Ultimate Fantastic Four #26 discussion SPOILERS

[TheManWithoutFear]

I've given up on Millar and Land's run, so I ain't got this.

I don't give up on favorite titles just because there's a writer with crappy concepts on the title. I just suck it up. But I wish I could give up on it.

 

[Guijllons]

I don't give up on favorite titles just because there's a writer with crappy concepts on the title. I just suck it up. But I wish I could give up on it.

I've given up on it for now then.

 

[cmdrjanjalani]

First of all, I actually really appreciate Millar's constant nods at Marvel's 60s era. The average writer would probably dismiss the more outlandish and campier concepts and storylines that took place during that time, but Millar decides to make them believable within a more realistic and modern setting.

In this issue, I actually like the Fantastic Five-Oh, but I agree that it was bit too much of a deus ex machina and a very radical invention that would bother those who were used to Ellis' writing. Still it would be something that someone with the brains of Reed Richards would do, and the explanation that Reed probably has superhuman intelligence by now would be perfect for Millar and any other writer's plans to have Reed build crazier devices in the future.

The scene with the half-naked Mary Storm was hilarious especially Franklin's reaction. I wished Sue had her own reaction though, that would be more interesting. For those who were bashing Reed's helmet's abilities without reading the book, please take note that the device actually burned through all the power within the Eastern seaboard and Franklin had to shut the system down before it would induce nuclear meltdowns. Definitely not a device that could be used everyday. I would also like to take note that it was good that Millar referenced the X-Men and the Ultimates, in order to add credibility about why no one else is trying to save New York from another full-scale threat.

My complaints include the lack of transition between certain parts, but even more the relationship between Mary and Sue. We know they were better by the end, but we're not exactly sure how it got there. Sure we eventually find out that Mary Storm actually loves her children contrary to how she appears in the first issue, but only Franklin really knew. Sue and the others were busy trying to stop Namor. Namor ripping off Persephone from the Matrix was also a cop-out, since one begs to wonder why didn't he just try to kidnap Sue and kill the others. Perhaps he was actually close to defeat but wanted the recuperate and used his water monster bit as his doomsday weapon to keep the others off his back and still get some sweet Sue sugar? Liked the ending though. I was surprised by the Doctor Doom comment since we never knew Van Damme referred to himself by that name, but it is perhaps a slip-up from a mind-controlled Mary Storm.

 

[Hyperstorm]

First of all, I actually really appreciate Millar's constant nods at Marvel's 60s era. The average writer would probably dismiss the more outlandish and campier concepts and storylines that took place during that time, but Millar decides to make them believable within a more realistic and modern setting.

In this issue, I actually like the Fantastic Five-Oh, but I agree that it was bit too much of a deus ex machina and a very radical invention that would bother those who were used to Ellis' writing. Still it would be something that someone with the brains of Reed Richards would do, and the explanation that Reed probably has superhuman intelligence by now would be perfect for Millar and any other writer's plans to have Reed build crazier devices in the future.

The scene with the half-naked Mary Storm was hilarious especially Franklin's reaction. I wished Sue had her own reaction though, that would be more interesting. For those who were bashing Reed's helmet's abilities without reading the book, please take note that the device actually burned through all the power within the Eastern seaboard and Franklin had to shut the system down before it would induce nuclear meltdowns. Definitely not a device that could be used everyday. I would also like to take note that it was good that Millar referenced the X-Men and the Ultimates, in order to add credibility about why no one else is trying to save New York from another full-scale threat.

My complaints include the lack of transition between certain parts, but even more the relationship between Mary and Sue. We know they were better by the end, but we're not exactly sure how it got there. Sure we eventually find out that Mary Storm actually loves her children contrary to how she appears in the first issue, but only Franklin really knew. Sue and the others were busy trying to stop Namor. Namor ripping off Persephone from the Matrix was also a cop-out, since one begs to wonder why didn't he just try to kidnap Sue and kill the others. Perhaps he was actually close to defeat but wanted the recuperate and used his water monster bit as his doomsday weapon to keep the others off his back and still get some sweet Sue sugar? Liked the ending though. I was surprised by the Doctor Doom comment since we never knew Van Damme referred to himself by that name, but it is perhaps a slip-up from a mind-controlled Mary Storm.

Remeber Ben called him Dr. Doom in the Annual and when someone mentioned this on the letter page they made a cryptic comment.

 

[ultimatesentry]

I read the issue last night, and before that my friend Lynx had already told me much about it. To be honest, at first I was really gonna hate the Fantastic Five O....then I looked at it, and I actually liked it. If there is only one person who can ever design and make something like that, it's Reed. And even though it crapped out on him, it did help him a lot at first. Now as for the helmet, same thing, Reed can do it, and Reed did do it. Millar made it good for having a cameo of the ultimates and the X-men, but it also showed that the FF are the new kids on the block. Now you know what they can do, and the FF have shown that time and time again. As for Namor, man, all of that just for a kiss, yeah sounds like something Doom would do. I definetly think that Storm and Doom and Namor are tied together, there is something about that, that really makes this an interesting run. And I do want to see where it ends up. And for Sue and Mary's relationship, how they just "bonded" at the end, I agree that was just messed up as well, but I'm sure somewhere along the line, Franklin actually told Sue and Johhny how worried their mother was during the whole escapade of Namor. That's my only explanation on that part. Other then that, I really did love this entire issue. I do however wish they had shown more on Namor, all they really explained was, that instead of him being a king of atlantis, he was a great criminal, yet Namor still goes on about how he was king. So I do hope in further issues, Millar explains more on Namor.

 

[vader]

personally i found that the issue was questioning the readers intellegence, first of all it was pointless. nothing was accomplished, there were no points that were conveyed to the reader exept the fact that maybe Sue likes boys with muslces a little more than geek men like Reed. I can't imagen how they battled in New York destroying cars, buses, roads and having a tidal wave looming over the city and it was all resolved with just a kiss from a woman who was "Practically engaged" to Reed. Pathetic, the only good part was the ending. That's it. I give it 1/5.

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

personally i found that the issue was questioning the readers intellegence, first of all it was pointless. nothing was accomplished, there were no points that were conveyed to the reader exept the fact that maybe Sue likes boys with muslces a little more than geek men like Reed. I can't imagen how they battled in New York destroying cars, buses, roads and having a tidal wave looming over the city and it was all resolved with just a kiss from a woman who was "Practically engaged" to Reed. Pathetic, the only good part was the ending. That's it. I give it 1/5.

Thank you.

 

[Ice]

personally i found that the issue was questioning the readers intellegence, first of all it was pointless. nothing was accomplished, there were no points that were conveyed to the reader exept the fact that maybe Sue likes boys with muslces a little more than geek men like Reed. I can't imagen how they battled in New York destroying cars, buses, roads and having a tidal wave looming over the city and it was all resolved with just a kiss from a woman who was "Practically engaged" to Reed. Pathetic, the only good part was the ending. That's it. I give it 1/5.

I agree not much was really accomplished, but I still enjoyed it.

 

[Bass]

Nice enough resolution. Despite all the outlandish inventions, Millar never used one to resolve the story - the story being resolved appropriately by Sue having to choose whether or not to kiss Namor.

However, the real problem is that there was no point to any of it. It's also unbelievable that Namor wouldn't flatten Manhattan. When Poseidon-River-God-Man showed up, I think it the story went past the whole, "I wanna kiss" bit.

Yeah - didn't go far enough. For a title Millar is trying to 'push' by crowding it with loads of ideas... he's kinda forgotten to give it a meaningful story. Millar shouldn't try to ape Grant Morrison. He can't really pull it off. Wasn't bad at all, but wasn't great either.

 

[Ice]

Yeah - didn't go far enough. For a title Millar is trying to 'push' by crowding it with loads of ideas... he's kinda forgotten to give it a meaningful story. Millar shouldn't try to ape Grant Morrison. He can't really pull it off. Wasn't bad at all, but wasn't great either.

Do you mean "rape"?

 

[Goodwill]

I don't give up on favorite titles just because there's a writer with crappy concepts on the title. I just suck it up. But I wish I could give up on it.

I wish I could, too, but I can't since I've got a damn subscription.

 

[Patriot Mk2]

I liked it.

Good, wholesome old school fun and craziness, in other words exactly what Millar said it would be when he took over the book.

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

in other words exactly what Millar said it would be when he took over the book.

I don't care what Millar said it would be like. I don't go for the whole "Well, he warned us. So that makes it ok." I know the Fantastic Four should be a little more unrealistic than the other ultimate titles. I've even defended that when people complained about the N-Zone arc but Millar is taking it way too far. If Card had said I'm just gonna have some fun with these characters, would that make it ok?

 

[Ice]

I don't care what Millar said it would be like. I don't go for the whole "Well, he warned us. So that makes it ok." I know the Fantastic Four should be a little more unrealistic than the other ultimate titles. I've even defended that when people complained about the N-Zone arc but Millar is taking it way too far. If Card had said I'm just gonna have some fun with these characters, would that make it ok?

It ain't nothing about "well he warned us". He's saying you knew what was to come. Also doesn't have to do with the F4 being more "unrealistic". The F4 aren't just about all the high-nigh science talk and all that.

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

It ain't nothing about "well he warned us". He's saying you knew what was to come.

:sure: There's no difference.

Also doesn't have to do with the F4 being more "unrealistic". The F4 aren't just about all the high-nigh science talk and all that.

Yeah, it does have to do with that. The main reason people are mad is because of Alternate Worlds, Time Travel, Mini-Mates, Machines with Rocks attached, stretchy brains, overpowered villains who are defeated by a kiss. They're disappointed that Millar has done all this crazy stuff.

At least Ellis made it seem a bit more like science than fantasy.

 

[Ice]

:sure: There's no difference.

Ok, yeah.

Yeah, it does have to do with that. The main reason people are mad is because of Alternate Worlds, Time Travel, Mini-Mates, Machines with Rocks attached, stretchy brains, overpowered villains who are defeated by a kiss. They're disappointed that Millar has done all this crazy stuff.

At least Ellis made it seem a bit more like science than fantasy.

No, it doesn't just have to do that. With the F4 there's both science and fantasy to them. Ellis did the science, and Millar's doing the fantasy part out. Can it be done better? Of course. Everything always can be.

 

[ProjectX2]

I'm going to ask Millar personally if in one of the alternate worlds, Daredevil is a whore.

 

[Bass]

Do you mean "rape"?

No I mean "ape" as in "trying to be like".

Yeah, it does have to do with that. The main reason people are mad is because of Alternate Worlds, Time Travel, Mini-Mates, Machines with Rocks attached, stretchy brains, overpowered villains who are defeated by a kiss. They're disappointed that Millar has done all this crazy stuff.

At least Ellis made it seem a bit more like science than fantasy.

That's the real problem. It's not that they have alternate worlds or time travel. We've already seen an alternate world in the Ultimate Fantastic Four - The N-Zone which is a pivotal part of the title. Aliens appeared in The Ultimates and are the basis for Ultimate Extinction.

The problem is that Millar isn't convincing. See, the Ultimate universe is done in a more actualistic style and Millar is trying to sound scientific with his fantasy writing, but he is just not convincing with it. Ellis, Moore, and Morrison have a knack for making strange alien concepts seem natural and believable, but Millar doesn't seem able to do it in this title.

However, the complaints that Namor is overpowered is top trumps. The complaint that he was defeated with a kiss are well-founded.

Seriously, when Namor said, "She meant it" and left, his parting words should have been, "I will be back! In the sequel! Dun dun duh!"

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

Seriously, when Namor said, "She meant it" and left, his parting words should have been, "I will be back! In the sequel! Dun dun duh!"

:lol:
There really has to be more to it. I mean Millar's a good writer. There's no way he just had him leave like that. Maybe when he saw the rest of the countries superpeople through Reed's imagination :roll: he got worried that possibly he couldn't take on this force by himself. So he copped out and is amassing his forces for Ultimate Invasion.

 

[DIrishB]

I didn't think this was a bad issue by far. I also didn't think it was much good either. I can respect and appreciate Millar paying homage to the original FF comics through UFF, but there's a line which can also be crossed. I have always liked the UFF title's slightly more "out-there" and whacky storylines and concepts, as they are after all the Fantastic Four. However, sometimes these approaches can get too ridiculous (and did many times in the original 616 FF). Unfortunately Millar tries to be harkening back to that constant over-the-topness with this run on UFF too much in my opinion. While the UFF should certainly see some extremely weird and surreal storylines, I also think it should maintain just a bit more of a real-world setting the rest of the Ultimate universe is partially known for (though thats quickly slipping away). Therefore I thought the huge Japanimation 05 Robot that Reed built was a bit crazy, but no big deal...cuz after all he's built a teleportal machine, a dimension-hopping space-ship, a time machine, and the Fantasticar all in less than the first 25 issues, and those are only a few of his inventions...so its not that out there in terms of context or content, but I just think its too much too soon. But then, maybe it wouldn't be fantastic enough? Damn...the Ultimate Fantastic Four are like a writer's catch-22. Anyway, I'd like to see Millar focus on the characters a bit more than the huge, insane plot devices and whacked-out storyline. Now, those things should still be retained, as they're integral parts of any FF book, but I think a bit more character development would serve to back-up the fact that they're a "family", and I haven't seen that issue addressed really at all. Sure, Reed and Sue are close, and Ben and Johnny fight a lot, but how much else do we really know about their inter-personal relationships. How do Sue and Johnny get along now? Or how about Sue and Ben? What about Reed and Dr. Storm? I mean, Millar introduced a pretty interesting point of contention between Storm and Reed in Crossover, but by the next arc it seemed to have been forgotten. Thats all I'd like to see, more character development amongst the science and fantastic. That alone should help.

Anyway, I thought the issue was ok. I'll give it a 3/5.