LESSON 4: MARVEL'S NEXT VILLAIN

Before I get into it, I gotta say: @SAVAGECOMICS IS THE ORIGINAL ARTIST RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PHENOMENAL PIECE OF JOHN KRASINSKI AS REED RICHARDS AND I IN NO WAY AM TAKING CREDIT FOR IT. SERIOUSLY, THIS GUY’S GALLERY IS UNPARALLED.


Now with that outta the way, hey and Welcome to the next Lesson.

Comic-Con was just a few short weeks ago and it’s easy to say Marvel absolutely dominated this year. Kevin Fiege took center stage and they unveiled the projects they have set for what they’re dubbing Phase 4.

While most titles are worth a looksee, what caught my attention was what wasn’t seen.

FANTASTIC 4.

Now back at home with Marvel, there’s a solid chance that we’ll finally get the first family done properly, but not only done properly done better than we could ever imagine.

With the Mad Titan, Thanos, now defeated, the MCU effectively doesn’t have a major villain for the Avengers to defeat…

...or do they?

It’s widely known that MCU films are taking inspiration from the ULTIMATE line of comics and on that Earth, the Fantastic 4 are very, VERY different.


Namely, Reed Richards.

While most may know him as Mr. Fantastic, in the ULTIMATE COMICS, he’s The Maker, by far one of comics’ worst villains, PERIOD.

Not only is his skin elastic-like, making physical damage an impossibility, but with a brain like his, he’s able to make anything anyone can think of, and everything they can’t. He made creations that even put Thor to shame.

Reed Richards of Earth-1610 is NOTHING to trifle with…which is EXACTLY why the MCU needs to make him their next villain and something tells me they already are.

JONATHAN HICKMAN, writer of Marvel Comics fame, has had a plethora of titles underneath his belt one of them most notably being Secret Wars (2015).

If you’re familiar with that story, you’d know he had a great deal to do with the fate of the Fantastic Four, of both Earths. Now, Marvel contacted him to course correct the condition of the X-Men in their comics with two new ongoing titles: “House of X” and “Powers of X”, and he had a few choice words to say when it came to the Marvel films, too.

“I think one of the big mistakes that some people make at Marvel Comics is that we are reactive to what they’re doing in the Marvel films… We should not be taking our creative cues from the direction they’re taking things in the movies. That kind of defeats the point. My argument has been [that] I should always be way out in front of that stuff. All of that stuff is being drawn from source material.” – Jonathan Hickman 2019

While not a confirmation, Hickman does have a point. Marvel Comics showed signs of decrease in sales after modeling the Guardians of the Galaxy after their MCU counterparts.

It’s always better to model the films after the comics.

Which is why Reed would make the PERFECT villain.

Unlike Thanos, Richards doesn’t need Infinity Gems to unleash universal domination. Sheer brainpower alone has made him a far bigger threat. Not only can he create devices that can depower our heroes, but he can even expand his brain for even greater intellect.

Whatever plan, strategy or potential outcome Thanos could come up with, there’s no doubt Reed has already factored it, found out why it wouldn’t work but built a contingency for it just in case.

Reed Richards, or rather the Maker, would be the posterchild for a tragedy of a fallen hero, always wanting to be good, but never good enough and while a lot of Phase 4 is uncertain, I can’t wait to see what becomes of Marvel’s future foundation.

Well, that’s all for now. So, until the Disney stops making Live-Action remakes or I get as smart as Reed Richards, I’ll see you for the next lesson.


Until then, class dismissed!

LESSON 1 PT. 2: HOW TO READ COMICS.

Hey and Welcome to the next Lesson.

You found what you were looking for and you’re interested to see where the story goes, but you happen to hear words like “fridged” and “retcon”. What’s more is you turn the book over and you see names like Geoff Johns and Mark Millar. What do those mean and who are they? Well, you since you found your comic, it’s only right to see what happens when you turn the page.

LOOKS!

If you’re in a bookstore of sorts, you may see things in common like color schemes. Typically, Marvel Comics uses striking colors like red and white while DC uses cooler whites and blues. If it’s on a shelf with his spine out, you’re given the following pieces:

1.    The Title

a.    All volumes will come with a subtitle for those collected issues

2.    The team behind it (writer, penciller, colorist, etc…)

3.    The Publisher

4.    The volume number (mostly)

a.    The reason there wouldn’t be is if it’s a one-shot title.

5.    The collected issues.

Most of these will be mirrored on the cover, front or back, once you pick it out and are equally important for different reasons.

TITLE

The title should be the dead giveaway you need. Wanna read Superman? Find “Superman”. Wanna read Avengers? Find “Avengers”. Sounds cut and dry, right? Well, not exactly.

While it is true most titles are self-explanatory, there also may be variations of the topic such as: “Thor”, “Thor: God of Thunder” and “Mighty Thor”. It’s important you pick up the right title as not every title is the same story. Example “Unworthy Thor” is a title that delves into Thor Odinson’s introspective journey after losing his hammer, Mjolnir where as “Mighty Thor” is the adventures of Jane Foster taking up the hammer and becoming the next Thor.

Each title has its respective story; so you’ll want to stick with one particular title to see a story arc through to the end before picking up another.

TEAM

Much like how film trailers promote an upcoming movie by having a director’s name and accolades in their careers, comics run off the same principle.

If you find a story you’re enjoying the comic you’re reading, it helps to know who wrote it. If you’re blown away be the art in the comic, you should memorize the name of the artist so that you can follow them as not all team members stay on a certain title for long. Following them to their next project would also help you to explore other comics and stores, as well.

PUBLISHER

It’s no secret that certain publishers publish certain titles. If you’re looking for a certain kind of story, doing a big of research can go a long way when picking out a title from a certain publisher.

Like Marvel movies? Go with Marvel. Prefer DC? Search for DC. A fan of the Walking Dead? Image Comics is the one for you.

VOLUME NUMBER

While picking out a certain title is the most important thing, the volume number goes hand in hand.

Picking out a particular volume would effectively put you in one particular spot in the entire story. If you pick up volume 2, for example, it’s assumed you’re already 5-7 issues into the overall story and just want to see how the story continues. Think of it like picking a scene from a Blu Ray film or a certain track on an album. If you pick up “Black Widow Vol. 2”, you’re on the “2^nd scene/song”.

ISSUES

While it isn’t required to go volume by volume, as volumes tend to put footnotes of previous events in their thought boxes, there is nothing like continuing the journey of these heroes as switching titles may cause just little confusion. Trust me, the only issue you’ll want is the one with the following number on it.

That spot there is the easiest way to tell just exactly where you are in the overall story.

So, you know what you want when you see it – great! Hopefully, I was able to shed some light on your lessons and make things a bit easier for you…but what the heck does “annual” and “New 52” mean? Next time, we'll finish our guide into comics with basic terms to help make your journey even smoother.

That’s all for now and I will see you for the next lesson.

Until then, class dismissed!