World's Greatest Comic: The Fantastic Four Appreciation 2022

[Lukmendes]

So while the Reed thing was compared with Spidey, I'll point out a big difference here.

ASM#1 vol 6 is all about the mystery box, the characters talk in annoyingly vague ways about whatever the hell Spidey did, so if you don't care about the mystery, or don't like about the way it was implemented, then the issue will suck for you.

F4#1 vol 7 only really hints at whatever Reed did in the middle of the issue, and then at the end it shows that Reed exploded, something, but the rest of the issue has a story that is unrelated to it.

This works better than the annoying mystery box Cates' Hulk and ASM#1 vol 6 had, because if you don't care about the mystery, the comic has something else to keep you entertained.

I still don't like the mystery box angle, but thought this issue was fun, unlike ASM#1 and Hulk#1 vol 5.

[jwatson]

Just started reading this and fair warning if your reading this in vertical you are seeing the same three pages and it's not you. i was like wtf?

Aside from the page loop in the beginning which i guess in hindsight kind of works given the story this was a pretty solid read. I enjoyed it until the last page. i just can't see to escape this how to get away with murder trend shows and now comics are obsessed with of showing some devastating event and then having to backwards fill us in on it.

[The Negative Zone]

So while the Reed thing was compared with Spidey, I'll point out a big difference here.

ASM#1 vol 6 is all about the mystery box, the characters talk in annoyingly vague ways about whatever the hell Spidey did, so if you don't care about the mystery, or don't like about the way it was implemented, then the issue will suck for you.

F4#1 vol 7 only really hints at whatever Reed did in the middle of the issue, and then at the end it shows that Reed exploded, something, but the rest of the issue has a story that is unrelated to it.

This works better than the annoying mystery box Cates' Hulk and ASM#1 vol 6 had, because if you don't care about the mystery, the comic has something else to keep you entertained.

I still don't like the mystery box angle, but thought this issue was fun, unlike ASM#1 and Hulk#1 vol 5.

They also didn't hype up the run by having "WHAT DID REED DO?" which makes it feel more like genuine writing.

[Lukmendes]

Just started reading this and fair warning if your reading this in vertical you are seeing the same three pages and it's not you. i was like wtf?

With the way the first pages were copied and pasted I was annoyed right away 'cause I don't like recycling like this, even though I can see why it was done.

Although, while I didn't like the first pages, rest of the issue was fun, so it's a low point in an otherwise fun comic.

Aside from the page loop in the beginning which i guess in hindsight kind of works given the story this was a pretty solid read. I enjoyed it until the last page. i just can't see to escape this how to get away with murder trend shows and now comics are obsessed with of showing some devastating event and then having to backwards fill us in on it.

Yeah the mystery box is something that I don't care for too, hopefully the run keeps other merits to be interesting.

They also didn't hype up the run by having "WHAT DID REED DO?" which makes it feel more like genuine writing.

Ah, good point.

I wasn't paying attention to F4#1 vol 7's advertisement, so I wouldn't know of that, but thinking of it, you can have an idea of how it's advertised by the first pages, ASM#1 vol 6 starts with Spidey nuking whatever and it's all about the mystery, while F4#1 leaves that as a twist at the end of the issue after a self contained story.

This helps the mystery box feel less forced, 'cause it's not shoving into our faces wanting us to care about it, and if the advertisement wasn't doing it, that's even better.

[Ravin' Ray]

I'm actually worried with the Baxter Building, Hoping nothing happened to Ben and Alicia cats.

I mean, like how many times has the BB been stolen, damaged, destroyed, displaced, what have you, and it comes back. But if North plans to take his own sweet time rebuilding it I'm ok with that. Can Reed and Sue go to his house in California that Byrne showed us, and base themselves out of the West Coast for a while?

[Starrius]

Really enjoyed the issue and it shows how great Ben and Alicia's relationship is. I'm looking forward to seeing how North handles the other members.

The whole Reed thing isn't out-of-the-norm for him, so I'm gonna wait and see what that plot thread leads to.

I really enjoyed the issue for how it shows how great Ben and Alicia's relationship is. I like that Slott got them married after 56 years. Their marriage was long overdue. I hope that they stay married like Reed and Sue. I like that they have adoptive children Jo and Nicki.
If there was a Grimm Family comic series, I'd definitely read it.


Ben and Alicia's marriage is one of the main reasons why I am reading Fantastic Four right now. I care about them being married or not. They should have gotten married in the 1980s, but Byrne took Alicia from Ben and gave her to Johnny after Ben and Alicia were together for two decades. I am glad that Johnny/Alicia romance stuff got retconned into a Skrull impersonating Alicia by Defalco. I have no problem with Johnny maturing and being married. It was to whom that he was married to that I had a problem with. My favorite love interest for Johnny is Crystal.

If Jo and Nicki don't appear again, I'd still be interested in reading about Ben/Alicia as a married couple. I do like Jo and Nicki as their adoptive children. I really do believe that Ben/Alicia marriage with adoptive children is a big positive change to Fantastic Four.


Ben/Alicia has become my second favorite comic book couple after Peter/Mary Jane.

[Iron Maiden]

I did like the first issue featuring which is a kind of homage to the movie "Groundhog's Day". It was good to see Ben and Alicia without all the kids being around. They deserve a break once in a while! Between the two of them, Ben and Alicia solved the mystery of the town with a minimum of the usual superhero histrionics solving it. I admit I was confused at first with the pages and thought there was an error at the printers! Looking forward to what's going on with Reed and that giant hole or vortex(?) in NYC!

I mean, like how many times has the BB been stolen, damaged, destroyed, displaced, what have you, and it comes back. But if North plans to take his own sweet time rebuilding it I'm ok with that. Can Reed and Sue go to his house in California that Byrne showed us, and base themselves out of the West Coast for a while?

The FF have a house in upstate NY for a while too in Byrne's run in issue #276, after Sue's miscarriage.

[4theEarth]

I did like the first issue featuring which is a kind of homage to the movie "Groundhog's Day". It was good to see Ben and Alicia without all the kids being around. They deserve a break once in a while! Between the two of them, Ben and Alicia solved the mystery of the town with a minimum of the usual superhero histrionics solving it. I admit I was confused at first with the pages and thought there was an error at the printers! Looking forward to what's going on with Reed and that giant hole or vortex(?) in NYC!



The FF have a house in upstate NY for a while too in Byrne's run in issue #276, after Sue's miscarriage.

Lol thanks for the image and JB's homage to the Funny Pages. How many can you name?

[Oberon]

I really enjoyed the issue for how it shows how great Ben and Alicia's relationship is. I like that Slott got them married after 56 years. Their marriage was long overdue. I hope that they stay married like Reed and Sue. I like that they have adoptive children Jo and Nicki.
If there was a Grimm Family comic series, I'd definitely read it.


Ben and Alicia's marriage is one of the main reasons why I am reading Fantastic Four right now. I care about them being married or not. They should have gotten married in the 1980s, but Byrne took Alicia from Ben and gave her to Johnny after Ben and Alicia were together for two decades. I am glad that Johnny/Alicia romance stuff got retconned into a Skrull impersonating Alicia by Defalco. I have no problem with Johnny maturing and being married. It was to whom that he was married to that I had a problem with. My favorite love interest for Johnny is Crystal.

If Jo and Nicki don't appear again, I'd still be interested in reading about Ben/Alicia as a married couple. I do like Jo and Nicki as their adoptive children. I really do believe that Ben/Alicia marriage with adoptive children is a big positive change to Fantastic Four.


Ben/Alicia has become my second favorite comic book couple after Peter/Mary Jane.

I sure hope Ben and Alicia's children continue to be a part of the story.

My favorite love interest for Johnny is Crystal too. They got it right the first time, such a story


then they ruined it with the whole Pietro thing. I've never felt good about Pietro and her. Except for Luna, perhaps.

[Oberon]

I did like the first issue featuring which is a kind of homage to the movie "Groundhog's Day". It was good to see Ben and Alicia without all the kids being around. They deserve a break once in a while! Between the two of them, Ben and Alicia solved the mystery of the town with a minimum of the usual superhero histrionics solving it. I admit I was confused at first with the pages and thought there was an error at the printers! Looking forward to what's going on with Reed and that giant hole or vortex(?) in NYC!



The FF have a house in upstate NY for a while too in Byrne's run in issue #276, after Sue's miscarriage.

I wonder how many folks back then or now catch some of that.

Hi and Lois. Blondie. Some others who's names escape me but I'm sure come from even before the '30s (and lasted into the '60s or '70s - comic strips in Sunday papers)

[Hulkout42]

So i just read the issue and i have just one question, did they just basically rip off what they did in Spider-man and applied it to the F4 now?

[Iron Maiden]

Lol thanks for the image and JB's homage to the Funny Pages. How many can you name?

I did recognize Jiggs off the bat and the father of Dennis the Menace talking to each other. Oberon caught Blondie ....missed that one. Hi and Lois went over my head too!

[Digifiend]

I really enjoyed the issue for how it shows how great Ben and Alicia's relationship is. I like that Slott got them married after 56 years. Their marriage was long overdue. I hope that they stay married like Reed and Sue. I like that they have adoptive children Jo and Nicki.
If there was a Grimm Family comic series, I'd definitely read it.

Yeah, that's a good pitch for a Thing solo book. Showing Ben doing family stuff. I can see it being similar to the Rebirth run of Superman, which had a lot of focus on preteen Jon Kent.

[CaptCleghorn]

I wonder how many folks back then or now catch some of that.

Hi and Lois. Blondie. Some others who's names escape me but I'm sure come from even before the '30s (and lasted into the '60s or '70s - comic strips in Sunday papers)

Obviously Walt Wallet's (white hair) aging is some cosmic counterpart to Franklin Richards' aging.

And we have Herb Woodley next to Dagwood.

The couple in back of Blondie and the three on the couch I do not know but I know I will kick myself for not remembering them.

[Ravin' Ray]

Lol thanks for the image and JB's homage to the Funny Pages. How many can you name?

I wonder how many folks back then or now catch some of that.

Hi and Lois. Blondie. Some others who's names escape me but I'm sure come from even before the '30s (and lasted into the '60s or '70s - comic strips in Sunday papers)

I did recognize Jiggs off the bat and the father of Dennis the Menace talking to each other. Oberon caught Blondie ....missed that one. Hi and Lois went over my head too!

Obviously Walt Wallet's (white hair) aging is some cosmic counterpart to Franklin Richards' aging.

And we have Herb Woodley next to Dagwood.

The couple in back of Blondie and the three on the couch I do not know but I know I will kick myself for not remembering them.

After all these decades, I only realized it because of your posts! Of the comic strips referenced, Hi & Lois wasn't carried by that many broadsheets here though I do know them. Blondie and Dagwood, that I remember. Dennis' dad, I had to look up the name (Henry), it's been a while. We actually have three paperbacks of his. Gasoline Alley, it was in our broadsheet but I don't remember it as much as Blondie. And Bringing Up Father, same case.