The name of the game in New Fantastic Four is hijinks. More specifically, the latest trade paperback from Marvel, Hell in a Handbasket, is about hijinks. Collecting the five-issue series by Peter David and Alan Robinson, this miniseries features the brief time the Fantastic Four was made up of Hulk, Ghost Rider, Wolverine, and Spider-Man. This is a rather silly adventure, but if you’re into that kind of thing, you’ll likely enjoy it.
New Fantastic Four is a prequel story, but it happens to have an introduction of a character that may play a part in stories for the future. The main draw is Peter David writing these classic characters and their classic characterizations to perfection. Hulk is the iteration known as Joe Fixit (who happens to have a new series launching this week), Wolverine is a little rougher around the edges, and Spider-Man is as silly as ever. Ghost Rider, however, is as serious as ever. All four end up in Las Vegas because a priest wished it to be so, and thus the adventure begins on a wacky concept.
That wacky concept involves fleshing out the priest character, who has deep ties to Mephisto, as we come to learn by the end of the adventure. He has powers, and they end up being unveiled over the course of the five issues. Those powers make for a wacky first two issues, with the heroes going to Las Vegas and then being poofed off to other locations. It’s a rather silly idea once you realize what’s happening, but that’s the charm of this hijinks-heavy story arc.
Wolverine is definitely checked out.
Credit: Marvel
Characterization is good, although since this is an older version of each character, it doesn’t feel all that important. It’s not like David can change these characters since this is a prequel story. There’s a good sense of humor throughout utilizing each character, though. The general vibe is fun, leaning into these earlier iterations of the characters and how they used to be. This story is also surprisingly horny, from the priest’s origin to an awkward scene where Doctor Strange catches Reed and Sue having sex. Due to the silly goofball nature of much of this book, that sexuality feels a bit strange, albeit easy to write off.
Art by Robinson is great, with a bouncy feel to Spider-Man, great flames on Ghost Rider and Human Torch, and a generally good sense of weight on every character. Backgrounds are detailed, and there’s a great sense of drama throughout. The size and scale are also well done. The art in this book is better than some mainline titles, and it’s always appealing.
That the book is called “Fantastic Four” in any respect is a bit of a stretch, even if a certain wish power proves they are a team. That’s because, for most of the book, all four “members” aren’t together. Nor do they work together beyond crowd control. The nostalgic element of this team existing at all is present on the covers, but it’s lacking as far as the group dynamic.
If you missed New Fantastic Four when it came out in single issues, you might want to pick up Hell in a Handbasket for its fun, zany hijinks comics approach. It’s not taking itself too seriously, but it looks great and has plenty of fun characterization.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.