Fantastic Four: The End #1-6 – Review

By Alan Davis (Story and Pencils), Mark Farmer (Inks), and John Kalisz (Colors)

Fantastic Four: The End is one of the best mini-series, and indeed, one the best comic book stories, I have ever read. Given, I am a huge fan of the Fantastic Four, and granted I have only been reading comics for a little over a year, but if this isn’t good enough to rank amongst the top of what this medium has to offer, I don’t know what does. Whether or not one disagrees with this statement, there is still plenty here to satisfy even the most casual comic book reader.

The story takes place years in the future long after a horrific battle with Dr. Doom which caused not only his death, but the tragic deaths of Franklin and Valeria. Now the Fantastic Four have drifted apart. Reed has ushered in a utopian period for humanity, inventing life improving machines and life lengthening processes, and continues to do research, secluded on a base in orbit of Earth. Sue has separated from Reed, and has immersed herself in underwater archaeology. Johnny (who now goes by John) has finally matured and is a prominent member of the Avengers. Ben, who has gained the ability to transform back and forth between The Thing and his human form, has finally married Alicia. They have three children and live on Mars, dwelling inside the Inhuman colony.

While life may seem bittersweet for the four one-time teammates, old threats are reawakened and old foes unite. Eventually, through a seeming act of fate, the Four slowly come together along with many of the surviving Marvel heroes to once again save humanity. This summary may make the plot sound somewhat generic, but nothing could be further from the truth. The story takes many shocking twists and turns while employing clever foreshadowing techniques. This is also a very sci-fi story. It almost felt more like Star Trek than the Fantastic Four due to its futuristic setting, but this is certainly not a complaint. Fanboys (and fangirls) who love far-flung future tales and stories of super heroics will be more than pleased by this entertaining merger of the two.

Alan Davis’ art is a perfect match for his story. Too often, I have seen future settings portrayed as being either too cartoony, or too surreal. This is neither. Utopian scenes, while pristine looking, do not have a sterile feel. Instead, they’re full of life. Once again, visuals from Star Trek come to mind. Similarly, when the rougher parts of outer space are being presented, Davis does not hesitate to show us more mechanized and creepy scenery. John Kalisz’s colors match flawlessly, being vibrant and colorful at the right times and dark when necessary, but never too much of either extreme.

Perhaps the best element is the theme of family that runs throughout. Even a tragedy cannot keep the Fantastic Four from fully severing their ties with one another. When they need each other the most, they are able to overcome adversity and reunite once more. Themes such as responsibility, heroism, and combating prejudice, while all important, come second when placed with one of the most important benefits to society: the family. Not only does Alan Davis convey this in a very well told manner, he realizes that this theme is what drives a good Fantastic Four story, thus making Fantastic Four: The End a great read on several levels – as an FF story, as a piece of futuristic science-fiction, as a superhero tale, and as family-centered piece. Anyone who enjoys reading one of these categories needs to do him or herself a favor and pick this series up – either as individual issues or in trade paperback form. (Grade: A+)

-M. Staples