I first read 'Silver Surfer' aged 7, it was an unusual comic with an unusually complex main character; I'd joined as the Kree-Skrull war was coming to an end, and Kree femme fatal / deep cover operative turned double agent; Nenora, was masquerading as blue Skrull supreme empress, her cunning ruse undetected and unintentionally legitimised by Silver Surfer's victory over 'The Supreme Intelligence' hence destroying an ineffective democracy, but paving the way for a totalitarian dictatorship. Needless to say, this wasn't your standard good vs. evil story, for 'Silver Surfer' is essentially about creation's struggle for equilibrium and justice, in an unpredictable and often cruel universe. 'Marvel' revived some of their most popular characters from 1992-99, other cartoons syndicated by 'Fox Kids' included 'Spiderman' (in numerous incarnations), 'X-Men', 'Hulk', 'Iron Man' and 'The Fantastic Four'. Thankfully, 'Silver Surfer' retained its unique narrative drive as an interstellar apologue with convoluted, sometimes didactic yet profound & philosophical storylines, bought to life in a surprisingly seamless blend of traditional & CG animation. Episodes 1-3 explain Silver Surfer's origin, beginning with life on his home planet of Zen La. Zen La's depiction on screen is markedly different to how it was in the comics, here; Zen-Laavian culture seems to mirror Al-Andalus circa 700 A.D. with Silver Surfer's alter ego; Norrin Rad as an otherworldly Abdu'r-Rahman. For just as the aforementioned civilisation was once a beacon of hope for all the world, so too is Zen La; an enlightened, mediating presence which even manages to broker a tenuous peace deal between warring intergalactic empires the Kree & the Skrull. But just as Islamic Spain fell, so too does most of Zen La; when the invading, god-like devourer of worlds: Galactus (an excellent, painstakingly detailed CG colossus) arrives. Norrin, in a panic, agrees to satisfy Galactus's insatiable hunger for energy if he spares Zen-La, Rad promises to lead the giant to planets devoid of sentient life (a bit of a dubious, somewhat presumptuous stance explored in later episodes). His desperate plea is accepted, but the purple and blue trousered, self-styled Tetragrammaton (clearly based on Yahweh Sabaoth --'He Who Musters Armies') strikes a fateful bargain; erases Norrin"s memory, changes him with the Power Cosmic and thus Norrin Rad is reborn as Silver Surfer: Herald of Galactus. An unstoppable, slender noumenon; one as feared and almost as powerful as his owner, charged to seek out new worlds for his master to consume: and so begins an epic saga which sees our alien hero encounter all manner of life whilst struggling with his own fragmented memories, moral & metaphysical dilemmas. 'Silver Surfer' is an absolute legend, and this series, imbued with the Power Cosmic, is simply a must have for fans and newcomers alike: "To me, my board!".