Marvels “push” of the FF...has it worked?

[The BaRoN]

That was one of the saddest things.

No reaction from the rest of the MU about the return of the original marvel heroes and first family.

[Vordan]

The main book was just boring so I dropped it early on. Loved Hickman’s run, so it’s totally possible to do great stuff with the FF in the modern day. Maybe give it to Ewing after he’s done with Hulk?

[Shadowcat]

I’m in the minority on these boards, but I’ve loved the FF book since they’ve come back. Slott’s giving me that throwback feel that not a lot of comics are giving us these days.

[Anthony W]

Slott needs to go or needs an editor who will take a stronger hand with him. I remember liking his earlier Marvel work. The problems set in when he became more established. He has the talent, but he keeps wanting to go in directions that don't work out.

Get Scott Lobdell to do Fantastic Four. His run on the title was the perfect combination of Silver Age fun while adding new things. Go look up his run on the title you won't be disappointed.

[Sataniel]

Well, they were kind of in the spotlight in the Secret Wars, just before them being sent away. And they were gone for what 2.5 years, and now back for 2. There seemed to be some attempts at push, but they feel kind of wishy-washy undecided. Generally reinforcing my opinion that Marvel editorial has no idea about what they are doing. Anyway, good F4 thrives on contrast between the down to Earth focus on characters and their relations and grandness of things they are involved in. Slott delivered some nice downtime moments, Duggan's Thing-focused one-shots did too. But grandness? That's missing. The introductory story kinda showed hints of that, but then it petered out. Empyre is a nice step (and Ewing would be a great writer for F4, as Ultimates evidence), but it won't fix problems with their main book. Empyre will probably give numbers some boost, but unless Slott has some idea for a story that will engage people they will quickly fall again.

The "push" has been unfocused and it's Marvel's usual tactic of just throwing books out there with little planning and promotion. Like the mess of what happened with the Future Foundation book and the fact that many people didn't even know that there was an Invisible Woman book.

I forgot about both of those. And I've read them.

[Jabare]

push? push??!

Maybe it's because of the pandemic but I have a different definition of push

[Iron Maiden]

Slott needs to go or needs an editor who will take a stronger hand with him. I remember liking his earlier Marvel work. The problems set in when he became more established. He has the talent, but he keeps wanting to go in directions that don't work out.

Get Scott Lobdell to do Fantastic Four. His run on the title was the perfect combination of Silver Age fun while adding new things. Go look up his run on the title you won't be disappointed.

Yeah, but it was only 3 issues I think the story was a sudden offer came out on the West Coast and he took off on short notice. Some of his early issues Claremont as editor had to finish up but Lobdell's still credited with the plot. Claremont's run on the FF is underrated IMO.

[your_name_here]

Now I’ve seen someone suggest it, I must admit I’m all in on Ewing writing the FF.

Or Zdarsky. 2 in 1 was good enough to justify an ongoing by Chip.

[Mike]

What Marvel has done with the FF, in the last few months, has done nothing for me.

[Rzerox21xx]

The Dr Doom series was good enough to be nominated for a Eisner, it drove me to look for the issues and I brought and read them.

[U.N. Owen]

I will say this. What Marvel did to Whitley was just plain insulting. The only way you could make it more insulting is if you sent an insulting greeting card about how your book was dead on arrival.

[Anthony W]

Yeah, but it was only 3 issues I think the story was a sudden offer came out on the West Coast and he took off on short notice. Some of his early issues Claremont as editor had to finish up but Lobdell's still credited with the plot. Claremont's run on the FF is underrated IMO.

I didn't like the direction Crucible went. It felt like he was getting ready to be the FF's new top villain. I remember feeling very letdown. Such a wasted opportunity!

[SuperiorIronman]

I don't think any sort of push for the FF worked but I'll be damned that Doctor Doom is still going strong. I don't know whether it was that people just didn't care or people didn't care for Slott. I didn't like his FF so I stopped reading it but he's a fine enough choice for FF even if opinions on him are divisive. While I think his Doom is bad, he might pull a Bendis and come around on it so I wont write him off completely even if I find him hit or miss otherwise.

I don't think the push worked though and while I can't deny they're successful enough there is better that could be done with them.

[CaptCleghorn]

The Dr Doom series was good enough to be nominated for a Eisner, it drove me to look for the issues and I brought and read them.

One can tell by the reaction Doom's series as well as Bendis' Infamous Iron Man got that Slott's Doom was a major disappointment (and that's putting it nicely).

I will say this. What Marvel did to Whitley was just plain insulting. The only way you could make it more insulting is if you sent an insulting greeting card about how your book was dead on arrival.

Future Foundation should have been a major step towards an FF empire (pun unintended). Between that and Two-In-One, it is indeed possible to create multiple books showing different aspects of the Fantastic Four franchise. I wish Foundation had been more geared towards all ages to get more kids involved. Some of us thought of those three books as the foundation for a fruitful franchise.

[Iron Maiden]

I didn't like the direction Crucible went. It felt like he was getting ready to be the FF's new top villain. I remember feeling very letdown. Such a wasted opportunity!

I agree. He had a good build up from Lobdell. But then when Claremont revealed that he was Dr Shinski from the Enclave that didn't work for me. I don't think anyone has ever revisited the fact than he slaughtered all the monks in that hidden fortress in Tibet where Doom exiled himself after the accident.