Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Essntial X-Men and Future Foundations...

Johnny Storm is dead.
In Fantastic Four #587, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch went out in a blaze of glory. It marked the end of an era that began in 1964 when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought the Fantastic Four to life.
And now, from the ashes of that comes The Future Foundation. The book is helmed by Johnathan Hickman, Steve Epting and Rick Maygar. I've heard a lot of cries against the Torch getting, well, torched and call it just another publicity stunt.
Honestly, if they can get past that and just read the book, I think they'd really enjoy it.
Johnathan Hickman has done something no one has done with the Fantastic Four Since the glory days of Lee/Kirby or Byrne's run on the book-He breathed new life into it.  Admittedly, the Millar/Hitch run was awesome and stretched the boundaries, but he didn't take the book in any new or fresh direction. It's just the 2nd issue and Valeria Richards, the genius daughter of Reed and Susan Richards, made a deal with Victor Von Doom to get rid of her father if she helped him restore parts of his brain...and she used Reed to do it!
Say what you will, but this is a series I will be following as long as long as Mr. Hickman is on the book.


Other than that, I've been reading the Essential X-Men TPB's. I'm up to #8 which has Storm regaining her powers, Havok, Longshot, Dazzler and Psycloke forming the core of the team, The introduction of Mr. Sinister and the prelude to the Fall of the Mutants. This is some of the best stuff from the late 80's with Chris Claremont paving the way and Marc Silvestri making his debut as regular X-Men penciller.A lot of insiration for my art came from these issues and artists and it's great to revisit it. Heck, it gets me all inspired again.