This is the first time I am ever reading a floppy comic and I now understand the appeal of it (and the cost). There are not only so many to choose from but some of them draw you in so you just HAVE to buy the next comic. I know because this is how I am feeling about the Fantastic Four comic.
As stated before, Fantastic Four is going to end. There are only two more comics left of their story. TWO. I just picked up #2 of 4 this weekend. Now, will they stay gone for good? I highly doubt it. But at least for a while.
I went to Arsenal Comics and Games in Newbury Park (where I will be conducting my ethnography) and asked about a good superhero comic to read. One of the owners, Paul, was very helpful and showed me the hottest items as well as his favorites. I am so glad I picked up the Fantastic Four floppy! I originally picked up issue No. 14 to get a little back story on what was happening in the comic, which I have decided against sharing because I think everyone just needs to go read it!
After reading No. 14 I really wanted to continue on to the next comic. Luckily, I picked that one up too. Interestingly, because the series is ending Marvel decided to go back to using the old numbering system. Paul explained to me that with each reset Marvel restarted the numbers in the issues. However, since the last four are being produced Marvel decided to go back to the numbers the comics would have been if there was never a reset. As such, the next issue after No. 14 is No. 642, which starts as the first of four in the end of FF.
Not only did I find myself so into the story that I wanted to keep going, I also found myself reading in a whole new way. Unlike the comics we have read before that follow the box pattern, though some with slight variations, the FF comics just flat out don't play by those rules. There were numerous times when the panels would stretch all the way across the two pages, times when the first panel would stretch and the rest would be boxes, times when the boxes would not go down the pages but across it. I was lost a times because I wasn't sure which panel I was supposed to be reading. But it made for a great visual effect.
The story line is interesting as well. Like I said, I don't want to spoil the story so I won't get into how Marvel is ending this famous comic series but perhaps after I read the finale I will give a brief summary of the story (without spoiling the ending of course) in its own blog entry.
As stated before, Fantastic Four is going to end. There are only two more comics left of their story. TWO. I just picked up #2 of 4 this weekend. Now, will they stay gone for good? I highly doubt it. But at least for a while.
I went to Arsenal Comics and Games in Newbury Park (where I will be conducting my ethnography) and asked about a good superhero comic to read. One of the owners, Paul, was very helpful and showed me the hottest items as well as his favorites. I am so glad I picked up the Fantastic Four floppy! I originally picked up issue No. 14 to get a little back story on what was happening in the comic, which I have decided against sharing because I think everyone just needs to go read it!
After reading No. 14 I really wanted to continue on to the next comic. Luckily, I picked that one up too. Interestingly, because the series is ending Marvel decided to go back to using the old numbering system. Paul explained to me that with each reset Marvel restarted the numbers in the issues. However, since the last four are being produced Marvel decided to go back to the numbers the comics would have been if there was never a reset. As such, the next issue after No. 14 is No. 642, which starts as the first of four in the end of FF.
Not only did I find myself so into the story that I wanted to keep going, I also found myself reading in a whole new way. Unlike the comics we have read before that follow the box pattern, though some with slight variations, the FF comics just flat out don't play by those rules. There were numerous times when the panels would stretch all the way across the two pages, times when the first panel would stretch and the rest would be boxes, times when the boxes would not go down the pages but across it. I was lost a times because I wasn't sure which panel I was supposed to be reading. But it made for a great visual effect.
The story line is interesting as well. Like I said, I don't want to spoil the story so I won't get into how Marvel is ending this famous comic series but perhaps after I read the finale I will give a brief summary of the story (without spoiling the ending of course) in its own blog entry.