Weekly Comic Book Review

By Mike Carey (Writer), Tyler Kirkham (Pencils), and Blond (Colors)

I’ve just recently dipped into the Ultimate Universe, and this is my second issue of Ultimate FF (though the first one I’ve gotten a chance to review). The story, which was mostly a continuation from last time, is fairly interesting – we get to see more of the mysterious Seven and we learn that their heroic actions likely have a sinister plot behind them. I’ll admit that I’m quite intrigued to see how they fit in to what is going on simply because they seem to have links with S.H.I.E.L.D., yet their actions, especially at the end of the issue, suggest that someone else is pulling their strings; unless, of course, S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying to sabotage the Fantastic Four.

Even if the Seven don’t succeed, there seem to be forces in play within the FF trying to drive them apart. Reed and Sue’s relationship problems continue, Johnny is unsatisfied with his role in the FF, and Ben, despite his usual humor, appears to be suffering from depression. This is a Fantastic Four not yet united through years of trials. In the main Marvel Universe, Fantastic Four is about a family who, despite adventures and misadventures, remain united. The Ultimate FF don’t seem to realize they are a family yet (at least that was certainly the vibe that I’ve gotten from the last two issues) and it will be entertaining to see them evolve to that point. Of course, not everyone enjoys a long wait for plot to build up, so luckily there is a rather surprising end page which sees the return of an Ultimate character that is often associated with Fantastic Four lore which should keep the “short-timers” satisfied.

Still, despite these several plot points, the issue felt fairly slow up until the very end. I’m not sure how I would fix this problem, as everything felt rather essential, perhaps this is one of those times where it needs to be slow just to make sure everything fits in. Nonetheless, with the earlier mentioned ending, things surely look to pick up the pace next time.

Touching on the art, it gave me mixed feelings. Much of it was well done, but the lack of an inker made it look sloppy at several points. Likewise, I can’t say I like Tyler Kirkham’s rendition of Sue – she looks way too much like a “glamour girl” for my tastes. I’ve got nothing against her being attractive, but she should look less like a model and more like, well, Sue. (Grade: C+)

-M. Staples

Filed under: Marvel Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Blond, Comic Book Reviews, comic books, Fantastic Four, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Mike Carey, Tyler Kirkham, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate Fantastic Four #55, Ultimate Marvel