Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks) [Paperback]

Stan Lee (Author), Jack Kirby (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Celebrate Marvel's 70th anniversary by experiencing the tales of the world's most-famous super heroes from the very beginning! The Marvel Masterworks have brought readers deluxe hardcover collections of Marvel's classics from the Golden Age, Atlas Era, and the mighty Marvel Age, and now you can join in the Masterworks excitement with Marvel's new, monthly Marvel Masterworks trade paperbacks. While testing an experimental spacecraft Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Sue and Johnny Storm were exposed to a bombardment of mysterious cosmic rays. Upon their return to Earth, they found that they had gained wondrous abilities, the likes of which had never been seen before. That voyage was the first of many extraordinary adventures for these friends, who became known to the world as: Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, The Human Torch, and The Invisible Girl - The Fantastic Four! Collects The Fantastic Four #1-10.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Marvel’s welcome initiative to put their Masterworks collections into affordable paperback format follows up a beautiful new edition of Amazing Spider-Man, v.1 with this collection of their very first foray into the superhero genre. Squabbling over each other’s personal foibles while facing a breathless barrage of B-movie, sf concepts, the Fantastic Four flew in the face of Silver Age industry-leader DC’s shiny, no-nonsense authority figures. Lee’s subversively revolutionary concept of the superhero as regular Joe was typified in the pathos of the monstrous Thing, whose dark emotions are direct progenitors of the modern-day realism found in the likes of Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns. Kirby’s art was still evolving toward his more angular, bombastic style, but the clay-like forms and textures here give a sense of raw power that make it easy to miss Kirby’s mastery of expressive faces and heightened emotion. These first 10 issues present mainstays Doctor Doom, the Sub-Mariner, and the Skrulls (pivotal to Marvel’s recent Secret Invasion event), and display for the jaded and uninitiated readers alike that they are among the most historically significant examples of the form (highlighted by an array of historical back matter) and some of the most engaging and thrilling comics ever produced. Grades 4-12. --Jesse Karp

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (March 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785137106
• ISBN-13: 978-0785137108
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.8 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stan Lee is a man who needs no introduction. Nevertheless: Having begun his career with wartime Timely Comics and staying the course throughout the Atlas era, Stan the Man made comic-book history with Fantastic Four #1, harbinger of a bold new perspective in story writing that endures to this day. With some of the industry's greatest artists, he introduced hero after hero in Incredible Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men and more -- forming a shared universe for rival publishers to measure themselves against. After an almost literal lifetime of writing and editing, Lee entered new entertainment fields and earned Marvel one opportunity after another. He remains one of Marvel's best-known public representatives.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Marvel, April 3, 2009

By 

Zach D. L. Story "AvengersZ" (Kansas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks) (Paperback)

Marvel's reprints of their old stuff under the Marvel Masterworks title are major proof not only of the timelessness of the story telling, but it is a testament to the consistency found in Marvel. With DC comics continuity has been changed so many times it's not funny. With Marvel, much of the events that happen in this collection of the Fantastic Four have lasting effects on the Marvel Universe. Specifically the second issue which not only introduces the Skrulls, but establishes events referred to much later in the Kree/Skrull war which plays a role in leading up to the recent Secret Invasion.

Stan Lee's story telling and Jack Kirby's art are great, classic work any hard core fan of the Fantastic Four shouldn't go without!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More affordable trades = good..., February 1, 2011

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Cozzster - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks) (Paperback)

I was pleased to see the new masterworks released in a paperback format as this was. I really don't want to pay $50-$60 just to read old stories everytime I get a craving, so these fit well for me.

These serve as a point of nostalgia for me, not that I was a kid when these were originally in stores (I'm only 25), but nostalgia in the form that it reminds me of the days when I was a kid first reading comics as I'm sure many people felt reading these very issues when they were kids.

To me, the stories are good old Stan Lee style storytelling, full of action and cosmic adventures. I'll admit, there seemed to be a need (as with all the older marvel works) to have each character say a paragraph and fill each panel full of word balloons. This detracts a bit from the story, but not to the extent that you would not want to continue reading. Just try reading issue by issue and pacing yourself if you feel overburdened with word balloons.

Overall, having never read the old fantastic four stories, I enjoyed them very much. I still like the old Spidey stories better, but these are the next best in my opinion.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jack Kirby is the King!!!, May 27, 2009

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João Paulo Hammes "The Man Without Fear" (São Bento do Sul, SC Brazil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks) (Paperback)

Well friends, I've just got this TPB yesterday and I was amused and bemused at the same time. I had never seen Jack Kirby's pencils before, it's wonderful, he desires really to be called "King". Fantastic Four is the only old material I will colect from these new reprints of Marvel Masterworks, i'ts the best comic produced in 60's!!! The paper is very good, and I love softcovers, I prefer than to the Hardcovers. Man, profit of this time to buy it, you won't regret.