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RandoMonday: Fantastic Four by Hickman v3

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Here’s a comic chosen at random from my collection.

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman vol. 3 by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Neil Edwards (art), Andrew Currie, Paul Neary, & Scott Hanna (inkers), Paul Mounts (colors), VC’s Russ Wooton (letterer), and Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, & Javier Rodriguez (covers)

I just realized as I prepared this post that I’ve had two other FF entries recently. Oh well, this one is so good that I’ll let the randomizer off with a warning. Let me start off by proclaiming that I really, really love Hickman’s run on Fantastic Four. I first read his S.H.I.E.L.D., then heard his FF was good, and I was not disappointed. He made me care about the Fantastic Four as characters for the first time since I started reading comics. Reed was suddenly interesting, but more in his role as father (and not necessarily because I consider him a good dad) and scientist (well, within the context of the Marvel Universe anyway). Sue in this series blows my mind. What a great, complex, beautiful mom, wife, monarch, matriarch. I fell in love with Sue because of Hickman’s run on this book. Brilliant stuff.

This volume introduces us to the Future Foundation (before the first series called FF), a sort of cure for Ben Grimm’s rocky disposition (which will contribute to a tragic event near the end of this volume of the title), future Val and Franklyn trying to save the multiverse, and just for good measure, the Impossible Man!

These are great, fun comics that I highly encourage you to seek out.

RandoMonday: FF #5 (2011)

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Here’s a comic chosen at random from my collection.

FF #5 by Jonathan Hickman (w), Barry Kitson (a), Paul Mounts (c), VC’s Clayton Cowles (l), and Mark Bagley, Andy Lanning, & Paul Mounts (cover)

This is the issue that Sue finds out that Reed wants her dead. Wait! No, that would be the other dimensional version of Reed, the one who prefers brunettes (the idiot). Actually, this is the one where Sue gets Reed to tell her about the Council of Reeds and how he has brought together the Fantastic Four’s greatest enemies, including Dr. Doom, to combat his other selves. This is, of course, after an other Reed shoots Sue in the face. There’s some other stuff that goes, but really, this story is all about Sue in my mind, and how she is lovingly drawn by Barry Kitson (if somewhat inconsistently from issue to issue). It is because of Kitson’s work on this series that I obtained my one and only (to date) piece of original art at the Emerald City Comicon (2012). I really enjoyed this series.

RandoMonday: Fantastic Four #609

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Here’s a comic chosen at random from my collection.

Fantastic Four #608 by Jonathan Hickman (w), Guiseppe Camuncoli & Karl Kesel (a), Paul Mounts (c), VC’s Clayton Cowles (l), and Frank Cho and Jason Keith (cover)

The lovely Frank Cho/Jason Keith cover only depicts one half of the plot in this issue. Sue and Storm (Hah! Sue. Storm.) accompany Black Panther Shuri on a spiritual journey of sorts, and end up battling Anubis. Meanwhile, Reed travels with T’Challa to the Wakandan City of the Dead, Necropolis. There the Panther Goddess returns T’Challa to Black Panther status, but as the King of the Dead. She also tells T’Challa about grave dangers that are to visit Wakanda, and we are shown two panels: one that shows a flaming bird in the sky and the other is of a flood. So, basically the events shown in Avengers vs X-Men #7, published only a few weeks later.

I will briefly say what I have said many times here on the blog, as well as on the podcast: I loved Hickman’s run on Fantastic Four–it is one of the best superhero and family stories I have ever read. That said, it is with stories like this, where Hickman focuses on Black Panther (also, see the most recent incarnation of the New Avengers) that convinces me that he needs to do a Black Panther monthly series. The politics involved, the character study of T’Challa, and the richness of the Wakandan culture is just ripe for the picking under Hickman’s pen.

Podcast Episode 46: Marvel NOW!.1

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The Marvel NOW! initiative began about six months ago, and we discuss the titles that started within the first three months, including:

  • Uncanny Avengers
  • Red She Hulk
  • All-New X-Men
  • Thor: God of Thunder
  • FF
  • Fantastic Four
  • Indestructible Hulk
  • Captain America
  • Avengers
  • Hawkeye (Yes, this started before Marvel NOW!, but we also wanted to discuss all Marvel titles that we’re reading now.)

What did we like? What could have been better? Just how successful was this initiative for a couple of old comics readers who weren’t reading a lot of Marvel comics before? You’ll have to listen to find out! Next episode we’ll finish up with the rest of the Marvel NOW! titles.

Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, or leave voicemail at 208-953-1841. Please rate and review on iTunes. You can also visit the Feedback page.

Thanks for listening!

Direct Download (1:44:16)

What I’m looking forward to on New Comics Wednesday!

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AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #9: What? A Marvel book in my Looking Forward To list? Yeah. Why? The new Captain Marvel makes her first appearance (even though it’s technically after her appearance in her ongoing title, out the following week).

BATMAN #11: Despite the disappointing reveal of the long-lost brother from last issue, I am looking forward to seeing how Night of Owls will end, in this book anyway.

BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTEMEN #2: Umm, because #1 was so awesome!

FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #33: This is the beginning of the Alan Davis written and drawn series of Marvel annuals. They had me at Alan Davis….

REVIVAL #1: I initially wrote this off as yet another zombie story, but the interview with the creators on the Word Balloon podcast changed my mind.

SHADE #10: I love this series in general, but I get more Frazer Irving art this issue!