I never spring for Masterworks. Ever. But these two volumes of Inhumans make me question that. These are absolutely wonderful collections and, generally, a lot of fun. This volume collects the 12 issue series from the 70s, a couple Captain Marvel issues that wrapped up the story line once the ongoing was canceled, a Fantastic Four annual and, finally, some back-up stories from other titles in the early 80s.
The ongoing was written by Doug Moench, the man who made Moon Knight work so well in the 70s. While the concepts can be a bit silly or downright strange, the stories are still really well told and the characterization is damn fine. The art on these twelve issues comes from George Perez, Gil Kane and Keith Pollard. Perez's stuff sings even though it's before his breakout in the 80s. Kane and Pollard are capable and uninventive. Kane actually tries to be inventive with some panel layouts, but they are more distracting than anything else.
So, after pouring through the twelve issues, we are then dropped into Captain Marvel #52-53 and, oh boy, how do things fall apart. Well, they don't so much fall apart (cause the continued story is fine in theory) but the writing by Scott Edelman is so unbearably 1970s comics. Painful dialogue, awful sidekicks and half-baked ideas left on the sidelines. It's just so much everything I hate about Silver Age comics. But the resolution to the ongoing series is in here, so it's essential, if painful, reading.
The Fantastic Four annual and the What If, Thor annual and Marvel Fanfare back-up stories are unnecessary, but completionist, fluff. Some of it becomes a chore to read as the writers try to tie the Inhumans to the origins of the Marvel Universe, at least for whatever recent to 1984 stories were being told.
So, all-in-all, a great collection that fails a bit at the end. I'm not sure what Marvel would/could do for a third volume since (I think, although there's nothing here about moving Attilan to the moon) the Inhumans were basically dormant/third tier characters for most of the 80s and 90s until the Jenkins/Lee mini. I'd love to see a third volume, but it'd probably be so piecemeal they wouldn't do it, just like they skipped all of the original appearances in Fantastic Four. Man, I'd like to see a Vol 0 more than anything else. Ah, one can dream...