Silver Surfer #14

   It's with a touch of sadness that we arrive at the final issue of Silver Surfer (at least for now).

   This maxi-series has been real treat, telling a single story arc for Norrin Radd / the Surfer and the young Earthwoman, Dawn Greenwood, who becomes entangled in his life.

   The result has been a terrific run of stories, as the Surfer learns more about humanity, and he introduces Dawn to some of the miracles of the universe.

   The series has been written by Dan Slott and Michael Allred, with Allred also providing the art. They've managed a great balance of heartfelt stories, solid science fiction, some strong fan service (clearing up quite a few long-running plot threads), and injecting some great humor and sweetness into the proceedings.

   I'm a real fan of Allred's art, which combines the energy and imagination of Kirby with a classic storytelling style.

   The story's not perfect - there are some moments that ask a bit too much of the reader's credulity, and the inside jokes go a little overboard from time to time - but overall, it's an entertaining collection of clever, touching stories that take the Surfer in fresh new directions.

   Recommended!

Grade: A-

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The Silver Surfer #7

   I get the feeling that the Silver Surfer's comic is flying under the radar for most fans.

   Which is a shame, because it's really a lot of fun.

   Perhaps it's Michael Allred's art, which I wouldn't categorize as a "fan favorite" style, but it does evoke the style and energy of the great Silver Age artists without copying any of them - it's fun!

   Storytellers Dan Slott and Allred have reinvented the Surfer, creating a new supporting cast member for him - a companion, in the Doctor Who sense - in Dawn Greenwood, a smart, likable and attractive Earth girl who joins the Surfer on his adventures.

   They both are enjoying their trips to strange worlds and places around the universe, but when Dawn asks for a more serious adventure, they visit the Casino Cosmico.

   There they discover the very real dangers of gambling - especially when you're risking things that have real value.

   It features the return of a certain well-known cosmic character - and has a clever plot twist at the end.

   Maybe I'm wrong and lots of people are reading this book - but it never seems to have much buzz, and that's a shame, because it's consistently one of Marvel's best comics.

   Recommended!

Grade: A-

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Silver Surfer #6

   Close on the heels of his 50th Anniversary, we get around to celebrating the 200th issue of The Silver Surfer.

   Once again the creative team of Dan Slott and Michael Allred rise to the challenge, giving us a story that's tied to the present, yet also manages to celebrate the history of that hero.

   The issue begins will another momentous moment, as the Surfer takes his love interest, Dawn Greenwood, to a meeting with her long-estranged mother. It's a sometimes painful and heartfelt event.

   At the same time, the Surfer and guest star Peter (Spider-Man) Parker face an attack by an army of the Surfer's past opponents (sorta kinda).

    Heck, the issue's worth buying for that Mike Allred cover, with the Surfer surrounded by a spray of past covers (including his earliest appearances in the Fantastic Four).

   Here's to the next 200 (which hopefully they'll be celebrating before 2066)!

Grade: A-

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Silver Surfer #3

   Where does the time go?

   It's somewhat terrifying to realize that this issue of Silver Surfer marks 50 years since his first appearance in an issue of the Fantastic Four (#48, if I remember correctly).

   And I bought that issue at the newsstand when I was 10 years old. (Pause while I shudder inwardly.)

   The character was created by Jack Kirby, who decided Galactus (hey, he's also 50 years old now) needed a herald, and apparently threw the Surfer into that issue as something of an afterthought.

   The character connected with fans and with Lee, and a few years later was given his own series.

   His career has been hit-and-miss over the years, with some terrific stories, including work by John Buscema, John Byrne, Mobius, Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, Jim Starlin, Ron Lim and many others.

   These days the Surfer's adventures are in the more-than-capable hands of co-writers Don Slott and Michael Allred, with Allred doing the art and Laura Allred providing color art. They've infused the series with a real sense of wonder - and a lot of humor and humanity.

   This issue, as befits an anniversary issue, ties a major threat to the planet Earth (and the rest of the universe, too) back to the Surfer's origin, pits the hero again a certain rock-skinned former opponent, and throws in a big contingent of Marvel's heroes to boot.

   It's a lot of fun! Wonder what they'll do for the 100th Anniversary? And will I be around to see it? (Now THAT would be a miracle!)

Grade: A-

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Silver Surfer #2

   There are very few comics that manage to combine a classic feel with modern storytelling - but Silver Surfer is one such book.

   A lot of it can be attributed to the wonderful artwork of Mike Allred, which manages to convey a Kirby-like sensibility without ever actually copying that legend.

   Rather than succumb to the modern standards of overwrought detail, he focuses on conveying the energy, emotion and humor of each situation. His characters are malleable, not carved out of steel.

   The environments also share a Ditkoesque sense of the surreal. It's wonderful work, though I admit it may not be for everyone - but I really enjoy it.

   The story by Allred and Dan Slott is mostly setup for next issue's celebration of the Surfer's 50th Anniversary, but it brings back one of the Surfer's oldest friends (when girlfriends clash!) - and one of his first opponents (you might spot him on the cover).

   It also presents a threat to the world like no other - and a few surprises as well.

   I'm really enjoying this series, one of the few that has fun with its premise. Here's to another 50!

Grade: A-

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Silver Surfer #14

   While other Marvel comics are fighting to fit into the ongoing Secret Wars event, the Silver Surfer is happily skirting around the mini-series.

    Or not so happily. Having avoided the universe's final destruction, the Surfer and his companion Dawn Greenwood encounter some cosmic beings who make a shocking offer - to restore the universe, including all the friends and loved ones of the Surfer and Dawn.

   But what price will they have to pay?

   This series is something of an oddity - it operates apart from the rest of the Marvel Universe, and it has a distinctive '60s flavor.

   A large part of that is Mike Allred's expressive, unique and energetic art. He's had lots of room to run wild in this series with wild (sometimes psychedelic) art, just as writer Dan Slott has crafted flights of imagination and originality.

   Put them together and you get a comic that's unique and a heck of a lot of fun!

Grade: B+

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The Classics - Silver Surfer #1

   What a thrill when this issue hit the stands!

   I remember picking up the first issue of The Silver Surfer in 1968 and taking it with me on a school trip, reading it over and over again (only letting it go when a friend begged for a chance to read it).

   The character had first appeared two years before in the Fantastic Four's comic, playing the part of a villain! He led Galactus, the world destroyer, to the Earth - but was convinced by Alicia Masters to turn against his master.

   As a result, the Surfer was trapped on Earth. Over the next two years, he made a few guest-appearances in the pages of the FF, and was finally given his own title.

   Marvel must have been convinced that it was going to be a hit - each issue was the size of an annual, selling for a bruising cost of 25 cents each.

   It was written by Stan Lee (who had made no secret about how much he liked the character), but surprisingly, it was drawn by John Buscema, not Jack Kirby, the artist who created the character.

   Of course, as a fan of Buscema's (and Kirby's), I was fine with it - and Buscema seemed inspired, as he turned in some of his best work on the series - lyrical and powerful (issue #4 may be his best work ever).

   The issue finally gave us the long-awaited origin of the Surfer, introducing Norrin Radd (the Surfer's "true identity"), his true love, Shalla Bal, his encounter with Galactus and how Norrin was able to save his world - at the cost of his own humanity.

    The Surfer is a terrific character, but Stan and John made his a pacifist, which made it much more challenging to find ways to put him in the heart of each conflict. When the end of the series was evident, they decided to make some big changes to the character and the concept - so they turned the art chores back over to Jack Kirby - and then they promptly cancelled the series. Kirby left Marvel at that time - so was the loss of the Surfer's title a contributing factor for his move to DC (where he'd create the New Gods).
 
   The Surfer would return time and again, both as a guest star, as a member of the Defenders, and  in his own title - but this was the high point for the character.

Grade: A

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Silver Surfer #13

   While most of the Marvel Comics line has been enveloped by the Secret Wars event, a few series have been puttering along, wrapping up their ongoing stories (perhaps a bit behind schedule, like the upcoming issue of Uncanny X-Men).

   That seemed to be the path for the Silver Surfer, but this issue instead drops that hero and his companion, Dawn Greenwood, right into the heart of the cosmic event that led to the creation of Battleworld (well, sorta).

   But as you'd expect if you've been reading this unique, somewhat zany, always unpredictable series (I should also mention that it's a heck of a lot of fun), it doesn't take the traditional path - certainly not the one you might expect.

   The creative team on the series is Dan Slott and Mike Allred, and it's been a great meeting of the minds - and while Allred's classic comic book style isn't for everyone, I like it a lot - it's loaded with energy and Kirbyesque visual flourishes.

   In this issue we get surprise guest stars, unexpected twists and some bizarre visuals - in other words, it's a typical issue, rich with creativity and crazy story riffs!

Grade: A-

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Silver Surfer #1

   I've been a fan of the Silver Surfer since his first appearance (way back in Fantastic Four #48, if I remember correctly).

   He's been through quite a few changes over the years, as creative teams have struggled to find the proper approach. He began as a cold, analytical creature (in his early Stan Lee / Jack Kirby FF appearances), became a pacifist (in the original Stan Lee / John Buscema series), became more of a mainstream cosmic hero (in the Steve Englehart / Marshall Rogers series) and has been through any number of reboots over the years since.

   For this series, the creative team is writer Dan Slott and artist Michael Allred, so you'd expect an original approach.

   You will not be disappointed.

   The story brings us a Surfer who no longer works for Galactus, and now roams the universe doing good deeds. His good works bring him to the attention of a strange alien race that ask for his help defending their home against a cosmic menace - and a strange and wondrous home it is!

   But somehow the Surfer's fate is tied to a young woman on Earth. She leads a calm life, working at a Bed and Breakfast Inn with her father - so what is her connection to the Surfer?

   That will wait for future issues, of course.

   With a unique cosmic outlook and lots of mysteries to unwind, this is a promising start for this new series - and a good take on the Silver Surfer. So far.

Grade: A-

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The Mighty Thor Annual #1

For a Thor Annual, it sure doesn't feel much like... well, an annual.

That's because Marvel's Annuals were once special summer events, brimming with big stories that made an event out of their once-yearly appearance.

The "real" first Thor Annual in the 1960s featured the first appearance by (and fight with) Hercules, for example.

This one tries very hard to be a big event by squeezing in a number of cosmic characters, including the Silver Surfer, Galactus, Scrier (whoever that is), the Other and a few other mysterious characters.

But even with all the galactic sturm and drang, the fact is, the story could have been told without Thor appearing at all (Hercules would have worked fine). There's nothing wrong with the story by J.M. DeMatteis - it's loaded with deep thoughts and plot twists - but it never really goes anywhere.

The art by Richard Elson is strong, with some impressive splash pages, but never really rises to the cosmic level the script aspires to.

What this issue feels like is a fill-in story, designed to cover for a missed deadline anywhere it was needed.

A proper annual should be so much more. Especially at these prices.

Grade: B-

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Silver Surfer #1 (of 5)

When he first appeared in the Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer was a secondary character. He was the herald for Galactus, tossed in as an apparent afterthought by the legendary Jack Kirby.

He became an immediate favorite of Stan Lee's, who gave the Surfer a distinct voice. After a few guest stints in the FF's magazine, the Surfer graduated to his own title, which featured amazing art by John Buscema.

But the series didn't catch on - possibly because the character was too different. Instead of being a proactive hero, he was more passive - always bemoaning the dark side of humanity.

Years later he returned with his own title, this time written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Marshall Rogers. Under their capable hands, the series flourished for a while, but after a long run with various creators it finally floundered and folded.

There have been a few attempts at revivals in the years since, but they didn't last, either. Despite his sleek look and incredible powers, perhaps the Surfer is just too alien to catch on.

That character is back in a new mini-series, and once again they have some outstanding talent on board.

Writer Greg Pak gives us a Surfer who doesn't whine and moan, but is instead resigned to his cosmic duty - leading the world-devouring Galactus to new planets.

The issue picks up (I assume) at the end of the recent events of the Chaos War. Galactus is weak from his part of the battle, so the Surfer leads him to a sun so he can recharge. (Which seems to go against the previously-stated fact that Galactus can only feed on planets that support life. But I digress.)

To kill time while Galactus is feeding, the Surfer visits the Earth, watching recent events from a distance - until he's drawn to stop a violent incident.

There are quite a few surprises in store, and the story ends with a heck of a cliffhanger (and more than a few questions).

The art by Stephen Segovia and Victor Olazaba is quite good, with several powerful splash pages on display.

It's too early to tell how the story is going to play out, and whether or not we'll see the Surfer regain his apparently-missing conscience - but so far, this mini-series is off to a good start. Here's hoping the finish lives up to it!

Grade: A-

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The Classics - Silver Surfer #4

There was something special about this issue of The Silver Surfer, but it was difficult to define.

Many years later I read a review that helped clear it up. It seems artist John Buscema decided that he'd really cut loose on this issue. Instead of doing another comic in the Kirby style, he'd make it more his own version of a Marvel comic.

However, when "Big John" brought the finished art in, he was disappointed when writer and editor Stan Lee said he didn't care for the issue.

One can only assume that Stan was having a bad day, or just really preferred John's version of Kirby, because this may be the best art of any issue Buscema drew - and that's saying something.

For most (if not all) of his run at Marvel, Buscema was the best artist in the bullpen. His layouts were dynamic, his figures were stunning and heroic (reflecting his Hal Foster-influenced style), and his storytelling was among the best.

With this issue he also benefits from one of his best inkers, his brother Sal.

Cover dated February 1969, this issue pits the cosmic-powered Silver Surfer against Thor in Asgard. Loki plots to use the Surfer to attack his brother, and the two heroes battle in the classic Marvel manner.

The story features the usual outstanding dialogue by Lee, but the story itself is a pretty standard case of the bad guy manufacturing a misunderstanding in hopes the two heroes would fight.

The Surfer is a figure who never seemed to fit into the comic book hero mold - although he's a powerhouse of cosmic energy, he's more interested in introspection, peace, love and understanding (and all that '60s jazz) than in going out and fighting the bad guys.

Someone always had to bring the fight to him, and as a result he always seemed to be the victim. Perhaps that's why his comic (at least in the first incarnation) never really caught on. Or maybe it was the 25-cents cover price.

But the thing that sells the issue is the artwork - 39 pages of amazing work, followed by a 10-page Tales of the Watcher by Lee and artist Howard Purcell.

Perhaps this issue was a try-out for Buscema's future run on Thor's own comic, but it's also a great look at what that artist was really capable of when he was allowed to work in his own style. A shame he didn't get more opportunities like this, but his work over the decades still shines brightly, and should inspire comic artists for years to come.

Grade: A-