Finally I found a copy. For the last year, I've been combing through comic stores, interrogating employees, and doing everything I could to find something I'd only ever heard about. Someon told me that there was a Silver Surfer story, illustrated by Moebius, and written by Stan Lee. Now, I'd been desperate for an inkling of Moebius art for a long time. Otomo, Darrow, even Quitely cite Moebius as an artistic influence, so I was dying to see this apocryphal artist's work. Add that to Stan Lee, who loves Silver Surfer above all his creations, writing? Brian-charles bait. I'd all but given up hope, when my girlfriend asked me "Have you tried Amazon?". Its in short supply there, but it IS in fact on Amazon.com. After I ordered it, I just sat next to my mailbox for two weeks waiting for the package. I'm not kidding. Then...Finally I had a copy.
Smaller than i'd hoped, but hardcover, so it feels like a treasure anyway. Before actually reading the story, I dug into the suplimental material. In the old days, Hardcover reproductions of comics, almost by law, came with special features like a DVD. At the beginning, there's an intro by Stan-the-man where he explains how the project came to be. Now, I don't know if any of you have ever heard the godfather of Marvel speak, but let me tell you, He's very charismatic. He has this was of romanticizing things just enough to make them more interesting than they are, but not enough to make you wonder if he's telling the truth. That was cool, but what really made my heart smile was the "Making of" section at the back of the book...by Moebius! It has sketches and thumbnails and inklings. All the things you want to see at the back of a harcover. The story is great of course. The artwork, also great. Both a bit dated, but still fresh and elegant. The lettering's terribad, though. Moebius opted to do the lettering himself, and I guess he forgot it until the last minute and had to scribble them out on a trainride or something. Anyway, Silver Surfer: Parable is a must have, for comic artists. Seriously.
