The Good
Sue and Reed's marriage has seen its ups and downs. Like any marriage between any couple, they have had their moments where they have not seen eye to eye, or felt that withholding some very important information was the best thing to do if it meant protecting the ones they love. The last we saw Reed and Sue, things had begun to fall apart and Sue discovered that Reed was indeed hiding something from her. Sue's reaction over the big news is something that needed to be really rather profound, and it was. The story trickled into this issue from the last one in a way that was really rather interesting and it felt real. Putting yourself in Sues shoes for a moment, every bit of her dialogue here makes sense and it was nice to see. We also see Sue go through a range of emotions: she is initially very upset at Reed for his actions, and then she very clearly forgives him tries to coax him. It's a great moment about halfway through the issue and it really captures just how much these two characters care for one another.
We've been used to seeing the Fantastic Four traveling through space (and sometimes, through time, but mostly space) over the last few years. Fraction, however, has taken upon himself to bring these characters through history, introducing them to Julius Ceasar and taking them back to Rome, 44BCE. This is very different from the stories we have gotten used to reading starring the Fantastic Four, but it's also sort of a welcome change. So why history, and does Fraction really deviate from the elements that make the FANTASTIC FOUR such an interesting read? Not at all. Fraction instead combines historical elements with sci-fi, and if you read this issue you will see just how he manages to pull it off effortlessly.
This issue isn't all talk, though, either; we get plenty of action and excitement here as well, so if you're looking for a massive fight between an out of control oversized monster and the Thing, then look no further than this issue.
Fraction concludes this issue with a very interesting turn of events, and a scene that will definitely pique your interest and leave you wanting more.
The Bad
I think the only thing I did not really enjoy here was the way that the issue took a very crazy turn when certain characters are captured. The pacing of the story speeds up a bit too much, and it feels like there were certain moments that were crammed into the story that could have been fleshed out a bit more.
The Verdict
Overall, I think this is a great series and this was a solid issue. Mark Bagley delivers some really lovely art in this comic and the story takes a very interesting and exciting turn, which was great to see. Fraction melds history and science fiction together in a way that is interesting and compelling, and the result is a story that will leave you wanting more. The relationships between characters feels grounded and real, and that's something that is definitely necessary when writing about this tight knit group of characters. The story is written in a way that is pretty accessible, so if you haven't been reading you should be able to start here without any difficulties.
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