The Four Color Media Monitor

I see the Valdosta Daily Times has been making an effort to pretend Dan Slott's writing is actually worth something, whether on Fantastic Four, or the Empyre crossover, or both:

Most of the time, I avoid the comic book crossover events into the regular titles. For example, it's usually fun to read the main maxi-series/miniseries title but it's less fun when it ventures into the regular monthly comics.

Given how a lot of modern crossovers are meant to affect regular titles in some way or other, I don't see the point of reading the main miniseries either. In any event, one can only wonder what the columnist thinks of the horrible Secret Empire crossover? With stories like that, in such poor taste, written at Steve Rogers' expense, crossovers were made much more embarrassing, and anybody who sugarcoats its nasty, deliberate insults to fans with exclamations like "hail Hydra" should be ashamed of themselves. And if the writer really finds it problematic when the crossovers affect the ongoing monthlies, why doesn't he argue in favor of putting an end to crossovers as they're practiced today? Here's why he likes Empyre:

For example, again, Marvel's "Empyre," the maxi-series involving the latest take on the Skrull-Kree War, looks interesting on its own. But normally, I might steer clear of its connection in the "X-Men," or 'The Avengers," or "Fantastic Four" titles.

OK, I read the FF "Empyre" collection without having read the "Empyre" limited series.

Writer Dan Slott makes it fun anyway. Of course, he's also one of the primary writers for "Empyre," as well as the current regular writer for the "Fantastic Four." These crossovers are always better if the writer is fully invested in the limited series rather than having it intrude upon his creative realm.

And this is just fluff-coating crossovers in general, as much as the terrible writer himself. The same writer who turned out a decade of horrible Spider-Man stories where anybody foolish enough to buy out of habit would find Mary Jane Watson not only sidelined, but also disparaged, for the sake of political correctness. And all that time, most "feminists" were silent about the marginalization of an iconic lady, even as we're lectured to that women like to read these sci-fi adventures as much as men do. Slott was also the same writer who turned out the irritating Dr. Octopus in Peter Parker's body saga. And now we're being told Slott makes this stuff a fun read? Don't be deceived. It's almost hilarious the columnist may not have read the "wheel hub" of the crossover, yet did read one of the spokes in the wheel.

All this may sound confusing but as long as a reader has some basic FF knowledge and even a working understanding of the Skrulls and the Kree in the Marvel Universe, the Fantastic Four arc stands on its own.

Even if we do have basic knowledge of the Kree and Skrulls, the wise reader still expects the story to be entertaining on merit, yet no sign this columnist actually cares, and Slott's never offered any for years now.

The FF encounter a Kree and a Skrull locked in reenacting the greatest conflicts of their respective space races. The traditional FF saves the combative pair then the traditional FF disappear from the pages of their own book because they are off doing battle in the limited "Empyre" series.

It sounds more like a repeat of past storylines, because they can't think of anything else to write up but Kree and Skrulls. And what happens in the regular FF book while this is going on?

So, Slott presents a tremendously fun replacement team of the FF: Reed and Sue Richards' teenage son and daughter matched with Wolverine and Spider-Man decked out in specially fitted FF uniforms.

Slott's run on the FF has a been a pleasure. And anyone who can make crossover issues a success – especially without the traditional main characters for a few months – deserves plenty of accolades as well as a look at his work on the limited "Empyre" series.

Oh no you don't. When writers as cynical and obnoxious as Slott are at the helm, it's not a pleasure at all. It's just a case of nepotism at this point, and it's been noted before that Slott's run hasn't sold well at store level, if at all. So I think this news columnist would do well to look for some independent comics instead, written by authors with far better manners and reputations than Slott has, and let the world know of something out there not getting enough attention that could make for a far more convincing review than this crossover is getting.

Labels: crossoverloading, dreadful writers, Fantastic Four, marvel comics, moonbat writers, msm propaganda