WGTB Reviews Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel Studios' latest offering arrived in cinemas today, and while I'm positive many of you have already seen Guardians of the Galaxy, here's a quick review for those who haven't. It's abridged because I'm off to a wedding soon and has been divided into three categories: 1) Good, 2) Bad; and, 3) Post-Credit Scene. The two minutes at the end of the film warrant its own category because, let's face it, it has become as much a reason for going to Marvel films as the flick itself. 

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Starring: Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Disel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace & Glenn Close. Directed by James Gunn. RATED: PG-13,  TIME: 122 minutes 

The Good

Marvel has nailed the CGI and this film was a treat for the visual senses. Computer generated characters Groot and Rocket Raccoon were awesome and the many space scenes were as good as any I've ever seen. The acting, for the most part, was good too with Chris Pratt being a fantastic Peter Quill and Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista excellent in their roles of Gamora and Drax the Destroyer. That said, the best character of the film was a witty, likable and very funny Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper. The origin story of Peter Quill was also very well written and is a great example of not needing an entire film to explain the beginnings of a Marvel character. Speaking of Marvel characters, the film did feature some awesome tidbits of Marvel's extensive mythology, with the MacGuffin of the story being a key element of it.   

The Bad

While the acting and parts of the plot were good, on the whole I found the storyline to be weak and at times seemed to simply jump from one battle to the next. Don't get me wrong, I love action as much as anyone, but I really thought there could have been a little more flow between the chapters of the story. Also, parts of the dialogue seemed clunky and there was also an unnecessary amount of foul language. Not swears per se but just stuff that shouldn't be heard by the legends of kids who will come out to see Guardians. I know that sounds a little old-fashioned, but that's how I feel.

  

After-Credit Scene 

Unfortunately, I actually found it to be weak. The joy of these scenes is they hint at a future film. But the character featured in this one just didn't seem to match and to walk into the cinema hoping for something from Avengers: Age of Ultron or Ant-Man meant that you left a little disappointed.  

So although this was an enjoyable film, it wasn't as good as I hoped, nor was it as good as its been reviewed. But let me know if you think I'm completely off-base because, after all, I was a blogger who liked Green Lantern a couple years back! In the meanwhile, Guardians of the Galaxy will get 3.5/5 STARS. 

SuperSoundtracks #7: Reed Richards & Deadmau5

Reed Richards a.k.a. "Mr. Fantastic" is without question my favourite comic character. I like him because first and foremost, he's very smart, quite probably the smartest character in the Marvel Universe. But he's also a family man, a good and loyal friend but flawed and imperfect in a lot of ways too. Simply put, he's one of Marvel's most interesting and well-rounded characters. This is why it has been so difficult figuring out a SuperSoundtrack for him. If you can't remember, a SuperSoundtrack is a re-occurring feature on WGTB where we pair a song with a comic book superhero and explain why the two fit together. It's basically a fun way to talk about both comics and music, two things we love here!  

Reed Richards in Marvel's New Avengers Vol. 3 #1 (March 2013) Written by Jonathan Hickman with pencils by Steve Epting and inks by Rick Magyar & Rank D'Armata

Reed Richards was created in the early 1960s. You might remember the (likely apocryphal) story: Martin Goodman, publisher Marvel Comics was playing golf with National Periodical Publications' (DC Comics) Jack Liebowitz or Irwin Donenfeld when the DC boss boasted about the success of the new Justice League of America title. Goodman, seeing an opportunity for Marvel to return to superheroes, went back to the office and instructed Stan Lee to come up with a new team of science-fiction themed characters. The result was The Fantastic Four #1, released in November 1961 and co-created with artist Jack Kirby. 

Cover of Marvel's The Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #1 (November 1961)

Although the Fantastic Four owed their creation to the Justice League, they were unlike them in many ways. Having acquired their powers from bombarding cosmic rays while on a spaceship of Reed Richards' design, they brought to their stories pre-existing relationships and were a family. Reed's girlfriend and eventual wife was Susan Storm, the lone female member of the team, and her brother Johnny, was a hot-headed teenager. The team also featured Reed's best friend from college, Ben Grimm. Ben's power was that he had permanently turned into a rock-like "Thing". Reed's was that he could stretch and change in an elastic-like manner; Sue's was that she could turn invisible; and Johnny became the Human Torch. The Fantastic Four, also in stark contrast to their Justice League counterparts, didn't keep secret identities and were celebrities in their own right. 

Image from Marvel's The Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #47 (February 1966) by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby

From The Fantastic Four #1, the book would proceed for 611 issues and included some of the most highly acclaimed runs in all of comics. Indeed, Stan and Jack's run of 102 (with 6 Annuals) in so many ways stands atop the podium of the Silver Age and introduced to the Marvel Universe such stalwart characters as the Skrulls, the Watcher, Galactus, the Silver Surfer, the Black Panther, the Kree and so many others. Stan and Jack's collaborative effort also gave birth to what became the "Marvel Method", a teamwork focused way of comic story writing. 

Image from Marvel's The Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #358 (November 1991) Story by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Paul Ryan & inks by Danny Bulanadi.  

As the Silver Age turned to Bronze, The Fantastic Four lost much of their lustre. It still sold well and kept the self-proclaimed "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" but it would take British-Canadian creator John Byrne to really revive the franchise. Byrne, stepping-up in the summer of 1981, gave us another long and enjoyable run of the venerable title. Byrnes' run was five years long and had much of the science-fiction that Lee and Kirby's did, but also gave it a more modern feel, reaching its height (in this blogger's opinion) with "The Trial of Reed Richards" arch. Here Reed Richards faced prosecution for saving the life of world devouring Galactus. In his defence Richards offered up this rationale: 

Image from Marvel's The Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #262 (January 1984) Here Byrne's unique storytelling comes to a fore with Reed facing criminal charges of a galactic scale.

Byrnes' enjoyable run was followed by subsequent creators who were met with mixed success and gradually the Fantastic Four were eclipsed by the likes of the Uncanny X-Men and the Avengers. However, when speaking of creators, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the great run that Jonathan Hickman put together in the latter portion of the first volume of The Fantastic Four. In this run Richards founded the Future Foundation, the core members being the two children he and Sue had together and a mix of other eclectic personalities. Brian Michael Bendis and Hickman would later introduced us to Reed as a core member of the Illuminati in the New Avengers. This group brought Mr. Fantastic together with Ironman, Black Panther, Dr. Strange, Namor, and Professor X (and later Beast) to deal with threats that only the brightest on Earth could handle. 

Of late, there has been some unfortunate talk of Marvel cancelling the The Fantastic Four comic book. I know the numbers haven't been great recently, but from what I've read, this has more to do with 20th Century Fox owning the movie rights to the characters and Marvel/Disney not wanting to cross-promote another company's product. What comes of this we will have to wait and see.

The final appearance of Reed Richards in the first volume. From Marvel's The Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #611 (December 2012)  Written by Jonathan Hickman with pencils and inks by Ryan Stegman. Pictured here with his father Nathaniel Richards.

For Reed Richards' SuperSoundtrack I’ve selected some progressive house by Canadian artist Deadmau5. The track is "Strobe" off Deadmau5’s 2009 album For Lack of a Better Name and while I know it might seem a little strange to go with progressive house when there is a plethora of older music that could be used for the elder statesmen of the Marvel Universe, (here I'm thinking specifically of J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor) I still think there are good reasons to do so. 

Cover of Deadmau5's For Lack of a Better Name. This was the Canadian recording artist's fourth studio album. 

Listening to Strobe, it starts with an ambient piano-infused progression which really allows you to picture Reed in his laboratory, where he is the most happy and effective. At about minute four of the ten minute track, the beat kicks in and it's here where we can envision Mr. Fantastic as a man of action: a scientist who is not above getting his hands dirty and using his towering intelligence to do what his family, friends or the planet Earth needs. By the end, the melody transitions again into an almost hypnotic place and then closes in a final wind-down with a chain of mysterious ethereal and space-like sounds. This is where I've always felt Reed Richards is at home and is best placed to do his work: in outer space. Just as long has he has his family with him, of course! 

Reed Richards in his lab. Image from The Fantastic Four Vol. 4 #1 (January 2013) written by Matt Fraction with pencils by Mark Bagley and inks by Mark Farmer

Although I went with Strobe for Reed Richards, there are some runners-up to be mentioned. The first is the above mentioned organ masterpiece by J.S. Bach, which I think is a direct ancestor of music like progressive house. But more recently Deadmau5's track Errors in my Bread from his June 2014 album While (1<2) also captures a scientist at work. Have a listen to all of the above mentioned music and if you can picture the great Reed Richards talking to Norrin Radd or Black Bolt while doing it, then I've accomplished my goal. Of course, if you have any suggestions about Reed Richards, Deadmau5 or any other SuperSoundtrack then please comment below. Thanks for reading! 

Does It Stand? The Death of Captain Marvel

With the January announcement that comic book legend Jim Starlin was returning to Marvel to write a new graphic novel titled Thanos: The Infinity Revelation to be released in 2014, I got to thinking about one of his marquee works The Death of Captain Marvel and an exchange at a Marvel panel of FanExpo Canada 2012 between Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso and a fan. The floor had opened for questions and the fan asked when was the real Captain Marvel coming back. Of course, the impressive sales Captain Marvel #1 (July 2012) were still on the Marvel minds and that's what probably led to Alonso's curt response: "We have a Captain Marvel in the Marvel Universe and her name is Carol Danvers."

Axel Alonso (far left) and other "House of Ideas" dignitaries at Fan Expo Canada 2012

The fan, not taking the hint, persisted and subsequently launched into an ill-thought-out diatribe about how Danvers wasn’t the same as Mar-Vell. Alonso’s tone immediately changed from fan-obliging editor to ticked-off expert and he proceeded to dress the fan down (in as polite a way as possible) explaining how he watched his father die of cancer and would never disrespect such an important part of the Marvel Universe. Alonso also saw Starlin's story as an important tribute to all those who have been taken by cancer and if Marvel were to resurrect Mar-Vell, it would seriously insult those people. As a cancer survivor myself I could not have agreed more with Alonso's statement and afterwards approached him to express my thanks. In my opinion Mar-Vell's death remains both an important moment in the Marvel Universe and in comic book storytelling generally.

The original cover of Marvel's Death of Captain Marvel Marvel Graphic Novel Vol.1 #1 (April 1982) by Jim Starlin. The volume was reprinted in a 2013.

But what of the telling of the death of Captain Marvel itself? Does this early graphic novel stand the test of time? It's over 30 years old now, and we've all read late Bronze age material that isn't quite as readable as today's books. Does The Death of Captain Marvel stand up to today's discerning comic book reader? The following piece will look at this question but also do so through the eyes of a cancer survivor as this aspect of the book is such an important part of the story itself. 

Pain, self-pity, frustration and fear are just some of the emotions Mar-Vell goes through when coming to terms with his cancer diagnosis. All subsequent images from Marvel's  The Death of Captain Marvel (April 1982)

I'd say that The Death of Captain Marvel does stand up for today's reader. Starlin’s writing could be counted in the "gifted" category even back in the early 1980s and while script does have some self-reflective bubbles that one normally doesn't see in today's books, the dialogue does not have too "Uggh the 80s" of a feel to it and could match contemporary comic book storytelling. 

The sentiment is similiar for Mar-Vell's friends.

Moreover, the basic storyline – one of reflection and contemplation – is still very poignant. The story begins with Mar-vell on a spaceship, recording his thoughts about the life he has lived. We then track back to his days when as a hero he was exposed to a canister of nerve gas while fighting a villain named Nitro. This happened seven years prior, but now the exposure's legacy has finally come out of remission and presumably metastasized (become a secondary tumor of similar cells) and is killing him. It also becomes apparent that the Negabands which had previously held the cancer at bay, were no longer effective and the inevitable would soon arrive. Once the reader learns that it's the "Inner Decay" (call that by the Titans), the "Blackend" (Kree) or cancer, we are then introduced to Mar-Vell's efforts to come to terms with his impending death, his friend's efforts to use their considerable talents to save him, his final good-byes before one last challenge from his old foe, Thanos. When that is all completed Captain Marvel dies.

Mar-vell of the Kree dies surrounded by heroes in The Death of Captain Marvel.

As mentioned, I read this book through the lenses of a cancer survivor. My personal experience with the disease started in May 1995 when I threw a baseball and twisted my leg, experiencing a pain that I never quite experienced before. From there I met with a many different doctors who eventually referred me to one of the biggest research hospitals in Canada where I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. With that I immediately started an intense regime of chemotherapy. This went on for three days at a time with three weeks between each session. After the third, I had an operation to remove the infected tissue and have a titanium prosthetic inserted to hold my leg together. After three more chemo sessions, I started the long road to recovery and 18 years later, I'm still here. I now walk with a slight limp and cane, but otherwise live a relatively normal life. 

Very much like Mar-Vell's experiences in The Death of Captain Marvel, the external reaction to my own illness was quite mixed. Some friends walked away not sure how to deal with the gravity of my condition. Others did whatever they could to make me feel better. Again some other friends simply sat with me and were quietly and patiently my friends. Indeed, I think Captain Marvel is a story that most people who have been diagnosed with cancer can relate to and Starlin does an excellent job taking his readers through the journey of feelings and emotions of so many people who have undergone treatment. Pain, self-pity, frustration and fear is all very normal for anyone who has cancer and not even the greatest of us – superhero or mortal – is immune to them. Being a long-time volunteer with numerous cancer organizations and currently in a position where I sit on a committee of fellow survivors who advise doctors who treat cancer patients, I can tell you from personal experience that Jim Starlin hit on some universal feelings when he wrote how Mar-Vell saw his own life slowly slip away and how powerless he felt about it.

A Marvel-616 Universe without cancer would be unfair to  both the heroes and us readers. In this scene Starlin makes it clear that even the greatest minds in the Marvel Universe cannot stop cancer. 

In fact, I would go as far to say that The Death of Captain Marvel is an important comic reading experience and most certainly stands for the reader in 2014. The art is typical of what you would see in the early 1980s, but the real power is the experience of watching a formerly (near) invincible individual, reflect on his passing and then die. Fortunately, this is something I have yet to experience, but reading this graphic novel did remind me of many of my cancer-related trials and is valuable for anyone wanting to understand what it's like for someone living with cancer. Kudos to the list of Marvel editors who have keep this book so powerful by not resurrecting Mar-Vell (on a permenant basis at least) and to Axel Alonso for coming to its defence in 2012. As always, thank you for visiting WGTB and below are some links to cancer organizations you might consider supporting. They're from countries where the readership of this blog is greatest but if you would like to suggest another, please leave a comment with its website below. 

Sarcoma Cancer Foundation of Canada 
Sarcoma UK
Sarcoma Foundation of America 
Teenage Cancer Trust (UK)
Australian Youth Against Cancer

WGTB Reviews Marvel Comics: The Untold Story

Hello, friends. First off, my sincere apologies for not writing in the last little while -- it has been a very busy winter for me. But while taking a brief sabbatical from WGTB, I did manage to read a book that was released in the latter half of 2012 called Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by journalist and former editor of Entertainment Weekly, Sean Howe.  

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, Sean Howe, Harper, 2012, 485 pp, $26.99

Beginning with Timely Comics, the first incarnation of the company, Marvel Comics: The Untold Story takes its reader on the journey of Marvel from its conception to its current incarnation as one of the jewels in the crown of the Disney empire. The book itself is divided into five parts, each with their own manageable chapters. These parts, logically divided, cover the company’s origins; its renaissance during the 60s rebirth of the superhero genre; the mostly dreary and sometimes incomprehensible 70s; the sometimes acrimonious but always interesting period of Jim Shooter as Editor-in-Chief; the boom and bust period of the 90s and finally, the modern period of corporate restructuring and Marvel’s apotheosis in the cinematic world.   

The book itself is compulsively readable and does not seem the nearly five hundred pages it is. It is meticulously well researched and especially good at detailing the complex and often vitriolic drama that has dominated much of Marvel’s history. Of course, most of us know of the intellectual property disputes that still dominate Jack Kirby’s estate, but Untold also does a great job at explaining the many similar conflicts that occurred in the 70s and 80s that are much less well known. Further to that, it takes careful attention to document the fascinating history of the Editor-in-chief tenure of Jim Shooter. I knew much less about this but was absolutely enthralled while reading about it. 

But for me, by far the most interesting section of the book was Howe’s examination into the boom and bust period of the 90s when, after selling millions of comic books, Marvel nearly collapsed upon itself in a fury of corporate overreaching and greed. Readers of this blog will note that this has long been of particular interest to this blogger, but even with that background, I was impressed by Howe's research and the considerable depth of his explanations. Naturally, with Marvel's top books now selling a fraction of what they did in the early 90s, there’s an instinct to think that a comic book bubble will never happen again and therefore a warning is not necessary. But exposés of any boom and bust are always important and always serve as a warning to any industry or business -- especially those were demand is rooted in the ebb and flow of what is popular. 

In a couple places the book it could use more dates or year descriptions to assist the reader who is not as well versed in 70s or 80s comic book lore. Likewise, with so many names, it was helpful to have a tablet computer close just to periodically check when another unknown artist, writer or inker’s name surfaces. But these small matters aside, Marvel Comics: The Untold Story is a great work of comics journalism and fascinating survey of an area of pop culture and creative genius that has left an indelible print on the modern world. It is not to be missed. 4.5/5 STARS.

Does it Stand? The Infinity Gauntlet

Recently I reread Marvel's The Infinity Gauntlet, a story that if you collected comics in the early 1990s you've probably read at least an issue as well. Written by Jim Starlin with art by George Perez and Ron Lim, this six issue mini was released between July and December 1991 and told the story of the earthly and celestial superheroes and gods teaming up to battle (and then join) a Mephisto-influenced Thanos who's six gem Infinity Gauntlet has given him God-like powers. The legacy of this series was a lot of Infinity themed stories in the early 90s but can also be seen today in series like Marvel NOW!'s New Avengers.

Cover of Marvel's The Infinity Gauntlet #1 (TPB - January 2005) Written by Jim Starlin with art by George Perez and Ron Lin. Originally published July 1991-December 1991

While reading I wondered if it was worth writing about a series that has been out for over twenty years. Comic books are a nostalgia driven hobby and so many of us remember fondly those stories of decades ago. But what of the period when comics were almost everywhere and all those guys in your grade-school class stumbled into the hobby just when you thought it was yours? Remember that moment when you were ticked off that a friend -- let's call him 'Adam' -- had the ‘next big thing’ when you couldn’t afford it? Have those books stood the test of time like Stan and Jack's run on The Fantastic Four or Neil Edward’s Green Lantern? Or do they now just look rushed and silly?

 

From Marvel's The Infinity Guantlet #4 (October 1991) 

That’s what WGTB's “Does It Stand?” feature is going to be about. We're going to write about those comic stories published in the mid 80s and early 90s boom and let you know if we think they stand the test for today's discerning reader. They won't be called reviews per se, but just short commentaries (with lots of images) on how the medium has changed is that period. 

From Marvel's The Infinity Guantlet #3 (September 1991)

So let's get at it. There's no doubt that sequential art storytelling has changed a lot since the 1990s, but as a modern reader I'll say The Infinity Gauntlet, while not outstanding is somewhat enjoyable. The first three issues were clearly better than the rest, with a couple silly moments throwing the plot off in the latter issues and some obvious deus ex machina to wrap up the series. But on the whole it wasn't bad. The art is certainly very different than what you see today (even from George Perez who is still working) with the colours being much brighter and less realistic. Indeed, even when something terrible happens, it is never as menacing and dark as you'd see today and unfortunately high concept material like the Celestials or Galactus especially suffer in the brighter themes of a decade ago.

 

From Marvel's The Infinity Gauntlet #5 (November 1991)

From Marvel's The Infinity Gauntlet #3 (October 1991)

The characterization of Thanos as the maniacal yet (nearly) goofy God-like antagonist is also something that doesn’t really stand up, and I certainly don’t see Jonathan Hickman or Jason Aaron writing that character today like Starlin did then. Likewise, Adam Warlock, the closest thing we have to 'hero', was also unremarkable and someone I couldn't really enjoy seeing successful. But on the whole it does stand up as a piece of nostalgia-driven fun and if you have old copies of it kicking around The Infinity Gauntlet might be worth an hour or so of your time.

From Marvel's The Infinity Gauntlet #6 (December 1991)

WGTB Reviews Fantastic Four #1

At Fan Expo Canada this summer, Axel Alonso told us in a panel discussion that Marvel NOW! was going to be an opportunity for the new writers to make a 'hostile takeover' of their rebooted books and really make them their own. What exactly the editor-in-chief meant by this, we probably won't know until their respective sixth issues, but Fantastic Four #1 in twenty-two pages gave us a pretty good idea of what this meant to Matt Fraction: he's taking this book out of time and out of space!

Marvel's Fantastic Four #1 (January 2013) Written by Matt Fraction with pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Mark Farmer, colours by Paul Mounts, letters by VC's Clayton Cowles.  Edited by Tom Brevoort & Lauren Sankovitch. Price: $2.99 

(Spoilers Below)

With art by Mark Bagley and Mark Farmer, this first issue of the still self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Comic Magazine!" begins with a quick back and forth through time, which is too complicated to explain here. It eventually settles, however, on the Baxter building complete with the members the extended Richards gang acquired during Jonathan Hickman's run. From there we move to Johnny Storm on a (hilarious) date in the Negative Zone, Ben Grimm in trouble on the Internet and Sue surveying her 'circus'. The issue then resolves itself with Reed suggesting the group head into space and time on board the 'greatest classroom ever concieved', all the while keeping secret the real goal of his voyage, which is to find a cure for the team's decaying powers.  

Johnny Storm takes his date to the Negative Zone from Marvel's Fantastic Four #1.

As happened in All-New X-Men #1, this book will play fast and loose with the space-time continuum and you get the sense from the get-go that it's going to focus on high space adventure. Frankly, it's great to see Fraction continue with the idea of the Fantastic Four being as much scientists and educators as super-heroes, and I'm already confident that it's going to have some great writing. Character wise, I was a little perturbed that Mr. Fantastic kept something from his wife, but if this turns out to be as important of a plot point as I think, then it will turn into some interesting drama and all will be forgiven.

Bagley's art captures the scientific aspect of Fantastic Four #1 well. Some of the faces, not so much.

Johnny Storm's date with a celebrity at the beginning was funny enough to give me a laugh out loud moment at work (I've felt the same way vis-a-vis a girlfriend and her mother), and was very true to character. Likewise was Sue Richards when she surveyed her domain with the love, wonder and protective energy we've come to expect from this stalwart Marvel character. 

Sue Richards surveys her 'circus' and Ben Grimm tries to stop something from going viral in Fantastic Four #1

Mark Bagley and Mark Farmer's art was good. I happened to notice that in some cases the female characters bear a striking resemblance to each other, but all in all the artwork seemed to capture the fantastical nature of the comic well and should work with the 'big idea' space themes we've come to expect from the Fantastic Four. Truth be told, I'm a F4 fan through and through and will always give it the benefit of the doubt. Happily, this issue gives me no reason not too once more: it's a good start and will give us the solid cosmic-themed family drama we've come to expect from one of Marvel's greatest books. 4/5 STARS

SuperSoundtracks #6: The Silver Surfer & Babylon Zoo

Welcome to another super-soundtrack blog entry. In this (somewhat) regular feature, I take a good song and pair it with a comic book character. Today's comic subject is yet another creation from the minds of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; a character who first appeared with his master Galactus in the pages of Fantastic Four in March 1966. The musical subject today is the mid-90s hit 'Spaceman' by the English band Babylon Zoo.

An advert from The Avengers #25 (February 1966) This blogger (shamefully) doesn't own a copy of Fantastic Four #48 (March 1968)

Hailing from the highly advanced world of Zenn-La, the Silver Surfer was originally a scientist named Norrin Radd. When Galactus, the god-like devourer of worlds arrived at his home planet to consume it, Radd took a long unused spaceship and flew to Galactus for a parley. The resulting deal he struck was that he would serve as 'Herald' to Galactus and spare both his and other inhabited planets that Galactus would normally feed upon.    

The Silver Surfer is born! From (Silver Surfer Vol. 2 #1 1982)

At first this bargain served both parties well. Galactus, slow and cumbersome, was able to devour planets that were void of life and thus spare living creatures. At the same time, Norrin Radd as the Silver Surfer was able to explore the universe. But when the two came upon Earth conflict ensued: the Surfer grew to care about the humans while Galactus needed to eat them. Ultimately, when he aided the Fantastic Four in saving their planet, the Silver Surfer was released from Galactus' service and bound to the planet he helped spare as punishment.

Splash from Silver Surfer Vol. 2 #1 (1982). This one-shot told about the Surfer's Earth-bound captivity and starts with him in despair. Script by Stan Lee and plot and pencils by John Byrne.

It also featured a back story for readers not familiar with his creation story and...

...culminated with a conflict involving the Silver Surfer battling Mephisto. The Silver Surfer is very much an angelic presence in the Marvel Universe and it's fitting that he would count its devil as one of his chief adversaries. Above images also from Silver Surfer Vol. 2 #1.

The Silver Surfer is among the most popular characters in the Marvel Universe and has had many great creators take their turn at writing and drawing him. After appearances in the Fantastic Four he was given his own book for a short time between 1968 and 1970. This 18 issue series was silly in parts, yet is still well received to this day. Since then, the Silver Surfer (and Galactus) have appeared in many guest spots, minis and one-shots and between 1987 and 1998 Volume #3 of the Silver Surfer ran for 146 issues, an impressive run especially since it survived the mid-90s comics bubble. More recently, when it launched in 2011, The Mighty Thor featured a great opening story starring the Silver Surfer and in late 2011 Matt Fracton and Terry Dodson's Defenders also included the Silver Surfer. So far I haven't heard what Marvel NOW! plans to do with this cosmic hero, but we will be watching.

The Silver Surfer battles a pirate in the service of Mephisto in Silver Surfer Vol. 1 #9 (October 1969)

Marvel's (Marvel Knights) Silver Surfer: Requiem (July 2007) Writing by J. Michael Straczynski & art by Esab Ribic

Croatian artist Esad Ribic's work was especially good in Silver Surfer: Requiem (July 2007)

Today’s super-soundtrack chosen for the Silver Surfer is ‘Spaceman’ by Babylon Zoo, a band from Wolverhampton, England. You may remember these guys: especially if you're from the UK and heard them rocket to the top of the charts in early 1996. Unfortunately, this early success did not translate into long-term viability, and they quickly fell off the music map after their first album. Interestingly, it appears that Babylon Zoo were comic book fans -- their second album featured a song called ‘Chrome Invader’ which was originally called 'Silver Surfer' but was changed for copyright reasons. 

Spaceman is a cosmic-sounding mash of psychedelic and indie/alternative musical styles. With hauntingly slow lyrics, heavy beats and at times spoken words, it certainly has a mid-90s feel to it, yet still holds up to the 2012 listener. Its lyrics are also very appropriate to the Silver Surfer, with the below sample being particularly well matched:    

 There's a fire between us  

So where is your God?  

There's a fire between us  
I can't get off the carousel
I can't get off the carousel 
I can't get off the carousel 
I can't get off this world

If you can think of another song that would match the Silver Surfer or have a super-soundtrack of your own, please leave a comment below. That's it for now, so thanks again for reading and with the Marvel NOW! coming soon look for more reviews in the weeks to come.