This is essential reading for any Silver Surfer fan.
#MYSTERA LEGACY CANT FIND SILVER SERIES#
There’s a reason the creators of virtually every subsequent Silver Surfer series feel compelled to revisit this origin it’s a resonant dramatic spectacle, impeccably visualized by Buscema’s bombastic compositions and fluid linework. In addition, the introduction of the Surfer’s lover Shalla-Bal lends a romantic quality to his character that becomes a through-line of his stories. Norrin Radd’s desire to explore the cosmos, something his society shuns, complicates his sacrifice by lending it a note of irony and even selfishness the possibility Norrin makes his dark bargain as much for himself as his planet gets revisited by many subsequent writers. Lee and artist John Buscema make the most of this prestige format to tell a big, bold story that spans continents, planets, and multiple time periods, with heavy-handed-albeit sincere-commentary on nationalism, prejudice, violence, and technoology.Īt the heart of the story is the noble but devastating sacrifice that centrally defines the Surfer, wherein he saves his planet at the cost of his soul. Reflecting Stan Lee’s love of the Surfer, the character’s first solo series consciously courts prestige where most comics from this era were 36-page, 12-cent affairs, the first seven issues of this series offer 72-pages for 25-cents. Much of the Silver Surfer’s earnestness comes from Kirby, whose glorious spacescapes make us believe a silver man on a surfboard can be majestic instead of silly. It also doesn’t hurt that these comics feature Jack Kirby at the height of his powers.
#MYSTERA LEGACY CANT FIND SILVER FULL#
While the Surfer’s full backstory would have to wait, this introduction deftly exploits his mystery to make readers hungry for more.
Where the Silver Surfer is concerned: the Surfer’s interactions with Alicia Masters establish him as someone detached from humanity yet deeply tragic and secretly noble. In this story, the Fantastic Four are faced, for the first time, with a villain they can’t defeat, and who may not even be a villain, since cosmic beings exceed such moralities.įor all their power, Marvel’s first family is, as Johnny Storm realizes, nothing but “ants” compared to Galactus and the seemingly infinite universe he traverses, gobbling up entire planets along the way. This story is famous for several reasons: because it introduces the Silver Surfer, Galactus, and the Watcher, and because it breaks new ground as a tentative deconstruction of the superhero genre. This is especially true in the enigmatic opening and closing scenes of this issue, featuring the Surfer denying and then accepting Alicia’s touch, and in a beautiful mini-splash page detailing a single tear charting a slow path down the Surfer’s pale cheek. Garney’s skillful draftsmanship and delicate linework, inked by Bob Wiacek, perfectly captures this tragic-romantic tone. It also emphasizes the emotional core of the best Silver Surfer stories-while the universe is full of wonders, nothing is more wonderous than the depth and mystery of the heart. Forcing the Surfer to stay put brings him back to his origins while building out the foundational affinity between the Surfer and Alicia. It’s also more earthbound than many Silver Surfer stories though the Surfer makes regular forays into space and one memorable trip back in time, the main journey is an interior one, toward those missing emotions, which are repressed following a traumatic revelation related to the true fate of Zenn-La.īut the earthbound nature of this series works in its favor. Sure, the villains aren’t as compelling as they could be. Sure, there are pacing problems toward the end. Muth and others, is criminally underrated. DeMatteis’ run on Silver Surfer, featuring art by Ron Garney, Tom Grummet, Jon J.
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