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Fantastic Four Fanfare #1
Writers – Mark Waid, Alan Davis, and Andrew Wheeler
Artists – Ramon Rosanas and Sara Pichelli
Colorists – Federico Blee, Neeraj Menon, and Matt Hollingsworth
Letter – Joe Caramagna
Cover – Matteo Scalera
This issue includes three stories, “You Realize, Of Course, This Means War,” “Life’s a Gas,” and “Monster Island of Love!” I’m going to go through each story and comment on the writing and artwork starting with…
“You Realize, Of Course, This Means War”
Written by Mark Waid, with art by Ramon Rosanas, and colors by Neeraj Menon. This story takes place during a week of court mandated temperance for The Thing. With the rest of the family out of the house, it’s up to Johnny Storm to keep an eye on Ben and make sure he doesn’t lose his temper. The Human Torch, of course, uses this week as a chance to unleash a barrage of escalating pranks on his teammate.
Being written by the one of the greatest in the industry, it should come as no surprise that this was expertly crafted story telling. While a short story and one that moved at a rapid pace, this tale highlighted the bond between these two men and what is so enjoyable about their dynamic on the team. This story had well crafted humor and an amazing payoff ending that had me smiling from page to page.
The artwork in this first story was stunning as well. I don’t think that Johnny Storm has ever looked as smug as he does in these panels. The look of pure annoyance on Ben’s face and the glee portrayed on Johnny’s were perfection. Another decision that made this great was the use of “pin-up” posters to mark each day and each prank being pulled. Overall, this was just a wonderful read by a fantastic creative team!
“Life’s A Gas”
Written and drawn by Alan Davis with colors by Matt Hollingsworth, Life’s a Gas sees the Fantastic Four deep underground investigating a strange energy signal.
Writer and artist Alan Davis put together a wonderfully entertaining story showcasing how much the Human Torch truly cares for his family. This story featured suspense, humor, and action in a fantastic (pun intended) way. Davis showed off his understanding of Johnny’s character and how desperately he wants to rush in without thinking of consequences and yet he is able to cool off long enough to listen to reason and be the hero needed in the moment.
The artwork in this story took me back to an earlier time in comics. It felt modern but had just enough of an old school flare that I really enjoyed. So far this issue is two for two, so let’s get into the final story.
“Monster Island of Love”
Written by Andrew Wheeler with art by Sara Pichelli and colors by Federico Blee, Monster Island of Love tells the tale of Johnny Storm’s star-making turn on a reality dating show. However, things go awry when Mole Man comes to hog the spotlight!
I’m going to go ahead and say that this was my favorite story of this issue. The writing was top notch and the artwork was stellar. Starting off, the intercutting between what is happening to Johnny on the island and the rotating cast of Marvel characters tuning in to watch it all unfold was hilarious. Second, the surprise of seeing Mole Man popping up to chastise the Human Torch and call out his vanity was an excellent plot point. And to finish off the issue, Johnny gets a chance to shine and prove everyone wrong and show that he is more than a pretty face.
The artwork was wonderful as well, with interesting panel layout and a surprise threat that just jumped off the page. The rest of the series is going to have a hard time topping this one.
Overall Grade: 10/10
I’m going to be honest with you, dear reader. This is the first Fantastic Four book that I have read in over a decade. The FF have never been my team, I’ve always been an Avengers guy. However, I have always hoped that Marvel would put out a book that would make it easy for me to get into the First Family. I’m happy to say that this is that book. Fantastic Four Fanfare is exactly what I have been waiting for, a series that highlights the characters in a digestible way but doesn’t shy away from the long history of this team. What a wonderful way for Marvel to lead up to Fantastic Four: First Steps. If you are looking for an FF book to get you pumped for that movie, look no further!
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What did you think of this issue? Let us know in the comments below!
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