Fantastic Four Annual #17
Published and © by Marvel, 1983
Title: “Legacy”
Synopsis: A friend of the FF falls prey in King’s Crossing – a small town driven mad by milk from Skrull cows!
Writer: John Byrne
Penciler: Byrne
Inker: Byrne
Review: This is a small-town horror tale that would do Stephen King proud. Writer/artist John Byrne delivers a done-in-one tour de force, taking a plot point from one of the earliest Stan Lee/Jack Kirby FFs and expanding it into a delightfully creepy thriller. Byrne’s pacing is perfect, never feeling rushed while savoring each story moment. The art is also top shelf, but it’s hard to go wrong with Byrne drawing monsters and Skrulls! The ending is a tad too upbeat, even given its sinister final panel. But this is a near-perfect example of how an annual should be done.
Grade: A
Second opinion: “A wonderful way of giving a new twist to an old story.” – William Schoell, “Superheroic: The Bronze Age of Comics Volume 2,” 2022
Cool factor: The whole issue. Seriously, this one is a done-in-one treat.
Collector’s note: According to MyComicShop.com, there is a $1.25 Canadian variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “Hey, kiddies, do you know what time it is?” – The ever-lovin’, blue-eyed Thing (come on, you know the answer …)
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on Jan. 8, 2010.
