This is a Fantastic Four thread.

[Teatime Brutality]

I'm torn between wanting this Fear Itself Ben-plot at a nicely detachable distance from the Hickman material and thinking how well it could actually fit as part of Ben's character arc.

And I liked how this issue's wibble addressed how much the the book's current direction leaves the couple of remaining characters who aren't scientific geniuses in a weird place.

--

I think Kristoff's current state's a Defalco thing, isn't it?

[Giabrenna]

That would probably explain my confusion. Did he get aged up at some point or something? I always understood him to be about 10 years old when he got Doom'd, but the art here suggested he was EXTREMELY young when Doom adopted him (he's playing with blocks), which would have made him younger than Franklin was at the time it actually happened. confused

[Teatime Brutality]

I think he must have.
(But then no matter how I squint at the pages I can never make Valeria look the three-years-old she's meant to be, so I don't worry too much about this one)

Here's great news, though...
BARRY KITSON ON FF#4!
Please stay on as the regular penciller. Please x lots.

[Teatime Brutality]

Did anyone else do what I did in 2007 and completely miss Jeff Parker and Mike Weiringo doing a Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four mini?

I've read it this week and I'm not going to oversell it, this will change nobody's life, but its a light and witty story with a kind of Marvel Adventures "thrills and chuckles" feel to it and...it's four more issues of Ringo FF that I didn't know existed. Woot/Squee/WhateverPeopleAreSayingNow.

ELSEWHERE...
Listened to the interview with Hickman on the Word Balloon podcast yesterday and a couple of interesting things came up -

He's not getting to use Jen as soon as he was planning (I guess due to Fear Itself?) but is still getting to her. He gave a snorty and descisive No to any question of him using Lyja.

Alex is going to be the focus of a couple of issues soon.

Sounds like there are a couple of actual Fear Itself tie-in issues after War of the Four Cities. I'm okay with this.

You know how the character from SHIELD is now established as the actual 616 Nathaniel who's the actual 616 father of the actual 616 Reed? Well, we are going to meet the specific Reed who the Byrne/DeFallco Nathaniel fathered.

Speaking of that, did anyone else have a moment at the end of FF#2 where they were feeling a bit smug and special at getting what Doom meant? Only to turn the page to see the next issue's cover making it clear to everyone what Doom meant?

[Giabrenna]

Teatime Brutality

Did anyone else do what I did in 2007 and completely miss Jeff Parker and Mike Weiringo doing a Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four mini?

ABUUUUUUAAAAAAHHHH?!

[Teatime Brutality]

Giabrenna

Teatime Brutality

Did anyone else do what I did in 2007 and completely miss Jeff Parker and Mike Weiringo doing a Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four mini?

ABUUUUUUAAAAAAHHHH?!

Yeah...why is this not a thing everyone knows about? FOUR EXTRA ISSUES OF RINGO FF. FOUR MORE ISSUES OF THAT AMAZING SHOULDERLESS WAY HE DRAWS BEN LIKE HE'S AN AVUNCULAR BRIDGE. What a little treasure.

I think perhaps it got overlooked as it came out round about the time of One More Day, so any publicity for spidery projects went in that direction. It's traded under the title Silver Rage, because THE BADDIES ARE SILVER, which isn't the strongest pun but never mind.

ELSEWHERE...
CBR have a preview of FF#3
and
Comics alliance have annos on #2 and another Kristoff Continuity Question for Hickman.

[Maiadorn]

I'm pretty sure I mentioned the Parker/Ringo FF & Spidey at the time, but it may have been at a pitch inaudible to human ears.

[Teatime Brutality]

What's the one thing that's different about FF from all the other books in the top ten?

It's a one-title franchise. The top ten is all Green Lantern, Avengers and Batman... all properties for which there are a lot of ongoings.

Am I right in thinking that Big Two Strategy flat out dictates that there'll be a second FF title launched later this year? I think I am.

I know Amazing Spider-Man has effectively been an FF book for four consecutive issues, but I don't think Slott's going to get away with writing Spidey's solo title as a team book forever. Probably we'll see something solicited for after Fear Itself.

So...what're our best/worst case scenarios?

[Teatime Brutality]

Maiadorn

I'm pretty sure I mentioned the Parker/Ringo FF & Spidey at the time, but it may have been at a pitch inaudible to human ears.

I think you didn't. I think you kept it your own jealous secret and sat like a greedy dragon atop a hoard of PaRingoFFSpidey. Cackling.

[Maiadorn]

Teatime Brutality

Maiadorn

I'm pretty sure I mentioned the Parker/Ringo FF & Spidey at the time, but it may have been at a pitch inaudible to human ears.

I think you didn't. I think you kept it your own jealous secret and sat like a greedy dragon atop a hoard of PaRingoFFSpidey. Cackling.

Yeah, that sounds like the sort of thing I'd do. I mean, I'm naturally very cagey whenever I find something that I really, really like.










And now I go to write a re-imagining of Wagner's Ring Cycle in which all the fuss is over a copy of Action Comics #1.

[Teatime Brutality]

Maiadorn

naturally very cagey [...] fuss is over a copy of Action Comics #1.

Not sure if pun?

[Maiadorn]

Teatime Brutality

Maiadorn

naturally very cagey [...] fuss is over a copy of Action Comics #1.

Not sure if pun?

eek question

Is this one of those things where my brain's accidentally done something clever?

[Teatime Brutality]

P'raps.

[Maiadorn]

That's really spooky, since I'd originally been going to go with Amazing Fantasy #15 instead.

But actually it turns out I'm some kind of satirical genius. Who knew?

[Teatime Brutality]

Writers decided that today was the day they'd reward our patience and trust.

Batman INC was "Okay. Thanks for sticking with it. Now I'll show you how all these ideas work."
And FF was "Okay. Thanks for sticking with it. Now I'll show you how how all these plot threads fit together."