Fantastic Four #243
Published and © by Marvel, June 1982
Title: “Shall Earth Endure?”
Synopsis: The Fantastic Four team with Galactus to take on Terrax – but what will happen when that fight is won?
Writer: John Byrne
Artist: Byrne
Review: As with last issue, writer/artist John Byrne remains in top form during his first Galactus epic. It’s hard to compete with the cosmic scale of the FF vs. Galactus, though Byrne ups the ante by adding a few more Marvel heroes to the mix. The god-vs.-god action with Thor is particularly strong, as is Doctor Strange’s contribution to the fight. But the best scenes are the contrasting small moments, such as Daredevil and Spider-Man’s commentary from the sidelines. Byrne balances big battles and intimate moments with great skill: he’s got the Marvel formula down.
Grade: A
Second opinion: “One of the most interesting and inventive story arcs in comics as it unfolded over the following two years.” – Pierre Comtois, “Marvel Comics in the 1980s: An Issue By Issue Field Guide to a Pop Culture Phenomenon,” 2014
Cool factor: Byrne’s take on Galactus is pitch perfect.
Notable: Guest starring the Avengers and Doctor Strange, with cameo appearances by Daredevil and Spider-Man.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a Marvel Legends reprint of this issue. … According to MyComicShop.com, there is also a Mark Jewelers variant.
Character quotable: “For all your vaunted strength you are but a fading shadow of my cosmic all!” – Galactus, devourer of worlds, talker of trash
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on Sept. 23, 2009.
