You are preaching to the converted about a good writter. Did you ever read the original Squadern Superime?
AF was a top seller in the beging. So was the original GR back in the early 70's. Though what else can you do to AF right now? Byrne didn't think the chraters were intersting and 2 dimentional, and was forced to do the book. (was it Mike Magnolia, who took over after Byrne?) He didn't want to the series because he didn't grow up with these charaters. So how are you going to a good writter on this book, when you look at the first 2 artist on the first run didn't even want to do the book.
Marvel has already killed off most of the originalline up. What else can be done to AF? It was easy to give GR a revamp because he's only one guy. X-men had 4 new charaters, and 3 minnor one. I think that it took off because it was a culturly mixed team. Vol I & II were mostly all white. Vol III so many reasons why it didn't work, so let's not even talk about it. OF were established charaters that were castoffs from WCA.
I don't like the idea of ignorring the past 20-30 years of AF history, but if you keep holding on to past you are condemned to repeat it. Something has to be done to the book that will grab old and new readers, or the book will be in limbo for who knows how long.