Fantastic Four #9 REVIEW and SPOILERS

[Glio]

By the way, what do you think about the fact that Franklin has limited power? In the sense that it could be exhausted and he would become a normal boy.

I'm not sure it's something I like

[Snoop Dogg]

By the way, what do you think about the fact that Franklin has limited power? In the sense that it could be exhausted and he would become a normal boy.

I'm not sure it's something I like

If the old limit that he can't really control what he's doing is gone, and there's nothing to replace it, then he can't stay in the book.

[U.N. Owen]

By the way, what do you think about the fact that Franklin has limited power? In the sense that it could be exhausted and he would become a normal boy.

I'm not sure it's something I like

I hated the explanation since it implies all mutant powers are finite since Franklin is a mutant. Does that mean Jean can only use her telekinesis x amount of times before she runs out? Does Mr. Sinister need new mutant cells in order to constantly replenish his powers over mind and energy? Do physical mutations like Glob's skin also work on that principle?

[theoneandonly]

what should happen is that whenever franklin exhausts his universe creating reality altering powers he would revert to standard psy mutant abilities like telekinesis and the like but this also works because the professor also had lost/developed a mental block to his powers after onslaught's shenanigans. could be the same case with franklin if he feels guilty about the slaughter of his creations which he couldn't prevent even with his great powers.

[CaptCleghorn]

By the way, what do you think about the fact that Franklin has limited power? In the sense that it could be exhausted and he would become a normal boy.

I'm not sure it's something I like

I don't think any Franklin power limitation is ever permanent. These things only exist to keep him from doing God-like stuff and killing the mood and making every other character irrelevant. As far as i know the future Franklin we see in Hickman's run still exists in some fashion and that Franklin has full capabilities. I think a shifting level of power as he grows up is necessary and that the only has so much shtick puts some caution in its usage.

Now my wish for Franklin is to see a fairly normal kid dealing with infinite power. Not using it, but coming to grips on growing up and realizing what he needs to do to grow up a better man. I'd ;love to see a Moore, Gaiman, Morrison or some other writer of that style take a crack at what to do with Franklin.

FF is a simple book. They're an old-fashioned nuclear family with one foot in the mundane family drama and another in the cosmic and the unknown. Come up with big threats and fairly recognizable family stuff and you've got it. Do it with some style and poetry and you've nailed it.

Now Franklin is the closest we have to a single character epitomizing the spirit of the F4. He, along with his mother, are the most average of personalities. Ben, too, but Ben's had the college football, piloting, etc. Johnny's since gone off into a more celebrity minded persona. Reed and Val are nowhere near average personalities. Franklin's power and his teenage personality is great. But balancing a kid who dyes his hair, runs off and hangs out with a girl with someone growing into a being saying "To Me, My Galactus"? Good luck. But I am glad Marvel's aiming high on this.

[JKtheMac]

I was a little behind on my F4 reading, partly because I wasn’t feeling the Herald of Doom story. So far Slott feels a little flat and cautious for my liking. However, I did think everything wrapped up rather well, and that overall this feels like a solid platform to build on. Now I just hope Slott can start to move through the gears we know he has available in his writing toolbox, and get this things moving along at a better pace.

[BAS]

I think I liked the conclusion of this storyline because it was partially narrated from Sue's perspective. It's not often that you see a 1st person narrative - and it helped to show a how Slott is viewing Sue's mindset.
Hopefully there's more of that to come.

The interlude with the kids, and reintroduction of Wendy's 'friends' was a good callback, but I felt like the majority of the action was almost paint by numbers.

The thing is, I HAVE been following Slott's run on Amazing Spider-Man and think he took the character in some really interesting directions over the course of 10 years. That's not an easy thing to do, and that gives me hope that once he gets his 'Top-10' list of dream scenarios completed that he can go a little crazy with some of the adventures he tells.

[jackolover]

Now that I read this (issue #9), and having anticipated a more mature reckoning regarding Doom and Reed Richards, I can’t say it was delivered here. Secret Wars had Doom the Emperor of all on Planet Battleworld and then Reed Richards spoiled the party, ending Dooms Reign, and exiling Reed and his family for a time, while Doom got used to a perfect face, and helping people, including trying to be friends with Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm. That development was interesting, and we wondered how this could be sustained if Reed showed up again? Well, we found out here in Dan Slotts Doom arc. Also, there was a Sue Richards here as well, that was not sympathetic to Dooms ideas, like another Sue was in Battleworld.

And then Reed became his old paternal self, and snatched Dooms power away from Victor. Sue exposing Dooms human flaws, and then Reed also out-doing Doom to save Earth, goads Victor into hatred once again, because despite Dooms obvious evil, you have to also recognise the FF sent Doom over the edge in this story, back to his old, paranoid self-absorbance. You have to wonder if the FF get caught-up in a cycle of anti-Doom behaviour whenever they get near Victor. If Doom was Reeds black sheep brother, it would make more sense how these dramas pan out between these two.

I suppose Reed kept Valeria away from this confrontation with Doom, because Val would be the only one sympathetic to “Uncle Doom”. Val reminds me of Kobik’s attitude to the Red Skull (see Nick Spencer’s Captain America series) - Doom is good no matter what.

Then you have to look at Doom and his costume. What does a disfigured despot choose to express himself in clothes? Not a black elegant dress suit. No. Doom has to deck himself out in green robes, like a medieval monarch, and put on an iron mask. This is the symbol Victor chooses to display himself as. It is 19th Century tragic garb. Victor dooms himself to a life of retro-feudalism, instead of defining himself not as “better than Richards”, but, as a self-assured philanthropist, like before Richards showed up.

About the only thing you could say about this story of the returned FF and Doom is, that it degenerated back to tropes that have always been the status quo. Nobody seems interested in dealing with a Victor von Doom who has any redeemable quality. The story had a comical quality about it, in that it never felt like the FF were in any serious danger, and, Doom was made to look the fool. I suppose the point of the story was to motivate Doom into serious revenge next time, but the FF had already experienced “Unthinkable”. You would think the FF wouldn’t want to retrace those steps again, because Victor is feeling in that sort of mood now.