FF #1 Review: What Can Possibly Go Wrong in just Four Minutes?

Can the Fantastic Four’s replacements keep the Earth safe for four minutes?

Written by Matt Fraction

Art by Michael Allred

Colors by Laura Allred

Letters by Clayton Cowles

Edited by Tom Brevoort with Lauren Sankovitch and Jake Thomas

Published by Marvel Comics

Release date 28 November, 2012

$2.99 US

As previously seen in Fantastic Four #1, Marvel’s First Family is about to take a trip through time and space. While they are away, they wish to form a replacement team to ensure the safety of the Future Foundation and also the world. Because they are traveling through time, the Fantastic Four will only be gone for four minutes. It is this unique premise that makes FF #1 more interesting than the standard “forming the team” story that the issue presents.

FF #1 is very much your typical first issue for a team-up comic. Much of the story is focused on recruiting the Fantastic Four’s replacements: Ant-Man, Medusa, She-Hulk, and Ms. Thing.  Even with such a standard story, Matt Fraction and Michael Allred have crafted a great beginning to what will hopefully be a stellar series.

Matt Fraction’s writing here is solid. All the characters have a voice to them. There are also quite a few funny and clever lines, but it never reaches the level of wit that is found in Fraction’s Hawkeye series.

Michael Allred’s art is the real star here. Characters are expressive and lively. Seeing the Thing’s reactions during his time in the gym with She-Hulk brought a smile to my face. Allred’s pop-art influenced style is perfect for an “out there” book like FF.

The only real problem with FF #1 is that it is a continuation of the events found in Fantastic Four #1. Hopefully this will not continue as both stories progress, but for now, it is tough to read one book and not the other.

Overall, FF #1 is a solid first issue that will most likely not disappoint those interested, but it is tough to recommend if you are not also reading Fantastic Four.

Rating:

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