For months, comic book fans have wondered who would die in this week’s Fantastic Four #587, the last issue of the “Three” story arc, purported to contain the death of one of the founding member’s of Marvel’s First Family — either Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch or the Thing. An Associated Press article published around midnight eastern time Monday night/Tuesday morning — approximately nine hours before the comic was set to go on sale on the east coast — appeared to have revealed the answer.
Do we need to say it? Spoilers after the jump. Big ones.
Heck, let’s just leave some extra spoiler space for those clicking through on Twitter. Full spoilers after the cover of #587.
THIS IS IT, FRIENDS! LAST CHANCE TO AVOID MASSIVE FANTASTIC FOUR #587 SPOILERS!
According to the AP, it’s the Human Torch who dies, though the news outlet was short on details, other than, “Johnny Storm’s life is taken amid a massive battle.”
The character was our pick for the issue’s death in a column published last month, and fan speculation, though mix, tended in the Human Torch’s direction — especially after reports that Amazing Spider-Man #657 would feature the title character attending a “very private wake” for the deceased Fantastic Four member. Spider-Man and the Human Torch have long been portrayed as allies and friendly rivals, and Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott wrote the two characters in the Spider-Man/Human Torch miniseries.
The article contains quotes from Marvel chief creative officer Joe Quesada, senior vice president of publishing Tom Brevoort, and former Fantastic Four writer Roy Thomas. Brevoort didn’t provide any details as to what’s next for the title — or the March-debuting FF series from the current Fantastic Four creative team of writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Steve Epting — other than the story “will converge in a new thing that will be exciting and different and yet, very familiar and very much the same.” Quesada, acknowledging the tendency for comic book characters to come back from the dead, commented that while he won’t say when or if the Human Torch will come back, that what happens next will be “very, very interesting and not what anyone expects.”
Stay tuned to Newsarama for more details in the morning.
UPDATE- by Lucas Siegel
Well, now Marvel has re-spoiled it, this time in the title of their own press release. The title says “Marvel Entertainment Extinguishes Fantastic Four’s Human Torch” before then going into detail about the character’s death. Now, if I were a betting man, I’d tell you that the new series launching in March with FF #1 has about 11-12 issues in it. Why? Well, 12 issues of FF would then hit to a lovely Fantastic Four #600 (say with a big return?), that’s why. Full press release and a couple lovely covers and spoilery preview pages follow.
New York, NY – January 25, 2011 – “FLAME OFF!” In a move sure to shock comic fans worldwide, Marvel unveiled that its ever popular super hero the Human Torch will meet his demise and die heroically in Fantastic Four #587, hitting stores tomorrow (Wednesday, January 26th) [Newsarama Note: Many stores are selling this issue TODAY, Tuesday January 25, so check your LCS!]. Concluding the “Three” storyline that captivated the mainstream media and industry press alike, this issue and the death of such a renowned character from the First Family of comics signals the beginning of major changes for the Marvel Universe as the Fantastic Four lose one of their founding members.
“Jonathan Hickman [writer of Fantastic Four] came to us two years ago with a vision for evolving the characters and concepts introduced to fans 50 years ago in Fantastic Four #1 – and quite frankly his vision blew us away,” said Tom Brevoort, Marvel Entertainment SVP of Publishing. “The death of the Human Torch is the first major move in this incredibly exciting evolution of the legendary Fantastic Four franchise and a necessary part of the larger story we will be telling featuring the beloved characters moving forward.”
But the story doesn’t end there– February’s Fantastic Four #588 brings the long running series to a conclusion as the Fantastic Four disband and the surviving characters must discover their new roles in the Marvel Universe. Just what’s next for the surviving members of Marvel’s First Family?
Fantastic Four #1 debuted in 1961, kicking off the “Marvel Age” of comics and dramatically increasing the popularity of super heroes. As the progenitor of Marvel Universe, the Fantastic Four set a new tone for super hero comics with its nuanced characterization, reflection of real world fears and progressive depiction of super heroes. Through the years, the Fantastic Four have been involved in many of comics most important & memorable storylines, from the introduction of Galactus to the chart-topping Civil War and now the upcoming event Fear Itself.
It all begins with the shocking death of the Human Torch in Fantastic Four #587, in comic stores Wednesday, January 26th, 2011!
January 25th, 2011 at 1:23 am
It’s unfortunate that the headline on Yahoo spoils it. I would imagine someone at Marvel is on the phone right now.
That story has done it’s job, though: I’m going to buy it, and given that the new series is $2.99 after the first issue, I’m going to give that a shot, too.
I’m glad it’s the Torch, simply because he’s a character who could stay dead for a reasonable amount of time. And the Torch is more of an indirect character in that he doesn’t do much, but his absence will be felt.
January 25th, 2011 at 3:12 am
Well, it was his turn. Which is why this is so hard to get worked up about.
January 25th, 2011 at 7:21 am
Kyle, I wish I could believe Marvel gives a crap, but I’m not sure they do.
Didn’t the same thing happen with Captain America’s “death”, that it was entirely spoiled with news articles before people could even buy and read the comic?
Marvel seems to care far more about the attention they’re getting from the press than they do their customers having the chance to read the story for themselves.
January 25th, 2011 at 7:45 am
I have a feeling, after doing his interview for this article, Joe said, “Oh, and publish this the day before, so we can sell more comics.”
January 25th, 2011 at 9:28 am
In a way, I’m not surprised, as it was simply his turn to die. since Reed and Ben (and maybe Sue) have all taken the dirt nap, Johnny has yet to do so.
Bye, Johnny! See ya in about a year or two!
January 25th, 2011 at 9:28 am
Honestly, who didn’t know he was the one that was going to die
January 25th, 2011 at 9:31 am
No big surprise.
I also noticed that in one year it is issue 600. Can’t be connected, not at all.
At least they aren’t doing isse 687 as the last issue and the new series starting so they can have an issue 12 and then the next issue be 600.
January 25th, 2011 at 9:35 am
This is just one issue of a bigger ongoing story. THREE was but a chapter. I’ll wait and see how things play out, before I condemn it, like so many others have. I have been enjoying the FF, after a long absence. I didn’t want to see any of them die. And the media should not have been allowed to know before the readers. Marvel’s fault there. But there are WAY too many crab asses commenting elsewhere on this. Mostly FF/Torch haters. I don’t comment on books/characters I don’t like, because I don’t read them. Looking forward to Torch saving the day during the next Annihilation Wave.
January 25th, 2011 at 9:36 am
Can’t wait to get the whole story in the next issue of Wizard!!!! Wait….what happened to Wizard????
January 25th, 2011 at 9:39 am
*sigh* More proof Marvel continues to flounder. It’s no wonder Stan Lee rarely has anything to do with them anymore. As a friend would say, they “have forgotten the face of their father.”
January 25th, 2011 at 9:42 am
Well, unlike the Human Torch, Wizard magazine will actually STAY dead.
January 25th, 2011 at 9:51 am
*yawn* What’s the point to killing of another character when we all know he’ll be back?
I’m surprised death issues are even worth mentioning anymore.
January 25th, 2011 at 9:59 am
Somehow the Human Torch’s soul will somehow get mixed up inside Wolverine’s Soul and then they’ll be a Fantastic Four/X-Men cross-over to bring the Human Torch back.
And since the THING is now with the New Avenger’s – they’ll get involved, which will pull in Avengers Academy, Mighty Avengers and the Wolverine titles.
All in time for Fantastic Four # 600, which will be the “event” of the year….
Sigh….
January 25th, 2011 at 10:01 am
So the whole point of selling this on Tuesday instead of Wed was? There was no more to order from Marvel today anyway so it was not for extra sales. Thanks Marvel.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:05 am
The death of a character is no longer an “event” – it’s a storyline, one which is always resolved by the character’s re-emergence. It may be a great storyline – I won’t knock it before I read it, but that’s all it is. I’ve become real cynical about these “After this event, the (name your) Universe will never be the same again!”
January 25th, 2011 at 10:07 am
Not surprised. Thing is in the Avengers right now. Reed dying would be redundant. Millar just did a “Death of the Invisible Woman” story. That only left Johnny.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:15 am
See you within a few years Torchie old boy.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:20 am
Where is Johnny when this battle takes place, and why didn’t/couldn’t he just fly up above those creatures to safety ?
January 25th, 2011 at 10:29 am
I stopped buying the Fantastic Four years ago, and the only three runs that I really enjoyed were the original Jack Kirby/Stan Lee run, the John Byrne run, and the short stint that Walt Simonson wrote and drew. The rest never really seemed to live up to the hype of the book’s claim as “the world’s greatest comic magazine.”
Everyone know that the whole “death” storylines in comics is just a marketing gimmick to attract unsuspecting speculators from outside the comic book fan community. Will they even exist anymore in the coming Digital Age of comics?
The only thing that I would be interested in seeing as a result of this cliched storyline is to see the original android Human Torch return to his rightful place alonside Captain America and Namor, The Sub-Mariner as one of Marve Comics’ original heroes.
It would be very interesting to see how Sue and Ben would react to Johnny’s temporary replacement (since we all know that he will eventually return).
January 25th, 2011 at 10:29 am
kinda figured they would only go with “one” character dieing. I think it would have had a bigger effect if we did get 3 members dying and the the Thing being the only one left alive with the kids. I have been a big FF fan since I started 25 years ago, and have all but 35 issues of the FF series, I plan to stop at 588. I have to thank marvel for making this decision for me.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:30 am
You know, he’s not really dead. He just goes on to Hollywood to play the lead part in the Captain America movie.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:31 am
MARVEL (unfortunately) under the leadership of QUESADA has become the GUESS WHO DIES? label. It’s pretty much the only thing keeping them alive right now. That and the Avengers and X-MEN franchises. How many ‘big deaths’ have the comic industry had in the last 3 years? Cap, Punisher, Bruce Wayne, Cable (or any X-Man), Johhny, etc… This is how comics are sold these days. Then Jean Grey died (for the first time) 30 years back, it was a special touching moment in the industry. We actually cared and she was not coming back anytime soon or at all had writer Chris Clairmont gotten his way. After the death and immediate return of Superman, DC and Marvel have been abusing the death of these characters to sell or reboot sagging sales.
Here’s a thought…WRITE BETTER STORIES!
@AZSilverback and AKA: Wizard is alive and well. Just bought the 2011 Preview Issue a couple of weeks ago. I only buy the Summer and yearly preview issues because the magazine is just too thin, too expensive and too Hollywood these days.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:32 am
Well, Marvel got me reading Captain America after I read that he died and I’m still reading it (I did start from the beginning of Bru’s run). I barely read Cap before that and the same thing with the FF.
So, yeah, I will try Hickman’s first trade. I like series that attempt to shake it up, sure death seems like a hack way to do it, but not if it’s written well. Death of Cap was written well, can’t deny that. I’ll see if this and the lead-up was told well too.
BUUUT, leaking the spoiler BEFORE the issue is out is just bad taste and an insult to the creative team. Just print more copies and wait for the re-order demands. Marvel/Disney can be such greedy bastards at times. MONEY NOW! No integrity.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:32 am
I haven’t had a chance to read it and have no comic shops within hours of where I live. A REAL house of Ideas would publish Johnny getting the axe, then actually shooting Ben in the face. Crack integrity jokes how you want–THAT would be fantastic.
And I love Bendis and New Avengers. But it’d be pretty funny if it had been the Thing. I think Marvel maybe learned that lesson–not to steal a character being used to heavily in his own title–with the Cable & Deadpool series, when for some reason Cable had to join an X-Men team, and then destroy everything he had built to get the bad guy.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:35 am
My God! I just went to NEWSARAMA Comics page and there it is…’Major G.I. JOE character dies’. This is like a bad joke. The deaths no longer propel the story. Appealing to the bestial nature of man, they actually prostitute the story.
Ah, well…
January 25th, 2011 at 10:38 am
Anyone else notice that the member to die is the ONLY one who was NEVER an avenger? Ironically, Johnny is, as far as I’m concerned, the most interesting member of the team since he hasnt had as much “airtime” as the others have in the 50 years of their existence.
I hope he comes back soon, Johnny is one of those rare characters that you can actually RELATE to which makes him stand-out in the Marvel Universe
Timmy!
January 25th, 2011 at 10:43 am
@ Godwell-
You may want to go back to the homepage and scroll down just a liiiiiittle bit further.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:44 am
@ Godwell-
Wait a minute…you saw the GI Joe preview but somehow missed the multiple stories about Wizard magazine no longer being published?
January 25th, 2011 at 10:46 am
Just wanted to say thanks to Newsarama for Albert (& Newsarama) for posting this story with class, with tons of opportunities to not have it be spoiled before getting to the main article. Even though it was spoiled elsewhere, and I am not buying the storyline, I appreciate Newsarama not putting “Flame off!” on the main page. Well done.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:49 am
If Barry Allen and Bucky couldn’t stay dead, the Human Torch is going to bounce back like a videogame character.
As to why Marvel announced this in the press, of course they want to sell more books. Marvel is a company. It’s only to us that this is a hobby.
As to how often they’ll go to this well, it’s the same answer for how long they’ll turn out the Big Events: As long as they sell. And why not? Readers vote with their wallet and say, “This is what we want, no matter what we say on message boards.”
January 25th, 2011 at 11:27 am
I see too much story-involvment from mr Hickmann : he has a plan, it’s really part of something, it was about time that the FF evolve, and Johnny finally got ‘his’ story, even if it’s the last.It isn’t because they didn’t what to do this month, as we can sometimes suppose ( nothing like killing a character to righteously conclude a story-arc who is going nowhere : see Diamond Lil ), did we have a decent creative staff, it should have happened earlier, I guess we shouldn’t complain when Marvel FINALLY do his job.
ah. Johnny would be really unlucky if he doesn’t come back to life – and Sue will be really pissed-off, she’ll had to sold her soul to Mephisto (yeah)
I too would be glad to see the original Human Torch returning , or maybe will we have something like the Vision/ WonderMan: a new android with Johnny’ brain patterns ?
gosh, that reminds me I really have to find a job…
January 25th, 2011 at 11:27 am
No creo que casi nadie miss Human Torch…. en un par de años esta de regreso, bueno era el mas anoying!
January 25th, 2011 at 11:37 am
I thought there were going to be no over-prints or 2nd printings of this issue. That was what marvel said 2 weeks ago, encouraging retailers to order heavy like Captain America 25. Diamonds website says a 2nd print is coming. WTF!!! Marvel make up your mind and stick to it. No overprint and no 2nd prints means exactly that.
January 25th, 2011 at 11:41 am
My guess is they replace him for awhile with the Golden Age Torch or Toro (or maybe permanently?)
January 25th, 2011 at 11:42 am
Doesn’t matter to me since I’m still not buying anything Marvel publishes. Marvel and the AP spoiled that whole mess with Captain America. Nobody should be surprised that it happened again. Marvel is more interested in getting press than making good comics.
January 25th, 2011 at 11:43 am
FLAME OFF!! nuff said.
January 25th, 2011 at 11:47 am
Ok so the torch died, i’ll wait a year and he’ll be back, maybe reed goes back in time and saves him or something.
you know what will be good, if they kill a hero and he stays dead, period! but this is comics and no one stays dead cuz they need money, so you next year torch.
January 25th, 2011 at 11:59 am
Do I really have to say it?? So what. Big deal. Doesn’t matter. Who cares. Big whoop. He’ll be back in a year or 2 because NO ONE STAYS DEAD IN COMIC BOOKS.
January 25th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
“In a move sure to shock comic fans worldwide”
Whoever wrote that statement doesn’t know comic fans very well…not only have we come to expect “unexpected” previously announced deaths. We also know death in comics almost never takes.
I’m looking at you Nightcrawler! (looks at watch)
January 25th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
And Chaos War’s last issue brought some characters back to life. I’m OK with that, since they died so stupidly anyways.
January 25th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
I think deaths in comics would be more of an impact if they weren’t announced and just done. Even if they bought the character back in a few years, I think this would still have more of an impact.
January 25th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
We all know no one dies in comics. Hell Barry Allen’s been dead for over 20 years and DC brought him back to life. Johnny was the obvious choice to die so it really wasn’t worth all this hype. And from the the panels I’ve seen of this issue, haven’t read it yet, he may not be dead anyway. We’ll see ’bout that I’m sure.
January 25th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
rule number 1: No body, No death. technically with chaos war going on, and no one dying, could he still be considered “dead”. Like others have said, 13 issues from now we get FF 600, a big milestone book. the new book will be FF for 12 issues, then change back to Fantastic Four for issue 600. The band will get back together and we will have all 4 of them fighting again.
January 25th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Should have gone super nova.
January 25th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Can’t wait to see the Johnny Storm red flame foil variant cover on the next issue of Wizard
January 25th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
Did he forget he could fly?
January 25th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Sure aging fan-boys know death in a comic is a joke, but what’s getting lost is a good story.
From what I’ve read of a review, all the media hype is spoiling a good read. Apparently it’s not as cheap a death as Superman’s was 20 years back.
But well crafted by Hickman and Epting.
So more than anything this nonsense about death is overshadowing a good comic.
That’s the real tragedy.
January 25th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
I do not understand why comic creators and especially DC & Marvel continue to publish pointless “Deaths” honestly, I call for a boycott of every issue with a major character death. This act is as desperate as Marvel killing Cap bc of their hate for Conservatives or DC killing off the New Gods. This is so old!
January 25th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
figured it would turn out to be the torch since. both Reid and the thing took the dirt nap . which just left sue or the torch. but think marvel did not want an uproar over killing sue aka a woman in refrigerator move. so that left the torch.even though sooner or later he will rise again.
January 25th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
—
# Buddy Deering Says:
January 25th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Sure aging fan-boys know death in a comic is a joke, but what’s getting lost is a good story.
From what I’ve read of a review, all the media hype is spoiling a good read. Apparently it’s not as cheap a death as Superman’s was 20 years back.
But well crafted by Hickman and Epting.
So more than anything this nonsense about death is overshadowing a good comic.
That’s the real tragedy.
—
It’s a decent story, yeah, but it’s nothing amazing. Johnny’s “death” is the end of Wrath of Khan. He takes the hit to save Ben. We see Johnny being overwhelmed, but that’s it. No body, no seeing if he’s going to go supernova on them. Unless things change with the next issue, it’s the easiest death to take back since Michael Myers disappeared from that lawn.
January 25th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
If you think about it, in one of these massive epics, if someone doesn’t die it’s not very realistic. It would have been like having the Crisis On Infinite Earths with no deaths. Bucky was dead for how many years? And Barry Allen was dead for over 20! Just let the writers do their thing: entertain us. If you don’t like their stories or what they do with the character stop reading the book(s). Eventually everything rights itself again. And there is supposed to be another Annihilation story-maybe johnny plays a role there? Maybe that’s where he comes back? Maybe he and Star-Lord and Nova all come back then. Just in time for FF#600.
January 25th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
“From what I’ve read of a review, all the media hype is spoiling a good read. Apparently it’s not as cheap a death as Superman’s was 20 years back.”
Nope it is even cheaper. Even after stealing the black bag Death of Superman idea.
January 25th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
I don’t mind the death and couldn’t care less if he stays dead or comes back after a year in a probably #600. I like what Dan Slott has been doing in ASM and it seems pretty clear that Spidey will be joinging the FF, albeit temporarily. I think it’s a fun change of pace and enough to get me to read FF. Again, temporarily. I wouldn’t mind an ongoing, rotating 4th member of the team. I also wouldn’t mind an all new FF while the current team mourns behind the scenes.
January 25th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
At last Marvel can charge $3.99 for this book, fantastic FOUR, indeed….fricken’ Quesadilla!
January 25th, 2011 at 4:37 pm
I know Hickman says this wasn’t motivated by the fact that “it was his turn”; and I believe him, but it totally WAS his turn. After the “death of Sue” hullabaloo a couple years ago it wouldn’t have made any sense. And the Thing died 6 or 7 years ago, ending with the FF storming Heaven (awesome story btw). And given that Reed was trying to “solve everything” his death didn’t make sense either.
Also, they’ve said that FF is going back to issue 600, so that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
This is something I’ve never done, but I’m also going to take this time to call out Border Lands comics in Jacksonville, Fl. I walked in there asking for FF and they proceeded to inform me how the “comic shipping thing” works (As a reader of comics for 25 years I’m well acquainted with that concept). When I mentioned the press release from Marvel they told me “The press doesn’t read comics, so they don’t know anything.” I ain’t bitching about not getting my comic book. I’m cool with that. I just don’t like being looked at like I’m an idiot that doesn’t know how to read something. Saying that to a faceless mass makes me feel better. Thank you internet.
January 25th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
You are welcome!
January 25th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
We have become so jaded by the repeated use of death/rebirth to sell comics that pretty much any of us would bet on Torch returning for issue #600 . . . so wouldn’t be great to see a death stick? No offense to Johnny or anything, but there’s always the hope that Marvel sticks to the old ‘dead is dead’ philosophy.
January 25th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
First Family of Comics? Really? If any family is the first, wouldn’t it be the Marvels, considering the amount of random Marvels that appeared throughout the years. Including Uncle Marvel?
January 25th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
I might make a heroclix team of dead Marvel characters: Goliath, Nightcrawler, Hercules, Human Torch…
Who else is currently dead that I can throw in here?
January 25th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Holy cow. Are any of you guys actually comic book fans? Or do you just come on here to troll for no reason other than you like to hear yourself complain. What a bunch of weiners.
January 25th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
It will end up not being Johnny but something from the Negative Zone and that is where the real Johnny will be found.
January 26th, 2011 at 1:24 am
Hmm. I guess I’m not quite as cynical as I thought. As I posted last week on the story about Marvel’s releasing the issue “a day early”:
Joseph Says:
January 20th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
If I were really cynical, I’d say that this is early warning for the retailers (and fans) that Marvel plans on letting the cat out of the bag (so to speak) to the media sometime Tuesday.
It wasn’t cynicism, after all. It was merely getting into Marvel’s proverbial head and figuring out their real game plan.
January 26th, 2011 at 4:29 am
Marvel put things in perspective about all things relating to comic books when they blew away years of character development with their “One Last Day” nonsehse. I learned not to invest any amount of emotional involvement in (what is, after all) words and drawings printed on cheap paper. That’s why the deaths of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, or Johnny Storm for that matter, leave me indifferent now. I just shrug, toss the particular issue aside, and look for a omic issue that will resonate with me again. Fortunately there still is a lot of good work out there. I say in closing, sure JS will be back in a year..and if not, who in Hades’ name cares? There are 586 back issues to read where the Torch lives on in all his teen angst greatness. And, too, there is always the android Human Torch…
January 26th, 2011 at 6:39 am
This is still better than the lame ring gimmick DC pulled… haha
January 26th, 2011 at 11:13 am
I still don’t have it. I made the mistake of going to CRAPPY ST. MARKS COMICS in Brooklyn bought it off the shelf with all the new issues. It wasn’t bagged which I thought was odd. Even talked to the counter guy about it being spoiled. Got home… it was last issue I bought with a new cover. I called up and they said “oh we sold out” when the guy at the desk told me they didn’t even put it out yesterday cause it was boxed with all their other comics. So obviously they are trying to hoarde them at St. Marks.
Should have just gone to my regular shop Midtown!
January 26th, 2011 at 11:14 am
The really sad thing would be if Marvel thought we would all really believe he was going to die and stay dead. (if they do, they’re delusional, and if they don’t then they deserve every bit of cynical censure heaped on them)
January 26th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Marvel really showed how little they care for their fans by ruining this story like this.
I had a total media blackout starting Monday night when it first started leaking because as a long time reader I didn’t want it spoiled for me.
Thanks, Marvel for showing the fans you care more about fake hype from a media that neither gives a rats ass nor knows anything about comics than the people who will still toss away $3 and $4 a month for your comics.
You’ll be getting considerably less from me for a long time. And, you’re FF series starting next month? I won’t even look at it. It’ll only run for 11 issues then revert (again) to original numbering with Fantastic Four #600.
January 26th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
For everyone who thinks that the “no one stays dead” fans are too cynical – I challenge you………. Name 10 characters who have died who have never been brought back – even once, or who are unlikely to return.
I can come up with 2.
The Earth Two Batman who died back in 1979 has never been resurrected and I doubt he will be, although honestly it would be cool to have an Earth 2 (new Multiverse numbering) Batman & Robin again.
The Earth Two Lois Lane who died in Infinite Crisis. I really don’t see them ever bringing her back UNLESS………….
They bring back the Earth Two Superman, which honestly I could see them doing at some point, as long as the new Multiverse exists.
January 26th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Maybe bring the Torch back as Ronin for awhile and then….oh wait a second….
January 26th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
……..this is why i quit reading new comics twenty years ago. I am so sick of dark and gritty. If Marvel wanted to emulate the real world, Jean Grey and everyone who has died in comics would still be dead. If comic books join pulp fiction novels in fanboy heaven, they would be in a better place; by sticking around and milking the ‘deaths’ of beloved characters to make a buck, Marvel dishonors the people who created these characters, back when the real world was just as dark and as gritty as it is now. The problem with dark and gritty is that if there is no light and no good left in the world, there is no contrast between good and evil.
January 26th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
I’ve seen Johnny go supernova on occasion, proving his power is off the charts. He should have been the last one standing on a mound of ash and bones! After a lifetime of epic battles he should have been shown to be way more resourceful. It seemed to be weak writing. They could have achieved the same result and given us a death worthy of a warrior like Johnny. They short-changed his character. It should have been a full issue battle with give and take not a few cheap panels. Give the artist a chance to blow us away with an exhaustive battle with Johnny finally succumbing to overwhelming odds. We were robbed of the potential emotional payoff. I don’t mind that he died, it was just a cheap death.
January 26th, 2011 at 8:33 pm
What a joke. We don’t even see him “die”. Captain American dies infront of everyone and he’s back 6 months later. We don’t even see Johnny die. He probably went supernova after the gate shut.
Another Marvel scam that we all fell for. Yet another reason to drop Marvel. Bye, bye.
January 26th, 2011 at 9:14 pm
“Another Marvel scam that we all fell for.”
I have to say, even without the media driving the spoiler train on this one, I’m left scratching my head over this “death”. Scam? It certainly feels that way.
January 27th, 2011 at 1:07 pm
“Ok so the torch died, i’ll wait a year and he’ll be back, maybe reed goes back in time and saves him or something.
you know what will be good, if they kill a hero and he stays dead, period! but this is comics and no one stays dead cuz they need money, so you next year torch.”
Ladies and gentlemen, the most cliched comment after a character death. Give him a hand folks!
January 27th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
So, to all the people crying scam and “he’ll be back” what would it take for you to change your narrow view? A personal letter written my Marvel’s president saying they vow not to return said character back to the living? Will you then collect the book or get the trades with this storyline? Most of you probably are not even reading Fantastic Four ( or will even do so after this) so WHY are you bothering to comment?
Permanent death. Who gives a crap if it’s permanent. Hasn’t affected X-Men sales. When someone dies we say it was “pointless.” When someone is resurrected we say “no one stays dead.”
Deaths and revivals have been a part of comics since at least the 80′s. Get. Used. To. It. It’s not so much if or when a character returns. It’s the how. And if the how is well-written, does it really matter that it was done at all? If the writer does indeed have a planned plot, which none of you have any reason to doubt he does. Then give him the chance to tell it before crying PR STUNT!
January 27th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Glad I passed on this, picked up an extra DC book instead.
January 28th, 2011 at 9:39 am
“And if the how is well-written, does it really matter that it was done at all?”
It wasn’t well-written. It was all hype and, in the end, completely lazy, cliched, and entirely predictable.
The backdoor for a return wasn’t even hidden, but left wide open in the form of a character OUTRIGHT STATING that there’s a backdoor.
This doesn’t just cry PR stunt, it screams it as loud as possible like a 10 year old at a Justin Bieber concert.
February 1st, 2011 at 10:35 am
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August 4th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Well, at least Barry Allen stayed dead for like 20 years. And Bucky was dead for like 60+ years!! In fact, Barry Allen has been dead far longer than Jason Todd, so the “Bucky Clause” was flawed from the beginning.