Basic Fantastic Four Question

[squidboy]

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I'm getting ready to delve into "44 Years of the Fantastic Four" and my memory is severely limited about their history. What are the big stories/arcs that I should be looking for? Which writers/artists have reaches legendary status? Thanks for any help.

[humanbelly]

The long run of FF has a special place in my heart, as I started with issue #1 (via Essential FF) reading it to my son for bedtime stories when he was about two and a half, I think. On the far side of his aware-memory line, in fact. We did stop a few years ago, but we'd gotten past the move to "Pier 4" or "Dock 4" or whatever that waterfront headquarters was for awhile.

Boy, they are loaded with great arcs. The first Inhumans storyline. Galactus/Silver Surfer (48-50), of course. Reed & Sue's near-divorce, and their reconciliation. In the 170's & 180's, I believe, George Perez steps in as penciller for a very engaging conflict between Galactus and the High Evolutionary. I think over the course of these years, Joe Sinnott was the primary inker over Kirby, Romita, John Buscema, John Byrne, George Perez, and others (probably). He kept the look amazingly unified, while the pencillers still looked great.
The book gets QUITE weak from about issue 200 to 212, I think, but John Byrne comes in as writer/artist shortly after, and does (IMHO) the best overall work of his career for quite a long stretch. I'm not sure if the title was as good as that ever again-- although he started to drift a bit towards the end of his tenure, working w/ new inking techniques, etc. Jerry Ordway popped in for a bit, and. . . . . I can't bring to mind the name of any specific writers at all ever again. Just artists and plotlines.
Items to watch for:
Johnny marries. . . who?
When is a Thing not a Thing? (And if he isn't, what is he?)
Is Reed dead or not?
How many supporting characters can fit into the Fantasticar?
Who the !@#$% is the real Doom?!?
Wait, how many kids? Who's the oldest? Really-??
A Home by the Water.

There is an arc MANY years down the road that has a return to the Negative Zone. The Trapster is an important supporting character. It was the first time in years and years that I found myself looking forward to the next issue breathlessly. It's worthy-of-a-movie great, I tell ya.

The canon reads pretty well, though. There are a minimum of truly bad issues (they're awful when they occur, though!), and the writers for the most part treat the characters with both affection and respect.

Well, until most recently. . .

Hope this helps whet the ol' appetite-

HB

[woodside]

Waid/Wiengo era circa 2003/2005ish is great stuff.

Millar/Hitch has been fun, with a few issues really being great (the rest are kinda boring).

[squidboy]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the info.