The Fantastic Four # 554 - Mobile Edition

Marvel Comics
The Fantastic Four # 554
By Hervé St-Louis
March 25, 2008 - 09:05

Writer(s): Mark Millar
Penciller(s): Bryan Hitch
Inker(s): Paul Neary
Colourist(s): Paul Mounts
Cover Artist(s): Bryan Hitch

This is a new direction for the Fantastic Four with the team of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch reinterpreting Marvel Comics’ greatest team. There’s a new caper with an old flame of Reed Richards’, recruiting him for a special mission. Then, there’s a new love affair for the Thing, a new charity-oriented super team for the Invisible Woman, a new reality television show for Johnny Storm, the Human Torch.

Although the Fantastic Four hardly need any introduction, Millar takes great care to introduce readers to the team, introduce their dynamics, their personalities and a potential main storyline for the months to come. This approach by a new creative team is an old comic book publishing trick but I doubt this one will be lasting or memorable. It all starts with ideals and no real crisis in sight, but there is the nagging feeling that when all is said and done, that the creators will put back all the toys in the box and nothing will have changed.

Hitch reinforces the feeling. He’s notorious for breaking deadlines. Unless he has a great amount of work done ahead of time on this story, he may end up frustrating readers by not delivering his end of the bargain. As nice as his work is, I know I should not get too attached to this series. He will eventually let us down again and skip a due date.