Connor Braaten
Connor Braaten
Connor Braaten is a writer born n’ raised in Fresno. He focuses on Op-Ed’s, Non-Fiction, and occasionally Fiction. Raised in the Central Valley, Connor writes about his interest in pop-culture, Fresno and other general topics.
For additional work by Connor Braaten, please read his piece It Took Us By Surprise from the Issue 1.5 of Behemoth Magazine and his work in issues of the publications Aftershock Zine Series.
65 years of Fantastic Four : A Personal Reflection
2026 marks the 65th anniversary of one of the premier comic books at Marvel. Created by Cartoonist Jack Kirby and Writer/Editor Stan Lee in 1961, the Fantastic Four made their debut in their self-titled comic series of the same name. All pretty common knowledge, even if you're a casual fan of Marvel Characters, so I’m writing this op-ed or whatever more from a personal reflection on the Series, or more actually a major and beloved run of that title. I made my way to the series in 2020. It wasn’t the best year for anyone, but it was a sobering time for me. COVID-19 was raging across the world, and I could do nothing but watch as the world sheltered and disintegrated into a discordant mess of flawed tribalism and rising political tensions. Looking to find great escapism, I turned to my love for comics. Comics of all the mediums was actualling thriving in this pseudo post-apocalypse. Like all retail stores, comic shops were forced to shut down before using their state's social distancing standards. On June 10th, two days after my Birthday. I went to Heroes Comics in Fresno with my Dad. I’d turned 20 years old and wanted to get some new comics. I was mostly a Batman reader at the time (still am), but I had begun to read outside of the Major titles like Hellboy and Manga like Dragon Ball and Akira, and wasn’t really a fan of Marvel Comics. Not that I had a strong dislike of Marvel, but I just never got into their characters. I was, however, always intrigued by the Fantastic Four, having grown up with their 2005 Cartoon series that aired on Cartoon Network. There was an element of Monster movie to them, along with a generally more Sci-Fi serial-adventure tone. Having grown up a fan of movies like Star Wars and Godzilla, Dr. Doom, the Mole Man, and his army of Giant Monsters are from the same DNA wellspring. I picked up a Graphic Novel called Fantastic Four: Grand Design, written and illustrated by Cartoonist Tom Scioli, who based his work on the works of Jack Kirby, even trying to reconcile some of the aspects he didn’t like from Stan Lee's editorial changes. It left an impression, notably for how many panels he managed to draw in this large Treasury-sized book. Scioli leaned heavily into the Sci-Fi Soap aspects of the series, but the creative run that made me LOVE the Fantastic Four was the early 2000’s series by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo. To make myself clear, I love many runs of Fantastic Four, I love John Byrne’s Star Trek meets Outer Limits take on the team, it's the basics, but it high quality effort. I love Walt Simonson's borderline Manga-epic run on that most blockbuster movies to shame, and the current run by Ryan North, who has a genuine understanding of Science and also a love for Dinosaurs, so that’s a Win in my book. But Mark Waid, writer who, to many, is one of the best currently living comic writers, writing this completely stacked run, shouldn’t be surprised he’s made a masterpiece of comic storytelling. Mark Waid reaffirms that The Fantastic Four are not superheroes, not in the traditional sense. Superhero is often used to describe a genre, similarly to Science Fiction or Fantasy, yet Superhero is not a genre but an adjective used to describe a character who fits a role within a narrative. Superheroes are often crime fighters who prevent or apprehend people who commit crimes within a city. Batman is often seen as a classic example of this classic archetype. It shows to me at least that these archetypes exist within broad and different genres and storytelling styles, but Waid makes it clear that the FF members do not seek out criminals, but instead are seekers of knowledge and arbiters of wonder. Often, the Fantastic Four explore the world, encountering people like the Black Panther, Inhumans, Namor, the Sub-Mariner, and plenty of space aliens, not limited to Skrulls, Kree, and the planet-eating Galactus. Imaginauts is a term invented by the literal PR team Reed Richards hires. This was introduced in the run by Comic legends Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo. It’s a spot-on description, as the PR agent talks about in issue# 60, “They’re Astronauts. They’re envoys. Adventures. Explores….Trouble finds them, they’ll kick its ass. But it’s not the job. It just comes with it.” Waid makes it clear that the FF's goal is to find the wonders of the universe or, beyond that, even. I will not spoil any major plot conclusions or storylines, but to highlight an example of trouble seeking the FF. In Issue #67, Waid and Wieringo reintroduce the readers to the true nature of Doctor Doom. Victor von Doom is seeking out an individual from his past, before his days as the iron-fisted ruler of Latveria. Doom was a humble but highly intelligent Romani Boy living in the rural Eastern European countryside. As a teen, he was in a relationship with Valeria, who made Victor feel special in the oppressive country he called home. Doom, as a grown man, seeks out the knowledge of various Romani Mystics before inadvertently finding Valeria, who is a true magician in the Romani fashion. At first, Valeria isn’t happy to see Doom, knowing how he became a dictator of their own country, which she escaped early on. Doom, seeking forgiveness from his love, makes a vow seemingly to give up his ways, saying, ‘I am prepared to renounce science in all its forms if you will take my hand.” This is presented at first as a gesture of romantic intent. Dr.Doom is armorless, wearing a tailored green suit (because of course) and a round silver mask to hide his scarred face, which he removes for Valeria as a sign of his unrequited love. Doom is defenseless for all intents and purposes. Valeria is touched by this, as she knows Doom to be a man of his word. Dr. Doom then reveals that this wasn’t to be a renewal of a past relationship but simply a bargain exchange for Doom's use of poor Valeria’s skin as a piece of demonic armor to destroy Reed and the rest of the Fantastic Four via powerful demonic magicks that Doom had resisted by this point. Mike Wiering draws this transaction with more pain than any Hellraiser movie can match. Doom tearfully proclaiming, “Dear, dear, Valeria. I will miss you more than anyone will ever imagine… but I will always hold you close to me.” The splash page reveals Doom’s new suit that adorns his body with demonic markings that glow a hellish red and green flames emitting like an Aura. The rest of the story should be read for itself since it’s just one of the many highlights of this run. Mark Waid said the reason the Fantastic Four have lasted so long is that their stories are malleable and even when classic rogues like Dr. Doom come back, there's always something new that keeps them forever relevant. My hope is that if you read this run, you see just how special the FF can be when in the hands of great talent.
Sincerely, Connor