Fantastic Four #8 (SPOILERS)

[Iron Maiden]

you must not spend much time on facebook. the buffalo bill meme is hugely popular. Family Guy has riffed his more memorable scenes a bunch.

Never watched the show, not a fan of Mcfarlane. Not everyone has the same tastes. And I restrict my Facebook settings as much as possible and delete random crap when it shows up.

[Iron Maiden]

Sandman's backstory is more compelling that Doctor Doom's.

Well let's see that 6 issue biography of him then

[MichaelC]

Sandman is going a bit far, but I would put Magneto's origin ahead of Doom's.

[ermac]

Lately, Marvel has been betting on nostalgia and a back to basics approach. It may appeal to new readers but I wish it was more even-tempered.

The Avengers line with Unity team/Waid's Legacy team/USAvenger was replaced with Jason Aaron's Rogers/Stark/Odison/T'challa team. New members Thora, Falcapitan, Miss Marvel, Rogue, Sunspot, Human Torch etc all left.

The X-Men are back with Scott/Logan ressurected and even using Jim Lee's costumes.

And now the First Family is back fighting Dr Doom and Galactus. Considering how much those characters were developed by Fraction, Hickman and Ewing, it's very unfortunate. It reads like someone straight out the 80s.

[Digifiend]

Well... those weren't Doom's ways since quite a bunch of years, and they are probably so classic that one could find them overused. I expect something different from my FF book. And I still don't get what happened to Galactus since the first issue. No cosmic vibe for me - neither with the Griever. (Slott can do better)

But I liked most if the art.

The real highlight was Wendy : suddenly it took me back 30 years ago.

Wait, if her previous appearance was that long ago, I don't think she'd still be a kid...

[U.N. Owen]

Wait, if her previous appearance was that long ago, I don't think she'd still be a kid...

I'd make snark about how Slott is trying to Wendy and Franklin together, but me being snarky and facetious on the internet tends to come true. I'm looking at you, Captain Marvel movie.

[Michael Watkins]

Well let's see that 6 issue biography of him then

How self indulgent would that be (not to mention that it was mostly lies on doom's part). Sandman only needed one issue to give him depth. It's kind of my point. Sandman's backstory is every bit as tragic and Dickensian as doom's. It's more than just wandering onto a nuclear test site. There's even a deeper meaning to the flint marko alias.

[Doombot]

I've always felt Sandman was a villain with a great gimmick/powers, but a boring character. He had a sad upbringing, but he's a blockhead petty criminal.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I am sure that people are only bringing Sandman (who has a history as a F4 villain incidentally) for Doom-bashing.

[Doombot]

Oh I'm sure as well, but just going with the flow.

[Michael Watkins]

I've always felt Sandman was a villain with a great gimmick/powers, but a boring character. He had a sad upbringing, but he's a blockhead petty criminal.

He's not the one getting pantsed on live tv because Reed Richards pointed out a mathematical error over a decade ago.

[Michael Watkins]

I am sure that people are only bringing Sandman (who has a history as a F4 villain incidentally) for Doom-bashing.

Give me some credit. If I were doom-bashing I would bring up him exclusively courting women who look like his mommy.

[Doombot]

He's not the one getting pantsed on live tv because Reed Richards pointed out a mathematical error over a decade ago.

Not sure what one has to do with the other, but okay.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Give me some credit. If I were doom-bashing I would bring up him exclusively courting women who look like his mommy.

Susan Storm looks like Cynthia von Doom? Ororo Monroe? Female Loki?

And I don't think Victor's all that bad in that regard. Take Spider-Man, moron who sold his marriage to Mephisto versus Doom, who marched to hell and got Mephisto to free his mother's soul to heaven. Doom is the healthier guy next to an idiot who's so besotted with his sickly bedridden Aunt May that he trades his future away for her. If I were a shrink, I'd know who has the real issues there.

Or you know take Cyclops. Dude so in love with Jean that when she died, he married a girl who looked just like Jean, had a kid with her, and then abandoned his family to shack up with Jean. And then a decade or so later cheated on Jean with Emma Frost.

And last but not least...Hank Pym. 'Nuff said.

Vicky's doing good for himself.

[CaptCleghorn]

So I read the issue in question that we occasionally mention in this thread.

There was a lot I liked about it. The main Doom and Galactus plot is crap, that's pretty much the negative for me. And my problems with that have been mentioned by me and by others. I think I'll focus on the positive.

The Franklin subplot is a good thing. Anyone bitching about Doom and Galactus AGAIN needs to realize that this development is looking at other foes and less common guests. It's what's being requested.

As for Franklin being a jerky teenager, I'll admit he's misbehaving more than I'd like to see, but he's gone from creating universes to "stay here and be a good boy". At least Val gets to make stuff. I get the reaction and it makes sense. Val on the other hand seems to be better adjusted, but she's smarter and looks to be playing the crowd. Plus, she still gets to make stuff. The kids get a thumbs up from me.

The FF are trapped in various traps. It's a good list of stuff. Ben's was very nice, though. Doom didn't mock Ben's intelligence, but instead played to his strengths and layed out the situation amazingly respectfully. Perhaps Slott has matured Victor somewhat? Victorious and Johnny sitting in a tree? In letters as big as the 4 signal back in issue 646. Hopefully Johnny's used as more than just a lovesick kid and there's a grown-up flavor to the relationship.

Sue pantsing Voctor? That was awesome. Now I have no idea why Vic's letting the FF communicate with each other, because that seems really stupid to me, who probably only ranks in the 31-40 level of intelligence in the Marvel Universe, soi what do I know? It fits both Sue and would really bother and surprise Doom. Did I say it was awesome.

But the overall plot is horrible. Well, Galactus' role in it is, anyway. I suppose the broadcast would be a means for further story ideas like earth being the planet the pissed off Galactus. And Doom perfecting instant communication with other galaxies is seriously a major feat. Oh, comic book science.

All in all, the style did a lot to overcome the god-awful story idea. And the additions are pretty good. I approve of issue 653.