In the forward to Marvel Comics’ The Silver Surfer Omnibus, Stan Lee not only declared that Silver Surfer is his favorite character, but also that these eighteen issues were probably his best work. Comically, he also stated that he forgot most of the stories and had to reread them in order to write the introduction to one of the collections.

If you are a fan of Stan Lee or if you were ever curious to understand what sort of writer he was and how he contributed to Marvel Comics, then look no further. Silver Surfer not only sums up his writing style well, but in my opinion puts to rest any debate on whether or not he was simply propped up by artistic legends such as Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, and here with John Buscema.

Comics at that time were perceived by many to be disposable, kids’ stuff. DC/National Comics didn’t help the matter either by leaning quite heavily on appealing to kids, with simplistic storylines and gimmicky scenarios. One simple look at the silver age Batman can attest to where the company was at the time. But since DC had such a gigantic leap ahead with its superhero Superman and with that a large, dedicated reader base, Marvel decided to go in the opposite direction. When you read the old Marvel stuff, you’ll marvel (pun intended), at the Shakespearean language and style it employs. Its intent was to inflict the maximum amount of drama and conflict to its characters. Stan Lee’s words and the Shakespearean drama he employed in his work set the table and the course for Marvel in the decades that followed, probably until Frank Miller rushed in the Bronze Age with his takeover of Daredevil.

What I found unique about this collection is that throughout the series the title cards really showcased the series as a Stan Lee and John Buscema production. It put these two creators front and center and made it special. And not only does Lee use Shakespearean-type dialog to tell us the turmoil and inner conflict the Silver Surfer has as he confronts the ugliness of humanity, John Buscema masterfully displays this struggle through various facial expressions reinforced with dramatic body language. One look at the earliest appearance of Mephisto and you are immediately transported on a dramatic stage, with these characters transforming into actors that dance perform before your eyes. If the Silver Surfer gave me anything, it was a stark reminder in how much of a master John Buscema really was.

Though men seem mad…they are not without hope! Some day they shall learn to master their emotions…as they master the physical world about them!

The Silver Surfer, Silver Surfer #5, words by Stan Lee

Also Stan Lee puts a lot of himself into these issues. He uses the Silver Surfer as a voice to communicate his own ideas and philosophies of the world at the time. The Silver Surfer openly agonizes about his life, wonders if he has a soul, and longs for his lost love. He constantly questions his role in the world, especially now that he is forever confined within Earth’s sphere after betraying Galactus. Lee uses The Silver Surfer as an observer of the human race and continues to assert that dichotomy in human nature; how we can perceive to show love and compassion, but at the same time destroy the place we live in through war, destruction and poverty.

Marvel always does a great job with its Omnibus line. One of the features I really enjoy is how they include the original letters pages from the issues. Every once in a while you can spot a soon-to-be famous creator who started their career as a so-called letter hack. And what I really enjoy about the letters pages are the replies from Stan Lee himself. He used them as a ‘soapbox’ to reemphasize his point and bring up divisive topics at the time, such as racism and poverty. Also they always show the energy and activism he put into maintaining and furnishing the so called Marvel-dom and his successful attempt at building a community. In fact through these letters pages, you can really see how the construction of the Marvel community came to be.

An additional interesting observation within one of the letters pages was that if you only publish and include the positive aspects of a comic, asserted one writer, then it can get quite boring. While Silver Surfer is an achievement for its time and a wonderful display of two great masters, there are some criticisms of the collection.

It does fall into the same trap of most comics during this age. It takes a gimmick or scenario and applies it throughout. In this case there are two; the Silver Surfer’s actions are misinterpreted by Earth’s bystanders, causing confusion and a grave misunderstanding of the Silver Surfer being a villain and secondly, Silver Surfer almost being reunited with his love, Shalla Bal, but then, always at the last moment, being taken away.

Also the series does seem to pitter out at the end, focusing on Silver Surfer running into other characters in the Marvel universe and causing, you guessed it, more misunderstandings that lead to more battles. Jack Kirby comes in at the last issue, bringing his unique style. And then, it just ends unexpectedly despite advertising a continuation of the story.

Thankfully these are not present in every issue but are peppered throughout. However, they do work nicely with the theme of the conflicted protagonist and the constant questioning of humanity’s intensions.

With Kirby coming in at the last issue, I do wonder if something must have happened. Stan Lee professed that he doesn’t remember why Buscema left and King being brought on, but for anyone who knows the tumultuous history between Lee and Kirby you can only conclude that something was reconciled briefly, before falling apart again. Regardless, Kirby’s contribution is a nice touch as the Silver Surfer finds himself battling the Inhumans and you remember why he was the king. And to wrap things up with this particular collection, we are treated to the first Silver Surfer “solo” story that appeared as a backup in Fantastic Four Annual #5. So for the Kirby fans, you actually get two from him.

Finally there is a nice Easter Egg. For those of you who sat down with a piece of paper and a pencil (probably to keep you away from bothering your parents) and aspired to become a comic book artist, you probably were also exposed to How To Draw Comics the Marvel Way, also from Stan Lee and John Buscema. And if you remember doing one of the final exercises, where Stan Lee himself tasked you to create your own six panel story based on his writing depicting Silver Surfer and Spider-Man battling it out…you guessed it…the actual examples used by Buscema are found in this collection. In The Silver Surfer #14 to be exact. Excelsior!

I can highly recommend this collection to any fan of this medium of sequential art. The collection strips down Stan Lee and reveals the marvelous writer he was and the contribution he brought to these characters. John Buscema further reveals to us that Shakespearean nature of Marvel in those days with his mighty pencil, creating dramatic poses that highlight and reinforce the Silver Surfer’s agony and inner-turmoil. This Omnibus should be on every person’s bookshelf who takes an interest in the medium.

The one true sadness is that once you finish reading this incredible series from the late 1960’s, you come to the realization that even after everything that has happened, every technological advancement that we have experienced, humans are still stuck in its violent and suspicious ways. And that nothing much, has in fact, changed.

If a body lack a soul, only a statue can it be!

The Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four Annual #5, words by Stan Lee