Comics: 9th Jan. 2013

This week is a very Fantastic Four kind of week. Comic timing, I guess. I left the store one comic light though as I was told that a reprint of Hawkeye #3 was out this week but couldn't find one anywhere. I have it on order with one shop so hopefully I'll finally get my hands on the issue to complete my set.


- Fantastic Four Vol. 5 (TPB)

- Written by Jonathan Hickman
- Art by Steve Epting

This is it, the last of Hickman's amazing run on Marvel's first family. Before this series I couldn't connect with the Richards family and friends. I don't know how to explain it other than their adventures weren't interesting to me. Hickman however is one of the best science fiction writers in comics and this tale of time-travel and family blew me away.

If anyone want to read his run I would suggest getting your hands on his S.H.I.E.L.D. and FF series too as they all tie in together in different ways.

The pay-off and ending of this book is worth the time with Galactus making a great contribution as always. If anyone had told me that I'd think Franklin Richards was a bad-ass before I started reading I would have laughed in their face but now I'd just high-five them. So yeah, it's that good.

- Fantastic Four #3

- Written by Matt Fraction
- Art by Mark Bagley

And here we are with the follow up series. I love Matt Fraction as a writer but he doesn't work on all types of books. I haven't decided yet if this is one he's on fire with. I don't like the artist, which may be clouding my judgement but so far nothing is making me excited about this series.

Now, a large part of this problem is Fraction having to carry-on after such a defining run like Hickman's. Hickman wrote a world-ending, all-life-as-we-know-it-revolves-around-this-moment sort of story. Whereas Fraction seems to be building a much more personal and family orientated tale. When you compare the two, the drop in pace tends to be a slight let-down but obviously the book couldn't survive at the break-neck speed it was going previously so I'll ride things out for now and see where Matty takes us. (Spoiler: It's in space)