Review by Karl Verhoven

This is the Fantastic Four with Medusa replacing Sue Richards and the Human Torch in a red costume, and this bulky selection sees the writing transition from Gerry Conway back to Roy Thomas at the end, briefly via Len Wein.

Conway writes most content, and is frustrating for having good ideas and frequent surprises, while only rarely managing to produce something that’s satisfying from beginning to end. An enjoyable exception sees the Fantastic Four catapulted back through time with short chapters set in assorted eras as they work their way forward again. Conway has fun with the olden times, and if John Buscema doesn’t completely buy into the surrealism of the conclusion it’s a story with a novel premise that works for what it is.

Conway’s at his best when it comes to the dynamics between four members of an extended family, especially shaking things up between Reed and Sue and having strong ideas about who four different personalities are. The Thing is responsible for several joyful moments, and Johnny Storm has to endure the emotional torment of seeing the woman he once loved marry someone else.

Primary artist Rich Buckler’s pages look decent enough in Jack Kirby’s action style, but that’s because Buckler is often swiping his poses directly from Kirby’s work. In his introduction to the same stories reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Volume 14 – they also spill over into Volume 15 – Conway’s scathing about expectations that an established professional like Buckler was at the time should do his own drawing.

Two appearances from Doctor Doom are the collection’s highlights, the second better than the first. They stand out partly because the writers, first Conway, then Wein and Thomas, have a good handle on Doom’s character. Conway delivers him with the bombast of “you’re about to discover how useless your pitiable stretching powers are against a man possessing the scientific wizardry… of Victor von Doom!” The pauses and emphasis via bold lettering are excellent. Wein and Thomas supply arrogance and cruelty with “This is power you whimpering oaf! The image of a boot stamping endlessly on the upturned face of a cringing humanity!” No, he’s not a nice chap, and Wein and Thomas provide the collection’s best inclusion with their three part tale of Doom coercing the Silver Surfer, leading to a clever ending.

In addition to the Masterworks volumes, two Epic Collections present this material in colour, Annihilus Revealed and The Crusader Syndrome, which also incorporates a fair portion of Essential Fantastic Four Vol. 8.