First Look Review of Fantastic Four Annual #1

This issue covers not only a well written story about the Sub-Mariner and his vendetta against the human race, but also provides a really cool rundown of the various bad guys the first family of Marvel had to take on during the past year. It even includes an expanded retelling of the team’s first encounter with the Amazing Spider-Man.

Sub-Mariner versus the Human Race! by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, and Art Simek. Published by Marvel Comics, 1963.

This is the main story of the issue and it is a doozy. Prince Namor finally finds his people and is crowned Emperor of the Deep and as part of his acceptance speech, he vows to make the humans pay for their crimes against the sea kingdom.

But before he gets around to it, we get our typical family antics between Ben and Johnny. They destroy Sue’s wardrobe and Reed’s had it. In the hopes of releasing stress, Mr. Fantastic suggests a vacation. But while they’re on a cruise in the Atlantic they are attacked by sea serpents and giant archer fish and it’s clear Namor is after them. He declares that the seven seas and the skies above them are his domain and he will destroy any surfaceman’s ship that dares to trespass.

With the ultimatum in place we soon digress into an origin story, not only of Prince Namor but of Atlantis itself and it’s a nice fantastical tale. With everything laid out we soon see that Namor not only wants to rule the seas, but he also has designs on the land as he declares war on the surface world. Hordes of Imperial troops rush ashore with high-tech weaponry to subdue the cowering humans and not even the Fantastic Four can stop them. That is until they take a prisoner and learn their weakness.

With a plan to take down the Atlantean army, the team attacks and soon all water-breathers are sent packing except for Namor and he’s pissed. He goes after the Fantastic Four and once again, he kidnaps Sue. With her captive, the team has nothing else to do but try to get her back. They take the fight to the oceans but Namor is at his best there. He starts kicking their butts but soon jealousy rears it’s ugly head as the Lady (in title only) Dorma tries to drown Sue. The men break up their fighting as they realize Sue’s in trouble and soon Namor is rescuing her and rushing her to the hospital where she recovers.

This is a pretty epic battle between the FF and one of their main bad guys. I honestly think that if Namor didn’t have a sweet spot for Sue he could have really put some hurt on the guys. Obviously though, since I just read through X-Men: Red #1, I know that Namor isn’t that evil of a villain – he just wants what best for his people and doesn’t want the surface dwellers to take advantage of them.

Beyond this story, we get to see a roll call of all the bad guys the FF has taken on in the past year from the Mole Man in issue 1 to Doctor Doom in number 5, from the Puppet Master in issue 8 to Spider-Man and then the Hulk in number 12. It’s really neat to see the breakdown of all these villains the team has defeated and it sets up anticipation for where the Fantastic Four will go in their second year. I’m certainly looking forward to it.

I give this issue a First Look Rating of a A-.

This comic can be found on Marvel Unlimited, Comixology or at your local comic book shop.

Comic Corner | First Look Review of Fantastic Four Annual #1