 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (May 2021) |
| Fantastic | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:FantasticSummerSpecial_1968_FrontCover.jpg) Cover of the Fantastic Summer Special 1968. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Odhams Press' Power Comics |
| Schedule | Weekly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | 18 February 1967 – 26 October 1968 (merged into Smash!) |
| No. of issues | 89 |
| Main character(s) | The Mighty Thor X-Men Iron Man The Avengers Doctor Strange Missing Link/Johnny Future |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Stan Lee (reprints) |
| Artist(s) | Luis Bermejo, Barry Windsor-Smith, Jack Kirby (reprints), Steve Ditko (reprints) |
Fantastic was a weekly British comic book magazine published by Odhams Press under the Power Comics imprint. It first appeared on 18 February 1967, and with its 52nd issue on 10 February 1968 it merged with its sister title Terrific. The 89th and final issue of Fantastic appeared on 26 October 1968, after which it was merged into its sister title Smash!.
Fantastic was different from the earlier Power Comics such as Smash! and Pow!, which were essentially traditional Beano-style British comic papers supplemented by a small amount of material reprinted from Marvel Comics. In contrast, Fantastic (and later Terrific as well) were more American in appearance, resembling the black-and-white comic anthologies of the time such as Creepy and Eerie. They were aimed at a younger audience than such magazines, however, although an older audience than the Beano-style British fare. Fantastic could not sustain a profit in the increasingly crowded market of 1960s comics, but it did gain a faithful following, and served as an introduction for UK readers to many of Marvel's superhero characters.