Jonathan Hickman // Nick Dragotta
October 2012
*****
The epitome of a Hickman FF issue, w/ smart nonlinear storytelling & epic SF political melodrama. The Kree & Inhumans broker a peace, built upon undoing a space-opera Romeo/Juliet romance! Check how Dragotta not only nails the Kirby costumes, he makes the title team’s b/w costumes look cool!
last issue: FF #20
next issue: FF #22
also indexed for Oct. ’12
The Fantastic Four #609
Jonathan Hickman // Nick Dragotta
September 2012
****
Dragotta shines in the SF opener, where a cityship blasts at a starcruiser. His parallel talent for aliens helps set high expectations for the next phase of Hickman’s FF run: the Inhuman invasion of Earth. In a cute touch, Val & Bentley the Wizard Clone draw a plan up to subjugate the Kree Empire.
last issue: FF #19
next issue: FF #21
also indexed for Sept. ’12
The Fantastic Four #608
Jonathan Hickman // Nick Dragotta
July 2012
*****
Less manic than last ish but equally superb, #18 sees Johnny & the kids learn a lesson in foreign politics. The malevolent bug civ from the Neg Zone requests a free election, then writes votes in for the local Kirby tyrant! You don’t expect Marvel to deliver a sly commentary on American naïvity!
last issue: FF #17
next issue: FF #19
also indexed for Jul. 12
The Fantastic Four #605.1
The Fantastic Four #606
Jonathan Hickman // Nick Dragotta
June 2012
*****
Spider-Man has been underused as a member of FF, a flaw that’s finally rectified by this A+ issue. The creative team write the nerdiest Parker since Ditko’s. Johnny Storm makes a terrible roommate (no surprise), then drags Pete out to party w/ MJ & his alien pals. The final straw is truly hilarious.
last issue: FF #16
next issue: FF #18
also indexed for Jun. ’12
The Fantastic Four #605
Jonathan Hickman // Nick Dragotta & Steve Epting
May 2012
*****
If all of John H’s FF run had Nick D on art, it’d be second only to Kirby/Lee! See a heavenly moment of adult Franklin & Galactus viewing sunrise from orbit. This ish, post-grand finale, centers on Hick’s best char: supersmart toddler Val. Even her adult self mistrusts her! And in a coda, Doom.
continued from The Fantastic Four #604
last issue: FF #15
next issue: FF #17
also indexed for May ’12
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #9 of 9
The Fantastic Four #604
Jonathan Hickman // Steve Epting
May 2012
*****
Hickman closes out his theme of fathers & sons, as Nat & Frank Richards save Reed from mad space-gods. Franklin, in the future, will turn cosmic & take Galactus as his sidekick! Sadly, he’s only given ’90s-style hand-zaps. Maybe #604 itself is only ****, but it’s a perfect climax to an ambitious run.
continued in FF #16
last issue: The Fantastic Four #603
next issue: The Fantastic Four #605
also indexed for May ’12
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #9 of 9
FF #16
A-story: Jonathan Hickman // Steve Epting
B-story: Jonathan Hickman // Carmine Di Giandomenico
C-story: Jonathan Hickman // Ming Doyle
D-story: Jonathan Hickman // Leinil Yu
E-story: Jonathan Hickman // Farel Dalrymple
January 2012
A-story: **** // B-story: ***** // C-story: *****
D-story: **** // E-story: *****
A king-size #600. The A-story picks up the threads of FF, pitting every NYC superhero against a pair of alien invasions; a surprise twist has the late Johnny Storm break the Annihilation Wave! Then Hickman shows that Torch did die in #587, only to be resurrected in a gladiator scenario. That piece has a Euro look that meshes w/ the bug-‘verse setting; like all the back-up pencilers, it puts Epting to shame. Much of the art is “ugly” yet lovely, accentuating how creative JH’s whole run is.
continued from FF #11
continued in FF #12
next issue: The Fantastic Four #601
also indexed for Jan’ 12
FF #12
Jonathan Hickman // Steve Epting
November 2011
****
Epting’s in his element as he draws a massive, chaotic battle btw Inhumans & Moloids. On the field of combat, Hickman’s characters act like chesspieces, as Black Bolt captures a pair of Mr F’s duplicates (& Reed himself) while the fourth Richards takes Dr. Doom hostage & flees to Latveria! Awesome.
last issue: FF #8
next issue: FF #10
also indexed for Nov. ’11
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #7 of 9
Jonathan Hickman // Steve Epting
October 2011
***
Back down to Earth, literally & figuratively, after the cool flashback of #6-7. Epting’s Hollywood realism can’t encompass Hickman’s imagination; it’s just bland, confusing—maybe rushed? Less plot than usual too, as the Future Foundation’s villain-allies fight the Reed-doubles & Inhumans in a melée.
Jonathan Hickman // Steve Epting
July 2011
****
The first symposium of the Future Foundation, hosted by Dr. Doom, asks “How to defeat Mr. Fantastic?” The enemy: the Council of Reeds, trapped on Earth. Various foes pick one side or the other, as the Reeds devise an Earth-shattering gateway home using the fantastical cities of last year’s issues.
last issue: FF #2
next issue: FF #4
also indexed for Jul. ’11
FF #4
Jonathan Hickman // Dale Eaglesham
June 2010
****
The hot girl Johnny met at a nihilistic club bursts open w/ bugs & scurries into the Negative Zone! Then the New Inhumans send warriors into that dimension’s new city, igniting the war prophesied by future Franklin! Meaty plot, but the gravy is the slump in Storm’s shoulders as Reed chews him out.
last issue: The Fantastic Four #577
next issue: The Fantastic Four #579
also indexed for Jun. ’10
Jonathan Hickman // Dale Eaglesham
May 2010
****
An easy test of any FF penciler is his Mr. F; Eaglesham has Reed stretch & arc even when relaxing—good! Hickman, meanwhile, adds another fantastic concept to his run: a new city of Inhumans, engineered from other alien races, awaiting their king’s return to prepare an invasion of Earth.
last issue: The Fantastic Four #576
next issue: The Fantastic Four #578
also indexed for May ’10
Kurt Busiek // Jerry Ordway
January 2001
**
Superheroes stop an alien intelligence from turning Earth into an interstellar bio-electrical WMD. A confusing climax to a conventional crossover, whose potential rarely came into focus. Ordway’s flat art lends the feeling that Max Sec is a ’80s DC tale bloated by minor plots & lapsed characters.
continued from Avengers #35
last issue: Maximum Security #2 of 3
also indexed for Jan. ’01
Avengers #36
Kurt Busiek // Jerry Ordway
December 2000
**
The Reagan-era Captain America holds the line against criminal ET immigrants & uncovers a conspiracy by the great Kirby AI, the Kree Supreme Intelligence. A creative slant on alien invasion, tho’ a bit right-wing by design. Ordway echoes this conservativism, a throwback to dull early ’80s art.
continued in Avengers #35
last issue: Maximum Security #1 of 3
next issue: Maximum Security #3 of 3
also indexed for Dec. ’00
Avengers #35
Kurt Busiek // Jerry Ordway
October 2000
*
W/ this one-shot, Marvel inaugurates its first major crossover since Heroes Reborn. The action has the Surfer & Prof X (w/ his cadre of mutant Skrulls) attack a living planet. The rest of MS: DP is a windy debate in an intergalactic UN on the issue of Earth’s interference in their affairs; a new species manipulates the affair for unknown reasons. Even fans of space opera will find it labored.
continued in Maximum Security #1 of 3
also indexed for Oct. 2000
Thunderbolts #43
Avengers #33
Index Indigo 