Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Pencils: Mike McKone
Inker: Andy Lanning
Content Guide: Action – parents may want to read before giving to their kids.
New Directions
Inevitably, when a new writer comes aboard and takes over, there is a retelling, a refocusing, of some sorts. The writer seems to need to clean the slate, and get readers ready for a new journey. This issue is J. Michael Straczynski’s shot at just that, and he hits the target on the bullseye.For those of you who don’t know, J. Michael Straczynski, or JMS for short, is a TV producer and writer with such titles as Babylon 5 and Jeremiah under his belt. Recently, he has switched over to writing comic books, writing The Amazing Spider-Man and Supreme Power for starters. His work has been critically acclaimed and it is exciting to see JMS bring the momentum he as gathered to Marvel’s first family, the Fantastic Four.
Storyline
The story opens with Reed Richards looking over a planet that is in rapid evolution. He sees the start of life, the flux of wars, the development of art and music, and finally their end, all right on schedule. The parallels that JMS is showing our own plights will be left up to you, the reader. But there is a sadness that seems to carry on with Reed, throughout the comic book, as if he’s just waiting for what happened to his experiment to happen to us.The story continues from the previous writer’s story arc with the Fantastic Four’s money problems, since the government has taken all assets and patents that the Fantastic Four used to own in retribution for interfering in Dr. Doom’s country Latveria, preventing a hostile takeover, and establishing a new government. The Fantastic Four is reduced to eating frank and beans…again.
But not all is lost for the Fantastic Four, as they are working on rebuilding the empire they had before, and with a proposition for Reed to do some consulting work by Nick Fury, the head of SHIELD, their future looks even more solid. What that work is though, is top secret.
Review
For a comic book with little to no action in it, I was incredibly engaged by the emotional tones that JMS has set forward. He really captures the sadness of Reed, the financial tension that they are going through, as well as the comic relief and banter between The Thing and The Human Torch.The art was excellent, with pencils provided by Mike McKone of Teen Titans and Exiles fame. He takes a pretty basic approach to the Fantastic Four, not trying to add any unneeded frills, and I think it works well. His attention to detail, especially in the backgrounds, makes for a pretty picture.
Mostly, I like tone of the writing and where the story appears to be taking us. The Fantastic Four started as the first super team with real-life problems. They are not all powerful, and having their finances taken away from them truly puts them in a bind. This is something many of us can relate too. Having problems and issues is a hallmark of the Fantastic Four and I am glad to see JMS and Mike McKone treading in the paths of the great Fantastic Four contributors before them.
