With a new “Fantastic Four” book on the shelves, and only two issues left in the series, the question was what will become of “Marvel Two-in-One” now that the team is back together? The answer, luckily, is that it continues to be a character focused look at Marvel’s first family, two at a time. Be careful, as there are some spoilers ahead.
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Illustrated by Ramon Perez
Colored by Federico Blee
Lettered by VC’s Joe Caramanga
THE FANTASTIC FOUR are BACK! But there’s fallout from their absence, both in the universe and in the family. The THING and MISTER FANTASTIC go on a voyage to rectify mistakes and heal wounds…but is it too late?
Long before (really only about 5 months) the Fantastic Four’s return had even been announced, “Marvel Two-in-One” was teasing the reunion of Marvel’s first family. Chip Zdarsky, and a rotating team of great artists, have told a story that addresses one of the biggest lingering questions since Reed, Susan and the Future Foundation disappeared in the aftermath of “Secret Wars.” How are Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm handling the apparent death of their family? And what will they do when give a possible chance to find them?
While “Marvel Two-in-One” wasn’t a book that was lacking in action, at its core it was a character study of Johnny and Ben. It asked who these characters were without the rest of the Fantastic Four, and what are they missing when their family is gone. Johnny gave into his hotheadedness, unable to control himself, taking risks that could cost him his life with reckless abandon. Ben, while seemingly the more level-headed of the two, also gave in to some of his worst instincts. A defeatism, that has been a part of the character since his inception, lets Ben accept the death of his best friends almost too easily. Everything always falls apart, so why wouldn’t the core of Ben’s life as well? It was a small book, and while there was always plenty of action, the stakes were always very personal. Then, “Fantastic Four” #1 arrived.
“Marvel Two-in-One” #11 follows The Thing and Mr. Fantastic, as they travel together, to pick up the Mad Thinker, and interact with an alternate reality Dr. Doom. For those that feel the new volume of “Fantastic Four” has moved a bit too quickly, or that wished there was a bit more interaction between these characters that have been separated for so long, “Marvel Two-in-One” #11 is the book for you. Chip Zdarsky continues, even after the team has come back together, to craft a tale that follows just two of the four, but has all of the heart and emotion packed into it that the main book seems to be lacking.
This issue is basically just one long conversation between Ben and Reed. Ramon Perez, who has been on the book for the last couple of issues, does a great job portraying the pair. This issue is so much about these two old friends reuniting and is especially about The Thing dealing with the fact that Reed let him think he was dead. One of the most important measures of success for any Fantastic Four artist is how they draw The Thing. Perez, despite having drawn a few issues of the book, actually hasn’t had much of a chance to draw Ben as The Thing. In this issue, he does, and it’s fantastic.
Perez does a great job with character acting in this issue. There is a seething resentment just under the surface of The Thing for much of this issue, and the way that Perez has him carry himself, how he does or doesn’t listen to Mr. Fantastic lecture him about why he thought Ben would have been bored on their multiversal journey. Perez is able to make long scene of dialogue exciting, just by the way he frames panels, and the small changes that he has the characters make as they talk to one another.
Of course, in an issue that is mostly focused on conversation, much of Perez’s work would go to waste if there wasn’t a great script attached to it. Luckily, Zdarsky continues to do a great job in this issue. He confronts the fact that, while The Thing and the Human Torch could never feel like a complete team without the rest of their family, when they are reunited, the two of them tend to take a back seat to Reed and whatever machinations he is currently working on.
Continued belowZdarsky portrays Ben Grimm as a man who puts up walls but feels extremely vulnerable inside. While Reed explains his reasoning for leaving Ben behind, Ben never buys it. And when they visit an alternate reality Doom, and Reed stays behind to talk to Doom without Ben, it’s clear that Reed hasn’t actually learned anything.
“Marvel Two-in-One” #11 is, in a lot of ways, the book that I had hoped to get when “Fantastic Four” returned. It’s a book that is deeply focused on its main characters and the relationships between them. That has, and always will be, the heart of who the Fantastic Four are. But it’s also a book that is confronting some of the ways in which Reed is, frankly, awful to the rest of his family. It’s disappointing that there is only one issue of “Two-in-One left after this series. I hope at some point in the future, Zdarsky gets another chance to work with these characters. Because with this issue, he’s made something far more compelling character wise than the main book has managed in its first two issue.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Even with the return of the main book, “Marvel Two-in-One” continues to be a great character study of the Fantastic Four, two characters at a time.
