Fantastic Four: Franklin Richards - Lab Brat (Paperback)

by Chris Eliopoulos (Author, Artist), Marc Sumerak (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Move over, Mr. Fantastic - Marvel's First Family has a brand-new star! Franklin Richards finally hits the big time with this collection of all four critically acclaimed Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius one-shots! Join Franklin and his robot pal H.E.R.B.I.E. as they head into Reed's lab for all kinds of fantastic fun, amazing adventures and more trouble than you can shake an Ultimate Nullifier at! This compilation is bound to bring out the kid in every reader! Collects Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius - Everybody Loves Franklin, Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius - Super Summer Spectacular, Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius - Happy Thanksgiving and Masked Marvel #1-2.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Comics (March 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785123229
• ISBN-13: 978-0785123224
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #434,340 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #60 in

  Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Characters > Fantastic Four

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Imagine "Calvin & Hobbes"-lite in Marvel U, May 12, 2007

By	Tony C. Hsieh (San Ramon, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's style and its (mis)adventures of Franklin Richards, son of Reed and Sue Richards of the Fantasic Four, and his real exasperated robotic protector/baby sitter, H.E.R.B.I.E.

With his parents and two uncles off saving the universe or resting, Franklin has a lot of free time to explore ways of getting out of his chores or other children constraints.

Being a bright kid (he is the son of super-genius), he resorts to his family's vast assets of super-science to bend the rules. H.E.R.B.I.E. usually is an unwilling participant but is compelled by his programming to obey. The 2-3 page stories tend to end with Franklin learning his lesson but unsurprisingly, he doesn't remember the lesson in the next story.

I am a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes and, though this is not in the same level of that masterpiece, it is fun for folks steeped in Marvel lore and a fun way for dads to introduce a kid-safe comic to their sons (and daughters if they're interested).

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Franklin is no Calvin, for sure, April 23, 2007

By	Tom Knapp "Rambles.NET editor" (Lancaster, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When he's not flitting through time or demonstrating vast, world-changing powers, Franklin Richards is a silent backdrop to the Fantastic Four. He's Franklin Richards, son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, and he's frankly too young to be of much interest to readers.

That changed when someone was inspired to transmogrify the young, blond-haired boy into a Marvel Comics version of the famous pre-teen terror Calvin, of the sadly defunct comic strip Calvin & Hobbes. Playing the role of Hobbes, Calvin's sometimes-stuffed, sometimes-real tiger companion, is H.E.R.B.I.E., Franklin's high-strung robo-nanny.

The potential for humor is great but is largely untapped. Each brief yarn involves Franklin availing himself of some dangerous invention -- apparently the Richards family has never bothered to child-proof their home -- and panicking when something goes drastically wrong. Hijinks ensue.

Franklin is no Calvin, but he could learn a few things from Calvin's often cerebral, always imaginative approach to the world around him. Instead, writers Chris Eliopoulos and Marc Sumerak plot simple action/reaction stories that never delve beyond the most basic level of surface humor. For example, one vignette involves Franklin shrinking down to the size of an insect -- and ending up a booger in his father's nose. It's worth a chuckle, but little more. I think they can do better.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(n e t) editor

5.0 out of 5 stars Really fun - great for little kids!!, May 3, 2009

By	Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

These "Franklin Richards" books are a real hoot. Transforming Reed & Sue's often-bland son into a budding juvenile deliquent, these stories are full of gleeful mayhem as young Franklin (drawn and scripted very much in the style of the awesome comic strip "Calvin & Hobbes") keeps raiding his dad's super-science lab in search of some gizmo that'll either help him with his homework or maybe just keep from being bored. He is pursued by his robotic nanny, H.E.R.B.I.E., who clucks and fusses ineffectually as Franklin shrinks himself, alters reality, de-evolves his classmates at school or disrupts the space-time continuum (again!). The comedic beats are perfect, the artwork and stories are really fun and -- best of all -- it's one of precious few mainstream comics today that is actually okay for really young readers to get into. My kid loves it! A very fun series... highly recommended! (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)