Fantastic Four #5: Reed's Stretchy Body 7

Fantastic Four #5, page 15, panels 4-7

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inks: Joe Sinnott

Uncredited Letters: Art Simek

A glorious multi-panel post kicks off November at the Fantastic Flame On.

How often do you find yourself needing to board an enemy pirate vessel, only to find out that you've run out of grappling hooks and long planks of wood? Searching the hold, you can only find Mr Fantastic. I know, it happens like once a month, right? Well, thanks to Lee and Kirby, you no longer need to wonder how best to utilise your stretchy super-hero.

I'm a big fan of these few panels. I love the perspective in the first panel, with Reed threatening to stretch right out of the panel at the reader. I also like Reed's impatience, chiding Ben and the pirates for taking their time, and complaining that his back is hurting as The Thing and several pirates walk across it!

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #5: Flame On 6

Fantastic Four #5, page 14, panel 2

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inks: Joe Sinnott

Uncredited Letters: Art Simek

This rousing battle-cry comes as the three time-lost members of the team mount an attack on a treasure-laden pirate ship, hoping that it will contain Blackbeard's treasure.

I like the posing of this panel. The camera angle is unusual, and Johnny flying from right to left, shooting across the panel, gives the feel that the panel just happened to capture Johnny's moment of attack rather than being specifically posed to do so.

There's another nice touch in that two of the panel borders are absent. One is implied with the top of the speech balloon, but the left-hand one is completely missing. An early experiment by Kirby to break with the rigid panel structure he had adhered to in these early issues? Maybe.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #5: Flame On 5

Fantastic Four #5, page 13, panel 2

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inks: Joe Sinnott

Uncredited Letters: Art Simek

Today's Flame On is set in piratical times, as the three male members of the team have stepped through Doctor Doom's time platform to claim Blackbeard's treasure (which, let's face it, is a pretty inauspicious start for one of the Marvel universe's heaviest hitters). Having been forcibly recruited to the crew of a pirate ship, the team cut loose to fight for their freedom. Here, Johnny activates his flame powers to melt a pirate's sword, much to his surprise.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #5: Reed's Stretchy Body 6

Fantastic Four #5, page 3, panel 2

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inks: Joe Sinnott

Uncredited Letters: Art Simek

Today's panel sees Reed restraining Ben by wrapping his versatile body around Ben's limbs, restraining him. This is a common action for Reed, but what I really like about this panel is the posing of his upper body and stoic, unflappable expression on his face. It lends a gentle humour to the image.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #5: It's A Marvel Comic 3

Fantastic Four #5, page 2, panel 4

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inks: Joe Sinnott

Uncredited Letters: Art Simek

What's that Johnny's reading? Why, it's a copy of Marvel's latest smash-hit magazine, The Incredible Hulk! Why lose a page of story to a house advertisement when you can simply advertise the book in the story itself?

Sadly, this near-mint copy of The Incredible Hulk #1 would never go on to attain a five-figure value, as Johnny sets fire to it just three panels later, to spite Ben.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super Villain Cavalcade