Review: ‘Fantastic Four’ #6 Faces A Unique Problem With A Great Solution

Fantastic Four should be a series that’s perpetually about strange science and cutting edge solutions. It doesn’t pop up in the franchise often enough. Fantastic Four #6 though does exactly that.

Ryan North, Ivan Fiorelli, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Caramagna give Invisible Woman and Human Torch a chance to save the planet.

The Four have accidentally drawn an other-dimensional bacteria onto Earth. Now, it threatens to choke out all Earth life, dooming the planet as we know it. Their only hope is for Sue to stretch her powers in a way she never has before with only Johnny to help her.

North’s novel challenge from last issue morphs into an incredible threat in this one. The idea of an alien microbe (no matter the origin) poisoning Earth’s ecosystem is fascinating without a doubt. It’s the perfect idea of the Fantastic Four. Better yet, North centers the story beyond the concept in the characters- Sue and Alicia in particular.

They ground the fantastic, but also give the readers a connection to the overwhelmingly huge situation. This issue would not have worked without it, and North does it perfectly.

Fiorelli’s art hits all the right notes for a Fantastic Four story. His Ben Grimm is a little off, but otherwise the characters look and move just as we’d expect them to. Sue has an intense weight on her shoulders the entire issue, and Fiorelli shows it in every movement she makes. He remembers that Reed’s powers are unsettling and shows us how in several panels. Aburtov’s colors are bright throughout, and creates a hopeful tone as Sue and Johnny struggle in the line art.

Fantastic Four #6 is available now from Marvel Comics.