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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7017
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| Posted: 28 July 2025 at 1:56pm | IP Logged | 1
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I agree. The unit of the Fantastic Four is so wonderfully conceived that lots of different writers can make it work. The whole is so much greater than the parts.
Their capabilities challenge any writer to come up with a story that's worthy of them. When Stan and Jack were behind the scenes, the sense of increasingly dazzling wonder, from issue to issue, made each character shine. The bar is so high because each character is so perfectly devised to fit with the other three.
Devising foes and situations that convincingly keep Reed, Ben, Sue and Johnny playing defense leads to great comics, not because the book has 4 great characters who can be ranked against each other-- but because the Fantastic Four as a unit has incredible potential.
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Ken Plume
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 99
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| Posted: 28 July 2025 at 10:45pm | IP Logged | 2
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Many thanks to all of you who have listened to the episode of We Got This with Scott & I as the guests trying valiantly to help Mark & Hal determine the best member of the Fantastic Four.
If you've listened to that episode, you know we ended on a bit of a cliffhanger... And here's a tease for what's dropping at midnight tomorrow (Tuesday)...
I hope you'll join us for the fun...
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Athanasios Kollias
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 September 2021
Location: Greece
Posts: 338
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| Posted: 29 July 2025 at 6:37am | IP Logged | 3
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What I didn't like about the way Reed's been protrayed from some point on, which was touched upon on the podcast, is that he is on the spectrum. I definitely think that's a mistaken approach.
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Stéphane Garrelie
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 05 August 2005
Location: France
Posts: 4268
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| Posted: 29 July 2025 at 7:05am | IP Logged | 4
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Ben is my favorite. Then, either Red or Sue as written by JB. Johnny sometime can be great, and another time get on my nerves, depending on his behaviour. I'm notre always a big fan of his immaturity. I'm, for Johnny, mostly thinking of the Lee/Kirby version when i say this ; under JB i liked him, and his behavior was fine. Cause, you know, characters behave. Not the fault of the chroniclers. At all.
Maybe more than for any other team, the interraction between the members of the FF is as important as what they are by themselves. Ben may be the only one that is by himself of the highest interrest. Johnny of course also had solo stories, but he mostly was an ordinairy teenager with powers in it, and neither (for me at least) as interresting as Ben in solo or in 2 in 1. The Torch interaction with Spider-Man, works, but it is again an interaction, this time between teenage or young adult super-heroes. Under JB, i liked to see his personality developed, and the young adult he had become under... maybe Conway, Wein and Wolfman (and actually earlier under Lee and Kirby with his relationship to Crystal) be explored.
Edited by Stéphane Garrelie on 29 July 2025 at 7:08am
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Ken Plume
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 99
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| Posted: 30 July 2025 at 5:37am | IP Logged | 5
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The new episode is now available, and I'm beyond delighted that we have added the host of this here forum - John himself - to the mix in order to lock in an answer, once and for all...
(Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did!)
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7017
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| Posted: 30 July 2025 at 12:27pm | IP Logged | 6
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Listening with a grin. What a great episode! Just a gift. Thank you!
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134938
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| Posted: 30 July 2025 at 1:39pm | IP Logged | 7
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I tried my darndest, but somehow I just wasn’t able to offend anybody!!
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Matt Reed
Byrne Robotics Security
Robotmod
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 36398
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| Posted: 30 July 2025 at 7:03pm | IP Logged | 8
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Listened to Pt 1 & 2 back-to-back today. Excellent!
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Richard Fisher
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1248
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| Posted: 30 July 2025 at 9:36pm | IP Logged | 9
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Just clicked on this and had to immediately stop to post here.
I had no idea that Hal and Mark are the Hal and Mark from Thrilling Adventure Hour.
A very pleasant surprise.
I will now finish listening to the podcast.
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Ken Plume
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 99
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| Posted: 30 July 2025 at 11:43pm | IP Logged | 10
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Yup, that's them. Surprise!
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