tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830827465735526826.post5635351866050861610..comments2024-03-28T00:32:45.946-07:00Comments on Marvel University: The Big Break-Out: November 1961John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830827465735526826.post-21319339846966120292013-09-05T19:14:10.337-07:002013-09-05T19:14:10.337-07:00More than just a copy of the Justice League, the F...More than just a copy of the Justice League, the FF also bore a strong resemblance to DC's Challengers of the Unknown, which had been co-created several years earlier by ... Jack Kirby! Kirby had also previously drawn a short story for DC about an average schmuck who is magically transformed into ... Thor! Also, contrary to what Lee wrote in Origins of Marvel Comics, the real reason Kirby's version of Spider-Man was rejected was not that his Spidey looked "too heroic" but that, as Ditko pointed out to Lee after perusing Kirby's first few pages, it too closely resembled The Fly, a character co-created by Kirby and his previous partner, Joe Simon (and the Fly was originally the Silver Spider).Fred W. Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07602124919964053532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830827465735526826.post-48233093794304514802011-06-23T21:39:42.341-07:002011-06-23T21:39:42.341-07:00A couple points missed:
They "stole" the...A couple points missed:<br />They "stole" their own ship (panel 6 pg p 9 tells us its "the mighty ship which Reed Richards had spent years constructing..."), so while the authorities might have been miffed, you don't jail your own brilliant scientist.<br />The fact that the FF existed in a world more "real" then the Justice League and are feared by the public: a cop shoots at the Thing, the Torch has a bystander thing he's going mad on so on.. No safe DC style heroes in the Marvel U.<br />So while the debut ish only hinted at the marvels to come, Lee and Kirby were already ripping up the ho-hum superhero playbook in this first offering.<br /><br />Mark BarsottiMark Barsottinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830827465735526826.post-4235142634362825912011-06-20T08:03:59.097-07:002011-06-20T08:03:59.097-07:00Jim-
You have a good point. Especially regarding...Jim-<br /><br />You have a good point. Especially regarding the Human Torch. he might have brought out that younger reader fan base similar to Spider-Man.Jockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16292833295819266389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830827465735526826.post-4442989929117149142011-06-18T23:46:47.157-07:002011-06-18T23:46:47.157-07:00Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, was definately the best ...Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, was definately the best character, Tom, I agree (look at issues like F.F. #51), but I don't think the comic would have had the widespread appeal it did without all the characters. Johnny for the teenage crew, Sue for the ladies (and us guys), and Reed, to control all these crazy people!Jim Barwisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06621993116774388708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830827465735526826.post-85849666828579568302011-06-06T18:34:20.924-07:002011-06-06T18:34:20.924-07:00Jack-
Good points you made about the FF appearing...Jack-<br /><br />Good points you made about the FF appearing to be not so 'fantastic,' at least initially. I'm willing to bet that if the Thing or some other type of unique monster wasn't involved with the quartet then the comic would not have become a success. <br /><br />The Thing has been given his own solo series from time to time over the years which were apparently successful (at least Marvel Two-In-One had a long run). During the early to mid 1980's the Thing was replaced by She-Hulk in the FF while he had his own solo series. Now, I have no sales figures to back me up, but I'm pretty sure that experiment came to a halt after a couple of years when The Fantastic Four series probably started tanking on the market. My point is, even though the folks at Marvel would never do it, you could get rid of the FF comic and have a Thing series all by his lonesome and sales would probably be roughly the same. Anybody disagree?Jockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16292833295819266389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830827465735526826.post-80842045801490519612011-06-06T17:43:36.242-07:002011-06-06T17:43:36.242-07:00It's hard to believe FF #1 would start the Mar...It's hard to believe FF #1 would start the Marvel craze! It's a knock-off of the Justice League, which over at DC was up to issue 7 by this time. Human Torch is a retread of the Golden Age android, Mr. Fantastic is a blatant copy of Elongated Man, who was a ripoff of Plastic Man, etc. Kirby's art is nothing special, certainly in comparison to what Infantino, Kane & Swan were doing at DC at the same time. And yet...there was something...I think Ben Grimm/The Thing was more than just another Marvel monster, as subsequent issues would demonstrate!Jack Seabrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com