10 Legendary Comic Book Runs You Must Read Before You Die

9. Stan Lee & Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four

X-Men Wolverine Cyclops Rogue Gambit Pyslocke
Marvel Comics

When you are talking about an amazing run, you need look no further than the work Stan Lee did with Jack Kirby on the Fantastic Four.

This was one of those runs that could only be described as "genre defining" thanks to the way it helped solidify Marvel as a superhero publisher in the sixties and changed the way comics were made.

This run not only introduced the core characters of the Fantastic Four, it also brought some of the most important characters ever created in the Marvel Universe.

Doctor Doom, the Silver, Surfer, Galactus, Black Panther, the Inhumans, and many more were conceived solely for this book, but continue across the Marvel Universe as major players. The work these two giants of the industry put into this run could be studied in university courses simply for the impact they had on comics, superheroes in general, and pop culture across the planet.

Fantastic Four #1-102 and Fantastic Four Annual #1-6
Contributor
Contributor

Jonathan is a graphic artist, illustrator, writer, and game designer. Jonathan retired from the U.S. Army in 2017 and enjoys researching and writing about history, science, theology, and many other subjects. He writes for ScreenRant, CBR, NerdBastards, Listverse, Ranker, WhatCulture, and many other sites online. You can check out his latest on Twitter: @TalkingBull or on his blog: jonathanhkantor.com