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The Fantastic Four 1 Paperback – January 1, 2009

by Stan Lee (Author), Jack Kirby (Illustrator)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 29 ratings
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Celebrate Marvel's 70th anniversary by experiencing the tales of the world's most-famous super heroes from the very beginning! The Marvel Masterworks have brought readers deluxe hardcover collections of Marvel's classics from the Golden Age, Atlas Era, and the mighty Marvel Age, and now you can join in the Masterworks excitement with Marvel's new, monthly Marvel Masterworks trade paperbacks. While testing an experimental spacecraft Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Sue and Johnny Storm were exposed to a bombardment of mysterious cosmic rays. Upon their return to Earth, they found that they had gained wondrous abilities, the likes of which had never been seen before. That voyage was the first of many extraordinary adventures for these friends, who became known to the world as: Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, The Human Torch, and The Invisible Girl - The Fantastic Four! Collects The Fantastic Four #1-10.
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  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Marvel Enterprises
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    7 x 0.5 x 10 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0785137106
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0785137108
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Marvel’s welcome initiative to put their Masterworks collections into affordable paperback format follows up a beautiful new edition of Amazing Spider-Man, v.1 with this collection of their very first foray into the superhero genre. Squabbling over each other’s personal foibles while facing a breathless barrage of B-movie, sf concepts, the Fantastic Four flew in the face of Silver Age industry-leader DC’s shiny, no-nonsense authority figures. Lee’s subversively revolutionary concept of the superhero as regular Joe was typified in the pathos of the monstrous Thing, whose dark emotions are direct progenitors of the modern-day realism found in the likes of Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns. Kirby’s art was still evolving toward his more angular, bombastic style, but the clay-like forms and textures here give a sense of raw power that make it easy to miss Kirby’s mastery of expressive faces and heightened emotion. These first 10 issues present mainstays Doctor Doom, the Sub-Mariner, and the Skrulls (pivotal to Marvel’s recent Secret Invasion event), and display for the jaded and uninitiated readers alike that they are among the most historically significant examples of the form (highlighted by an array of historical back matter) and some of the most engaging and thrilling comics ever produced. Grades 4-12. --Jesse Karp

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Marvel Enterprises; First Edition (January 1, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0785137106
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0785137108
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 16 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.5 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

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Stan Lee

Stan Lee

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Stan Lee is a man who needs no introduction. Nevertheless: Having begun his career with wartime Timely Comics and staying the course throughout the Atlas era, Stan the Man made comic-book history with Fantastic Four #1, harbinger of a bold new perspective in story writing that endures to this day. With some of the industry’s greatest artists, he introduced hero after hero in Incredible Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men and more — forming a shared universe for rival publishers to measure themselves against. After an almost literal lifetime of writing and editing, Lee entered new entertainment fields and earned Marvel one opportunity after another. He remains one of Marvel’s best-known public representatives.

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Stanley Martin Lieber (Manhattan, Nueva York; 28 de diciembre de 1922 - Los Ángeles, California; 12 de noviembre de 2018), más conocido como Stan Lee, fue un escritor y editor de cómics estadounidense, además de productor y ocasional actor de cine. Es principalmente conocido por haber creado personajes icónicos del mundo del cómic tales como Spiderman, Hulk, Ironman, los 4 Fantásticos, Thor, los Vengadores, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, X-Men y Bruja escarlata, entre otros muchos superhéroes, casi siempre acompañado de los dibujantes Steve Ditko y Jack Kirby. El trabajo de Stan Lee fue fundamental para expandir Marvel Comics, llevándola de ser una pequeña casa publicitaria a una gran corporación multimedia. Todavía hoy, los cómics de Marvel se distinguen por indicar siempre «Stan Lee presenta» en los rótulos de presentación. También tuvo un programa televisivo en History Channel en donde buscaba superhumanos "reales".

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
29 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

João Paulo Hammes
5.0 out of 5 stars Jack Kirby is the King!!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2009
Verified Purchase
Well friends, I've just got this TPB yesterday and I was amused and bemused at the same time. I had never seen Jack Kirby's pencils before, it's wonderful, he desires really to be called "King". Fantastic Four is the only old material I will colect from these new reprints of Marvel Masterworks, i'ts the best comic produced in 60's!!! The paper is very good, and I love softcovers, I prefer than to the Hardcovers. Man, profit of this time to buy it, you won't regret.
6 people found this helpful
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Cozzster
4.0 out of 5 stars More affordable trades = good...
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2011
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I was pleased to see the new masterworks released in a paperback format as this was. I really don't want to pay $50-$60 just to read old stories everytime I get a craving, so these fit well for me.

These serve as a point of nostalgia for me, not that I was a kid when these were originally in stores (I'm only 25), but nostalgia in the form that it reminds me of the days when I was a kid first reading comics as I'm sure many people felt reading these very issues when they were kids.

To me, the stories are good old Stan Lee style storytelling, full of action and cosmic adventures. I'll admit, there seemed to be a need (as with all the older marvel works) to have each character say a paragraph and fill each panel full of word balloons. This detracts a bit from the story, but not to the extent that you would not want to continue reading. Just try reading issue by issue and pacing yourself if you feel overburdened with word balloons.

Overall, having never read the old fantastic four stories, I enjoyed them very much. I still like the old Spidey stories better, but these are the next best in my opinion.
4 people found this helpful
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joshua burns
5.0 out of 5 stars The best 1st volume masterworks I've read
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2014
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Some of the masterworks I have read start off kind of lame, and get better as the next few volumes come out, but this one was solid from the start
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Kenguard
5.0 out of 5 stars From The First Family Of Heroes.
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2018
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Yes! In Amazing Condition.
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Zach D. L. Story
4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Marvel
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2009
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Marvel's reprints of their old stuff under the Marvel Masterworks title are major proof not only of the timelessness of the story telling, but it is a testament to the consistency found in Marvel. With DC comics continuity has been changed so many times it's not funny. With Marvel, much of the events that happen in this collection of the Fantastic Four have lasting effects on the Marvel Universe. Specifically the second issue which not only introduces the Skrulls, but establishes events referred to much later in the Kree/Skrull war which plays a role in leading up to the recent Secret Invasion.

Stan Lee's story telling and Jack Kirby's art are great, classic work any hard core fan of the Fantastic Four shouldn't go without!
13 people found this helpful
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Duane Lindsey
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it.
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2013
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Been reading comics for 40 years and this is the first time for most of the issues reprinted here. The classics are the best.
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Charles C. Bennett
4.0 out of 5 stars Lee/Kirby start the Marvel revolution!
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2016
Sometimes, Stan Lee the writer is overshadowed by Stan Lee the celebrity/movie extra, editor, publisher,editor, etc. That's a shame because Stan Lee is the most influential comic book writer ever and one of the best. FF Masterworks Vol. 1 is where it begins. Lee created a diverse cast of heroes who interacted as a family-a real family that squabbled and did not always get along. Reed Richards was brilliant but cold, Johnny Storm was hot headed and immature, Susan Storm was that stereotypical damsel in distress even while her powers were underutilized, and Ben Grimm was the rough and tumble guy trapped in a monster's body. By far, Ben Grimm as the Thing, was the most interesting character. He had the biggest problems but he was bitterly funny about his predicament.
Without Jack Kirby, Stan Lee's dialogue and plot ideas would never have gotten as far as they did. His pencils are incredible. Both Lee and Kirby got off to a good start with the first issue as they traced the FF's origin and their first adventure with the Mole Man. Issues 2 and 3 are okay but the series takes off with the return of the Sub-Mariner in issue 4. The writing and artwork get richer as Lee and Kirby seem to realize that something special is happening. Dr. Doom, perhaps the best villain in comic book history, is introduced in issue 5. By the time we get through all 10 issues, we've seen the FF go broke, star in a movie, and become a superhero family. We also see depth created for the Sub-Mariner and Dr. Doom. The best issues are yet to come, but this is a great start.
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cae
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2017
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this was a gift and they LOVED it
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Top reviews from other countries

Styles
4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasently weird
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2013
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Bought this for my son on the basis that my first comic books were the Fantastic Four. The comics encourage him to read- and he enjoys the stories, although the early ones are very dated in terms of art and story lines. In any event, a good compliation of the early comics!
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Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars Compared to other Marvel characters and associated storylines of the ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2017
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Compared to other Marvel characters and associated storylines of the same era (and hence the associated constraints) comes across as very simple.
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