The Terrifics #1

It's been a while since I've written on here, despite my wish to post a little more regularly (ironically, the last time I did post was when I vowed to do just that).

However, while my head has been somewhat empty with anything I really want to talk about and time has been limited to simply non-comics life and Pipedream reviewing specifically, this last week or so has seen a couple of things crop up which I've really wanted to talk about and air my views on; Star Trek: Discovery and The Terrifics #1.

(Note: while I will try and avoid spoilers this isn't a review, just my thoughts, so I can't guarantee that. You've been warned!!)

So, first up of these two subjects I figured should be the Terrifics, though why I'm not quite sure (I guess just on a whim). The Terrifics #1 has been something I've been looking forward to since it was announced last July based on it's quite obvious (and almost constant) comparisons to the Fantastic Four as well as the visually interesting, albeit underused characters of Metamorpho, Plastic Man and (to some extent) Mr Terrific.

Therefore, if Marvel aren't willing to offer an FF book for me, then I'm more than happy to try a similar title from across the street.



Regardless of the rest of the book,
this cover sure lives up to the books
 name. Photo from Comixology.

Unfortunately, despite having read it through three times since I picked it up, I found myself really struggling to enjoy this issue, though I'm also struggling to figure out the why.

This first issue basically saw the forming of the team in a way as Mr Terrific goes to investigate a disturbance (taking Plastic Man with him) and encountering Metamorpho before being sucked into another dimension, where the three come face to face with Phantom Girl. Though the issue ends on something of a cliffhanger, what I've just said pretty much explains the story of this issue.
And this, I think is the problem. While I know as well as anyone that all new series need a degree of exposition and foundation to get the ball rolling, I think that The Terrifics' premier was focusing on the wrong aspects of both.

From the get go, the issue feels like it's trying to rush to get to a certain point by the end, with Mr Terrific steaming towards the problem at hand, barely focusing on recent upheaval to his life which is mentioned but not elaborated on. Then when we reach the focus of the first arc, not enough information is given again, and again, AND again.

Now some of these events, such as the opening predicaments of Metamorpho and Plastic Man (as well as Mr Terrific in that case) seems to be related, either directly or indirectly, to the recent Metal event which explains why they are glossed over. However, I do think that taking just a little bit more time even offer a little bit more information about the characters would have made it far more engrossing and connect me to these characters better. Like I said, though, it instead feels like the characters are just steamrolling to get where they need to go before the issue ends.

At this point, I feel like I'm really dumping on this issue and I don't want to be. It's not a bad issue by any means, as Ivan Reis' art is absolutely gorgeous and he pulls off the look of the individual Terrifics wonderfully (not to mention that body). Also, I absolutely love the already set dynamic between Metamorpho and Plastic Man which, despite it admittedly seeming a little too Thing/Human Torch, really connects with me as good fun (probably due my ever present love for all things Fantastic Four). However, something about it (most likely the issues mentioned) just keep me from thinking it's anything more than an ok comic.

In truth, maybe I just have had bad fortune when reading it. Maybe it read like it was over too quick because I now have a life where I have to read it at breakneck speed, so my reality has affected this fiction. However, I'm not sure re-reading it a fourth time will remedy that. That said, the first arc is only three issues long and, while I've not read much of Jeff Lemire's work, I get so many recommendations about his other stuff that, along with the good things I found, I'm happy to pick up two more issues and see if the whole (arc) is greater than the sum of this part.

I do hope that is the case too because, whether it's a Fantastic Four copy or its own beast, I really want the Terrifics to stay on my pull list and not be an ok comic, but be a terrific one!