Death of the Silver Surfer might be the sleeper superhero miniseries hit of the year. So far, it has captured the beauty and harmony of the Silver Surfer while setting up an evil, super-rich sociopath who cares for nothing but more power and money. Sound familiar? In Death of the Silver Surfer #3, the Fantastic Four enter the tale, which adds a lot more action as the stakes become far clearer.
Death of the Silver Surfer #3 picks up with the Fantastic Four investigating the disturbance that set in motion Silver Surfer’s capture. The first three pages perfectly encapsulate how dire things are now that a drop of Galactus’ blood has been stolen, with a great smash-cut to Silver Surfer being ensnared by the blood by the super-rich jerk as he laughs with glee. Props to writer Greg Pak for efficiently setting up the stakes while adding some Marvel cosmic lore into the series.
It’s not looking good for Silver Surfer or the universe, which leads Kelly Koh to encounter Silver Surfer, who communicates with her through his mind. She works for an organization that imprisons and controls aliens, but even she thinks the Silver Surfer’s treatment is immoral. Oh, and fans of Planet Hulk might want to pick this book up if the characters referenced could show up later.
It’s wild Galactus’ blood is so dangerous.
Credit: Marvel
About midway through the issue, with plenty of exposition out of the way, the Fantastic Four must face off against Kelly. It’s an exciting action scene to say the least, with art by Sumit Kumar that’s fun and entertaining. Thing looks particularly cool with his rocky skin, and it’s neat to see a focus on Kelly’s tech that gives the team trouble. The final few pages have some disturbing horror visuals that amp up the impending danger, and Kumar doesn’t disappoint with these moments, be it the awe or the epic nature of them.
As far as Kelly’s development, a lot of the character work can be seen via Kumar’s character acting via the art. She’s reacting to some shocking stuff, and while she’s steadfast in her role, one can imagine what she sees will alter her decision to help the rich jerk going forward. This is building momentum for her, likely, eventual turn to help aliens.
Rounding out the issue is colors by Frank D’Armata, who leans into purples with Silver Surfer and an alien sighting in the final few pages. The darkness of space, or the use of shadow in general, is well done throughout.
Death of the Silver Surfer #3 continues to surprise as one of Marvel’s strongest cosmic stories this year, weaving action, horror, and moral complexity into a narrative that feels both timeless and timely. The Fantastic Four’s arrival and the Silver Surfer’s peril make this installment a cosmic must-read.
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