Comic Review: Fantastic Four #2

Fantastic Four #2

Marvel Comics

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Sara Pichelli

The return of the Fantastic Four has been nothing short of a marvelous and heartfelt spectacle. Dan Slott and Sara Pichelli’s debut for the Fantastic Four was everything that it needed to be. Now that everyone on Earth knows that the first family is returning, it’s time to pick up the pace.

Fantastic Four #2 takes a step away from Earth and focuses on not only Reed and Sue but also what is left of the Future Foundation. Fans of Hickman or Fraction’s FF runs will find a lot to love in this issue, as Dan Slott brings back all of the children that makes the Future Foundation great. The issue felt lighthearted and fun and was full of small, wonderful moments.  This issue carries the same spirit that the FF stories held, and will likely make fans feel nostalgic. When the Fantastic Four settle back into the Marvel universe, I can only hope that we will see a new FF series.

While the issue was fun, it does lose some momentum during the second half of the story. The introduction of an antagonist was needed, but it led to a lot of weak dialogue and a fight that wasn’t too interesting. If the pacing fails anywhere in this issue, it’s the last few pages. It feels like a few panels were missing, and this issue could have benefitted from a few more pages. Regardless, what Fantastic Four #2 builds up to makes all of it worth it, and it’s likely that the pacing saw some decline due to the rush to reunite the family.

Sara Picheli makes space look great, and Marte Gracia’s colors make it shine. Seriously, this book is gorgeous, and I could look at the creative team’s backgrounds all day. While the panel layouts are simple, they are often effective at progressing the story without a hitch. A few poses and facial expressions are a little shaky, but overall this issue looks excellent.

Fantastic Four #2 is a love letter to FF, and throughout the issue, I couldn’t help but smile. It’s great to see these characters grace Marvel’s pages again. Overall, this issue has some wonderful moments, despite a few hiccups here and there.