FF #11

The Team
Writer Matt Fraction Artist Mike Allred

Matt Fraction dropped a bombshell on readers when he announced that he was leaving both FF and Fantastic Four last week. With FF in such an incredible state of pure fun, it is hard to imagine anyone else taking over the title. Fortunately the familiar pen of Lee Allred is going to be featured on the narrative. With three members of the Allred family in charge of the book, it is hard to see the quality dipping in the slightest. Fortunately this is the last installment of Fraction, so the effects of him leaving the story will not be felt quite yet. This series has done a great job pulling on the continuity of the older stories, and presenting them in an incredibly clever and refreshing way. The last entry of the storyline broke the fourth wall and featured Fraction and Allred in the title. Some fans were upset that the creators appeared including me, however after digging in the back catalogue of some of the earlier Fantastic Four issues it seems to be a staple of the title. Tradition is something that has plagued the Fantastic Four for better or worse, yet the Future Foundation is moving the franchise in a completely new direction, separating the series entirely from what Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had created. There has never been a more creatively fertile time for the series than right now.

This comic above all else proves how fun and exciting that comics can be. A simple story about the Impossible Man is twisted into something more complex than anybody could have imagined. It is also the most interesting turn of events that could have happened here. The FF are trying to track down the first family with wildly strange results, this could be considered by most to actually be a filler issue. You would be hard pressed to find another filler story jam packed with this many crazy ideas anywhere else in comics. The humor in this comic remains sharp as can possibly be, there were moments in this issue where many will laugh out loud. The strange scenes with Maximus were also incredibly interesting and seemed to steal this book of its best moments.

A lot of people read this comic book for one specific thing, the art of Michael Allred. For me he had to the impossible, make me understand and appreciate his insane artwork. Over the course of the first issue everything snapped into place, finally I could get why the industry has been holding the artist in such high regard. He is also taking care of staying on one specific title, this helps me identify his art with one specific franchise more carefully. It is a big problem across the pond at DC right now with artists leaping back and forth polarizing the fans. The clean line work and strangely retro inspired surroundings amount to a good time. Fans of his will get a kick out of the Impossible town, and what exactly it means for the FF.

This issue was very exciting and featured some adept humor and ideas from writer Matt Fraction. The art was once again firing on all cylinders featuring some weird, but interesting cityscapes. Marvel fans should be embracing this series for what it offers to the modern franchise and the older continuity.