Fantastic Four #13 Review

You've heard the phrase "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride"? That seems to apply to Karl Kesel when it comes to the Fantastic Four franchise. Kesel has often been called upon to write fill-in arcs and shorter adventures, but the closest he's ever come to writing an ongoing Fantastic Four book was his short-lived Human Torch solo series.

So Kesel was the logical choice to step in for Matt Fraction and help bring this series to a conclusion. He has the experience, certainly. And this issue is immediately more enjoyable than the previous two muddled, overcrowded installments. But while a solid read, this is still a Fraction comic that's missing some of the trademark Fraction charm. And Mark Bagley's artwork remains more rough and jagged than usual. As ever, FF is the real draw with this franchise.

This issue veers into much darker territory as the writers explore an alternate universe with a very specific bearing on the current conflict. The script is actually a bit frustrating in how it first seems to be focused on the regular cast, and then reveals itself to be an alternate universe story but still takes its sweet time making those connections clear. But eventually everything comes together nicely enough. Kesel shows that he still has a firm handle on the Richards clan in any universe, and the pacing is much smoother and more straightforward than it has been.

Again, the diminished humor is a concern, with only a brief scene between Johnny Storm and Bentley "Wiz-Kid" Whitman offering any real levity. But this issue doesn't necessarily call for that approach considering the darker nature of the conflict. We'll see if the remaining few issues can invoke more laughs, or if it's all grim and serious from here on out.

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Fantastic Four #12 Review

Officially, Fantastic Four #12 is the last of the series to be written solely by Matt Fraction. But as with issue #11, this installment features an unannounced co-writer in the form of Christopher Sebela. The end result is about the same. Much of the magic of the first ten issues is missing. In its place is a clunkier script focused on a conflict that should have been wrapped up already. Nothing about the FF's time travel misadventures on Celeritas or the "nostalgia terrorists" currently causing a ruckus justifies the two-issue treatment when so many more compelling stories were explored in the span of one issue before.

But to be fair, this  issue does make some improvements on the last. The focus shifts away from the nostalgia terrorists and the other Celeritans and towards the Richards family again. The interaction between the present and future versions of Johnny is entertaining. And more attention is paid to the growing problem of the molecular breakdown the four adults are currently facing. But these only add up to isolated moments in a largely un-engaging story.


Get the full review from IGN here