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inhumansforever · 6 years

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Fantastic Four #2 Review

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The long awaited relaunch of Marvel’s First Family continues in this second issue from the team of Dan Slott, Sara Pichelli, and Marte Gracia. Brief recap and review following the jump.

Right from the start the story of The Fantastic Four has been one about family. And as the years have past by this family has grown quite a bit. What began with Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny gradually expanded to include Reed and Sue’s children, Franklin and Valeria. Then, with the creation of the Future Foundation, a whole bunch of youngsters entered into the family… there were the two young Mutants, Artie and Leach; the super intelligent Moloids known as Tong, Mik, Korr and Turg; former Power Pack member, Alex Power; the young clone of the Wizard known as Bentley 23; a wiz kid from Wakanda named Onome, a pair of fishlings named Vil and Wi; and the kids’ android guardian, Dragon Man. Quite the household!

Last seen, this extended family had helped to bring about the end of the Secret Wars. With the aide of the omni-powerful Molecular Man, the entire multiverse was recreated and put back together. Ben and Johnny were returned to 616 universe yet the others remained behind. Franklin and Owen Reese, The Molecular Man, were creating whole new worlds and universes and the allure of discovery and adventure was too much for Reed and the others to pass up on. So they all ventured out to explore these new realms as they were created.

It would seem that quite a bit of time has passed since then. What has only been a year or so for Ben and Johnny in the 616 Universe appears to have been several years for the rest of the family; and the kids all appear to be much older… Valeria was barely more than a toddler when last seen, yet now she appears to be around 12 or so; and her brother has gone from a preadolescent to a gangly teenager… The other kids have grown as well. And they all seem to be having a blast.

Yet in quieter moments, Val and Franklin admit to one another missing their old life. They miss their uncles, Ben and Johnny. And Valeria is growing up quite fast. Whereas before she enjoyed nothing more than science and discovery and building death-rays, now she fines herself pinning for the sort of stuff many 14-year-olds are interested in. In particular, she misses the dashing Arboro, the Prince Namor looking alien who had taken a shine to her…

Still, their mom and dad have essentially been offered the sense of ‘happily ever after’ that always seemed out of their grasp and neither sibling wants to infringe on that.

The next day, Franklin is preparing to create yet another universe for them to explore when he suddenly discovers that this aspect of his powers seems to have dissipated. Reed and Owen had expected this day to come. Energy is finite and it was only a manner of time before Franklin’s capacity to generate matter on this scale would run its course and exhaust itself.

A sinister presence has been watching the family from afar… waiting for this exact moment. And now, witnessing that the ‘god-child’ has finally sent his power, she knows that it is time to strike.

Her name is The Griever and she proclaims herself the embodiment of entropy and the inevitable death of all things. It is her destiny to bear witness the ultimate heat death of the universe and grieve all that has been lost. And these mortal have been doing, creating new universe and new galaxies is seen by her as an abomination of the natural order… a matter that she seeks to put right.

It would seem that the family have dealt with such would-be threats in the past and The Molecule Man flies up to make short work of the interloper. And it is here that the true threat this Griever entity actually represents. She uses her powers and evaporates the Molecule Man, rendering him into raw energy quickly consumed by her giant caecilian-looking pets.

The others can only look on in horror. This being had just killed The Molecule Man. Is such a thing even possible? Reed is not going to stick around to find out. He rushes the others back into their jump craft fleeing the planet with The Griever and her pets in hot pursuit.

Through this chase, The Griever sets about on restoring order in accordance to her view of the universe. She destroys the various universes and worlds that Franklin and the others had created. One by one entire galaxies and civilizations are snuffed out and rendered back into cosmic dust and dissipated energy.

Reed and the others can only watch on in horror as all their work is undone, barely able to comprehend the sheer magnitude of loss of life.

Bentley 23 and Alex Powers device a plan, an appropriate beach-head where they stand the best shot of making a stand against this monster. Fleeing to this local basically entails sacrificing countless universes that The Griever will destroy in her pursuit. Reed is comprehending the most macabre form of arithmetic… sacrificing hundreds of world in an effort to save thousands. Yet Bentley and Alex’s stratagem is snd and he concurs.

Well, Valeria just isn’t having it. Fleeing to this beach-head means bypassing the planet where the issue had begun… a planet where Val had befriended a young alien prince whom she had developed quite the crush on. Val is not as coldly pragmatic as she had been in the past… this is a Val going through puberty; a Val who leads with her heart more than her head ands she is simply unwilling to let her friend perish.

She takes control of the jump craft, rerouting it and ultimately scuttling it on the planet. Prince Arboro witnesses the crash and run over to make sure Valeria is okay. She is, they all are… but for how long?

The Griever catches up with them, easy to use her awesome powers to do away from the annoyance that the family represents. Franklin seems to have lost his god-like powers, but he is still far from defenseless… he is still an Omega Level Mutant with powers on par with the likes of The Hulk, Silver Surfer and Thor. He attacks The Griever, yet as powerful as Franklin may be it would appear that The Griever is even more powerful.

She deflects Franklin’s attack and sends he careening to the ground where he lands hard, creating a crater. It tales him a moment to recuperate and when he climbs out from this crater he is terrified to see that the entirety of The Future Foundation has been thoroughly defeated by The Griever.

Floating above them all, The Griever laughs and mocks them. ‘This is the fabled Fantastic Four?’ she asks, adding that she is a bit disappointed that they had put up such paltry fight.

Reed offers a retort. He states that this isn’t the actual Fantastic Four, this is just a group of children off on an adventure; The Griever would never stand a chance against the real Fantastic Four.

Insulted, The Griever takes the bait. These humans would dare to underestimate her awesome powers? She accepts the challenge and summons forth one of her transmaterializers… some sort of device that can transport objects across the multiverse. She changes Reed to use to bring forth his champions, his ‘real’ Fantastic Four so that she may prove her might by defeating them as thoroughly as she has all others.

It’s a trap, for certain, but Reed appears to feel confident that it is a trap he can reconfigure to their benefit. He and Sue work on this strange, transmaterializer device and it’s a recapitulation of the scene shown near the end of issue #1. They activate it and, galaxies away, a large number four presents itself in the upper orbit of earth.

This giant four is not a sign, symbol or call for help. It is actually a kind of teleportation beam and Ben and Johnny find themselves suddenly risks away, transported across the cosmos to alongside the rest of their family.

It’s the reunion we’ve all been looking forward to, yet there is no time for catching up… The Fantastic Four has a job to do.

The Griever, meanwhile appears upset. What sort of trickery has Reed Richards been up to? Fore it turns out that Reed hasn’t beckoned just the primary members of the Fantastic Four, but every member, every hero who has ever stood in among the ranks of the FF!

It’s an awesome sight. This collection of heroes may or may not have what it takes to defeat a being whose powers are as substantial as those of The Griever. But they’re certain to put up quite a fight!

And it is on this cliffhanger that this second issue comes to a close with the promise of continuation in the next installment.

This second issue of the series very much felt like a first issue, like we are getting two first issues for the series - one focusing on Ben and Johnny back on earth, and a second focusing on Reed Sue and the kids. Sure why not? First issues are fun. They’re challenging to create I imagine, but if Slott, Pachelli and the gang are up to then I say bring it on.

The Griever is an interesting new villain. She seems to be some lost member of the bigger tier cosmic heavies (like the Inbetweener, Grandmaster and Living Tribunal). She certainly seems a very tough customer and, even with the enhanced forces, I’ve no idea for the Fantastic Four will ultimately triumph against her.

Val’s finding herself having a bit of a crush on Arboro was just hilarious, especially in light of how much he reminds Sue of Prince Namor. I guess the preverbal apple doesn’t fall to far from the tree ;3

The Molecule Man’s apparent death was both surprising and unsettling. I understand that writing him out might be something of a necessity for the plot. Yet it unfolded in sort of a coldblooded fashion. It also sort of smacked of the old school trope where a story will show off how powerful a new character is by having them defeat or kill an already established super powerful character.

All this aside, what really resonated with me in this issue is just how wild it is to see Franklin, Val and the others all as teenagers. I’ve known Franklin for a long time. He’s actually a good deal older than I am, having debuted way back in 1968 in the pages of Fantastic Four Annual #6. And he’s been stuck as a toddler for most of that time. Seeing him and his sister as suddenly young adults is quite something.

And also a very much welcome change. Franklin has been the face of the future generation of the Marvel pantheon for as long as I can remember and it’s about time to see him have some more grown up adventures (all the time-displaced versions of him that have appeared here and there not withstanding). I’m more than ready to see Franklin and Val take on a greater role in the stories in the future. Of course doing so is likely going to necessitate a dramatic reduction in Franklin’s power-levels. It would be hard to craft a tale with any sense of real peril if Franklin could just whisk away any threat with a wave of his hand. And this seems to be the case as Franklin has spent the majority of his abilities, leaving him still very tough, but not god-level tough.

That last scene is poster worthy. So awesome to see the whole extended roster of the Fantastic Four together (along with, for some unknown reason, IceMan). Although I was sort of disappointed not to see Moon Girl, Devil Dinosaur, Ahura, Luna and Adolf Impossible among the extended FF members (then again, Reed doesn’t know yet about Lunella and he’s likely reluctant to bring more youngsters into this dangerous fray). Will these reinforcements prove enough to put an end to the threat posed by The Griever realms to be seen… Although I’m sure Reed has still more tricks up his sleeve and I’m very, very much looking forward to seeing what happens in issue three.

Once again Sara Pachelli and Marte Gracia outdo themselves in the art department. This second issue isn’t as finely polished as the first, but they’re also asked to depict a huge array of different settings as well as a rather large ensemble cast. All and all, it’s a beautiful comic to behold and the art matches the way out nature of the story just wonderfully.

Of course recommended. Four out of five Lockjaws!

#Fantastic Four #Dan Slott #Sara Pichelli #Marte Gracia #spoilers #review

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cameronwjones · 6 years

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11 Lessons Learned From Organizing a Global Conference Tour

GetResponse has hosted global conferences across the world. In this post, the GetResponse events team shares some of their biggest event management takeaways.

In the 20-year history of the company, GetResponse has been a sponsor of many leading MarTech conferences, including ad:tech, MarketingSherpa Summit, dmexco and Digital Summit. In 2017 our experience led us to the idea of ResponseCon—a series of worldwide events focused on the ins and outs of integrated online marketing for SMBs.

Running a global conference tour is a huge challenge, but it’s also a great opportunity to learn. And we learned many lessons when organizing the ResponseCon events. For this article, I compiled 11 of our greatest findings from from our global events team, and turned them into practical tips that will help you with organizing your next event. Dive in!

1. Find Partners

Partner up with similar companies, communities, and organizations to support or sponsor your event and make sure to leverage their community for event promotion.

Use local communities to promote your event. Find local partners, forums, meet-ups, and Facebook or LinkedIn groups to find your potential attendees. Make sure to post there regularly and offer a nice discount to the locals.

“Try co-branding – especially when you’re going for terra incognita. Co-marketing comes with nice perks, like a free venue and access to interesting audiences.”

—Justyna Bakker-Rakowska, GetResponse International Marketing Coordinator

2. Mobilize Your Assets

Create exclusive landing pages for your event with all the necessary information (e.g., dates, tickets, speakers, workshops, venue, map.) If you start the promotion early and are not ready to share all the details yet, you can create a landing page with basic information and a web form, so that the people who are interested can sign up and receive regular updates.

ResponseCon Boston landing page with basic information and a subscription form

Plan an email marketing cycle reminding about the event and gradually revealing the information to your audience.

"If you don't want to get flooded with phone calls just before the event, use your online assets to provide your audience with information. The more information you put on your website and send via email, the fewer phone calls you'll receive the day before the event.”

—Natalia Paczóska, Head of Marketing, GetResponse Poland

3. Start Registration as Soon as Possible

Open event registration from the get-go. You can reveal the details (speakers, agenda, workshops, etc.) along the way. You can actually use the information to spark interest and engage your audience. Offer some discount for people who register early.

“Start registration as soon as possible. Make sure to announce your event a few months before to build awareness, yet expect that 50% of your tickets will sell 2 weeks before the event."

—Natalia Dwórznik, GetResponse Marketing Manager

4. Keep Tabs on Everything

Venue

If possible, visit the venue in-person before booking. This will give you the opportunity to get a better feel of the space that a virtual tour won't be able to provide. During your trip, check if:

The venue is as nice as it looks in the pictures

The venue is easily accessible for everyone

There’s enough parking space

There’s tech support that knows how to operate the equipment

You can arrange the conference space according to your preferences

There’s flawless Wi-Fi connection

There’s any other conference organized at the same time (which might result in people waiting in long lines to the cloakroom, toilet, or buffet)

Logistics

Meanwhile, it take a village to produce an event. Don’t just assume that other people will take care of everything on their own. Communication throughout is key:

Have a clear action plan for everything that needs to be done before the event

Write down all the contact details to suppliers, caterers, speakers, etc.

Confirm all arrangements via email

Confirm the email arrangements on the phone

Remind everyone of the deadlines

You are responsible for the overall success of the event, so the buck stops with you.

Speakers

Screen your speakers! Just because a speaker is affiliated with a recognized brand does not mean that they’re going to engage your crowd. Make sure that the speakers have the right domain knowledge and fit within the scope of your conference.

If possible, try to arrange individual presentations to build a complete story with each one building up towards one another.

“Collect the presentation from your speakers a few days before the event. Make sure that they are in the right format and that the information on the slides is easily visible from a distance. Download and keep the presentations on a designated computer and make sure that everybody knows how to use the equipment.”

—Daria Love, GetResponse B2B Marketing Manager

5. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Food

Pay special attention to the meals served during the event. Even the best speakers won’t make up for bad food. Run a survey among attendees about their food allergies, intolerances, and preferences. Make sure that the food is excellent and there’s enough for everyone.

Tip: Go with local food—it’s fresh, tastes better, and is going to be a treat for people who travelled to your event. Offering local food you also support the local economy and enhance the overall experience of the event.

Great food facilitates great conversations – the lunch area during a ResponseCon event in Warsaw, Poland

6. Assemble an Amazing Crew

Build a crew of people who care for the attendees. You need people who observe the situation and proactively tackle issues that might arise during the event.

Make sure that your front desk crew knows:

Where all the strategic places are (like cloakrooms and toilets)

If (and when) you will send slide decks and video recordings from presentations

The Wi-Fi network and password

Where individual conference tracks take place

From our experience, for a 300-person event, you need at least 5 front desk crew in order to provide five-star service.

7. Choose the Right Event Host

You'll want an MC who knows the audience—this is especially important when local habits play a huge role in setting up your event schedule or communicating with your audience while you’re on stage.

Jamie Turner hosting a ResponseCon event in Denver

A charismatic MC will engage and energize the crowd, keep the event on schedule, and react to any changes if they arise.

8. Put Practice Over Theory

“Choose case studies for keynote presentations. Use as many real-life examples, customer stories, statistics and campaign results to make sure your keynotes are appealing to the public.”

– Natalia Dwórznik, GetResponse Marketing Manager

Offer skill development and hands-on experience, e.g., labs, workshops, 1:1 consultations, coaching clinics, roundtable discussion—anything to engage your audience more than with just a lecture.

Hands-on approach during ResponseCon Malaysia

Segment your audience and offer them workshop-like activities—or else, they’re going to get bored. If you can offer enough challenge and added value, workshops are the way to go.

For example, during the ResponseCon events we offer workshops and roundtable discussions focused on the attendees’ case studies. We show them how they can use our product to achieve their goals.

9. You Should Probably Use That Microphone

If you run an event for more than 100 people, you’d better amp it up with a microphone system. Trust me, the people in the last rows will appreciate it.

10. Keep in Touch with Attendees and Stakeholders

Stay in touch with people who took part in your events. Send them links to presentations video recordings. Offer them a special ticket price for future events and ask them to invite their friends.

Use social media to build a vibrant community around your events. In order to stay in touch with ResponseCon attendees, we’ve created the ResponseCon community group on Facebook. Groups are not only a great way to spark connections between the organizer and attendees, they also allow people to network and build relationships during and after the event (or even before it.)

11. Always Have a Backup Plan

And one more thing…remember to prepare for the unexpected. Let me close with a tip from my friend Daria, who has a lot of experience with organizing corporate events: “Always have a backup plan. For everything!”

Wrapping Up: Planning Your Global Event

When it comes to great events—preparation is everything. To recap, here are the top things to keep in mind when preparing for your next global event

Start Early and Go Hard: The sooner your event website is up, the sooner you can start accepting submissions.

Make It Practical: In curating your event agenda, schedule sessions that give practical advice or even hands-on training for attendees.

Communicate, Elaborate, Delegate: There are a lot of balls in the air with an event—from house and AV staff to speakers and sponsors. Communicate clearly with all of your stakeholders.

Don’t Forget the Little Things: From having the right food to the right MC, the little details can go a long way to providing attendees with a good experience.

Always Have a Plan B: Always.

Good luck!

You might also be interested in the below event management tips.

from Cameron Jones Updates https://blog.bizzabo.com/global-conference-tour-tips

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