Comic Review:
Fantastic Four #554
AN OLD PONY WITH NEW TRICKS

BY MICHAEL McDANIEL

     Recently in the Marvel Universe we’ve be treated to (or if you’d prefer had it forced upon us with updates on familiar titles such as New Avengers, Spider-man, and even Captain America. Marvel’s first family has been and will always be- despite sales and X-crossovers, etc- the Fantastic Four. These four superheroes were the first team in Marvel Comics and even were featured on the first issue of the Amazing Spider-man. Since their first appearance way back in the dawn of the age of Marvel Comics, the book has launched the comic exploits of a wide array of heroes such as the Silver Surfer and the Black Panther. Likewise, the villains have also made their fair share of debuts in the pages of the FF such as Doctor Doom and Galactus. This comic, over the years, has had its share of re-inventions with members being replaced for a time with other characters. Inevitably, the old order of Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben always seem to return.

BEFORE OLE' CHROME DOME HAD HIS OWN TITLE, HE FIRST GRACED THE PAGES OF THE FF!

     Next Week, Marvel is launching- for all intents and purposes- a re-vamp of the Fantastic Four. In a move that is reminiscent of old-school comics rather than the modern age of starting the book over at number one, Marvel is simply adding a top notch writer and great artist to a book which is numbered #554 and happens to be Marvel’s longest running monthly title. The Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch era is upon us and the House of Ideas, as Marvel was known as in the Silver Age, didn’t even jack-up the price on us. The comic which is due out o 2/13/08 carries a cover price of $2.99. Thanks to a preview copy, I have a review before the book hits the stands to better advise you on the value or lack their of in this comic.
     Relax, the first installment of what I hope is a very long Hitch/Millar era is great. Well, it is a 16-issue run and that will have to do. All four of the Fantastic Four appear in the title as well as a few guest stars. As noted in previous lines within this article, the Fantastic Four have a rich history of guest stars and this issue does not disappoint. One of the reasons this book is good is because comic buyers who have not read the FF in sometime (like myself) are not penalized by the lack of patronage to this title. All you need to know to enjoy this comic are the names of the members of the Fantastic Four. Everyone knows that right?
     Most times it is hard to get a feel for how a comic from a new creative team is going to be from just one issue. Some comics start well and then fizzle out. The current Moon Knight series comes to mind as an example of that. Some new comics or new creative teams suffer from just the opposite beginnings. Writers seem to approach the project with a grand scheme in mind that can barely be revealed in the standard size of a comic. Often, the true crux of a series can be accurately gauged until the third or fourth issue. A slow start of this sort strains the patience of most comic readers and some simply give up on it. This is not the case with Fantastic Four #554. It comes out the gate strong and by issues end- you will be on board.
     To me, Hitch and Millar made their mark on the Ultimates and Ultimates 2. For a long while, the hard-edge and hard-hitting Avengers series of the Ulto-verse (or whatever they call it) were better that then actual Avengers book in the Marvel Proper universe. To put it a better way, the book out “avengered” the Avengers and strong sales by the ‘Ultimates’ proved it. This was a factor in the ‘Avengers’ re-vamp into the ‘New Avengers. The take of Brian Michael Bendis on the Avengers might have been a direct reaction to the ‘Ultimates’.

BUY HITCH/MILLAR'S 16 ISSUE RUN, OR ELSE WE'LL COME TO YA HOUSE AND PUNK YOU OUT!!!

     The only complaint against ‘The Ultimates’ is that the book was frequently late. I mean, you’re freakin’ Marvel Comics- not Image of the 1990’s and you better well act like it. Maybe, the Fantastic Four won’t suffer from this same malaise which slowed down the Ultimate series. If it does happen, sales will suffer as a result.
     The premier issue of this new creative team is tightly woven and the Human Torch is the only member who doesn’t really get more than a few pages. There is a cool scene where Sue is hosting a gathering of like-minded super-heroines with goals to off-set Super-Human incidents via charity. At this party, the girls- the Wasp and She-Hulk- are being served by Herbie-like Doom-bots. Sue remarks that this is Reed’s way of recycling. How cool is that? Of course, I look for a subsequent appearance by Doctor Doom and a take over of the Baxter Building by the utilization of these domestic service droids as his minions. After all, he’s Doctor Doom.
The book has the right amount of humor in it. Which is reminiscent of old Fantastic Four issues from my childhood or even the two motion picture vehicles that have come out in the past five years. Johnny and Ben don’t go at it but you canyou’re your last dollar that they will. One of the funniest lines in the comic is comparing Johnny to Paris Hilton. Indeed!
     The issue has my seal of approval and is well received at a time in which my faith in Marvel Comics is at an all-time low thanks to a certain editor who won’t be named here playing god in Stan and Jack’s sandbox. I hope that it sells like ice cream in a heat wave and that the Marvel execs extol this as standard operating procedures in publishing comics. After all, great stories and great art can sell funny books better than any marketing campaign can or lame-brained ideas from the evil ‘Q’. Or for that matter, a cranky comic book shop owner!