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Silver Surfer: In Thy Name #1-4
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name
The Silver Surfer delves alone into the furthest depths of the void - tangling with organ-stealing pirates, demonic beasts, and a race of alien aristocrats. Everyone's favorite Cosmic Wanderer discovers that even in the midst of a galactic utopia, horror is never far away. Featuring electrifying artwork by the dynamic Tan Eng Huat (Doom Patrol, Batman) and an endlessly inventive script by Simon Spurrier - the writer behind the sold-out Gutsville! Collects Silver Surfer: In Thy Name #1-4.
96 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 18, 2017
Silver Surfer stumbles across a utopian planet that turns out to be anything but. Zzz…
In Thy Name is quite the stinker. It’s less a story than a heavy-handed extended metaphor for Earth and humanity. Look at this wonderful planet these idiots are spoiling with their selfishness! Look at the wars they fight over nothing – how petty! In mocking a thinly-veiled Christianity-type religion, the Surfer finds himself in the role of the Second Coming of Christ and a new wave of fighting ensues – religion is stoopid and baaad!
Simon Spurrier’s writing is so leaden, obvious and preachy, it feels like you’re reading a teenager’s script – not just in terms of ability but in the know-it-all arrogance of the overall message: you can’t fundamentally change what people are. Woooow. Thanks for letting everyone know, Mr Deep Thinker!
The characters are instantly forgettable and the story is so poorly told that it’s almost impossible to pay attention to, it’s that boring. The Surfer himself is more of an observer most of the time, “philosophising” like a cosmic emo dumbass, occasionally bolting into trite, uninteresting action.
Tan Eng Huat’s art is really ugly too. The lines are too wavy, the pages look flat and clogged with too much detail, and the Surfer looks like a robot. Gahbage!
In Thy Name desperately wants to be intellectual and profound but that’s far beyond Spurrier’s abilities and he should’ve tried making the book entertaining instead; as it is, it fails across the (surf)board! I recommend trying the first three volumes of Dan Slott/Mike Allred’s vastly better Silver Surfer run over this unrewarding crapola.
In Thy Name is quite the stinker. It’s less a story than a heavy-handed extended metaphor for Earth and humanity. Look at this wonderful planet these idiots are spoiling with their selfishness! Look at the wars they fight over nothing – how petty! In mocking a thinly-veiled Christianity-type religion, the Surfer finds himself in the role of the Second Coming of Christ and a new wave of fighting ensues – religion is stoopid and baaad!
Simon Spurrier’s writing is so leaden, obvious and preachy, it feels like you’re reading a teenager’s script – not just in terms of ability but in the know-it-all arrogance of the overall message: you can’t fundamentally change what people are. Woooow. Thanks for letting everyone know, Mr Deep Thinker!
The characters are instantly forgettable and the story is so poorly told that it’s almost impossible to pay attention to, it’s that boring. The Surfer himself is more of an observer most of the time, “philosophising” like a cosmic emo dumbass, occasionally bolting into trite, uninteresting action.
Tan Eng Huat’s art is really ugly too. The lines are too wavy, the pages look flat and clogged with too much detail, and the Surfer looks like a robot. Gahbage!
In Thy Name desperately wants to be intellectual and profound but that’s far beyond Spurrier’s abilities and he should’ve tried making the book entertaining instead; as it is, it fails across the (surf)board! I recommend trying the first three volumes of Dan Slott/Mike Allred’s vastly better Silver Surfer run over this unrewarding crapola.
May 29, 2020
"In Thy Name" tells the tale of the Surfer as he travels to a world that is supposed to be an utopia. It isn't. There is a war between the religious and the atheists and events will show neither side is innocent.
Into this mess comes the Surfer. Hailed by some as a god, the Surfer tries to bring peace to this conflict and fails magnificently. While not a bad tale, overall, this could have been better. The artwork, similar to the story, is sometimes good but the style coupled with the color palette makes some of the panels hard to discern.
This is not a terrible tale, but I get the feeling it could have been so much more. The Surfer's inability to discern the falsehoods of the utopia is a little troubling. Is he blinkered by how much he wants this to be real? While he learns, the hard way, that religious conflicts are best left to the ones fighting the conflict, it seems he could have been more proactive. The use of Galactus as a "unifying force" wasn't a bad idea, though the outcome was almost a foregone conclusion.
A story that tries to be amazing. But, as with the art, it seems to fall short. If you are new to the Surfer there are better stories to read. If you are familiar with the Surfer then you may enjoy this tale more than most.
Into this mess comes the Surfer. Hailed by some as a god, the Surfer tries to bring peace to this conflict and fails magnificently. While not a bad tale, overall, this could have been better. The artwork, similar to the story, is sometimes good but the style coupled with the color palette makes some of the panels hard to discern.
This is not a terrible tale, but I get the feeling it could have been so much more. The Surfer's inability to discern the falsehoods of the utopia is a little troubling. Is he blinkered by how much he wants this to be real? While he learns, the hard way, that religious conflicts are best left to the ones fighting the conflict, it seems he could have been more proactive. The use of Galactus as a "unifying force" wasn't a bad idea, though the outcome was almost a foregone conclusion.
A story that tries to be amazing. But, as with the art, it seems to fall short. If you are new to the Surfer there are better stories to read. If you are familiar with the Surfer then you may enjoy this tale more than most.
May 15, 2017
This is a story as old as humanity and yet one which the human race has yet to learn. The Silver Surfer finds himself embroiled in a war between two races; one atheistic and dictatorial, the other determined to wage a holy war in the name of their deity. The Surfer tries to get both sides to see sense and stop them fighting but... well, you can probably guess how well that turns out.
The artwork is quite nice but it needed a bolder line to make the foreground elements stand out against the very detailed backgrounds. With the uniform line weight the artist uses everything blurs together into a bit of a jumble. The unrestrained colour palette doesn't help matters, making the art look unnecessarily psychedelic.
The artwork is quite nice but it needed a bolder line to make the foreground elements stand out against the very detailed backgrounds. With the uniform line weight the artist uses everything blurs together into a bit of a jumble. The unrestrained colour palette doesn't help matters, making the art look unnecessarily psychedelic.
March 17, 2018
O loved the art most of all. I feel like Kirby would have proud of Haut for how strange and bizarre this looked. It's a classic kind of Surfer story. He waxes poetic politics and struggles with ethics and conflict, caught between action and inaction. He's an immensely powerful being with depression. It's wonderful.
February 14, 2019
In a four issue mini-series packed with enough plot for one entire issue, the Silver Surfer finally finds a planet that appears to be an ideal utopia but actually is oppressing another planet, populated by violent religious fanatics (who are the representative of all religious people in this book.)
The best thing about the book is the art. The art in this book mostly serviceable. It manages to make this alien world seem alien and like this is a picture of another. The art is rarely horrible, but it's also never majestic or beautiful as a good Silver Surfer book in space should be.
The story is pretty much your typical broadstorke "religious people are stupid and fanatical story," but with the twist that the government that hates them is equalized. Thus, I credit Spurrier for not having a specialized contempt for religious people but extending it to all human beings.
Of course, religious war and violence is tragic and you can tell a good thought-provoking story around it that emotionally engages the readers, particularly when you have the Silver Surfer as your lead character. For an example of how this is done well, see Silver Surfer Requiem #3 where writer JMS tells the story of a dying Silver Surfer coming on two feuding planets fightings a religious war. The Surfer's feelings reactions make this poignant and the story takes a surprising turn and leaves with a thought-provoking message.
This story has none of that. Throughout the entire book, it pounds home what tired points it makes with ham-fisted clumsiness. (Having one of the alien races say, "Crucify him!" in regards to the Silver Surfer was one of the cringiest bits.)
The characterization is awful. The Surfer feels out of character and is less like he has been in other comics and more like what the writer needs him to be for the story. We never connect with any of the alien characters or are given any reason to care about the alien planets. The Surfer never makes us relate him so strongly that we care because he does.
As such, while this book is cynical, I would not consider it depressing as that phrase gives it credit for being able to evoke an emotional reaction, which it never does. It's a shallow polemic written as a shallowed padded graphic novel that fails in every way but the art. It's not only an uninteresting story, it's an uninteresting story that for all its bluster has little interesting or original to say.
The best thing about the book is the art. The art in this book mostly serviceable. It manages to make this alien world seem alien and like this is a picture of another. The art is rarely horrible, but it's also never majestic or beautiful as a good Silver Surfer book in space should be.
The story is pretty much your typical broadstorke "religious people are stupid and fanatical story," but with the twist that the government that hates them is equalized. Thus, I credit Spurrier for not having a specialized contempt for religious people but extending it to all human beings.
Of course, religious war and violence is tragic and you can tell a good thought-provoking story around it that emotionally engages the readers, particularly when you have the Silver Surfer as your lead character. For an example of how this is done well, see Silver Surfer Requiem #3 where writer JMS tells the story of a dying Silver Surfer coming on two feuding planets fightings a religious war. The Surfer's feelings reactions make this poignant and the story takes a surprising turn and leaves with a thought-provoking message.
This story has none of that. Throughout the entire book, it pounds home what tired points it makes with ham-fisted clumsiness. (Having one of the alien races say, "Crucify him!" in regards to the Silver Surfer was one of the cringiest bits.)
The characterization is awful. The Surfer feels out of character and is less like he has been in other comics and more like what the writer needs him to be for the story. We never connect with any of the alien characters or are given any reason to care about the alien planets. The Surfer never makes us relate him so strongly that we care because he does.
As such, while this book is cynical, I would not consider it depressing as that phrase gives it credit for being able to evoke an emotional reaction, which it never does. It's a shallow polemic written as a shallowed padded graphic novel that fails in every way but the art. It's not only an uninteresting story, it's an uninteresting story that for all its bluster has little interesting or original to say.
June 22, 2024
feels a little shortsighted, in the grand scheme, to trot out an overwrought fox news/iraq war/9/11 parable for a silver surfer story. much like the spider-man 9/11 issue, its a product of its time, but this comic's time was six years too late.
on the one hand, i can understand the hopeless second bush term cynicism underscoring the piece. on the other, silver surfer is too vibrant a symbol to use as a stand-in for such futility.
on the one hand, i can understand the hopeless second bush term cynicism underscoring the piece. on the other, silver surfer is too vibrant a symbol to use as a stand-in for such futility.
August 20, 2018
Very dark. Did not leave me with a good feeling. There was minimal triumph. It’s a fitting tale of how sentient life once again fails the noble Norrin Radd.
The writing and characterization was strong, and the art was superb and unique.
But, alas... there are enough sour endings in real life... must comics really follow suit?
The writing and characterization was strong, and the art was superb and unique.
But, alas... there are enough sour endings in real life... must comics really follow suit?
July 28, 2024
This was a well done mini-series that was written in a non-decompressed manner. It was almost shocking to see a modern Marvel Comic done in such a way. I just wish that Marvel would quit doing umpteen Silver Surfer minis and instead do sporadic "season" type releases while keeping the same numbering.
April 28, 2018
Cool concept, amazing fantastical art. The silver surfer has never looked shinier! Here we follow the surfer playing god inadvertently.
Read
September 11, 2019Beatiful art, cliched Surfer Story (how does this alien civilization become applicable to humanity)
One thing this book does impressively is highlight the wonders that we wouldn't believe.
One thing this book does impressively is highlight the wonders that we wouldn't believe.
November 2, 2019
A Silver Surfer story of his journey in space. He meets two cultures that has some problem with each other
June 5, 2022
cool story, nothing outstanding but solid, graphic side suck
October 31, 2025
While it may have felt a bit rushed, imo a well-written but grave story coupled with some very beautiful art.
Oh but for Peace, War would be such a grand prize...
Oh but for Peace, War would be such a grand prize...
August 6, 2011
SILVER SURFER: IN THY NAME
Marvel Comics
Written by SIMON SPURRIER
Art by TAN ENG HUAT
Color Art by JOSE VILLARRUBIA
Letters by VIRTUAL CALLIGRAPHY’S CORY PETIT
Covers by MICHAEL TURNER & PETER STEIGERWALD, GABRIELE DELL’OTTO, PAUL POPE & JOSE VILLARRUBIA, and TAN ENG HUAT & JOSE VILLARRUBIA
Editor AUBREY SITTERSON
So many people know of the Silver Surfer but I feel not enough people know how great of a character he is really is. In my eyes he is one of the top Marvel characters of all time. I haven’t been the biggest fan of outer space superhero comics but I do love reading Silver Surfer self contained stories every chance I get. I think that format of comic story telling works for the Surfer. With the setting of a monthly ongoing series I think the shine of how unique of a character he really is falls off the board because most writers have a good Surfer story in them but most do not get the character enough to keep telling his stories on a regular basis.
Pun tried above.
Pun failure above.
And if you might ask me what outer space superhero comics I have enjoyed, off the top of my head I’ll mention The Annihilation stories at Marvel and Green Lantern stories at DC. There are many more but maybe that will have to wait until maybe a day when I have time to explore it more in depth in a blog entry.
I found Silver Surfer: In Thy Name at one of my local libraries on a random trip and took it home with a stack of books not thinking much about until I picked it up one day to read between editing one of my own stories and watching the MLS All-Star game.
When I started it the first thing I noticed was how much I loved the art of Tan Eng Huat and the color work by Jose Villarrubia. I think more than any other kind of story in comics a colorist makes or breaks an outer space tale.
This one once again finds the Surfer being very emo in space; which is his characters nature. He has always been a mixture of emo and hippy and when people attack that part of the character the criticism really doesn’t hit because that’s who he is. It’s like calling Tony Stark a dick. Really? Ok, yea, that’s him.
The Silver Surfer is very much a character about the very nature of life and living. Though I’ve sort of made fun of him for being by nature emo and hippified, The Silver Surfer is very complex in how in the hands of a talented team he can be used to explore such things as whether a utopia is possible and do so without jumping outside his character and standing out for being too preachy.
Like Superman the Silver Surfer is a very hard character for a lot of writers to get a hold of beyond the basics of how people see him. If you write his life an superhero then you are already going down the wrong track.
In the world of Marvel’s outer space stories he should be the key, just as Green Lantern is with DC Comics. That’s doesn’t mean that they should always be the focal point of outer space adventures but they should be used to expand and tour that side of these universes.
The Silver Surfer can go head to head with the most powerful beings and situations the Marvel Universe can offer up against him but he is also such a human character that he never gets lost in seeing the very nature of not only life but living. And in being this way he should be one of the best characters Marvel has but it seems like so many has a hard time writing his outside of just making him a measurement of how powerful other characters are.
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name is great story whether you have read any Surfer stories in the past or if this is your introduction to the character. This book has great art without so much energy and life to it. The story goes into the deep lines of life that all stories involving the Silver Surfer should do.
And a final note. The cover to issue number 3 of the limited series is one of my all time favorite images of The Silver Surfer. Just love that and wish they had used that for the cover of the trade.
Ok, now I’m going to try that things called sleep.
SILVER SURFER: IN THY NAME
3 out of 5 Stars
Marvel Comics
Written by SIMON SPURRIER
Art by TAN ENG HUAT
Color Art by JOSE VILLARRUBIA
Letters by VIRTUAL CALLIGRAPHY’S CORY PETIT
Covers by MICHAEL TURNER & PETER STEIGERWALD, GABRIELE DELL’OTTO, PAUL POPE & JOSE VILLARRUBIA, and TAN ENG HUAT & JOSE VILLARRUBIA
Editor AUBREY SITTERSON
So many people know of the Silver Surfer but I feel not enough people know how great of a character he is really is. In my eyes he is one of the top Marvel characters of all time. I haven’t been the biggest fan of outer space superhero comics but I do love reading Silver Surfer self contained stories every chance I get. I think that format of comic story telling works for the Surfer. With the setting of a monthly ongoing series I think the shine of how unique of a character he really is falls off the board because most writers have a good Surfer story in them but most do not get the character enough to keep telling his stories on a regular basis.
Pun tried above.
Pun failure above.
And if you might ask me what outer space superhero comics I have enjoyed, off the top of my head I’ll mention The Annihilation stories at Marvel and Green Lantern stories at DC. There are many more but maybe that will have to wait until maybe a day when I have time to explore it more in depth in a blog entry.
I found Silver Surfer: In Thy Name at one of my local libraries on a random trip and took it home with a stack of books not thinking much about until I picked it up one day to read between editing one of my own stories and watching the MLS All-Star game.
When I started it the first thing I noticed was how much I loved the art of Tan Eng Huat and the color work by Jose Villarrubia. I think more than any other kind of story in comics a colorist makes or breaks an outer space tale.
This one once again finds the Surfer being very emo in space; which is his characters nature. He has always been a mixture of emo and hippy and when people attack that part of the character the criticism really doesn’t hit because that’s who he is. It’s like calling Tony Stark a dick. Really? Ok, yea, that’s him.
The Silver Surfer is very much a character about the very nature of life and living. Though I’ve sort of made fun of him for being by nature emo and hippified, The Silver Surfer is very complex in how in the hands of a talented team he can be used to explore such things as whether a utopia is possible and do so without jumping outside his character and standing out for being too preachy.
Like Superman the Silver Surfer is a very hard character for a lot of writers to get a hold of beyond the basics of how people see him. If you write his life an superhero then you are already going down the wrong track.
In the world of Marvel’s outer space stories he should be the key, just as Green Lantern is with DC Comics. That’s doesn’t mean that they should always be the focal point of outer space adventures but they should be used to expand and tour that side of these universes.
The Silver Surfer can go head to head with the most powerful beings and situations the Marvel Universe can offer up against him but he is also such a human character that he never gets lost in seeing the very nature of not only life but living. And in being this way he should be one of the best characters Marvel has but it seems like so many has a hard time writing his outside of just making him a measurement of how powerful other characters are.
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name is great story whether you have read any Surfer stories in the past or if this is your introduction to the character. This book has great art without so much energy and life to it. The story goes into the deep lines of life that all stories involving the Silver Surfer should do.
And a final note. The cover to issue number 3 of the limited series is one of my all time favorite images of The Silver Surfer. Just love that and wish they had used that for the cover of the trade.
Ok, now I’m going to try that things called sleep.
SILVER SURFER: IN THY NAME
3 out of 5 Stars
September 21, 2015
Some people are terrible even when given the opportunity to be decent. There, I saved you the trouble of reading this nonsensical story. That's all it boils down to. Not only that but it was told very poorly to the point where I found myself wondering who characters were and even the ones I remembered I didn't identify with them.
As an extra added bonus, the art was bad and Silver Surfer looked like a weird alien with odd facial features.
Avoid, not worth it.
As an extra added bonus, the art was bad and Silver Surfer looked like a weird alien with odd facial features.
Avoid, not worth it.
May 12, 2013
Although the artwork was beautiful in this comic, it was too abstract for interpretation. The dialogue made it worse. The story was, in turn, confusing. Although I got the premise throughout the book, I wish the dialogue and art fit better. The most enjoyable parts were Silver Surfer's subconscious narrations.
December 30, 2016
Art was detailed and beautiful- full of colour- but at times found it hard to follow the action. The story appeared too complex for its own sake; essentially the plot is simple but lack of empathy for aliens made it hard to like this series
January 15, 2013
The art and the writing are exquisite; the story has been done a million times. Worth a read if you like the ol' Silver Surfer.
July 21, 2014
Surprised this is one of my favorite surfer stories. Great writing with unique artwork, although sometimes distracting.
August 17, 2014
So much cynicism in one small book!
May 10, 2015
The art in this felt like a strange mix of pencils and computer graphics. In some cases hard to get what was going on. It was a cool story though I didn't like the ending.
January 26, 2016
It was good, but I didn't love it.
Read
February 11, 2018dnr
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