New Marvel Adventure Fantastic Four original art! Plus FF color guides!

I picked up a couple pages from the enjoyable Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four series a little while ago - let's check them out!

Both of the pages showed up on eBay at the same time, and I was lucky enough to get 'em both for a really good price!  They're both by artist David Hahn from two different issues.

The first page comes from issue 42, part of what I feel is a very underrated run, written by Paul Tobin.  Marvel Adventures FF lasted 48 issues (plus a zero issue and an oversized special), making it one of the longest-running Fantastic Four spinoff series, behind Marvel Two-in-One, Marvel's Greatest Comics and Ultimate Fantastic Four, and you could make the case that those first two don't really count.

I got page nine from the issue.

If you look closely at the line art, you'll see a purple hue in the background - the portrait of Dr. Doom that Johnny is holding is entirely in purple.  It looks like Hahn reproduced his rough sketch for the page, then pencilled and inked over it.

You might also notice that the '4' emblems are all near perfect - that's because they're also printed out on the page as opposed to drawn in almost all of the panels.

This is a great page with all four characters, plus even a little cameo by Dr. Doom!

The next page comes from just two issues later - Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #44.

Here's the cover.  Most Marvel books from this time period - and Marvel Adventure books in particular, had 'iconic' covers that didn't necessarily indicate what was going on inside the book.  The thought was that Marvel would then use that artwork for other promotional purposes, killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.  This directive lasted for a few years before they eased up a bit.

Here's the page - the very last of the issue - as it appeared in its final form.  Not only do we have every member of the FF, but there's also a Skrull and Uatu the Watcher.

This page also has the reproduced rough art, printed in a more familiar blue, but only pencils over top of that without inks.

The pasted '4' emblems are back in this page as well.

The Watcher approves.

And Johnny...does something.

There are at well over a dozen Fantastic Four series and spinoffs, and I'd love to get at least a page from each of 'em.  That's almost certainly never going to happen, but at least I can mark this one off the list.

I also picked up some new color guides!  These ones aren't from a Fantastic Four series, but they still feature the FF...so it counts.

These three pages come from an oversized Fury one-shot from 1994.  I wasn't even aware that this book existed before I bought the pages.  It's funny that the FF are in these pages more than Nick Fury himself, the star of the book.

Here's a nice page with all four members...oh, and Hate Monger, who has the same face as Adolph Hitler.  I think there was a time where it was thought that Hate Monger actually WAS Hitler, but that's since been pushed to the background, as it would not only be a bit implausible at this point, but it might not be in the best of taste, all things considering.

Happy to add all of these to the collection.  

Baltimore Comic-Con swag, Dukescollector.com, eBay trials and more!

Well, it's been a while since I've posted.  I'm sure this has caused great consternation.  Or perhaps not.  Either way, here are some random notes about a few things, mostly comic related, going on right now:

- I made it back from the Baltimore Comic-Con with some cool things, and what is the Internet for if not to show it off to random people?  I managed to land a couple autographs while shirking my booth-attending responsibilities.  Above there's Chrissie Zullo's Cinderella #1, Paul Tobin's Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #41 (we had a nice conversation about why the Thing is so awesome), and Rick Leonardi's Spider-Man 2099 #1 (Peter David signed it as well, but years and years ago).  I also got (but for some reason forgot to photograph) Superman: The Man of Steel #13 signed by the lovely Louise Simonson.

This awesome Thing magnet was first spotted at the 2010 New York Comic Con, but the person displaying it said it hadn't been released yet and therefore wouldn't sell it.  Of course, the question that leads to is "why are you displaying it in the first place, then?" but those things happen.  I finally snagged it, though, and look how cool it is!  The picture doesn't do it justice.

There were some great small press comics on display at this show.  Some I picked up included Paul Allor & company's Clockwork and Rebecca Mock's Travels mini comic.  Both were well worth it.

I got another Fantastic Four Toon Tumbler as well!  It'll look great next to...all of the other FF tumblers I have.

- The FUBAR Kickstarter project is entering its final hours, and I'd venture to say that is has been an unqualified success.  The guys have met their goal and then some, and there's still time to pick up some really cool prizes.  FUBAR volume 2 has a pretty good chance of making some real waves and getting into a lot of hands, and that's really exciting for everyone involved, including me.

The Kickstarter page, closing Friday the 9th, can be found here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1607639297/fubar-2-empire-of-the-rising-dead

And you can see me getting ready to vandalize the booth directly below.  No one will ever be the wiser...

- Those who are prone to fits of rage should probably not click on the picture below:

Wait a minute, I can be overcome by rage at times, what does that...HOLY CRAP people are selling their Dark Knight Rises shirts on eBay for 500 bucks.  What the heck.

I wrote about the haves and have nots of those who were extras for the Heinz Field DKR scenes in regards to shirts (I saw a guy with three shirts!!!) and wondered how long it'd take for them to start showing up on eBay.  It took a little bit longer than I imagined it would have (as in, longer than immediately following the shoot), but wow, I never thought someone - multiple someones, it seems - would pay half a grand for something like this.

This may mean that I am a huge jerk, but I really hope these are mass produced at some point in the near future.  THAT'LL SHOW 'EM!  Also, I can then buy one.

- In less enraging news, Blogger tells me that this blog may be popular.  That's pretty nice to hear.  And in fact, August had more page views recorded than any pervious month by a good margin.  I don't know if that makes me want to put advertisements on the site, but hey, a little validation never hurt anyone.

- Lastly, if you are a Dukes of Hazzard fan, you should really check out our friend Larry's new site, DukesCollector.com.  It's just starting out but eventually it'll be the premier place for those who collect show and movie-related merchandise (Larry just got the Shrinky Dinks, woo!).  He's even got a message board!  So...go there!  And be amazed!

Why I love Marvel Adventures Super Heroes

Some time ago, I posted my lament for the abrupt loss of the Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four title, which featured character-driven stories that mixed humor, action and the kind of touching moments rarely seen in many of today's explosion-first Michael Bay-fest comics.  The entire Marvel Adventures line seemed to be in jeopardy, getting pared down to two titles, and I lost track of it for a while.

Last month, though, I picked up a copy of Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #7 because a member of the FF, the Invisible Woman, was showcased on the cover.  Before this, and because of the cover theme this book employs, I thought that each issue of this title starred a different Marvel character, where every issue was self contained to the point that one had nothing to do with what came before or after.

Once I flipped through the book, I realized that Marvel Adventures Super Heroes is indeed an ongoing book that follows a variation on the Avengers - where Sue Storm is not just a member, but a leader.  I did some research and found that this theme began in issue 17 of the first volume, continuing into the second volume once the entire line did a hard reboot.

It's refreshing to see that everything that made Marvel Adventure Fantastic Four great is still present in this new title.  The creative common denominator is Paul Tobin, of whom my respect for grows monthly.  Tobin juggles a wide cast of characters expertly and manages to follow a growing number of plot threads while still making each issue accessible.

Tobin has a knack for making the characters in the books he writes supremely human, and this book is a great example of that, especially when you consider that the title's roster is filled with mythical gods, World War II heroes, androids and people who can fly through space.

The Fantastic Four are well represented in this book, starting with Sue Storm's presence - she is every bit the strong female character that she should be in every FF title and that too many books lack, and the fact that she, along with Captain America, leads this particular group of Avengers is a strong example of that.  The budding romance hinted at between the two characters is intriguing as well.

Reed Richards also plays a significant role in this book, though his true motives are as of yet unrevealed. It's clear that he's keeping an eye on Sue for reasons we're not yet sure of; the Black Widow and the Vision are on the team at least partly as a result of his behind-the-scenes tinkering.

Not to belabor the point, but I really do recommend this book.  From in-depth characterization to big action, this title proves beyond a doubt to be a worthy successor to Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four.  Not that I would mind seeing that title revived as well.

Requiem for Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four

From a fan's perspective, it's comforting to know that some books will NEVER be cancelled - as long as there's a DC Comics, there'll be Action Comics, and as long as the courts stay on their side, it'll star Superman more often than not.  As long as there's a Marvel Comics, there'll be Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America and Fantastic Four titles - their flagship books.  While this may lead to a lull in creativity or a stagnation of character traits, the part of me that views these creations as old friends (in a very loose sense) can find solace in knowing that month after month, I can still pick up these titles if I so choose.  If I'd quit collecting comics for 20 years, chances are I could walk into a future comic shop (or perhaps I'd just think my way inside) and grab the latest issue of Fantastic Four.  I'd probably have a pretty good idea about what was going on, too.  This doesn't always extend to satellite books, though.

A few months ago, Fantastic Four Giant Size Adventures came out as a one-shot issue.  I was a little curious as to why Marvel would put out this book when Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four was an ongoing title, though I soon surmised that this was because MA:FF had been cancelled.  This is a shame because the book was consistently solid, and more often than a few times it was the best Fantastic Four book on the shelves.

Much of my praise goes out to writer Paul Tobin, who took this book - aimed at a younger audience as are all the titles under the Marvel Adventures banner - and told good, self contained stories without dumbing down the characters to make them more accessible.  Though every story had to be finished in 22-or-so pages, the characters still retained their spark, the essence of who they were and what made them such likable fictional characters.

It was obvious, at least in my opinion, that Tobin's favorite character in the book (perhaps in the entire Marvel Universe) was the Thing, which was right up my alley.  Often the books would read as "Marvel Adventures Thing and his pals the Fantastic Four", and don't let anyone tell you that was a bad thing - having Ben Grimm get all the best lines and the most scenes gave me a pretty good idea of how I'D write the book if I had the chance.

The last issue of the series, #48, ranks right up there with some of my favorite Fantastic Four stories of all time.  Galactus transports the team to the end of time, where the world-eater awaits the end of the current universe and the beginning of the next - an event that he and only he will survive.  As he prepares for the inevitable, Galactus employs the FF to fend off various iterations of contemporary super villains, as they could disrupt his plans.

As the team holds off the desperate schemes of the villains and returns to their own time, they are confused as to why a being as powerful as Galactus would have needed their help in the first place.  Reed Richards realizes that this was Galactus's way of saying goodbye, of getting to see the closest thing he's had to friends one last time before the end.  Mr. Fantastic looks Galactus straight in the eyes, shakes his hand, and says, "I'll miss you, too."

It's stuff like that that most writers miss, and it's stuff like that that I appreciate the most.