The FF are on trial for, EVERYTHING!
Last FF review. Writer James Robinson, artist Leonard Kirk, inkers Rick Magyar and Jay Leisten, and colorist Jesus Aburtov [with a bunch of guest artist] join Marvel's first family on trial!
The Good
Basically in this issue, the Fantastic Four face a lot of accusations in this issue! Because of the alien invasion that happened a couple of issues ago, and how the Fantastic Four couldn't really contain it, the FF are in big trouble with the people of Manhattan. This issue obviously sets the stage for bigger events to come from this story arc, however it also acts as a good jumping on point for newer readers.
So writer James Robinson did a pretty good job with this issue. While the trial of the Fantastic Four was part of the problem, it was also part of what made this issue good. The story is really simple, yet it would appeal more to newer readers of the Fantastic Four series. Robinson crammed at least 20-30 years worth of FF history into a 26 paged comic book, only hitting the really important aspects, of the Fantastic Four's history. So it was very interesting to see how James Robinson did that and getting a retelling of past events.
However, that alone didn't make this issue enjoyable. Instead, it was the bonding of the Fantastic Four and how they reacted to the situation. I like how they all had their opinions or justifications for doing what they did, but how in the end; they knew the accusations were true. They are a bit reckless, however they do tend to make everything right in the end. Susan losing the children [the Future Foundation] solely because of these horrible events from her and the FF's past is really cool to witness. I get to see [as a reader] how she doesn't necessarily like these changes in her life, but how she's doing her best to not cause even more problems for her and the team. In short, James Robinson handled the personalities and the stories of the FF quite nicely and made them feel a bit more human.
There was a TON of artist on this issue! All did a pretty amazing job at recreating past Fantastic Four events and making it look like the 80s and 90s. It was really cool to see and it made reading this giant trial issue a bit more bearable.
The Bad
The problem I had with this issue, is that it relied, heavily, on past FF events. While it was a well written story that had the FF on trial for their alleged crimes, that was also the problem. The story had to utilize a bunch of old lore from the FF's history to compile a case against the first family. When a superhero is held in a court of law, the reason behind the story has never, EVER, really interested me. I mean they are superheroes for crying out loud! Things are going to hit the fan and property is going to get destroyed. So seeing the FF basically have to deal with all their problems from over the last 20-30 years is quite annoying. To summarize, superheroes [like the Fantastic Four] shouldn't have to be held entirely accountable for their actions. And if they do have to go to a court of law, at least make the story more engaging and don't throw JUST FACTS at [me] the reader! Cause I do not find this, THAT, engaging.
The Verdict
haha, "verdict", too funny. Cause it's a court case, and there's a "verdict".... Ah nevermind. Anyway, I recommend this FF series solely because it's interesting. I mean seeing the FF's world being torn down right in front of their eyes, is not something that hasn't been done. However, James Robinson is making it exciting [enough] that you'll want to see how this story ends. Of course it has it's share of problems, but that doesn't stop this series [or issue] from still being enjoyable. 3 out of 5. NEXT ISSUE!