This story takes us through to the end of this volume of Silver Surfer. I’m going to move through painting with a broad brush, but please don’t misinterpret that as a lack of endorsement: JM DeMatteis’ Surfer run is quite good. And while I liked Roger Cruz’s art, Jon Muth signs on with #140 and that’s just…Wow.
First, Surfer has a new girlfriend now: Alicia Masters. He’s trying to just be happy with her but of course he can’t. He gets pulled, with her, into a cosmic adventure that spans multiple universes. The theme is Surfer trying to stop being Surfer so he can just be Norrin-with-Alicia, but no matter what universe or reality he’s tossed into, he becomes the Silver Surfer.
These are really good stories. Issue #145 is really the end of it. Norrin and Alicia find their way back to Earth and get a happily ever after.
But then, suddenly, issue #146 comes out and it’s by Greenberg and Cowan and the series just suddenly ends. It’s a sharp departure in both content and quality. I choose to disregard it as part of this run.
Above is the final panel from #145, broad and warm–providing closure. Below, the final panel from #146: Cliched and very issue-specific.
That’s why, to me, #145 is the final issue of this series.