Fantastic Four #17- That Is, Also, A Hypothesis

Our intrepid heroes, the Fantastic Four, wake up in a cave with no memory of who they are, what their powers are, or even their names. With injuries they don’t understand, the Fantastic Four must do what they do best and turn to science to solve the mystery.

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Shawn!

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Creative Team

Writer: Ryan North
Artist: Vincenzo Carratù
Color Artist: Edgar Delgado
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Humberto Ramos
Cover Color Artist: Edgar Delgado

Writing

Whether it’s One World Under Doom or DNX, Ryan North does such an enjoyable job with these Fantastic Four tie-ins to ongoing events. This issue really threw me for a loop. You know, based on the cover and the credits page, that it’s a DNX tie-in, but the twist is what really confirms it. My favorite thing about this issue is that it shows you that even when they don’t know their names or can’t remember they have powers, the Fantastic Four are easily some of the most gifted thinkers in the Marvel Universe.

Speaking of thinking, man, this issue really makes you think. One of the hallmarks of Ryan North’s run on Fantastic Four has been his awesome ability to bridge the enjoyability of a comic story with the nerdiness of science. This issue taps into that, showing the scientific way Marvel’s first family works to figure out who they are in a world where they are unknown even to each other. North perfectly captures hallmarks of deductive reasoning and theory proposition. The result is a story that feels like another great Fantastic Four story while also tying into the larger DNX saga that is ongoing at Marvel.

Art

Vincenzo Carratù, Edgar Delgado, and Joe Caramagna really brought their A game for this issue. Carratù’s art really shines in this issue with there being plenty of action but also significant close up panels where there’s less room to hide mistakes. Carratù perfectly captures the Fantastic Four in great detail. He takes advantage of North playing with Reed Richard’s abilities to craft panels that feel less like a scientific comic book and more like body horror.

Edgar Delgado continues to show why he’s one of the best in the business. In particular, his coloring of the adversary that the Fantastic Four encounter while in this case is incredibly well done. I also really love the way that Delgado does the depth and dimensions of Johnny’s flames when he’s in flame form. Joe Caramagna beautifully moves readers through the story while letting the art have room to breathe. The team “rediscovering” their powers gives Caramagna a chance to have some full with special effects that makes for a fun read.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed the way this story was able to simultaneously tie into the DNX event while still feeling like a Fantastic Four story. I’m always a little leery of tie-ins, but this creative team showed that they are up to the task.

Overall Grade: 9/10

Until next time, may your pulls be magical, and your multiverse remain stable

What do you think about Fantastic Four #17? Let me know in the comments