A new Mister Fantastic, a powerless Ben Grimm, and an original Fantastic Four member finally makes a return all in this week’s MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #9 as Chip Zdarsky nails the unbreakable bond between Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm.
WRITTEN BY: Chip Zdarsky
ART BY: Ramon K Perez
COLORS: Federico Blee
LETTERS: Joe Caramagna
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE SPOILERS TOO!
To see what happened last issue, click on the writer’s name below.
Summary
The story opens with Johnny and Ben taking on the new Fantastic Four from the Multiverse created by the Mad Thinker. It turns out; the Mad Thinker stole Koul’s (the women who left them in this Multiverse) technology that she used issues ago to give people metahuman abilities to recreate the Fantastic Four. Then, the Thinker stole the Multisect and tracked down Ben and Johnny by following Amadeus Cho’s signal.
Well, even without powers, Ben and Johnny put up a good fight and manage to hold off the Mad Thinker Four. The two powerless O.G.’s escape out into the desert where their car flips over, pins them down, and explodes just as they crawl to safety. Zdarsky closes the issue with Ben and Johnny starting to get their cosmic abilities back and Sue Storm standing over them! Is it THEIR Suzie? Are Reed and Susan both back? And, are their powers back for good? We’ll have to wait until next issue to find out.
Hail Mary
Zdarsky threw a Hail Mary on the powerless Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm angle during MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #8. How exciting would the Thing and Human Torch be without their abilities, as well as their other team members? Well, issue 8 was dull and bland leaving readers to have their doubts on the direction of MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE, but Zdarsky’s Hail Mary was caught in the end zone for a touchdown this issue.
Zdarsky rebuilt Ben and Johnny’s relationship against a classic FF villain and ended the comic with a splash of hope. He also managed to combined and revisit elements throughout his run to make the puzzle fit together perfectly like the metahuman powers angle from the beginning of the series and the Mad Thinker stealing the Multisect.
Brothers Forever
Zdarsky nails Ben and Johnny’s relationship wonderfully throughout the issue. These two may not be related by blood, but they are just as much connected as Sue and Johnny. Ben and Johnny fight, bicker, hang out on road trips, are overly protective of each other, and even after Ben’s bold face lie, they are always there for one another because deep down they’re family. Zdarsky drives this point home by showing their heroism against the Mad Thinker in the face of danger. These two are willing to die for each other, as well as a universe they don’t belong in.
Readers feel for Johnny and know that these two knuckleheads have to find Reed and Sue at some point. Well, the wait appears to be over, and readers will finally get to see the reunion years in the making. Fans should get excited for what Zdarsky has planned.
The Art
Ramon K. Perez’ art continues to underwhelm. His lack of facial detail, thick outlines, and depth of expression don’t convey tone or reaction well. At times, Perez’ faces were blurry, distorted, and confusing while inadvertently mimicking a look of sickness and continual sadness in each panel. Federico Blee’s colors were soft, warm, and made Perez’ designs seem flat and two-dimensional. However, Perez shows glimmers of greatness when he takes the time to focus on the characters faces like on page 10 and 17.
Should you buy this issue and/or add it to your pull list?
If readers want to get a firm grasp of the family mechanics of Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm, as well as what makes the Fantastic Four so fantastic, this issue hammers that point home so well. Pick this issue up if you are new to the characters and wish to dive into Slott’s FANTASTIC FOUR run. Fans should also add this to their pull list if they would like to see how the team gets back together.
Zdarsky reassured fans on the last page that his comic still has weight, merit, and that he appears to have been given the keys to the Fantastic Four’s reunification. Opinions can change from issue to issue. This series began well out of the gate and became a must-read. Then, the series started to fizzle in the last two issues. Now, this series needs to be back on every FF fans pull list going forward. How will Zdarsky get the team back together? Hopefully, fans find out next issue.
What did you guys think of MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #9? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, just click HERE!
