Fantastic Four 569 Finally Delivers on the Action
As Mark Millar concludes his run on Marvel’s Fantastic Four, the next creative team of writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Dale Eaglesham is waiting in the wings to take the series in a new direction. Millar’s run on the series has been an interesting one, with a few hits and an equal amount of misses as the narratives have spanned universes and timelines, and now this final issue in the current storyline, Doom’s Master, is here with issue 569. This plus-sized issue promises us a conclusion to the FF’s showdown with the Marquis of Death and the wedding of Ben Grimm! Overall this issue finally delivers on this arc’s narrative promise and clears the slate for Hickman. Read more
Can Someone Please Save the Fantastic Four?!
Marvel’s first family has taken many beatings over the years. They’ve faced down Doctor Doom, the Frightful Four, Klaw, the Mad Thinker, Namor and a host of others in their over forty year history, and while the lineup has changed some over the years, most recently when Storm and Black Panther filled in for Sue and Reed, the original adventurers have remained the core team, and one of Marvel’s most recognizable and exciting franchises, always central to some of Marvel’s biggest story arcs over the years.
Until recently. Read more
Comic Book Villains Who Have Gotten Better With Time
What makes certain villains last longer than others? Why do some seem to fade from existence and others, mercifully or not, hang around long after they seem to have worn out their welcome/relevance? Is there any certain formula that separates the Crazy Quilts and Fiddlers of the world from the Jokers and Green Goblins? And how do you even categorize something like Egg Fu?
Despite all of these questions, there are some answers. Villains who seemed hokey and gimmicky at one point can meet the right writer/artist/editor combo and turn out to be one of the flagship characters of a publishing company. Some perpetuate an act of villainy so amazing that they can’t help but vault into the upper reaches of the fictional universe. Listed below are just some of the “lucky losers” who have gone from terrible footnotes in comic book history to major players still today.
Lumps of Coal: The 12 Least Essential Comic Characters of 2008
Coal can get a bad rap this time of year, but look at the good things it does for us: heat, energy, coal of the char kind makes a nice BBQ, but at Christmas, we only associate it with a lack of effort in gift giving or a signal that we’ve been bad, bad kids.
That’s sort of the case with the twelve heroes, heroines and villains listed below. Each has a unique set of talents and gifts, and we’ve used them for loads of action and entertainment in the past, but for these folks, 2008 just didn’t seem to be their year. Here’s hoping all of them will have a much-improved 2009.
If they can. So, without further delay, I present the twelve LEAST essential of 2008, in no particular order.
