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Marvel’s first family fights against time and self-indulgence!
WRITER: Ryan North
ARTIST: Carlos Gómez
COLORIST: Jesus Aburtov
LETTERER: Joe Caramagna
COVER ARTIST: Alex Ross
PUBLISHER: MARVEL COMICS
Recap for Issue 23!
Issue 24 finishes the adventure that started in issue 23 titled: “Johnny Storm gets choked by an Alien in this one” (You’ll see later why I have to mention the title). The world was being rained on by particles that were causing plenty of damage and were too small to see with the naked eye. In fact, these particles were so small they were on the subatomic level.
The Fantastic Four had to resort to dust off their Reducta-Craft, which debuted in Fantastic Four no.75 (March 1968). The Fantastic Four go subatomic too to uncover what were these particles.
To everyone’s surprise, they were alien spacecraft with passenger’s inside. The problem was every single being inside each of the ships were dead. No reason, no damage, they were just dead. Until the very last one they managed to rescue, the passenger was alive but by the time they figured out a way to communicate with the alien, it was choking Johnny out, just like the title foreshadowed.
Spoilers ahead for issue 24!
In this issue is revealed that all the proton particle-size ships come from a planet across the cosmos billions of light years away and ago. Don’t hold me explaining this, but basically, the sole survivor of this trip is a she and her name is Zrixa. Her space travel odyssey was one of time and space combined. She gives the Fantastic Four a wonderful story of how her planet rose and developed as a society and as people. When they reached their evolution’s peak, they used to look up to the stars and wish they could reach them.
They figured out a way to travel by harvesting an exotic particle deep withing their sun. With the use of this particle and their most advanced technology they launched themselves into space, travel across the universe and into the future. All in the hopes that they could arrive at a time and space where the universe would have evolved enough to discover a way to make immortality available.
Available is the active word in her tale since is stated by Zrixa that the Particle ships were available only for the wealthy, which Alicia immediately points out how problematic it sounds. Zrixa on her behalf has no quarrels with it and according to her, this isn’t frown upon in her world because everyone is free to earn wealth and spend it how they please. Quite the position, right? Not Ryan North writing a slight dig at the ultra-wealthy.
The problem is Zrixa was lying
The truth is she bought most of these ships for herself and when she harvested her world’s sun for particles even though she knew it was extinguishing. Her world ended up freezing to their death. However, just before they perished, they sent coded messages with their world’s tragic story of demise. Also, but no less important, they sent remaining ships after her with nuclear bombs.
With the hopes to enact their revenge on Zrixa wherever and whenever she lands. I will let you, the reader, check the rest of the issue out because the conclusion of this adventure is beyond any words I hold in my vocabulary to explain. Reed Richards himself wasn’t sure what he saw or felt or heard, and that’s the smartest man in Marvel.
It doesn’t take a genius to see what Ryan North was going for here. Corporate greed, the plunder of resources to the point of no return, the forced demise of a civilization because of those in power, the lengths greedy people will go for their self-centered desires, etc. You know a few names of people in real life that could literally replace Zrixa in this story, I feel the necessity to call out anyone.
In this issue is revealed that all the proton particle-size ships come from a planet across the cosmos billions of light years away and ago. Don’t hold me explaining this, but basically, the sole survivor of this trip is a she and her name is Zrixa. Her space travel odyssey was one of time and space combined. She gives the Fantastic Four a wonderful story of how her planet rose and developed as a society and as people. When they reached their evolution’s peak, they used to look up to the stars and wish they could reach them.
They figured out a way to travel by harvesting an exotic particle deep withing their sun. With the use of this particle and their most advanced technology they launched themselves into space, travel across the universe and into the future. All in the hopes that they could arrive at a time and space where the universe would have evolved enough to discover a way to make immortality available.
Available is the active word in her tale since is stated by Zrixa that the Particle ships were available only for the wealthy, which Alicia immediately points out how problematic it sounds. Zrixa on her behalf has no quarrels with it and according to her, this isn’t frown upon in her world because everyone is free to earn wealth and spend it how they please. Quite the position, right? Not Ryan North writing a slight dig at the ultra-wealthy.
How about the art?
Carlos Gomez on the pencils is just superb. Having the skills and the imagination to bring to life such a bombastic story would make Jack Kirby proud. Jesus Arbutov manages to provide texture and depth with a consistent strong and bold color palette that flows from page to page effortlessly.
Joe Caramagna has a daunting task as the Letterer. He must find the spots for all the dialogue, narration, and exposition bubbles without messing up the course of reading in every page. He accomplishes that without taking away f ram the visual aspect of the story.
This current run of Marvel’s first family has a specific characteristic that separates it from every other on-going series on the shelves right now. That characteristic is the single issue or at most, two-issue stories. You can pick up any issue from this 20 plus run and you start and finish an adventure by the fantastic four right there and there.
9 out of 10
The standing allegory that is Zrixa makes for a very compelling and cautionary tale. The ending for me was an easy way out. Specially since it wasn’t explained. I do believe this will come back to play in the future, so I’m not worry about it.
