Review- FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS VOL. 1

FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 (Marvel, First Printing, 2011; Hardcover)

Collects Avengers #233, Fantastic Four #209-218, 220, 221, 232-260, Fantastic Four Annual #17, Marvel Team-Up #61, 62, Marvel Two-In-One #50, and Thing #2 (cover dates August, 1979- November, 1983)

Writers: John Byrne with Roger Stern (Avengers #233), Marv Wolfman (#209-217) (Bill Mantlo (#217, 218), Stan Lee (back-up story #236), and Chris Claremont (Marvel Team-Up #61, 62)

Artists: John Byrne with additional Inking by Joe Sinnott, Bjorn Heyn, Dave Hunt (Marvel Team-Up #61, 62) and pencils by Ron Wilson ( Thing #2) along with the Jack Kirby (back-up story #236)

This double and sometimes triple* dip weighs in at seven pounds. I bought all of these issues in the Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne trades in the previous decade. This is top shelf material and I am currently buying it in “high def” Marvel Masterworks format.

*My mom bought me #210 and 214 at Farmer Jack when they came out. I still have that original copy of #210 from when I was a little kid.

Bad light glare in the basement due to the LED bulbs. I read by incandescent light bulbs in my bedroom.

Note that this review is for the first printing with the Direct Market variant dustjacket. The current 2018 printing uses thinner paper and cheaper casewrap on the boards and weighs less as well as having a different dustjacket.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Linework and Color restoration: The overall restoration is a bit...rustic by modern standards. Some of it has since been remastered in high-def in Marvel Masterworks (#209-218) and that will resume with this fall's release of Vol. 21. I am looking forward to upgrading this material, as Byrne's run is the second golden age of the title. This book is like early DVD restoration in a 4k world.

Paper stock: Thick coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Sewn binding. The book block has a slight sag to it after a few years, a common ailment for these Omnibus books. Some folks wouldn't notice it, but I do and so would you since you are reading this.

Reading the book resulted in these ugly creases on the spine. 

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Laminated dustjacket. The casewrap has the faux leather grain and foil stamping which you will not find on the 2018 edition.