Short Box: Marvel Arts: Fantastic Four Full Circle

Release:

Aug 31, 2022

Abrams

Creators

Writer	Alex Ross
Artist	Alex Ross
Cover Artist	Alex Ross
Colorist	Alex Ross, Josh Johnson
Letterer	Ariana Maher
Editor	Tom Brevoort, Charles Kochman, Annalise Bissa, Martin Biro
Editor in Chief	C.B. Cebulski

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By all accounts I’ve seen so far, Fantastic Four: First Steps finally gives Marvel’s first family the cinematic treatment it deserves, and while I did actually feel compelled to head to the theater to see Superman – loved it – I don’t feel that same compulsion to see the latest installment in the MCU in advance of it being available for viewing at home.

However, as this is the official release date of their new movie, I felt like I had to do something in their honor.

Thus, this quick look at a hardcover volume from Alex Ross that serves as a sequel to a classic tale of the FF from the Lee and Kirby era in which the corpse of a man who once masqueraded as Ben Grimm, AKA the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing – idol of millions – and who proved the maxim “you are what you pretend to be” to be true when he heroically sacrificed himself to save Reed Richards from certain doom in the dreaded Negative Zone.

The corpse proves to be a trap that draws the Fantastic Four into a new adventure in the Negative Zone where they make startling discoveries and meet some new friends.

However, the real story of this book isn’t the story, it’s the art from Ross, who eschews his usual painted style in favor of slightly more conventional comic book art.

What really makes it stand out, however, are the colors from Ross and Josh Johnson, which can best be described as lurid, albeit in the best possible way.

Though there are a lot of bright colors, there is a lack of vibrancy that mutes the effect, which works especially well in the scenes in the Negative Zone, though the parts on Earth also benefit, as it is a dark and stormy night.

But the very deliberate color choices, with skin tones overpowered by the colors of the ambient light, still manage to overwhelm the senses, and the overall effect, to my mind, gives adults something akin to the experiences we had as kids when our senses were shattered by the bright and dynamic images on the page.

Ross even pays homage to Kirby’s experimentation with collages to great effect.

The whole package is a beautiful love letter to a bygone era that manages to feel fresh and new, and it’s something that’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for more Fantastic Four after seeing the movie.

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