Allen Christian reviews Fantastic Four #5…
Earlier this year, in Dan Slott’s Fantastic Four #1, fans of Marvel’s First Family were treated to an event 56 years in the making: Ben Grimm’s proposal to Alicia Masters. For those outside of the fandom, looking to possibly ease into Fantastic Four with this all new series that ended a three-year publication hiatus, this note surely fell flat. The issue did not feature a return of the team, and the centerpiece of the return issue played off a love angle that had lost its novelty half a century ago. The message was clear: Slott would writing a book for old fans. As an old fan, I can’t say I was thrilled.
Fantastic Four is a book that is at its best when it innovates. Nostalgia certainly has its place, but leaning too much into it can often spell death for the series, as it fails to engage new readers and often quickly bores the old, many of whom are often more than content to simply reread issues from the glory days when Jack Kirby, John Byrne, or a myriad of other creators were doing whatever that particular reader considers to be the best FF material. Given the various incarnations and directions of the books since 1961, with each new generation of fan having their own favorite flavor, appealing to nostalgia is often a zero-sum game.
All of that said, Slott has managed to appeal to nostalgia in a way that most longtime readers are sure to find charming. Fantastic Four #5 is, in reality, the 650th issue of Fantastic Four, and is an oversized, 72-page special featuring the lead-up to and wedding of Ben and Alicia. There aren’t any very new ideas here, as it isn’t a story that really requires them. We get a retelling of the FF’s origin and the early days of Ben and Alicia’s relationship, with beautiful art by Mike and Laura Allred. We get Ben’s bachelor party, as executed by Johnny Storm, and then we get the wedding. The wedding is a small affair in Arizona, where Ben’s oft spoken-of Aunt Petunia lives. It is, of course, ultimately interrupted by a projection of Doctor Doom across the earth’s atmosphere, warning of yet another coming of Galactus; this time in his home country of Latveria.
The broad strokes are pretty much exactly what you’d expect given the concept. It’s in the execution that the book finds its heart, and therein lies the strength of Slott’s writing. I wasn’t a fan of the last two issues, and I remain unconvinced that Slott is the man for the job of ushering the book into a new era, but for the heart and charm required of an issue like this, his talents are uniquely well suited.
While I didn’t find it necessary to do an entire review for it, this month also saw the release of Fantastic Four Wedding Special #1, a collection of stories leading up to this issue, including one about Alicia’s bachelorette party, written by Gail Simone. It’s charming in much the same way as this, and if you feel this already lengthy issue could use some supplementary material, it’s not a bad comic. It certainly isn’t a necessity, however.
Ultimately, Fantastic Four #5 is a must-read for Fantastic Four fans and offers little for a broader audience. It’s charming and heartfelt, and it gives me hope for the future of Dan Slott’s run, but it isn’t bound to be a classic.
Rating: 7/10
Allen Christian – @FourColorFilm
