ANDY’S PICKS :: ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR #9: Alright Sherman, set the Way-Back Machine to 1977 when we were still using abaci for advanced math and Marvel’s first family broke up yet again only to re-unite just in time to (SPOILER!) defeat Dr. Doom in an action packed 5 issue epic that culminated in the landmark (and rather clever) 200th issue. And then Marv Wolfman really started cooking (with gas!!- there were no microwaves back then either) as he began an 11 issue deep-space saga that was more fun than any one should be allowed to have by law!! ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR #9 is a 500 page B&W edition collects FANTASTIC FOUR#184-188 and #190-207, and ANNUAL #12-13.

Lots of different artists, but hey, Joe Sinnott was around to ink everybody…so it’s all really good.

DOCTOR STRANGE AND DOCTOR DOOM: TRIUMPH AND TORMENT: So Victor von Doom’s mother’s soul is in Hell. No wonder he is such a grouch. So he teams up with Stephen Strange to try to wrest her immortal soul from the fiery grasp of Mephisto.  This Trade Paperback collects DOCTOR STRANGE AND DOCTOR DOOM : TRIUMPH AND TORMENT (with art by a young Mike Mignola!!!) along with material from DOCTOR STRANGE #57, ASTONISHING TALES #8, and MARVEL FANFARE #16 &#43. If memory serves this Roger Stern penned story-line was really well done and hey– you get a glimpse at Mignola’s first trip to Hell.