The Ultimate Silver Surfer (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

From Lee and Tom DeFalco's story of the Silver Surfer's exile from the stars ("The Silver Surfer") to Dan Persons's tale of a battle to save a world from destruction ("A Game of the Apocalypse"), this collection of 15 original stories chronicles the adventures of one of the comics genre's most popular superheroes. Because it follows the format of The Ultimate Spider-Man (LJ 12/94), this volume should appeal to comics fans as well as to action-adventure sf readers. Most libraries should consider adding this title to their YA or sf collections.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Following the lead of recent Superman and Batman "biographies," Marvel Comics mastermind Stan Lee offers a kitschy collection relating the background of the star-traveling superhero, the Silver Surfer, whom Lee cocreated. Quite an assortment of authors, beginning with Lee himself, turn back to the Surfer's beginnings as Norrin Radd on the idyllic planet Zenn-La and his fateful meeting with the world-devouring bully Galactus. To save his home from inevitable destruction, Norrin makes an unholy pact to find other planets for Galactus' feasting, for which function Norrin is granted a new, indestructible silver form and a faster-than-light board for riding the interstellar surf. When Norrin discovers Earth, he is again compelled to undertake worldsaving; with assistance from the Fantastic Four, he turns Galactus away but is permanently banished to the planet he saved. Although the collection's comic-book flavor may limit its appeal, comics fans will be delighted to see a favorite superhero elevated to the "legitimacy" of prose. Carl Hays --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572972998
• ISBN-13: 978-1572972995
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #916,052 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful look at the Surfer!, February 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ultimate Silver Surfer (Paperback)

It's funny, I liked the Surfer better after Steve Englehart freed him from being imprisoned on Earth, but the stories in this great anthology that take place while he was still trapped are a lot better. The stories by Ann Tonsor Zeddies, Len Wein, Keith R.A. DeCandido, James Dawson, and Dave Smeds are some of the best Silver Surfer stories _ever_. The outer space stories aren't as good, and neither is the Tom DeFalco & Stan Lee origin, although Dan Persons's "A Game of the Apocalypse" is a phenomenal ending piece with the best use of Galactus since John Byrne's FF comics. It's a lot better than the stupid Galactus stuff that Ron Marz and Mike Lackey were doing in the comic book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting, and Includes Stan Lee's Masterpiece, May 16, 2005

By	J. H. Sweet - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Ultimate Silver Surfer (Paperback)

Though I love the collection of adventures in this book, my favorite is the history/origin of Silver Surfer. I believe this particular story is Stan Lee's masterpiece.

The descriptions of Zenn-la and its society, Norrin Radd joyously learning to surf on lava flows, his love for Shalla Bal, saving his planet, the transformation to Silver Surfer, losing his humanity while serving Galactus, and finding it again in time to help the Fantastic Four save earth are truly mesmerizing. I both laughed and cried when I read this tale.

I am rarely affected this way when reading about a superhero; but in reading this story, I have come to believe that Silver Surfer is the greatest superhero of all time. I realize this highly debatable. And I am not trying to alienate or argue with fans of other great superheroes like Ironman, Thor, Superman, etc., but I truly believe Silver Surfer is the most powerful and interesting superhero character ever created: He learned to surf on lava flows as a mere youth before ever receiving his powers from Galactus. Additional powers are continually and conveniently revealed in his adventures. ("Good thing Galactus bestowed this useful power upon me; now I can save this entire planet.") He is supremely fast. He can fly into a sun without being damaged at all. He doesn't even need his board to travel, though it is a really cool mode of transport. He doesn't seem to have an Achilles heel like Superman does with Kryptonite. He has inner strength and is incredibly self-sacrificing and honorable. Since he is not human, he does not seem to have human flaws such as pride, greed, etc. And he helped the Fantastic Four battle Galactus. How much more powerful and amazing could any superhero be? I believe Stan Lee created an incredibly pure character (similar to Faramir) though not without flaws, so he is also interesting.

I was also extremely impressed with the fact that a single person, Alicia Masters, could turn the tide so quickly in a story. After spending only minutes with her, Silver Surfer had an understanding that the earth was worth saving and was compelled to confront, and ultimately do battle with, Galactus.

Finally, one of the most exciting events of this story occurs before Galactus arrives to destroy Zenn-la. My heart actually beat faster when Norrin Radd and Shalla Bal began "moving toward one another." Though nothing actually happened (mainly because they were interrupted and the story is tasteful) those simple words were incredibly sensual to read. There is definitely something to be said for the power of suggestion and leaving things to our imagination. In this case, lack of graphic sexual detail is so much more intense than a full description.

I have only described my favorite tale in this book, the history/origin of the Silver Surfer. The rest of the stories are also exciting to read. I recommend this book for fans of all superheroes, though especially those of Silver Surfer.

J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles, and fan of Silver Surfer

3.0 out of 5 stars Super Reader, August 3, 2007

By	Blue Tyson "- http://freesf.blogspot.com" - See all my reviews

A collection of tales broken down by era. When the Surfer was trapped on Earth, back as Herald, and as a free agent. It has a small intro by Stan Lee talking about how Kirby thought up the character, and how he thought that the surfboad might be a bit dodge. Luckily Jack disagreed. Mostly an average bunch, coming out at 3.10.

Ultimate Silver Surfer : 01 The Silver Surfer - Tom DeFalco
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 02 To See Heaven in a Wild Flower - Ann Tonsor Zeddies
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 03 Point of View - Len Wein
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 04 Improper Procedure - Keith R. A. DeCandido
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 05 Do You Dream in Silver? - James Dawson
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 06 Incident on a Skyscraper - Dave Smeds
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 07 On the Beach - John J. Ordover
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 08 Disturb Not Her Dream - Steve Rasnic Tem
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 09 The Broken Land - Pierce Askegren
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 10 What's Yer Poison? - Christopher Golden and José R. Nieto
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 11 Godhood's End - Sharman DiVono
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 12 Sambatyon - David M. Honigsberg
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 13 The Love of Death or the Death of Love - Craig Shaw Gardner
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 14 The Tarnished Soul - Katherine Lawrence
Ultimate Silver Surfer : 15 A Game of the Apocalypse - Dan Persons


The Surfer stops to aid a young boy beset by a local gang of bullies, and recounts the story of him becoming the Herald of Galactus to save his utopian homeworld of Zenn-La.

3 out of 5


The Surfer, newly caged on Earth, tours the planet and ends up spending some time with a doctor from the World Health Society in a war torn part of Africa.

3.5 out of 5


The Surfer helps out one of Reed Richards' friends, who is dying, with visions of space travel and comet racing.

3.5 out of 5



The Surfer intervenes in a police hostage situation without understanding what is going on. In the aftermath the officer in charge asks him to come to the station to learn a couple of things, and invites him to dinner.

4 out of 5


Woman watches show about women who want the Surfer, while the surfer battlers a superhuman nobody. She decides human bloke a lot more sensible a option, not to mention a hell of a lot warmer.

2 out of 5


The Surfer saves a teenage girl when she throws herself off a building, and swaps some meories with her.

3 out of 5


Beach dude taking a leak finds a different kind of surfer.

3 out of 5


An encounter with a seriously stupendous space woman.

3.5 out of 5


An encounter with a reformed bad guy on the site of a radiation exposure incident trying to help the deformed and dying sees the Surfer pitching in to help.

3 out of 5



Mephisto lures the Surfer to a dive in intergalactic nowhere.

2.5 out of 5


A powerful alien is trying the 'I Am a God' trick, until the Surfer comes across a star that doesn't have long to live and notices this.

3.5 out of 5


The Surfer comes across a strange lost Jewish tribe planet, and soon after, it is attacked.

2.5 out of 5


Thanos decides an artiifact on a big Death Ship would be handy, and what the hell, bumping off some Heralds of Galactus isn't a bad way to pass the day.

2.5 out of 5


The Surfer has a possibly evil twin.

3 out of 5


Morg has been provoking a planetary scale genocide on a target he has slected for Galactus. The Surfer lends a hand, aiding a local assassin into outwitting the Tamer.

4 out of 5