Ryan North’s run on the “Fantastic Four” started with the revelation that the team is split and a smoldering crater sits where the Baxter Building once stood. So four issues in is the perfect time to reveal how and why while bringing the team back together – let’s see if the creative team pulls it off.
Oh, and there will be spoilers.
Written by Ryan North
Illustrated by Iban Coello
Colored by Jesus Aburtov
Lettered by VC’s Joe CaramagnaTHE BAXTER INITIATIVE
No more four-shadowing: What REALLY happened back in New York is finally revealed! But it’s still affecting matters here in the present, where Ben and Alicia’s lives hang in the balance…and it’ll take more than a reunion to save them. Plus: alien invaders from another galaxy! The four are finally back together… Hope they survive the experience!
To say that this new “Fantastic Four” run has been off to a strong start would be a bit of an understatement; here on Multiversity, the first issue got the exceedingly rare 10.0 score and was named our “Best Single Issue” of 2022 – and it’s managed to maintain that momentum with every issue so far.
One of this comic’s strengths is that writer Ryan North truly understands the characters. Ben is more than just the big guy who clobbers things, Reed is more than just a super genius with stretchy powers, and every member of the cast is a fully fleshed-out character. Most importantly: all of them have heart, and the past three issues have really shown that, by giving the characters opportunities to do good on a small scale, rather than just fighting big threats to save the world with science. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course.)
So that brings us to issue 4, where we learn what caused the schism in the team. And it all begins… with a fight against a big threat where they save the world with science. (Because the FF can still do that too!) Even in that case, we also get some great uses of the characters’ powers in ways that showcase their personalities; we often see Reed Richards literally stretch himself thin to do everything at once, but it’s far more rare to see him extend his body to give himself multiple limbs, and it makes sense for the character’s powers and the needs of the moment.
And as we get to the incident that left a crater where the Baxter Building stood and drove the Fantastic Four apart, it all makes sense. We can see why Reed did it, but also why it had the fallout that it did, and how it’s agonizing for everyone. The real danger isn’t the Negative Zone invasion, but what we know is coming and what it will cost the characters.
Simply put: it’s solid storytelling. It creates the emotional core of the issue for all the characters, and drives their behavior and decisions in a way that feels natural.
Plus, aspects of this issue, like the parasitic alien trapping Ben and Alicia, draws on an old enemy from “Fantastic Four” history, so there’s a nice bit of continuity in there as well.
It also helps that Ryan knows his science, so he can have characters toss around topics like “panspermia theory” and how time travel has to factor in the movement of the planet to ensure the traveler remains in place as they move through time. There’s just something refreshing about having science-minded characters actually talk science, rather than throwing around terms and theories made up for the comic. And Johnny is there to remind the science types to explain what all those terms mean (for the readers’ sake as much as his).
There’s also the occasional nice touch where Ben quickly describes what he’s seeing to Alicia, like commenting “Johnny’s topless and he’s got a mustache.” It’s a good little bit of detail that could otherwise be easy to forget, while adding to the narrative.
Now let’s get to the artwork, starting with the cover, because every Alex Ross cover is a masterpiece. His grasp of depth, detail, realism, and colors cannot be overstated, as every character and creature on the cover looks and feels alive, no matter how otherworldly, The way his use of lighting and shading adds depth and volume to the images, and the amount of lifelike detail that goes into even the most otherworldly aspect of the cover is beyond compare.
Continued belowFortunately, the art for the rest of the issue is also great, with Iban Coello’s artwork as Jesus Aburtov’s colors. Iban’s artwork has a fantastic style to it, with solid character designs and a level of brightness and clarity to the designs that makes it easy to read. But he’s also great at the more bizarre aspects of the comic, like the strange parasitic alien’s insides, or how Reed can stretch his eye out to get a closer look at something.
Now, I mentioned before that the characters’ emotional stakes are a core part of the issue, and of course the artwork has to reflect that. But Iban Coello handles that nicely as well. When the emotional toll gets high, it comes through in the characters’ every aspect. Expressiveness, body language, and even subtle amplifications or adjustments from panel to panel come through nicely. In one key moment, we see Alicia’s expression growing angrier and angrier, as they loop through a single moment, while Ben’s own expression starts to shift as he realizes something is off. There’s some great visual storytelling there just with their facial expressions alone.
And we even get to see some raw, genuine emotion from Reed Richards. He’s often portrayed as logical and scientific to the point of near-heartlessness, but both the story and art show how much he does really care. Like I said, Ryan gets the characters, and so does Iban.
Add in the color work from Jesus Aburtov and it gets even better. Jesus’ bright colors complement Iban’s designs and use of light and reflections wonderfully; they add to the atmosphere, set the mood, and capture each character’s personality as needed.
This especially comes through in the scenes showing the crater in place of the Baxter Building, using glowing reds and oranges, along with the dark smoke and surroundings, to add to the sense of destruction and loss. Or near the end, we get the orange and yellow glow of Johnny’s fire surrounding most of the page, but contrasted by the light blue of Sue’s forcefield and the characters’ clothes as they share a group hug.
In short: every aspect of “Fantastic Four” #4 looks great as well.
Wonderful storytelling, excellent artwork, and all the love and emotion that makes the “Fantastic Four” a truly great team. This comic has it all. There have been some excellent runs on “Fantastic Four” over recent years, but four issues in and this one can compare to any of them.
Final Verdict: 9.5 – If you want a comic that focuses on what really makes the Fantastic Four special, this is the series to read.
