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Fantastic Four #4 Review

Comic Books

Fantastic Four #4 Review

The Fantastic Four are finally back on Earth!

It only took four issues, but the Fantastic Four are really back this week! Problem is, the Fantastix are here to take their place, but everyone knows the FF is the real deal. Right? Find out in this issue.

So what’s it about?

Read our preview.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

Why does this matter?

Marvel has been hyping the return of the Fantastic Four for months now and technically they haven’t come back just yet…until now. This issue finally gets our favorite first family back into the main universe to kick butts and take names.

Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?

Fantastic Four #4 Review

Introducing a team nobody asked for!
Credit: Marvel Comics

This issue sets in motion the honest to goodness return of the Fantastic Four to our universe. If you’ve been reading this far you’ll know the FF zapped every hero ever to be on the Fantastic Four roster to a far away dimension to help defeat the ultimate villain. This issue picks up where we left off, zapping the heroes back to Earth and preparing Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, and the Future Foundation members on new journeys. These adventures are getting a rude awakening from the characters gracing the cover, however.

This is an issue very focused on characters saying goodbye and saying hello. The Fantastic Four have been gone for ages so there’s a lot to be said to get everyone up to speed. That includes what Parker Industries did with their beloved headquarters and how easy the media has forgotten about the team.

The art by Stefano Caselli and Nico Leon continues to look very clean and pleasing to the eye. The rounded, softer look and colors by Erick Arciniega give the title an all-ages feel that suits the team. I’m at a loss for why the “4” on the chests isn’t always the same, but the curved, more lightning bolt way of writing it looks cool.

Fantastic Four #4 Review

The FF are still figuring out how to get home.
Credit: Marvel Comics

It can’t be perfect can it?

As far as triumphant superhero returns go, this issue continues the very soft reintroduction of the FF into the Marvel universe. It comes as a bit of a shock this issue lingers in the alternate dimension and even has Thing run off once back on Earth because he knows they can handle the Fantastix. You’ll be wondering the entire time why they won’t just get on with it. In a lot of ways this series has been so slow one has to wonder if Marvel was waiting for issue #650 (next issue) to get things really going, or if there was some larger universe stuff that had to happen before the FF were really back. Either way, it seems strange all these heroes who helped the last issue are shrugging off the fact that the Fantastic Four are back.

The main draw of this issue is the Fantastix who seem cool in concept, but they are so limply introduced here it’s basically pointless. It’s a distraction that has roots in who owns the Baxter building and not much more. How the Fantastic Four defeat the Fantastix is also lame and it’s somewhat sad the news media covering the event didn’t pick up on the truth sooner, too. This is an okay issue, but looking back on it it’s nearly 100% focused on tying up loose ends.

Is it good?

This is an okay issue which finally plops our heroes into the main universe for future adventures. The problem is it continues the trend of reintroducing the heroes in a slow and less visual way. This issue ties off loose ends, sure, but you’re going to be tearing your hair out wishing they could get on with being a team again already.

Fantastic Four #4 Review
Fantastic Four #4
Is it good?
This is an okay issue which finally plops our heroes into the main universe for future adventures.
The FF are finally, honest to goodness, back!
Clean look with some exceptional panels
Another slowly paced issue barely moving the needle
The Fantastix are more of a distraction than an interesting enemy
After all this time we still don't get all four Fantastic Four members in their costumes fighting an enemy!
5
Average

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