COMIC REVIEW: FTN reviews Fantastic Four #3

Written by James Robinson

Art by Leonard Kirk

Published by Marvel Comics

The new run of Fantastic Four has wasted no time in tearing the team apart. Johnny lost his powers and his way of life as the Human Torch when he flew above the city detonating Reed’s bomb to neutralize the onslaught of alien-like creatures that were set loose on us from Franklin’s world. While it’s true Reed, Sue, and Ben all still remain it’s easy to see the groundwork being laid for them to end up alone after seeing Johnny lose his powers the way he did. I think it’s safe to say that the team won’t be the same for the foreseeable future…if they’re ever the same again! *Cue the suspenseful music!*

I was really disappointed initially with James Robinson’s run on this series. Since then I’ve definitely come around to enjoying his work on the book. We know the outcome of what’s going to happen to the FF in this arc: they’re all going to split up and hit rock bottom. The truly interesting part of this isn’t going to be seeing how they get there; it’s going to be seeing how they band together and pull themselves up from the abyss and ultimately save the day. I love that this issue slowed the action down and focused more on the family aspect of the Fantastic Four too. Seeing how much these guys all care for each other is what makes the FF as great and as timeless as they are and I’m glad that it’s finally making its way into this run!

Leonard Kirk’s art continues to be a notch above solid for this series. His style seems to fit Robinson’s style of storytelling and he manages to capture the highly emotional moments wonderfully. As much as I enjoyed the change in tone for this issue I also feel like it was totally necessary. In slowing down the pace and making the emotional stakes so much higher it allowed Kirk to show us that not only can he handle the humongous action sequences, but he can also capture those quiet moments perfectly as well.

I’m man enough to admit that I was wrong about this book. While it’s not perfect, it’s coming together and Robinson is telling us a story that I’m thoroughly enjoying. This issue was easily my favorite out of the three we’ve been given so far and I really hope that the creative team sticks with this formula for the entirety of their run. It’s that blend of epic action, adventure, and the sense of family that makes the Fantastic Four great and it’s that unique combination that’s going to carry the FF into the future.

4 out of 5 nerds