Thursday, July 07, 2005

Review: FF #528

I guess that old adage applies here: You can't judge a book by its cover.

The cover, while hilarious and boasting a "never-seen-before" theme (Ben Blinged Out), was thankfully, slightly misleading. This was truly one of the most thoughtful, introspective and moving FF books in a while. The beauty of it was that throughout the book not a single punch was thrown and yet, it made for incredibly compelling reading. We can finally come to grips as to why Reed never really found the conclusive cure for Ben’s condition. There was an x-factor that led to each of the team’s powers echoing their personalities…and, that in essence could never be reproduced. (Or, could it…?) As shallow as that sounds, JMS presents it in a way that avoids coming across as a cop-out for that ever-elusive solution.

Of greater import, I loved how the Four were each individually studied while the overall threat of child endangerment hung over their heads. They’ve saved the world countless times, but how will they defeat something as mundane as the bureaucracy?

I’ve seen Mike McKone’s artwork before, but honestly, this is best work ever. The artwork is a bit reminiscent of Grummet and Ploog but has a uniqueness all its own. Great, great stuff! Of course, what makes for a magical pairing is having Lanning and Mounts working over McKone’s foundation makes for a book that is pleasing to the eye. That was most likely Tom’s call and it was a good one.

In conclusion, if this is how JMS and McKone build up impending conflict without fisticuffs, what’s this book going to be like when the villains of galactic proportions enter their lives and a major “throw down” ensues? Oh man…!

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