Fantastic Four

The first is Ryan North’s current, continuing run on Fantastic Four. You may know Ryan North’s work from Dinosaur Comics or his amazing Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. This Fantastic Four run is about family, it’s fun, and you don’t have to know about or read any other Marvel comic to enjoy it. While whimsically silly at times (what would the Fantastic Four look like if they were dinosaurs?), it is also insightful and emotional. One issue is from the perspective of Alicia Masters Grimm (a character who is blind) and attempts to convey one perspective on what comics can mean to a person who has a severe limitation in sight. Another issue made me feel deep sadness for a villain who emerged from a Pokémon Go-like mobile game.

We’re 16 issues in and the first few story arcs are out in TPB collections. Here’s the first one on Amazon, but I’m sure you can get it at your local library.

The Sacrificers

The second comic is The Sacrificers written by Rick Remender and drawn by Max Fiumara. As a person who doesn’t normally care about spoilers, I don’t want to go into too many details of this amazing book. We’re six issues in and it’s been a long, long time since I anticipated each new installment of any comic so eagerly. It’s a universe full of gods, science, magic, and bird-like peasants. The world is built so beautifully and it’s revealed to us at such a pace that allows us space to speculate and wonder. You don’t know exactly what’s going on or whom you’re supposed to care about until you suddenly care very, very much.

You can get the first six issues digitally or in single-issue form at your local comic book store. The first TPB collection is slated to ship in April 2024.

From Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796 (emphasis mine):

I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.