Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Sean Izaakse
Colorist: Nolan Woodard
what’s it about?
Marvel’s First Family, the Fantastic Four, overcame adversity, acquired amazing superhuman abilities, and became America’s darlings throughout the 1960s. Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards, emerged from the 1960s a changed man. The cosmic rays that bombarded him, his wife Sue Storm, now the mother of his child, her brother Johnny Storm, and friend Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, allowed Reed a keener sense of introspection. He is continuously haunted by what he saw in his cosmic quest. Something is coming for Earth. Something has reawakened. That something is Galactus and Galactus hungers. Now, in the 1970s, without any tangible roof, Reed must convince askeptical public that the entire planet is in imminent danger. Will Reed be able to do it in time or is the Earth doomed?
The Good
Let’s start with the art. Every single panel in the entire book pops right off the page. Sue Storm takes center stage in this issue as she emerges from the shadow of her genius and obsessed husband. Sue proves she is more than a wife, more han a mother, she is a hero that millions look up to and are inspired by. Black Panther, Captain America, and Namor quickly recognize what Reed cannot: that Sue’s genius and humanity make her the perfect hero. Her strife is perfectly encapsulated in Mark Russell’s narration and dialogue.
The Bad
Whereas Life Story #1 combines the 1960s and the fictitious Fantastic Four seamlessly, Life Story #2, while set in the 1970s, bares little-to-no connection to the decade itself barring a few panels sporadically throughout the issue. It was the link between fiction and history that made me connect with the first book. I love cameos and guest appearances but this issue felt as if Russell were trying to cram every major supporting Fantastic Four character from the last six decades into a single issue without much development.
About the Author: Tom Tormey
Related Posts
TRENDING
TRENDING now
