CBR: NYCC: Hickman and Eaglesham Talk "Fantastic Four"

[CBR News]

When Millar and Hitch's run on Fantastic Four comes to an end, waiting in the wings to take the FF on their next fantastic voyage is the new creative team of writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Dale Eaglesham.


Full article here.

[Major Comma]

Its funny ,
I was just thinking yesterday if there were ever a third FF film I would like to see The Mole Man involved .
Nice to see he has a future arc coming up .

[earl]

Dale Eaglesham's artwork will work really well on the F4, he has a real classic style.

[mdg1]

Looks like Franklin may be getting some powers back..

[Iron Maiden]

I am guardedly optimistic about the new team but maybe a fresh face as writer is what the title needs. Millar has been a disappointment with this title, especially with the cringing Renfield-like toady he has masquerading as Doom.

I am liking Eaglesham's version of the Thing from what I see... it's more like Jack Kirby's version with the brow. Not so sure about the short sleeve costumes though. Hitch's Reed looks too old to me and I am glad to see Eaglesham has him more like the heroic Kirby version. As for Hickman's writing, we'll get a sneak preview when the FF: Dark Reign mini comes out.

[Abraxas]

I have been a Hickman fan since Nightly News. He has a good grasp on science, just look at his series' "Pax Romana", and "Transhuman". His science talk is more dense then Warren Ellis', which I can't say is a good or bad thing. As for Eaglesham, I have been a fan since a What If? Fantastic Four story he did back in the 80's. It was if the Richards second child was a monster from the Negative Zone, and it one by one kills the FF, and Frankin can't make his family realize what is happening, so he turns to Doctor Doom for help.

I am going to wait to see how this will turn out, this pairing seems to be a interesting combo. To say the least.

[Gitaroo_Dude]

Not sure if they're the first, but I'm glad they're using Planetary as a focal point for the series.

It was everything I'd want a FF story to be.

[Dusty.]

I just read the Millar/Hitch run again, and it's really good. Solid stuff. It's not connecting with everyone, though, for whatever reason. I hope this "reimagining" isn't to try to make the FF "kewl". Good stories and art will always come out on top. Part of Millar's FF problem is that he shoots his mouth off about how great he is, and when he doesn't deliver something greater than everybody else (even if it's as good), he comes off as a letdown.

That sketch by Eaglesham is awesome!

[Magneto Rocks]

Guardedly optimistic is a good phrase for my feelings as well.

No experience of Hickman, and the fact that he doesn't seem to have read Lee/Kirby worries me, as does his claim that the FF wasn't really science-based until Ultimate FF, but other stuff makes me more optimisti,c.

[Gitaroo_Dude]

Guardedly optimistic is a good phrase for my feelings as well.

No experience of Hickman, and the fact that he doesn't seem to have read Lee/Kirby worries me, as does his claim that the FF wasn't really science-based until Ultimate FF, but other stuff makes me more optimisti,c.

You should check out his indie work then if you're apprehensive.

He's ace when it comes to high concept science ideas. Like Pax Romana, which is about time traveling soldiers heading back in time to create a global Holy Roman Empire.

[RonnieThunderbolts]

Guardedly optimistic is a good phrase for my feelings as well.

No experience of Hickman, and the fact that he doesn't seem to have read Lee/Kirby worries me, as does his claim that the FF wasn't really science-based until Ultimate FF, but other stuff makes me more optimisti,c.

Reread the article, he has read Lee and Kirby, just only recently. And I quote:

The writer quickly devoured the past 2-3 years worth of “Fantastic Four” stories and several volumes in the “Essential Fantastic Four” and “Fantastic Four: Visionaries” series.

There are only 2 of the seven Essential collections that don't include the Kirby/Lee era, so it pretty much confirmed there that he has read at least some of it.


As for the other part, it wasn't ever really science based, it was science fantasy. Hear me out, Kirby and Lee were amazing, but they didn't have a great understanding of physics, genetics, or a lot of the concepts and scientific areas that have only expanded exponentially in the real world since the early FF stories. Atomic science, space travel, these things were happening AROUND them, to take a less than 100% authentic look at the world of science wasn't a hindrance, but possibly a requirement. I can't imagine in the era of the Cold War the real life intricacies of nuclear and atomic sciences being very public knowledge, and at the time comics were written primarily for a much younger audience than it is today.

They were science adventurers, there was nothing wrong with that, they were and are great stories. I get the impression he is referring to things like examining how Reed's biology would be different if he could stretch, and the real world science ideas around it. How would something that impossible work? They were trying to do some of that stuff in Ultimate FF, although it is mostly science fantasy as well, so it isn't much of a distinction.

[CyberCoyote]

They were science adventurers, there was nothing wrong with that, they were and are great stories. I get the impression he is referring to things like examining how Reed's biology would be different if he could stretch, and the real world science ideas around it. How would something that impossible work? They were trying to do some of that stuff in Ultimate FF, although it is mostly science fantasy as well, so it isn't much of a distinction.

Very true, but easy to be misunderstood. Most of Marvel Science was created by Stan who admits to being a total dimwit when it came to real science. Back then comic readers swallowed whatever was written, today we scrutinize a bit more because we've been treated to work from writers who really know their stuff or how to mix real physics with comic physics for a more realistic effect.

But in that vein Reed did become more of a scientist and less of an adventurer.. sounds like the adventurer is coming back. And I fear no new degree of 'kewl', the kewl train's been making runs and derailing left and right in the FF a lot lately already.

I guess we'll get a good taste, as IM pointed out, with the Dark Reign tie in. I can't wait, it's pretty much the prequel of things to come. And yes, the pencils are Fantastic.

[Chase_Stein]

I'm afraid that Jonathan Hickman's love for Reed Richards would make his run about Reed and his Family instead of focusing on the dynamics of the Fantastic Four. Also, after reading through the interview, Sue was only mentioned once and he didn't he described how he will write her while Reed, Ben, Johnny, Valeria and Franklin were all mentioned and described quite well. Did he forget about Sue?

This is the only part of the interview that mentioned Sue (Sadly, it's not much)
“I intend to put a bit of steel into Reed and Sue and make them formidable superheroes, but it won't affect their warmth as people."

[Pyro]

Ohmigosh I am so excited. Though Hickman is still sort of an unknown factor for me, Eaglesham as the new FF artist seems perfect! I fell in love with his work during JSA and had no idea I'd be seeing him next at Marvel, much less at Fantastic Four. It feels good to be excited about the FF again. I haven't felt this excited since Waid and Wieringo. Millar and Hitch just don't fit the book as well as they did Ultimates, in my opinion. I thought McDuffie and Pelletier, and JMS and McKone did good jobs but they didn't leave a great mark. I'm hopeful that Hickman will bring some new and exciting things to the table, but even if he doesn't at least the book will look great.

[Pyro]

Looks like Franklin may be getting some powers back..

Are you saying that because of the Eaglesham picture? I just assumed he was holding one of those macro-molecules like the one Reed gave him in Waid and Wieringo's run.

I'm afraid that Jonathan Hickman's love for Reed Richards would make his run about Reed and his Family instead of focusing on the dynamics of the Fantastic Four. Also, after reading through the interview, Sue was only mentioned once and he didn't he described how he will write her while Reed, Ben, Johnny, Valeria and Franklin were all mentioned and described quite well. Did he forget about Sue?

This is the only part of the interview that mentioned Sue (Sadly, it's not much)
“I intend to put a bit of steel into Reed and Sue and make them formidable superheroes, but it won't affect their warmth as people."

Well, keep in mind those character statements were from Eaglesham about how he would approach drawing them, not Hickman describing how he would write them. He did say that the first arc would be Reed-Centric, but I didn't get the feeling that he's going to omit the rest of the family.