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Fantastic Four #54

Whosoever Finds the Evil Eye–!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: June 9, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Art: Jolly Jack Kirby
Inking: Jovial Joe Sinnott
Lettering: Snarlin’ Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Sgt. Fury Annual 2	Reading order	X-Men #24
Fantastic Four #53	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #55

My name is Prester John… and long have I travelled the world, seeking to unravel the mysteries of mankind! That is why men have ever called me… the Wanderer! And, the sights I beheld… the secrets upon which I stumbled… were far beyond description… yea, almost beyond belief itself… Can I ever forget those lonely mountain peaks from which I barely escaped with my life… after finding a savage race who thrived only in the land of endless snow…? And, I wonder if time has erased the glory of Cathay… where I witnessed the flight of giant projectiles… like roaring comets, soaring high into the heavens! Even madness did I encounter… such as the time I crossed the angry sea only to find a tribe who studied the stars… and who insanely proclaimed Earth to be round, like some great spinning egg shell! But, the greatest triump of my life was finding the fabled isle of Avalon! Avalon… hidden realm of miracles without end! Avalon… whose wizards created mighty machines which harnassed the natural forces of the universe!! Alas, that those same forces should have destroyed their own land… causing them to vanish forever from the sight of men!

Still in Wakanda, the Fantastic Four and Black Panther play a baseball game.

When Reed and Sue go off to “shmooze”, Ben exclaims, “What a revoltin’ development!” Not the first time he’s used the phrase in response to Reed and Sue going off to shmooze. We’d seen it before in Fantastic Four #35. Brian Cronin traces the evolution of the phrase from Life of Reily to Daffy Duck to Ben Grimm here.

Fantastic Four #53

The Way It Began..!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: May 10, 1966
Cover: August 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Lettering: Artie Simek
Native Dances: The Ballet Forbush Terpsichorean Troupe
20 pages

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Fantastic Four #52	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #39
Fantastic Four #52	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #54

From this moment forth– I live with but one thought– one aim– one goal!! This deed must be avenged! Klaw shall pay– in full measure! I shall be as strong– and as fearless– as the sacred Black Panther!! This do I swear to T’Chaka– my father who is no more!

I’m sure my highly literate readers don’t need me to tell that that terpsichorean means “referring to dancing”. It’s obviously not a new word to me either, as I’ve read this comic plenty of times before. But this was the first time I bothered to look it up.

Thing is perplexed by the contrast between the advanced scientific gizmos and the primitive customs. Perhaps he should reflect on what it means to be primitive. Maybe he is the primitive one?

Fantastic Four #52

The Black Panther!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: April 12, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Script by: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Art by: Jolly Jackie Kirby
Inking by: Gentleman Joe Sinnott
Lettering by: Hammy Sammy Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#531	Next
Daredevil #18	Reading order	Fantastic Four #53
Fantastic Four #51	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #53

The time has come for the Black Panther to stalk once more!

I’m going to repeat something I’ve been saying for the last year’s worth of Fantastic Four stories: just how impressive this moment in time is. What they accomplish in four consecutive stories arcs is unparalleled in comics history. Unprecedented and unequalled. To introduce the Inhumans, then have that story bleed into introducing Galactus and the Silver Surfer, then have that story bleed into the seminal “This Man This Monster”, to then immediately follow that up with the introduction of the Black Panther. Next issue will introduce the villainous Klaw and tell the origin of the Black Panther.

That’s a run of 10 incredibles issues. This run was preceded by the famous wedding, which was preceded by an epic three-part battle with the Frightful Four, which was preceded by one of their most iconic battles against Dr. Doom over the previous two issues…

The comic has been on fire with a sustained level of quality no other comic series has ever reached.

It can’t last forever. Fantastic Four #54 is a solid but ultimately forgettable comic. Though the stretch of stories that follow is also excellent, on par with anything except this incredible 10-issue stretch.

Let’s dive into the story without further hyperbolic build-up, and then we’ll take some time at the end to reflect on this new character we’ve just met, the Black Panther.

Fantastic Four #51

This Man… This Monster!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: March 10, 1966
Cover: June 1966
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Joe Sinnott
Letterer: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#518	Next
Fantastic Four #50	Reading order	Strange Tales #146
Fantastic Four #50	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #52

He paid the full price– and, he paid it– like a man!

After introducing the Inhumans, and then introducing the Silver Surfer and Galactus in perhaps the best and most iconic FF story ever immediately after, you’d think Stan and Jack would want a break from the iconic stories that will be remembered for decades to come.

But this is perhaps the most iconic issue of Fantastic Four ever. It’s perhaps the best Fantastic Four comic ever. It might be the best comic Stan and Jack ever made.

It might be the best comic anybody ever made.

The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine indeed.

I won’t ruin this image with my clumsy words. You can just appreciate the opening page for yourself. I just suggest that you take a minute with it.

This picks up from last issue in a couple ways. Alicia and the Silver Surfer grew close during the events, enough to make Thing jealous and wander off morosely. There were even newspaper headlines about Thing being seen wandering the streets feeling sad. We saw a mysterious man reading those headlines. We didn’t learn his name, but we learned he intends to destroy the Fantastic Four.

Fantastic Four #50

The Startling Saga of the Silver Surfer!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: February 10, 1966
Cover: May 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Lettering: S. Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#517	Next
Fantastic Four #49	Reading order	Fantastic Four #51
Fantastic Four #49	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #51

Master! For the first time I realize the dread enormity of what you plan to do! You must not tamper with other worlds! You cannot destroy the entire human race!

Would you hesitate to tread upon an ant hill? These creatures are of no consequence to Galactus!

These are not ants, Master! They think… they feel… they have even created the primitive civilization which we see all about us!

Master! Say we may leave this world! My heart grieves at battling one with whom I shared… a universe!

You speak of me as though I am a monster! Do not the humans themselves slay the lesser beasts for food… for sustenance? Galactus does no less!

Galactus is not evil! He is above good.. or evil! He does what he must… for he is Galactus!

Emulate the Watcher! Stand and observe! Try to fathom the cataclysmic forces which have been unleashed! For you shall never see their like again!

Long have I cherished the stumbling, bumbling, but always aspiring human race!

Consider the courage they display! Though they are still in their infancy, you must not disdain them! Did not your race… and mine… evolve from such humble beginnings? Do they not possess the seed of grandeur within their frail, human frames?

And at last I perceive the glint of glory within the race of man! Be ever worthy of that glory, humans… be ever mindful of your promise of greatness! …For it shall one day lift you beyond the stars.. or bury you within the ruins of war!! The choice is yours!!

Generally, my plan is to pick a single quote from each issue to open these posts. I cheated last issue and am doing so again this issue. Too many great quotes. Also too many great images.

This isn’t the worst cover we’ve seen, but it is the most disappointing. Compare it to the awesome first page.

That’s a cool image. But the cover? No Galactus? The FF just as floating heads? Just a shot of the Silver Surfer. With the corner of the cover devoted to Johnny at college? What?

Notice they seem to have gotten the coloring of Galactus basically right now. Purple over red, wearing pants. Still bare arms, but that’s fine. Third time’s the charm. Here’s how it looks in the digital version with modern coloring.

I think the conclusion of the Galactus saga is excellent, but the structuring of this issue is again weird. To appreciate that, I’d like to peek ahead a few pages.

Recall where we were. Galactus is about to destroy the entire world in order to convert its resources into energy to feed himself. His herald has been convinced by Alicia that human life matters, so Silver Surfer has decided for the first time in countless eons to defy his master. Meanwhile, the Human Torch has journeyed across the universe to the giant space station that is Galactus’ home, to find the one weapon that may yet save them.

With all that to wrap up ahead of us, this is page 15.

We meet Coach Thorpe, who is very concerned his college football team is performing poorly. And his star quarterback is giving him attitude.

I cannot even begin to explain the surreality of the contrast between the first and fifteenth page of this comic.

Maybe it will make sense as we go on.

It won’t.