By: Alan Davis Publisher: Marvel Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Marvel Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 144 Publication Date: February 20, 2008
Product Description: Alan Davis writes and pencils the final story of Marvel's first family! Even the strongest family can be torn apart by tragedy - and in the futuristic world of tomorrow, the members of the once-Fantastic Four are divided and vulnerable to opponents from their past. What events could have caused the FF to go their separate ways, and how does their disbanding set the stage for a conflict that will send shockwaves across the galaxy and beyond? Collects Fantastic Four: The End #1-6
The End...or a Beginning? I have a soft spot for the so-called "imaginary tales" of the comic book world that occur outside of normal continuity. A good number are well-written and interesting looks at familiar heroes in unfamiliar contexts. "Fantastic Four: The End" is no exception: a great story with outstanding art, both by Alan Davis.
After the mayhem of the Mutant Wars, Earth has become a paradise. Environmentally sound, technologically advanced, and with humanity united it is virtually free of crime and disease. The human race has taken a place among the galaxy's other advanced peoples, such as the Shi'ar, Kree, and Skrull. All this is due to the genius of Reed Richards, leader of the Fantastic Four. However, utopia came with a price: the apparent death of Reed and Sue's two children, Franklin and Valeria, during an apocalyptic battle with Dr. Doom twenty years before.
As we pick up with the FF, we see that they have gone their separate ways. All are still youthful due to Reed's lifespan-extending Methuselah formula, as are many well-known superheroes like Spider-Man and Captain America. Reed has become a recluse on the FF's orbiting station, working day and night on a project to utilize the Negative Zone for instantaneous long-distance space travel. Alicia Masters and the Thing have sired three children and live among the Inhumans. The Human Torch now leads the Avengers as they hunt down the last remaining super villains. And the Invisible Woman has become an archeologist, seeking a powerful mystical artifact that may hold the key to reuniting with her children.
Yes, the Earth is peaceful, healthy, and prosperous - but there are dark forces arrayed against it. Some of the FF's oldest adversaries emerge with plots to destroy them and dominate the Earth. Alien races believe that the Earth is a threat, specifically due to the advances created by Reed, and human enemies enter into treasonous alliances with hostile aliens to put our planet in its place. As good and evil forces gather for a final titanic confrontation, the Watcher struggles with his oath of non-interference. In "The End," Reed Richards will be forced make a momentous choice between faith and logic. What will be the final fate of the FF and the planet Earth?
Well True Believer, I don't want to reveal any more, so if you want to know you'll have to buy "Fantastic Four: The End." Alan Davis is one of my favorite artists (in my opinion he draws the most beautiful superwomen), and he's also written a fine tale worthy of the storied Fantastic Four. Recommended for FF fans and comic buffs.
Great read Though some might say this is a typical Fantastic Four story, i.e. the ultimate defeat the the team is the break up of the family first, but it really hits so many great marks you can't miss this. First off is the amazing future we see when Mr. Fantastic's genius is finally implemented, and the "end" story here really shows why the fantastic four is so great. Family first. The art is also amazing, don't miss this one.
Alan Davis is becoming too predictable I think I've figured out Alan Davis' modus operandi when it comes to writing and illustrating comics: "come up with a quickie plot that enables me to draw every character I can think of." He did it with JLA: THE NAIL and JLA: ANOTHER NAIL, and now comes FANTASTIC FOUR: THE END.
I was already approaching this story with caution because it is one of Marvel's "The End" titles. Most of these stories are not truly "the end" of the featured characters, and the Fantastic Four's entry is even less so. The story is set in the far future, where the solar system reaps the benefits of Reed Richards' Utopian vision. The secret of aging has been unlocked, so almost everyone, hero or villain, still looks just as young as they always have and goes about their regular routine. As a result, this story feels like nothing more than a standard FF adventure. Sure, Ben and Alicia Grimm and their children live on Mars... sure, John(ny) Storm is now an Avenger... but in the grand scheme of things, it's still status quo in this future Marvel Universe. No one seems to have experienced any real changes over the years - well, maybe Iron Man, but that's about it.
Just from reading the first chapter of this six-part story, I correctly guessed the conclusion, and that's when you know something is wrong. I guess Alan Davis has just settled for predictable story elements. It unfolds into a slow confusing mess, to the point that it was a real chore to reach the end of the story. Davis' art is another matter: stunningly beautiful work that depicts the characters of the MU at their best. In fact, I could stand for Davis to spend less time on his amazing artwork and more on his storycrafting.
Hopefully Not the End... This is just one possible "end" for the Fantastic Four. Originally a six issue limited series, Alan Davis's story is collected here as a beautiful hardcover edition. Is it worthy of the "premiere hardcover" treatment?
Yes and no. The artwork is fantastic--something that Alan Davis fans have known for years since his "Excalibur" work for Marvel. Sue Storm, pushing fifty in this story, has never looked better--she's still comics' hottest soccer mom. And this story has every major FF villain that a fanboy could want: Galactus, the Moleman, Annilihus, the Super Skrull, Krees, and, of course, Dr. Doom. As for the FF, Reed and Sue are split, Johnny leads the Avengers, and Ben Grimm finally finds solace as a human (maybe...).
There are just too many characters and plot threads to follow. Someone new is attacking every other page, so we never really get to sit down with any of the FF. Could every single one of the FF's villains coincidentally attack at the same time? I was hoping that all of the threads would somehow tie together at the end, but, alas, they don't.
Alan Davis does it right with the Fantastic Four's final exploits In recent years, Marvel Comics has put out several stories under the THE END banner, stories which aren't officially within the Marvel universe's mainstream continuity but which, nevertheless, purport to chronicle the last days of various superheroes. The Punisher, Wolverine, the Hulk, and the X-Men received the THE END treatment and are mostly downers. Then came FANTASTIC FOUR: THE END, the most upbeat of these stories so far. In six issues, it tells the final adventure of Marvel's first and premiere superhero family. As written and artistically rendered by talented Brit Alan Davis (with invaluable help from long time collaborator and inker Mark Farmer), FANTASTIC FOUR: THE END is an exciting, galaxy hopping epic which kept me awake and feverishly reading to the very end.
SPOILERS alert: Set in the future, times have changed for the world and for the Fantastic Four. One final battle with Dr. Doom resulted in a tragic loss for the close-knit superhero family, for which Reed Richards claimed personal blame. The Fantastic Four disbanded and each member went his and her separate way. Ben Grimm, the ever lovin' Thing, moved to Mars with Alicia Masters on a terra-forming mission and began his own family; Ben has given up crime fighting and he's pretty content. Johnny Storm joined the space hopping Avengers and became their leader. Susan Richards, who had become somehow obsessed with archaeology, spends all her time gallivanting from one dig to another, but in search of what? It's been a long time since she's spent quality time with her husband. And Reed Richards?
Some more background re this future universe: In the aftermath of the cataclysmic Mutant Wars, which devastated humanity, Reed Richard's technology gave the people hope and, in fact, it is Reed's technology which eventually ushered in a new era of prosperity for mankind. Mr. Fantastic had invented the Methuselah Treatment, which cures diseases and retards aging. Too, he has brought Earth official status within the galactic community. It's now the best of times for humans as Earth has become someting very Utopian. However, nowadays, the most brilliant mind on Earth is off Earth, living a hermitlike existence in his asteroid space station, preoccupied with his experiments and drawing further and further away from friends and family. Folks have become concerned with Reed's mental health caused by his prolonged isolation. Accordingly, ex-attorney Jen Walters (She-Hulk), now a therapist, visits his asteroid to give him counsel. It is, naturally, at this point that the smelly stuff hits the wind machine.
There's always someone not content with paradise. Earth's solar system has been quarantined, which serves to keep out the Skrulls, the Kree, the Shi'ar, and other grumpy Marvel space aliens. When mysterious insurgents commit acts of sabotage within the solar system, John Storm and the Avengers proceed to investigate. Meanwhile, Susan Richards, intent on her own quest, ends up on the bottom of the ocean, and then even deeper. These two disparate events would eventually involve the biggest stars and most galactic of heavy hitters in the Marvel universe and also reunite the scattered members of the Fantastic Four for one last grand adventure.
Alan Davis doesn't stint on the grandiose space opera, trust me. The scale of the story is indeed immense, encompassing sentient cosmic forces and marauding space armadas. It features the return of classic foes (yes, the most dangerous ones), and stages massive, let's-save-the-world battles. Guest stars? The pages are rife with 'em! And you won't believe who ultimately saves the day (or, actually, if you read the series, you might get a notion). This series also debuts *drum roll* the Bug Squad.
At the heart of the galaxy spanning intrigue are the estranged members of the Fantastic Four. Alan Davis, as capable a writer as he is an artist, does a good thing by not ignoring the personalizing human elements within the intricate space opera. Ultimately, no matter how epic the story, the reader derives the most satisfaction from the littler stuff, namely a focusing on the characters. Davis shows that, in the end, these four people might have been away from each other for who knows how long, but when they get together, it's still about family. The climactic sequences in issue #6 prove once and for all that this fantastic quartet is truly about family as they become more immersed in Susan's doings than in the nearby world-in-peril tussle, occuring simultaneously (I really can't be more specific than that, without blowing the ending).
Naturally, Davis throws in a few curves. For example, it's nice to see Johnny, now called John, step up and be so effective and decisive as the Avengers leader. Nice to see Ben so happy, having finally settled down and with three beautiful children (one of whom, a daughter, is named Yancy!). It's ironic, though, that, having finally achieved the ability to change at will from human to rock, Ben discovers that the Martian populace tends to hold the Thing in high regard while belittling his human form.
But it is Reed and Susan's marriage which is the most affected here, and negatively. If I could mention two things which bugged me, one would be that Reed doesn't get to do a lot in this story and, for the majority of the pages, acts too befuddled for my taste. I realize the circumstances, but this isn't the Reed I know. My second nag is that the reconciliation between Reed and Susan was given short thrift. Otherwise, I was blown away by this limited series. So it's not a surprise that I'm recommending FANTASTIC FOUR: THE END, for its big, big storytelling scope, but grounded with a humanizing touch, and for its scintillating artwork (this man Alan Davis, he can draw). I must say that this one is very deserving of the mainstream F.F. comic's erstwhile boast of being "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine."
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
