This is a Fantastic Four thread.

[NeroMan]

I just don't find them to be that fantastic.

Except for Ben, ***** made'a rock.

[Last Renshi]

Can we please not use racial slurs? There's absolutely no reason for it.

[Gamma Charge]

Paul Cornell

You could say the Doctor is the FF all rolled up together: Reed's brain and academic distance; Johnny's impulsiveness; Ben's down to earth care for the ordinary people and Sue's invisible force field--no, come on, that metaphor was working so well! What's the Doctor got that Sue's got? Warmth, I suppose. And a nice bottom. So I'm told. I don't objectify comic book characters like that.

As much as I love Who that quote left me with the sudden urge to read FF stories, and get back into them. Combined with how very much I loved Cornell's mini. I never buy FF anymore, but once it was announced he was writing an FF mini I had to pick it up.

Why don't they?
The family aspect is a con for me. I'm not keen on my family. I don't like being near them (with the obvious exception of my children). I haven't seen most of my family since I went off to college in '94. So the FF being a family is something I have no interest in.

Which is your favourite run? Story? Character? Reed invention?
My favorite run was Byrne. I started reading regularly with issue 300 when Johnny married Alicia. I loved Ben as leader and Sharon as a team member. Though about a year into the run I went off to the Caribbean for a number of years, and the closest comic shop on the island was over an hour away.

My favorite story was when the Frightful Four was trying to find a fourth member, and held tryouts. No single favorite character, but I love Ben and Johnny paired together. Separated they aren't nearly as interesting to me.

How would you have done the films?
Replaced the actors playing Sue, Reed and Doom. Doom's depiction in the first movie was especially horrid. The second movie was closer to how he should be, but the damage from the first movie was already done. The first movie needed a bigger budget. The end fight was weak and anticlimatic.

Which was the first FF story you ever read?
I really can't remember. I started going into back issue bins and buying whatever comic caught my eye when I was around 7 or so. I think one of the earliest issues was when the original Human Torch was re-activated, met Johnny, and was then "destroyed" by Quasimodo.

Who'd you most like to see write and draw them?
Part of me thinks JH Williams III would be a very interesting choice. Not for an ongoing run, but maybe a mini. I think the FF work best when they're approached more as adventurers and are having weird romps. More of a sci-fi angle and less superhero the better. I think JHW would be able to handle anything an imaginative writer tackling the FF would throw his way. After my exposure to his work on Seven Soldiers and Desolation Jones I would love to see how he would interpret the FF.

If Ellis could hold himself in check (and avoid inserting another Spider Jerusalem/Wisdom/whoever) I'd like to see what kind of weird sci-fi approach he would take to the FF. His love of technology, it's applications, etc could make for a good sci-fi story. Though honestly I have my doubts he could temper his tics that keeps repeating in story after story (and I say this as an Ellis fan). Barring that Matt Fraction. Fraction/JHW? Hmmmm...

[GLJordan]

Why do the Fantastic Four work for you?when it does because it has what I like in a comic smile
Why don't they? bad choice of writers/artist/editors/ideas
Which is your favourite run?not sure but in volume one it would be smile
Story?not sure
Character?Susan
Reed invention? fantastic car I guess
How do you see their place in the MU? a quiet centerpoint of the universe
They're the foundation of the whole thing, but they always seem kind of marginal. How does that work? not sure they are marginal so much as not focused on as much as the X and hot writer
How would you have done the films? haven't really seen them but without a hollywood blockbuster mentality and more to the comics
Which was the first FF story you ever read? think it was a digest of the first several issues
Who'd you most like to see write and draw them?George Perez artwork is always nice

Does anyone read the Marvel Adventures FF? I've heard good things about MA Spidey and MA Avengers, but nothing about the MA FF.

more classical as oppossed to nowish,like the other two it is very hit or miss. pick up five issues if you like them enough keep reading if you don't don't smile

I still remember the arc where they actually met Ben's Aunt. She was much hotter than I think anyone figured.

she was in many ways the exact oposite of how Ben had been describing her.

[Moshing-mice]

I only glanced at the current Millar run when it first appeard. At that time I thought if he wanted to keep writing Ultimate FF than he should have. His characterization of Johnny in particular agrivated me. I hate when these care-free characters aren't allowed to growup. (ie. Spiderman) However, if anyone read the Secret Invasion FF book, (please refrain from groaning to loud.) I thought that read like a true FF book should. And it actually mentioned Lyja.

My first real exposure to the chacters was in Secret Wars (the first) I believe. Prior to that it was collected reprints of the original Stan a Jack stories from the library. She-hulk on the team was cool. And I already knew enough to know it was nice to see the Thing get to be human.

My favorite FF is when they act as a familly. That seems to be why a lot of people don't like them, but to me it's what makes them work. Anyone can be an Avenger or an X-man but it really takes some doing to replace a member of the FF. Black Panther and Storm appearantly couldn't quite cut it. More writers should acknowledge the fact that Reed and Sue Have Kids.

My favorite story is probably the "New" FF (Hulk, Spidey, Ghost Rider, Wolverine). I like how they took the "dark" characters that were so common at the time, held them together with spidey as the glue, and showed how this was exactly what the team sould not be. That's what it means to me any way. Also it was cool to see these characters so far out of their norms, what with dealling with Skrulls and the Mole man and monster island craziness. (This was back when people dealing with Skrulls other than the FF was wierd)

And I actually liked DeFalco's run... I mean it's not the best, and I wont argue that it is, but I enjoyed it is all.

[Last Renshi]

Moshing-mice

My favorite story is probably the "New" FF (Hulk, Spidey, Ghost Rider, Wolverine). I like how they took the "dark" characters that were so common at the time, held them together with spidey as the glue, and showed how this was exactly what the team sould not be. That's what it means to me any way. Also it was cool to see these characters so far out of their norms, what with dealling with Skrulls and the Mole man and monster island craziness. (This was back when people dealing with Skrulls other than the FF was wierd)

Oh, I remember that one well and you totally nailed the gist of the story. The most hilarious part was the coverage Wizard gave it. It was as if the change was going to be perminent and then they realized it was only going to last for 2 or 3 issues and promptly never mentioned it again.

[Moshing-mice]

Last Renshi

Oh, I remember that one well and you totally nailed the gist of the story. The most hilarious part was the coverage Wizard gave it. It was as if the change was going to be perminent and then they realized it was only going to last for 2 or 3 issues and promptly never mentioned it again.

Kinda like they recently did with Black Panther and Storm..... Damn! I allways get so excited when I think they're doning something "new" with the FF.... and they're allways just jerkin' my chain.

[Nick Joseph Fury]

[Querl Dox]

OH man....I loved that arc. When they tried to disguise the Fantasticar by making it look like a UPS van...."those always look about 40 years out of date, don't they?"

[GLJordan]

Quote:

Who'd you most like to see write and draw them?

another Kurt Busiek George Perez team up would be nice

[Giabrenna]

So all in all, Pinds, is the Millar run of the FF worth checking out?

I'm also wondering if anyone's checked out the Marvel Adventures FF. With covers like this, I feel I should be reading this.

[GLJordan]

much more kid friendly and enjoyable

[Moshing-mice]

GLJordan

Quote:

Who'd you most like to see write and draw them?

another Kurt Busiek George Perez team up would be nice

I second the motion.

[Clark~Kent]

I really only enjoy 616 Fantastic Four when Reed is off doing something by himself, or when Johnny is teamed up with Spider-man. smile

I have really only read Ultimate Fantastic Four when it was written (I believe) by Mark Millar. I picked it up when I saw the cover where Ult. Reed sees (what appears to be) the face of 616 Reed in a mirror. I enjoy alternate universes, so the introduction of Zombie-verse, and an Alternate (younger) Fantastic Four was something I liked. It also meant that they could really have anything happen to them. As soon as Millar left, and the artist changed, I immediately began to loose interest, until I finally dropped the book.

Because of my enjoyment of Ult. FF, I did pick up a few issues of 616 FF, mostly, there was a back up Earth, and I read all of the Black Panther/FF run. Where they again met the Marvel Zombies.