And so we come together to celebrate the passing of a great era of “Fantastic Four”. Not only does this issue mark the first of Matt Fraction’s (and the extended creative teams’) two finale issues, but also the end of Tom Brevoort’s tenure as editor that started over a hundred issues ago.
Written by Matt Fraction & Karl Kesel & Lee Allred
Illustrated by Raffaele Ienco & Joe Quinones
The Fantastic Four are… DOOMED! Dr. Doom has taken on the power of Kang and Annihilus and is supreme ruler of the entire world. Good News: this is in the Doomed Universe. Bad News: our universe is next. The only ones in his way are the Fantastic Four and… the Fantastic Four! The Elemental Eight face off against Doom the Annihilating Conqueror with the fate of infinite realities in the balance! Plus the fate of Old John Storm! All in the fiery finish to the most mind-bending F4 adventure ever!
Ever since their inception, it seems like “Fantastic Four” has played second fiddle to “FF” in terms of fan reaction. People seemed to gravitate more towards the unique stylings of Mike Allred’s art that really played into the Silver Age sensibilities of Matt Fraction’s writings that focused on a very modern definition of family. Yet for all that, “Fantastic Four” has ably kept up with “FF” despite the spotlight being on the latter. Matt Fraction and Mark Bagley (and recently Raffaele Ienco) have been telling a story about the Four taking an interstellar (and interdimensional) roadtrip that really plays with the family dynamic as well as the B-Movie Sci-Fi overtones in a move that takes the team away from the familiarity of their usual setting. It may not have had the flare “FF” had, but it was definitely an interesting take on the team that, if anything, was brought down by the brevity of the series. Still, since Karl Kesel and Raffaele Ienco stepped in to usher the series towards its conclusion we saw the team take on Doom The Annihilating Conqueror in an alternate universe. Here, we see the conclusion of that conflict and the series itself with a nice endcap story by Kesel, Lee Allred and Joe Quinones.
Despite the fact that this is the conclusion planned by Matt Fraction for his story, the credit here really must go to Karl Kesel who steps up and brings the story home in fashion. Not only does he make it an exciting conclusion to the story, but he really captures what Fraction was trying to bring to the team in the first place: that sense of the scientists and explorers of the unknown, straight from a 50s sci-fi classic. Fraction elevated the team past superheroics, leaving that to the FF back on Earth, and allowed the story to become more of a sci-fi adventure which Kesel has taken and infused with superheroic elements as they finally confront Doom. This is possibly the closest we’ve seen the title get to standard superheroic fare thanks to the teaming of two versions of the Fantastic Four against an all-powerful Doom, but even then Kesel keeps the sci-fi overtones at the front and centre even if it does mean peppering the fight with some technobabble. Yet, for all that, it comes down to the simple strength of the familial bond at the heart of the Fantastic Four. While Matt Fraction wasn’t able to see this through to the end as the sole writer, Karl Kesel more than stepped up to the plate to offer a fantastic conclusion.
Unfortunately, not only was Fraction not here to see this series conclude (except in spirit), but Mark Bagely only provided the cover for this issue having left for Hulkier skies. In his stead, as with the last two issues of the series, is Raffaele Ienco, who deftly carries the visual style of the title. However, as I mentioned, the visual style of “Fantastic Four” wasn’t as much of a selling point as it was with “FF”. While there’s actually very little to complain about with Ienco’s art, except for maybe a little stiffness in the figures here and there, the visuals of the issue are played very safe. If nothing else, Ienco definitely captured the visual aesthetic of Mark Bagley’s art and made it his own just as Kesel did with the writing, but perhaps that lead to an uninteresting aesthetic for the issue.
Continued belowWhile the main story of the book nicely wrapped up the story planned by Matt Fraction, the back-up story to this issue is a wrap-up of a different kind. Taking place apparently also after the events of “FF” #16, coming later this month (meaning it basically spoiled the inevitable outcome), this story is penned by Karl Kesel and Lee Allred as a send-off to this era of the Fantastic Four. Featuring art from Joe Quinones, it is both a reflection on the events of the series past and into the future as it sets up both the “Fantastic Four” from James Robinson and Leonard Kirk as well as Charles Soule and Javier Pulido’s “She-Hulk”. This back-up story was actually much more enjoyable than the main story as it was much lighter and funnier thanks to Quinones’ art and the inclusion of “FF” characters, perhaps showcasing why that title was a bigger hit than this. Yet still, it made for a lovely end-cap to series as well as featuring a splash page finale featuring famous faces from the Four’s past to bi farewell to this past era.
Overall, Karl Kesel and Raffaele Ienco gave it their all to catch Matt Fraction’s throw and run it into the end-zone. While it may not be an a touchdown celebrated by many or remembered in the shadow of “FF”, it’s still a touchdown. A conclusion to a fun story that tried new things with a team perhaps intrinsically built to play things safe, this was the best last issue this series could hope for without the inclusion of Matt Fraction and Mark Bagely themselves. Not only that, but we get a send-off to the series as whole as well as “FF” from Kesel, Lee Allred and one of the most underrated artists in the industry that feels incredibly heartfelt and gives a powerful last impression. Quite the send-off, indeed.
Final Verdict: 7.2
