January Marvel Previews |
The Last Fantastic Four Story
writer: Stan Lee
penciller: John Romita, jr.
inker: Scott Hanna
Review by Brian Grindrod
rating: 7 stars out of 10
How fitting and proper that a story whose theme is about the final Fantastic Four saga be written by one of the creators who launched the franchise. Stan Lee has nothing to prove to the comic book industry so when he takes the time to script a tale about one of our modern mythical gods, it is an event that arouses curiosity, excitement and nostalgia.
For the past decade, I have been completely dumbfounded by comic book covers that lack stimulation or fail to generate any curiosity in the reader or casual observer. John Romits Jr's cover to The Last Fantastic Four Story is such an example of the blandness that adorns the shelves and racks of comic book shops nowadays. I am sure that some effort and inspiration could have been generated by the artistic team to produce a cover that yells to the potential buyer; ‘Buy me! Buy me! I’m awesome!’
Fortunately, the dull, dreary cover is not a reflection of what awaits the reader. Stan Lee’s script contains the integrity and essence of The Fantastic Four that made it the household icon during the Silver Age. This one-shot also features a cast of characters consisting of the Silver Surfer, the Watcher, Galactus as well as many of the popular super-heroes that Stan Lee co-created. Stan Lee’s classic depiction with the over-the-top exploits of these heroes is certainly a wake-up call to today’s writers who disguise their hollow plot lines with excessive violence and severe portrayals of characters that make it difficult to separate the good guys from the bad guys. Do not delude yourself; this is your model super-hero yarn that makes the comic book reader temporarily escape their reality. If you are hoping for a gloomy interpretation of the Fantastic Four à la Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen, you need to get your head examined because this is not and never will be Stan Lee’s writing style.
I am extremely disappointed that editor Tom Brevoort settled on John Romita, Jr, to pencil this comic. The angular styling does not do justice to a script that is filled with action and grandiose designs. Romita’s technique is totally incompatible with the swashbuckling scenes and the expressionless faces take all the drama from Stan Lee’s story. An artist such as Jose Ladronn (whose styling can be quite Kirby-esque) or John Byrne (who revived the Fantastic Four series in the 1980s) should have been persuaded to draw Stan Lee’s script. The editorial team dropped the ball on this one.
The Last Fantastic Four Story is a fitting end and a fine companion piece to the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby series. It is yesterday once more and I loved every minute of it.
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