Classic Review: Marvel Masterworks- Fantastic Four Vol. 5

Quick Summary

Pros: The Inhuman and Galactus story arcs introduce a ton of great new characters and concepts. These story arcs both have an incredible level of historical importance. The wedding issue has plenty of great crossover moments with other Marvel characters. All of the stories in this collection are fun and entertaining.

Cons: A transition in the Inhuman story arc feels awkward. The sexism in the writing is more pronounced than before.

Overall: This is a collection packed with classic and entertaining Fantastic Four adventures. This book introduces the Inhumans, contains the first appearance of Galactus and the Silver Surfer, and even shows a historic wedding. Plus, all of these stories are entertaining in their own way and contain amazing artwork. There are a few problems here and there but not enough to overcome the collection’s positives. This is a prime example of a classic work that is still worth reading today.

Story

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 5, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, stands out because it contains some of the most exciting and incredible stories in this series. The volume starts out pretty average, with a story arc that is entertaining but not anything truly special. However, from here, things really pick up as the Inhumans are introduced, Galactus makes his first appearance, and a huge Marvel crossover takes place during Reed and Sue’s wedding. These are arcs and issues that have monumental importance to the past and present of Marvel Comics and are also simply fun comics to read. There are still a few storytelling problems here and there but the quality of these stories is high enough to make this collection worthwhile regardless. All in all, this is definitely a book worth reading.

(spoilers start here)

Fantastic Four Vol. 5 starts out with a pretty average story arc. It has the Fantastic Four square off against the Frightful Four, with the added complication of an unintended betrayal from the Thing. The story is fun and has some entertaining interactions between characters but doesn’t do much to help define it from the rest of the stories.

Luckily, things improve drastically from this point onward. The next arc starts with the mystery surrounding Medusa and her connection to a enigmatic group of people known as Inhumans. This mystery precipitates the reveal of a unique community and really feels like a way to open up the earthbound possibilities of the Fantastic Four series. The only problem here is that the Inhuman story arc transitions poorly from the first half to the second. It feels like Lee and Kirby were heading in one direction, having Black Bolt’s Inhumans on the run from the main group, but then suddenly shift to a completely different direction when Black Bolt instantly takes over as the Inhuman king.

Then, things improve even further as the collection enters its final arc, featuring the introduction of the Silver Surfer and Galactus. This is an incredible arc from a historical standpoint, as it introduces characters that will go on to play a huge role in the Marvel Universe and also introduces the concept of an amoral “villain” whose cosmic purpose is beyond the preview of human understanding. However, it is also just a fun comic to read. It pushes the Fantastic Four further into the cosmos and has some great actions from the Silver Surfer.

This Fantastic Four Vol. 5 also contains an Annual detailing the wedding between Reed Richards and Sue Storm. This is an issue that focuses entirely on having fun and ends up feeling like a celebration of the entire Marvel Universe. It has guest appearances from nearly every significant hero and villain of the era and throws them together in a way that allows everyone a moment or two in the limelight (even Stan Lee and Jack Kirby). Meanwhile, it also contains a sweet and romantic reflection on Reed and Sue’s relationship, which has come along way since the first issue of this “fantastic” series.

Unfortunately, alongside making a lot of improvement to the series, Fantastic Four Vol. 5 also exacerbates one of the series’ most significant problems, sexism. Sue’s character falls deeper into the role of a stereotypical “nagging woman” and is treated poorly by most of the men. At one point in time, she is written in a way that puts the entire team in danger because no one had noticed her new hairstyle. In addition, throughout this book, the word feminine is essentially used as a synonym for weak and vulnerable, even by powerful characters like Medusa. This poor portrayal of women has been a problem in past volumes but is even more noticeable in this one.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The story isn’t the only element of the Fantastic Four series that has improved in Vol. 5. Jack Kirby’s artwork looks better than ever. In some places, the artistic improvements here are subtle. Kirby refines the Fantastic Four’s look and modernizes Sue in a way that feels natural and looks good. He also demonstrates an increased penchant for crafting complex looking machinery, making Reed’s lab and the Inhuman city look more wonderous and amazing than they would have looked in previous volumes. In addition, large-scale battles are handled better than before, allowing the conflicts that take place across the wedding issue to look incredible and allowing each conflict to highlight contributions from a vast number of different heroes and villains.

Fantastic Four Vol. 5 also adds new story elements that allow Kirby to continue to flex his creativity. This collection introduces a ton of new characters and each one manages to look distinct and beautiful in their own way. This means the extravagant designs of the Inhumans and the sleek and simplistic design of the Silver Surfer both look great. Meanwhile, the cosmic locations seen in the Galactus arc expand the visual diversity of the Marvel Universe and make it as appealing as anything taking place on Earth. All in all, this is a good looking book where the artwork significantly improves the reading experience.

Continuity

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 5 continues the story from Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 4 (Review).

The story here continues in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 6(Review).

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• Namor’s absence from Fantastic Four Annual #3 is explained by his story from Tales to Astonish #72, collected in Sub-Mariner Masterworks Vol. 1.
• Hulk’s absence from Fantastic Four Annual #3 is explained by his story from Tales to Astonish #72, collected in Incredible Hulk Masterworks Vol. 2.