It's bizarre to see the Avengers battling Sue Storm after all their history and shared adventures, but in general this issue is effective in piling on the despair and further maneuvering the team to their breaking point. Read Full Review

The Bottom Line: Hopefully, this issue marks the turning point for this latest story arc, as more and more we can read about the pay-offs and not the set-ups. There are a few things that seem genuinely new, such as an ethical dilemma regarding Dragon Man and seeing the kids in action by themselves, but I can't help but feel that everything else is still pretty much regressive– Johnny's trouble with fame and the Thing's trouble with woe-is-me. Read Full Review

All in all, while I like the concept of a super-team driven to their lowest point, this issue (and the seven before it) are taking their own sweet time in getting things together, and the introduction this issue of John Eden immediately put my suspicions on him as the mysterious hand behind The Wizard, and the man driving this initiative to bring down the first family. Fantastic Four #8 isn't a bad comic book, and writer Robinson does have a lot of character beats that are successful (especially in the fact that Reed & Sue aren't turning on one another, instead pulling together as a family unit), but the plotting is just too methodical for my tastes. Read Full Review

Then Robinson reveals the new status quo for the title, which is a divisive period on three not very original fronts: evil rich mad scientist, super-prison, and American idol wannabees. While it's nice that there's such a clear plan, Reed and Sue at least seem to accept their reduced status with too much aplomb. Read Full Review

Robinson is a writer that plays a long game, but with the dark a path he is taking with the Fantastic Four, the light at the end is going to have to be incredibly bright to get past the depressing state in which the characters now find themselves. Read Full Review

So my final thought is, can we please get to the point? Read Full Review