CBI Archive
Fantastic Four: A Death in the Family One-Shot Review
- by Brian Cronin
- in Comic Reviews
Saturday, May 24th, 2003 at 3:05 AM EST
Updated: Saturday, May 24th, 2003 at 3:05 AM EST
This is called a one-shot, but what it really is what I like to call a “Too good for a fill-in” issue. Essentially, this one-shot by Karl Kesel and Lee Weeks (with inks by Robert Campanella and Tom Palmer) reads just like a fill-in issue of the Fantastic Four. It is just about the length of an issue (I think it is 23 pages instead of 22). However, it is probably a bit too well-written to waste as a fill-in issue, and add in the fact that, post Civil War, an issue featuring the full FF probably wouldn’t fit in, and it makes sense to issue this as a one-shot, paired with a classic FF reprint (from the Byrne era - not one of his best issues).
The issue is basically an examination of the Fantastic Four as a family, but more importantly, the Storms as a family. We are all used to looking at the FF as a “family,” with Reed and Sue as the parents and Johnny and Ben as the kids (and didn’t Morrison want to have Sue and Johnny lusting for each other? Just joking!! That one was for you, Man of the Atom!). However, the fact that Johnny and Sue are ACTUAL blood relatives often gets short shrift in the title, and Kesel examines their bond in thie issue, and he does so quite well, I thought.
In addition, he looks at Johnny’s sense of responsibility. From the perspective of the other teammates not THINKING Johnny has all that strong of one to the realization that his sense is stronger than you would expect.
Finally, let’s be realistic, while Sue dies, and it isn’t a “hoax,” at the end of the issue, she IS alive. How she is brought back is interesting, as Johnny clearly demonstrates that he understands the limitations of his act, but he can’t help but do SOMEthing. Clever stuff.
Top notch work by Kesel.
Meanwhile, Lee Weeks continues to amaze me with his ability to draw nicely in differing styles. Here, he evokes the infamous “Kirby ‘house style,’” of the 70s and early 80s, but he makes it sparkle. Good job by both inkers.
Whether you enjoy the second story or not (oh, and there’s also one of those Franklin Richards stories - those are pretty good, too, even if you’ve read this particular one 7,208 times), this is a good comic book. I recommend it without reservation.
5 Comments
Pol Rua
May 25, 2006 at 4:30 pm
Once again, I am left wondering why Karl Kesel has not been offered a permanent gig writing FF.
He comes in and writes one-shots or 1-3 issue runs and every damn time, they are just amazing. He obviously has a great grasp on the characters and their dialogue.
What the hell is wrong with Marvel?
charlie
May 26, 2006 at 9:03 am
I liked it, very touching, really. Even though now FF set # 2 are the cannon, right? Reed did say an alternate timeline (?) had been created. I wonder if it will ever be touched upon again?
Anonymous
May 26, 2006 at 9:31 am
Yea. Okay I picked it up and it was totally -not- what I was expecting. between it and Nextwave 5, it really made my week.
rick
May 28, 2006 at 1:01 am
It’s funny, but first, the Doomcar story in the Marvel Adventures FF title and now this book.have really been two of the best FF stories I’ve read in quite awhile.
It’s kind of interesting to me anyway that both stories have been outside of the regular FF book, let alone that the stories have been centered around Johnny Storm, who is a great character but in my opinion has mostly been played as a one note, jock type over the last several years.
It is really good to see such well done Fantastic Four stories, Lee & Kirby would be proud.
- rick
moose n squirrel
May 28, 2006 at 7:05 am
I’ve been saying this for a while, but for a while all the best FF stories published have been outside the actual Fantastic Four comic. We had this one-shot, Marvel Adventures, “Big in Japan,” and Casey and Weston on “First Family.” I just wish Marvel would smarten up and put any of these teams on the actual book.