April 09

Some FF-related goodies from April 2009.  When I say 'some', I mean a lot. Because I expected to have maybe a TPB or two, FF, Fantastic Force and Marvel Adventures. But I was wrong. So wrong. So very wrong. LOTS of FF guest appearances, and far more than that, LOTS of Doom and Namor and even a Silver Surfer appearance or two. It's going to be a big month for fans of the FF extended family! I will be judging each title both on how much I'm asnticipating it on a scale which I make up as I go along, and on how strong a connection to the FF it has, and what aspect it connects to.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #590
Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils & Cover by BARRY KITSON
Wolverine Art Appreciation Variant by PAOLO RIVERA
FACE FRONT Part 1 of 2
An adventure from Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four's past is about to have a profound effect on their future...That's if Spidey and the Torch can stop fighting long enough to notice! What's the cosmic-level rift that's dividing two of the Marvel U.'s best friends? Plus, a dark turn for Harry Osborn. A new role for Mr. Negative. And the start of a story that's going to effect almost every title at Marvel Comics! We kid you not!!!
32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #591
Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils and Cover by BARRY KITSON
FACE FRONT Part 2 of 2
The gloves are off! The MASK is off! And for Spidey and the Torch? It's on! One of the deepest friendships in the Marvel U. is about to take a sudden turn...
Plus, life kicks into high gear for practically EVERY member of the supporting cast! Big changes, big surprises, and, like we promised: an event so HUGE, it's going to be felt in almost every Marvel title! This one's a gamechanger, Marvellites! Miss it and you'll miss out!
32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99

Hmm, this is worth watching. The Johnny/Spidey relationship is an old one, and the FF/Spidey team-up likewise a golden oldie, but this genuinely sounds like something pretty big. Also nice to see the FF appearing around the Marvel Universe.

Reaction: Anticipation

FF Connection: Significent Foursome

DOCTOR DOOM AND THE MASTERS OF EVIL #4 (of 4)
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by PATRICK SCHERBERGER
Cover by ROGER CRUZ
She predates the birth of man. She manipulates matter at will. She can merge with the shadows. She’s Selene, the original vampire, known as the Black Queen, and in her possession is something Dr. Doom desperately needs, but she’s not going to give it up without a fight. Luckily for Doom, he’s brought along a few friends, like Princess Python, Magneto, and a platoon of Sentinels reprogrammed into Witch-Hunters!
32 PGS./All Ages ...$2.99

The first issue of this is out this week, so I can judge. From what I've seen, it's absolute, phenomenal, FANTASTIC fun for any fan of Doom, even if it is All Ages, so-

Reaction: Very Excited!

FF Connection: Very significent Doom

DARK REIGN: THE CABAL
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN, MATT FRACTION, PETER MILLIGAN and others!
Pencils by ADI GRANOV, KYLE HOTZ and others!
Cover by DANIEL ACUÑA
Doctor Doom! Emma Frost! The Hood! Namor the Sub-Mariner! Loki! They’re the members of Norman Osborn’s secret Cabal of villainy, united in common cause as they move to change the very landscape of the Marvel Universe! Now, in five all-new stories, learn how each member of this sinister syndicate intends to capitalize on the situation—and perhaps how they intend to deal with each other should it prove necessary!
48 PGS./Rated T+...$3.99

NEW AVENGERS #52
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils by BILLY TAN & CHRIS BACHALO
Cover by BILLY TAN
Who is the new Sorcerer Supreme? The entire Marvel Universe hangs in the balance as the Avengers race to help the fallen Doctor Strange battle the forces of the Dark Dimension as they make their earthly power play.
32 PGS./Rated A ...$3.99

DARK AVENGERS #4
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by MIKE DEODATO
Young Gun Variant Cover by STEFANO CASELLI
The Dark Avengers’ first mission shows Norman Osborn all the plusses and minuses of the choices he has made for his team. So changes must be made. Some come, some go, and not everyone is happy about it. Also, the Cabal reunites for the first time since the Dark Reign began, and they are REALLY not happy.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #12
Written by MATT FRACTION
Art & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
Pepper Potts takes flight! Maria Hill fights back! And Iron Man heads for a Stark Lab hiding somewhere in the briny deep where Norman Osborn dispatches PRINCE NAMOR to take him out. Man oh man is THAT gonna be a fight for the ages. By Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca!
32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99

I lumped these Dark Reign books together. Please note that I don't actually know whether or not there is a Doom connection with New Avengers, but it's been dealing with the Sorceror Supreme and Dark Reign, and we know Doom's a candidate, so I stuck it in there. Anyway, more typical Dark Reign business with Doom and Namor appearing all round the place. The cover of Dark Avengers looks particularly interesting. I'll lump it all together and say:

Reaction: Anticipation (Albeit unenthusiastic)

FF Connection: Significent Doom, Significent Namor

DARK REIGN: FANTASTIC FOUR #2 (of 5)
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by SEAN CHEN
Cover by PASQUAL FERRY
The fallout of Reed's machine results in Sue, Ben and Johnny finding themselves in the middle of a super hero Hyborian-age civil war, while Reed searches for answers to questions that can only be found in alternate timelines. Back on Earth, it's Val and Franklin versus the agents of H.A.M.M.E.R.!
32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99

Don't know the writer, and the concept is... interesting, so let's tag it as

Reaction: Cautious Anticipation

FF Connection: Significent Foursome

MIGHTY AVENGERS #24
Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover by KHOI PHAM
"CHASING GHOSTS
The SCARLET WITCH is back and her brother wants answers! Join QUICKSILVER as he races around the globe, hunting down the MIGHTY AVENGERS! Plus, what's HANK PYM'S problem with MR. FANTASTIC? And what does NORMAN OSBORN have in store for Earth's Mightiest Heroes?
Guest starring QUICKSILVER, and featuring appearances by the YOUNG AVENGERS and the FANTASTIC FOUR.
32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99

Dan Slott's writing a lot of FF this month, which is interesting as I heard him mention at Dublin Comic Con that he would like to write them some day. Based on what I know of him, I'd say this is a very good thing- but be wary, this issue will probably be bad for Mister Fantastic. I'm expecting from the solicit it will be tying in with... *shudder*... Clor...

Reaction: Anticipatory Dread

FF Connection: Solid Foursome

CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #12
Written by PAUL CORNELL
Penciled by LEONARD KIRK
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
Wolverine Art Appreciation Variant by TBA
In issue 3, Pete Wisdom let loose hordes of Magical villains in order to fight the Skrulls. His chickens are coming home to roost as Dracula has united these forces. They’ve begun to rip MI13 apart and take England for their own. Treaty with Doctor Doom or not, their threat will not be contained to Great Britain. And there’s nothing Pete can do about it...
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

It remains to be seen how much of a role Doom will play in this whole thing, but this is an awesome book anyway so you should all buy it regardless! 

Reaction: Very Excited!

FF Connection: Tenuous Doom

FANTASTIC FORCE #1
Written by JOE AHEARNE
Pencils by STEVE KURTH
Cover by BRYAN HITCH
FROM THE PAGES OF FANTASTIC FOUR: The Hooded Man! Lightwave! Banner! Natalie X! Psionics! Alex Ultron! They’re the last six superhumans from a devastated future! They’ve rescued the remnants of a devastated humanity by relocating them to an artificial planet in the present day! Now they face their greatest challenge—to create a better utopian society! But there are vast forces from across the Marvel Universe who will move against them—plus a threat from their own era they thought they’d left behind! Plus, 8 pages of Director's Cut Extras!
40 PGS./Rated T+...$3.99

I've already outlined my thoughts on this, but I should note that the Director's Cut Extras will almost certainly not justify the price tag. Also, it's since emerged that Joe Ahearne is the next FF writer, so it's worth keeping an extra eye on this.

Reaction: Cautious Anticipation

FF-Connection: Significent Foursome, Very significent Fantastic Force

FANTASTIC FOUR #566
Written by MARK MILLAR
Pencils & Cover by BRYAN HITCH
THE MASTERS OF DOOM Part one of four. It begins here! The final storyline of the Millar/Hitch run on FANTASTIC FOUR, culminating all of the plot threads they’ve set up so far! From across the universe they come, returning to the Earth after a twenty year journey of genocide and sadism. They’re the men who tutored Doctor Doom in the ways of villainy—and their re-emergence signals the greatest conflict the Fantastic Four have ever been party to!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

Well. No way this doesn't get a post of it's own tomorrow. For reasons I shall outline in time:

Reaction: Total Dread / Mouth-Watering Excitement

Connection: Very significent Foursome, very significent Doom

HULK #11
Written by JEPH LOEB
Pencils & 50/50 Covers by ED MCGUINNESS
Wolverine Art Appreciation Variant by TBA
Variant Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
THE DEFENDERS/OFFENDERS WAR! The good news? Hulk’s got help on his side in the form of Namor, Doctor Strange, and the Silver Surfer! The bad news? Rulk’s got pals of his own. When the original Defenders face off one-on-one with Rulk, Tiger Shark, Baron Mordo, and Terrax, it’s anybody’s bet who will win... but who exactly is betting on these fights? A smash-, splash-, and cosmic-flash-fest that could ONLY have come from the minds of award-winning superstar writer Jeph Loeb and everybody’s favorite Hulk artist Ed McGuinness!
32 PGS./Rated A ...$3.99

No real strong feelings here. There's an FF connection through the Surfer, but the Thing has previously appeared in this. Basically, it's totally mindless but semi-fun action, and little else.

Reaction: Meh

FF Connection: Solid Surfer

MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #5 (of 6)
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Pencils & Cover by JAY ANACLETO
Black and White Variant Also Available!
The Hulk destroys a town! The FF get a new HQ! X-Factor debuts! The Sub-Mariner joins the Avengers! The Masters of Evil attack! Magneto goes on trial! Big news. But where's Phil Sheldon? Is he covering the stories? Can he? As we approach the fateful finale, Phil faces a deadline -- and old friends rally round.
32 PGS./Rated A ...$3.99

I haven't been following this, but the FF are there, so there you go.

FF Connection: Solid FF, Solid Namor

FRANKLIN RICHARDS: APRIL FOOLS!
Written, Art & Cover by CHRIS ELIOPOULOS
It's that time of year again. Springtime, baseball, April showers and most importantly April Fools Day! Franklin has a plan to make everyone in his family the butt of his practical joke, but the joke's on him. Join Franklin, H.E.R.B.I.E. and new addition, Puppy, in this all-new foolish special with stories to tickle your funny bone. Hey, wait--there's a giant spider on your shoulder! April Fools!
32 PGS./All Ages ...$3.99

I don't buy this title, but I hear very very very good things, and it's certainly connected, so I may make an exception now that I've a blog to maintain!

Reaction: Anticipation

FF Connection: Very significent Franklin

MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #47
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by PERE PEREZ
Cover by JON BURAN
We all know the story: an accidental exposure to cosmic rays turns Reed Richards, along with Johnny and Sue Storm, into the Terrific Three---the World’s Greatest Fighting Team! Unfortunately, tragedy strikes when their close friend, Ben Grimm, is bathed in gamma radiation due to a horrible mishap during a Gamma Bomb test---transforming Ben into the Incredible Hulk, the greatest threat the world has ever known! And then...umm, wait...DO we know this story? Who’s playing with the past? And why?
32 PGS./All Ages ...$2.99

I also don't buy Marvel Adventures, and shall not be making an exception, or a judgement call, but there it is, and it's FF related!

FF Connection: Very Significent Four 

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE SUB-MARINER VOL. 3 HC
Written by ROY THOMAS
Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA, GENE COLAN & MARIE SEVERIN
Cover by JOHN BUSCEMA
Imperious Rex! Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner has returned for another MARVEL MASTERWORKS adventure! Writer Roy Thomas and a trio of definitive Sub-Mariner artists are going to take comic’s first anti-hero on one of his greatest adventures of all time! It’s Atlantean vs. Inhuman when Namor faces off against Triton. Then, our hero must march through Attuma and the bloodthirsty Tiger Shark, in his first appearance, but the truly epic confrontation begins when the man called Destiny returns and his Helmet of the Ancients is revealed to be the powerful Serpent Crown. It’s evil influence threatens the lives of 
Namor and his love, the Lady Dorma, and sends them across the seas to Lemuria to destroy the Crown or be destroyed by it! We couldn’t forget the all-time classic, earth-rattling face-off between Namor and the Thing, not to mention the touching return of one of the Atlantean prince’s friends from all way back in comics’ Golden Age. It’s Marvel’s mer-man at his very best! Collecting SUB-MARINER #2-13.
272 PGS./All Ages ...$54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3487-9
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE SUB-MARINER VOL. 3 HC – VARIANT EDITION VOL. 120
272 PGS./All Ages ...$54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3488-6

This is a brilliant idea and I'm very glad it's happening! Namor is a great character, I've never read these stories and I absolutely look forward to doing so!

Reaction: Strong Anticipation

FF Connection: Very Significent Namor

ULTIMATUM: X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR PREMIERE HC
Written by ARON E. COLEITE & JOE POKASKI
Penciled by MARK BROOKS & TYLER KIRKHAM
Cover by ED McGUINNESS
The unthinkable has happened as the X-Men find themselves reeling from the devastating events of Ultimatum. A band of humans have stolen Sentinel technology and attacked Xavier's mansion -- killing any mutant they see. With the X-Men locked in battle with Magneto -- can anyone save these students? Their greatest hope might rest in the hands of their worst enemy as the Weapon X program returns! Also, Ultimatum has hit the planet hard and the Baxter Building was ground zero. Johnny is still missing. Dr. Storm is dead. And Reed has taken off to parts unknown. Sue's life hangs in the balance and rests in the hands of untested pilot Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, and Dr. Arthur Molekevic, now better known as the megalamonical Mole Man. Collecting ULTIMATE X-MEN #98-100 and ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #58-60.
144 PGS./Rated T+ ...$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3432-9
Trim size: standard

...It's Ultimatum. You love it or you hate it. I'm probably in the latter category. The book loses one connection rating for being only half FF though.

Reaction: Meh

FF Connection: Significent FF 

IRON MAN: LEGACY OF DOOM TPB
Written by DAVID MICHELINIE
Penciled by RON LIM & BOB LAYTON
Cover by RON LIM & BOB LAYTON
Dr. Doom returns to menace Iron Man in the chilling and long-awaited conclusion of the Camelot Trilogy! Mephisto has apparently found a way to bring about the End of Days, and Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom must form an uneasy alliance to try and stop him. But all may not be as it seems. And it takes a journey to Hell itself before the shocking truth is revealed! Iron Man legends David Michelinie and Bob Layton are joined by penciler supreme Ron Lim to bring you an epic literally decades in the making! Collecting Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #1-4.
112 PGS./Rated T+ ...$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3463-3

What can I say? If you're a true Doom fan, you'll already own the issues and / or the hardcover, but this is great value!

Reaction: Strong Anticipation

FF Connection: Very Significent Doom 

Dark Reign Update....OF DOOM!

..Sheesh, that labels far is filling up fast since this  is the first week and I'm trying to do a few regular features. :p Anyway, it strikes me that since two FF supporting characters are after all key members of the Cabal, there's probably going to be some fairly frequent updates on FF-related news from Dark Reign. To that end, where relevant I'll do a summary of Dark Reign related news every so often as it relates to those characters or our Favourite Foursome! For our first update-

1. Black Panther preview and Interview-

http://www.marvel.com/news/comicstories.6574.Tuesday_Q%26A~colon~_Reginald_Hudlin

This makes me pretty terrified. Both Doctor Doom and, from these preview pages, Namor, will be in Hudlin's revamped Black Panther as part of Dark Reign. Last time Hudlin got near him, it was the worst Doom I've read in many long years. Oh dear....

Status: Terrified Trepidation

2. Dark Avengers #1 preview and Interview-

http://uk.comics.ign.com/articles/943/943754p1.html

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/010912-Bendis-Tapes.html

The preview features Morgan Le Fey looking at the cabal in her cauldron, and we know from solicits that she'll be very angry at a member of them... which has a 99% chance of being Doom since Bendis ended his last pre-SI Mighty Avengers arc with him snubbing her due to the minor technicality of being in jail. Also, Bendis made a comment which stood out to me- "For example, you'll see plenty of the Doctor Doom and Namor duo in Dark Avengers leading to a bigger story...NOT AN EVENT". The Doctor Doom and Namor duo, eh? Sounds like something important for fans of FF supporting characters to be following. Fortunately, as someone who likes the concept, I was planning on following anyway. :) And while I liked their scene together in the special and the idea of the old Super-Villain Team-Up duo (And indeed, FF 6 duo!) coming back, Bendis' Doom from Mighty Avengers and Hobo Namor from the special do haunt me somewhat....

Status: Cautious Anticipation

3. Dark Reign: Fantastic Four Interview

....But now I can't remember where. I swear there was one, I'll dig it up! Obviously this is the most important and relevant one for FF fans. Somewhat surprisingly, Doctor Doom will not be showing up, which I guess is because he has starring roles in both Dark Reign and Fantastic Four so the idea of him appearing at all in Dark Reign: Fantastic Four is obviously madness. Hickman also mentioned that it took him a while to find the character's voices, which I think is preferable to writers who claim they had it perfect straight away, and that we can expect to see Doombots and Norman Osborn after issue three. He also said that it will deal with Reed trying to work out what has gone so wrong and where his mistakes have been since Civil War, Secret Invasion etc, which is an intriguing premise which hopefully doesn't grow too stale. But I've never read any of Hickman's work, the continuity here already makes my head hurt and no Doom and no Namor in the FF's part in an event where they are integral players is baffling, so...

Status: Cautious Anticipation

And thus we conclude our first Dark Reign Update.... of DOOM! Next up, hopefully, a full run-down of FF #2. Because clearly, the one thing we have not had enough of at this stage is Skrulls!

Family, Heroes or Imaginauts?

There's a dilemna that often seems to crop up among fans of the Fantastic Four. I've seen it discussed and debated across a few different forums, and it's not an argument that ever really crops up for any other team- I've never seen anyone debate what the Avengers are, or what the JLA's purpose is.

Are they heroes first? Explorers? Or are they a Family?

I've seen people argue the case for all three of these. Mark Waid makes a forceful case in his first issues that the four are what he terms 'Imaginauts'. I know some people mock it, but I love that term. It's so perfect, so wacky, so... Kirby. A fusion of Astronauts and the Imagination- and really, Imagination is what the FF are all about, more so than any other team. Because the FF need to reach for what's next. That's why they were the core of the early Marvel Universe- because the FF are- or should be- all about the new.  That pretty much covers 'Explorers'- and how very Kirby to invent a whole new crazy word for it which fuses two others together. And I don't think anyone disputes that this is a BIG part of what the FF are- forging into the future, discovering new dimensions, new worlds, insane new inventions. Without that... why, they wouldn't be the FF.

But would they be the FF if they weren't heroes? I've seen lots of people argue that the Fantastic Four are something else first, super heroes second. But are they? Ben Grimm says it flat out when the four decide to stay together way back in FF #1- "We've gotta use that power to help mankind". In their very first issue, the FF save the world from the Moleman, fighting his giant monster. In the second, they save the world from the menace of the Skrulls- over forty-five years before it became fashionable. The FF are formed to save the world. They stay together to save the world. It's what they do. They may not foil your average bank robbery, but being heroes is an integral part of being the Fantastic Four. Sure, they COULD just be explorers, they could just stay cooped up and go find new worlds, but if they did that, then we wouldn't have most of the early FF! To lessen the FF's role as  heroes is to diminish them.

And finally, the Four are a family. That is their unique point, the thing which sets them apart from pretty much every other comics franchise. The closest DC have is probably Shazam, and there have been efforts to expand the Flash into a Family etc, but none of those come close to Stan and Jack's creation in that aspect. They are a family- they love, they fight, they feud. Take away the family aspect, and you have just another run of the mill team. But at the same time, Lord knows any number of books just about families could be boring. Let's  be honest, would we read about the FF if they didn't save the world and find a new dimension every now and then? Of course not.

Family, Heroes or Imaginaut? It's a question which is passionately debated, adn there are plenty of people who scorn others for advocating one particular aspect. But the truth is... the FF are all of them, equally. Because if they weren't any one of them, then they wouldn't be the FF. It's a false dilemna. So every time I see any fan- or writer for that matter- say "I've cracked the FF, they're really a family above all else"  or "I found it difficult to grasp them until I pinned down that they're explorers before they're heroes," or whatever, I start to worry that they don't 'get' it. Because yes, the characters see THEMSELVES as a family above all else. But for us, the readers, they are- they have to be- all three equally. And that's why the FF aren't like any other franchise. And that's why they're- forgive me- fantastic. 

Fantastic Four #1- The issue that started it all!

Time for the first of many review/analysis/general thoughts sections on the classic Fantastic Four- in a format I freely admit I borrowed from the ever-excellent Fourth World Fridays, starting from the issue that revolutionised comics and began the Marvel Age of comics- Fantastic Four #1.

Ah, that cover. Okay, let's be honest- so much about it is hokey and nonsensical. Why on Earth is Sue claiming she can't turn invisible fast enough? Isn't it instant? And more pertinently, what possible good would that do now that the monster has her in it's claw? It's not like she can phase through it or anything, so how could this help? And most worryingly of all, why in the name of all that is holy is Mister Fantastic trussed up in ropes? What happened!? Did the monster catch him unawares with a clever trap? Was he attempting to tie something up and tripped!? And as for the caption- well, of course they're together here for the first time, they never existed before. It's not like the Avengers where you're putting established characters together!

So much about this cover makes no sense, but you know what?It's still one of the best covers in FF- heck, in comic history. It's an exciting cover, that introduces the FF with a bang, throwing them into the fight against a giant, terrifying foe. And it's drawn by Jack Kirby, which really means it was guaranteed to be great. Hokey, cheesy, not-making-a-whole-lot-of-sense but incredibly fun and well done- it's pretty much a microcosm of the entirety of early FF!

Our story begins on a subtle note as the words "The Fantastic Four" explode into the Manhattan skyline in a giant cloud of smoke, much to the shock and confusion of pretty much the entire population. It's bombastic, it's a little ridiculous, it's somewhat flawed in its thinking (What if they're indoors!?) and it's still attention grabbing. We then meet our intrepid heroes. The Invisible Woman,- excuse me, Girl-  upon being apprised of the words, makes her way to the Baxter Building. Except first, she decides to turn invisible, which doesn't really seem to accomplish anything since she could easily have done all this visibly, except that it causes mayhem on the road and she manages to terrify a taxi driver. She then reflects that this proves she must be really invisible, which... seems a poor excuse, to be honest.

We then meet the Thing, who is attempting to buy a suit for himself while in a giant waistcoat, glasses and a hat- note them, by the way, you'll be seeing a lot more of them. When he discovers the smoke signal, he makes the questionable decision to shed his clothes and smash through the door (How did he get into the building!?), spouting dialogue like "Why must they build doorways so narrow?"  and "Bah! I cannot delay!" which sound more the forté of a super-villain than the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Benjamin J. Grimm. He also luckily avoids a bullet, because Lord knows the Thing is vulnerable to standard pistols. As he escapes, we cut to Johnny working on a car. As subtle as his companions, he turns into the Human Torch and instigates a giant aerial dogfight with a terrified air force. Still, he at least has the excuse of actually needing to do this to get there on time. The air force's reaction may seem a little out of proportion at first, but then-

...they decide to launch a nuclear missile at him.

...Okay, I'm not an expert, but I'm reasonably sure that this might be just a slight overreaction. A mysterious flaming object is certainly something to be concerned about, but scrambling half the US Air Force and then, when the threat avoids them and goes out of its way not to cause too much damage, reaching for the nuclear missile seems a bit much. Given the whole fact that they're in the skies over Manhattan and such a blast would incinerate everything within a God-knows-how-many-miles radius. Perceptive as ever, the Torch does indeed realise that if it hits him, the nuclear missile will probably kill him, but fortunately he's saved when Mister Fantastic... drops it into the sea. Mm-hmm. Well, I'm going to assume Mister Fantastic initially had the ability to stretch his arms a few dozen miles, and that no-one noticed the colossal eruption of a nuclear bomb in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.  

Anyway, Reed saves Johnny and the whole group are assembled- notably, the Thing has managed to somehow get back his hat, glasses and waistcoat, making me further question the wisdom of his earlier rampage through the streets of Manhattan. Assuming it is him, that is. To be honest, he bears more resemblance to Darth Vader in a fedora than anything else right now, and the colours don't help.

Rather bizarrely, Stan Lee chooses now to take us back in time to the formation of the Four. Notice how I resisted the temptation to say 'Fourmation'? That took effort, I assure you. Essentially, they debate the merits of going into space. When I say 'debate', I mean that Ben makes the rather good point that if they go into space, they will probably die, to which Sue makes the not-quite-as-good point that they don't want the Commies to beat them to it, a reference which has thankfully been eliminated from modern retellings of the story. She then unsubtly calls him a coward, which leads Ben, who is apparantly as difficult to manipulate as the average four year old, to abandon all logic and swear that he will fly them to space no matter what. Also? To break the table, presumably to emphasise his point. 

This is followed by the four heading for the- and I quote- "spaceport on the edge of town", as Sue and Johnny justify their presence. Basically, Sue's Reed's fiancé, so obviously it's out of the question that he go to space without her, and Johnny's her brother, so obviously he has to go as well. This causes me to wonder what NASA would be like if real life operated like this and every astronaut was allowed to bring their entire extended family with them. And indeed, if they decided this on the way to the space shuttle. What happens when they arrive?

...Yes, the entire Spaceport is defended by one guard, as is confirmed in the next panel. And they leave the gate open. And the guard.... does not appear to be looking at the only entrance. And the entire shuttle is sitting there, prepped for launch at all times- apparantly, we are told, so quickly that the guard can't stop them. And Reed apparantly decided on the timing of his launch based on the weather. And it only takes ONE trained individual to operate a space shuttle. But you know what? However ludicrous and ridiculous and implausible this entire panel is, part of me loves it anyway. Because really, how awesome is it that Reed decided he wanted to go into space so he just stole a space ship on a whim? Granted, it wasn't that hard, but even so. No way this Reed was just a boring bookworm.   

Then of course, comes the event which will change everything- the cosmic rays.  This scene really stands out as wonderful. The sheer energy of Kirby's art, the red colouring and the overblown but still engaging dialogue of Lee- "My head! It- it's pounding as though it's about to burst!" really come together brilliantly here.  In fact, this continues the whole way through the origin scene- after they land, each of the Four display their new powers one by one, and it's all enhanced so much by both the art and the dialogue- you can tell they really enjoyed creating this. There's not much I can say about this sequence, because it speaks for itself. Other than the slight odd point of Ben's early desire for Sue (Which I'll talk about in a future post), the early voices for the characters really come together as they develop their powers.

The final sequence where the team decide to work together is probably the best part of the issue. Even though Ben is the most different and the most angry in the early issues, it's a great touch that he's the one who ultimately says that they need to "use their powers to help mankind"- and that's an early sign of the Ben we knopw and love. Cheesy and cliché it may be, but when the Four put their hands together, it feels like the start of something special. Though it is slightly spoiled-

...by Reed's insensitivity. This panel actually reads quite hilariously now- the name Mister Fantastic can sound quite arrogant in any case, but saying it just after your now monstrously transformed best friend has declared himself to be a Thing is probably not the most sensitive thing in the world. He's basically saying "Don't worry, Ben, you may be an abomination but I'm WONDERFUL!" Maybe Ben was right to try and punch him...

Meanwhile, back in the present day with the Fantastic Three and Darth Grimm PI, Reed is telling the others of cave-ins at atomic plants worldwide. With typical comic book timing- and comic book science- Reed's radar machine suddenly warns him that another one is about to take place. (How it can do this, I have NO idea, but to be fair, Reed Richards is much smarter than I am.)  We then cut to 'French Africa', where some cliché Frenchmen run afoul of the cover monster. We also get the first of many quirkily excellent- if overblown- Stan Lee descriptions of a foe- "It is unbelievable... mind staggering... but real!" After easily crushing some tanks in Godzilla fashion, the monster is recalled- by a mysterious master we are told is known as the MOLEMAN! 

Back in the Baxter Building, Reed tells the others, much to Darth Grimm's scorn, that he has pin-pointed the centre of these disturbances as Monster Isle. In another example of his both baffling and somewhat awesome adventurism, Reed has decided that the FF should head out there alone without bothering to tell anyone, which they do- aboard their private jet. (It's worth noting that the FF seem to have no shortage of transport means in the early issues, between this, the Fantasticar, the Pogo Plane and... the passenger ICBM. I kid you not.)  Barely do they land when they are attacked by a monster, causing Reed to once again demonstrate a fundamental fact of classic FF- Reed Richards is awesome. Rather than being phased by a giant, three-headed dragon, he turns his arm into a giant lasso and...

...grabs it by the neck and throws it into the sea. That is a feat of SERIOUS badassery right there. Reed Richards threw a three-headed dragon into the sea! And people say he's BORING?  Sadly, this success is undermined, quite literally, as the FF fall victim to a cave-in. Johnny apparantly forgets he has the power of flight and has to be saved by Reed turning himself into a parachute. (It's probably worth noting that in classic FF, Reed's power is used so much more inventively than ever since. I'll probably devote a future blog entry to it.) Reed and Johnny, seperated from the others, are blinded by a sudden glow, and when they wake up they....  have been dressed... in ugly blue adhesives suits!? Okay, I msut confess to being baffled. Did the Mole Man do this? Did he have his monsters do it? And WHY, if he just planned to kill them anyway? Come to think of it, where did the suits come from? Did he make them? But it doesn't matter because now they meet the first villain of the Fantastic Four! The awe inspiring! The terrifying! The incredible first super-villain of the modern age of Marvel! The-

...Mole Man. Yes. Well. Ahem....

Moving swiftly on, Sue is waking up with a giant monster right behind her. Fortunately though, she's with Darth Grimm who rather bizarrely chooses now to remove the fedora, overcoat and glasses and, in about two seconds, picks up the monster and throws him into the sea, while saying "I'm the Thing, ain't I?" which, it must be said, is not quite Reed Richards level but still pretty cool. Ben grumbles about Reed on the way, and Sue laments that he shouldn't hate Reed. Well, I agree, Sue, considering you're the one who called him a coward and basically caused him to go on what was, after all, a spectacularly ill-advised voyage. Meanwhile, the Mole Man is expositing his rather hilarious origin story, which is basically that everyone shunned him because he was ugly, so he, logically, decidied to find the land at the centre of the Earth where he could be king, only to get caught in a rockfall.

He then 'mastered the creatures' somehow (It's never actually explained) and demonstrates his astonishing power to.... fight with a stick. You see, his senses are slightly enhanced, which apparantly enables him to master the world. Also? He's Spider-Man. 

...Yes, it seems he has a prototype version of the Spider Sense, which is a funny little sign of things to come from Lee, I guess.  After explaining his entire plan to them (He even has a map, causing me both to wonder who drew it, as it's a map of the underground world, and why it's useful since he's basically blind.) the Mole Man is interrupted by the arrival of Sue and Ben. Ben tears off his waistcoat, fedora and glasses and- ....hang on, what?  Yes, it seems that after defeating the earlier monster, he put them back on again. Because, you know, clearly going incognito on Monster Island is a priority and necessitates a ludicrous hat, coat and pair of glasses. The cover monster then shows up, but is rather lamely defeated when the Human Torch.... flies around him. Meanwhile, the Mole Man's astonishing powers of stick fighting prove fruitless when Mister Fantastic.... picks him up. The four rapidly flee the island as the Mole Man's monsters close in, and Johnny causes a rock slide. As they escape in their plane, having somehow stopped the mole Man's plan (It's never really explained), Reed demonstrates the second cardinal rule of early Fantastic Four-

...Reed Richards is a dick.

...While he claims that it's because the Mole Man would never fit in our world, I have to say, it's still a pretty douchey thing to do, particularly as the island then explodes in what they assume to be the work of the Mole Man but could just as easily be due to Johnny's rockslide and the hordes of rampaging monsters. I mean, isn't that just a little short of cold blooded murder? And what's to stop the Mole Man from just continuing with his plan exactly? But he doesn't, and our intrepid heroes fly into the sunset, their mission apparantly complete, in their minds at least.

In all seriousness, for all that I mocked this issue constantly, it's one of my favourites. Yes, there are logical gaffes and bizarre decisions and inconsistencies and craziness, but you know what? It's so much fun. You can tell the creators had a blast on the issue, and it's so crazy and zany that  it really does work. Not to mention how revolutionary it was at the time to have four heroes who bickered, squabbled and didn't even get along. The characterisations are noticeably different- particularly Ben, who hasn't found his appearance or his voice yet- but you can see the foundations for what's to come, and a few more writers could take a look at these early issues for how to write Reed Richards and not make him a bore. It's not as good as a lot of what's to come and hasn't found it's voice yet, but it's also a classic by it's very existence. Still, knowing some of the brilliance to come here, I can't give it full marks. 

3 Out of 4. 

Fantastic Force

Okay, so I didn't expect that there'd be Fantastic Four news this quickly, but there it is.

In the newest 'My Cup o' Joe', Joe Quesada talks about the new Fantastic Force and gives a script excerpt.  Nevertheless, yes, the new Fantastic Force bears NO relation to the original, for which we can all be thankful, and is instead the New Defenders team from the just-completed arc of Fantastic Four created by Millar. 

The series- presumably a miniseries- will be launching in April. It's written by Joe Ahearne, a British TV writer from Doctor Who, and drawn by Steve Kurth.

Personal thoughts? Well, I think the concept produced by Millar is a sound one, and it gives the team a unique selling point. Launching it so soon is a wise idea, and the name change also probably makes it more commercially viable- not that 'Fantastic Force' is likely to be a big seller, but it makes explicit the connection to the Four, which should help more than the Defenders name. (Plus, conveniently it frees Marvel up for the original Defenders to return in Hulk.)  The script makes it clear it will be dealing with NuWorld and the FF will be in it, which is also a good thing. 

On a creative note, Kurth's a decent penciller, but Ahearne... well, the fact that he's from TV makes me weary we're going to see poor research and a half-hearted story with ludicrous delays, as we have with lots of other TV writers. On the other hand, you know, Paul Cornell is pretty much irrefutable proof that some TV writers work brilliantly in comics, so hopefully the fact that Ahearne has also worked on Doctor Who is a good omen.  Most importantly though, on a selfish FF note, I'm glad to see books being launched out of concepts from Fantastic Four. Remember that? When the book introduced new ideas which spun off into their own books? When the FF was the great big creative melting pot of the Marvel Universe? If this is a sign of that again, I'm very happy indeed!

Anticipation Level: Cautiously Optimistic

I'll hopefully be putting up my thoughts and impressions on Fantastic Four #1 tomorrow- the issue that started it all!

What's it all about?

Welcome to Two Guys, a Girl and a Thing, the newest home of everyone's favourite Fantastic Foursome on the blogosphere. I'm active around the internet from Alvaro's to CBR under various names, most commonly 'Doctor of Doom', though a few people may know me as 'Magneto Rocks' and the majority... not at all... but other than one extremely brief attempt, I've never had a blog before. I figured that to start with, I should probably note what the blog is actually about. In essence, it's about exactly what it says in the title- all things Fantastic Four. Why the Four? Because they're my favourite property in all of comicdom, and they're criminally underrepresented on the Internet. So what does that entail? As I see it, it includes-

-Reviewing new issues as they come out

-Linking to and sharing my views on any FF-related news.

-Discussing anything relevant to the Four- this includes anything relevant to their friends and enemies

-And finally and most importantly, what I see as the site's main function- at least once a wee- hopefully more frequently- I'll be going through Fantastic Four issue by issue starting from the beginning and posting my thoughts, views and general analysis. The inspiration for this comes from the wonderful Fourth World Fridays. (See my links bar!) As with that blog, I may mock, cajole and even be insulting or incredulous, but please, don't doubt for a second that the first 100 issues or so of Fantastic Four are to my mind probably the best comics ever written. Though even that may not quite excuse Doom's pet tiger.

From time to time, I may also post general thoughts on non-Four stuff, but I'll try to keep that to a minimum where possible.  Feel free to post thoughts, comments, feedback or whatever you want, and please- forgive my poor attempts at humour which may be liberally scattered throughout. And let's try and have some fun.