Mr. Fantastic is attacked in Chicago as the Thing meets an old forgotten Fantastic Four character in their newest issue!
Fantastic Four #10
Written by James Robinson
Art by Marc Laming
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: 3.99
Previously in Fantastic Four: The Thing has been sent to prison, and the team has been broken apart. Who will Ben Grimm find waiting for him in prison?
WHO???
The best part of this issue is the inclusion of a character from the Fantastic Four’s past. Benjamin Grimm gets to prison, and soon finds out that he is no one’s favorite prisoner. Soon, he meets the kingpin of the prison, and that kingpin is She-Thing! It’s a great idea for Robinson to introduce this old forgotten character into the narrative. I also suspect that many contemporary Fantastic Four fans probably have no idea who she is. It’s a great conflict to introduce into this series.
The scene mentioned above is simply the strongest thing in this issue as the rest is very middle of the road. Mr. Fantastic is summoned to Chicago to stop a super villain attack, and is soon besieged by too many foes. He quickly gets overwhelmed and the issue ends. That’s it. When you pay four dollars for a Marvel book, you expect a little something for your money. Sadly, this issue seems very bland for a storyline that up until this point had been an enjoyable ride.
WHERE’S THE REGULAR ARTIST?
Series regular penciler Leonard Kirk is nowhere to be seen in this issue as Marc Laming takes the reins. Kirk has developed a solid style for this book, and it’s greatly missed in this issue. The art lacks the dramatic flair that should carry your eyes joyously from panel to panel. This issue is full of uninspired and bland page layouts. Laming has been a great artist on other books so it makes it a shame that his art seems like a rush job here.
THE BOTTOM LINE: NOTHING FANTASTIC HERE
Fantastic Four #10 is nothing but a filler issue into the overall storyline. This plot could have simply been cut, and no one would had noticed. It’s exciting to wonder where the She-Thing/Thing confrontation is going to happen, but all of that setup could have been added to a more substantial issue. This book puts the brakes on an excellent and dramatic telling of the fall of the Fantastic Four. Making this issue a real disappointment to read.
