However, in the comic itself Squirrel Girl talks directly to the reader lamenting all the death and dismemberment that were part of the story and seemingly unavoidable in any current superhero tale.

I guess this is an example of a modern 'fun' comic and also a commentary on current trends within the industry.

Its a good book, but I guess Slott was having his cake and disembowelling it at the same time!

I'm laughing now thinking about the shortness of the two Grasshopper's careers!

He isn't bad on the Fantastic FIVE, tho'.

Best,
Hunter (Pedro Bouça)

But yeah, thanks for posting this, Greg. Just in time for the Visionaries trade! But really, if anyone is super-keen to read the Simonson stuff (and who wouldn't be?) it's probably cheaper to just track down the original issues. They didn't cost me much when I got 'em a while back.

"Sadly, The “New” Fantastic Four were reunited in FF #374, ostensibly as a plug for the wretched Secret Defenders series.
It’s utter crap."

This, of course, was part of Tom DeFalco's run on the FF. I found an old issue of HERO that had an interview with him about his plans for the title, in which he said, "It's going to start out bad, and just keep getting worse and worse as it goes on." Rarely have I seen such honesty and candor in a comic book writer.

(I actually like Tom DeFalco a lot, but his run on the FF played to his weaknesses--he's good at the retro-Silver Age light-hearted adventure stuff, and the mandatory tone of comics back then was "dark and humorless, with big shake-ups to the status quo every year." It felt very much like he was writing that series at gunpoint.)

I'm really going to have to check out Cable/Deadpool, I guess.

You've not been reading Cable/Deadpool, have you?

“Like we would ever throw Hulk into space…”

I am enjoying Marvel Adventures: Avengers so much more than any of the "real" Avengers titles Marvel is publishing nowadays. It's a really fun series, and it definitely does not take itself too seriously. I mean, in issue #9, everyone on the team gets turned into MODOK...

http://parkerspace.blogspot.com/2006/10/oh-yeah.html

That was such a cool issue

The FF have so many few female villains that I kinda whish De'Lila could have been a recurring character. She even gets turned into a hero in my Flipside version of Marvel comics-- see the fake covers and fic I do at http://ozbot.typepad.com/marvelflipside Plug! Plug!

At the same time I loved this story, I get REALLY peeved off at the people that slavish declare that the Hulk/Wolvie/Spidey/G Rider combo should be treated as a canonical "version" of the FF, that they all should be considered members of the FF. Can't these people see this story for what it is, a joke? They were brought together by a villain, rescued (not replaced) the team for one adventure, in a shamlessly self-admitted "goofy" story, and this is supposed to be canonical?!

Sadly, The "New" Fantastic Four were reunited in FF #374, ostensibly as a plug for the wretched Secret Defenders series.
It's utter crap.
Not only is the blatant commercialism of the guest stars presented without the self-awareness, wit, and charm of Simonson's run, but Wolverine ends up doing what he does best all over The Thing's face (Forcing Ben Grimm to wear a salad bowl with eye slits, because, y'know, what woman will have him now?).

"Like we would ever throw Hulk into space..."

I love how Spidey is the leader, not because of any particular ability, but just because he's the only guy who doesn't hate all the others.