Fantastic Four # 543

Writers: Dwayne McDuffie, Stan Lee, Paul Pope
Artists: Mike McKone, Nick Dragotta, Mike Allred, Paul Pope, Andy Lanning & Cam Smith
Publisher: Marvel
Published: January 2007

Another Paul Pope entry today. I figure I got's to just get all my Pope comics on this beast so I can start focusing on other comics.

Fantastic Four 543 has 3 tales. The only one I was really concerned with was Pope's (of course). The story is a classic grudge match between ol' Spidey and Flame Brain. One of the greatest dynamics to come out of the Marvel Universe was the rival between the spoiled Human Torch and everyman Spider-Man. The two of them can really get at each others nerves, and Pope delivers on this front.

The other stories involve Stan Lee, Mole Man, and a retrospective of the FF via candid interviews with Marvel Heroes. What I don't quite get was when Stan Lee became less and less of a creator and more and more of a comic character? He's almost Robert Crumbish in his utmost desire to be depicted as a character in the world he helped create (less the fetishes, sex, and bizarre confessions). I suppose he has the absolute right to do this, and he is somewhat of a comic book character in his interviews, so I guess I should just shut my mouth before some Marvel Acolyte starts pasting my blog with hate...