Christmas Countdown: Marvel Team-Up #1 (1972)
Peter Parker’s been assigned to take photos of the local Polar Bear club on Christmas Eve, as they plan a quick swim in the frigid temperatures. But they’re interrupted by a disturbance in the sand — the Sandman is back! Peter changes to Spidey to track the villain down, but Sandman slips through his grasp.
Spidey still hopes to make his date, so he swings by to warn the Fantastic Four that the Sandman is back. But the only hero on hand is the somewhat Scroogelike Johnny Storm, who isn’t feeling in the Christmas spirit.
Still, Spidey joins Johnny, dressed in some swingin’ ’70s threads, to search for the Sandman. The pair stop to help make some citizens’ Christmases more merry along the way, by averting a traffic accident and stopping an attempted robbery.
They eventually catch up with the Sandman, and there’s a Christmas twist of sorts to the tale’s final third. Johnny eventually comes around on the season, as well.
Roy Thomas and Ross Andru are the creative team for a charming first issue. The series, featuring Spider-Man teaming with various Marvel superheroes, ran through issue No. 150 in 1985. Trivia note: The woman who Johnny and Spider-Man save from a mugging was later revealed to be Misty Knight, later girlfriend to Iron Fist and a private detective in the Marvel Universe.
- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 1981. Still to go: 30
Christmas Countdown: Fantastic Four 564-565
The “Ultimates” team of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch teamed up for a two-part tale set during Christmas as part of their “Fantastic Four” run, which ran for 16 issues in 2008-2009. In issues 564-565, the Fantastic Four visit Reed’s distant cousin in Scotland for their Christmas vacation.
In the highlands town of Iarmailt, there’s no crime and the town is hale and hearty. Millar and Hitch create a beautiful Scottish countryside — but of course, things are a bit too perfect, and the tale goes from fun vacation romp to Lovecraftian horror.
Franklin and Valeria, Reed and Sue’s kids, get some good moments in this issue, and the art is simply gorgeous. The story is a bit slight, but was probably intended as a change of pace between larger arcs. Unlike most Christmas-themed comics, these didn’t actually come out in December, but instead in February and April — but given the events of the issue, that may have been partially intentional. Further mixing up the seasons, the cover to #564 is an homage to Norman Rockwell’s painting “Thanksgiving.”
- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 1980. Still to go: 31
Gary Oldman done as Gordon after “Dark Knight Rises”; Marvel movie news
Gary Oldman retires James Gordon’s badge; Fox plans more Marvel films; and reviews of “Action Comics” and more in the Planet 46 Comics Podcast at NewsOK.
GARY OLDMAN DONE AS GORDON
Gary Oldman tells Moviefone that “The Dark Knight Rises” will be the end of his run as Jim Gordon, and talks about using Bane as the villain. 
“It’s great. It’s a terrific conclusion to the trilogy,” Oldman tells Moviefone. “Nolan rounds it off: he brings in a bit of the first one, from ‘Batman Begins,’ and he does some really surprising things with it. I thought his choice of villain was very interesting, to use Bane instead of Riddler or Penguin. He’s not gone with the most obvious choice. The challenge for Chris was always really the story and I think he didn’t want to make a third one for the sake of it. I think there was pressure on him, obviously, because the second was so successful. So there’s always going to be some pressure to keep it going. But he’s too smart and classy, really to just make a third just for the sake of making it, because others are demanding or want it from him and I think he felt that, ‘Let me get the story right.’ So the fans won’t be disappointed.”
Read more: http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/12/06/gary-oldman-dark-knight-rises-steve-buscemi-snl/
FOX STILL PLANS MORE X-MEN, FF, DAREDEVIL
Fox’s Tom Rothman tells MTV that he wants another “X-Men: First Class.”
“We’re trying like hell,” he said. “We’re trying as hard as we can. We really want to do it. We’re planning to do it.”
Rothman also commented two other Marvel properties that Fox plans to revive: “Daredevil” and “Fantastic Four.”
David Slade is attached to “Daredevil,” while “FF” is earlier in the development process.
REVIEW FILE: Valen the Outcast #1, Action Comics #4, Hawk & Dove #4, Raphael #1, Defenders #1
Comics read in 2011: 1902. Still to go: 109.
Fantastic Four #600 out today
The title “Fantastic Four” returns today in comic shops as a major event happens in the lives of the group, who had been calling themselves “The Future Foundation” since the death of original member Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch.
The Associated Press has a report on the issue, which you can read at NewsOK. If you’re trying to avoid spoilers, wait til you’ve read the 100-page comic before you click the link.
- Matt Price
Final Stan Lee, Jack Kirby collaborations found in Essential Fantastic Four vol. 5
“Essential Fantastic Four, Volume 5″ collects issues #84-110 of what was called at the time “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine.” Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, who had collaborated on the book since issue #1, end their partnership here with issue #102. (Previous Kirby art was reworked for #108.) John Romita Sr. and John Buscema follow the King, but despite their talents, never reach his heights on the series.
These issues are probably the least of the Lee-Kirby FFs — Doom’s a bit out of character in a multi-part story, and there are some apparent plotholes involving the Inhumans. But there’s enough here to make it worth reading, especially for Kirby fans. The best of the lot is probably the four part story in #90-93 in which the Thing becomes a gladiator on an alien world.
Also read:
Amazing Spider-Man #5: One of my favorite comics as a youngster (I had the Marvel Tales reprint) features Doctor Doom challenging Spider-Man.
Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure: Using the original pencils Jack Kirby had turned in, which later were rearranged to partially make issue #108, Marvel released this “lost” Lee-Kirby issue in 2008.
- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 1,725. Still to go: 286.
Human Torch appears in new promotional image for Fantastic Four
Does this Fantastic Four teaser by Joe Quesada indicate the return of the Human Torch in November? Or is it simply a flashback, red herring, or something else?
- Matt Price
Another Fantastic Four promo from Marvel
Here’s another teaser for whatever is happening with the Future Foundation, formerly the Fantastic Four, in November. It seems the return of the original numbering with Fantastic Four #600 might be the way to bet. What do you think?
- Matt Price
Happy 50th birthday, Fantastic Four!
According to The Beat and other sources, “Fantastic Four” #1, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, shipped 50 years ago today, Aug. 8, 1961, kicking off the Marvel Age of Comics! Way to go, Stan and Jack! Thanks for all the great comics.
Check out the Kirby Museum for more about Jack Kirby. Stan Lee can be found online at POW! Entertainment and on twitter. Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four page can be found at the Marvel site.
The Lee-Kirby run on “Fantastic Four” is rightly remembered as a high water mark for comics at the time, and it certainly changed much of what came after. If you’ve never read any, I recommend making the time.
- Matt Price
Fantastic Four returning in November?
Marvel sent out the following teaser today. If the FF were to switch its numbering and title back, this could be just in time for “Fantastic Four” No. 600. Do you think the Human Torch will return? Is it too soon? What have you thought about the “Future Foundation” FF in the interim?
- Matt Price
Fantastic Four #588, Amazing Spider-Man #655 deal with grief; plus more comic book reviews
In “Fantastic Four” #588, the final issue of the long-running series, the team deals with the death of one of their own, as their grief affects not only them, but also heroes throughout the Marvel universe.
