FF #3

"Old John Storm"
written by Matt Fraction
art by Michael Allred
colors by Laura Allred

Time changes people, and traumatic experiences in distant space + time changes people into nearly unrecognizable puppets of their former selves.  Johnny Storm has returned, not evil perhaps, but certainly odd.  Still finely cut and well-fitted for his superhero uniform, but ravaged by battle, missing his left leg, arm and eye, and with shockingly white hair and an achy back.  And he's got a tale to tell of the death of the other three at the hands of an alliance between Fantastic Four nemesis Victor Von Doom, Kang the Conqueror, and an Annihilus.  As with any lone, barely familiar survivor, the replacement FF are somewhat suspicious of his story, but after subjecting him to as many tests of identity as they can, John Storm passes.  Now, what to do?

As ever, Scott Lang's parenting instincts are spot on.  The Moloids—Mik, Korr, Turg, and Tong—are apparently at the root of last issue's Mole Man attack, for the purpose of helping the new FF coalesce as a team.  Maybe?  In exchange for his help, they provide him with a starheart, which, really, just can't be good.

Meanwhile, Lang attempts to bring Darla Deering, pop star, back into the FF fold.  Sneaking into a flower he sends with a message, he begins increasingly to understand that, however well-meaning, it's a little creepy to watch a woman in a towel cry about a note you send with flowers.  "Invasive" might be the word.  To her credit, when he's forced to reveal himself to save her from an explosive prank by internet paparazzi in Thing masks, she ignores the creepiness for the good intentions.  The subsequent chase is the most exciting and funny episode in the issue.  Lang's size transformation page is a nod to old-style comics action, and his seemingly endless chase down the stairs until they run into elevator-hopping Darla's door is highly kinetic.  Even their almost-kiss, on New Year's Eve under all the confetti as they move in, entirely subverts the awkward reader expectation—since Darla is, of course, dating Johnny Storm—with Lang's entirely un-romantic proclamation:  "We're going to end Doom" (FF #3: 20).

[March 2013]