Review: ‘Fantastic Four’ #16 Bakes Science Into Fiction

One of the great things about science fiction is when a story grounds itself in real world science. In Fantastic Four #16, the most science fiction-y series in comics dabbles in science fact.

Ryan North, Francesco Mortarino, Brian Reber, and Joe Caramagna take the Richards kids to school.

Instead of doing their homework, Valeria and Franklin Richards decide to go above and beyond on their latest assignment. Inventing a universal solvent with their cousins, they assume they’re going to get an A for sure. What they didn’t think of was whether their invention would work, or whether they were about to create a bigger problem than they could solve.

This sort of story is really North’s specialty. Taking a kernel of real fact and history, he crafts a fun story around it. Making Franklin and Val the focus of that story, after they’ve been out of the book for its nearly year and half run is a smart choice, as it gives them “screen time” as they reenter the story. The problem is clever, and it’s soft science fiction that makes it easy for new readers or lapsed readers to jump in.

Mortarino and Reber are a better than average fill-in art team. Mortarino’s characters are expressive, and are just cartoony enough to complement the script’s light tone. Most of the action of the issue is the kids doing experiments, and he keeps that dynamic and engaging. Even better, all four kids actually look like kids, a tough task for many comics artists. Reber’s colors are all bright, but never unrealistic. He matches the tone of the story, and shifts the warmth and depth of the colors scene to scene.

Fantastic Four #16 is available now from Marvel Comics.