Classic Review: Marvel Masterworks- Silver Surfer Vol. 2

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is typically interesting and has some action to keep things exciting. The book’s moral message is poignant. The artwork is mostly positive.

Cons: There are a few places where the moral messages are a bit overdone. One or two places relies too heavily on coincidence.

Overall: This volume is essentially a continuation of the mix of quality present in the previous volume. It has strong positive attributes coming from the Surfer’s journey and the moral questions it raises. However, it also has a few negative attributes coming from a few writing problems. Luckily, the difference is that these negatives are not as pronounced as they were before and, thus, the volume as a whole is a bit better. Anyone who enjoyed the previous volume should keep reading here.

Story

Marvel Masterworks: Silver Surfer Vol. 2, by Stan Lee, mostly maintains the quality of its predecessor. This means that the Silver Surfer provides interesting reflections on the human condition and does so while participating in a few exciting battles and tense situations. This is all also approached with Stan Lee’s characteristic take on the character, which is always meaningful and poignant. However, there are also places where the Surfer’s lamentations get a little too over-the-top and where coincidence is relied on a bit too much. These problems are slightly better than they were in the previous volume but are still present nonetheless.

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Once again, the Silver Surfer, as a character, is the most significant piece of this reading experience. Silver Surfer Vol. 2 has the Surfer interact with humanity at a number of points, often either being impressed or disappointed with what he sees. With this particular volume, I enjoyed seeing the progression of the Surfer’s interactions. He quickly becomes a menace in the eyes of the world and goes on to let this perception warp his actions, at one point even attacking a friend because of his suspicions. This has the added benefit of introducing a bit of action into the mix, which keeps things exciting.

These interactions also give Stan Lee a chance to muse on the strengths and failings of the human condition. He constantly brings up humanity’s seemingly unending desire for war and violence and its habit for actively working against itself. These failings are then contrasted by a few moments from more valiant humans, which serve as a reminder that humanity is still worthwhile. This all gives the book some great meaning and will, hopefully, give each reader something to think about after putting it down.

However, like the previous volume, Silver Surfer Vol. 2 has some problems with the execution of these high-minded ideals. In a few places, the Surfer’s lamentations about the world become too pronounced. In these moments, he almost reads like a crying child rather than an all-powerful cosmic being. In addition, some chapters, like the one that has the Surfer’s old flame witness him kissing someone else, rely so heavily on a one-time chance encounter that they seem a little silly. The upside to these problems is that they are essentially the same problems that were present in Silver Surfer Vol. 1 but a bit less pronounced. So, readers who enjoyed the previous volume should have an even better time with this one.

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Art

The artwork in Silver Surfer Vol. 2 is mostly positive all the way through. John Buscema’s visuals do a nice job in presenting the Surfer and all of his emotions. They also do particularly well in depicting scenes that take place in space, where cosmic backgrounds really help the events of these pages to stand out well. In addition, Jack Kirby’s contributions at the conclusion of the collection are appreciated and give the volume a nice touch as it closes. In general, most of the chapters in this volume are positive and lead to a positive reading experience.

The only problem is that there are a number of pages where the level of detail just feels a bit lacking. Though Buscema’s work still looks good, it doesn’t look quite as good as it does elsewhere. This isn’t a huge negative but it does leave the visuals just looking good rather than great.

Continuity

Marvel Masterworks: Silver Surfer Vol. 2 continues the story from Marvel Masterworks: Silver Surfer Vol. 1 (Review).

The Silver Surfer series ends with this volume. However, the Silver Surfer reappears alongside the Defenders starting in Sub-Mariner #34, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Defenders Vol. 1.

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

• Silver Surfer #7 mentions the Silver Surfer’s encounter with Doctor Doom from Fantastic Four #57, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 6 (Review). 
• Abomination’s origin story is shown in Tales to Astonish #90, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk Vol. 3.