More Fantastic Four please

I've never been a big Marvel guy. It just never clicked for me. Sure, in the heyday of the 1980s, I picked up X-Men for a while, and X-Factor. I liked Dark Phoenix and other tales, but it was never the religion to me it was to others. I wanted to like other Marvel books, but Hulk just didn't interest me, nor did Iron Man, Spiderman, Alpha Flight or Avengers. Captain America was a dull and unappealing concept to me.

I know I missed out on some great stuff by ignoring Marvel so much. I missed Frank Miller's epic Daredevil run, much to my regret. I didn't find The Punisher all that appealing, and didn't pick up those now-valuable minis and regular series runs.

But I did love the Fantastic Four. It was the only Marvel book I got regularly (outside of Star Wars, which I never missed).

Over at DC I was addicted to The Legion of Super Heroes (that was my religion), and I dug The New Teen Titans, lived for the massive Justice League crossovers with Justice Society and others. I knew the DC universe inside out. And despite trying to get into Marvel's Secret Wars and Contest of Champions, I just found it hard to get excited.

What was it about FF? Maybe their bold claim on the cover that they were the world's "greatest comic magazine" or maybe the great artwork by John Byrne pulled me in. I also liked the less super heroic approach. They were more a family than a super team, and the dynamic was somehow less grandiose than most other books. I liked that.

I also admit that I had a massive crush on Sue Storm. Massive.

This can, perhaps be explained in comparisons to my other super heroine crush, Saturn Girl from the Legion:

And later, Black Canary:

Yes, it would seem that my teenage self had a type.

For a while there Sue Storm was my favorite though. She was perhaps the first MILF to catch my eye. (I do not apologize for that comment, since I was in massive puberty at the time)

My love for FF continued, even though after Byrne left the book in the 80s, so did I. Once they came back in the 90s, I got back in, and have started collecting with every reboot since. In the most recent years, I gave up before the runs ended on most of them though, as they all sort of ran out of steam. And, of course, Marvel spitefully cancelled what should be their flagship book in an alleged attempt to do harm to the most recent movie. (Which was self-harming, so they didn't need to bother).

It s a crime that the FF are not on shelves now. And it seems like a no brainer for Marvel to bring them back. Of course, if you follow the news, Marvel may be working under the "no-brainer" banner these days as the company's publishing has fallen off a cliff. Or perhaps driven off it like Thelma and Louise. (Spoiler)

In recent months my love of the FF starting to bubble again. I've been on a path to collect nice hardcover and omnibus editions that have become a new rage. I managed to add the two Byrne FF Ominbuses to my collection, and they are incredible.

It's like being a kid again, flipping through those pages. I still have many original issues in bags and boxes, but it is nice to have a first class presentation in hardcover.

I was skeptical when I saw a new issue on stands last month. It was under the title: Marvel Legacy Fate of the Four part 1, Marvel 2 in One, The Thing and the Human Torch. (Marvel needs to hire someone to help them with titling books, I think).

I ignored it for a week as it sat there on stands. Marvel's attempt to "fix" their recent sins with the whole "Legacy" approach felt tired and too on the nose. The old trope of returning to original numbering was only confusing to me. Why do any of us need to know it is Black Panther #157 or Moonknight #138 if you counted up all the previous issues and combined them. With Captain America's #695 and Iron Man #593, it looks embarrassing to see lower numbers on some of those books, doesn't it? Legacy of what?

And with Action Comics rolling up on #1000, it only looks less impressive. Maybe that's just me.

Maybe Marvel should focus on telling better stories. Like DC has with Rebirth. Not that DC didn't slip and fail repeatedly in recent years, before course correcting. DC You anyone? Convergence? And where's the freaking Legion of Super Heroes and JSA, DC?

Still, I could not resist the temptation that perhaps Marvel was sneaking the FF back into the line up. I knew the Sue Storm had appeared in an Agents of SHIELD comic a while back, and apparently The Thing ran with Guardians of The Galaxy for a while there. But who can keep up and chase scant appearances by the characters in other titles?

During a couple days of vacationing at the beach after Christmas, I did what I typically do in a vacation setting: I google "comic shops near me" and I seek them out.

I found Coastal Comics in Myrtle Beach ( https://www.facebook.com/coastal.comics/ ) and dropped in to check them out. Lovely store, with a lot of back issues and a huge array of current titles. And there it was again. The Marvel 2 in One thing. Now, I have a pull list at Pastimes ( https://www.facebook.com/pastimescomicsandgames/ )  in Asheville (which I've had for about 30 years now), so I had to resist picking up Doomsday Clock #2 and other titles. But I did have to get something, right? So I picked it up.

And I am very encouraged with the story and direction it seems to be headed. And the last page cliffhanger was a major gut punch of emotion that will help propel the tale forward.

I have not been this excited about a Marvel Comic in ages. Here's hoping they bring back the FF and keep the great momentum going that has been set up here!

CBR has a great breakdown of the issue:

https://www.cbr.com/marvel-2-in-one-fantastic-four-return/

And there's a peak at second issue and some more details from Comicbook.com

http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/12/20/marvel-two-in-one-fantastic-four/

Here are the details of #1:

MARVEL 2-IN-ONE #1

• CHIP ZDARSKY (W) • JIM CHEUNG (A/C)
• Variant Cover by ALEX ROSS
• VARIANT COVER BY ARTHUR ADAMS
• LEGACY HEADSHOT VARIANT COVER BY MIKE MCKONE
• REMASTERED VARIANT BY JOHN BYRNE
• LH Variant Cover by JON MALIN
• 1965 T-Shirt Variant by JACK KIRBY
• Kirby 100th Anniversary Variant Cover by JACK KIRBY
• Trading Card Variant Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
• The Fate of the Four Part 1
• THE FOUR ARE NO MORE, SO TWO MUST DO! Something is very wrong with THE HUMAN TORCH and only THE THING can help him! It’s the Marvel Universe reunion you’ve all been waiting for (well, HALF of it, at least!). Plus: What monumental secret has DOOM been hiding since the end of SECRET WARS, and how will it completely change the lives of Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm? PLUS: Includes 3 bonus MARVEL PRIMER PAGES!
• 32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Are Hickman and Bendis the start of a Marvel Exodus to DC?

Big news erupted when Brian Michael Bendis announced the end of his nearly 20 year run at Marvel comics (making Dan Slott the new champion over at Marvel as far are longevity goes). This sent ripples across Geekdom, and Legion of Super Heroes fans have been going nuts wanting the news to be followed soon by an announcement that he is going to be picking up the long-absent LSH book in "Rebirth" or otherwise.

Of course, DC has teased a planned return of the Legion ever since Rebirth came along. Saturn Girl has turned up in Arkham Asylum, and we've all been waiting for a pay off ever since.

Now, here's a little bit of insider info that may make the Bendis dreams fade:

I have been assisting with an upcoming book from Two Morrows Publishing about Mike Grell. As such, the book focuses on his many years and works (Legion included). As a part of the book, I interviewed a few of Grell's collaborators, including Dan Jurgens. Jurgens was super nice, and when I asked him what he might like to see Grell come back and do at DC, he was particularly fanboying out on the notion of Grell doing Legion again. Jurgens then said that DC had plans for the Legion that were in the works already, and such a throwback series would not really be in the offing.

I take that to mean that DC already has someone on Legion and at work. At least I hope. If there's no work being done yet, and Bendis is the guy to write it, we're still a LONG time away from seeing it on shelves. And I personally think the sooner the better.

Which brings me to that Jim Lee Tweet that came out a few months back that hinted that he was courting Jonathon Hickman to come to DC from Marvel too. This was before the Bendis talk, but Hickman's name has come back up after the Bendis announcement.

Legion fans went ape over the idea of  a Hickman Legion, and if those parts have been in motion for a while, that means we're closer to a Legion return, which I am all for.

So I'm team Hickman on this.

I loved Bendis's work at Marvel, which was saying something since Marvel has been consistently a mess for the past 8 or so years. His recent Iron Man was the only worthy book they had going (outside of the Star Wars line).

DC has not been all that great either, but they have pulled out of the downward spiral that was New 52, Convergence, and DC You (Eww). New 52 was to be a fresh start. It didn't have much shelf life though. A short flirtation of old dudes pretending to be hip and up with the cool kids gave us DC You (Eww) which was a smoldering pile of dung.

Then Rebirth. And all is finally right with the DC U.

Quietly  Marvel relaunched a ton of titles around that time too. Uncanny Avengers was OK, and I picked up several series, which I quickly lost interest in. In his time there Hickman took passes at the Fantastic Four, as well as Avengers and spear-headed the latest Secret Wars.

Marvel is now trying to course correct again, and are having little success. They seem too busy making movies to focus on the source material. DC is making movies too, but for whatever reason, they are having a harder time getting off the launch pad. However, in the publishing end, they are hitting it out of the part (finally.)

So, it only makes sense that as Marvel's publishing ship is listing, the top talent over there are getting a little woozy and looking to jump ship and swim for safe shores. I can't blame them really. DC Comics is where its at these days for creators. Marvel is trying to figure out what they want to be it seems, and are throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks. Classic numbering is following DC doing the same on their big titles, hoping to suddenly cash in on "legacy" fans as opposed to trying to constantly attract new kids with shiny issues one.

When the likes of Bendis and Hickman leave Marvel does it start a major exodus of others? (Of course John Romita Jr jumped to DC a while back and that created some major fandom ripples).

Is this on the level of Jim Shooter going to Marvel? Carmine Infantino going to Marvel? John Byrne going to DC?

I feel like this has similar potential of being another industry "scandal" of talent jumping.

Who is next?

Will anyone from DC be lured to Marvel? Can you imagine Geoff Johns suddenly forsaking DC for Marvel?

What could Marvel do to fix their creative problems? Are they speed dialing Byrne or Chris Claremont? Frank Miller returns to Daredevil? Mike Grell gets his bucket list title and does Captain America? Howard Chaykin taking on the depravity of Tony Stark in Iron Man?

Of course, those suggestions are backward looking, while DC is firmly pointed forward. Rebirth would indicate new life, while Marvel's "Legacy" approach seems to be about looking backward, which would allow for such moves.

Maybe they should hire me to help them sort this stuff out. I'd put John Byrne back on Fantastic Four, give Grell Cap, and have Frank Miller return to Daredevil in a heartbeat.

Nuff said.

And I would buy all those books. Something I can't say about Marvel, nor have been able to say for about 5 years.

Perhaps it is long past time for shake ups and shifts between the "Big Two."

And honestly, short of Dan Jurgens actually getting Mike Grell to draw a Legion re-launch in disco Legion attire, I couldn't be more excited to hear the Legion getting shoved to the front of the speculation line as high-calibre names are bandied about.

Just get to it already!

Welcome Hickman and Bendis. DC is going to be a great home for you both. The Legion awaits, Justice Society awaits, and both could be well-served by two such writers taking the reigns.