Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 4

The Fantastic Four Omnibus, Vol. 4 by Stan Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 4 collects issues 94-125 of Fantastic Four.

I don't follow a lot of super teams since a lot of the time, it doesn't make much sense for them to team up. "Okay, Iron Man, Thor, you guys take on Galactus. Cap, Hawkeye, I think there's a bank robbery going on down the street if you want to keep busy." Anyway, I have a soft spot for Marvel's First Family and I've been getting these omnibuses.

Issues 94-102 feature Lee and Kirby for the last time. Jack isn't contributing new characters anymore but the art is as dynamic as it every was. Stan Lee's dialogue is as corny as ever.

No two ways about it, the book takes a shit after Kirby leaves. John Romita does a decent Kirby impression and John Buscema was Marvel's top guy when Kirby left but they just aren't The King. Romita puts in the effort. Big John does as well, even though his Johnny Storm looks about ten years older than Kirby's. Kirby's absence is really felt in the plots. There are lots of rehashes of old plots and even Stan Lee bails when he feels the Kirby-shaped void.

They aren't bad comics once Kirby leaves, just suffering by comparison. There's fun to be had with the rest of the FF teaming with Doctor Doom once Reed is being controlled by the Overmind, some conflict with the Inhumans, a clash with Diablo, The Silver Surfer and Galactus return to stick in the collective craw of the Fantastic Four. Agatha Harkness gets a lot more page time than I ever would have thought. Maybe Stan Lee and Archie Goodwin had a soft spot for her?

Honestly, I wonder if the Fantastic Four would have been better off fading into the background after Kirby left. I'm a big FF fan but they've had their share of stinkers in the last fifty years. Better to leave people wanting more than running everything into the ground but that's DC and Marvel for you.

Anyway, Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 4 wasn't a bad read but I was glad when it was over. 3 out of 5 stars.

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