The artist that created the Authority, Bryan Hitch and the madman who tore it down, Mark Millar, have teamed up as the new creative force behind The Fantastic Four.
Known for his gorgeous linework and incredibly detailed designs (which greatly influenced the 2005 rebirth of Doctor Who where he was artistic director), Bryan Hitch is the perfect artist for the title. Millar, on the other hand, is famous for dragging the pristine characters of Marvel Comics through the mud and ‘dirtying them up’ with the same glee that I had when I cherry bombed my first C-3PO.
Begun by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as a way to combine the science fiction/horror elements of the old Atlas line with the Silver Age super heroics just emerging on the comic’s scene, the Fantastic Four comic series is the mortar of the Marvel Comics Universe.
What are Millar’s plans?
He told reporters: “I’m always quite tough on myself and measure anything I do against the best stuff when I’m writing. I was inspired by [John] Buscema’s ‘Avengers’ for ‘The Ultimates’ and Frank Miller’s ‘Wolverine’ for ‘Enemy of the State.’ So even if you fall short, it’s important to go in there trying to compete with the best. The stuff I’m trying to measure up to are the first 110 ['FF'] issues and the Byrne stuff. I’ve championed Byrne as often as possible these past couple of years because I specifically think his ‘FF’ run counts as some of the best Marvel books ever. I think it’s up there with his ‘X-Men.’ Just amazing stuff.”
Not a bad ideal to look up to. Byrne’s FF run, full of time travel, alternate histories, Nazi robots, sentient planets and other staples of the Fantastic Four, has been described by fans as ‘Doctor Who with a budget.’
Fans are in for a real treat when the team takes over next year.
Marvel Comics put together a special trailer for the series which you can view here.
New to their DC Universe line are figures such as Aquaman, Firestorm, and Superman Red/Superman Blue. The Batman line continues to grow with new additions including Clayface, Catwoman (with her cat Isis), Nightwing, Bruce Wayne- to-Batman (the old Bruce Wayne figure with a Batman head and chest piece), Laughing Gas Joker, and Black & Grey Batman. Also shown exclusive for the Convention was Man-Bat.
