World's Greatest Comic: The Fantastic Four Appreciation 2023

[Digifiend]

It is in 616, but other books (Amazing Spider-Man for one), seem to be ignoring that they're not currently in New York.

I wonder how Jo and Nikki will react to Princess when they return? Since they're aliens, they might not even know what a dog is. Or at least, would be confused that she can only bark instead of speaking the way humans, Kree, and Skrulls do. As for the cats, we've not seen them since North's run started have we - they're probably with the kids.

[Crimz]

I hope Princess gets or has powers. They're the Fantastic Four, they should have an unusual pet.

[Frontier]

I'm guessing once the kids come back we'll have more one-in-done's re-establshing them and their dynamic with the family.

(Is Johnny ever going to shave?).

[Iron Maiden]

Although this issue wasn't terrible it really didn't grab me as being something worth remembering. It was almost like a filler issue....or the calm before the storm.

[ARkadelphia]

It is in 616, but other books (Amazing Spider-Man for one), seem to be ignoring that they're not currently in New York.

I wonder how Jo and Nikki will react to Princess when they return? Since they're aliens, they might not even know what a dog is. Or at least, would be confused that she can only bark instead of speaking the way humans, Kree, and Skrulls do. As for the cats, we've not seen them since North's run started have we - they're probably with the kids.

Of course it’s 616. I was just being sarcastic it’s just that the characters’ voices are way off.

[Crimz]

Of course it’s 616. I was just being sarcastic it’s just that the characters’ voices are way off.

In what way are their voices off?

[CaptCleghorn]

I hope Princess gets or has powers. They're the Fantastic Four, they should have an unusual pet.

I hope not. Dogs present a different attitude and set of personality traits making them both loyal and challenging family members. A big part of the FF's appeal is the juxtaposition of standard family drama with wild cosmic adventures and science fiction stuff. Princess has shown herself to be a valid and worthy addition to the clan despite her lack of powers. If powers are really needed, dogs have the ability to lie-detect as well as reading emotions. I'd put my dog up against any meteorological device on detecting an oncoming storm.

I could see Val trying to weaponize these abilities somehow and Princess shying away from her and preferring to be with Ben or Franklin. When the kids come back, they would be better suited as characters with normal civilian activities like caring for a dog. Slott's driving test issue was a good example of this kind of activity. Not every issue needs to be a Secret Crisis Wars event.

[ARkadelphia]

In what way are their voices off?

Let’s take this last issue for example. To me, Ben’s process of figuring out what’s going on sounded much more like Reed than it did himself.

[Digifiend]

You don't think he's learned from Reed after all these years? He was never totally dumb - he can fly a spacecraft, for crying out loud. The FF's dumb guy is actually Johnny, who was only on the flight that gave them their powers because he's Sue's brother.

[Darkshadow]

I hope not. Dogs present a different attitude and set of personality traits making them both loyal and challenging family members. A big part of the FF's appeal is the juxtaposition of standard family drama with wild cosmic adventures and science fiction stuff. Princess has shown herself to be a valid and worthy addition to the clan despite her lack of powers. If powers are really needed, dogs have the ability to lie-detect as well as reading emotions. I'd put my dog up against any meteorological device on detecting an oncoming storm.

I could see Val trying to weaponize these abilities somehow and Princess shying away from her and preferring to be with Ben or Franklin. When the kids come back, they would be better suited as characters with normal civilian activities like caring for a dog. Slott's driving test issue was a good example of this kind of activity. Not every issue needs to be a Secret Crisis Wars event.

This is laugh emoji worthy.

[Crimz]

I hope not. Dogs present a different attitude and set of personality traits making them both loyal and challenging family members. A big part of the FF's appeal is the juxtaposition of standard family drama with wild cosmic adventures and science fiction stuff. Princess has shown herself to be a valid and worthy addition to the clan despite her lack of powers. If powers are really needed, dogs have the ability to lie-detect as well as reading emotions. I'd put my dog up against any meteorological device on detecting an oncoming storm.

I could see Val trying to weaponize these abilities somehow and Princess shying away from her and preferring to be with Ben or Franklin. When the kids come back, they would be better suited as characters with normal civilian activities like caring for a dog. Slott's driving test issue was a good example of this kind of activity. Not every issue needs to be a Secret Crisis Wars event.

..... I just want them to get into fun shenanigans with a superpowered pet.

Let’s take this last issue for example. To me, Ben’s process of figuring out what’s going on sounded much more like Reed than it did himself.

I disagree. I think that this issue just highlights his own intelligence that he downplays, and doesn't get much spotlight with Reed around. Ben's a really smart guy, and it's nice to see it acknowledged once in a while.

[cmore]

You don't think he's learned from Reed after all these years? He was never totally dumb - he can fly a spacecraft, for crying out loud. The FF's dumb guy is actually Johnny, who was only on the flight that gave them their powers because he's Sue's brother.

Well, Sue was only on the flight because she was Reed's girlfriend. I'm glad they're giving her a doctorate and I'm looking forward to finding out what it is. I don't think either Ben or Johnny are dumb, they just have their own areas of expertise, which the writers ignore too often. Ben's an expert when it comes to aviation and piloting. Johnny's an expert when it comes to cars and engine mechanics.

[JackDaw]

..... I just want them to get into fun shenanigans with a superpowered pet.



I disagree. I think that this issue just highlights his own intelligence that he downplays, and doesn't get much spotlight with Reed around. Ben's a really smart guy, and it's nice to see it acknowledged once in a while.

Yes. In the Kirby/Lee run it was established that he had a couple of degrees, and could do complex navigation calculations. He’s also maybe Marvels best poker player…which given the competition suggests a fearsome intellect.

[MichaelC]

Ben knew right in their first adventure that the radiation shielding was inadequate, something Reed did not know. The implication was that Reed was a better theoretician, but Ben was better at engineering/applied sciences. And Reed's arrogance in assuming his skill as a theoretician made him better at engineering/applied sciences is what got them all mutated.

Unfortunately, that got ignored later on, with writers just kind of taking Richards at his word when he named himself Mister Fantastic, retconning him into being fully as intelligent as his hubris proclaimed him to be.

[Jwyatt]

So can we collectively agree Reckoning War was pretty underwhelming?

Hell yeah!

(And how many years of pitching did this nothingburger take to get done?)