expatNERD

Tag: John Byrne

  • Terrax the Tamer

    Another Thursday, which means another recommendation! The Fantastic FOOOOOOUUUURR is coming out this week. Last week I recommended the wonderful Son of Doom storyline, and this week we’re going to head right into John Byrne’s very famous and legendary run on the world’s most famous super-hero family.

    This is such a legendary run and it is still being talked about and dissected. So where to start? I like to start with a beautiful three issue trilogy of sorts, that also featured Galactus and a bunch of Marvel characters. These issues are Fantastic Four #242, #243, and #244. The quick synopsis is that Galactus’ new herald, Terrax the Tamer, decides to double cross the big guy, since Galactus is in a weakened state.

    Of course Terrax battles the Fantastic Four, but in these three issues a lot of really cool stuff happens:

    Manhattan goes to outerspace.

    Spider-Man shows up.

    Thor shows up.

    Daredevil shows up.

    Doctor Strange shows up.

    Get the picture? It’s basically three glorious issues with a huge Marvel team-up, featuring the Fantastic Four, Galactus, and Terrax. Also, the resolution is very satisfying and might be something you would not expect. But Byrne laid it out nicely and by the time you get to the end, you believe it.

    These issues are usually sought after so they can be quite pricey. But they are definitely worth it. Seriously, not only is this a great Fantastic Four story, but also for anyone who wants to be introduced to the world of Marvel Comics, these are a great way to start. It’s basically Marvel’s greatest hits in three issues.

    I hope you enjoyed this week’s recommendation and as always…

    bleib kühl,

    -Franka

  • The Son of Doom

    Man what a Super week last week was! And I will say, after seeing Superman…it totally rocked! James Gunn brought the big guns and it looks like the movie will have legs. I think we can say that DC is back film-wise and I can’t wait to see more films in this rebooted universe.

    But good news true believers! The Fantastic Four movie comes out next week! As Marv keeps saying, if you told me that one year we would have a new Superman movie, then a mere two weeks later, a new Fantastic Four movie…well…I just might have to punch you in the face for lying. But boy, my face would have been red because it’s actually true!

    With the new Fantastic Four movie coming out I thought I would give you some of my recommendations from the comics. This is in no particular order, but the first storyline that comes to mind is the Son of Doom storyline, by Marv Wolfman and Keith Pollard.

    This is incredible and has all the classic elements of the Fantastic Four. Including their arch nemesis Doctor Doom, who changes by the end of it. Wolfman sprinkles the plot crumbs starting in issue #192 and then slowly ramps it up to the resolution in #200. You have a lot of drama packed in these issues and I do not want to give too much away, but it is definitely worth hunting down these issues. They should not break the bank too much by any means and you can easily find them. And I promise you, you won’t regret it.

    Plus, for people who come to the store and would like to begin with the Fantastic Four, especially with the new stuff, I always recommend to start here. Once you get through the Son of Doom, Jim Shooter (RIP big guy) takes over as editor in chief. And then, as we know, Shooter will eventually hand over the book to Johny Byrne, who will start his classic run on the series. And the Son of Doom (in my humble opinion) is really the start to all of that.

    Finally, one fun part of the Son of Doom, is that Thing really has a hankering to punch the living daylights out of Doom. And that is celebrated in my drawing below.

    Tschüsschen!

    Franka