Dan Slott's execution to the numerous ideas in this book were just off. They all have potential, they all looked really cool. They just needed to actually settle into the story long enough to actually be something. Maybe the fact that this book is monthly is hurting it from being apart of the hype I almost forgot this book was still being published. With bigger things happening and other voices being louder, Fantastic Four continues to be the kid alone in the back of the bus.

Skottie Young shouldn't attempt to make this book Harry Potter (comic book version). But he should be more invested on the character development and relationships that could be taking place in the classes of the Strange Academy. That will always be something I want from this book. But Young captured the moment in this issue. This is what I want from new characters, show me why I should care for them.

It seems like every odd number issue is a good enough read to not want to pull my hair out. Slott is relying too much on the past 26 issues to push a story forward. After the Fantastic Four deal with Perpetua, I mean Knull, excuse me, Griever. . . they're all starting to look the same. I hope we can look forward and jump into more stories that Slott has set up rather than mingle around smaller fillers.

Cantwell has failed to tell a coherent story throughout four issues. Telling the story about the man without the money and armor is just something we dont need. Im reading Iron Man, I want Iron Man. I want the armor, the money, the snark. Fun aspects of Tony Starks Iron Man. Cantwell seems to be incapable of creating that story.

The ending has me curious on what will happen next, if I get a Doctor Strange movie reference in the next issue I may role my eyes because I know exactly where they may go if it does happen. I understand Young is in control of a lot of characters at the moment but there's got to be a way to show these children actually attending the Academy. If not, this series may be just be a trade wait for me.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Cantwell needs to stick with Iron Man, it's not great, but it's at least a little better than this. This issue from cover to cover was not fun. If you're a fan of old school horror comics or current indie horror, you may enjoy the art, but you're not going to enjoy the story. Because it just doesn't make any sense.

Dan Slott chose to wrap everything up at just the wrong spot. Most of these plot points deserve their undivided attention and could have been better paid off in a send off mini series or annual. I hope Slott has some kind of redemption arc for Franklin because as a character that has been put on the sidelines for being too strong and now not strong enough just really hurts the reasoning for him even being in this series at all. Slott left a lot of unanswered questions at the end of issue twenty five and I hope we get them soon.

I'm less interested in Tony's ego and privilege, and more interested in the story of the villains attacking Iron Man, Tony learning a few life lessons along the way is great, but I want to read an Iron Man comic so that Tony Stark can be Iron Man. I want the tech, I want maybe a new variant of the suit, but most of all I want a good story.

We are nearing the end of the first volume of this story and I'm already willing to check out with no regrets, Skottie Young has sprinkled some bread crumbs for our characters to follow in regards to the administration of the Academy which I would love to explore, but Skottie Young just doesn't seem to like the Strange Academy that he created.

I can't morally wish unemployment on another human being during a worldwide pandemic, so I won't. But I can hope to everything within Marvel's power that this book just disappears after the next issue. This was just a really really bad read from the very first panel to the last.

Scottie Young has the right recipe, all the right ingredients, it's just a matter of working on how long he takes cooking. I want to see more teacher/student interaction and teaching as well as relationships forming throughout our main cast of characters. There's so much Young has left for between the panels that I feel like I have missed something already. And also, why is it is so easy to get into the Sanctum Sanctorum these days?

This series should have been helmed by Kyle Higgins and The Natural should have had similar ties to RJ from the most recent Winter Soldier mini series, at least at that point we can have some grounds from which these characters can stand on rather than attempt to make them larger than life and immediate hits for readers.

This is nearly a perfect issue. If it weren't for the McGuffin I think it may have made the cut for a perfect issue.

If Christopher Cantwell wants to take this "Tom King" type of story telling for a character like Tony Stark he needs to quickly move away from whatever he is doing now and shift before it's too late. Readers of this generation can only take so much set up for so long, with little "one-offs" that do nothing for the story or character, this Iron Man series will be dead in the water by issue six.

Johnny Storm and Bobby Drake are fan favorites, and many will enjoy this issue as a one-shot that pits the two heroes in a “playful” way. One-shots should be left for annuals, and although this is an “annuals week” in comics, putting this story in the main series didn't progress anything with the ongoing characters or resolve any ongoing issues with the current story.

Final Thoughts: Although the realization that Jr could be a good fit as a Winter Soldier sidekick, it doesn't change the fact that almost nothing happened in this issue other than some nostalgic fan service and a semi-big reveal for the next issue, which I hope actually progresses the story more. If this series gets more than 6 issues Bucky and Sam need to have the conversation about their veteran-ship and PTSD with no interruptions, it would put weight on the issue and it would be worth it for the character development.

I've been told Cantwell has written a great Dr. Doom. I have confidence that Cantwell can turn Iron Man into a title that is worth picking up every month, but it definitely needs to be better than this issue.

Just once I'd like Franklin to flip a table, snap his fingers, and have everything resolved in one to two pages. Is that a cop out? Probably, but it would be better than reading twenty pages of nonsense. Franklin is a power house and if he's going to be used to do nothing, I'd much rather him not be in a book. At this point I am on the mutants side, let him go to Krakoa. OR give this title to another writer, maybe they might have something better for the Fantastic Four.

With the final installment of this story being “Empyre Avengers Aftermath” it's safe to say this story may not have been worth the read in conjunction with the Empyre solo title. And should have been on the chopping block when Marvel decided to cut down the number of tie-ins for the event.

Final Thoughts: An event tie-in should give you perspective on what happens outside the main story, which is what Zub is doing, it's just unfortunately not entertaining. It's okay, and even possible, to have a crazy, fun, exciting, and major plot points in a tie-in to create a reason for its existence. Empyre Avengers needs that hook otherwise, there's no reason to pick this title up. This story is okay, and I like the art, but an Avengers title needs to be more than just okay.

The Kree & Skrulls have united to defeat a common enemy, the Cotati. As they wage war on planet Earth, it is apparent that casualties of war, human or otherwise, are non-important to the Kree or Skrull. Thus Earth's Mightiest Heroes are here, to do less than nothing in what Marvel is calling their Phase One of this ridiculously long event.

:I want to chop this unfortunate series finale to poor choices of Marvel, and all the fans that always yell for a Hawkeye book that didn't pick this book up. Matthew Rosenberg has a story in here but was forced to finish it in six issues. If Marvel wasn't afraid to let a book go for longer than six issues, writers including Matthew Rosenberg would be able to flesh out the story and prove they have what it takes to make underrated heroes into bigger stars.

Ghost-Spider has/had potential, given where Seanan McGuire started this series and how the new series was pitched, Gwen should have made a permanent move to Earth 616 to attend college, made new friends and deal with her angry thoughts towards the new C.R.A.D.L.E. law. We may never see that story, but let's be honest with ourselves, Ghost-Spider will most likely be rebooted soon, and given a a seventh shot with another writer.

This issue was entertaining, and I expect the next issue (the final issue) to be entertaining as well. I don't expect it to be mind-blowing. A brawl between the hero and villain, the hero wins, but not really. At least that's what I'm expecting. Oh, and the character at the end? Yeah not dead, calling it now.

Although this issue doesn't push the overall story forward, we get a nice glimpse at Dr. Strange's relationship with the hospital and a history lesson for Anthony Ludgate, the once Avenger, Druid.

Derek Landy is in control of two of the biggest stars of Marvel currently. If done well this can be an on-going series I'm ready to buckle in for. These two characters can't, unfortunately, seem to get a break on their own for a story, so it's nice to see a Marvel Team-Up that I'm actually excited about. And also, can Dan Mora please get an annual issue out of all this?

Ben Grimm, The Thing, his life is hard enough having to live with the fact that he will never really be human again, but now he's suffering from a recurring nightmare. Or is has he always been living it?

Dr. Strange the Surgeon Supreme sounds like a cool name, something I'm sure Mark Waid probably pitched jokingly before Marvel gave him the go-ahead. Being a surgeon is a big part of Stephan's origin story, and throughout the years Dr. Strange has found some way to go back to his profession, but it just doesn't scream "ongoing series". The fact that Dr. Strange can use techniques and think like a surgeon is situations is far more intriguing than him actually being in a hospital being a "surgeon".

Taking this book for what it is, a fun book that can be serious when it wants to be. It is worth still reading until Rosenberg completely loses me. But I can't say that will be any time soon. Since I can't judge this book by what I think may or may not happen in the next issue, Rosenberg still has my money.

I may have high standards for a one-shot, but with ten additional pages I think Leah Williams could have fleshed out a little more of this story to make it coherent enough to answer the questions I had, but still appreciating it when a second issue eventually arrives and I'm wanting more.