Is the Byrne FF omni a good starting point for a Spider-man only fan?

[dingbat46]

I only read Spidey comics... so I want the opinion of spider-man fans. I wanna get into more titles, I've been reading Spider-Man for over 15 years, and have a good grasp of the MU. If I were to start reading Fantastic Four, would Byrne's omnibus be a good, satisfying starting point? Thanks!!!

[Mister Mets]

I only read Spidey comics... so I want the opinion of spider-man fans. I wanna get into more titles, I've been reading Spider-Man for over 15 years, and have a good grasp of the MU. If I were to start reading Fantastic Four, would Byrne's omnibus be a good, satisfying starting point? Thanks!!!

John Byrne's Fantastic Four run is accessible, so it's a good satisfying starting point.

The best possible starting point might be the Lee/ Kirby run, but you could certainly enjoy Byrne's run without reading it.

I'm not sure the omnibus is the best way to enjoy Byrne's run, considering the high cost (which could be problematic if you discover that you don't like Byrne's style) and the way it collects stuff that is significant but not as good.

If you want to save money, I'd recommend getting the first four John Byrne Visionaries TPBs.

[whiteshark]

Defenitelly the Byrne run in Fantastic Four is a very good starting point.

[dingbat46]

I don't pay for any of my books, I get them online with digital gifts cards I get with points I earn from commission at work. The cost of the book is only $87... which is 34% off. If the material is good, and it's something that'll really give me a taste of FF, I'm done. I want an omnibus, so I can get a good chunk of material in one shot.

[Maestro]

I don't see why Spider-Man fans would be different than most Marvel fans. most of the users here the same across the forums.

and yeah you could start with Byrne's run, but the vast majority of Fantastic Four is built upon what Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did. They defined every major character that touched the book. Dr. Doom and Galactus are the biggest examples. read Essential Fantastic Four Vol. 1-3 if you can

[Brannon]

Starting with Byrne's run MIGHT be the best route to go. That's how I discovered the FF, and really got into them. This lead to me retroactively reading the classic Lee/Kirby FF. Lee/Kirby is the best mainstream run ever, but Byrne's is very close in quality and a classic itself. I do highly recommened the Byrne run, though. I don't have the omnibus, but I've seen it, and it looks fantastic. I do, however, have all the original issues as well as the first six volume's of Byrne's FF Visionaries. Great stuff.

[Chris N]

I would definitely say so.

The Trial of Galactus trade, collecting the subset of Byrne's run about Galactus, was my starting point, and the first trade I ever got.

[Magnum_Valentino]

People praise Lee and Kirby's FF comics all the time. Are they the same as the early Spider-Man issues in terms of writing and style?

[Maestro]

People praise Lee and Kirby's FF comics all the time. Are they the same as the early Spider-Man issues in terms of writing and style?

in terms of writing, yes. Stan Lee always wrote with the same style. but the difference between Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko is huge. totally different artists. Kirby had a lot of imagination and it came out in his work. over time, Lee was mostly writing the script as Kirby started plotting the issues. I loved both those books, but I would rank FF as the best run of the 60's. ASM is second, followed by Lee/Kirby's Thor.

likewise John Byrne's FF run is considered to be top three of the 80's, along with Frank Miller's Daredevil and Walt Simonson's Thor

[tesh_karde]

If you don't start with that run, start with Waid/Weiringo. I'd say it's right there with Byrne's run. It's actually better in my opinion, but I'm sure there are some that would disagree.

[DrGregatron]

I don't pay for any of my books, I get them online with digital gifts cards I get with points I earn from commission at work. The cost of the book is only $87... which is 34% off. If the material is good, and it's something that'll really give me a taste of FF, I'm done. I want an omnibus, so I can get a good chunk of material in one shot.

The first two comics I ever bought were a Spider-Man and a Byrne Fantastic Four. If you're open to reading 80's material, then the Byrne FF omnibus is an awesome starting point for the FF. Love my omnibus! BTW you can do better than 34% off online for it.

[yvahed]

Yeah Byrne's run is a good place to start - that was where I began too - classic run!

[DonEMC]

I highly reccommend Byrne's FF Omnibus. It's as good a series as was ever published.