Probably the biggest change for the Fantastic Four was that instead of being a bunch of character-less square-jawed do-gooders the Fantastic Four acted like a real dysfunctional family, and at the heart of this was the ground-breaking figure of Ben Grimm - the Thing, a 'superhero' cursed with an appearance so foul he resembled a walking monster, and who's tendency to fly off the handle seemed as though the character really could turn on the other members during these early issues. Grimm's struggles to come to terms with his appearance as a monster gives these issues a real pathos, something that is highlighted when he finally finds acceptance from his blind girlfriend Alicia, and his transformation from a grouch into the heart of the FF is handled brilliantly, with his initial genuine fights with the Human Torch transforming into affectionate horseplay.

The other members are less interesting, but still vivid characters -hot-headed Human Torch (Johnny Storm) seems designed to appeal to the teen age audience, while the elastic Mr Fantastic (Reed Richards) is so straight faced he almost seems to be a parody of pre-Marvel superheroes. The Invisible Woman (Sue Storm) is more problematical in the early issues, as her power doesn't really enable her to take more than a peripheral role in the stories. It's interesting to see in the letters pages some fans dissatisfaction with her and asking for her to be replaced, and it's only near the end of the issues reprinted here that the character is beefed up with some additional force field powers to truly take her place as a full member of the FF.

Of course, being 40-odd years old these stories have dated a little, and the artwork in particular seems very basic compared to today's comics. Jack Kirby would go on to push the entire field of comic book art forward with some truly groundbreaking wild artwork later on in the Fantastic Four's run, but in these early issues Kirby is functional but unspectacular (one must also bear in mind that, just as Stan Lee was writing dozens of comics at the same time, so Kirby was drawing numerous titles a month). Stan Lee's stories can also occasionally suffer from some rather hokey moments, but Lee's humour as the series goes on makes this still laugh out loud funny, and the stories are still wildly ambitious - in only the 4th issue we have the sight of man-monster the Thing venturing into the innards of a giant whale with an atomic bomb strapped onto his back, while the post-modern self-awareness shown by the Fantastic Four as comic book characters (receiving fan letters and meeting Lee and Kirby in issue 10) is another ground breaking moment. Other great moments included in this early run include the rivalry built up between the Thing and the Hulk, with an absolutely enormous fight spread over two issues that ends up dragging in the likes of Captain America and Iron Man, while the ongoing love triangle between Reed Richards, Sue Storm, and the Sub-Mariner leads to some great attacks on the surface dwellers by the Prince of Atlantis, culminating in the epic annual. And that not forgetting the likes of Doctor Doom...

All in all a little creaky round the edges as Lee and Kirby find their feet, but this was so far ahead of the field in the early 60's that it still holds up well today. The addition of reprints of the original letters pages give a real flavour of the Marvel boom of the time, with Stan Lee's direct self-depreciating addresses to the readers building up a real feeling of community. These are the best reprint versions of these early issues, so relive a classic era in comic book history - essential for all comic book fans.

The issues this book reprints have already been reprinted in B&W in Essential Fantastic Four Vol.1 and Vol.2, and also in colour in Marvel Masterworks Fantastic Four Vol.1, Vol.2 and Vol.3. However, this omnibus edition includes some unused Jack Kirby covers, various forewords from Stan Lee, Tom DeFalco and Roy Thomas - and (this is the most important part), the reprinting of all the letters pages!

I know it seems like a small thing, but reading fans reactions to the comics as they saw print is quite a tribute to the era and the comic.

So what do the 30 issues contain? The origin of the Fantastic Four, fights with Dr. Doom, Red Ghost, Mole Man, Miracle Man, Molecule Man, Skrulls (including Superskrull), Rama-Tut and Puppet Master!

Add in guest appearances (maybe some tussles with) The Watcher, The X-Men (Original), Sub-Mariner and The Hulk, and you've got a pretty excellent line up of issues.

So what's the downside? Price for one thing (currently £55 for the Kirby cover and £65 for the Alex Ross cover), although the original issues would set you back in the thousands of £££'s and the Masterwork reprints would set you back around £75.

The other (although its also an advantage) is the simplicity of the issues. Story wise there is no hidden plot devices or super in-depth character revelations and art wise...well its the King (Jack Kirby) but compared to today's over used splash pages and awkward character poses some may find the art a bit bland.

So to wrap up - great read for the classic comic fan, or any Fantastic Four/Marvel devotee. However newbies to comics/Fantastic Four may be better off with the Ultimate Fantastic Four (a different universe and set in the present) hardcover (2005) or "The Best Of The Fantastic Four" hardcover from earlier this year (2005).