Mike Sullivan's Blog

Original cover to Fantastic Four #48 by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott. This issue marked the debut of the Silver Surfer the star of the new FF movie, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I guess the filmmakers wanted to avoid any puns so they've done away with "the coming of" anybody. This whole amazing story was published in 1966! It's taken 40 years for them to bring it to the big screen. I know it will be nothing like the comic book, but I'm hoping to enjoy it none-the-less.

The three issue story-arc (FF #48-50) debuts the Silver Surfer, herald of the space-god, Galactus. Galactus, we discover, seeks to drain the life-force of planets, leaving them ravaged, drained of energy. Over the years, rather than keeping with the initial concept of "think of Galactus as a gold miner -- prospecting in space! but, instead of ore, he digs for energy," Galactus' intentions were simplified by writers who either didn't understand the concept, or thought it was just funny to make him "something that eats planets."

Such a shame.

Artwork from MGC#35 by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. This issue was the reprint of Fantastic Four #48, printed in 1972. I love this Buscema cover depicting how monumental the arrival of the Surfer was.