Monday, December 17, 2012

Fantastic Four #2

I'm enjoying the "new" Fantastic Four, mostly because it feels like a strong continuation of Jonathan Hickman's run on the title.

But... it's certainly taking its sweet time getting into gear.

Since the continuity in this series bounces back and forth between this title and FF, this is, for all intents and purposes, the third issue in the series, and we're just now getting to the heart of the story that will cover the next year.

What it all comes down to is a family vacation. Reed Richards is suffering from a mysterious ailment, so he's decided to combine his search for a cure (in alternate universes, of course) with spending some quality time with his family.

So for three issues the team has been making plans, arranging for "babysitters" to protect the members of the FF being left behind, and saying their goodbyes.

None of which is to say this isn't an entertaining issue. I love the characterization of the team - they're all spot on, from the Thing's humor to the Human Torch's... let's say "brashness."

I've been on record for a long time as being a fan of Mark Bagley - he manages team dynamics as well as almost anyone in the business, and his characters are dynamic and lively.

The good news is, by the end of this issue, the preliminaries are out of the way - now we can get to the adventure part of our program.

Grade: A-

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