Volume 31: Fantastic Four: Authoritative Action

Fantastic Four: Authoritative Action

Author: Mark Waid  |  Illustrators: Howard Porter / Norm Rapmund

"But let's not do th' right thing the wrong way–"

Note: Even though this post is dated just a few days after the previous one (Volume 30), in reality about three months have passed since I read both books. That's not usually a problem because my method is to write and schedule for later, except I forgot to write Part Two until now. Doh! Consequently, I've probably forgotten much of what I wanted to say, but I'll do the best that I can. :/

It becomes clear that the clean-up process after a tyrant is defeated doesn't stop when the villain is out of the picture; and that the change in control affects not just the new powers but also the citizens for whom the previous rule had become their way of life, for good or ill. Change can be difficult even when it seems to be favourable.

Doctor Doom's parting gift to Reed weighs heavily on the stretchy hero's soul; he's more short-tempered, less jovial. When the balance that exists between Reed the man and Reed the superhero is thrown out of sync, when the man is deeply troubled by feelings that are difficult to shake once they surface, then the whole package suffers.

It births dangerous questions: How far would you go to keep your family safe? Would you stop at preventing actual threats, or attempt to justify moving further afield to extinguish potential threats? What would you do to the world? What would you do to yourself? Those kinds of tough questions are what make the book most memorable.

Also of note is seeing how the remainder of the team deal with the difficult change in their leader. It's all well and good to say that as family we should support one another through thick and thin, but there's a line of acceptability that must be acknowledged, and it's one that may be placed differently for each individual.

I wasn't a fan of the real-world political references, the inconsistency in the art was distracting, and I'm not sure how I feel about the book's final chapter, but overall it's another strong Fantastic Four book that will remain in my collection.

The book collects together Fantastic Four #503-511.

Verdict:

Volume 30: Fantastic Four: Unthinkable

Fantastic Four: Unthinkable

Author: Mark Waid  |  Illustrators: Mike Wieringo / Casey Jones

"Have we discussed Newton's third law?"

Love is a hell of thing. It can hold even the vilest and most power-hungry individual in its steadfast grip, and it's the most common form of glue that binds a selfless family unit together. Both of those things are an integral part of a good FF story. The kinds of love that are manifested are as different as magic and science - except, if you frame it correctly, magic and science aren't really that different at all.

It begins with Victor Von Doom having a very human moment, something that on any other day he would more than likely see as a weakness to be exploited, something to help him gain the upper-hand. As Doom moves from place to place, revealing just a small portion of his story each time, only we as readers get the picture complete. It fills the first included issue and it's amazing! The Fantastic Four don't even feature in the conventional sense.

Of course, they do appear eventually, and even though the balance between the Four is well-considered it's Reed's emotional state that I was most aware of. He's a super-genius when it comes to science and technology, able to apply the scientific method even with his eyes closed, but when it comes to parenting he's at the mercy of hope and luck just as much as the next man, aware that good intentions don't always translate into good decisions. The memory of his past failure never goes away, influencing his every action. In some ways it makes him a better father, but in other ways it traps a little piece of him and prevents it from moving forward.

The scenarios that the team are exposed to and forced to bring to a conclusion are just as bonkers as the shit-storms that the X-Men get into, but the love that has been established as existing between the Four does a much better job at making all the weird stuff less overpowering than Xavier's squad can manage. That the FF's adventures are often part soap opera doesn't change the fact that it's a process better able to highlight what's important.

The book collects together Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #67-70 and Fantastic Four #500-502.

Verdict: