D decided to try out four Fantastic Four books, which I purchased for him today and then read just because I could (yeah, he's ok with me reading the books). So here's some FF reviews from someone who has never really read FF before.
Marvel Knights 4 #8: Are Watchers allowed to smirk? Not a bad little story. I like Namor in a general way, and having him pop in on Sue like that was pretty cool. I'm not sure about the rest though. Just how many kids do they have? The subplot with Johnny was a little different. It would be nice to see him truly humbled though. It's like the words got in but didn't make an impact on him. Still an impatient young man after all these years? In any case, mildly recommended. 
Fantastic Four #87/516: Without the recap I would have been completely lost. Even with the recap I wasn't entirely sure what was going on. I guess it was just fate that I should read a Marvel book featuring Hydro-Man. Slightly over-complicated to jump into as a new reader, but I can see some potential there. Mildly recommended.
Marvel Age Fantastic Four #5: Way too silly for me. I know it's supposed to be a kid's book, but do stories written for children always have to talk down to them? On the other hand, it was sort of cute. The artwork fit the style well, and although the story was almost painful to read in it's silliness, it did evoke some of the feel of the Silver Age. As with the others, mildly recommended.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #9: This one I liked. Go figure. The completely new and different origin story as recapped at the beginning of the book makes more sense to me than the good old space one. Having younger characters is nice and works in this context. And the tale managed to focus on all four of the main characters in turn, emphasizing the strengths of each one. Very nicely done. And I like the art more than the other books. I could get into this book. Recommended. 
Still to review: Aquaman, Bloodhound, DC Comics Presents Flash, Green Arrow, Identity Crisis, JSA, JLA, and Powers.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Rapid Reviews - 11 August 2004 - Part I
