Must-read comics are futuristic classics that shouldn’t be missed. Of course, not every must-read is perfect. That’s why we’ve rated them 1-5 on the patented “crunchy goodness” scale.
Title: Silver Surfer Omnibus
Date: 2007 (reprinting material from 1968 – 1970)
Vitals: One of the stranger creations from Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s Fantastic Four was this cosmically-powered, purple-prose-spouting peacenik who liked to fly around space on his floating surfboard. Amazingly, recreational drugs were apparently not connected with his origins.
Famous names: The Omnibus reprints the Surfer’s short-lived late-60s solo series by Lee and artist John Buscema, with co-creator Kirby returning for the final chapter in time to bid the character a fond farewell as he headed towards cancellation.
Crunchy goodness: 3
Spinoffs/Sequels/Copycats: Even before his appearance in this year’s Fantastic Four movie, the Surfer had already managed to crossover into video games and animation – He headlined his own Saturday morning cartoon in the ’90s, which was canceled when someone realized that children get scared by naked silver men on surfboards.
Elevator pitch: Hang loose with the alien who matches the power of a God with the mind of Alan Alda.
Most painfully dated moment: He’s a pacifist who wants everyone to love each other while weeping over man’s inhumanity to man. The entire book is a painfully dated moment.
