After being spurned by citizens actually supporting Dr. Doom and having Ben forcefully reverted to his human form, the members of the Fantastic Four are really trying to navigate where to go from here. Seeing as the latest issue of One World Under Doom revealed that there is no mind control or robot replacements happening to world leaders, the team and their family members decide to focus on the one thing they may be able to fix: returning Ben’s powers as The Thing.
Marvel
We all know the story: four adventurers go into space in a rocket, get doused by cosmic rays, and return home forever changed. Reed and Valeria know this as well and are banking on the fact that this is enough of a constant that they can try getting Ben’s powers back somewhere in the multiverse. But before they decide on that course of action, we’re treated to some great action set pieces along with some comedy as the team realize that their powers are beginning to fade. It turns out that they all need to be powered for things to work smoothly. The team charts a path through the multiverse with a lot of trial and error. And just when it looks like they succeeded, everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) comes undone.
Marvel
This of course makes the team realize they need to get Ben’s powers back even more. But what’s really important is a fact that North focuses on: Doom never asked Ben before reverting him, meaning it should be undone. Not only is that the natural order for this family, but at the end of the day, it’s also what Ben wants. That’s one thing that has always stood out to me from Ryan North’s run on Fantastic Four – he’s able to balance sincere emotion, ambitious adventure, and all the laughs along the way. For that last part, see below where Johnny is trying a little too hard.
Marvel
Besides being a showcase of North’s strengths, the story in this issue also lets penciler Cory Smith absolutely spread his wings and show what he can do. We’ve got action, humor (see Sue’s face above), and some key emotional moments that Smith renders in amazing detail. One part in particular is towards the end of the issue where Ben finally gets his wish; there’s an amazing panel that focuses on his face mid-transformation that has a feel of both elation and intimacy. Inker Oren Junior lends his talents to bring Smith’s pencils to life, knowing when to let things shine brightly or keep things dark and moody. That bright and shiny part is thanks to colorist Jesus Aburtov, who expertly brings the panels to life with colors that aren’t afraid to pop off the page.
All in all, this is as near a perfect issue of Fantastic Four as one could ask for. North and co. hit the perfect balance of heart, smarts, and humor. If there’s one thing I could see people complaining about, it’s the cover where there’s an alternate universe Reed and Sue fighting the ones we know. But I’m willing to look past that because I think it’s a fun nod to what lies within the cover. What really floored me is that cliffhanger at the end – Ryan North is a devious and cheeky scribe for that one.
You must be logged in to post a comment.