I don't get it. And now they're bringing back the Heroes Reborn world? I really don't get it.

For those who don't know, here's the story. About 15 years ago (Jesus!) Magneto went totally crazy and Professor X had to take him out by wiping his memory. 10 years ago Professor X, his mind having absorbed a portion of Magneto's psyche, went crazy himself and became Onslaught. In order to kill Onslaught, all the major non-mutant super-heroes (minus Spider-Man, who was busy dealing with all his clones, and plus Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, who Marvel forgot were mutants), had to absorb Onslaught's essence and let the X-Men kill them.

So far all of this is perfectly normal comic books stuff, although a little on the cheesey side and done during a low point in terms of talent at Marvel.

But then it turned out that the heroes hadn't really died. Franklin Richards, the extremely powerful mutant son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, saved the heroes by placing them in a pocket dimension.

Still nothing too out of the ordinary for comics.

While they were in the pocket dimension, however, they were turned over to Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. These are two creators who worked for Marvel in the early 90s and then left to form Image comics. Jim Lee is a great artist and a terrible plotter. Rob Liefeld is a talentless hack with absolutely no redeeming qualities. He can not draw. He can not draw. I don't mean "he's a bad artist". I mean, he can not draw.

So fan reaction to this was pretty negative. Plus, the hype at the time was that the heroes really were dead in the real Marvel Universe and they really were starting over here. This was called Heroes Reborn. I read this garbage because I had caught onto the hints that Franklin Richards (a favorite character of mine) had saved them, and for once I was right (unlike, for example, the time i thought Doom 2099 was the "real" Dr. Doom, who had escaped death in Tom DeFalco's FF run by travelling to future. I read that crappy FF run, and Doom 2099, for at least a year waiting to watch them execute my brilliant idea. Never happened.) Everyone hated this, but i guess it sold really well due to the controversy. Liefeld was even fired during the middle of this due to the negative response and the fact that he can't get a book out on time.

Eventually the heroes figured out what was going on and they "escaped" the Franklinverse, and went back to the real MU where they were assigned good writers, beginning the current long stretch at Marvel where the writing has been quite good. Heroes Reborn was more or less forgotten.

Now they are bringing it, and Rob Liefeld, back along with it. And they're involving Franklin Richards (one of my favorite characters, who's been depowered and out of use lately). Which means, god help me, i may end up getting this.

like hell we are. a butt monkey could draw better than liefeld.

This was announced at the end of March. I'm wondering if it is/was an April Fool's joke. It sure ought to be.

That idea was put forward, but it is definitely not a joke.

My God, help us. The only reasons I think Liefeld gets work is:

A he's extremely skilled at speechcraft, and wills himself on people.

B He knows some dirty secrets about somebody big in the industry, and he's blackmailing them.

those are the only two reasons I can think of, kinda sad.