You can listen to the episode by clicking: Episode 124
In honor of the loss of a hero, the silent nature of this comic book, and the fact that I am lazy, we will present this artwork with no pretext, comments, or silliness. And so….
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Jeff and Rick Present 
Good afternoon from Southeast Missouri friends! Wonderful episode you recorded. I have a few quick observations.
Rick recapping his trip to Maryland reminded me of my Uncle’s tales of that state. He lived there for a few years with his family. I sympathize with Jeff about the difficulty of saying no to a 5 year old.
Silent issues are always a fun exercise in practice. My first silent issue memory was GI Joe which my brother had a mail order subscription to when we were kids. I remember an issue of Powers 20 years ago which was silent and very ironic given the book’s creator was Brian Michael Bendis. The coolest silent issue was during the Marvel comics ‘Nuff Said month. The book was Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely New X-Men run. It featured the reveal that Xavier had a twin sister in utero.
All that said, the issue you highlighted sounds stupendous and emotional. I have seen a few books illustrated by Nick Dragotta but I didn’t realize the height of emotion he pulled off here. I want to say Dragotta and Hickman have collaborated over at Image on a title. This issue conveys the strengths of a duo that clicks together.
I forgot about the wall crawler joining the FF until I saw the screenshot of an upcoming episode with the great author Douglas Wolk. I am looking forward to that one.
This exploration of Power Pack adjacent material is greatly appreciated. I do like how the character of Alex is incorporated in the book given the history of his title and Fantastic Four. Looking forward to the next episode.
Until next time,
Jeremy
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Greetings from the great Northwest!
It’s hard to say no to anyone that you love, especially when that someone fully believes that a parent’s job is to do everything that they say…that came directly from several conversations that I have had with her. She gets over the reality of the situation after a while though, so that is good.
Oh man, don’t tell me that Powers was twenty years ago! Okay, I know that it was but, dang, that hurts. As does my back…and every other part of my body because time is mean and wrecks things real good. 🙂 Loved Powers! Trying to remember that silent issue. Was it when Deena Pilgrim got infected with the energy virus? Or was it when she was hunting down her infector? Gotta read that series again…so good.
I personally am still surprised that Spidey is part of the FF. It makes sense, and is a good fit, but I still am not sure if I feel like they are treating him well or not. Hope you liked our episode with Douglas, it was fun getting to talk with him for a while. The man knows his comics.
Glad you are liking the adjacent material. It is fun to cover and gives me a reason to go back to books that I might not have read otherwise.
See you in the future.
-Jeff
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I’ve read these FF issues before, but darn it, this one’s worth a quick reread. I find silent stories fascinating, as they reveal what comics can do as a medium. The ultimate show-don’t-tell exercise. And this one is amazing as it follows the simple premise we’ve all felt: for the grief when someone dies, there are no words.
For Doom’s visit, maybe you guys mentioned it, but it seems Val is the only one who saw him, referring to their connection, and perhaps that Doom was their more for Val’s sake. And that’s another great thing about no words: we can interpret the scene differently and they’re all valid.
I read somewhere about how comic writers slip in little “cheats” sometimes in silent stories, such as Val writing on the chalkboard “Kill Annihilus.” It’s something that could not have been conveyed with written words, and since dialog in comics is written, that’s why it’s a cheat. But it’s so effective, and as long as the cheat isn’t overused, I don’t mind in the slightest.
And gosh, how great was the Franklin/Spidey story! One of the best choices was not to have Spidey talking about his own feelings on Johnny’s death, since they were friends for a long time. Instead, he’s just there for Franklin, because that’s what Johnny would do. I love it so much. And NOW I want to re-read the Spider-Man/Human Torch mini-series. AUGH!
I think there will be more Alex very soon, to give you guys some Power Pack to discuss. Fingers crossed. And great episode, my Pack-Men!
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TIMMMMMM!!!! Glad to have you back buddy, been missing you.
Silent stories, when done well, are amazing. I am so glad that they did this one as well as they did…so good. Interpreting what we are seeing and filing in our own blanks is a great exercise. Plus, even if you fill in those blanks differently than other people it gives nice little discussion points to talk about.
I think that I mentioned Val noticing Doom, but that might be a revisionist history I am spinning. Still, I think that I did. No clue for whose sake that Doom was there, but my money is that Doom was there for Doom. He’s so noble showing respect to a fallen adversary. Hmmm, just now thinking about it, he might have been invited by Val as a two-er. I mean, he did join up with the team shortly thereafter. Maybe Val knew she could get him there so that then she could give him her pitch in person. Who knows! But it is another fun talking point.
Cheats are great, when used right and not aggravatingly. I liked the switch from potential members to “Kill Annihilus.” Super powerful and meaningful and you could see how everyone was on board for it.
The Spidey/Franklin story was so so good! Sometimes someone just being there is what you need, and that is what Franklin needed. A Spider-Man/Human Torch mini-series? Am I going to have to track that down and read it now? Probably, probably.
Thanks for listening, Tim. Glad you liked the episode. Later!
-Jeff
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