Fantastic Four: The Dream is Dead Epic Collection captures the last half of Steve Englehart’s run on the Four with a number of their strangest (and most polarizing) adventures.
The Dream is Dead contains Fantastic Four #321-333 and Fantastic Four Annual #22 (an “Atlantis Attacks” chapter) from 1988-89, starting with a team led by the Human Torch, Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura, sometimes referred to as the She-Thing), the Thing, and Crystal from the Inhumans. The team would eventually shift back to the classic line-up with the return of Reed Richards and Sue Storm in issue #326 (but the orange Ms. Marvel would also stick around).
The stories cover a battle between Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk, X-Men Inferno crossover issues featuring Graviton and Kang, guest appearances by cosmic heroes Mantis and the Silver Surfer, the Frightful Four, Aron the rogue Watcher, Doctor Doom, and even a once again powerless Ben Grimm.
Englehart (who writes the majority of the issues under the pen name Jonathan Harkness after some editorial disputes) ends his run just as Walt Simonson begins his in Fantastic Four #334. Artists and writers also represented in the new volume include Mark Gruenwald, Gregory Wright, Peter Sanderson, Roy Thomas, Ron Lim, Keith Pollard, Rich Buckler, Tom Morgan, Hilary Barta, Mark Bagley, Romeo Tanghal, Joe Sinnott, Tony DeZuniga, Mike DeCarlo, and Keith Williams,
The latest FF Epic Collection also features the Doctor Strange/Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment graphic novel by Roger Stern, Mike Mignola, and Mark Badger, which sends Doctor Doom to Hell to free his mother from Mephisto (with more than a few assists from Doctor Strange).
Fantastic Four: The Dream is Dead Epic Collection contains 464 pages for a suggested retail price of $44.99.
Check out the cover by Frenz and Sinnott below and stay tuned to Conskipper for all of your vintage comic needs.
