What, you thought Hickman was done a few issues ago? Not so — sure, his master plan for the Fantastic Four may have finally wrapped up a couple of months ago, but he is staying on the title until the end of “Avengers Versus X-Men,” telling a variety of one-and-done stories in both “Fantastic Four” and “FF” that explore different themes and ideas regarding the signature team of the Marvel Universe — you heard me, Avengers fans. The quality of this output, however, has been mixed: a couple issues were great, and even tear-jerking, but another couple were a tad on the dull side. Which category, then, does this issue fall under?
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by Nick DragottaThe Future Foundation kids take their first Field Trip — to the Negative Zone. See what happens when Annihilus goes home. Plus, the return of Future Franklin and Val.
Prior to his “Fantastic Four” work, Hickman was never considered a master of characterization; his Image miniseries and “Secret Warriors” made him come off as more of an ideas guy. Naturally, the characterization was there, or else these series would never have taken off, but they were not the main attraction. Through his “Fantastic Four” work, though, Hickman has proven that he can still tell a great, mind-blowing story while letting the characters he has at his disposal out and onto the page – especially when those characters are the children of the Future Foundation. Hickman’s Johnny, Ben, Sue, and especially his Reed are, without a doubt, wonderfully fleshed out, but the children of his run are the most enjoyable to read about. Sure, they all have their gimmicks, but these gimmicks are not so over-the-top that they make the reader’s eyes roll; every time, their habits are bound to make the reader chuckle, if only because – no matter how alien – they are always so undeniably childish. It isn’t always for humorous reasons, either; the opening sequence might cause the reader to crack a smile, but it also reflects the confusion a child might easily have after experiencing the various calamities that the children of the Foundation have gone through. It seems like “Fantastic Four” and “FF” have given Hickman the chance to stretch muscles he might have otherwise ignored, and it would be great to see them put to full force in the future.
While the ending of this week’s “FF” is slightly humorous, it also uses the science fiction landscape of the Fantastic Four to raise an interesting question: what happens if democracy fails? Or, more accurately, what happens when it works perfectly, but the population chooses what is worst for them and for others? Science fiction’s roots lay in using the otherworldly to ask questions about our own reality, and Hickman has not shied away from that in the past – see comics such as “The Red Wing” and “Pax Romana” – but this was not a major concern in the main portion of his “Fantastic Four” run. With his major story over, though, Hickman has a chance to reconfigure his approach a bit, and begin asking the big questions in ways unique to Marvel’s First Family. It will be a shame if the questions raised by this issue are not addressed in one of Hickman’s final issues of “FF” or “Fantastic Four,” but even if they are not, this issue alone will serve as one to make readers think – even if those readers will need to already be familiar with the Fantastic Four Mythos.
Nick Dragotta is a tricky artist to discuss. When he is given the chance, he can wow and astound; the psychedelia-infused science fiction that is the Fantastic Four is the perfect fit for his vibrant artistic style, and there are plenty of panels and pages in this issue where he shines. If the script does not call for anything particularly spectacular and outlandish, though, he can sometimes take it too easy, and put out pages that could very well be considered boring. Thankfully, though, Hickman plays to Dragotta’s strengths in this issue – there are only a few panels that lack in out-of-this-world situations, and so there are only a few panels that seem like they were penciled without any care. Dragotta’s sense of composition is excellent, and his alien creatures are almost perfectly rendered – in fact, some might claim that he draws aliens and monsters better than he does human beings. It is a backhanded compliment, but one with some weight; even when Dragotta is going all-out on his work, drawing beautiful sci-fi imagery that others can barely dream of, his faces have a tendency to look slightly strange, especially when it comes to the eyes. Dragotta often inks his own work, but perhaps it would be worth seeing if a different inker could help his art achieve the brilliance it is so close to attaining.
Not only is this issue a delight, but it has perhaps the biggest ramifications for issues of “Fantastic Four” and “FF” to follow, post-Hickman. Both Hickman and Dragotta have put a lot of work into this issue, and it is sure to be enjoyed by those who have been reading “Fantastic Four” for many years. If the implications of this issue’s finale, however, are glossed over in favor of a field trip to Wakanda, Hickman will be missing out on a great opportunity — and one that he created.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy it!
