Creative Team – Greg Pak, Mark Buckingham, Alex Sinclair, Ryan North & Phil Noto(Fantastic Science), VC’s Joe Caramagna
Published by Marvel Comics
Catch up with The Fantastic Four: First Foes – Shalla Bal #1!
The Story
The Fantastic Four are made up of incredible powers coming from cosmic radiation coming from their chaotic space mission in their origin stories. These powers have been used to save the world and the people in it time and time again. Most see these powers as gifts, but some of Marvel’s First Family sees it different. Ben Grimm, AKA The Thing, hasn’t had the same public reception as the other members of the team. People get scared when they see him coming. They whisper behind his back or make fun of his appearance. Mostly, Ben has accepted this and gotten used to it, but it still gets to him. In The Fantastic Four: First Foes – Dragon Man #1, the hope is to put a stop to this. Reed Richards sets up a surprise experiment for Ben with a local scientist, Dr. Damien Albo, to set Ben’s appearance back to his human state. However, it seems that there’s an ulterior motive at play leading to the creation of Dragon Man.
Greg Pak puts a spotlight on a villain who’s been around since the 60s, but admittedly, I didn’t know much about before reading the comic. It was great getting to learn more about Dragon Man! I really enjoy this look into the classic Fantastic Four villains that rarely get a spotlight. Alongside that, we also get a comic that’s very Ben Grimm centered, with Ben dealing with his appearance and public judgement. Ben’s heroism is put front and center as he has to make a hard choice to save the innocent civilians, and he doesn’t hesitate. This was an excellent comic for any Fantastic Four fans that does a great job at highlighting the values of Marvel’s First Family!
The Art
The Fantastic Four: First Foes – Dragon Man #1 is filled with gorgeous artwork that captures the feeling of the old school comic book art but in a much more modernized way. The linework is bold and striking, making the characters practically pop off the pages, especially when Ben Grimm is in the panels. The colors are beautifully matched together, contrasting the vibrant tones with more muted colors. The lettering is wonderful work, especially the sound effects! Joe Caramagna accompanies most panels filled with action with their own sound effects that bring the energy up to an all-time high. This was excellent work done by the artists!
Final Thoughts
I love this look into the classic villains of The Fantastic Four! Marvel’s First Family comes with such a rich background and this is a great opportunity to put a spotlight on the more underrated characters in their lore.
Overall Grade – 9/10
Let me know in the comments below what you thought of this issue!
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This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast. If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of The Fantastic Four: First Foes - Dragon Man, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!
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