I'd initially planned to change the format of what I wrote here. Never really having the time to commit to all the things I'm currently working on (this blog, my reviews at Pipedream Comics, my personal writing projects, etc), I had planned to make this blog a weekly thing where by I talk about all the comics I read in that week.
However, literally a few hours after the last post (which coincidentally focused predominantly on the FF), I found myself eager to pick up and read the newest issue of Fantastic Four after the last four got me appropriately re-hooked on the run. However, by doing this, I found the issue had left me with a lot of thoughts in my head about what it contained. Therefore, rather than wait a week, I figured scrape a few minutes here and there throughout the day after and just cobble together a short something just to get these thoughts out of my head.
So, Fantastic Four #32 sees the Grimm family double date with Johnnu and Sky by attending an event dedicated to Latverian works of art. However, it's not a good night for Johnny as ex-wife Lyra crashes the event while Doom's right hand, Victorious, runs security (which is put to the test when the night is attacked).
This was an issue which, in my mind, was good. I actually found myself enjoying the turmoil of Johnny Storm's love life as he dealt with the love triangle made up of his ex-wife, his current soul mate, his ex-girlfriend (who briefly appears but isn't really a big factor) and Vicotrious (so a love hexagon?). Unfortunately, what stopped me from really liking this issue was how it ended for Johnny, with actions which seem totally out of character. Not to discredit the character or anything, the resolution did make sense to me given the apparent emotional turmoil Johnny had been going through from the beginning of the issue. However, I felt it really did him a disservice given his run long arc and wondered if there could have been a better way to end it.
That said, it does make me think that this is all a catalyst for the departure from the series of Sky and Victorious (the latter I wont miss given how superfluous she feels like. Surely Doom himself could have filled her role ... well, almost).
Speaking of departures, I was sad to see Lyra leave the book so soon after returning. I'm not a particular fan of the character given her past actions, but I had hoped for more to come from her return than five minutes of chaos followed by a quick shuffle off stage. That said, the why intrigued me less than the how as we saw Alicia Masters pull off some more subtle manipulation to make it happen. This is the second time we've seen this with the character through Slott's run and, while I doubt he would do such a thing with a character tied so closely to Ben Grimm, I am wondering if this is the beginning of some villainous turn, maybe even to the point of controlling some flame related character in other actions (although that's maybe wishful thinking).
Finally, there was the seemingly bonus story of Reed and Doom's chess/sword match for a favour. I enjoyed this little tale, as we got to see them battle in two different methods at the same time and it was certainly in keeping with how Doom would make such a request towards Reed, although would it have killed him to just to ask. What bugged me though is that while I always enjoy seeing the pair's college dynamic, it made me feel that the pair have never played chess when, I'm reality, (I'm pretty sure) they play every year on Doom's mother's birthday (though I haven't gone back to check this so feel free to correct me).
The artwork meanwhile still has me in love. R.B. Silva, like Izaakse and Medina before him, still have some of my favourite comic styles around. I especially like the final reveal scene, which he made to look very dreamlike to start with, as though it wasn't somehow real (maybe we'll get lucky and find it wasn't). Meanwhile Javier Rodriguez's work on the back up story was a little jarring to beginning with, but I got used to it and actually enjoyed its Allred-esque look, thinking it worked nicely (particularly for the flashback scenes).
I did really enjoy this issue and am getting concerned that the quality might actually start becoming consistent after the last four issues. However, as I said, the ending to this issue and how it paints Johnny, while maybe not as disliked by me as by other, still doesn't sit right with me and has me hoping it'll end up being a feint.
In the meantime though, I'm intrigued about so much of what is set up here and look froward to seeing it be revealed.
Along with Sue maybe because where the hell was she here??
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