Fantastic Four Appreciation 2018

[Digifiend]

They could use another art.

Daft thing is, they even kept the Conan one, crediting the current copyright holder. Probably could've used images from the 1981 calendar instead. That one has a much happier FF scene, and an X-Men one that could replace Conan (there was no X-Men in the 1975 calendar because they were reprints at the time).

[Digifiend]

Here's some more calendar images:



And that original 1975 one.

[CaptCleghorn]

They never really explained the adoption in the Trank movie did they? I don't know where I read it but I thought it was more like Sue was a daughter from another marriage? And that wife died so he adopted her. Maybe her bio dad had died already. There certainly was no great attachment shown between Johnny and Sue in that movie.

With only four main characters, the relationship between any two of them is important. Marvel's developed a strong relationship story in four of the six possibilities.

Reed - Ben
Ben - Johnny
Reed - Sue
Sue - Johnny are the most developed.

Reed - Johnny and
Ben - Sue are less developed but any moments show us a lot

Yes, it is a laundry list, but for an FF story to shine, at least the first four need to come up in some fashion or another. I've been a big fan of a few X-Men issues when Claremont focused on two characters only. If the FF are to be something other than Avengers-lite this is where a focus has to be.

[Iron Maiden]

With only four main characters, the relationship between any two of them is important. Marvel's developed a strong relationship story in four of the six possibilities.

Reed - Ben
Ben - Johnny
Reed - Sue
Sue - Johnny are the most developed.

Reed - Johnny and
Ben - Sue are less developed but any moments show us a lot

Yes, it is a laundry list, but for an FF story to shine, at least the first four need to come up in some fashion or another. I've been a big fan of a few X-Men issues when Claremont focused on two characters only. If the FF are to be something other than Avengers-lite this is where a focus has to be.

One part of those relationships has gotten lost over the years and that is that Ben had an interest in Sue also. Grant Morrison brings it up in Fantastic Four 1234 and I thought that was one of their best written scenes together, even if that series isn't considered canon.

[Grim Fandango]

One part of those relationships has gotten lost over the years and that is that Ben had an interest in Sue also. Grant Morrison brings it up in Fantastic Four 1234 and I thought that was one of their best written scenes together, even if that series isn't considered canon.

In the early issues Sue and Alicia look alike... Is it still canon?

[CaptCleghorn]

In the early issues Sue and Alicia look alike... Is it still canon?

I don't think it's been mentioned since issue 8, but the idea of a blind girl being made up to look like Sue and fooling the FF was an incredibly stupid plan. If I were writing, I'd never mention it again. However, a resemblance so that one could look like the other with make-up is still valid.

[Michael Watkins]

I don't think it's been mentioned since issue 8, but the idea of a blind girl being made up to look like Sue and fooling the FF was an incredibly stupid plan. If I were writing, I'd never mention it again. However, a resemblance so that one could look like the other with make-up is still valid.

Cosigned. But I will always go by their depiction in the Marvel Knight 4 series. They could pass as cousins. But they definitely weren't twins.

[Iron Maiden]

At least they consistently color Alicia's hair a bit darker after those early issues. It's like the same shade as Thundra's hair. The way artists have to use shortcuts just about the only way you can distinquish some characters is by hair color/style. It's been mentioned before how sometimes Hank Pym, Steve Rogers and Clint Barton look like triplets without their masks.

[CaptCleghorn]

At least they consistently color Alicia's hair a bit darker after those early issues. It's like the same shade as Thundra's hair. The way artists have to use shortcuts just about the only way you can distinquish some characters is by hair color/style. It's been mentioned before how sometimes Hank Pym, Steve Rogers and Clint Barton look like triplets without their masks.

John Byrne produced something where the same face was captioned by these three and more, I think. I hope someone posts it, as I've looked but couldn't find it.

[CaptCleghorn]

Back to the FF, I want to point out that the calendar pages are all inked by Joe Sinnott. IMO, THE Fantastic Four artist. His inks could make MY pencils look good and his work on artists like Kirby and John Buscema? Like heaven of a sheet of bristol board..

[Shalla Bal]

At least they consistently color Alicia's hair a bit darker after those early issues. It's like the same shade as Thundra's hair. The way artists have to use shortcuts just about the only way you can distinquish some characters is by hair color/style. It's been mentioned before how sometimes Hank Pym, Steve Rogers and Clint Barton look like triplets without their masks.

Alicia always had a different hair color than Sue-- from the start A. had pale orange hair, while S. had pale platinum-yellow or later on canary-yellow hair. When Alicia was disguised as Sue in #8 she was wearing a wig.





Then all of a sudden in FF #79 Alicia showed up with brown hair. It was pretty jarring. After that issue, Alicia's hair would sometimes be brown and other times her original light-orange.

Oh and in #101 she inexplicably had blue-black hair.

[Shalla Bal]

Cosigned. But I will always go by their depiction in the Marvel Knight 4 series. They could pass as cousins. But they definitely weren't twins.

Yes, I liked that their resemblance was trotted out and used in Marvel Knights, to fool Pyscho-Man. That was a good use of a verrrry old plot point.


In the Masterworks or Essentials that contains some pages of the original art from FF#65, it's funny because in his notes Stan mistakes Alicia for Sue and wants art changes for "Sue."

Also even though there's a superficial resemblance, I like that Kirby consistently made them different in terms of height--Alicia's shorter than Sue.

[Shalla Bal]

BTW Dignifiend those are fantastic calendars with great art, thanks for posting! And I love that Alicia is featured throughout. She's always been one of my fave characters (in case anyone couldn't guess by my recent posts here, LOL)

[Crimz]

The film rights are finally coming back!!

Which means the FF won't be treated like crap anymore!

[Grim Fandango]

And what with Constantin Film?