Why Waid & Wieringo's "Fantastic Four" Was a Winner After Two Pages

[CBR News]

When Mark Waid & Mike Wieringo joined forces for "Fantastic Four," it started off with a bang. What do their first two pages together teach us?


Full article here.

[MindTricked]

The Waid/Wieringo FF run is SO underrated. Such good stuff, and it really made me a fan of the FF when I was just "meh" to them previously. Also, I really miss Ringo's art and his presence. Good dude.

[Pandarifically Delusional]

The Waid/Wieringo FF run is SO underrated. Such good stuff, and it really made me a fan of the FF when I was just "meh" to them previously. Also, I really miss Ringo's art and his presence. Good dude.

Couldn't agree with you more! I've been reading FF for a looong time, and the Waid/Wieringo run is still what I consider one of the best of the FF runs. The art is fun, yet focused. At times, it feels like a tribute, honoring Jack Kirby, as does the writing. And oh dear God! That 4-part story, "Unthinkable"? Doom was frikkin' scary! I really miss Mike Wieringo, and I really regret never having had a chance to meet him because everything I've heard about those who did has been like the nicest stories!

Marvel may eventually bring the FF back together again for a book, but it won't be like this run! It'll probably be all angsty, with Reed and Sue not trusting one another, Ben wishing he was back with the Guardians, etc. *sigh*

[Bedlam66]

Waid and Ringo's FF is prob one of my all time fav runs with the chars and I've been reading FF for 35 years.

[chrisjuricich]

Total agreement. Fun stuff, caught the spirit of the characters. There have been so many good runs, most of which started with Kirby/Lee from #1-60, roughly, then it sorta went to seed, then Thomas/Buscema came on...lost interest fast even though I continued to read it like a zombie.

[graviton]

I found the art by 'Ringo to always be just beautiful, but it seemed to me that Waid just kind of ran out of steam by the time he got to that horrendously bad "Unthinkable" storyline - Waid's take on Doom was so far out in left field that I just sort of look on it an alternate-reality or alternate timeline story. Waid is a great writer typically, but his writing on Dr. Doom showed a complete lack of understanding the character.

After "Unthinkable", i found Fantastic Four to be "unreadable" for a while, at least until Hickman took over writing the book.

[Starman76]

Add my vote to further exploration of Waid/Ringo FF. I've read this run at least as many times as you have, Augie, and I'm still hungry for more. Your analysis would be welcome.

Mention of the Jemas/Waid FF debacle left a bad taste in my mouth. I went searching for the story and found a lot of broken links. Probably for the best.

With regard to Manifest Destiny, easily my favorite book currently being published. It is scary how much we have in common with our taste in American* comics.

*Only because I haven't expanded my comics horizons beyond North America yet; too much I still have yet to read before branching out.

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Just wanted to let you all know I intend on continuing with the analysis of this issue, but it might not be for a couple of weeks yet until things line up, timing-wise. Stay tuned.... And thanks, as always, for reading!

-Augie