Random Issue Review: Fantastic Four #76

Stan provides a quick recap of the story so far:



Incredible Journey or Fantastic Voyage? Only two years earlier a sci-fi flick of the latter name came out with a very similar plot line, involving a team that shrank themselves and a submarine, then entered a man's body in order to save his life. Reed has invented a "reducta-craft" for him, Johnny and Ben to travel to the micro-world to find the Silver Surfer. Sue and Crystal remain behind as Sue is about to give birth.

The boys find the Silver Surfer pretty quickly, which of course means that we have to get a minor battle between the F3 and the Surfer. The Surfer takes off and is spotted by Psycho-Man, a villain who has previously faced the FF. He sends his android after the Surfer, but inevitably it encounters Reed and and the boys. Meanwhile, Galactus is getting hungry:



Fortunately the Surfer has doubled back to see what the FF were after and overhearing of the peril that threatens Earth, he decides to return to the larger world. But Reed, Johnny and Ben stay behind, deciding they must have it out with the Psycho-Man.

Commments: The story seems a bit padded, with the typical Marvel battles that are never quite resolved conclusively. But the art is terrific. When I was a kid I never really appreciated Jack Kirby, and to a certain extent that has carried over to my adult life, but when I am forced to make a judgment, I find myself giving him a big thumbs up. Here's an example:



Just beautiful, and the sequential art during the battles is superior as well.

Overall I'd rate the issue as well-worth the read but not quite a classic.