Fantastic Four Fanfare #4
Writers – J. Michael Straczynski, Greg Weisman, & Daniel Warren Johnson
Artists – CAFU, Mark Bagley, & Tyrell Cannon
Inker – John Dell
Colorists – Dean White, Alex Sinclair, & Inaki Azpiazu
Letter – Joe Caramagna
Cover – Rachael Stott
Read the review of the last issue in this series here!
“Ain’t No Grave”
Written by J. Michael Straczynski with art by CAFU and colors by Dean White, “Ain’t No Grave” follows Sue Storm as she visits a terminally ill Mole Man in Subterrania.
What I love about this story is that it shows off, not only the power of Sue Storm, but her incredible compassion. Starting off the issue with Reed testing the limits of her force fields lent a believability to the actions she takes later in the story. This was a perfect showcase of what a truly wonderful character the Invisible Woman is.
The art in this story perfectly complimented the writing, giving weight to what Sue was doing. The emotion portrayed elevated the story in a way that left me feeling more empathetic to Mole Man. the colors and layouts melded together with the line work to make this tale beautiful all around.
“One Night”
Written by Greg Weisman with art by Mark Bagley, John Dell, and Alex Sinclair, “One Night” sees the Fantastic Four, along with Crystal of the Inhumans and Alicia Masters, take the night off. They enjoy a carnival after Reed and Sue announce that they are going to have a baby.
This story was a wonderful breath of fresh air. It was light and fun, with heartfelt moments and silly humor. The standout moment for me was Sue Storm quickly and quietly handling business.
This is all so she and her family could have just one night of peace. The couple interactions were excellently portrayed and really pulled the story together.
The art team understood the assignment. This story had a throwback feel that was perfectly captured by the artwork. It was light and fun in all the best ways.
“Clobberin’ Time”
Written by Daniel Warren Johnson with art by Tyrell Cannon and Inaki Azpiazu, “Clobberin’ Time” sees the Sue Storm trapped by Namor and Galactus as the rest of the team is forced to fight their way through a gauntlet of enemies so Namor can prove that he is worthy of Sue’s love.
This story felt like a fever dream in a fantastic (you didn’t think I wouldn’t slip at least one of these in did you?) way! The pace was frenetic and over the top, the dialogue was campy, and the story was bonkers. While The Thing was the brawn, this showed that Sue could be the brain as she had to use quick thinking to get them out of their predicament.
Much like the story itself, the art was over the top and wild. The action was big, Namor was displaying huge chaotic energy, and the imagery of Galactus standing watch of the whole ordeal just capped it all off.
Overall Grade: 10/10
Once again, this series did not disappoint. With another three wonderful stories that show how great the Fantastic Four can be when handled by incredibly talented creatives, this issue was peak FF!
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What did you think of this issue? Let us know in the comments below!
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