Norrin Radd is an astronomer on the alien planet Zenn-La. After Galactus arrives to consume Zenn-La, he agrees to spare the planet if Radd becomes his herald. Now, Radd is granted a minuscule portion of Galactus’ Power Cosmic. Radd’s body is covered in a silver-like metal. And, Radd is given a silver surfboard to travel the cosmos. He is now the Silver Surfer.
It is Radd’s job to travel the universe and find suitable worlds for Galactus to consume. Sometimes, those worlds have life on them. That is the price Radd must pay for protecting his home world. Norrin Radd is now the Silver Surfer, the immortal, powerful herald of Galactus.
Even though the new MCU Silver Surfer is female, and canonical to the comics, Norrin Radd was the first. Here are eight of the greatest Silver Surfer comics.
1. Silver Surfer: Black (2020)
After being sucked into a black hole, the Surfer finds himself stranded millions of years back in the past. He finds himself battling an ancient terror intent on destroying the universe before it forms. The Surfer succeeds but loses a lot during the crisis. His metallic skin temporarily turns black, like the void of space, because of all he had to endure to succeed and come back home.
This 120-page paperback collects all five issues of the mini-series. Buy it now for $19 at Amazon.
2. Silver Surfer: New Dawn (2014)
The Surfer is known for traveling in space alone. He is a tragic, lonely figure surfing the cosmos to find planets for Galactus to consume. In this mini-series, a young child named Dawn wishes upon a star. Years later, when she is an adult, Dawn learns her wish bonds her to the Surfer. Radd then travels with Dawn on numerous and dangerous space adventures.
This 112-page paperback collects all five issues of the series. Buy it now for $21 at Amazon.
3. Silver Surfer: Ghost Light (2023)
Al Harper was a scientist and friend of the Silver Surfer who made his debut in Silver Surfer #5 back in 1969. He actually died in that issue. In Ghost Light, a villain known as the Stranger disturbs Harper’s grave for scientific experimentation. The Stranger reanimates Harper with nanobots and changes him into the new antihero, Ghost Light.
This 128-page paperback collects all five issues of the mini-series. Get it now at Amazon for $18.
4. Silver Surfer: Parable (1988)
This story was written by Stan Lee and drawn by legendary French artist Moebius. Galactus returns to Earth, even though he has sworn not to destroy it. He demands to be worshipped as a God in order not to eat the planet. The Surfer, now living in exile on Earth, struggles to find a way to stop Galactus and prevent the human race from giving in to his demands.
You can buy this two-issue series for $9 on Kindle. The hardcover costs $300, as it is an old and out-of-print title.
5. Silver Surfer: Requiem (2007)
This is a four-issue mini-series written by J. Michael Straczynski and featuring the art of Esad Ribic. The Surfer is slowly dying from a terminal illness. He travels the cosmos, visits friends, and introspectively looks back on his life. It is a sad, somber treatise on the meaning of life, regret, and the futile desire for more life when it must end. Everyone dies in the end, even a Silver Surfer.
This comic is beautifully drawn and is deftly written, but be aware that it is a very dramatic, somber, and philosophical story about embracing one’s impending death.
Buy this 99-page trade for $7 on Kindle. Or, get the paperback for $80.
6. Silver Surfer: In Thy Name (2007)
The Surfer is basically a cosmic philosopher and ambassador. He travels to other worlds to find food for Galactus, but struggles with his actions. Who can decide what civilizations and planets die? If he doesn’t, Galactus will. In this series, the Surfer encounters celestial pirates, a civilization of bureaucrats and politicians, and a world that wants him as their God after he saves them. He ponders the meaning of existence when horror is a common theme throughout the universe.
Buy the 99-page paperback for $28 on Amazon.
7. Silver Surfer Rebirth (2022)
Writer Ron Marz and artist Ron Lim had a legendary run in the 1990s creating Surfer comics. This story is actually set within the 1990s Silver Surfer continuity of stories these creators left off at the time. A new threat that can destroy reality forces Norrin to team up with Thanos.
This 104-page paperback collects all five issues of the series. Buy it now for $16 at Amazon.
8. Marvel Masterworks: The Silver Surfer Vol. 1
This 312-page hardcover collects the first six issues of the 1968 Silver Surfer series. These stories were socially conscious and forward-thinking during the Silver Age of comics in the 1960s. Mephisto makes his first appearance in issue #3 of this run.
Buy this hardcover for $63 at Amazon now.
Philosopher of the Spaceways
Superhero characters are usually an inspiration or a literal creative mirror of a real-world issue, person, or thing. The X-Men comics found their inspiration from the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Furthermore, the aesthetic and character inspiration for Tony Stark was 20th-century industrialist Howard Hughes. The Silver Surfer is a creative parallel to real-world philosophy and surfers.
For example, the character’s home planet is “Zenn” La.” The Surfer often clashes with Galactus about the fate of entire worlds, the finite resources and energy sources of planets. The original Silver Surfer stories challenge readers about their place in the world and the universe, if at a surface level. I think the characters remind people that even one person can inspire great causes or do great things.
If you like cosmic-scale stories with light philosophical themes, then I recommend you start reading Silver Surfer comics today.
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