Fantastic Four #522

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
March 2005
****

Aside from the Reed/von Doom arcs, this run has focused almost entirely on Johnny—to character-defining effect. Here at its climax, the kid uses his heraldic power of cosmic insight to stop Galactus itself! #522 does dabble in Big G’s backstory, but the action sequence btw him & the team is golden.

last issue: Fantastic Four #521
next issue: Fantastic Four #523

also indexed for Mar. ’05
Astonishing X-Men #9
Daredevil #69
Iron Man #3
The Pulse #7

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Fantastic Four #521

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
February 2005
*****

Aside from a gag opening, #521 is Human Torch, solo! He’s been zapped by Reed & then Big G, and now has the cosmic power to “see the unseen”(?). I can’t overpraise Waid’s Johnny Storm. It’s quintessential characterization, close to a Tom Sawyer, embodying heroic adolescence as a classic American type.

last issue: Fantastic Four #520
next issue: Fantastic Four #522

also indexed for Feb. ’05
Astonishing X-Men #8
Daredevil #68
Iron Man #2

Fantastic Four #520

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
January 2005
****

Part of a lark of an arc. Last ish, the Storm sibs swapped powers to save Sue from aliens. Now Galactus himself has anointed da Invisible Kid as his new herald! Tho’ he shafts Sue, I love Waid’s Johnny Storm, here seen wandering G’s ship & fighting a planet’s champion w/ cosmic forcefields.

last issue: Fantastic Four #519
next issue: Fantastic Four #521

also indexed for Jan. ’05
Astonishing X-Men #7
Daredevil #67
Iron Man #1
The Pulse #6

Fantastic Four #519

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
December 2004
****

The team stops alien invaders from hurling NYC into the sun! Back to basics, as they say, w/ expert creators showing why the FF are such fun. Sadly, Sue does get deployed as the ol’ damsel in distress, saved by Mr F’s widget. It swaps her powers w/ Johnny’s—a fun variant on the loss-of-powers trope.

last issue: Fantastic Four #518
next issue: Fantastic Four #520

also indexed for Dec. ’04
Astonishing X-Men #6
Daredevil #66

Fantastic Four #518

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
November 2004
****

Aliens have targeted Sue, the only thing in the universe that could penetrate their cloaking device. In a cool twist, they’re refugees who use the inviso-shield to protect planets from Galactus. Ringo draws A-1 monsters, but flubs an interstellar sequence by drawing dull planets, not cosmic psychedelia.

last issue: Fantastic Four #517
next issue: Fantastic Four #519

also indexed for Nov. ’04
Astonishing X-Men #5
Daredevil #64
Daredevil #65
The Pulse #5

Fantastic Four #517

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
October 2004
****

When mile-high pylons embed themselves in NYC bedrock, it looks like a job for the Fantastic Four! Waid’s FF has its flaws (mainly in its metaphysics), but when it’s executing classical superheroics it’s keen. Wieringo builds the scope & threat thru panel size & pacing while avoiding widescreen realism.

last issue: Fantastic Four #516
next issue: Fantastic Four #518

also indexed for Oct. ’04
Astonishing X-Men #4
Daredevil #63
Secret War #3 of 5

Fantastic Four #516

Mark Waid with Karl Kesel // Paco Medina
September 2004
**

Editors & fill-in artists have fumbled Waid’s FF as badly as they did Morrison’s recent X-run. Medina’s staging doesn’t just interfere w/ the script (a superhero lark against the Frightful Four). It reveals new flaws, like fight scenes that cycle thru several 1-on-1 duels that pause when off-camera.

last issue: Fantastic Four #515
next issue: Fantastic Four #517

also indexed for Sept. ’04
Astonishing X-Men #3
Daredevil #62
The Pulse #4
Thanos #12

Fantastic Four #515

Mark Waid with Karl Kesel // Paco Medina
August 2004
**

A new iteration of the Frightful 4 now mirrors the FF’s family dynamic—a warped image, as the Wizard conscripts an Asian ex-wife & love child. Their powers & personalities get obscured by Medina’s style (’90s American super-manga), which he does w/o much range or subtlety of emotion.

last issue: Fantastic Four #514
next issue: Fantastic Four #516

also indexed for Aug. ’04
Astonishing X-Men #2
Daredevil #61
Thanos #11

Fantastic Four #514

Mark Waid with Karl Kesel // Paco Medina
late July 2004
***

The unexpected focus on Johnny continues: his coffee date is an unsure accomplice of the Frightful Four. Yet another penciller, a hack in the dated Maduriera vein. The earnest style & bad backgrounds don’t sell Waid’s somewhat generic supervillain rants & heart-to-heart beats of unbuttoned emo.

last issue: Fantastic Four #513
next issue: Fantastic Four #515

also indexed for Jul. ’04
Astonishing X-Men #1
Daredevil #60
Fantastic Four #513
The Pulse #3
Secret War #2 of 5
Thanos #10

Fantastic Four #513

A-story: Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
B-story: Mark Waid // Paul Smith
early July 2004
A-story: ***
B-story: ***

Spidey/Torch hijinks recalls the Silver Age years of rivalry (Waid shows a Lee influence, not a Kirby one). Ringo heightens this by homaging Ditko’s Sandman w/ a D-list aqua-baddie. In the back-up, Paul Smith draws bombshell bods for Sue’s catfight w/ one of Reed’s exes, a tomb raider-type adventurer.

last issue: Fantastic Four #512
next issue: Fantastic Four #514

also indexed for Jul. ’04
Astonishing X-Men #1
Daredevil #60
Fantastic Four #514
The Pulse #3
Secret War #2 of 5
Thanos #10

Fantastic Four #512

A-story: Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
B-story: Mark Waid // Paul Smith
June 2004
A-story: ****
B-story: ***

Hard-luck Johnny seeks advice from Spider-Man at a waterpark, in a superhero version of Friends or a Hollywood bromance. Cool—the run’s high point so far has been Waid’s early focus on Johnny Storm, maybe the trickiest of the four to write well. And hey, a three-page marriage gag for a back-up!

last issue: Fantastic Four #511
next issue: Fantastic Four #513

also indexed for Jun. ’04
Daredevil #59
Thanos #9

Fantastic Four #511

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
May 2004
***

The explorers of heaven are invited to meet their maker, Jack Kirby. Waid lays the schmaltz on thick. It’s odd & a bit phony, since his M.O. on this mag isn’t very Kirby-esque. Waid’s more interested in emotional adversity than anything. Wieringo’s individual style, however, is its own homage to the king.

last issue: Fantastic Four #510
next issue: Fantastic Four #512

also indexed for May ’04
Daredevil #58
New X-Men #154
The Pulse #2
Thanos #7
Thanos #8

Fantastic Four #510

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
April 2004
*****

To save Ben Grimm, Reed launches his team into Heaven itself (imagined beautifully by Wieringo as a psyche-scape of surreal imagery). It’s a surprise to take FF in that cosmic direction—Waid isn’t exactly Dante, or even Alan Moore—but given the centrality of Hell to Marvel & his run, it’s kosher.

last issue: Fantastic Four #509
next issue: Fantastic Four #511

also indexed for Apr. ’04
Daredevil #57
New X-Men #153
The Pulse #1
Secret War #1 of 5

Fantastic Four #509

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
March 2004
****

The mag still has its dark edge, thankfully dulled by Wieringo’s return. The team’s split, Reed’s brooding, & Johnny hallucinates Ben for company. A game of phone tag mobilizes the Fantastic Three for a rescue mission—to heaven! The Kirbytech is vintage: Doom’s flawed machine from college!

last issue: Fantastic Four #508
next issue: Fantastic Four #510

also indexed for Mar. ’04
Daredevil #56
New X-Men #151
New X-Men #152

Fantastic Four #508

Mark Waid // Howard Porter
February 2004
**

Doc Doom psychically hops from hero to hero, forcing Mr. Fantastic to blast & kill the Thing. Sadly, in this arc Waid mirrors the ultraviolent sensationalism of ’90s super-comics, which he’d once refuted in Kingdom Come. The melee isn’t even memorable, due to Porter’s erratic, sometimes obscure art.

last issue: Fantastic Four #507
next issue: Fantastic Four #509

also indexed for Feb. ’04
Daredevil #55
New X-Men #150

Fantastic Four #507

Mark Waid // Howard Porter
late January 2004
***

Mr F renegotiates his eternal stalemate w/ Dr D by imprisoning them together in a locked dimension. Waid’s given the hero a clenched-jaw gloom that, like the art, is a depressing throwback to ’90s comics; similarly, Doom’s escape (a telepathic takeover of Sue) is extremely, tiresomely violent.

last issue: Fantastic Four #506
next issue: Fantastic Four #508

also indexed for Jan. ’04
Alias #28
Daredevil #54
Fantastic Four #506
New X-Men #149

Fantastic Four #506

Mark Waid // Howard Porter
early January 2004
***

A coalition of UN forces are about to invade Latveria to oust Mr F. I’m wary of this characterization of Reed R as manipulative—both politically and emotionally. Also, Waid jettisons his Iraq allegory, which has been one of Marvel’s strongest views on geopolitics since Busiek’s Avengers.

last issue: Fantastic Four #505
next issue: Fantastic Four #507

also indexed for Jan. ’04
Alias #28
Daredevil #54
Fantastic Four #507
New X-Men #149

Fantastic Four #505

Mark Waid // Howard Porter
late December 2003
****

The Richards use parental fear-mongering to justify their unilateral adventurism to a dubious Grimm. The latter is H. Porter’s strongest art element, having internalized the lessons of his scratchy school of ’90s superhero comics, w/ bad expressions, static panels, & problematic layouts.

last issue: Fantastic Four #504
next issue: Fantastic Four #506

also indexed for Dec. ’03
Alias #27
Avengers/JLA #4 of 4
Daredevil #53
Fantastic Four #504
New X-Men #148

Fantastic Four #504

Mark Waid // Howard Porter
early December 2003
*****

The mag (double-shipping all winter!) acts as a forum for Mark Waid to air his thoughts on the ’03 invasion of Iraq. The FF opens the torture chambers of Latveria as its citizens protest his regime in Doom masks. The allegory falls apart on a telling issue: Reed uncovers WMDs, tho Bush never did.

last issue: Fantastic Four #503
next issue: Fantastic Four #505

also indexed for Dec. ’03
Alias #27
Avengers/JLA #4 of 4
Daredevil #53
Fantastic Four #505
New X-Men #148

Fantastic Four #503

Mark Waid // Howard Porter
late November 2003
*****

Even Porter can’t hold Waid back this ish. Reed decides the team should assume control of Latveria, now leaderless & threatened by Hungarian annexation! The parallels w/ the invasion of Iraq are striking—tho’ Reed’s already doing better, securing Doom’s invaluable equipment from potential looters.

last issue: Fantastic Four #502
next issue: Fantastic Four #504

also indexed for Nov. ’03
Alias #26
JLA/Avengers #3 of 4
Daredevil #51
Daredevil #52
Fantastic Four #502
New X-Men #146
New X-Men #147

Fantastic Four #502

Mark Waid // Casey Jones
early November 2003
***

This arc’s core is a speech by Ben to his nephew: not “your family will keep you safe” but an admission that tragedy may strike from the blue. It’s got a touch of maturity under a pretty treacly delivery. Ringo takes 5 (again); C. Jones presents a similar manga-eyed, cartoon style w/o flair.

last issue: Fantastic Four #501
next issue: Fantastic Four #503

also indexed for No. ’03
Alias #26
Daredevil #51
Daredevil #52
Fantastic Four #503
JLA/Avengers #3 of 4
New X-Men #146
New X-Men #147

Fantastic Four #501

Mark Waid // Casey Jones
October 2003
****

Franklin has gone catatonic after his trip to hell, while his pop sulks in the dark. It’s a Claremont-like beat, to take an issue or two after a costly victory to deal with scars literal & figurative. Note that Waid tasks Johnny to deal with his bro-in-law’s funk, again nailing the character’s voice.

last issue: Fantastic Four #500
next issue: Fantastic Four #502

also indexed for Oct. ’03
Alias #25
Avengers/JLA #2 of 4
Daredevil #50
New X-Men #145

Fantastic Four #500

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
September 2003
*****

An extra-long ish, given a false sheen by ‘unbooting’ the issue #. Tutored by Dr S, Mr F outwits Dr D by learning humility. He admits magic is beyond him & that he’s outclassed by both men, whereas Doom disrespects his demonic allies & gets dragged to hell! It’s an intense take on Doom that eschews nuance—he muses whose skin to wear on his mystic armor—that plays off the cartoon art.

last issue: Fantastic Four #70
next issue: Fantastic Four #501

also indexed for Sept. ’03
Alias #24
Daredevil #49
JLA/Avengers #1 of 4
New X-Men #144

Fantastic Four #70

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
August 2003
****

Waid’s got a very dark take on the quintessential super-villain. His Dr. Doom has no aristo code, he’s an amoral megalomaniac whose Faustian deal gives him victory in his vendetta w/ Mr F. Are his scenes of triumph ill-served by the Disney-like art or does its clash of tones make for starker relief?

last issue: Fantastic Four #69
next issue: Fantastic Four #71

also indexed for Aug. ’03
Alias #23
Daredevil #48
New X-Men #142
New X-Men #143

Fantastic Four #69

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
July 2003
****

Indebted to Claremont’s X-style (& much stronger than CC’s recent FF), Waid sends his science-heroes crashing to the ground, outclassed by Doc Doom’s sorcery. Ben argues that magic makes Reed feel inferior—a nice insight in a strong scene. But mostly, #69 give the adventure a real sense of stakes.

last issue: Fantastic Four #68
next issue: Fantastic Four #70

also indexed for Jul. ’03
Alias #22
Daredevil #47
New X-Men #141

Fantastic Four #68

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
June 2003
****

Valeria says her first word: “Doom”! The Doc attacks the family thru the baby, having bound her to himself w/ arcane spells at her birth. I’m not sold yet on Waid’s focus on magic for the arch-villain, although the trait is well-established. Or maybe I preferred the earlier issues’ lighter tone.

last issue: Fantastic Four #67
next issue: Fantastic Four #69

also indexed for Jun. ’03
Alias #21
Daredevil #46
New X-Men #139
New X-Men #140

Fantastic Four #67

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
May 2003
****

Dr. Doom hunts for his onetime GF, a gypsy who cut contact when he chose science (& a Western education) over the occult. Now he corrects that choice by sacrificing her to demons to gain mojo! Wieringo’s ebullient style shows its limits here, bringing little horror to a tale of Faustian villainy.

last issue: Fantastic Four #66
next issue: Fantastic Four #68

also indexed for May ’03
Alias #20
Daredevil #45
New X-Men #138

Fantastic Four #66

Mark Waid // Mark Buckingham
April 2003
*****

In this light, spritely two-parter, the Storm sibs stop a mad-science chain reaction. Waid nails Johnny’s char, a difficult feat, by casting him as a corporate douche who’s quick on his toes. Buckingham has near-perfect comic delivery, only missing the slapstick potential of a supersized Thing.

last issue: Fantastic Four #65
next issue: Fantastic Four #67

also indexed for Apr. ’03
Alias #19
Daredevil #43
Daredevil #44
New X-Men #137

Fantastic Four #65

Mark Waid // Mark Buckingham
March 2003
*****

Baxter Building shenanigans as a midget-sized Thing hunts extra-dimensional roaches in the airducts. Even better is Torch on the corporate end, out-sharking a corrupt clothier & FF Inc. VPs on a fabric deal for unstable molecules. Buckingham proves an animated sub for Wieringo, w/ a mod simplicity.

last issue: Fantastic Four #64
next issue: Fantastic Four #66

also indexed for Mar. ’03
Alias #18
Daredevil #41
Daredevil #42
New X-Men #136

Fantastic Four #64

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
February 2003
****

Mr. Fantastic is often central to a great FF run, esp. on the artist’s side. Wieringo’s Stretcho is a marvel (no surprise, given his talent for body language), w/ a balloon-like body. Waid has the super-inventor face a data-based doppelgänger who wants to kill the family, esp. neglected son Franklin.

last issue: Fantastic Four #63
next issue: Fantastic Four #65

also indexed for Feb. ’03
Alias #17
Daredevil #40
New X-Men #135

Fantastic Four #63

Mark Waid // Mike Wieringo
January 2003
****

Reed’s latest gadget—a tablet (in ’03, a “PDA”) w/ infinite memory—lets loose a being of sentient data. A formulaic FF plot, but Waid nails each hero’s voice. And MW’s art is enchanting! The flat cartooning style is as close to Disney comics or Archie as it is to the superhero tradition or to manga.

last issue: Fantastic Four #62
next issue: Fantastic Four #64

also indexed for Jan. ’03
Alias #16
Daredevil #39
New X-Men #134