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 #4 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Barry Kitson (artist), Paul Mounts (colorist), and Clayton Cowles (letterer)

The Story: The Doom conference on Reeds continues as Sue, Alex Power, and Spider-Man raise to stop a civil war erupting in Old Atlantis.

The Review:  A single good concept can go a long way in carry a comic.  In this case, the continuing conference of FF bad guys led by Victor von Doom continues to be a very, very good concept.

There’s something so naturally awesome about the idea of a group of bad guys having a meeting in the Baxter Building about how to beat Reed and Hickman does a fantastic job of portraying the various personalities on display here.  Each villain is a different sort of bad guy and it’s so much fun watching them bounce off one another.  From Doom’s arrogance, to Diablo’s sly villainy, to the Wizard’s evil, this is great stuff.  Hickman also does an uproarious job in writing the Mad Thinker, who is everything his name suggests he is.  Throw in Reed, Val, and Nathaniel and this is merely an opportunity for Hickman to have strong personalities clash.

Furthermore, as grave and serious as the subject matter of this meeting is, there’s a constant undertone of humor, as you may expect given the cast involved.  From Reed’s telling Doom of what the his fellow Reeds do to the Dooms they find, to Reed’s muttering “this is a disaster,” this is just so much fun to read.

Also fun is the art provided by Barry Kitson.  I really like Steve Epting as an artist, but while his darker style suited the tone of the “Three” arc and the death of Johnny, he was quite the right fit for the FF moving forward.  Kitson brings a brighter more upbeat style that serves the series much better.

FF #1 – Review

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

The Story: The Future Foundation recalibrates following Johnny’s death, as dangers loom.

The Review: One thing is immediately clear while reading FF #1: this is what Jonathan Hickman has been building up to.  Many of the plot-threads resurge in this new series.  You get the return of the Wizard, a reminder regarding that little meeting Val had with Dr. Doom a few issues back, Nathaniel Richards’ return, and references to Sue’s new role in Old Atlantis and the fate of the Inhumans.  FF is, basically, a culmination of Hickman’s Fantastic Four.

Another thing that strikes me about this issue is just how well Hickman quite consciously balances the wild, super-heroics of FF with the idea of its being a family, with neither side being more important than the other.  They’re a group that goes off and has a wacky battle with AIM and then comes home to a family dinner afterwards.  More than that though is the fact that both these sides of the team are equally entertaining, albeit in totally different ways.  The superheroics bring the action and the sci-fi, while the family bits bring the laughs and the sincerity.  Speaking of laughs, little Bentley has the best line once again.

That said, there’s also a sense of sadness that lingers throughout the issue.  From the black and white outfits to Ben’s grieving to Franklin’s insistence of keeping Johnny’s seat empty at the dinner table, this is a family afflicted by loss, for all its superpowers and dinner table guffaws.  While Hickman doesn’t make that the defining feature of FF, it’s still present and not forgotten with a new #1.

I suppose the most important aspect of this issue is what it sets up for the future.  The return of the Wizard is ominous and promises a sure to be totally awesome plotline.  Meanwhile, the last page cliffhanger, revealing the FF’s newest member, is a massive shock and one that honestly gave me chills.  Granted, I’m a huge fanboy when it comes to the character in question, but it’s a massively powerful moment nonetheless.  Then there’s Nathaniel’s role throughout it all, already putting Reed’s customary leadership position into a greyer area.  All told, this is one of those issues that promises really good things to come and leaves Hickman’s FF in quite possibly a stronger and more interesting position than it’s ever been in before.

Fantastic Four #579 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Neil Edwards (pencils), Andrew Currie (inks), Paul Mounts (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Tired of self-limitation among the scientific community, Reed looks to prepare the next generation of thinkers.

What’s Good: This is one of those issues of Fantastic Four that demonstrates why the title is perfect for Hickman, linked as it is with ideas he’s had since Transhuman.  That is, specifically, the refusal to accept limitations and glass ceilings and a simultaneously idealist and escapist belief in infinite potential and boundless possibility.

This is laid out in the book’s strongest scene, an extended speech by Reed at a conference scientists, where he condemns them for their inertia and self-limiting.  It’s a beautiful fusion of Romanticism and scientific thought, and a bold, exciting message of hope.  It’s also highly relevant to our world as well, with Reed actually calling out the decision to suspend manned space missions.  Reed’s speech is some of the finest writing I’ve ever read from Hickman particularly because it’s so pertinent to the human condition and contemporary society in its ideas and sentiment.  It’s also, of course, perfect for the Heroic Age.  Simply put, the sky is the limit but, in Reed’s eyes, we’ve stopped looking up.

This idea of “no limits” extends to a conversation between Reed and the Wizard.  The Wizard is wonderfully written by Hickman, stark raving mad and spewing just barely incomprehensible pseudo-science babble.  Reed’s explanation for his reasons behind taking in the Wizard’s clone is very well linked to the speech with which he opened the issue, almost as though Reed is putting his own words into practice.  He will raise the boy in order to prove that there are no limits to human potential; genetics, destiny, and predestination are bunk in the face of a nurturing environment.

Fantastic Four #570 – Review

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

The Story: After fighting a gang of robots in typical FF style, Reed enters the Bridge to meet a “council” of very familiar faces.

What’s Good: As a Fantastic Four comic, Hickman’s first go is generally a success for being 22 pages of pure fun that manages to put a smile on your face.  In other words, it’s exactly how an FF comic should be.  The battle with the robots is flashy and fun, the bad guy sounds suitably crazy, providing the necessary darkness in an otherwise bright comic, and the comic ends with some required inter-dimensional wackiness.

A special mention must go to the first scene of the book.  It truly is an iconic way to begin a run, feeling both intimate and grand. It’s touching, yet it also foreshadows an epic lot of stories to come. Let’s hope Hickman can live up to that promise.

It’s always a test for a writer’s first issue on a venerable series; and it’s good to see that Hickman has a solid handle on the various characters’ voices.  Johnny and Ben maintain their humourous banter (or glum moroseness in the case of Ben), but a special mention must go to the way Hickman handles the kids.  The kids are all too often the victims of poor writing, either sounding mentally handicapped, inappropriately mature, or some bizarre hybrid of the two that just sound off. Hickman passes the test with flying colors.  Franklin sounds like the fun, adventurous kid that he is, while Val definitely sounds too old for her age, but it’s appropriate for her character and Hickman makes sure to point out the oddity of it while maintaining Val’s tone of innocence despite the outrageous maturity of her dialogue. She’s still a kid, just an outrageously smart one.

All told, this is a fun comic that takes a little break from the Dark Reign glumness. It’s nice to see Reed venturing out into alternate Earths and in-between spaces once again. The party he finds on the other side of the bridge is a bit of surreal, almost comedic fun, while the last page reveal promises more cosmic mayhem to come.

What’s Not So Good: While Eaglesham’s art is solid by and large, it needs to be asked: what the hell is up with Reed? When did the lanky scientist become a world-class bodybuilder? This may sound like I’m nitpicking, but it’s really distracting. Seriously, Richards looks way, way too buff.

Despite Eaglesham’s calibre as an artist, I did find some of his action scenes in the early parts of the issue a little hard to follow at points as well. I could tell that the Thing was clobbering a robot, but how and what part of the robot remained a bit of a mystery. I’m not sure if the panels were too small, or what it was exactly, but it was a little hard to decipher.

Also, while the comic is far from unreadable, I do feel as though I would have benefited from reading Hickman’s Dark Reign: Fantastic Four miniseries, which is a little irritating.

Conclusion: A solid and promising start to what will hopefully be nice run.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #5 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Writer), Skottie Young (Artist), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I know it’s only April and that only five issues have been released, but I’m about ninety percent certain that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is going to win my vote for mini-series of the year. On top of that, I’m also fairly certain that Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu are going to win my vote for best art team. The series (especially the artwork) has just been that good so far…

The Story: On a mission to reluctantly try to kill the Wicked Witch, Dorothy and her companions leave the Emerald City. Soon enough though, the Wicked Witch of the West learns about the group’s journey. Wolves and crows are only the beginning of the obstacles Dorothy, Toto, The Tin Man, The Scarecrow, and The Cowardly Lion must overcome…

What’s Good: Comics don’t get much better than The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #5. Seriously. The visuals are absolutely spectacular, Eric Shanower’s adaptation is extremely compelling, and the package as a whole is really something special.
Especially impressive is how the creative team mixes the whimsical and the sinister. It finally allows the writing to stand up next to the artwork without being overshadowed in any way. While I’ve had no problems with Eric Shanower’s writing so far, up until this issue it has generally taken a back seat to the artwork from Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu. That is not the case here.

What’s Not So Good: I have absolutely no complaints about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #5. In my opinion it is a perfect example of how downright incredible the comic book medium can be.

Conclusion: Do yourself a favor and hunt down the first four issues of the series if you haven’t already. It’s well worth it. Once you are caught up, then sit back and enjoy what I’m sure will be remembered as one of the single best comics of the year.

Grade: A+

-Kyle Posluszny