these collection with better paper but then again the price would be higher.

The Essential Silver Surfer is a classic part of Marvel history, and to be honest it never looked better. The black and White actually enhanses the artwork. Stan Lee's writing is as good today as it ever was, and these are the definitive Silver Surfer stories. My only problem is the original series ran for 18 issues, but this collection only reprints 17 of them. It would have been nice if Marvel had included the entire Stan Lee run.

Unlike the work of people such as Frank Miller or Alan Moore, comics like these are seldom mentioned by those who wish to stress the medium's full potential; still, the depth of this volume's stories is underrated. The Silver Surfer is a very rich character whose origin and situation can be read in a myriad of ways, notably because Lee and Buscema use central ideas of ancient philosophy and religion (mainly Gnosticism and Neoplatonism). As a whole, the series can be read as the adventures of a soul seeking its true home. This home is not Zenn-la (where the Surfer's beloved Shalla-Bal lives): as the first issue makes clear, life on that planet didn't truly satisfy him in the first place. When Galactus threatens his people, the Surfer sacrifices himself and is stripped of his body, gaining instead an ethereal form. Despite his new master's dubious plans, he is initially enthusiastic about this sudden transformation - on Zenn-la, he had been yearning for transcendence while all of his compatriots wallowed in excesses of all kinds. Once he rebels against Galactus, he is turned into Earth's daemon (protector), roaming around without much freedom. This pure soul is trapped in a prison from which it tries to break free throughout the book's stories. What gives him hope in spite of his deceptions, much like Plotinus and the other Neoplatonists and Gnostics, is the conscience he has ('I serve none but the conscience within my breast!', #4). This conscience never departs him, even as he faces Evil in its most horrific guises; among other opponents, it enables him to defeat an evil clone (#7) - their physical form was identical, but their souls weren't. (It is symbolic that when the Surfer seems the closest to change his ethics - the last page of #18 - the series is coming to an end.) The Surfer's nostalgia for his true home is sublimely rendered by Buscema's powerful, poignant illustrations, especially when they're inked by Joe Sinnott (witness pages 1, 6, 17, 31 and 38 of the first issue). This volume is both inspired and inspiring, and should not be missed.

As a teenager, when I first heard of the Silver Surfer, I had pictured a rather laid back individual who was more interested in catching waves than catching bad guys. Then I finally read some comics featuring him and learned that I was really wrong. The Silver Surfer is one of the more humorless heroes in the Marvel Universe, but nonetheless is an interesting character. The Essential Silver Surfer depicts his early solo adventures.

For those unaware of the Surfer's origins, he was originally Norrin Radd of the planet Zenn-La, who made a pact with the world-eater Galactus to serve as a herald, seeking out other planets for consumption in exchange for Zenn-La being spared. To accomplish this, Galactus transformed Radd into the Silver Surfer. This worked fine for a while until Galactus decided to consume Earth; when the Surfer opposed this, Galactus punished him by confining him to the planet. No longer could the Surfer fly through space; more importantly, he was isolated from his lover Shalla Bal.

All this is pretty much recapped in the first issue. In subsequent issues, the Surfer battles all sorts of super-powerful villains while contending with a general fear and hatred by most of the human population. Though opposing such villains as Loki and the Abomination (not to mention battling heroes like Thor, Spiderman and the Human Torch), the Surfer's arch-enemy is the demonic Mephisto, who despises the Surfer's noble soul and intends to eventually possess his spirit.

Most of the stories are decent, but taken as a whole, they can be slightly tedious. There is all too much of the Surfer pining for Zenn-La and Shalla Bal (and her pining for him), the Surfer beating himself against the barrier he knows he cannot penetrate, and him fluctuating between loathing humanity and finding hope in it. I suppose when the stories were read on a monthly or bimonthly basis, this was okay, but read all at once, it wears a bit thin.

Stan Lee's writing is okay and is well complemented by the art of John Buscema and Jack Kirby, but Lee is typically at his best when writing about heroes with strong supporting casts. Hence, his best work is found with books like the Fantastic Four and Spiderman. Here, with few recurring characters, the book needs to be carried by the Surfer, and he is a bit too aloof to really sustain continued interest. Compared to other Essential books, this one is strictly middle of the road, rating a high three stars. Unless you're a big Silver Surfer fan, this should not be at the top of your Essentials list.

I cannot recommend this book strongly enough! One of the most enjoyable of all the Essential collections.

I agree with other reviewers that I would like to have seen other tales that were also included in other books (I have no interest in reading or buying any Fantastic Four books) but other than that, this is a great buy. I would especially have appreciated FF # 48. I consider his first appearance pretty essential.

There's plenty of great artwork - improved by the B&W format. Color was so bad in comics when I was a kid it's nice to see them de-uglified. There are plenty of great frames of the agonizing Surfer and tons of awesome dialogue. The dialogue was usually pretty bad back then too but the Silver Surfer (and Dr. Strange) books both fit perfectly with the lofty, ethereal soliloquies.

He's trapped on Earth for the duration of this volume and I look forward to a Volume 2 with extra-terrestrial tales.