Read All the Comics!: Byrne Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four 277-286, 289-291

I’m done with the John Byrne Fantastic Four! It wasn’t nearly the grind of Stern’s Avengers or Nocenti’s Daredevil, but I’m still ready, if not eager, to move on.

Byrne’s art stayed wonderful throughout, though there was a definite drop in quality once he stopped inking his own pencils. The stories were generally entertaining, more fun than the characters themselves. Reed was the most tolerable member of the quartet - at least his intelligence rarely got the team into trouble. Ben and Johnny are just triggerhappy bros who never think beyond smashing or burning whatever’s in front of them. And Johnny doesn’t fail to disappoint one last time, falling for the most basic reverse psychology trick in the book. Effing idiot.

He's even worse than this guy:

Sue’s the trickiest one to figure out. She’s the one who’s ostensibly grown the most since the Lee era, become more than Reed Richards’ wife with the most useless power. Her invisibility fields have begun to be acknowledged as the most versatile, with the greatest potential for growth. Her words are supposed to convince us that she’s grown, but I still don’t buy it.

She-Hulk, during her short tenure on the team, is a far better example of a hero who can stand on her own without relying on anyone. Nor is she a Mary Sue with no flaws. She’s much more of a well rounded character that I can root for.

I do not know what to make of Reed’s solution to Sue’s Malice transformation in 281. No one else seems to be overcoming Hatemonger’s influence by over-hating, I don’t know why it works on Sue. And Reed’s method of triggering this hate apes his actual past treatment of her far too closely to feel like a simple ploy.

The story of the Torch fan is affecting in how real it feels. A boy desperate to connect with anything latches on to the Human Torch to fill the gap left by his neglectful parents and bullying classmates. The doubt his self-immolating death leaves in Johnny starts a thoughtful discussion on the effects and responsibilities of celebrities, but the appearance of the Beyonder quickly cuts it short. A provoking story that missed the landing.

I’ll end with random thoughts about this final batch of issues.

The Storm siblings finish Byrne’s run with some truly unfortunate haircuts.

Is it worse that Johnny has Sue's haircut, or that Sue has Johnny's?

For all his strengths, Byrne has real problems drawing children. His rendition of Franklin Richards has always been a messed up mix of adult-sized head with sack-of-potatoes body: