Customer Reviews

Fantastic Four Visionaries - John Byrne, Vol. 0

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

 

 

I was wondering if Marvel would actually go further back into Byrne's tenure on the FF, and surprisingly enough, they did. Aside from a handful of issues, with the upcoming "In Search of Galactus" TPB, you can read nearly all of the 200's of the FF series in TPB form. (We'll probably never see #200-203,219,222-230 and 296-300 in any sort of reprinted form, except possibly in the B & W Essentials format.)
This set includes Marvel Team-Up #61-62, Marvel Two-In-One #50 and FF #215-218, 220-221. Nothing too spectacular or out of this world storytelling, just a solid string of stories that showcase Byrne's early work as both artist and writer.

3-1/2 stars. I consider volumes 0, 3, 6 & 7 in this series to be about average to slightly above average in quality. Byrne actually did a number of issues starring the FF in various titles in the '70s before starting his long & celebrated run in the '80s. We see this early work here.

I'm not usually a fan of '70s-style art, and some of this was done in 1980, but it's interesting to me to see some of Byrne's earlier work. This volume starts with Spider-Man teaming up with the Human Torch & Ms. Marvel. Byrne also did Spider-Man in the '90s, so it's interesting to see his progression. Chris Claremont writes a fun Spider-Man, but the only part of this art that looks like Byrne did it to my eyes is the way he draws Ms. Marvel out of costume. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even recognized it as Byrne without looking at the credits. This is true for me with much of this volume! It's still fun stuff to read. I like the Thing vs. Thing smackdown in Marvel Two-In-One #50. Some of his other FF stuff here is very Kirby-esque. These stories go back to the days when kids could actually enjoy these comics.

Really, I'd recommend getting the other Byrne FF Visionary volumes before getting this. It's not that anything is bad here, but Byrne's signature style is hard to recognize in his early days, and this is mostly considered extra material, and not actually a part of his long, celebrated eighties run.

Included in this volume:
*Marvel Team-Up #61 & 62- Chris Claremont writes; John Byrne pencils; Dave Hunt inks
*Marvel Two-In-One #50- John Byrne writes & pencils; Joe Sinnott inks
*Issue #215- Marv Wolfman writes; John Byrne & Joe Sinnott artists
*Issue #216- Wolfman & Mantlo story; John Byrne pencils; Pablo Marcos finishes
*Issue #217 & 218- Bill Mantlo writes; John Byrne & Joe Sinnott artists
*Issue #220 & 221- John Byrne writes & pencils; Joe Sinnott finishes
*Extra material- Byrne's FF#1 inspired covers, and a few pin-ups

No complaints about this latest "Vol 0" offering in the FF Visionaries: John Byrne line. Just one minor quibble: The first two stories of the collection are taken from Marvel Team Up and feature the Human Torch, Ms. Marvel, and Spidey taking on the Super Skrull (who has all the powers of the FF combined).

Rather than including these stories, the collection would have been better served to include FF #209 (Byrne's first FF artwork ever) through 214. These are actual Fantastic Four issues instead of filler material. Still, the inclusion of Marvel Two-in-One #50 featuring the Thing vs. himself was a nice addition.

Who knows, maybe Marvel has future plans to collect FF #209-214 as a "Vol. -1". Here's hoping!

I enjoyed the Thing vs. Thing story in this volume, as well as the two parter at the end.
It was interesting seeing JB's art inked by Sinnott.

For many people, John's work on FF is waht introduced them to comic books. His run on the book was second only to Lee and Kirby's, and those are some big shoes to fill. John was at the top of his artistic game with FF, and it shows. His stories were "fantastic" on the run as well. No fan of either John Byrne or the FF will be disapointed with this book, and really, if you are a fan of either, you MUST pick this up. My only complaint is with the paper, which is rather slick and not suited to the colors or the art. Other than that complaint, and it is a minor one, this is a great collection. All of John's Marvel work should be collected(his DC work as well for that matter). This book will entertain you, and your kids for hours.

My impression was that this collection would not include Fantastic Four issues, but other titles that feature the Fantastic Four characters. I was wrong. Over half the issues are regular issues of FF.