I bet you love the "4" in that logo, Tom...

Posted by Fetsur on 2007-11-29 17:25:26
Mark Millar Hijacked Tom's Blog!
Tom,

I can't believe it'll compare to Captain America (a series that you edit that also is the best comic series of the past 20 years), but I'm really pumped for this. Hitch is one of my favorites. I'm hoping that Millar picke up a few things while he was reading John Byrne's FF run for the first time awhile back when he was sick.

I look forward to it being the major profile series it ALWAYS should be treated as. The center of the Marvel Universe is the Baxter Building. Reclaim the title, but do you honestly believe you have something that will eclipse Captain America in quality?

Posted by Dusty. on 2007-11-30 00:03:24
Hey Tom,
I work in design and from my point of view I'd have to say that this cover does not read according to the terms you are using to describe it. The execution, from the initial decision to have a single subdued light source (they took a press photo in the dark?), to the murky autumn palette of the background tech, to the least dynamic font to ever grace a comic (and set in plain right alignment), is almost intentionally dull. I would love for it to look like a mainstream or high end magazine but this seems like an afterthought to Brian's initial drawing. Mark mentioned that these are characters that would appear in US Weekly. Where's the LOOKATME!!! pop of celeb candy like that or "sleek...progressive...cutting edge" attitude of Wired or Flaunt. I'm not trying to be snide, but, tonally, you have to see that this has the same heart rate as a cover of Guns and Ammo or some Trade magazine. To my eye, some quick fixes: the title (and creator credits - these guys are stars, put them up top!) can be and should be larger than the headline (like on a magazine - maybe with the 4 logo facing down from the ceiling), there needs to be a secondary colored light (maybe from the title?) illuminating the characters from the left and top (they're inked that way), and the blurbs should be designed to actually read like blurbs (see Joe Q.'s One More Day covers). What I've seen, and anticipate, from the book has seemed revolutionary so far. The cover should make me feel like I've seen the future. Thanks for letting me sound off and for an always entertaining and informative column.

Posted by hamgravy on 2007-11-30 00:20:45
Looking good
It looks great. It's reminiscent of magazines without looking exactly like a copy of a magazine.

Posted by CodeGuy on 2007-11-30 09:00:03
Trade Dress
I must say that it's gonna take some time to get used to this trade dress. The current trade dress with the classic lettering and the "world's greatest comic magazine" tag included on the front is my favorite among all of Marvel's comics. The new style also seems to clutter up more of the cover than would occur normally.

Posted by friskydingo on 2007-11-30 10:40:20
hmmm...
I don't love it, but I love it. I am glad to see anything that threatens to stretch the genre, and this is definitely different. I looked at the cover and I think I agree with hamgravy about some of the points, although there are a lot of terms hamgravy is using that I don't understand.
I am sad that McDuffie is leaving the book, though. His run has been wonderful. Having said that, I want Millar to succeed. Tom, please please please edit his scripts. He has some tics that come out and just need to be smoothed. For instance in Ultimates 2, he had somebody call somebody else an idiot in every single issue. It's not heinous, it just takes you out of the story when you start noticing it.


Posted by bigdaddyhub2 on 2007-11-30 22:18:05
I have to agree with Hamgravy when it comes to the trade dress (nothing wrong with the art IMO). The lettering looks like it was added on as a second thought. What is that horrible sans-serif font? That's a fine font to do a report on, but to put on the front of a comic or magazine? Not acceptable. I hope that that is a rough draft.

Posted by doncorswhazie on 2007-11-30 22:44:17
Actually it's been done before...
Betty & Veronica Spectacular has done a similar trade dress for a few years now. Though, I do think this is a cool look for FF...

Though me personally, I'd love to see the return of the corner box image. Either way, great job from all people involved.

Posted by KryptonSiteCraig on 2007-12-01 03:08:43
Of course it's been done before...by DC.
Remember the Chip Kidd designed trade dress for the Bat books? Every bit at modern and "cutting edge" or whatever as this. Perhaps moreso (I mean, c'mon, it was Chip Kidd.)

Posted by jefped on 2007-12-02 14:47:27
New FF look
Progressive is fine, but why can't the FF look like a progressive comic? This is the World's Greatest COMIC magazine, let's embrace that idea, not pretend it's a celebrity magazine. The new look is drab, and I'm sick to death of drab posed images.

Posted by Volthoom on 2007-12-02 19:26:03
Please Stop.
Why do you insist on putting the titles of books at the bottom of the cover?

This creates a sales nightmare for me after the first week.

As much as i'd love to keep your titles in the front of my racks for 6 months, given the amount of books you put out it's not possible.

Once it goes to the second row, sales on these books stop because nobody can see the title, and when sales stop after the first week, I start cutting orders.

Posted by MegoGeek on 2007-12-03 11:42:38
Great "four"-awfully tight and boring "fantastic" logo...
A more 'high-tech' looking font would be much better.... Some corners that are 'dropped' like in the four...

Posted by Zigy on 2007-12-03 12:24:50
I think the trade dress is...interesting...

Posted by Venomfan1995 on 2007-12-03 15:10:35
I love the new logo! not so sure about the text at the top, but the logo etc are great

Posted by NewChad on 2007-12-06 07:57:30
FF: World's Greatest Comic Magazine !
Can't wait! Are Millar & Hitch going to do an annual too? That would be awesome!

Monday Morning Lunatic !

Posted by Mon Morn Lunatic on 2007-12-15 16:49:45