Customer Reviews

Ultimate Fantastic Four, Vol. 5: Crossover

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the better Ultimate Fantastic Four collections. Greg Land's art works well with the team, and the writing is great. This collection introduces us to Namor, who thanks to a little Ultimate tinkering is back to being a badass again. It also has a really cool story about a parallel universe in which all of the heroes have been infected by a virus that pretty much makes them zombies. The story involves them trying to get to the Ultimate universe to start the plague there. All in all, this was an enjoyable read.

I feel a little guilty about admitting this, but I derive so much more enjoyment from the ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR series than I do from the mainstream Marvel Universe version. The Ultimate concept of rehashing the comic book venerables into fresher, more exciting reincarnations is, frankly, more appealing. And, yes indeedy, the ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR, VOLUME 5: CROSSOVER trade paperback is yet another awesome exercise in freshness and excitement.

This collection reprints ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #21-26, which includes two awesome story arcs. The first story arc consists of young Reed Richards's harrowing adventures as he foolishly ends up in an alternate universe in which all the resident super-heroes have been zombified and "food" has run out. This story arc is what gave rise to the very popular MARVEL ZOMBIES mini-series. But, here, young Reed runs afoul of an older, more powerful version of himself, as well as horrifically altered versions of Sue, Ben, and Johnny. With the zombie Richards being uncontrollably ravenous for flesh, and twice as old as young Reed, being, therefore, "almost certainly ten times as smart," is there any doubt that it's only a matter of time before he has his way with the more naive Mr. Fantastic and gains entry to a new universe filled with bipedal snacks? The second storyline deals with the return of a member of the Storm family long thought dead and the debut of Ultimate Namor, resurrected from hibernation after thousands of years, who is initially believed to be an enlightened Atlantean monarch but turns out to be...not.

The vibe and energy exuding from these pages are palpable. This TPB is certainly rife with epic encounters. Writer Mark Millar treats his audience with more cool ideas, neat twists, and fun facts (for example, we learn that, with his power of malleability, Reed's elastic brain causes him to grow ever more intelligent as he can literally "warp" his mind around a problem). The zombie universe has rapidly become a fan favorite, while the advent of the not-so-noble Ultimate Namor was only a matter of time. Certainly, the old classics are touched on again: a rather abrupt face-off between the Thing and Hulk (who, here, is the "hungriest of all"), as well as the destructive donnybrook between Sub-Mariner and the Fantastic Four fondly recall to mind the original encounters as enlivened by Stan Lee and "King" Kirby. And lest folks forget that this Ultimate version of Susan Storm is nearly as brilliant as Mr. Fantastic, Millar offers several scenes which demonstrates the fact. Susan Storm proves yet again that, in this universe, she, not Reed Richards, is the born leader and, certainly, she can be the most forthright and aggresive personality of the bunch.

Phenomenal artist Greg Land begins his 12-issue run here with "Crossover" and later ends it, aptly enough, with the "Frightful" story arc. Land's contribution cannot be lauded enough. The glossy and wonderful photorealistic renderings he brings to the table nicely fleshes out Millar's writing, brings it to vibrant life. The fabulous artwork is, of course, enhanced by the solid inkwork of Matt Ryan and the textured colors of Justin Ponsor and Laura Martin. Oh, those pretty, pretty pictures. I never knew, for instance, that Sue Storm's mom would be so hot in her undies. And Land's dread depictions of the zombie Frightful Foursome elevate these dentally-challenged villains to a stalking, menacing ghoulishness. Land downright invokes a sense of hopeless desolation with his stark, torn images of the mostly inert zombie universe. I've never been a fan of Namor but I must admit that he certainly looks virile and despicably regal (if two such descriptives can be paired), utterly capable of world domination. Once again, great stuff by Greg Land and the rest of the art crew.

The only concern I have about this title is the constant change of writers and artists and what that might portend continuity-wise. I don't just mean continuity-wise in terms of the story arcs, but also in the look and feel of the series. The latest team to come on board comprises of Mike Carey and Pasqual Ferry, and they seem promising. So far, ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR doesn't seem to be negatively affected by the various writer/artist overhauls. It's still fresh and exciting. Let's keep it that way, huh?

The story time in with Marvel Zombies was outstanding, even better than the actual Marvel Zombies stories. And the last chapter with Namor was a nice re-imagining for that character. Greg Land is one of the best artists working today, right up there with Carlos Pacheco and Alex Ross.

i love the ultimate fantastic four. i love the original fantastic four, who can never be replaced but i like the twist of them being young teens in the ultimate universe. it just seems to make sense. anyway this volume started off the whole marvel zombie craze. a must-read.

Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 3 Review
The Mark Millar run of Ultimate Fantastic Four is without a doubt my favorite. Clever ideas and witty dialogue, supported by Greg Land's hyperrealistic art, helped elevate Millar's Ultimate Fantastic Four run to some of the best the Ultimate Marvel imprint has to offer. Land's photorealism style and lush coloring is perfect. Prepare to encounter zombies and explore the depths of Atlantis.
Mark Millar introduces the Ultimate universe to zombies in his first arc, entitled 'Frightful' (Issues 21-23). After Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben stop some "chrono-terorrists", Reed attempts to travel to an alternate reality where presumably the 616 (mainstream) Fantastic Four await to greet him. Reed steps through the teleporter... right into the hands of flesh hungry zombies. While this may sounds like a b-list horror film storyline, Millar manages to weave an interesting and engaging tale that ties into the Marvel Zombies miniseries. The rest of the Fantastic Four devise a plan to rescue Reed from the Frightful Four (zombified versions of the Fantastic Four). As a fan of Kirkman's The Walking Dead series, it was cool to see zombies be introduced in a serious manner to the Marvel universe. Land's art is extraordinary in this arc.
The second arc, 'Tomb of Namor', introduces us to the Ultimate version of Namor. Sue and Johnny's mother appears, not dead, and talks the Fantastic Four into helping her explore Atlantis. They end up awakening Namor, the "King of Atlantis." Little do they know how much trouble they've unleashed upon the world. I won't say more for fear of spoiling some very awesome things about this arc. Once again Greg Land's photorealistic style looks exquisite. Millar's has some new ideas introduced in these two arcs. There's a real sense of technological advancement that permeates his entire run. His dialogue is great. Witty and sometimes self-explanatory. Greg Land's art is fantastic. There's a lot of criticism due to his tracing and recycling, there is a little of that here. A majority of Land's work in these issues is nothing short of perfect though. Overall I'd definitely recommend any Marvel fans give this trade a try, 4/5.

This vol. has the three issues that started a revolution. The issues that started possibly one of the greatest marvel mini series of all time...Marvel Zombies.

The first 3 issues in it revolve Mr. Fantastic traveling to an alternate universe where he finds out there mostly every hero and villian have turned into zombies. Now he has to run for his life before he becomes their next meal.

This vol. also introduces Ultimate Namor aka Sub-Mariner.

This was a good book, the only part I care about is the Marvel zombies one.

These stories, collecting "Ultimate Fantastic Four" #21-26 are awesome -- possibly the best story arcs in the series to date. The encounter with the alternate-reality "Marvel Zombies" version of the FF is great -- chilling, well-told, beautifully illustrated, exciting and fun. Ditto with the Sub-Mariner plotline that follows.

If you're looking for good, old-fashioned adventure-hero comicbook fun, then here's a series that really delivers. (ReadThatAgain book reviews)

The Crossover story arc may not be earth shattering nor spin the reader's head around a grand cosmic epic that goes nowhere fast a la Infinite Crisis but just like Mark Millar's Spider-Man run, it is eccentric entertainment at its best. In today's comic book industry where mediocre writers desperately try to make a name for themselves *cough*Geoff Johns*cough*Devin Grayson*cough* by redesigning characters and their supporting cast as well as needlessly attempting to shock the audience, many of them have forgotten that a super-hero comic is first & foremost, an action and adventure genre. Seriously, how long before a writer tries to retcon the Spider-Man mythos with Ben Parker having sexually abused Peter because he or she wants to leave their 'stamp' on the character?

As for the Tomb Of Namor story line, it also possesses a blockbuster film experience. In the original 616 universe, The Sub-Mariner has changed and transformed so much in the last twenty years that he's become stale. Namor has become sane to insane and then back to normal so often that Marvel should bill him as the first Bi-Polar Mutant. Fortunately, Millar goes back to the roots of the character and constructs a modern spin on Bill Everett's creation. A lot of people have no idea that in his initial appearance in Marvel Comics #1, Namor is a violent killer. In his debut appearance in Ultimate Fantastic Four, The Sub-Mariner is also aggressively sadistic which paves the way for one heck of a slugfest. The type that the Silver Age Marvel comics were renowned for...

I have never figured Greg Land to be an artist who can convey the intensity of a battle or physical conflict but he definitely proves me wrong with the Tomb Of Namor story arc. His photo-realistic style lends well to what the script calls for in portraying the characters' emotional states but their magazine cover poses do tend to get annoying at times.

While Stan Lee & Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four version will always remain the authentic one, I really enjoyed this new take on their concept by writer Mark Millar, artist Greg Land and inker Matt Ryan. Mark Millar went back to the core of what made The Fantastic Four unique and enjoyable. That is, outlandish adventures as well as bigger than life action that challenge the limits of our imagination.

Review by Brian Grindrod

Once again I talked myself into believing some Fantastic Four comics might be worth my time and money. The fact remains that Marvel's super-family has never managed to be cool--not in the Ultimate universe, not in the official continuity, not on the big screen. A lot of the problem, I think, is that they face conflicts on a galactic scale, problems so impossibly large that they require unbelievable solutions. Even by comic book standards, it strains my sense of verisimilitude. And while Reed Richards is miraculously inventing his way out of one interdimnensional crisis after another, the action never breaks long enough to really see him or his teammates as actual people with any kind of sympathetic humanity to them.

I'd like to think it could work. Though designed for bit of a different audience, I think The Incredibles movie proves that a super-powered family doesn't have to be lame. It seems that the Ultimate Fantastic Four books fall in all the same sinkholes as the Ultimate X-Men. Rather than taking the opportunity at a fresh start, to make the story more meaningful to contemporary audiences, to enjoy the early years of a new team of super-heroes, to experience a new image or a new energy in these characters--rather than pursuing these sorts of things, the creators are instead doing everything they can to "catch up" to the official continuity in as little time as possible and make "ultimately" make this generation's Fantastic Four exactly the same as the original. For an idea of what these comics could have been, just take a look at what Brian Michael Bendis is doing (generally) with the Ultimate Spider-man titles. Now there's a line of comics worth throwing some money at.

Maybe you are a die-hard Fantastic Four fan and you aren't understanding what I have a problem with; I respect our differences in opinion. Maybe you don't want to take my word for it, and think you should give the Ultimate Fantastic Four a try before passing judgment. Well, if that's the case, I'll tell you what: before you spend any of your hard-earned money on a purchase you may regret, come take the two TPB's I bought and see how you like them. I certainly won't be having any more use for them.

(reviewing UFF #5: "Crossover" and #6: "Frightful")