FF #500: Bill Jemas Was Right

A few weeks back pretty much every comics fan on the internet was piling on Bill Jemas over his decision to fire FANTASTIC FOUR writer Mark Waid. But Jemas had almost certainly seen something we readers hadn't

*review snipped*

Wow. I think that's the most negative review of a comic I've ever seen you make Carl. I just gotta' check out this issue now to see if you're right!

Provided that the book ends up getting better, instead of worse. Although I largely agree with your thoughts on Waid's performance (not bad, but unforgivably underwhelming), I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet.

I'm not a regular FF reader, but I picked this up seeing the #500 and reading all the controversey over Waid being axed. And I was so underwhelmed...

SPOILERS.....

Let's see the, the magic words for Reed to use his new magic doohockey are just him berating his intelligence? This sounds like a children's story. Besides, if this item was so powerful, why did Strange not give it to Reed in the beginning rather than try to give him a futile ten minute course in magic?

And what the hell happened to Doctor Doom? I'm supposed to believe this man who has lived his life through science and humbled near Gods with his mastery of it just up and threw it away for some sorverous parlor tricks? Worst characterization of Doom ever.

This seemed to me to be much less an attempt at a good story than it was some kind of morality play by Waid to make sure we all go to church on Sunday. I've always been a fan of Waid's, but this was just utter crap. The only redeeming point was the art, and I'd even argue that this was not up to Wieringo's usual high standards.

This must be the end of the world, because Jemas WAS RIGHT!

Issue No. 500 itself was certainly underwhelming, but I thought the build-up was fine. Endings are not Waid's forte, as I should have reminded myself going in.

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It's not merely that Waid wrote developments that we all know will be undone in a matter of months (like Reed's disfigurement), and it's not merely that Waid rested his story's thematic import on these elements. It's that Reed wins simply by finding a magical doohickey that looks like the Ultimate Nullifier. Problem solved

Duh, since when does anything ever really change in Fantastic Four world? The birth of the kids is the only lasting change that ever happens to the characters anyway, it doesn't matter who's writing the book in that regard.

Unless, of course,m the ending was one Jeams directed so as to not be so controversial that the book, characters or history was shaken up too much for his relaunch. Jemas is hardly, if ever, right about anything, so this was probably the case here. Maybe someone should find out from Waid himself if this was *his* ending or the one Marvel wanted him to write.

Since when does the guy ABOVE the EIC take any command over editorial content? Er, never mind.

don't forget this is a guy that said said that retailers that don't agree with him is iq challenged.

Someone has to get to the bottom of this conspiracy!!!!!

Irony or a joke?

Just wondering -

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