CBR TV: Robinson On "Fantastic Four's" End, The Power of Positivity

[Iron Maiden]

Namor came first. Him and Jim Hammond share the title of being Marvels first heroes.

Thanks! I guess that's what bothers me about Marvel's official 75th anniversary logo. Marvel was a comic book business first. I am thrilled about their success as a movie studio but let's pay some respect to what brought you to that level. Would it be so bad to represent the Torch on that logo (it could just be an homage to both Jim Hammond and Johnny Storm at once) and Namor? I guess they figure Cap was all they needed and he has had 2 successful movies.

As for Robinson's run, I think it is a definite improvement over the previous one but suffers from the same pacing issue. Fraction dwelt on the FF's powers starting to degrade for at least 10 or more issues. Robinson has been doing the same with the breakdown of the team, with an interlude with Valeria's stay in Latveria. I think he should be winding this plot up more quickly myself. But you couldn't ask for a better artist than Leonard Kirk. Well, you could ask for Copiel but he I don't think he would be able to keep up the pace. Even Kirk has had another artist do some issues. The FF Annual was also well done by Tom Grummett. I can't recall the other artist that has done a few issues but IMO he was a very good fit for the title also.

[AcesX1X]

i think he's ultimately on the fans side in this, even if his comments are downright rude to those of us who have been supporting his run from the start. he sent the readers a secret message about ike perlmutter being the reason behind FF cancellation in the last issue of FF.

[Fred Nunez]

Great interview, I agree with him about fans sometimes complaining for the sake of it, we do that. On the FF going away for a while, I like the idea because the book is stagnant right now. People don't buy the FF they just seem to complain when ever anyone tries to make it interesting. The stuff he said about the response to him getting the gig was the same stuff people said when Mark Millar got the gig and when JMS got it and so on. I think if Marvel takes it away for whatever reason it can only help the book. Thor went away fro a long time and JMs came on with Coipel and boom! It worked. I think as fans we have lost a bit of the joy of just reading a comic. Not worrying about sales or cross promotion or importance, just reading a comic we like. We get caught up in the movies and the politics of it and maybe have lost a bit of that genuine enjoyment that says "Hey i like this i will read it" the simple, we have lost a bit of the simple.

[horror-of-sorts]

This is one of my favorite CBR interviews, creators rarely open up like this and I'm hoping this new found sobriety opens up a new chapter in his career. Can't wait for Airboy!

[TakoM]

I think also wanting such stories can only reward by buying them when you buy stuff which story you dislike you only send wrong impulses to Marvel.
The other thing is you are there but you aren't part of a majority of readers so the book get still discontinued.

I also get loud and intensive when I things don't like when the changes of the status quo of an character get done which hurt him an basic level(like made an killer out his/her , get rid of his/her moral, get rid of his/her base abilities). What I don't understand when Hulk,Spider-Man or Cable start having a family and everyone start yelling Oh NO or something like that

About killing of characters...... in theory the only way to get rid of an super-hero character is A.) Make him a villain who killed countless innocents B.) Selling the right to someone else.
After a while many authors and editors forget that he/she is dead when it is a C or D list character. To be true I didn't bought Avenger Arena or similar stuff ...so I don't know.

[PennyD]

Namor came first, and yeah he isn't shown on their stuff either. I wonder what this means for him though? Short term death for him to await the rights thing to be fixed?

First Human torch came first

[Gordonstar]

Already knew that, but who came first between Cap and Namor sans Human torch was mentioned.

[Trident]

First Human torch came first

Already knew that, but who came first between Cap and Namor sans Human torch was mentioned.

Namor and Torch appeared in the same title as the first marvel characters. The role is more shared then anything else.

[Gordonstar]

As I said, before someone edited their post. The poster asked who came first between Cap and Namor. No mention of Human Torch anywhere in the conversation. Just between those two.

[Ravin' Ray]

I think as fans we have lost a bit of the joy of just reading a comic. Not worrying about sales or cross promotion or importance, just reading a comic we like. We get caught up in the movies and the politics of it and maybe have lost a bit of that genuine enjoyment that says "Hey i like this i will read it" the simple, we have lost a bit of the simple.

Very much this. My solution to this, and I'm sure different people will get different mileages out of it, is simply to block out whatever negative comments I read in forums or news and just read the gosh-darn FF comic for the sake of it.

[Reviresco]

They are not very prominently featured in the official logos for Marvel's 75th Anniversary. Neither is Namor for that matter and along with Captain America (who is on the logo) was one of Marvel's first heroes. I forgot which came first though.

the Namor situation is pretty murky. Universal has the rights but have been doing nothing with it. When they drew up these agreements they really gave away too much leeway to the studios I think. Marvel needed the money at that time and that was that. But a company should not have been able to just sit on the rights this long. Kevin Feige didn't even know for sure about the status of Namor at some point. Don't know if they finally cleared it up.

Universal had a script by David Self and three well known directors attached the the Namor movie, as well as concept art by the guy that did the concept ar for Man of Steel. They were ready to go, but for some reason, the movie wasn't made. The last thing Feige said, was Marvel has the rights, in that they would be making any Namor movie that gets made, but doing so was complicated because of previous contracts.

Namor came first, and yeah he isn't shown on their stuff either. I wonder what this means for him though? Short term death for him to await the rights thing to be fixed?

Namor wasn't on the 70th Anniversary logo either (though they had an unspecified Torch) and he didn't have a short term death. Universal has had the movie rights for Namor since the beginning of Marvel Studios, and it certainly didn't affect his appearances -- in fact, he has had plenty of appearances during this period, including two ongoings.

First Human torch came first

No, Namor came first.

Already knew that, but who came first between Cap and Namor sans Human torch was mentioned.

Cap didn't show up until 1941, whereas, Namor and Torch's first appearance is in 1939. Namor is the older character, having first appeared in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly in April, whereas Torch's first appearance is in Marvel Comics #1. Namor's story in Marvel Comics #1 is actually a reprint, with four new pages added to the story and color.

[Reviresco]

I'm not a huge FF fan, but I think Robinson's run has been rather entertaining. His run on Invaders has been strong, and promises a lot of interesting developments as he resolves some intriguing subplots.

I really want to see an Invaders movie. They should start during WW II with the first film, like Captain America, and bring the story into the present. I understand that Marvel should be getting the film rights to Namor back soon, so an Invaders film is doable.

I've really been enjoying Robinson's books at Marvel. Fantastic Four is usually up at the top of my monthly pile for Marvel along with Black Widow and New Avengers. Invaders has been consistent and I hope that he can tell his whole story. I really want to see how Galactus and the Eternals works out.

I agree with you two. Especially about the Invaders movie! For a few months before the first Cap movie, I thought we were going to get at least an appearance, but they went with the Howling Commandos.

[Reviresco]

Great interview, I agree with him about fans sometimes complaining for the sake of it, we do that. On the FF going away for a while, I like the idea because the book is stagnant right now. People don't buy the FF they just seem to complain when ever anyone tries to make it interesting. The stuff he said about the response to him getting the gig was the same stuff people said when Mark Millar got the gig and when JMS got it and so on. I think if Marvel takes it away for whatever reason it can only help the book. Thor went away fro a long time and JMs came on with Coipel and boom! It worked. I think as fans we have lost a bit of the joy of just reading a comic. Not worrying about sales or cross promotion or importance, just reading a comic we like. We get caught up in the movies and the politics of it and maybe have lost a bit of that genuine enjoyment that says "Hey i like this i will read it" the simple, we have lost a bit of the simple.

The Millar run was awful. But I don't remember the news of him and Hitch being on the book being greeted by negativity -- quite the opposite. It wasn't until the book started coming out that it got negativity. I wasn't online when the JMS run started, so I've no idea if it was greeted with negativity. I don't recall him doing anything drastic, though.

I really don't understand this idea that a book has to go away for a while to be appreciated. That's not exactly what happened to Thor. JMS and Copiel with a good story is what happened to Thor. Hickman did a great job of turning around the FF without the book going away -- that's what needed, not dropping the book that made the Marvel Universe into limbo.