The thing that disheartens me the most as an FF fan, is just how much prestige they have lost in recent years. I mean,this was Marvel's top tier title. "The world's greatest comic magazine." The history with Lee & Kirby braking ground on an entire new universe that was yet to emerge. The characters that were given birth in the book.
When I was a kid (and I'm guessing several here are old enough to remember) The Thing was a Flagship character. Yes,little Johnny.You know how people think of Iron Man today? That was Aunt Petunia's blue-eyed nephew,back in the day. He was probably 3rd after Spidey & Hulk in popularity. (Which I'm also disappointed how far down the list Hulk has fallen,but that's another subject entirely) Thing was so beloved, he got his own book: Marvel Two in One that paired him up with other Marvel heroes. Nowadays...do kids even know who the Thing is? Do they know anything about the FF? We had the old "Ring, ring do your Thing" cartoon.Yeah,it had nothing whatsoever to do with the FF as we know them,but it just goes to show how much kids loved the character,that he got his own starring cartoon.