With this year's first publicized comic event, will you read the spoilers or wait to read the issue?
Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting are about to bring death to the Fantastic Four. With the current storyline, THREE, someone is going to perish in Fantastic Four #587. Let me begin by stating that if you are looking for spoilers on that issue, you may have already heard them. Marvel has made it pretty difficult to avoid them.
Death is such a common event in comic books these days yet the events that are about to happen have been getting a lot of attention and coverage in other non-comic book media. Someone is going to die and things will never be the same. We've heard it all before but, I have to admit, there's a tiny part that always wonders what if this death will actually stick?
The Fantastic Four has always been about a family of superheroes. That is what has separated them from other teams. There has been discussion over who might be the one to die. Each death could have lasting repercussions. With everyone talking about this issue and comic stores being allowed to sell the issue one day early, will you read/seek out the spoilers or will you avoid them and read the issue for yourself? == TEASER == Will one of these be the new team roster or will there be another 'team'? For me, I don't want to be spoiled. I will do my best to avoid them until I get my hands on a copy. Not everyone feels that way. There are those that enjoy reading spoilers. They want to know right away. It might ruin the surprise but they're okay with that and will still look forward to reading/seeing the actual event occur. Some people enjoy being the one to reveal the spoiler. There is a sort of empowerment in being the first one with the information and knowing something that no one else does.
What's with this symbol? What we know is someone is going to perish. Next month's issue #588 will be the final issue of Fantastic Four. We will then see FF #1 by Hickman and Epting in March. My theory is FF will last eleven issues with the twelfth reverting back to Fantastic Four just in time for issue #600.
I've mentioned before who I think will/should die. You can stay tuned for some extensive discussion on this topic to see what me, Sara and Norm think including our reaction to the issue on Wednesday.
If you are going to spoil it or want to be spoiled, we just ask that you do it discretely. If someone asks, send them a pm. If you wish to post it below in the comments, please use the spoiler tag. That also means do not quote the post with the spoiler tag or it will be revealed to everyone.
More importantly, I'm curious about whether or not people want to be spoiled on this or if they're looking forward to actually reading the issue. The spoiler is out there, hours before comic shops even have a chance to open. If you got spoiled, was it by choice and who was it that spoiled you?
Edit
Looks like the cat's out of the bag. The secret is already out there. After debating, I've decided to go ahead and post the spoiler since Marvel has already released an official press release showing the cover and the identity of who dies. Still, if you want to avoid it, do not click on the spoiler tag below.
“FLAME OFF!” In a move sure to shock comic fans worldwide, Marvel unveiled that its ever popular super hero the Human Torch will meet his demise and die heroically in Fantastic Four #587, hitting stores tomorrow (Wednesday, January 26 ). Concluding the “Three” storyline that captivated the mainstream media and industry press alike, this issue and the death of such a renowned character from the First Family of comics signals the beginning of major changes for the Marvel Universe as the Fantastic Four lose one of their founding members.
“Jonathan Hickman [writer of Fantastic Four] came to us two years ago with a vision for evolving the characters and concepts introduced to fans 50 years ago in Fantastic Four #1 – and quite frankly his vision blew us away,” said Tom Brevoort, Marvel Entertainment SVP of Publishing. “The death of the Human Torch is the first major move in this incredibly exciting evolution of the legendary Fantastic Four franchise and a necessary part of the larger story we will be telling featuring the beloved characters moving forward.”
But the story doesn’t end there-- February’s Fantastic Four #588 brings the long running series to a conclusion as the Fantastic Four disband and the surviving characters must discover their new roles in the Marvel Universe. Just what’s next for the surviving members of Marvel’s First Family?
Fantastic Four #1 debuted in 1961, kicking off the “Marvel Age” of comics and dramatically increasing the popularity of super heroes. As the progenitor of Marvel Universe, the Fantastic Four set a new tone for super hero comics with its nuanced characterization, reflection of real world fears and progressive depiction of super heroes. Through the years, the Fantastic Four have been involved in many of comics most important & memorable storylines, from the introduction of Galactus to the chart-topping Civil War and now the upcoming event Fear Itself.
