FF #4

May 31, 2011

Title: The Beating of Drums

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Barry Kitson
Colorist: Paul Mounts
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Daniel Acuna
Editor: Tom Brevoort       
Publisher: Marvel Comics

A group of Reed Richards from across the Multiverse have a plan to return to their own worlds, but doing so will destroy the world of our Reed and his family. Valeria has brought Dr. Doom into the Future Foundation, along with a group of the Fantastic Four’s most intelligent foes, for the sole purpose of thinking of a way to stop the Reeds before it’s too late. As the dastardly think tank goes to work, a situation in old Atlantis brings Sue and a strike team into action. This is the first time since the title’s relaunch that we’ve really seen much in the way of superhero action, and it works nicely here. Spider-Man is finally getting a chance to do his stuff, and I just love the fact that Alex Power is being brought along on these missions. At this point, he’s got to be at the same age Johnny was when he became the Human Torch – it would seem kind of absurd to leave someone with his power set on the sidelines when things get tough.

I think the great thing about this book is the way that Jonathan Hickman has justified the relaunch. This is not merely the Fantastic Four with Spider-Man sitting in for Johnny. It’s a spin-off series, but it’s not the classic FF at all. It’s a different animal, using the original Fantastic Four as its foundation (no pun intended) to tell new stories in new ways. It’s the most entertaining, innovative comic book Marvel is publishing, and probably one of the top books in the whole industry, and if you’re not reading it, you should be.

Rating: 9/10

Final Crisis #1

May 30, 2008

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: DOA: The God of War!

As the New Gods begin their evolution, a hero falls.

Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: J.G. Jones
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover Art: J.G. Jones
Publisher: DC Comics

The culmination of four years of storylines begins here. With the “last” New God, Orion, falling to Earth, the Justice League assembles quickly, and the Green Lantern Corps even quicker. The Monitors, meanwhile, prosecute one of their own, and Libra’s attempts to restore the Society of Super-Villains exacts a terrible price on the heroes of the world.

Although this first issue is pretty slowly paced, there’s still an enormous amount of story in here. We’ve already seen the deaths of the New Gods, and here, we begin to see their inevitable rebirth. The forms these characters are taking are intriguing, as is the newfound reverence they seem to be commanding. The involvement of the Alpha Lanterns is interesting as well, and helps to demonstrate the true scale of what’s happening. As for the much-ballyhooed murder that takes place in this issue, Morrison’s handling of the situation was very unique, and actually makes for a very different take. Some people were upset that there was no monster “death” scene, but really, how many ways are there to do it that we haven’t already seen? Libra, meanwhile, is still something of a cipher. There’s not quite enough here yet to be invested in the character as more than a stock mastermind villain, but there’s definitely the promise of a secret that will elevate him past that simple point.

This title is being touted as the last chapter of two different trilogies: a cosmic one (begun in Crisis on Infinite Earths and followed through to Infinite Crisis) and a thematic one (begun in Identity Crisis and also flowing through Infinite Crisis). Reading this book, it’s easy to see how it fits in with either tapestry. There are clear implications for the Multiverse here, for a story that will impact all 52 Earths. I’m confident that this story won’t be yet another restructuring of the Multiverse, but it does feel like it will be a redefinition of the concept. Furthermore, by launching the book with a murder mystery, a “crime against one of our own,” the tale has the flavor of Identity Crisis, but applied to a cosmic scale. It’s easy to see the flow-through that began in that book four years ago (that long already?) that took the DCU to this point.

J.G. Jones and colorist Alex Sinclair do fine work here, and I expected nothing less. The Alpha Lanterns two-page spread (actually, all of the Green Lantern stuff) is really good, with colors and energy that just pops off the page. The redesigns for the New Gods work well, and I just love his interpretation of Dan Turpin (one of my favorite old-school Superman supporting characters who hasn’t seen action in far too long).

Although this book didn’t start with a bang, the slow burn we feel here is simmering, into something cool.

Rating: 8/10