Reading the Fantastic Four comics left me with divided feelings. While I enjoyed reading the stories that came before my floppy comic series, I noticed a few peculiar instances in my reading.
For the most part, the comic still conforms to the typical style of comic books we have seen in class. The boxes are present and the pictures/words are kept within them, unlike what we saw in The Claw and Daredevil. The comics even build on stereotypes.
Ben’s speech caught my attention first, with him having a thick accent. Phrases like “wotta we do” and “mebbe we could teach ‘im to bark ‘an make a watchdog outta him” add an interesting flavor to this character. I mentioned Ben’s character in my previous post but it dealt more with his relationships to people and behavior (he seems to have mellowed out in these comics, more a friend to Reed than before) rather than speech.
The most interesting relationship this time, however, was that between Reed and Sue. As stated before, Sue seemed to be a cross-character between the old “save me big strong man” and superhero. But as these comics went on her superhero persona seemed to fade away. She became whiny during the fight against the Inhumans in #47. She thinks Reed does not love her because he is working on another project, that she is just “one of the boys”, and thinks a new hair style will make him notice her. She puts the team in danger by becoming invisible for a ‘grand entrance’ when they land in the Great Refuge. Reed is genuinely scared she is hurt or taken hostage and when he learns she just wanted to surprise him with her hairdo he yells at her (13).
She does care about her husband, though, which makes his outbursts a bit extreme. Despite being a newlywed man, Reed treats his wife as though she were a burden. He constantly tells her to “stop sounding like a wife” and calls her “young lady”. While I understand that emotions will not help in situations and they need to focus as a team, the Fantastic Four act to protect their home and those they love. Reed and Sue will use pet names like honey and darling but Reed’s comments appear to be condescending rather than out of frustration.
Reed, himself, is an egotistical jerk. He thinks that he can solve anything and that only he can hold up the team. When they have to split up to stop the Inhumans and Dragon Man. Sue wants Reed to help Triton but he does not think Johnny and Ben can handle Dragon Man without him. How will they ever win without the wonderful Reed Richards?
When talking to others about these comics, I found the consensus to be that Reed has an ego too big for Earth and learned that Ben originally pined for Sue but blames/hates Reed for getting to her first. This seems to be a trend with Sue; the reason for the end of the Four in the floppies I am reading have to do with another man in hate with Reed. To me, Sue seems a cross between two characters in the movies Ten Things I Hate About You and Fool’s Gold. In Ten Things there is a character named Bianca Stratford who is sought after by all the boys at school and is obsessed with having everyone love her. Fool’s Gold has a character named Gemma Honeycut, who is so dumb (though not blonde like Sue or Bianca) that her moments of intellect are mistakes. Apparently, for as ditzy and self-absorbed as Sue seems, she is the cat’s meow.
For the most part, the comic still conforms to the typical style of comic books we have seen in class. The boxes are present and the pictures/words are kept within them, unlike what we saw in The Claw and Daredevil. The comics even build on stereotypes.
Ben’s speech caught my attention first, with him having a thick accent. Phrases like “wotta we do” and “mebbe we could teach ‘im to bark ‘an make a watchdog outta him” add an interesting flavor to this character. I mentioned Ben’s character in my previous post but it dealt more with his relationships to people and behavior (he seems to have mellowed out in these comics, more a friend to Reed than before) rather than speech.
The most interesting relationship this time, however, was that between Reed and Sue. As stated before, Sue seemed to be a cross-character between the old “save me big strong man” and superhero. But as these comics went on her superhero persona seemed to fade away. She became whiny during the fight against the Inhumans in #47. She thinks Reed does not love her because he is working on another project, that she is just “one of the boys”, and thinks a new hair style will make him notice her. She puts the team in danger by becoming invisible for a ‘grand entrance’ when they land in the Great Refuge. Reed is genuinely scared she is hurt or taken hostage and when he learns she just wanted to surprise him with her hairdo he yells at her (13).
She does care about her husband, though, which makes his outbursts a bit extreme. Despite being a newlywed man, Reed treats his wife as though she were a burden. He constantly tells her to “stop sounding like a wife” and calls her “young lady”. While I understand that emotions will not help in situations and they need to focus as a team, the Fantastic Four act to protect their home and those they love. Reed and Sue will use pet names like honey and darling but Reed’s comments appear to be condescending rather than out of frustration.
Reed, himself, is an egotistical jerk. He thinks that he can solve anything and that only he can hold up the team. When they have to split up to stop the Inhumans and Dragon Man. Sue wants Reed to help Triton but he does not think Johnny and Ben can handle Dragon Man without him. How will they ever win without the wonderful Reed Richards?
When talking to others about these comics, I found the consensus to be that Reed has an ego too big for Earth and learned that Ben originally pined for Sue but blames/hates Reed for getting to her first. This seems to be a trend with Sue; the reason for the end of the Four in the floppies I am reading have to do with another man in hate with Reed. To me, Sue seems a cross between two characters in the movies Ten Things I Hate About You and Fool’s Gold. In Ten Things there is a character named Bianca Stratford who is sought after by all the boys at school and is obsessed with having everyone love her. Fool’s Gold has a character named Gemma Honeycut, who is so dumb (though not blonde like Sue or Bianca) that her moments of intellect are mistakes. Apparently, for as ditzy and self-absorbed as Sue seems, she is the cat’s meow.