On August 8th, 1961, the world of comic books was changed forever with the introduction of the Fantastic Four from writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. It was this issue which gave birth to the Marvel Universe as we know it, and while the team have been overshadowed by the likes of
The Avengers since then, there's no doubting just how important they are. I'm not going to bore you with the history of their creation, or the many adventures they've had which have birthed iconic villains such as Doctor Doom and Galactus, because I'm sure you already know all that. If not, you've heard of Wikipedia, right?
You see, the Fantastic Four will always have a special place in this particular comic book fans heart. Back in 2004/5, I'd only really been reading comic books every now and then...mainly UK reprints, which are a good two to three years behind the current US monthlies. Sure, I'd picked up the odd graphic novel, but they were far from my main hobby...I loved 'em sure, but the fanboy obsession hadn't started just yet! One week, I decided to buy
Fantastic Four Adventures #1, which featured one classic tale and the first couple of parts of the run by Mark Waid and the late Mike Wieringo. It was reading that which made me fall in love with the Marvel team of "Imaginauts". So impressed by those issues, I made it my goal to hunt down the full volumes of these stories, because I simply could not wait for God knows how long it would take for them to be reprinted each month.
I did indeed find all three hardcover volumes, and read them in the space of a couple of days. Wow. Beautifully written by Mark Waid, the series featured a fascinating new take on Doctor Doom, the death of one of the Fantastic Four, (one of the few times I've teared up while reading a comic book) an adventure which taks them to Heaven, not to mention a deranged Reed Richard taking over Latveria and the Human Torch becoming a herald of Galactus! All of which was beautifully drawn by late, great Mike Wieringo. Without a doubt some of the BEST comics I've ever read, they inspired me to catch up with the rest of the Marvel characters I was reading at the time, and as
Civil War began in 2006, I was finally buying the US monthlies (despite them being considerably more expensive) and the obsession
really began.
And here I am, all these years later, buying more comic books than I can afford, and I have the
Fantastic Four to thank for this passion, which also led me to this site. Would I still be reading comic books without them? Maybe, maybe not. All I know is that they were responsible for making me the fan I am today. So thank you Mark and Mike. And an even bigger thank you to Stan and Jack, and everyone else who has brought the team to life these past 50 years. Now, let's all pretend
Fantastic Four and
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer never happened and wish Marvel's First Family a very Happy Birthday!