FANTASTIC FOUR 199
until the third issue. By the fourth
issue, the comic’s cover boldly
proclaimed it to be “Th e World’s
Greatest Comic Magazine!,” an ag-
grandizing claim used on and off on
Fantastic Four covers ever since.
Lee and Kirby would create the
comic monthly without any fi ll-in
writers or illustrators for 102 con-
secutive issues, establishing a record
for longevity of a book’s creative
team at Marvel, a record that would
stand until Brian Michael Bendis
and Mark Bagley’s 111 issue run
on Ultimate Spider-Man. In the
process of completing their his-
toric run, Lee and Kirby set the
parameters of what a Fantastic
Four story could be. Filled with
dynamic tales of fantasy but told
with the creators’ fealty to everyday
realism, Th e Fantastic Four became
one of Marvel’s main outlets for
publishing science fi ction stories.
Th e pages of the comic burst with
cosmic energy (shown through the
iconic illustrative technique known
as “Kirby dots”), strange alien races,
unstable molecules, time travel, and parallel universes. At the same time, Kirby’s experi-
ence working on the romance comics of the 1950s is evident in the family dynamic of the
book, most often played out in Reed and Sue’s sometimes rocky relationship and eventual
marriage, and Johnny and Ben’s quasi-sibling rivalry. Th is juxtaposition of larger-than-life
epics and the everyday realism of characters’ relationships accounts for no small part of
the book’s successful beginnings.
Kirby ended his collaboration with Lee on the book in 1970, when he left Marvel
to work for competitor DC. Th e book nevertheless continued to have wide popular
appeal while showcasing some of the best talent the industry had to off er. Th e pens of
writers such as Roy Th omas, Gerry Conway, and Marv Wolfman joined Lee’s in fulfi ll-
ing the writing chores on the book, and the seemingly monumental task of following
Kirby’s groundbreaking work penciling the title was undertaken by artists such as John
Romita, Sr. , John Buscema, Rich Buckler, and George Pérez. Th ese writers and artists
generally stayed within the framework established by Lee and Kirby for the book, and
Fantastic Four issue #60, March 1967, written by Stan Lee.
Marvel Comics Group/Photofest
