Fantastic Four #570
Reviewed by David O' Leary
Story
by: Jonathan Hickman
Art by: Dale Eaglesham
Colours by: Paul Mounts
Letters by: Rus Wooton
Covers by: Dale Eaglesham, Alan Davis, John Cassaday
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
Cover Date: October 2009
Book Summary:
Brand new creative team - Brave new comics experience! Be there as Marvel's newest exciting creator, Jonathan Hickman, teams up with superstar artist, Dale Eaglesham, to give you the Fantastic Four experience you've been waiting for! It's adventure, it's family, it's tough questions in dark times...See what happens when Reed Richards tries to SOLVE EVERYTHING.
Reviewer's Comments:
"Solve Everything Part 1"
It must be said that one of Marvel's better creative decisions recently was putting Hickman on this book. After the disappointing trailing off towards the end of Mark Millar's run on the book, it was important that Marvel get someone on this book that would rekindle interest. And while Millar was plugging away in second gear, Hickman was honing his FF voice on a mini series. With his first issue out of the way on the main series it is evident that the trial run that he had with the mini did him the world of good.
After a first reading of the issue you can't help but feel like this is a plot line that may sound somewhat familiar. On Mark Millar's (there's that name again) second run on Ultimate Fantastic Four we saw that Ultimate Reed was in contact with what he thought was an alternate version of himself and he was but what he was in contact with was the first appearance of the ever more frivolous Marvel Zombies. What we get in this issue of the FF is regular Reed doing something very similar. He has gotten in contact with multiple versions of himself and there winds up a sense of twisted continuity. It stands to reason that if multiple versions of Reed knew of Zombie Reed they could have easily rectified the zombie situation without much trouble but apparently they were too busy solving the most difficult problems they could find without having to worry about a renegade version of themselves. But that is getting way wide of the mark because what Hickman produces is one the best FF stories I have read since the heady days of Waid and ';Ringo. What the FF are is a family and Hickman does a great job of making that aspect of the team seem alike a natural part of the story and he is easily able to intermingle the family facet with the great sci-fi action that the FF is famous for. By issues end a great last page makes sure that I will be back for more.
First off, Dale Eaglesham must be patted on the back for simply producing one of the most realistic versions of Reed I have seen. He actually looks like a middle aged man and not a body builder as seen in many different issues over the years. Also, I adored the way he managed to channel his inner-Kirby by giving homage in his art to the Great One without compromising his own distinctive style. If you are going to start your first major work for Marvel, you could do a lot worse than starting on the FF.
This was a very strong first issue and all factors of production could be just the shot in the arm that this book needs to make it a top tier book once again. That could be the biggest challenge that the creators could face as no matter what others have tried they just couldn't do it so to achieve anything close to it would be a great victory. But the initial omens look good.
Rating the Issue
| Story Story: Overall 8 Concept - 8 out of 10 Plot - 8 out of 10 Dialogue - 8 out of 10 |
Art Art: Overall 8 Style - 9 out of 10 Storytelling - 8 out of 10 Colour/Tones - 7 out of 10 |
Importance Importance: Overall 8 To the Title - 8 out of 10 To the Company - 8 out of 10 To the Medium - 8 out of 10 |
Take a Look Inside
Reviewer Bio
Name: David O' Leary
email: idwfan@yahoo.co.uk
Been reading comics: for about 12 years now.
Review Bio: I am a 26-year-old Hotel Manager from the west coast of the Republic of Ireland and think this is a great way to talk to others about this cool medium. I am a husband to one wife and father to one girl (so far).
Favorites: ONI's Whiteout, Vertigo's Scalped and Garth Ennis Preacher and Punisher in Trades. In comic form I am reading a lot of Marvel and a bit of IDW, Dark Horse & WildStorm among others.
Website: Sorry, I don't have one!
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