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Does Byrne's FF run get the respect it should in Overstreet?!?

Started by minutekev@50,

30 posts in this topic

minutekev@50

minutekev@50

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This is something that I've wondered about for awhile. It seems that everyone has nothing but high praise for this run, but it doesn't garner the same amount of attention as JB's X-Men work. Being that it's an early 80s run and features great art and solid stories by Byrne (plotting and scripting for the first time), I'd think we would have seen a substantial increase in the price guide for NM copies. Yet they've been stuck in a time warp for years...

Is it just that JB isn't hot anymore?

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chrisco37

chrisco37

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I don't think that it's that Byrne isn't "hot" anymore. Byrne's FF's were great books. But, here's why I think his X-men books are the higher priced books as far as collectors are concerned:

 

Most will agree that Byrne's X-men was the definative run on X-men, and the market reflects that. Byrne's FF run, while great, will always be in the shadow of the definative FF run by Stan and Jack.

 

Chris

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500Club

500Club

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This is one of my favorite runs, and deserves the respect it gets for its overall excellence. Unfortunately, it also deserves its listings in Overstreet. These books came out when Byrne was at the peak of his career, and were heavily ordered and in good supply. In fact, if you ask a seller like Donut or lighthouse if they can get NM guide for the books, the answer may be no.

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Kevin Boyd

Kevin Boyd

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You are correct, it's that JB isn't the hot commodity that he was, and neither is the FF for that matter. But it is a great run, the second best the title had (after Lee and Kirby).

 

Maybe if the FF movie they say is coming actually gets made, interest in the title will build again. Byrne's issues are definitely a great part of any collection and will certainly get recommended to new readers.

 

FF 232 is definitely an under-rated key issue.

 

Same is true of Simonson's Thor... outstanding work that can be bought pretty cheap.

 

Kev

 

 

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Fan4Fan

Fan4Fan

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I've tried to read Byrne's FF (ever since I got it off of the spinner-racks), but I have to admit that I really don't see the appeal. In fact, it is one of the reasons that I got out of comics the first time (that, and hormones blush.gif).

 

Of course, I had almost all of the run up until that point and so had ready access to Kirby, Romita Sr., Buscema, Buckler, and Perez on the art side and Lee, Thomas, Wolfman and others on the writing side.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

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lighthouse

lighthouse

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This is one of my favorite runs, and deserves the respect it gets for its overall excellence. Unfortunately, it also deserves its listings in Overstreet. These books came out when Byrne was at the peak of his career, and were heavily ordered and in good supply. In fact, if you ask a seller like Donut or lighthouse if they can get NM guide for the books, the answer may be no.

 

I can get NM guide for the first 15-20 Byrne issues, but beyond that they sit...

 

Part of the problem is that FF hasn't had a "key" issue in 25 years... for all the greatness of the title in its first 100 issues, the title hasn't introduced a significant character in three decades. When I get in a collection of FF, I know without even looking that any issue after 200 is not important. I get a premium for the two Onslaught issues, and that's it...

 

You can make the same statement about both Avengers and Thor, whereas Spidey and X-Men have tons of "important" issues in the same time period... Iron Man hasn't had a significant book since Iron Man: The Drunk Years...

 

Guy tells you he has a collection of mainstream Marvel stuff from 1978 to 1985, you care about three titles, Spidey, X-Men and Daredevil...

 

The first fifteen years of FF are spectacular for collectors... everything since is drek...

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Kevin Boyd

Kevin Boyd

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I've tried to read Byrne's FF (ever since I got it off of the spinner-racks), but I have to admit that I really don't see the appeal. In fact, it is one of the reasons that I got out of comics the first time (that, and hormones ).

 

Of course, I had almost all of the run up until that point and so had ready access to Kirby, Romita Sr., Buscema, Buckler, and Perez on the art side and Lee, Thomas, Wolfman and others on the writing side.

 

 

To each his own but Byrne nailed Dr. Doom's character perfectly. 257 is hands down the best Dr. Doom comic EVER. His Galactus storyline (dovetailing with the debut of Frankie Raye a couple of issues prior and her transformation into Nova, herald of Galactus) is awesome as was the sequel "the trial of Reed Richards". There are many other highlights... the Inhumans move to the moon, She-Hulk's membership (including her solo spotlight issue), Galactus eating the Skrull homeworld, the skrull cows, and so on.

 

I like 70's FF comics, but most of them seem to lack the focus of Lee and Kirby and seem kind of pedestrian compared to other Marvels of the day... Byrne really rejuvinated the strip artistically and imbued it with some of the energy lacking... to me, at least, he made sure that book deserved the title The World's Greatest Comic Magazine...

 

Kev

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Fan4Fan

Fan4Fan

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Oh, I realize that I'm in the minority on Byrne's FF run. In large part, I think what initially turned me off was the heavy inking he does. I much prefer someone else's inks (like Sinnott's in Marvel Two-In-One #50).

 

After that, I found his stories a little too "cute" (for lack of a better word).

 

...and since I'm pushing 40, hardening of the opinions has likely set in so that even a read through last year left me wondering.... Why?

 

I do agree, tho', that the books seem undervalued for how popular they are. Perhaps everybody who wants them already has them...?

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

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500Club

500Club

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The issue where the paparazzi photographer in the helicopter snaps She-Hulk sunbathing topless on the roof of the Baxter building is pretty good, as is the award-winning story where the kid tries to emulate the Torch by dousing himself in gas and lighting it.

 

John Byrne, please find yourself again....

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minutekev@50

minutekev@50

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Agreed, the story and art from FF 249 and 250 is awesome, but do you think it gets a boost from Byrne's X-Men Skrulls or does it stand out as a great FF story on it's own?

 

dave h

 

I'd just have to say it's a great story. Gladiator's fight with the FF may be one of the greatest pure knockdown, dragouts, ever captured in comics...

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Kevin Boyd

Kevin Boyd

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as is the award-winning story where the kid tries to emulate the Torch by dousing himself in gas and lighting it.

 

A story inspired by the addition of Herbie (!) the Robot to the team for the late 1970's H-B Fantastic Four cartoon. Network execs feared that kids would set themselves on fire trying to imitate the Torch.

 

Kev

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Zonker

Zonker

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as is the award-winning story where the kid tries to emulate the Torch by dousing himself in gas and lighting it.

 

A story inspired by the addition of Herbie (!) the Robot to the team for the late 1970's H-B Fantastic Four cartoon. Network execs feared that kids would set themselves on fire trying to imitate the Torch.

 

Kev

 

Actually Kev, I believe that is a comix urban legend-- the way I heard it, the rights to the Human Torch were tied up elsewhere at the time of the FF cartoon. I'll try to find the reference where this was discussed (I don't think it was here)

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Kevin Boyd

Kevin Boyd

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I got this information from a website that lists all FF cartoons:

 

THE NEW FANTASTIC FOUR

original airdates: Sept 9, 1978-Sept 1, 1979 on NBC

episodes: 13

animated by: DePatie-Freleng

distributed and owned by: ? and Marvel Enterprises

note: The Human Torch was not in this series because the network believed a man on fire would be bad for kids. The Human Torch was planned to be in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends but NBC still did not like the idea of a flaming man, so Firestar was born.

 

Kev

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awe4one

awe4one

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I believe Doc nailed it....Byrne FF copies are very plentiful. Probably the easiest Byrne run to obtain and that includes his recent stuff. It seems that every FF box I've ever looked through had multiples in high grade.

 

 

Jim

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