By Darryl Ayo
I’ll admit that I haven’t read all of the issues (specifically, I’ve read three nonsequential issues), but I really liked what I have read of FF (from here on, referred to as “Future Foundation,” because those two letters get confusing). So just now Marvel Comics has announced that the Fantastic Four comic series will be resuming with issue number 600. No surprise there. Future Foundation was over too soon for my liking, but Marvel won’t pass up an anniversary issue. Wait, what’s this? FF (Future Foundation) is resuming as well? Alongside Fantastic Four? Oh brother!
I’m beginning to suspect that the people in charge at Marvel don’t read this blog! Because I thought that I was pretty clear in outlining that this endless cycle of redundancies, spinoffs, “family” comic groups and such is detrimental to the business. Both from an aesthetic standpoint and from a business standpoint. You need to diversify your product line, not clone the most popular products.
The Future Foundation series is exciting to readers because it is a logical progression from Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four stories. It’s also a fairly new take on the “FF” which is exciting for older readers and an opportunity for new readers to jump in. So now, Marvel is folding the FF (Future Foundation) back into a traditional Fantastic Four (which, let’s be serious: we all knew would happen sooner or later) but they’re also keeping the popular “FF” (ie, Future Foundation) title.
Marvel believes that they have effectively cloned the Fantastic Four. I say they’re dividing their sales. Cannibalizing themselves. And if the two titles operate in the way that the promotional material indicates (With “Fantastic Four” focusing on the popular superheroes and “FF” focusing on the children, aliens and weirdos who form the backdrop to Future Foundation), then I guarantee that the “FF” (Future Foundation) series will tank.
This is why we can’t have nice things, Marvel.
comixcube.com 
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