Secrets are revealed, reunions are had and everything comes together nicely in this enjoyable fourth issue of the Fantastic Four. Read Full Review

Fantastic Four #4 delivers exactly what it says in the synopsis. Readers will get to see the event that temporarily broke up the Fantastic Four, why it did, and how it relates to the present mystery with the Ben Grimm like dome. The story really balances out the past and present day stories as they parallel each other well. Not to mention Iban Coello's art with Jesus Aburtov's colors really shine through in this comic in both the dynamic action and the emotional scenes with the heroes. Overall, it's a great Fantastic Four comic that accomplishes a lot in just one issue and will leave readers wanting to see what the next story the creative team tells with the FF. Read Full Review

After much prologue it feels like the Fantastic Four have finally returned in fine fighting form and the future of this new volume holds tremendous promise. Read Full Review

Fantastic Four #4 answers the big question about the incident in Manhattan that forced the FF apart. Unfortunately, the answer is treated as a throwaway flashback that won't lead to anything other than more FF adventures on the road. Read Full Review

The art's solid and the pace rolls along pretty well. The characters' interactions might not be deep or novel, but they're earnest and believable. And big props to this series for resolving its "six months earlier" mystery in a timely fashion (big side-eye toward ASM here).

But the parallel mysteries resolved here--what happened to the Baxter Building and what happened to the Grimms--don't hit equally. The first gets some excellent "next steps" evolution to make it powerful. The second doesn't, and that omission weakens both premises.

It's a good Fantastic Four yarn, well-crafted and entertaining. But I don't think it's headed for any GOAT lists.

Little note, though: I do love how casually the FF use their powers, with the author trusting the artist to make the readers understand.
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This comic is full of wonderful ideas and beautiful art and feels fresh and inspired in how North & Coello look at the characters while staying grounded and human among the strange chaos in the way the best FF stories do.

But the impact is ultimately blunted by the "what did Reed do?" narrative structure of this first arc that forces the problem and the solution together at the end, leaving no time to fully connect with Ben & Alicia's justified anger and grieving process before they forgive Reed. The details are wonderful — Reed's unsettling eye stretching embraces the surreal weirdness that has always made the FF such a pleasure, and the page of Ben & Alicia's response to Reed's decision is powerful — but it winds up feeling less than the sum of its fantastic parts.

Still, even if the liftoff has been a little wobbly, I've found North & Coello's take on the FF compelling and I remain excited for the next story. more

It is interesting enough. There is an actual plot with well written dialogues. Art solid and a desire to see what's next.

I like the concept of why the FF is hated, but it feels like they should have drawn out the tension more between Thing and Reed. It just seemed to be resolved so quickly.

A bit feeble.

I'm not buying any of this story. Reed was able to send eight hands into the Baxter Bldg to create and program the device without seeing what he was doing -- yet he couldn't have pulled the kids through the window? It just doesn't make any sense. It seems completely contrived just so the plot of the kids not being around could happen. Why is that important in a Fantastic Four book? They are about family, but they are also about exploration and maintaining the safety of our planet. Now, everyone hates them. Another deconstruction story for no reason whatsoever. Kind of disappointing.