Hey, it's guest review time!My good friend Len LaCara, who's a heck of a fine journalist out there in the real world, sends along this review of one of my favorite titles:
It's easy to forget, a half-century after its debut, how extraordinary Fantastic Four was for its time.
Not for its artwork - although Jack Kirby certainly was no slouch in that regard. And not for the cosmic scope of its adventures, courtesy of the fertile mind of Stan Lee.
Mr. Fantastic, the Thing, the Human Torch and the Invisible Girl were more than teammates. They were family. And families look out for each other, fight, joke, bicker and - above all else - love each other.
Which is why Fantastic Four #605 is a quiet treasure, and the best single issue of a comic I've read in a long time.
After all the noise and battle of the past few issues, writer Jonathan Hickman dials it way down to focus on fathers and sons (literally) and brothers (figuratively).
There isn't much action in this story. Nor are there major plot revelations - at least, none I could discern. But to dub it a filler issue would be an serious slight. It reinforces the core values of the series in a way that is both poignant and heartfelt.
I have not bought FF since the John Byrne era, and only started again after reading Chuck's glowing reviews. I can see why you are so fond of the book, my friend.
If you haven't kept up with the Richards family lately, this would be a good place to start.
As Chuck would say, "Highly recommended."
Grade: A+
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