As Galactus readies the Earth for his latest meal, the boys of the FF head into Sub-Atomica, home of the Psycho-Man, to convince the Silver Surfer to return. Not knowing their reasons, the Surfer is reluctant since he’s grooving to the cosmic waves of the microscopic universe, and then the FF get attacked by a minion of the Psycho-Man. Eventually the Surfer realizes what’s going on up on Earth and returns to meet his destiny, while the FF stay behind to deal with the Psycho-Man.

There’s some great stuff in this issue, especially the weird molecular model backdrops that make up Sub-Atomica. And of course Galactus is always cool. I was bugged by the token scene of Sue, pregnant and being kept in the dark by Crystal about the whole Galactus attack and mission. It’s always kind of frustrating in the whole run of the series how Sue goes back and forth from being an equal member of the team to being an outdated stereotype.

Joe Sinnott inks the cover and 20-page story.

Published 1968

This book was the first Kirby wrote and drew on his 1970 return to DC, although it wasn’t published until after a few JIMMY OLSEN issues. The four boys of the Forever People arrive on Earth through a Boom Tube in their Super-Cycle in search of the kidnapped Beautiful Dreamer, almost running some of Jimmy Olsen’s friends off the road in the process. Serifan makes contact with Dreamer as Intergang keeps an eye on the group under the directions of Darkseid.

Superman finds out about the kids and their point of origin, Supertown, just as he’s feeling introspective about Superman’s place in the world and how humanity relates to him. Finding them, he gets involved in a battle with Darkseid’s Gravi-Guards, which prompts the boys to summon the Infinity Man. After the battle Darkseid shows up in person, releasing Dreamer since she’s proves not to hold the key to the Anti-Life Equation, but leaving a bomb as a parting gift. Superman then asks the kids about Supertown, though they urge him to stay and help in the battle against Darkseid. Superman starts to go down the Boom Tube to find out about Supertown to see if that’s a place where he’d fit in, but turns back at the last minute, feeling he’s turning his back on the threat to Earth.

Lots of interesting things in here, but kind of an odd launch to the line. You don’t find out too much about the main characters (Beautiful Dreamer doesn’t even have any dialogue), but there are a lot of intriguing hints. The Superman stuff is also odd, kind of putting focus on the differences between Marvel and DC ways of doing things in that era (magnified by what was done to the art).

Vince Colletta inks the 24-page story, with Al Plastino paste-ups on the Superman and Jimmy Olsen figures, and Frank Giacoia inks the cover. This issue also includes the “Visit With Jack Kirby” page by Marv Wolfman that ran across the Fourth World debut issues, mentioning how Wolfman and Len Wein had seen versions of some of the concepts just now showing up four years earlier.

Published 1971

Okay, the Whizzer is kind of lame, and that’s a really awful Wonder Man costume, but just look at that image of Doom, especially that arm (too bad the UPC symbol gets in the way there). Great little image of the classic Kirby villain. And while a bit wordy, I do always like the nod to the classic Marvel trope of villains betraying each other.

Inks by Al Milgrom.

Published 1977

Crackling energy dots at their finest and a good look at some of Thor’s Asgardian supporting cast in this Kirby/Sinnott cover. Makes me impatient to see what Sinnott’s new inks over Kirby’s old pencils will look like on FF – LOST.

Published 1977

This issue reprints the 24-page story and cover from SHOWCASE #12 [1958], the last of the four Challengers of the Unknown issues of the series before they got their own book. The Challs begin the story in flight in pursuit of the gang of Karnak. The criminals take refuge in the isolated island home of an archaeologist doing experiments on some ancient vials he found. As the Challengers approach, Karnak has his men drink the contents of the first vial, turning them into giants who go out and fight and are defeated by the Challs.

Two other vials release a fire monster and a sea monster, allowing Karnak to escape back to the mainland with the two remaining vials, one of which creates fifty clones of him which go on a crime wave. The Challs track down the real Karnak, who tries to escape using the final vial, which turns out just to be an antidote for the previous one.

The plot this time, especially the ending, is kind of a letdown, but along the way there are some cool things for Kirby to draw, especially the flame monster.

The art on this story seems to have been credited to every Kirby inker of the period at one time or another. DC seems to have settled on George Klein on their recent reprints.

Published 1971

Cap and the Falcon’s search for the “Big Daddy” Madbomb leads them to captivity in the underground lair of the New Society, where the traitors to the American way experiment in ways to rob people of their free will and make them workers for the rulers. There they meet the extremely creepy Cheer Chadwick, daughter of one of the leaders of the New Society.

Chadwick pulls rank on the soldiers and leads our heroes on a tour of the place, which culminates in a nightmarish vision out of Orwell (hence the title of the story) of a charismatic computer composite dictator on a screen whipping a crowd into a frenzy against freedom. She then tells Cap and the Falcon that they’ll have to participate in the Kill-Derby, although as a fight against the leader of one of the teams, Tinkerbell, shows, their obsolete notions of “fair play” won’t serve them well in the arena.

Definitely some crazy stuff, with Kirby exploring some of his favourite ideas in different ways while still keeping the action up there.

D. Bruce Berry inks the 17-page story and Frank Giacoia inks the cover.

Published 1976