This drop-off tracks with the brand. I say this as someone who likes the F4, they just don’t have a broad appeal with general audiences that other comic brands have. They’re a property that only comic nerds care about and always have been.
Edit: They also had to complete with Superman. The F4 have never been able to compete with Superman.
This honestly is also how I feel. For decades I hear comic books fans rave about how great F4 is, but me being a tangential fan (only read DC growing up) I can name many of Marvel’s storylines from the comic books, but I can’t really name a storyline from the the Fantastic Four books. I know there’s something about a future foundation, but I never knew what it was.
Future Foundation is pretty much the definitive modern F4 story. Hickmens run as a whole is peak.
A problem with the F4 is that their golden age of stories was back in the Silver Age of Comic Books. They were a cornerstone a lot of the early world-building of the Marvel Universe. Their lasting legacy has been the characters and ideas these stories introduced to the Marvel universe: Dr Doom, Galactus, The Silver Surfer, Black Panther, The Negative Zone, ect. Marvel has long struggled to adapt the team to the modern era.
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but IMO the best F4 stories are ones where they aren’t so much a team of super heroes, but rather a team of scientist and explorers with super powers. They are better suited to telling sci-fi stories rather then traditional superhero stories.
I won’t say more as to not spoil it for you, but I think the movie does touch a lot on your last paragraph. I think general audiences are just not connecting to it for a number of reasons.
This drop-off tracks with the brand. I say this as someone who likes the F4, they just don’t have a broad appeal with general audiences that other comic brands have. They’re a property that only comic nerds care about and always have been.
Edit: They also had to complete with Superman. The F4 have never been able to compete with Superman.
I’m already two movies behind and yeah, I opted for Superman as well with zero regrets.
I know I’ll see Fantastic Four on Disney+ eventually, and that’s Disney’s main problem.
You’ll see Superman on HBO in the same time frame.
This honestly is also how I feel. For decades I hear comic books fans rave about how great F4 is, but me being a tangential fan (only read DC growing up) I can name many of Marvel’s storylines from the comic books, but I can’t really name a storyline from the the Fantastic Four books. I know there’s something about a future foundation, but I never knew what it was.
Future Foundation is pretty much the definitive modern F4 story. Hickmens run as a whole is peak.
A problem with the F4 is that their golden age of stories was back in the Silver Age of Comic Books. They were a cornerstone a lot of the early world-building of the Marvel Universe. Their lasting legacy has been the characters and ideas these stories introduced to the Marvel universe: Dr Doom, Galactus, The Silver Surfer, Black Panther, The Negative Zone, ect. Marvel has long struggled to adapt the team to the modern era.
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but IMO the best F4 stories are ones where they aren’t so much a team of super heroes, but rather a team of scientist and explorers with super powers. They are better suited to telling sci-fi stories rather then traditional superhero stories.
I won’t say more as to not spoil it for you, but I think the movie does touch a lot on your last paragraph. I think general audiences are just not connecting to it for a number of reasons.