Review by Booklist Review
While the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe has given pioneering superheroes the Fantastic Four short shrift, comics mainstay Ross gives them their due in this lavish, old-fashioned sf blowout. Old-fashioned, indeed, as he uses a classic FF story as launching pad to send the tight-knit family of hero-explorers into the Negative Zone, a "crossroads of infinity," where they face old friends and old foes to make startling new discoveries. This warm sense of history permeates everything, even as it is leavened with some welcome updating. The Invisible Woman benefits most directly, with a bolder attitude and an acknowledgement of her crucial power. Ross, meanwhile, has pulled back from his signature hyperrealistic painting style to a draftsmanship that allows for greater stylization and visual melodrama but still preserves, for instance, that intensity of texture in the Thing's rocky hide or the realistic poses that ground the melodrama in humanity. And even here, you can see Ross shaping the facial structures of Reed and Sue to reflect godfather Jack Kirby's original work, as well as Kirby's bombastic brio in the daring page compositions. Ross' gorgeous, super-heightened color palette and lighting effects in particular will bring home to readers old and new that, while these stories remain pinned on their characters' lovable personalities, they are meant to be freewheeling, otherworldly tales to astonish.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Eisner winner Ross (Marvels), in his first solo written and drawn superhero adventure, offers a majestically drawn sequel to a 1966 Fantastic Four story line by comics legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. After a mysterious figure from the Four's past breaks into their headquarters bearing an alien menace, the team soon find themselves in the Negative Zone, where they encounter a series of their greatest enemies including Annihilus and the Nega-Man. Ross is known for capturing the grandiosity of superheroes in fully painted artwork, and here he uses the dynamic angles to draw the Four as they hurtle over fantastic cities and nightmare-scapes. But breaking from his usual style, Ross employs heavy inks and a bold, almost clashing color palette to recall the art of Kirby and the vibrancy of '60s-era superhero comics. Unfortunately, the script doesn't do justice to the stunning visuals. While Ross's kinetic artwork presents each cosmic enemy as a villain to be reckoned with, the series of encounters and battles don't build to any real conflict or climax. Those unfamiliar with the Fantastic Four origins story won't get hooked (and may find themselves feeling lost in the negative zone), but the glory of these heroes will attract the gaze of nostalgic fans of classic comics. That said, it's one of the rare comics truly recommended on the strength of the art alone. (Aug.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
With this epic adventure, acclaimed creator Ross (Marvels X) presents his first long-form graphic novel as both writer and artist. After surviving an attack by a fearsome swarm of parasitic creatures, the Fantastic Four are compelled to travel into the treacherous anti-matter universe known as the Negative Zone in search of answers as to which of their enemies has targeted them for death. Best known as a cover artist and designer, Ross quickly proves himself an immensely skilled visual storyteller as Marvel's first family traverses a range of uniquely nightmarish settings and engages in powerfully dynamic action sequences. The playful banter between characters emphasizes the team's distinct family dynamic, evoking the spirit of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's classic run on the title in the 1960s. VERDICT Ross's style combines tight linework and painted illustration in a color palette heavy on fluorescent shades of purple and green, warm shades of orange, and eerie blue, resulting in a distinctive pop art masterpiece that must be seen to be believed.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Acclaimed artist Ross presents this breathless transdimensional adventure featuring the superhero family the Fantastic Four. In 1961, The Fantastic Four #1 introduced the superpowered quartet of stretchy mega-genius Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), elusive force-field wielder Invisible Girl (Sue Storm), her hotheaded and highly flammable brother the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), and lovable stone-skinned curmudgeon the Thing (Ben Grimm). This new graphic novel summarizes their long-ago origin in its first two pages then sets off on a brand-new journey that is nevertheless heavily indebted to events that occurred outside these pages. A mysterious stranger infiltrates the home of the Fantastic Four, who realize the stranger has a complicated history with the team. After the stranger unleashes a swarm of shadowy creepy-crawlies, Reed deduces Earth faces an incursion from the antimatter dimension known as the Negative Zone. The team takes the fight to the enemy, entering the Negative Zone through a portal of Reed's design. From there, they face a series of threats connected to past adventures, navigating a psychedelic realm populated by an armored insectoid tyrant, a superorganism of negative energy, and a last bastion of positivity. As ever, Ross' art is stunning, beautifully marrying the pop-art sensibilities of 1960s comics with photorealism. His depictions of everything from the Human Torch's walls of flame to the epic releases of interdimensional forces crackle with energy, and his inventive paneling fully engages the reader's gaze. The story starts quickly and never lets up, which makes for an energetic read, though the reliance on the team's history might alienate the uninitiated even when put into context through exposition. A post-adventure chat between Reed and Ben attempts to apply thematic cohesion to the preceding events, but it feels brief and shoehorned. A vibrant, wild ride that will bring joy to devoted comic book readers. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
