"Fraction will be leaving Marvel's First Family, and the makeshift team that replaced them, behind. Fantastic Four #12 and FF #11 will be the last written by Fraction, so he'll be off the books completely as of next month. However, as he's already plotted ahead of his exit, he'll retain a story credit until the arcs have concluded around each book's issue #16."

"Replacing Fraction on Fantastic Four is Karl Kesel, while Lee Allred will join his brother Mike on FF."

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/08/14/matt-fraction-leaving-fantastic-four-and-ff

So let me get this right, Fraction has plotted the story through 16 books, but he's going to step back and allow someone else to finish his story. This makes me kind of sad. I think Matt had an interesting story to tell in both books, but it looks like he's being pulled early so he can manage other "more important" projects. As is often the case, Marvel's First Family is getting the shaft.

I will mention that I think Karl Kesel is capable of steering the ship to a satisfying conclusion. If anyone followed his runs on Adventures of Superman and Superboy in the 90's, you know he can tell a fun story. I'm glad he's making a comeback in comics, I just not happy with how it's happening.

That being said, Marvels frenetic release schedule is really exposing itself here. For being the supposed #1 comic publisher, their latest release schedule has been the absolute worst of any company I've seen. Eventually, pulling these stunts is going to bite them is the ass. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But if they keep it up, it will.

And I'm just going to throw out a prediction that this thread gets 2-5 responses, as is typical of most FF related threads on here. No wonder Marvel is making nothing but Avengers and X-Men books these days.

It'll be interesting to see where things are going if he's wrapping up his own plans for the series. I've liked things in FF so far, so I'm curious as to how similar things will be with Lee Allred taking over writing duties.

Even though it's the other Fantastic Four that they're handling, it still seems kind of fitting for the FF team to be a family operation, with 3 Allreds involved. Family seems to be a word often associated with the franchise after all.

Looks like you might be right. I can't even call myself a real Fantastic Four fan and even I had something to say.

I'm surprised at the lack of responses, as they're obviously a well known team, and both series' aren't selling badly.

I love the F4, but hated Fraction's run. Kessel might be good for a change.

I'm reading both FF and Fantastic Four and I would have liked to the a little more of the titles indirectly tying into each other. That and the overall stories for both titles have been going on for a bit too long, specifically in Fantastic Four. I mean just find the damn cure already and get moving to the next story.

well that blows

Bummer. Big fan of both books but FF was just magical

Hey 9 posts! :)

I have followed (and collected) the FF for over 40 years. When you want to just enjoy a quick story and associated art - nothing better than picking up a comic. However Hickman was a BAD writer; and Fraction was even worse! Hated his stories (and associated art work). Story arc was hard to follow ... and they often were pushing their own agenda vs. just writing a good story. Unfortunately I have seen this same trend with other Marvel Universe titles (New Avengers, Deadpool, etc.) ... to the point that I have switched after 40 years from getting Marvel to now getting DC (more consistent writing, easy to follow story lines, great art). Since I have collected FF for so long, my only hope is that Robinson (and artist Leonard Kirk) can finally turn the corner on my favored comic and make it great again. (Here's Hoping.)

Today, in "sentences that one should never utter," we now go to wuggles8 and their utter blasphemy!

I wanted to like Fraction's Fantastic Four, I just couldn't get interested. I really hope the new series is good because I love the team itself.