For reasons that elude me, Marvel cancelled its flagship title, the Fantastic Four, two-and-a-half years ago, and scattered the team to the four winds.
Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman and their children disappeared. The Thing went to work for SHIELD. The Human Torch (for some reason or another) joined the Inhumans.
But now there seems to be movement back in the right direction. In the real world, Disney (which owns Marvel) has bought out 21st Century Fox, bringing the film rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four back to the home office.
As a possible precursor to the team's return, this month we see the return of Marvel 2-In-One, a team-up comic that starred The Thing and the guest of the month.
This issue's "guest" is the Torch, and the issue gives us a recap of what they've been doing - and a familiar face brings the impetus that brings the two together, and hopefully will end with a reunion of the entire team.
It's a strong first issue by writer Chip Zdarsky and artists Jim Cheung, John Dell and Walden Wong - with powerful, expressive art and solid characterizations all around.
The FF are important to Marvel's history, of course - and I for one can't wait to see them getting the kind of film treatment they deserve - but before that, we should be seeing them back in the pages of The World's Greatest Comics Magazine.
It's the right thing to do and it's long past time for it to be done.
Grade: A-
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2 comments:
Hmmm. Why an A-? Why not an A? I loved it....
-Anon
Good question, Anon. I tend to hedge a bit in grading when I only have part of the story in hand. The way it wraps up might bring the grade up - or drop it down. But I enjoyed the issue a lot, too.
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