Today's Good Comic I Had A Hand In is another issue from the Waid/Wieringo run on FANTASTIC FOUR, #511 to be precise. It's an issue that almost didn't happen at all--for byzantine reasons that have been reported elsewhere on the internet, Mark and Mike's run was originally scheduled to end with #508. But events reversed themselves, and I was able to inveigle both guys first to do three additional issues, #509-#511, to cap off their run, and then to remain on the series for another year or so. So in a larger sense, every issue of FANTASTIC FOUR by this team after #508 was a gift.
In one of our earliest conversations about the book, Mark had tossed off the idea of having the FF invade heaven--the notion being that the FF was a group whose adventures could take them anywhere. I was a little bit cold to the idea at first, not quite seeing a way to bridge the gap between the science fiction trappings of the FF's world, and the religious/spiritual/theological implications of such a story. It definitely seemed dicey.
But then, as we retooled the previous story arc, "Authoritative Action", on the fly to accomodate the extension of the run (as we had previously retooled it on the fly to allow it to end cleanly with #508), Mark hit upon the idea of having the Thing be killed, and this being the event that sparks Reed's journey into the afterlife. And so we went with it. Mark was especially proud when he realized that he could use the same device that Doctor Doom had been messing around with when his face was destroyed to get the team into the hereafter. But then, we hit a momentary snag.
Mark is what I like to think of as a "daredevil writer", which is to say that he'll often throw himself off a storytelling cliff without any idea as to how he's going to survive the fall and make it all look planned, counting on his skill to make it all seem planned. So, as he typically did, when he called me up to talk about the plots to #510 and #511 (the first chapter was already being drawn by Ringo at this point), he started with, "I got nothing." And I think the conversation he had with me did nothing substantial in terms of offering story solutions.
Eventually, while talking the matter over with his friend and fellow writer Tom Peyer, Mark hit on the idea that made the whole story work: what is God to the Fantastic Four? A comic book artist, of course. Specifically, in this case, Jack Kirby.
It was an inspired choice, and one that galvanized and electrified the entire creative team, as we all had a love for Kirby's work and what he'd contributed to the medium. And to help avoid seeming like we were taking the Jack side in the question of who was really responsible for the wiritng of the early FF stories--there's plenty of controversy and discussion about this in certain circles--we had "God" take a phone call from "his collaborator," Stan. To us, it was Stan and Jack that made the Fantastic Four live.
Mike based "God's" domecile on photos he was able to find of Kirby's studio and home, and Mark tried to hit that funky "Kirby Cadence" that all of Jack's dialogue had in his script (though, after a moment's consideration, he decided to cut a line in which Johnny, stunned by this turn of events, referenced an old Kirby sell-line, saying, "Don't ask, just buy it."). What's more, he tried to include a dollup of some of the storytelling philosophy that Kirby had spoken about in interviews and the like.
It's been reported that Kirby didn't really care for having his likeness used in books like this, so had he still been alive, he may not have been amused by his inclusion. And the story definitely divided the fan base, typically depending on when they started reading the FF--long time fans generally seemed to dig it, while newer readers found the story somewhat silly. Nevertheless, this issue was intended as a loving tribute, and I was very happy with the way it all came out.
More later.
Tom B
Just wanted to say that was one of my fave issues of the last 5 years! Thanks to all who helped in producing it!
Posted by domixt on 2007-01-13 13:04:57
I cried after reading that book. That was supremely awesome.
Posted by wishlish on 2007-01-14 12:26:40
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About this blog: Ramblings and musings from the mind of Tom Brevoort. "It won’t be clean. It won’t be fun. It mostly won’t be coherent."
About the author: Tom Brevoort is Executive Editor for Marvel Comics, and oversees such titles as New Avengers, Civil War, and Fantastic Four.
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