Fantastic Four returns this week with an all-noir issue. With every issue of this series offering fun family adventures and mostly one-shot style problems to solve, I had to wonder how the first family went from saving Earth using science to solving gumshoe detective yarns. Fear not, as all is revealed by the end of the issue!
Fantastic Four #19 is a lot of fun, especially if you’re a fan of film noir. Right off the bat, the usual tropes are at work, from a femme fatale type to lingo you don’t see anymore outside the old black-and-white movies. In a way, this entire issue is like a play put on by the Fantastic Four family, but they aren’t aware they’re playing roles at all. That adds a nice layer as writer Ryan North stays true to the characters even when they’re outside of their usual roles.
Alicia Masters ends up being the main character in this issue. She’s a detective that Sue Storm hires to find her lost husband. Sue is in an all-red, skin-tight dress and is untrustworthy. Given the tropes of film noir, one can expect she’s going to double-cross, which keeps you on your toes as the reader since you know she’s a good guy.
This issue is stuffed to the gills with captions as Alicia narrates most of what is happening. I can safely say it’s spot-on noir writing, although it sometimes reads a little stuffy. It’s unconventional on purpose, though, and totally on brand for what North is going for.
Nice shoes, Alicia.
Credit: Marvel
The story has Alicia pinball around town, chasing leads and meeting familiar faces. It’s fun to see how North and artist Carlos Gómez weave in classic characters. It all flows nicely, save for a two-page interaction with Johnny Storm. I won’t spoil it, but it’s a bit of an aside to create some tension but is almost immediately wrapped up so the main plot can carry on.
Since every issue of Fantastic Four written by North has had some big twist or satisfying reveal, I wondered how long the noir aspects would last. I wasn’t disappointed; there’s a fun tie-in with Marvel lore and a bit of an explanation of it all. That adds a nice meta layer to things, although it’s not explained why the noir aspect happened outside of a character’s tastes.
It’s worth noting the clever use of color in this issue. Mostly black and white, the issue cleverly uses red and blue. It’s a spot of color in an otherwise black-and-white adventure. Colors are by Jesus Aburtov, and he breaks things up a bit, helping convey the change from color to black and white. If you’re looking for something weird, Gómez gets to show Mr. Fantastic in some strange poses, and the general resolution is a nice weird highlight.
If it’s not obvious yet, this family gets into the craziest adventures. Fantastic Four #19 shows how the science fiction of it all can blend with fun tropes in a noir adventure worth checking out. This series continues to be the most clever and imaginative superhero comic on the stands.
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