Fantastic Four #19

   It's generally a bad idea to attempt a revamp (or retcon, if you prefer) on a superhero origin story.

   Ever since Alan Moore tried it (with great success) in Swamp Thing), many other writers have taken their own shot at it.

   There have been a few successes, but it usually just takes away from the origin - and sometimes, it's an outright disaster (see Mopee in the Silver Age Flash).

   We're seeing an attempt at such a retcon in the ongoing "Point of Origin" story in the Fantastic Four - and it's not really working. 

   One problem is that so much of the origin had to be tweaked for this story (Reed and company were planning to visit a faraway planet in their prototype rocket, not just taking a trip into orbit).

   The whole story just feels rickety, with justifications for actions not quite making sense - both on the parts of members of the FF (why is Ben feeling murderous suddenly?) and the aliens (they created monsters for what reason?).

   It was a game effort, but the pieces don't quite fit - and the art by three different artists doesn't help in pulling it together.

   I keep hoping for big things from this series, but so far, it's hasn't lived up to its "greatest comic" legacy - it's good, but that's all.

Grade: B

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