I was re-reading FF 262 "The trial of Reed Richards" and I wanted to check out the first appearance of Galactus, where the Watcher tells Reed Galactus is neither Good or Evil (trying to remember at work, so please forgive me if I paraphrased incorrectly). Yesterday I was a comic book store at my local flea market and the dealer/owner has these issues for about $225 a pop.

Now my wife is supporting my comic book habit to a point, but she's not quite that supportive

Anyway my question is: Has that story been reprinted anywhere that I might be able to get my hands on it?

I don't collect for the investment I collect for the enjoyment so I actually like to open the comic and read it several times and at those prices I would be afraid to breathe on it wrong.


Thanks

Joe Welsh

Yes, you can get it in the Essential Fantastic Four, the cheap collections Marvel does. I think it's in volume 2 though it might be 3.

It's well worth it too, that whole era of The Fantastic Four produced some of the greatest mainstream comics books ever produced!

You'll find it in Essential FF#3. Still waiting for #s 4 and 5 so I can have the entire Lee/Kirby run. Instead we get books like Essential Marvel Team Up. Was that something fans really asked for?

vv

The Marvel Masterworks volume which reprints issues #41 to #50. It's in color and has much better production values than the Essentials series. Probably the only thing that's Marvel's been publishing that's worth the price tag.

I liked Essential Marvel Team-Up. So, while it's not a plural "The fans asked for", at least one fan wanted it.

Thanks for the replies I'll have to check it out

I take it from the descriptions that Essentials FF is black and white and Masterworks is in color.

Thanks again

Joe

 I still prefer reading it in the Marvel Treasury format (roughly 10" x 13.5").

Epic story, grand scale.

The ONLY thing I don't like is that it drops the preceeding 6 pages from issue 48 and maybe 6 later pages from issue 50.

Didn't Stan and Jack realize they were supposed to stretch it out over six issues?

Heck, the trilogy would really be about two issues long.

I love the old Marvel Treasury and DC Oversized comics.

Did JB ever have any work published in that format?

There is also a prestige format reprint called "The Coming of Galactus". Should run you about $5.00 and in color.

If that reprint is the one I think it is, though, it leaves off the first half of issue #48 (which had nothing to do with Galactus) and ran the first panel of the Surfer enlarged to make a splash page. So, depending on what you're interested in, be informed.

Probably. It is better than paying $35-50.00 bucks for the Masterwork if you are just wanting a quick read. The Essential is B & W of course. Even the Treasury versions will cost you $20.00 if you can find them.

I couldn't tell you the content of the interior. My copy is in the garage as I upgraded to the Masterwork version myself.

The one I was thinking of had a Ron Lim cover.

I may be crazy but I've found that I like Kirby's art better in greys or B&W. Seriously. It seems more "THERE" somehow.

Of course for me Kirby's art is sort of my equivalent to Mescaline. I use it to go places I can't get to on my own. But it doesn't make my teeth fall out or register in drug screenings and I've never ended up in a psycho ward after reading. And no flash backs. Yet.



I kin quit enna time I wanta.

That treasury edition has a great map of the Baxter Building. Dug it big time as a kid.

There was also a thin "Coming of Galactus" reprint (I think it was marketed as a Silver Surfer book) which reprints the Galactus sections of #48, as well as #49-50. May be a pain to find, but it should be cheaper than the other options.

You'll find it in Essential FF#3. Still waiting for #s 4 and 5 so I can have the entire Lee/Kirby run. Instead we get books like Essential Marvel Team Up. Was that something fans really asked for?

Being a huge Spider-Man fan, I certianly asked for a MTU Essentials volume and bought it the day it came out. Different strokes for different folks, VV.



Matt Reed

I, too, snapped up the MTU ESSENTIALS as soon as I saw it. I'll confess. tho, that I was very surprised to reread ome of those fondly remembered issues and discover how bad the stories were!!

Being as big a fan of Galactus as anyone, I have the Marvel Treasury edition, the original FF 48-50, AND Marvel's Greatest Comics 35-37, which is perhaps the cheapest (though fairly hard-to-find) way to get the trilogy.







Rick Senger
Byrne-ing Up In LA

Thanks for posting those images, Rick. I have those three issues of Marvel's Greatest Comics. For me, those are the next best thing to having the originals.

...I was very surprised to reread ome of those fondly remembered issues and discover how bad the stories were!!

I found myself thinking the exact same thing!!!

Had a great nostalgia factor for me, regardless, though. Just needed to put myself into a different mindset.

~Bob

Picked up volume 3 recently after believing that black and white wouldn't do it for me. Boy was I wrong. The sheer number of iconic stories, for the cheap price makes it a priceless purchase even if you do pick up those particular issues in a colour format.

JB: "I, too, snapped up the MTU ESSENTIALS as soon as I saw it. I'll confess. tho, that I was very surprised to reread ome of those fondly remembered issues and discover how bad the stories were!!"

I think we've all had that experience, with certain comics, tv, movies, and music. Of course, there's the flipside to that where I find that things I didn't care for as a child, I now enjoy.

MTU Essentials Vol 1 will lead to a Vol 2, which would contain the JB/Claremont run, yes?

Brian Rhodes