FF #12
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Juan Bobillo, Marcelo Sosa, and Chris Sotomayor
The short of it:
The Future Foundation relocates the upper floors of the Baxter Building into the side of a mountain in Latveria. After all, what better place to run to in an effort to evade the Annihilation Wave than just ouside of Castle Doom? Especially when Castle Doom is currently housing an Evil Reed, an angry Kristoff, an enslaved Doom, and a cryptic Nathaniel! This encounter has been building since before FF started, and while all hope lies in Doom, this book has one that won’t stop complaining, and one that hardly says a word. In the end, it’s the FF’s job to help send the Evil Reed home, and maybe get Doom free.
What I liked:
- While hardly a surprise, Nathaniel Richards revealing that he was the one who orchestrated the older Franklin’s trip through time to restore his younger selfs powers is a good payoff.
- The lightsaber is awesome. I mean, just why it’s even a fixture in this issue. The kids have been some of the strong points over the last year or so, Val especially.
- Evil Reed may get to go home and end this Evil Reed’s plot that is starting to drag.
What I didn’t like:
- I don’t want to slam anyone, but I can’t help it. There are pages of this book that look like a six year old drew them with their off hand. I would rather have Daniel Acuna as the full time artist then see another issue that looks like this one. Seriously, this is as bad as when Larry Stroman came on X-Factor a few years ago and mangled the looks of every character.
- I really hope it’s just the nature of this issue, but everything felt rushed. Like Hickman was trying to get through three issues of material in one.
- Val is portrayed visually from ages 4 to sixty in this issue, it’s painfully inconsistent, and she’s not the only one. Just the most pronounced.
- I have to say it again. This issue is hideous.
Final thoughts:
I don’t know if this issue was rushed to print to capitalize on the short week, or Fantastic Four #600 last week, but I mean, I understand Epting went back to the core title, but is this the best they could do? This book is hideous, like, worse than hideous, it’s not even consistent with itself. No character looks the same way twice, even Doom’s mask changes shapes on us a few times. I remember not hating Juan’s work on She Hulk, but I also can’t remember what it looked like.
Aside from the art, this issue features a lot of nothing happening despite the occasional feeling of forward momentum. After the events of #600 last week I had high hopes for this title as it spins out full time (as opposed to simply replacing the core title), but if the book turns into this full time I may have to jump off. I love the kids, and I love the idea that this book is going to put focus onto them, but they’ve been better utilized in virtually every other issue of this book. Val takes center stage, as per usual, and really, she’s going to be the star of this title, but that’s the issue. Val does a lot of stuff, other people comment, Bentley is the comic relief, and Evil Reed is Evil. The book needs more Nathaniel Richards, as Hickman has done some great stuff with him over in SHIELD. Also, Alex Power, who apparently changed hair colors between issues.
I’m back next issue, but I really hope that this book finds it’s Fantastic Four-less footing soon.
Overall: 6/10
