Ant-Man

FF #9

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FF #9The Future Foundation is invited to a pool party by an alien who once impersonated Julius Caesar. So.. it must be a Wednesday? It’s been awhile since I picked up Matt Fraction and Mike Allred’s take on the those the Fantastic Four left behind. Still wacky, the latest issue offers the team of She-Hulk, Medusa, Ms. Thing, and Scott Lang their chance to save the original Fantastic Four as well as the opportunity for tiny super-villain Bentley 23 to put together his first documentary masterpiece.

Light and fun, I enjoyed FF #9 in the same way I occasionally like cotton candy, but much like the first couple issues of the series I came away wanting something a little more substantial (or even more zany). I really want to like the comic more than I do, but I’m not sure this will ever be more for me than a world I give a peak into every six months or so (especially if the tone of comic is going to shift more from the wackiness of the various children to the adventures of the grown-ups – although this would also finally give She-Hulk something substantial to do). For fans.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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FF #2

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ff-marvel-now-2-coverI was surprised how much I liked the first issue of this new Marvel NOW! version of the FF. The follow-up may not be as strong, but fans should still enjoy themselves in a comic that despite Mike Allred only doing the art is feeling more and more like a Madman comic.

After being disappointed when the Fantastic Four don’t return after four minutes, their replacements get to work getting things back to normal at the Baxter Building. This includes Ant-Man explaining to the children why the Daily Bugle refereed to him as a convict, She-Hulk lecturing the children on the finer points of the law, and one member of the team quitting.

When the comic stays with the character dynamics inside the Baxter Building things continue to run smoothly. However, writer Matt Fraction’s choice of villain, in a humdrum homage to the original Fantastic Four #1, doesn’t work nearly as well. For fans.

[Marvel, $2.99]

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FF #1

/ / Comics

FF #1With the Fantastic Four heading out a time-traveling trip Reed, the Thing, Sue, and Johnny recruit a temporary team which will need to take their place for an undetermined amount of time between four minutes and indefinitely. Matt Fraction, who is also taking over the duties for the new Fantastic Four series, earns some points right away from me by choosing She-Hulk, one of Marvel Comics most criminally underused characters in recent years, as one quarter of the new team.

Honestly, I’m less exited about the rest of the team which includes Medusa, Ms. Thing, and Scott Lang who is reluctant to watch over a group of super-children while still greiving the loss of his own daughter.

There’s not much to this first issue other than gathering the new team and re-introducing the members of the Future Foundation (including Bentley and Dragon Man), but Matt Fraction and artist Mike Allred have fun simply showing off the various characters. I’m not sure how long I’ll stay with the title (I felt the last series grew tiresome rather quickly), but I’m glad I picked it up. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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