Comic Books

FF #8

The War of Four Cities escalates and we learn what it is that Marvel’s First Family fears most!

Story by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Steve Epting
Cover by Daniel Acuña

Price: $2.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 1.3%

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Comments

  1. Epting returns! Hooray!

    Now let’s get this story back on track!

  2. Heyyyy an artist who’s work I can make out!

    • I wouldn’t advise you to make out with your comic books. The pages get all wet, you get papercuts on your tongue… it’s just best to stay friends with the books.

  3. I’m going to be so glad to be done with that black bolt arc. It was bad for me, probably because i know almost nothing about the inhumans. Anyway glad to see the book going back to the regular story

  4. i’m hopeful for this….this used to be my favorite book.

  5. Here’s hoping the FF actually appear in this issue of FF!

  6. I was highly disappointed by the Black Bolt arc being more of a filler story as opposed to a part of the current storyline. I didn’t mind the art.

    If this issue doesn’t turn things around, I’m dropping FF.

  7. Skipped the last two, and back on board for this. Woo.

  8. The last two were definitely a dip. I blame Marvel management, who squeezed FF for more money and squeezed out something else at the same time. Clearly Hickman must share some blame. I am sure editorial asked him if he could do it and he must have said yes. Of course, when the boss asks if you could step up for the team, what do you tell the boss? I do find it funny the lamenting of how far astray this comic had gone, when due to the double shipping, we really only had one bad month. Pay attention Marvel, fans turn quick. Despite its heritage, Fantastic Four is far from a must buy book for most.

    • Eh, I think Hickman’s Fantastic Four has had some puzzling “detour” issues before this. It seems to me that Hickman’s plotting just works this way. It’s an imperfect part of his otherwise great writing skills. Secret Warriors had various issues that also made me go “??? What was the point of that?” I remember a Word Balloon interview from a few months ago in which Hickman really talked up the issues with the Inhumans and he seemed really excited and proud of them. Maybe he’d act that way if Marvel just told him to do these issues, but I didn’t get that impression. With the transition to the “FF” branding he’s definitely been trying to include a larger cast anyway and not just focus on “the Four”.

      I stopped reading this a few months ago anyway. It kind of amuses me that this solicit says the “War of Four Cities escalates”. I’m way past ready for it to just be “OVER”!

  9. @jimbilly4: what are you basing those claims on? have you read something to support that somewhere?

    • A bit late responding, but if you happen to check this thread… I didn’t make any claim except that the quality dropped at the same time FF was double shipping and that Marvel management wanted for the double shipping. I guess Hickman could have pushed Marvel to let him double ship, rather than the other way around. He does presumably make more money the more issues go out. Still, it has been my impression that Marvel has made a conscious sales-based decision to try and push out more issues of their better selling items. And it is causing quality to suffer across their whole line, at least in my opinion.

  10. i was simply disappointed how they brought back Black Bolt without much explianing, then have him abandon the Kree to meander back to Earth. It didn’t really make sense. Or I liked what had been happening with the Inhumans lately, and was annoyed to see it changed. Or both. At least Crystal decided to hang around longer . . .

    I also think that Hickman typically tells his stories with massive tangents. I really enjoyed 95% of Secret Warriors, but feel as though I need to go back now and reread the whole thing from start to finish to judge how well it holds together. I don’t mind this type of long-term plotting as long as the issue to issue stories are engrossing, as, for the most part, I think that FF has been. SHEILD on the other hand, I dropped after Michelangelo showed up at the end of the first arc as some sort of Messiah. I’m sure that eventually the series will have an awesome payoff, but, honestly, the whole thing was getting a little too Dan Brownish for my comfort . . .

    • I have no clue what Black Bolt showing up even meant. I read NONE of that cosmic stuff from the last few years, so have no clue what’s going on with the Kree and the Inhumans and all that. The last two issues just totally meant nothing to me. Sill, I have faith in Hickman.

  11. I actually liked the last few issues. I was amazed by the depth Hickman was able to add to the Kree/Inhuman relationship! And while Tocchini’s art is radically different from Epting’s and Kitson’s, I thought it worked well in these issues. I understand the complaints though. It took me a while to appreciate Wes Craig after Pelletier and Walker, but I eventually came around! Hickman is golden right now.

  12. Never should have doubted you Hickman. This issue is amazing!

  13. I’m a little lost when it comes to the Inhumans and the whole Four Cities thing, but this issue was still really great. So goddamn glad that Epting is back on board.

  14. i was a little bit lost with the inhuman and Four Cities stuff as well. I enjoyed it as much as i could, but there was a lot to process.

  15. Oh god, please Epting don’t ever leave me!

    Gorgeous, GORGEOUS looking issue. Plus some really great moment with Susan/Nathaniel and the Council of Doom. My favorite moment is one of the Evil Reeds being enormously giddy over seeing Dr. Doom in the battle. Not the best issue in the run by Hickman but easily a 100000% improvement over the last two issues.

    5/5 (POTW)

  16. I’m glad this issue was back to what was great about the first 5 issues of FF. I just wish there was more Inhumans.

  17. Looks like October is the last issue I am getting. The new FF in November looks like a joke! sorry just my Opinion. So I will be dropping FF and Taking on Fantastic Four.

  18. I actually put this back on the shelf. I’m done with this book. Spider-Man was the only thing that kept me reading.

  19. I agree that this issue was an improvement over the last couple. I was only going to five it three stars, but tossed in an extra simply for the Susan/Nathaniel/Richard conversation. “Valerie’s in her room. She having quiet time . . .” Priceless. Also, is it just me, or are Epting’s renderings of Doom some of the more frightening we’ve seen in a while?

  20. This series started out as one of my favorites from Marvel, and now I just want someone to take it out back to the shed and put it out of its misery (and yes, I know about the big Fantastic Four anniversary issue/comeback, etc. and YAY for that). Until the big changes (i.e., Johnny Storm’s return) take place, FF feels like it’s running in place. This whole war of four worlds, multiple Reed Richards, time-displaced Daddy Fantastic stuff feels rehashed, stale and dreary. I did enjoy Sue’s “over it” attitude in this issue. I’m with ya, girl.

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