Fantastic Four Fanfare has been a great celebration of Marvel’s First Family, with each issue featuring some of the biggest creators to have ever written and drawn the series. Case in point, Fantastic Four Fanfare #3, which features Dan Slott, Marcos Martin, Tom Defalco, Ron Frenz, Chip Zdarsky, and Mike Allred. Do I need to elaborate, or should I break each story down? I guess that’s my job here, so here we go.
Issue #3 kicks off with “Fight or Flight” by Slott and Martin, opening with a teenage Ben Grimm. His uncle brings him to an Air Force base, and Ben never looks back. The story is about how Ben, aka The Thing, is one of the greatest pilots in Marvel Comics, and thus it’s kind of his superpower. This story is very new-reader friendly, even recapping the origins of the Fantastic Four. Possibly the most interesting part is seeing Ben in college, which is a nice reminder of his close ties to Reed.
This story really opens up when it cuts to the present, though this is only a two-page scene. While Slott and Martin capture Thing’s downtrodden nature and expert pilot skills, the story feels mostly like a retread. Still, it looks great, and it’s a fun way to recap the Fantastic Four in a short span.
Nice to see Willie!
Credit: Marvel
Next up is “Another Round” by Defalco and Frenz with a decidedly old-school feel in the visuals. This story features Sandman and Thing teaming up to save some folks trapped in a mine. It’s lower stakes, but leans into the weirdness of Sandman’s powers and the brotherhood between Thing and Sandman. It’s a nice blast from the past with both characters written as they were in the Silver Age.
Last but not least, Zdarsky and Allred take a Human Torch-focused tale with Thing in the wings. The big hook is that Human Torch has been named the sexiest man in the universe. He sets off to do a cover shoot, but most of the Fantastic Four are too busy, so Thing is tagging along to make sure Johnny is safe. A twist or two later, and the story turns into a planet-saving expedition.
Michael and Laura Allred’s art is as fantastic as ever, with a cel-shaded look and almost too much personality in Johnny Storm’s expressions. The final page is both hilarious and well crafted to put a period on Johnny’s ego boost.
Fantastic Four Fanfare #3 is a love letter to the FF’s legacy, packed with heart, humor, and iconic creators revisiting their favorite characters. While not every story reinvents the wheel, the overall package is a joyful tribute to Marvel’s First Family that feels both accessible and affectionate.
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