Jonathan Hickman // Ryan Stegman
December 2012
****
Hickman condenses his third act into one too-brief ish, couched in a biblical 3rd-person style. Doom has resurrected a dead ‘verse in his image & been unthroned by his own creation. Stegman has a compelling, rough stroke but lacks the psychedelic imagination to draw a tale of comic-book divinity.
last issue: The Fantastic Four #610
continued in The Fantastic Four #1
also indexed for Dec. ’12
FF #23
Jonathan Hickman // Ron Garney
June 2012
*****
The Thing’s hide means he ages slowly—a brilliant idea, which Hickman mines for pathos. Reed, via time machine, sees his pal age into loneliness over 5K years, Garney, a pro even in a sloppy era, draws beautiful (albeit conventional) scifi cityscapes & a phenomenal Ben Grimm, incl. rock-beard!
last issue: The Fantastic Four #604
next issue: The Fantastic Four #605.1
also indexed for Jun. ’12
FF #17
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
Jonathan Hickman // Juan Bobillo
March 2012
*****
Thru chrono-hero Nat Richards, Hickman explains his mag’s cosmology of time. The Kree v. the Annihilation Wave, Galactus v. Celestials: all are inevitable but they can be hastened or delayed. So Dr. Doom, full of Miltonic grandeur, will hold the bridge btw dimensions alone against Kirby Titans!
see also The Fantastic Four #602
last issue: FF #13
next issue: FF #15
also indexed for Mar. ’12
The Fantastic Four #602
Jonathan Hickman // Juan Bobillo
February 2012
*****
A pack of kids, incl. reality-shaper Franklin, face Kirby Gods on an interdimensional space-bridge! But the prime mover is Nat Richards, planning contingencies for potential futures in a Kirbytech harness. Bobillo’s art = elaborate cartooning, yet it has the cosmic grandeur that the tale demands.
see also The Fantastic Four #601
last issue: FF #12
next issue: FF #14
also indexed for Feb. ’12
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #8 of 9
The Fantastic Four #601
Jonathan Hickman // Juan Bobillo
January 2012
****
Hickman’s run goes biweekly; F4 follows the original Four while FF features the Richards children & pals. Val, a delightful schemer, teleports the team’s HQ to Latveria, where she & Grandpa Nat ally w/ Doom & the evil alt-Reed. Bobillo’s art is rough & scratchy but big eyes add a cute feel.
continued from The Fantastic Four #600
last issue: FF #11
next issue: FF #13
also indexed for Jan. ’12
The Fantastic Four #600
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 // Barry Kitson
early December 2011
****
Hick & Kit charge a scene btw Mr & Mrs Richards with a lovely sense of marital intimacy. But their best moment involves the father/son theme of JH’s run, as Nat Richards reaches out to a doppel-Reed whose father he & Doom killed in #582. But JH still misuses Spidey, who just quips in the background.
last issue: FF #9
next issue: FF #11
also indexed for Dec. ’11
FF #11
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 // Barry Kitson
August 2011
****
The prophesied war ignites! First the doppel-Reeds & Mole Man destroy Old Atlantis, then they face the Inhuman space-city at the strange Forever City. And kudos to Kitson: tho’ his Reed is bland, his Thing is expressive &, even rarer, his Sue is a strong presence, matching Hick’s portrayal.
last issue: FF #4
next issue: FF #6
also indexed for Aug. ’11
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #6 of 9
Jonathan Hickman // Barry Kitson
late July 2011
****
Can Sue stop alt-Reed from building a planet-wrecker?! Kitson relieves Epting, an incremental step up in quality since his bright, flat style (akin to C. Swan) mirrors this mag’s optimism. He’s also better at monsters, which means (a) a better Thing, & (b) a great face-off btw Atlanteans & Moloids.
last issue: FF #3
next issue: FF #5
also indexed for Jul. ’11
FF #3
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 // Steve Epting
June 2011
****
The gang helps Doom, suffering from brain damage, with a cerebral software patch. In return, he joins the Foundation! JH continues to surprise w/ twists. Epting may be his strongest regular partner so far, but that grungy photorealism fits poorly w/ the title’s weirder elements—esp. his Ben Grimm.
last issue: FF #1
next issue: FF #3
also indexed for Jun. ’11
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #5 of 9
Jonathan Hickman // Steve Epting
May 2011
****
Effectively #589, but the new title marks a shift to the team post-Johnny. His slot is given to Spider-Man, who fits in better here than on the Avengers—after all, he attempted to join back in ASM #1! The bigger surprise is Doc Doom, who’s been invited to the Future Foundation by goddaughter Val.
continued from The Fantastic Four #588
next issue: FF #2
also indexed for May ’11
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade: Young Avengers #1 of 1
A-story: Jonathan Hickman // Nick Dragotta
B-story: Jonathan Hickman // Mark Brooks
April 2011
A-story: ***** // B-story: ****
Hick finally gets a partner who matches his calibre: Dragotta, who apes Kirby’s dynamic grunts but draws a Sturm-like indie line. Silence signifies mourning as Johnny Storm’s family & friends grieve. It sells the moment w/o sentiment—unlike the B-plot, where Spidey helps Franklin mourn his uncle.
last issue: The Fantastic Four #587
continued in FF #1
Jonathan Hickman // Neil Edwards
October 2010
****
Heavy-breathing fans will enjoy the rare spate of violence that leads off #582. Reed’s dad can’t kill his evil double, so he has young Doom it! But the second half shows why Hickman’s run is A-1. Part of a father-son tale, adult Franklin rescues granddad by kicking him into a wave of spacetime.
last issue: The Fantastic Four #581
next issue: The Fantastic Four #583
Jonathan Hickman // Neil Edwards
Sepember 2010
Another audacious issue from Hickman, who shifts focus to the adult Franklin. He’s part of a family time-team, staging a multiplex plan. Step 2 has Grampa Nathaniel draft college-era Mr F, Thing & Doom (!) to fight double in a deathmatch, a dangling plot from SHIELD, Hick’s occult oddity.
last issue: The Fantastic Four #580
next issue: The Fantastic Four #582
also indexed for Sept. ’10
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #1 of 9
Index Indigo 