Waid Fantastic Four

Mark Waid and Mark Wieringo start their run!  I remember it fondly, but with zero recollection of any of the details.  Let’s see how it holds up!

Fantastic Four 60-67

It holds up well.  It holds up real well.  

Waid’s first issue (9 cents, in an awesome promo by Marvel) is a wonderful thesis of his take on the FF.  He overtly spells out his mission statement for all to see:

These guys aren’t super heroes.  Not really.  They don’t fight crime.  They don’t go on patrol.  They don’t have a Bat-signal.  They’re astronauts.  They’re envoys.  Adventurers.  Explorers.  Sure, Galactus comes to town, they’ll step up.  Trouble finds them, they’ll kick its ass.  But that’s not the job.  It just comes with.  Ask any frontiersman, any trailblazer...My advice?  You want to do a comic, you make it about people, not about costumes, and people will care.

Works for me, and Waid goes on to execute it perfectly.  His Fantastic Four is a joyous mix of familial love, fun, humor, a touch of ribaldry, and, though it takes another issue to show up, horror.  Everything is rooted in character, and things flow from there.  Reed plays the absent-minded professor, but still succeeds as a loving husband and wife.  Sue embodies the strength that Byrne purportedly gave her during his run.  Her devotion to Reed and her children are apparently, but aren’t the only things that define her anymore.  Ben still smashes things, but less irresponsibly than before.  Both he and Johnny aren’t saddled with any Alicia Masters drama.  Johnny has regressed in his maturity, but in a way that allows for interesting growth.  It’s all off to a great start.  

Touching on the infusions of horror:

Modulus is a unique antagonist, and I really like its usage here.  The way it dissolves Sue’s hand and Thing’s body is legit scary.

I predicted Doom’s treatment of Valeria (who existed at least as far back as Byrne’s run) only a page before the twist.  It’s just plain cold of Doom, and a perfect demonstration of how heartless he is.

If I had to see this, so do you:

This issue deserves a Mature rating for this image alone.

On to more fun things:

Such a simple sight gag, but there something in Ringo’s execution that makes it sing.

Another obvious joke with the "Next issue" tease, but Waid pulls it off. Seriously, what was Sue thinking?

Reed is such an adorable dork here:

I LOVE this next panel.  Everyone’s arms are raised in the universal sign of panic.  The guy’s perfectly round eyes convey maximum humor.  And although they’re clearly running away, their poses are oddly static in a way that makes me laugh.

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Pretty Good