Passing it on...

The family and I headed out to the local multi-screen movie house today to see Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I liked the movie for the most part and thought it was better than the first effort. The Silver Surfer was handled VERY well and even Dr. Doom came off a little better this time around.

While well done, these movies still lack a lot of the scope of the classic Lee / Kirby comics of the 60's, but I'm not so sure a strict interpretation of the Kirby graphic style would play well in a live action film. A very tight Kirby-style animated Fantastic Four might be the ticket. I am sure, though, that such a THING will never happpen. (Pun launched with furvor.)

The kids, of course, dug the new movie the most, and the outing led to something that was, for me, quite gratifying. After returning home, I offered up my Marvel Treasury Edition #2 (which features the original 3 part Galactus Trilogy upon which the movie was loosely based) as reading fodder to the kids. They, of course, already knew of the differences between the comic story and the movie. Living in my home, they couldn't help but know. But to cement this, I decided the original tale should be required reading to show how ideas change and evolve from one medium to another.

As I write this, the younger son has finished and has now passed the book on to his older sibling. Imagine my joy tonight as I watched them soaking up a big heapin' helpin' of Kirby glory!

As a rule, I strive to pass on many things to my children: my faith, my morals, my world view and after all that, I try to drown them in the positive images and words of the heroes I loved as a child.

Some things should not be lost.