Weekly Comic Book Review

By Mark Millar (Writer), Bryan Hitch (Pencils and Inks), Andrew Currie (Inks), and Paul Mounts (Colors)

Anyone who doubted that the Millar/Hitch run on Fantastic Four would be top notch needs to pick up this issue simply because it will prove them wrong. I’ll admit that the last story arc was certainly entertaining, but not quite on the level of awesomeness that I was expecting it to be. But this arc certainly looks to make up for it (and it’s only on its first issue!). If you thought Doctor Doom’s presence here would be the highlight (as I did), then you thought wrong. His appearance is very brief, but it triggers the appearance of a new group of super villains (or super heroes?) which looks to give the Fantastic Four a lot of trouble. In fact, one member of the FF already seems to have fallen under the influence of a member of this group (though our hero doesn’t know that).

The story gives us several reasons to mistrust this new team of characters. Two newly recurring characters, and one long time recurring character are all acting suspiciously, and I highly doubt that they are Skrulls (unless Millar’s been messing with us this whole time and intends to tie this in with Secret Invasion). Perhaps the biggest surprise comes at the very end when we see exactly who is leading this mysterious team. I’ll give you a hint: it’s a well known Marvel character (pretty vague, yes, I know). I was completely blown away when I saw who it was, and how he/she was behaving, seeing as how his/her behavior was certainly less “extreme” than normal – and especially since this character seems to be playing an entirely different role in another ongoing right now. This surprise ending, along with the many twists and turns, had me saying “What the crap?!” as much as an episode of Lost.

Of course, we aren’t just treated with a bunch of cool plot twists. It really is all about the characters, and as I’ve said before, Millar gets these characters and his writing shows it. Amongst all these fantastic happenings we still have Sue worrying about a nanny, Reed trying to solve scientific problems, etc. Mark Millar actually shows us the “lives both ordinary and extraordinary.” To top it all off, Bryan Hitch’s artwork is as excellent as always. I love his use of weird angles that make the panel appear to fit more “stuff” than it should. And, as I think I’ve mentioned every time, I love the way he draws Sue. He gives her a very “mom-ish” look, while at the same time keeps her attractive. I can’t explain how he does it, but he should draw her more often. To anyone who hasn’t yet jumped on the Fantastic Four Millar/Hitch bandwagon: do so, now. (Grade: A-)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

I agree with McKenzie’s assesment of this issue wholeheartedly. This is the strongest issue of Mark Millar’s run on Fantastic Four yet. While I enjoyed the previous arc, it seemed to conclude a bit too fast for my tastes. But this issue sets up the plot beautifully and takes its time doing so. The end result is a fresh story filled with a new threat that will engross the reader from beginning to end.

When Doom appeared at the end of last issue pleading for help, I immediately had flashbacks of Fantastic Four #551 where writer Dwayne McDuffie did the same exact thing just months ago. Thankfully, the story goes in a completely different route with Doom being neutralized almost immediately and the story deviating to the new threat facing the Fantastic Four. I am truly impressed with the layers of story touched upon in this issue. Not once does it ever get bogged down with exposition or wasted dialogue – and trust me, there’s a lot of talking. Every character from Valeria’s relationship with the new nanny to The Thing’s love life is touched upon, and unlike the first issue of Millar’s run, none of this feels forced.

Bryan Hitch continues to push himself as an artist. There’s not much action in this issue, but make no mistake, there’s a good amount of it in the opening pages. When we see The Thing crash through a series of skyscrapers I just couldn’t help but laugh. Afterwards, the story quiets down considerably and this is where we get to see a different side of Hitch’s work. He does some tremendous panel work, contorting the camera and keeping the eye entertained through many domestic moments. This is a really good comic. (Grade: A-)

- J. Montes

Filed under: Marvel Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Andrew Currie, Bryan Hitch, Comic Book Reviews, Comics Books, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four #558, Mark Millar, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Paul Mounts