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By Ben Morse
Those who picked up SILVER SURFER BY STAN LEE & MOEBIUS this past week not only got the two legendary creators’ classic story “Parable,” but some very special bonuses as well.
In addition to pages of insightful behind the scenes notes regarding the story’s creation, seven rare posters featuring Marvel mainstay characters from Iron Man to Wolverine grace the special’s back matter. While “Parable” marks the most famous instance of Jean “Moebius” Giraud working on American super heroes, these pieces represent the impressive range and unmatchable talent of the French icon, who passed away almost a year ago.
“During this period [in the late 80’s], Marvel had begun to reprint Moebius’ European work through the Epic [imprint], so there was already a relationship,” shares Marvel Senior VP Executive Editor Tom Brevoort, who worked as an assistant editor in the Special Projects department of Marvel at the time and came into the process late. “I’m guessing that the idea simply came up at some point; getting Moebius to do some Marvel pieces is pretty much a no-brainer if you’re already working with him.”
In addition to more classic creations like Spider-Man and the Thing, Moebius also provided his take on more modern characters, which made for striking and unique interpretations.
“I get the sense that Moebius knew relatively little about most of the characters, and so just went with his instincts,” theorizes Brevoort. “[This] led to pieces like the Wolverine one in which he’s poised atop a tower in a Moebius cityscape, or the Daredevil one where he’s in an ornate hall and some of his costume details are different.”
The Moebius posters display proudly in the Marvel offices to this day, a sight that captivates staffers and visitors alike. However, while the Daredevil, Punisher and Elektra pieces can be easily located, the rest stand as special prizes for those willing to undertake the most meticulous of searches, a fitting tribute to one of comics’ most treasured creative figures.
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