FANTASTIC FOUR (1961-96; 2003-12) #1
CGC VG: 4.0
(Stock Image)
SOLD ON: Wednesday, 03/13/2019 12:43 PM
$13,800
Sold For
14
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PUBLISHER: Marvel
COMMENTS: ow/white pgs
1st appearance of Fantastic Four, w/ origin; 1st app. Mole Man; Jack Kirby cover/art; the Marvel Age begins here (11/61) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 10 (CBI)
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1st appearance of Fantastic Four, w/ origin; 1st app. Mole Man; Jack Kirby cover/art; the Marvel Age begins here (11/61) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 10 (CBI)
DESCRIPTION
ow/white pgs
1st appearance of Fantastic Four, w/ origin; 1st app. Mole Man; Jack Kirby cover/art; the Marvel Age begins here (11/61) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 10 (CBI)
Fantastic Four #1 didn't just make history with the first appearance of Mister Fantastic, the Thing, Human Torch, and Invisible Girl (along with the debut of the tragically evil Mole Man). This artifact of a first issue also marks when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby secured the Silver Age of Comics and launched the Marvel Age of Storytelling. Their bold vision for the Fantastic Four would provide an unexpected depth to this tale of an experimental space flight gone wrong.
The Mole Man's sad backstory was just one of the many signs that Marvel was out to redefine superhero comics. For starters, this first issue of Fantastic Four was fully dedicated to a single story. That included an epic origin establishing that the Fantastic Four didn't bother with secret identities. The generous page count also allowed for plenty of petty infighting amongst the team — who didn't even wear costumes, although Stan would give in to public demand over that by the third issue.
Fantastic Four would also redefine the Marvel Comics Group, which was literally a set of comics that distributors sent to retailers. Marvel's monster books (including Tales to Astonish and Tales of Suspense) began selling as well as Fantastic Four once characters like Thor, Iron Man, and Ant-Man began to take over their pages.
The pop-culture passion for the Fantastic Four has seen an impressive revival since Marvel Studios recovered the film rights to the company's first super team. In addition to the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps featuring the Silver Surfer and Galactus, fans also have high hopes of (finally) getting the Mole Man as a villain. It's also been confirmed that the Fantastic Four will join Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in both 2026's Avengers: Doomsday and 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars.
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Marvel's meteoric rise in the early 60s was due largely in part to the innovations featured in The Fantastic Four as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby collaborated more than they had on any project before. Their synergy created a harmonious relationship between art and story that set the precedent for their future output as their art-driven scripts became known as the "Marvel Style" of writing. The family dynamic of the comic was pioneering for the time as Lee and Kirby created original characters that readers could relate to, due to their unique interpersonal relationships and shared experiences. Fantastic Four put Marvel on the map at a crucial time in their development and turned them into a publishing powerhouse. The true premiere of what has become what we all know of as Marvel Comics today, this copy of Fantastic Four #1 is impressive at its grade boasting off-white/white pages and a strong color palette.
Overstreet Guide 2018 VG (4.0) value = $6,000.
Artist Information
Jack Kirby is called 'The King of Comics' for a reason, during his career that spanned six decades he gave us many of the most iconic characters the medium would ever see. From his introduction of Captain America at the height of World War II it was clear he wasn't your ordinary comics artist. But it was his creative explosion at Marvel Comics in the 1960's that cemented his legacy, over a short period of time Kirby would give us The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Hulk, The X-Men, Thor, Ant-Man and Nick Fury just to name a few. Kirby would then go to DC and create his Fourth World, introducing Darkseid, Mister Miracle, The New Gods and a host of cosmic supporting players. Long live The King!
1st appearance of Fantastic Four, w/ origin; 1st app. Mole Man; Jack Kirby cover/art; the Marvel Age begins here (11/61) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 10 (CBI)
Fantastic Four #1 didn't just make history with the first appearance of Mister Fantastic, the Thing, Human Torch, and Invisible Girl (along with the debut of the tragically evil Mole Man). This artifact of a first issue also marks when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby secured the Silver Age of Comics and launched the Marvel Age of Storytelling. Their bold vision for the Fantastic Four would provide an unexpected depth to this tale of an experimental space flight gone wrong.
The Mole Man's sad backstory was just one of the many signs that Marvel was out to redefine superhero comics. For starters, this first issue of Fantastic Four was fully dedicated to a single story. That included an epic origin establishing that the Fantastic Four didn't bother with secret identities. The generous page count also allowed for plenty of petty infighting amongst the team — who didn't even wear costumes, although Stan would give in to public demand over that by the third issue.
Fantastic Four would also redefine the Marvel Comics Group, which was literally a set of comics that distributors sent to retailers. Marvel's monster books (including Tales to Astonish and Tales of Suspense) began selling as well as Fantastic Four once characters like Thor, Iron Man, and Ant-Man began to take over their pages.
The pop-culture passion for the Fantastic Four has seen an impressive revival since Marvel Studios recovered the film rights to the company's first super team. In addition to the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps featuring the Silver Surfer and Galactus, fans also have high hopes of (finally) getting the Mole Man as a villain. It's also been confirmed that the Fantastic Four will join Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in both 2026's Avengers: Doomsday and 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars.
______________________________________________
Marvel's meteoric rise in the early 60s was due largely in part to the innovations featured in The Fantastic Four as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby collaborated more than they had on any project before. Their synergy created a harmonious relationship between art and story that set the precedent for their future output as their art-driven scripts became known as the "Marvel Style" of writing. The family dynamic of the comic was pioneering for the time as Lee and Kirby created original characters that readers could relate to, due to their unique interpersonal relationships and shared experiences. Fantastic Four put Marvel on the map at a crucial time in their development and turned them into a publishing powerhouse. The true premiere of what has become what we all know of as Marvel Comics today, this copy of Fantastic Four #1 is impressive at its grade boasting off-white/white pages and a strong color palette.
Overstreet Guide 2018 VG (4.0) value = $6,000.
Artist Information
Jack Kirby is called 'The King of Comics' for a reason, during his career that spanned six decades he gave us many of the most iconic characters the medium would ever see. From his introduction of Captain America at the height of World War II it was clear he wasn't your ordinary comics artist. But it was his creative explosion at Marvel Comics in the 1960's that cemented his legacy, over a short period of time Kirby would give us The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Hulk, The X-Men, Thor, Ant-Man and Nick Fury just to name a few. Kirby would then go to DC and create his Fourth World, introducing Darkseid, Mister Miracle, The New Gods and a host of cosmic supporting players. Long live The King!