The First Family of Marvel: The Fantastic Four Appreciation 2019

[Crimz]

Imma just say it Johnny had more chemistry with Daken and Crystal then he ever did with this Sky brawd. Just because their saying there's s connection doesn't make you feel it. Imma a give this a shot but right now I'm just like, "Who Da Hell is this Bitch!?!"

I think it's because they're telling us that Johnny and Sky are destined to be together rather than showing us. It's boring and one of the problems with soulmate plots.
The only time I think it works is when you are confirming an already established couple are soulmates (Reed and Sue), when you reveal their soulmate is an unexpected person they already know, or when there's a big twist to the concept.

Johnny and Sky bores me. You had the whole Johnny feeling lonely and Ben telling him to be brave in the wedding issue only for it to lead to this? How dull and unearned. Turns out he didn't have to be brave or learn anything at all as his soulmate drops on his lap and they have zero chemistry. Boring.

[U.N. Owen]

Good morning, reasons why I hate the soulmate plot, I see we have a new face in the room.

[Prof. Warren]

Today's issue was good. Digging the current storyline. The Johnny/Sky subplot isn't terribly exciting but I also don't think we're meant to believe this is going to seriously work out anyhow. So it's less about making us feel like there's a legit connection between the two of them than it is making us wonder what the eventual twist will be and what other secrets this world is hiding.

[scribbleMind]

Today's issue was good. Digging the current storyline. The Johnny/Sky subplot isn't terribly exciting but I also don't think we're meant to believe this is going to seriously work out anyhow. So it's less about making us feel like there's a legit connection between the two of them than it is making us wonder what the eventual twist will be and what other secrets this world is hiding.

That's pretty much my perspective. Either this will be about how soul mates aren't actually a thing, or she (or not-black-goliath) becomes a Human Torch villain. I could be wrong, and it's still not particularly compelling. I very much enjoyed the rest of it. I especially enjoyed Ben just fighting a bunch of mutates.

[Snoop Dogg]

I liked the transitions between Reed/Sue, Johnny, and Ben's scenes. Very well handled. Ben having to fight a Black Mirror version of himself is very fun but the Sky stuff is more interesting because having the payoff to Johnny being upset about his failed relationship history be that he is excited because of radiation tingles is sad. I also enjoyed Sue and Reed's cooperation leading up to the 4, something that rarely excites me, being actually a nice surprise here. The concept of the FF creating some nightmare world by accident is amazing and I wonder how it's supposed to actually be worse. It also just looks very nice. I used to think Izaakse was a solid house-style artist but he's really leveled up for this book specifically and Menyz lets him shine.

so yeah worst comic ever

[Snoop Dogg]

Oh! And the letters from older readers were very sweet.

[Crimz]

I wish Sue and Johnny were written more like actual siblings. That they'd get into fights and arguments over something petty, have mean nicknames for each other, insult each other at times, joke around and stuff.
It's really sad that him and Ben feel more like siblings than him and Sue. The only times they have worthwhile interactions is whenever repeating Johnny's plot of having to grow up. She usually moans at him about it and the says she's proud or something when he grows up a little. Rinse and Repeat.

Their interactions could be so much more fun. I can't remember a time Johnny, the prankster, pranked Sue. That's his sister and she should be target number one for some of his pranks. I think it's one of the unfortunate side-effects of her being the "girl" of the team.

[Digifiend]

Could also be because she can often be more like a mother than a sister. She did have to take parental responsibility for him when their parents died after all.

[Crimz]

Could also be because she can often be more like a mother than a sister. She did have to take parental responsibility for him when their parents died after all.

I think that plays a part, but their relationship is very underdeveloped/underutilized for characters meant to be siblings. Especially when you compare it to his relationship with Ben. And even if that is one part of their dynamic, there should be still be more sibling-like interactions between them. I just think it's a disservice to both characters and missing out in interesting interactions.

On the show Avatar the Last Airbender, there are two characters who have a very similar dynamic to Sue and Johnny. With the sister practically raising the brother. While she can be motherly, it doesn't take away from their sibling dynamic. They still act and interact as siblings and it's so much more interesting that way.

[Digifiend]

There is of course another Marvel example - Laura and Gabby Kinney. They're sisters, because Gabby is Laura's clone. But of course Laura's mother is dead and at the time, so was her father (Wolverine). So she ends up taking in Gabby herself, often acting like she was her mother instead of her sister. They do have squabbles though.

[Coatl]

The concept of the FF creating some nightmare world by accident is amazing and I wonder how it's supposed to actually be worse. so yeah worst comic ever

To be honest this was the part I despised the most. Reed and his crew were exploring the cosmos, nothing dangerous nothing illegal, nothing menacing, but a bunch of jekrases see them and "of course" take it as a war menace, what?

Reed picking around the universe is supposed to being seen as a "mistake" but those warmongers seeing their obviously poorly crafted ship, IN FLAMES and F4 getting powers by sheer luck is not also spying? And then again the supposed advanced civilization instead of picking that they were travelers with limited technology who suffered and accident take that as a menace, what?

So, afraid because some travelers go powers in what is clearly and accident, they start to experiment with their own people to give them power because "war is imminent", what?
Honestly too much for a advanced and nice society, they look more like a bunch of paranoid warmongers who only wanted an excuse no matter how ridiculous. Why kind of peaceful society makes war and dangerous experiments in their own people as first response to travelers who hasn't said a single word. The idea of talk first neer passed by their minds.

Finally,some experiments gone "wrong" people get powers but is deformed.... so they get casted away. Again something not related at all with F4 but they got blamed. The worst is that those soldiers actually got powers the only reason to cast them away is that they are considered ugly by the creators standards. Not even the inhumans with their strict system are that blind at the potential of ugly but powerful soldiers. And by the way I see the society too much similar to Inhumans anyway.

So, are someone really blaming Reed for the mistakes of a bunch of power hungry idiots? They cleary did that to themselves, and the F4 are just used as excuse and scapegoat. Are we going to have some kind of guilty induced arc were Reed blames himself? because I would prefer not.

[Snoop Dogg]

While obviously they're not going to trial for it, you could certainly get a story about Reed thinking about the observer effect and the actual major consequences it had here. It would also tie-in nicely to the DNA of the book, since FF is what the Watchers are most associated with.

[CaptCleghorn]

While obviously they're not going to trial for it, you could certainly get a story about Reed thinking about the observer effect and the actual major consequences it had here. It would also tie-in nicely to the DNA of the book, since FF is what the Watchers are most associated with.

The FF should be handling questions like this. The Watchers' non-interference and Star Trek's Prime Directive are topics the book should be at home handling. New planets, new races, and civilizations that are different than ours is what we've been screaming for. How our emotions and ideas of life compare with other civilizations

[Ravin' Ray]

Just read the latest issue yesterday, and it has the same vibe as the FF visiting Attilan and meeting the Inhuman society for the first time, what with the enforced cosmic ray transformation analogous to Terrigenesis and the Unparalleled like the Royal Family with Sky in the role of Crystal, and the monsters the Alpha Primitives (though they're like Mole Man's monsters too).

Also, since I mentioned H.E.R.B.I.E previously,
spoilers:

He appears in Doctor Doom #2 as the FF's representative and witness to Doom's arrest, after summoning Blue Marvel for Reed. And he has a human-sized humanoid body.

end of spoilers

[Digifiend]

The F4 are outselling the Avengers.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/11...-october-2019/

39 FANTASTIC FOUR #15
40 DETECTIVE COMICS #1013
41 AVENGERS #25