Post by RobertI read Ultimate Fantastic Four and even tho the stories move a little slow,
I like it. Anyway.......I want to read the regular Marvel Universe Fantastic
Four. What are some of their best or must read tpb's? And what are the
other regular MU FF titles about and where is a good jumping on point?
I'll give a rundown of what's available and then follow with what I'd
recommend.
The original Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Fantastic Four run is collected
in two formats, the Essentials and the Masterworks. Essentials are
thick, phonebook-size, black and white books printed on cheap paper
for about $15. They're intentionally made that way to keep the price
low. Masterworks are color hardcovers, with remastered coloring and
glossy paper for around $50 a pop. Here are links to the first volumes
of both:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785106669&itm=5
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0760737959&itm=2
(Note: I think the first Essential FF volume is currently out of
print, but you could probably find one relatively easily. Marvel will
probably be going back to press on it sooner rather than later with an
FF movie in development. Also, Barnes & Noble has paperback versions
of the Masterworks for cheaper so those are the ones I linked to
above.)
The next option is the classic John Byrne run, collected in two trades
right now with more forthcoming:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785107797&itm=1
Currently there are two Fantastic Four series. The classic one is
written by Mark Waid and drawn by Mike Wieringo. In order the
collections go:
Imaginauts:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785110631&itm=3
Unthinkable:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785111115&itm=1
Authoritative Action:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785111980&itm=2
Hereafter:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785115269&itm=4
The second current series is called Marvel Knights 4, and is supposed
to present a more grounded, "real world" take on the FF, such as what
they do in their downtime. There is one collection available as it's a
relatively new book:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785114718&itm=2
Other than that there's only a small smattering of Fantastic Four
collections.
FF 1234 presents a darker, more cerebral approach to the FF.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785110402&itm=1
Unstable Molecules is only nominally an FF story, telling the tale of
four regular people who "inspired" the FF we know in the comics. It's
quite good, but not a superhero story.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785111123&itm=1
The following two collections are from the run immediately prior to
the current run. It's got some pretty neat art, but the stories were
only so-so.
Flesh and Stone:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785107932&itm=3
Into the Breach:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=ZYw1PFp4IK&isbn=0785108653&itm=1
I'd recommend going with the Imaginauts collection as a starting point
for the FF's current superhero adventures. If you're a fan of the way
comics were in the 80s, the Byrne books are good. Ditto the 60s and
the Lee/Kirby books. Each of those will be an acquired taste for
readers who aren't familiar with the storytelling methods of those
times, though. FF 1234 and Unstable Molecules are both good in my
opinion, but they won't be for everyone and don't feature the FF
beating up bad guys in the standard way.
-Ralf Haring
"The mind must be the harder, the heart the keener,
the spirit the greater, as our strength grows less."
-Byrhtwold, The Battle of Maldon