Fantastic Four #1 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (story), Mark Bagley (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Paul Mounts (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Welcome to the next era of the family four.  Meet the family and learn all about their new mission, which will have them sailing off to the unknown corners of the universe.

The Review:  In many ways, the issue is structured as something of a reassurance for readers of Jonathan Hickman’s seminal run.  Matt Fraction knows he has big shoes to fill so he takes baby steps here, showing that he’s not ditching any of the strong elements that Hickman introduced.

At the same time, the issue has a very clear structure:  each of the four gets one scene where Fraction basically shows us how he understands each character and his take on their respective core essences.  All told, each scene hits the mark.  Reed and his habit of taking on burdens, Sue’s role as the mother of the team, and Johnny and Ben’s respective brands of comic relief all go off quite well.  There is an argument to be made that perhaps Fraction goes a little far with Johnny and Ben, who feel a bit over-the-top and a bit like caricatures of themselves to an extent, but honestly, given how funny I found their respective scenes, it’s hard to really fault Fraction for this.  I mean, sure their personalities were a little exaggerated, but I still enjoyed the hell out of their portions of the issue and fun is the ultimate objective, right?  And there’s no mistaking that Hickman’s Ben and Johnny are pretty darned funny.

FF #22 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (writer), Andre Araujo (art), Cris Peter (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story:  Bentley confronts his father, the Wizard, to prove once and for all that he is not a chip of the old, crazy block.

The Review:  You know, this upcoming Wizard story was sort of like my last hope for Hickman’s Fantastic Four these days.  I’ve made no secret of the fact that I think Hickman had run out of stories quite a while ago and that Marvel soured a good thing by stretching the Hickman’s stint beyond his planned exit.  But the Wizard…that was the one remaining loose end, the one story that remained.  And it was a crossover between Hickman’s two titles, so there must be something there right?

Apparently not.  The preceding Fantastic Four issue felt shallow and light on content and this issue of FF?  Well, it’s just frustrating, to be honest.  If you expected the issue to just follow up on last issue’s cliffhanger of Bentley’s confronting his father, you’d be dead wrong.  See, only FOUR PAGES occur after where we left our characters.  That’s right, four pages.  The rest of the issue simply rehashes what we already saw earlier this month, albeit (sort of) from the perspective of Val and Bentley.  Admittedly, there’s an opening scene that’s new: a ping pong game between some of the kids, and it’s a bit of a laugh (even if it’s completely insignificant/irrelevant to the plot).

FF #16 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Nick Dragotta & Steve Epting (art), Chris Sotomayor & Paul Mounts (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story:  The Future Foundation pick up the pieces in a ruined NYC….and what exactly happened to Doom when the Bridge closed, anyway?

The Review: I’ve ragged on FF now and then since the return of the main Fantastic Four title for at times feeling like an album of b-sides.  Last issue, for instance, was of questionable necessity.

However, this issue of FF definitely serves a good purpose.  After the big events of the last issue of Fantastic Four, a nice, clean epilogue to consolidate the characters, tidy things up, and provide a little room for reflection is generally a good idea.  This is exactly what FF #16 accomplishes, showing the characters’ reactions to what just happened, while also setting the stage for future Fantastic Four stories.

The result is that there are some rather nice developments: Johnny and Spider-Man becoming room-mates (much to Spidey’s lack of enthusiasm) is a great idea, the new Baxter building is really pretty cool, and Franklin’s interactions with his future self are as enjoyable as you’d expect.

There are nonetheless problems however.  Hickman has Val narrate the issue and her voice isn’t quite consistent with how Hickman has written her thus far.  She’s just too “kiddy” and generally immature.  Were it another writer coming onboard, it’s actually not a wholly inappropriate voice for Val as a character, it’s just that it doesn’t quite jive with the voice Hickman has established for her throughout her run.  It does, however, lead to a hint of a future romance between Val and Bentley, which is pretty awesome.

There’s also the fact that in being an epilogue, it really only does very bog-standard epilogue-y things.  Characters are shuffled around, things are tidied up, and Hickman basically is just putting the FF’s house back in order.  In other words, it’s not an earth-shattering read.

Fantastic Four #601 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writing), Steve Epting (pencils), Rick Magyar & Mark Pennington (inks), Paul Mounts (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Johnny brings the cavalry.

The Review:  This past summer, Marvel and DC both put out company-wide events that were pretty underwhelming.  Truth be told, however, I haven’t really, really enjoyed an event from Marvel or DC since Civil War.  Blackest Night was all right, while everything else since has ranged from “sucked” to “disappointing.”

This arc of Hickman’s Fantastic Four, and issues like this one, show that Hickman succeeds where these events have failed.  In this issue, for instance, he manages to tell a story with universe wide implications and a fairly large cast, but at all times, there is an emotional core to the story that makes it all meaningful and gives the story heart.  Hickman balances the large-scale events with personal emotions in his characters, and the result is what I’ve been waiting for: an event that actually has a soul.

Of course, that’s the irony, isn’t it?  This isn’t an event at all, it’s just a story-arc set within Fantastic Four and FF.  That alone shows how impressive this issue is.  Despite being highly centralized, it feels massive in scale and effect.  The battles are immense, the stakes are enormous, and there is a substantial number of moving parts in the story.  The result is something that feels downright epic and, moreover, it all feels like it has been built up accordingly.  A lot of events are promoted as having been built up to for years, but in the case of Hickman’s Fantastic Four, that’s actually true, and one can feel the narrative weight of that.

Amazing Spider-Man #666 – Review

by Dan Slott (writer), Stefano Caselli (art), Marte Gracia (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Life is good, and very busy, for Peter Parker, but unbeknownst to him, more and more people in New York City are gaining spider-powers.

What’s Good: Apparently, Dan Slott and the rest of the crew in the Spider-office take that $3.99 price-tag really seriously.  This is a lot of comic book.  It’s 30 pages of dense storytelling, packed with characterful dialogue and narration that’s entertaining, regardless of the exposition.  It’s also amazing quite how many bases Slott touches upon in these 30 pages.  Not only does Slott set the stage for Spider-Island in ever conceivable way, he also gives us an update on more or less every nook and cranny of Peter Parker’s world.  As a result, the number of characters in this book is pretty damned massive, but because Slott keeps it, for the most part, tightly focused on Peter, Spider-readers won’t get lost.

What’s even more remarkable is what a firm grasp Slott has on this immense cast.  Obviously, his Peter Parker is great, but everyone elses’ dialogue is fun and energetic and every character has his or her own distinct voice.  With so many characters on hand, here, that’s pretty impressive.

All in all, this is just a really big, well-rounded package.  It sets up the state for Spider-Island quite well and will leave you ready and willing to dive in, but more than that, you get a little taste of literally everything and everyone relevant to Slott’s run on ASM thus far.  No stone is left unturned, and as a result, you get a Spidey comic that really feels like a Spidey comic.  With so much in this book, this is a pretty immersive experience, one that really brings you into Peter’s world.

Of course, Caselli’s art doesn’t hurt.  It’s as lively and energetic as ever and while Caselli often puts a lot on the page, in both content and panels, it’s never confused or claustrophobic.  Whether it’s a dialogue scene or an action scene, Caselli’s work always feels fast-paced.

Fantastic Four #586 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Steve Epting (pencils), Rick Magyar (inks), Paul Mounts (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Sue tries to stave off war as she learns a starting secret, Reed journeys with Galactus, and Ben, Johnny, and the kids attempt to hold back the Negative Zone.

What’s Good: I’ve found the “Countdown to Casualty” on the front cover to be cheesy from the get-go, and yet that’s exactly the message that Jonathan Hickman so skillfully crafts this month.  In the last issue before the death occurs, the tension has reached a fever pitch.  In that sense, “Three” has been a beautiful arc; each issue was more tense than the last, as each month, the members of the FF find themselves in increasingly bad situations.

As far as that tension and anxiousness goes, this issue is by far the tightest and, at times, most breathless.  It’ll have you hankering for the next issue and truly at wit’s end over who it is that will meet their end next month.  In this sense, Hickman’s announcing the casualty early works great, as this month ends up being a “what if” guessing game.  This is a riveting, edge of your seat read where everything stands incredibly precariously. Nowhere is this tension clearer than in the running dialogue Reed and Galactus.  I’ve always loved mortal/god conversations because of uncomfortable dynamic, and that serves Three’s purposes well here and leads to a truly heroic splash page and resolution on Reed’s part.

Despite all the darkness and nervousness though, Hickman still finds time for his wacky humor.  He writes the kids brilliantly this month, who function as a kind of almost surreal comic relief amidst all of the darkness.  Seeing them gleefully building rifles and grenades is pretty damned hilarious, particularly given the circumstances.

Other than that though, there’s a reveal regarding the Atlantean conference and Namor’s intentions that is very well played and will have you re-evaluating and possibly re-reading previous issues.  It’s a wonderful twist by Hickman and one that I certainly didn’t see coming after last month’s issue.    Ultimately, big, big things are on the horizon for the Fantastic Four.  Those who have complained about the lack of narrative progression in Hickman’s Fantastic Four should love this issue, as a lot happens, or at least is revealed.

Once again, Steve Epting’s artwork serves this arc well.  It’s moody and dark, but still distinctly FF and his Galactus and Negative Zone monsters all look great.  I could ask for much more.

Avengers #7 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Dean White (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: There’s somebody trying to collect infinity gems, and that can’t be good…

What’s Good: After all the time-traveling hijinks, the is actually a really comforting issue of the Avengers if only because it feels like the series is getting back to basics and, in doing so, it also continues to solidify its identity and tone.  Bendis has things much more under control and the result is an issue that is something of a relieving read.  This is a well-structured comic that hits the right notes.

As the first issue of a new arc, this book is all set-up and as such, functions as a perfect prelude.  There’s a mysterious new bad guy (maybe) who we know nothing about.  Despite this, his quest for the infinity gems and his use of their powers is enough to make him a foreboding figure and a real threat.  I like that Bendis didn’t reveal any of his cards this month, as it made me all the more intrigued to find out what happens next and to learn just who the hell this guy is.  I’m already far more interested in this plotline than I was the previous.  It’s all shrouded in secrecy, but the infinity gems alone are such a collective bogeyman that the issue is all the better for it.  The whole “pissed off Wonder Man” thread is also re-introduced, and it has me as interested as ever, as Simon continues to remind me of a grumpy forum-dweller.

Fantastic Four #583 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Steve Epting (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: While the FF do battle in the Neutral Zone, Val strikes a deal with Victor von Doom after discovering some of her father’s secrets.

What’s Good: This month sees the start of a new story-arc and Steve Epting taking over art duties.  I’ll start off by saying that Epting’s art this month is fantastic and he very well-matched for the Fantastic Four.  I love Epting’s art, but I was a bit concerned over how his darker, more shadowed art style would work on FF, but work it does.  Epting’s style gives the book a heavier sense of mystery and epic scope, as well as a high-budget feel of polished professionalism.

With respect to Hickman’s side of the book, this issue is really carried by two people: Val and Doom.  Both of them are wonderfully written.  Val oozes undeniable intelligence and confidence which work in perfect contrast to her age and appearance.  Hickman writes a fantastic Val, as has been the case throughout his run, but here he takes it further, giving us a Val that seems one step ahead of the rest of the book’s cast, even her own father.  Under Hickman’s hand, Val is lovable, heroic, and incredibly smart and I adored reading her, which is significant given my long-standing ambivalence to child characters.

Doom is also pitch-perfect.  He’s brooding and he’s intelligent, and one can practically hear the gears turning whenever he speaks, or even by his body language alone.  Frankly, even when down on his luck, Hickman’s Doom is the total badass that Dr. Doom should be.  Moreover, Hickman does a great job writing Doom’s feelings regarding personal weakness, and how he deals with his own.  The fact that we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in future issues has me giddy.

Brought together, Doom and Val have a really, really strong dynamic.  Their conversation works so well because it’s a mix that reflects both Doom’s being older, while also respecting Val’s intelligence.  There’s a kind of familiarity, even a familial aspect here, and yet there’s also a cat-and-mouse rivalry as well.  It’s perfect and the frame where Doom and Val come to an accord is easily the most memorable image any comic has given me this month.

Wolverine: Weapon X #13 – Review

by Jason Aaron (writer), Ron Garney (pencils), Jason Keith (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: The New Avengers get involved as Cap and Logan confront the inventor of the Deathloks.

What’s Good: Going into this issue, I was not overly thrilled with the idea of Aaron bringing in the New Avengers.  I liked his inclusion of Captain America, but bringing in a whole team, I feared, would dilute the comic.  What I didn’t count on, however, was the fact that Aaron writes an awesome Spider-Man.

His Spider-Man is absolutely hilarious.  His banter is awesome and his constant ribbing of the Thing is equally riotous.  But Aaron’s Spider-Man’s wit is so sharp that it borders on the metatextual.  For instance, his complaints regarding the fact that characters from the future always come from a dystopian wasteland, or his mocking of the sheer number of catch-phrases that the Thing has are both wonderfully done.  When Aaron writes Spider-Man talking and bantering exactly like the Thing, it’s utter genius and a hilarious statement on the character.

Then, not done yet with character, Aaron presents us with a grizzled, commando Spidey of the future who is a tragic shadow of his present-day go-getter.  Aaron’s Spidey, so madcap and hilarious in his present day version, finds himself unable to tell a joke or find humor in the future.  This alone speaks volumes about the darkness of his environment and in retrospect, is chilling.

Beyond this, what we get from Aaron is basically a smattering of coolness.  We get a headless Deathlok flailing about and punching through a guy’s chest.  We get a surprising callback to Aaron’s Wolverine: the List one-shot.   Then there’s a demoted mad scientist who makes cyborgs from roadkill, who serves as a surprising source for comedy (“Take care….of my possums…”).

Fantastic Four #578 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Dale Eaglesham (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Johnny has a run-in with some Negative Zone badness while the undersea denizens revealed last month make for an unhappy Namor.

What’s Good: It’s great to see Johnny get some love this month.  As much as I like Reed and the kids, and Reed is probably among my top three comic characters, I’m glad that Hickman is trying his best to share the spotlight a bit.

What’s better still is that Hickman doesn’t write Johnny as the two-dimensional comic relief/jerk as it’s all too easy to do.  Sure there’s humour and arrogance, but there’s also heroism and even responsibility.  I’m glad Hickman decided to give Johnny a more serious look and when Johnny’s taking responsibility for his own mistake ends up being an even bigger mistake, there’s a tragic, bittersweet taste behind the irony, seemingly because he doesn’t know how to go about fixing his messes.

The self-reflection on Johnny’s part is outstanding.  It’s all the better due to how little Reed actually has to say; Johnny is already well aware of his shortcomings.  It’s always a strangely voyeuristic pleasure to see Johnny ashamed of himself, perhaps because the character is so defined by his douchebag persona.

Dale Eaglesham continues succeeds at the sci-fi insanity as usual, this month with a horror tinge, but it’s the more subtle stuff that caught my eye.   His work on his characters’ facial expressions is truly outstanding this month and absolutely spot on.  His work on Val and Johnny feel incredibly human, even adorable at times while the opening portrait is sure to catch the eyeballs.

Hulk #19 – Review

By: Jeph Loeb (writer), Ed McGuinness (penciller), Mark Farmer (inker), Dave Stewart (colorist)

The Story: The Intelligencia, having split with their ally the Red Hulk, send the Fearsome Four to invade the Baxter Building under the leadership of one of their own, the Wizard. Red Hulk sneaks in too, acting on a larger plan. And in a secret lair, MODOK and Doc Samson trade barbs over what to do next about the Red Hulk.

What’s Good: The Fall of the Hulks one-shots set up this arc, and now Fall of the Hulks is upon us! Loeb opens with a bang, as he launches plotting and counter-plotting forces, each sneaking around the other, feinting and moving for position. It’s a caper plot with more than two sides and it’s a lot of fun to watch! I’m fascinated (and have been for about a year) with the new, plotting, scrawny Banner that has influence over so many people stronger than him. What also intrigued me were the references to the top eight smartest people in the world. Reed Richards was obviously a target and I love that McCoy was mentioned as well. And, if memory serves, that means that Amadeus Cho will also become involved in this, thereby pulling in Hercules? Interesting….

The art was a treat. I’ve always been a fan of Farmer’s inks. He adds a soft humanity to the faces. McGuinness is obviously very talented as well and I loved the level of detail and texture he brought to the Thing, the Wizard and Klaw. Muscles move the way they’re supposed to under McGuinness’s pencil and the dynamism of the action makes me slow down the reading.