The Fantastic Four needs help

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

This comic needs something drastic to revitalize it.

What Id do is kill Reed Richards for real (if such a thing is even possible in funny books) and replace him with the Silver Surfer.

I bet its sales would shoot to the top.

[myuserid Lantern Hex Find all posts View Profile Close myuserid]

I'm about to start Dan Slott's run. What do you think of it? I've seen differing reviews.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

I haven't read the FF in about seven years. I just couldn't stand it any more. It's hard to believe that at one time, in prehistoric days, it really did have a good claim on being he world's greatest comics magazine.

It just didn't make the transition to modernity. The characters' powers were pedestrian, the kids became baggage and the writers never found anything for Sue to do.

Reed was never likable. Even the name he gave himself, Mr. Fantastic, became annoying.

Ben was very good in small doses, but it was easy for writers to let him dominate the proceedings because he was the only team member who had any pizzaz.

The Surfer won't fit on the team unless he's powered down to the same level of capabilities as the others. But he could bring an intriguing new dynamic to the comic, especially if he becomes Sue's love interest.

He and Ben aren't capable of selling solo titles, but together on the same team with Johnny and Sue, and in the hands of a capable writer who wrote the transition away from Reed, they could work great.

I'd kill off the kids in the same story that I killed Reed.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Oh, I'd get rid of the code names too. I'd just call them Ben, Sue, Johnny and Norrin. That would make it more realistic. Besides, who calls himself the Thing?

[myuserid Lantern Hex Find all posts View Profile Close myuserid]

The only real dive I've taken into the Fantastic Four is Hickman's run which was really fun.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Hickman did fine on it. Here's the thing though. I used to argue that the Martin Manhunter needed some fundamental changes to become a popular character, and people would say, "No! John Ostrander did fine on it! Thy should put him back on it!"

When you create a television series, you might write a great pilot episode and series bible. But the producers will realize that you can't write every episode. They'll want to know whether Joe Blow can write it too or whether you;re the only person who can.

If a comic or a television show is viable, any competent writer can do a good job on it. This describes Superman and Batman and explains why they've been popular for eighty years.

I think making those changes will make the FF viable, so that any competent writer and not just Hickman can do a good job on it.

[myuserid Lantern Hex Find all posts View Profile Close myuserid]

Hickman did fine on it. Here's the thing though. I used to argue that the Martin Manhunter needed some fundamental changes to become a popular character, and people would say, "No! John Ostrander did fine on it! Thy should put him back on it!"

When you create a television series, you might write a great pilot episode and series bible. But the producers will realize that you can't write every episode. They'll want to know whether Joe Blow can write it too or whether you;re the only person who can.

If a comic or a television show is viable, any competent writer can do a good job on it. This describes Superman and Batman and explains why they've been popular for eighty years.

I think making those changes will make the FF viable, so that any competent writer and not just Hickman can do a good job on it.

I can get onboard with that.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Johnny could use a rethink too. Stan Lee seems to have modeled him after Little Joe Cartwright of Bonanza, which was a popular television show at time time, and since then he's gone nowhere.

[myuserid Lantern Hex Find all posts View Profile Close myuserid]

Johnny could use a rethink too. Stan Lee seems to have modeled him after Little Joe Cartwright of Bonanza, which was a popular television show at time time, and since then he's gone nowhere.

He's the most boring of the four to me. I just don't care for him at all.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

So yeah, Ben and Norrin are fine the way they are. Just work on the personalities of Sue and Johnny and you should have a kick-ass comic there.

One thing I've realized is that ultimately it's about the personalities.