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Topic: JBF Reading Club: Fantastic Four #285 (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Noah Smith
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Joined: 29 April 2004
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 2:23pm | IP Logged | 1  

I freely admit that I enjoyed Secret Wars II as a kid and I think some of the tie-ins still work.  The Spider-Man golden notebook story is good (notably, the Beyonder isn't in it) and I also like the Spider-Man issue where the Beyonder and Mephisto bet whether or not Spider-Man can save the Kingpin from assassination even if Mephisto has a demon psychologically torture him for hours.  At the time, I also liked the issue of The Thing where Ben almost beats the Beyonder to death in a wrestling ring, though I now think Ben was acting way out of character -- he hadn't been blaming the Beyonder for all his troubles up until that point.

"Hero" is one of the all-time greats.  Do you, the board, think it would have worked as well with another hero -- Superman and kid who jumped out a window trying to fly or something?
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Glen O'Brien
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 3:24pm | IP Logged | 2  

This story has stuck with me all these years. I love all of JB's run on FF, one of my favorite comic runs ever, but this story stands above most of the rest and is probably my favorite story of his ever. I reread it recently in the Visionaries trade, and found it just as powerful as I did more than 20 years ago.
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Jozef Brandt
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 3:29pm | IP Logged | 3  

I don't have my original issue handy...was this FF issue printed on that different kind of paper that was used in the 80s briefly?  I can't remember the name.  "Mondo" Paper?  It was a lot brighter, but looked cheesier too.  Really pasty. 

Sorry for the vague OT-ness. 


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Gordon Somers
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 3:42pm | IP Logged | 4  

In my opinion this is the second-best FF story JB did (after issue 267). If anyone can be shown how powerful a comic book can be without graphic scenes, without colourful language, without T&A...then they should be given these (along with Metropolis 900 miles).




Edited by Gordon Somers on 10 September 2007 at 3:42pm
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David Ferguson
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 4:01pm | IP Logged | 5  

One of the best single issue stories by JB*. The rest of the SW2 stories are kinda forgettable. I feel sorry for all the creative teams that got SW2 forced on them.

*I also enjoy the She-Hulk/photographer story but for entirely different reasons (it made me laugh).
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Michael Arndt
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 5:04pm | IP Logged | 6  

First comic to make me cry.

Great issue and classic at that.

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Brian Miller
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 5:38pm | IP Logged | 7  

Great issue. By this time, I was hooked on JB's FF.
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Brian Miller
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 5:39pm | IP Logged | 8  

Oh, and thanks for telling what would've taken place had not the Beyonder been forced to appear. I know you've mentioned it, but I didn't remember you saying it was Dr. Darling that was talking to the Torch instead of the Beyonder.
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Brian Hunt
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 7:19pm | IP Logged | 9  

A truly great issue with a powerful story.  The panel with Tommy in black silhouette by the barrel of fuel was such a great story telling technique.  Both suttle and explicit.
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Corey Johnson
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Posted: 10 September 2007 at 9:21pm | IP Logged | 10  

One of JB's best ever. Not even an appearance by the Beyonder could blunt the impact of this emotional tale.
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Aaron Smith
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Posted: 11 September 2007 at 7:18am | IP Logged | 11  

I had just started reading comics when this issue came out. I was 8 years old. The few comics I had already read had impressed me with their action, the costumes, the mysterious villains, etc. Then I read this one, and it was like getting kicked in the stomach! This was the first comic story to really get an emotional reaction out of me, and is probably what made me start to make up stories about the characters myself, which may very well be when I began to think like a writer. So, following that logic, this issue of FF very likely changed my life in a way that has continued to have an effect for over 20 years.

    Thanks, JB!

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Brian Talley
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Posted: 11 September 2007 at 7:24am | IP Logged | 12  

Simply a great story.
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