CBR: Hickman Feels "Fantastically" Heroic

[CBR News]

Marvel's Heroic Age will bring a whole new set of challenges for it's inhabitants; challenges that the Fantastic Four are ready to meet head on. We spoke with "Fantastic Four" writer Jonathan Hickman about his plans for the series.


Full article here.

[Shadey10]

I hope he doesn't ignore the devlopements that'll happen in doomwar.

[Zarathos81]

I hope this 'done in one or two' thing won't last. I like having stories that take some time to develope. It's part of the fun of comics. But I am getting really excited abotu the Heroic Age!

[chastmastr]

I still feel awkward; I don't think Reed's really been shown as realizing, despite "doing the math," that what he did in Civil War and such were basically inexcusably wrong things, whatever his ostensible justification may have been, and regardless of the end results. On the other hand, if all of that can be brushed under the rug as quickly as possible, and mercifully forgotten (and if so, then the same for Tony's actions, the numerous loathsome retcons for many characters including them and Xavier and others, etc.), then more power to Hickman in all this.

[Desaad]

I hope this 'done in one or two' thing won't last. I like having stories that take some time to develope. It's part of the fun of comics. But I am getting really excited abotu the Heroic Age!

From what I understand, and from what I've seen, Hickman is doing a bunch of 'done in ones' that are building to something big.

In fact, I'd argue that his 'done in one' issues don't always function that well as stand alone issues. It's clear, for instance, that his last issue was part of the big 4 City epic he's trying to tell, and that's cool, but as a story on it's own I don't think it holds up at all. There is no real story, and what should have been shown over the course of multiple issues or in the issue itself gets summarized in a short text piece at the back of the issue.

I'm sure everything from that issue will come into play down the line, but I think the execution was off. But fear not, because Hickman is definitely building to something big here.

And despite my complaints and disappointments, I enjoy the ideas behind Hickman's run, I think he's got strong core concepts and I like where he is going. I think his execution can be off, but I'm willing to wait and see how it develops and this is probably one of my favorite Marvel titles at the moment.

[CaptCleghorn]

I hope he doesn't ignore the devlopements that'll happen in doomwar.

I hope Doomwar doesn't mess up plans for FF.

[CaptCleghorn]

I still feel awkward; I don't think Reed's really been shown as realizing, despite "doing the math," that what he did in Civil War and such were basically inexcusably wrong things, whatever his ostensible justification may have been, and regardless of the end results. On the other hand, if all of that can be brushed under the rug as quickly as possible, and mercifully forgotten (and if so, then the same for Tony's actions, the numerous loathsome retcons for many characters including them and Xavier and others, etc.), then more power to Hickman in all this.

And there are still some of us who want to see Chuck Xavier prosecuted for kidnapping Franklin Richards and his GF Lilandra punished for kidnapping Reed for saving a life.

[Desaad]

I hope Doomwar doesn't mess up plans for FF.

He says in the IGN article that mostly reiterates all this that they've all planned it out, and that after Doomwar Doom will mostly be locked down in the FF title.

[Gitaroo_Dude]

I hope he doesn't ignore the devlopements that'll happen in doomwar.

I'm hoping he ignores any part of it that gets in the way of what he's doing. Give it the Millar treatment if that's what it takes. Just don't let Doomwar muck up FF.

[Brannon]

So would you guys say that Hickman's run is a good jumping on point for a fan that loves the Lee/Kirby and Byrne runs? Since Millar and Hitch are gone, I can now consider reading the title again. I miss the FF...

[Desaad]

I'd say this is about as "Kirby" as it has been in a long while.

[Runguy]

So would you guys say that Hickman's run is a good jumping on point for a fan that loves the Lee/Kirby and Byrne runs? Since Millar and Hitch are gone, I can now consider reading the title again. I miss the FF...

Yea, I really enjoy it so far (also, check out Hickman;s Secret Warriors as it is a good read, too)

[chastmastr]

And there are still some of us who want to see Chuck Xavier prosecuted for kidnapping Franklin Richards and his GF Lilandra punished for kidnapping Reed for saving a life.

Well, my feeling is that since we have a plethora of writers and editors over time, and since the characters are not real people but must act as they are written to, even when the characterization varies wildly (as I think it has in the last 6 years, from Disassembled on), then for all practical purposes, the Reed Richards of 1985, of 1995, and of 2005 are effectively different characters, and the Xavier of 2002 can't be held responsible for the imaginary actions of the Xavier of 1993. I think it's been more pronounced in the last six years -- to the point of making many Marvel mainstays like Reed, Tony, Xavier and others into genuinely reprehensible characters -- and so, while I'd prefer a big ol' retcon (in which Illuminati, Civil War and Deadly Genesis never happened, etc.), if just looking the other way till it's all mercifully forgotten is the best I can hope for, I'll accept that, though right now it's still too soon, and the principal architects of the last six years of character assassination are still running the show, so I am not really convinced to jump on-board.

If Nameless Writer A (and I don't mean Hickman here -- indeed, I am thinking of a couple of other writers, not just one) thinks that various characters would really be capable of acting as deplorably as they've been written in recent years, and just bounce back and be good guys again, then I genuinely have no faith in that writer's ability to write good super-hero comics.

Heck, one of the things which converted me to Jason Aaron's take on Wolverine was the two-parter he did before Weapon X in which he took the retcons which have been foisted on Logan and showed him responding to his own atrocities, even to things which are arguably not quite his own fault given the brainwashing and mind-control which were involved, and, in agonized remorse, taking responsibility to do whatever it takes, however long it takes, even if it kills him, to make things right. Gruff, violent, whatever, to me, that's a real hero. Reed, Tony, Xavier and others have no such excuses for their own behavior.

But -- again -- I am sure that we will either have a retcon of this crap, or a wholesale consignment of the whole wretched period to an oubliette of willful memory loss that will make even the Teen Tony of the 1990s stand out in comparison. And that can't happen soon enough for me.

[Mark_S]

From the looks of it all of marvel is going to ignore the cw stuff. The FF has been ignoring it for along time. I don't have a lot of faith that after cw/wwh and the Illuminati Reed's ideas will bring about anything but pain and heartache just like before. I wonder if he'll be designing a new version of 42.

Mark_S

[CyberHubbs]

I've heard a lot of complaints about decompression. Now we're getting more done-in-ones here, even if they form a larger picture. Just can't win some, I guess.