Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four #1

In somewhat of an odd way to launch a new title, Fantastic Four #1 only gives us one member of the team and sticks him in a time loop for the entire issue. The Thing and Alicia Masters check-in to a hotel in the small town of Cedar where time resets every morning at 4am. Sticking around to try and figure out what the hell is going on in the oversized first issue the plays on several classic themes including Ben scaring the local populace (as the loop started well before the Four made their first appearance).

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Devil’s Reign #2

Devil’s Reign continues with the heroes on the run (and others already in prison), Spider-Man being lured into a trap at The Daily Bugle to get the crap kicked out of him by Taskmaster, and the Kingpin making threats against Elektra. While Dr. Octopus engineers a way for the Mayor of New York to make use of the Purple Man to win the election, the heroes throw a swerve and decide it’s Luke Cage (instead of Tony Stark) who should run against him for control of the city.

This is your typical middle issue to a series laying foundation for conflict around the corner, suggesting Otto has his own plans for the technology offered him by the Baxter Building, and giving one hero a brutal ass-kicking. While Spidey is out, I don’t see Beyond or other heroes leaving him out to dry (as his identity would likely compromise others). So, who might show up for a save?

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Devil’s Reign #1

Wilson Fisk has declared war on super-heroes. The new mini-series cross-over event gives us a pissed off former Kingpin taking on Daredevil and anyone else he can inflict harm upon as a means of revenge against the guardian of Hell’s Kitchen who he knows, but can’t prove, has messed with his mind. Using super-villains as agents of the law, the Mayor of New York is targeting heroes including Daredevil, Moon Knight, Spider-Man, other Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, and others. 

The idea of villains using politics to attack heroes isn’t a new one (most notably with DC’s Lex Luthor becoming President). By the end of the issue, Fisk has the heroes on the run as even to help pull New Yorkers out of burning buildings makes them a target for Fisk’s goon squad. The team’s solution… Tony Stark for Mayor? Um, okay?

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Marvel Action Classics: Spider-Man Two-In-One #4

Reprinting two previous Spider-Man tales, the first story of Marvel Action Classics: Spider-Man Two-In-One #4 gives us the constantly broke Peter Parker breaking into the Baxter Building with hopes of impressing the Fantastic Four and asking for a job as a way to monetize Spider-Man.

The story features plenty of classic FF foolishness including Johnny Storm pranking the Thing. Meanwhile the Chameleon steals an invention framing Spider-Man for the crime. Although Spidey didn’t get the job offer he wanted, it turns out having the FF as your alibi, and back-up, works pretty well.

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Ghost-Spider #7

Ghost-Spider #7 comic reviewGhost Spider takes a break from both the Miles Warren storyline and Gwen’s sabbatical in the regular Marvel Universe to offer a look at familiar characters whose lives are quite different in Spider-Gwen’s dimension. In Gwen’s world, Johnny Storm and Sue Storm were social media celebrities rather than fantastical heroes. They disappeared four years ago only to show up suddenly when no memories of where they’ve been all this time.

Like her father, and the world, Gwen has questions about what happened to the pair and if their return is also related to some kind of Human Torch who has suddenly appeared in New York. One thing is clear, the pair’s sudden appearance has been noticed by this world’s Reed Rickards who is known as The Thinker.

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