Phạm Trường Hà
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Art: Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, Ranson Getty, Laura Martin, and VC’s Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 22nd, 2020
It’s finally here: the sensational finale to the X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR event everyone’s been waiting for! Now, on an island of doom, the X-Men and Fantastic Four battle to reclaim the future! However, lines have been drawn and enemies have been made. Is there any way to settle this feud? And, what will happen to Franklin? Let’s jump into the concluding issue of X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR #4 by Chip Zdarsky and find out!
I left this series struggling to see its true purpose and direction until the last few pages. This series by Zdarsky arose to be a massive set up for something that was inaugurated quickly in issue one, mentioned in issue two, and then revisited in issue four as the series closed. Realistically, this X-MEN/ FANTASTIC FOUR crossover mini-event wasn’t really about Franklin Richards at all. He was merely used as a reason for Reed to create something that I feel was introduced as a key chess piece for later down the road. However, the disappointment of this series really set in after I felt utterly hosed and taken advantage of since before the series took off.
I feel like Marvel sold this series as something more important to the larger Marvel Landscape and possibly even a war between the humans (led by the Fantastic Four) and the mutants. It appeared as though Franklin would be that missing piece to push the Fantastic Four over the edge. However, that’s not the case. Somehow, the status quo is easily reset as this series ends and everything seems back to normal as if nothing happened. And, if there is one thing I dislike within the comic realm, it’s when I feel as though zero progress was made and an entire story arc was told ending exactly where you began with little growth and development.
Readers, nothing really happened in this issue that you wouldn’t expect to happen. There was very little action seen on panel and much of the story was masked with dialogue about right and wrong culminating in a trivial non-solution. All the key players had their moment of recognizing their part in this mess and everyone simply moves on making this series rather pointless… other than the one crux of the entire series that is merely hinted at and thrown under the radar as the story closes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I really do love Zdarsky’s work. He’s doing some amazing things on DAREDEVIL right now and his INVADERS was outstanding (which you can snag by clicking the links). His work with Spider-Man has also been extremely entertaining. Needless to say, my expectations for this crossover were rather high leaving me quite disappointed to see that this series amounted to nothing at all. Readers, zero happens that you didn’t expect to transpire. There really is no twist or curtain reveal. And as far a feuds go that encompass forcibly taking your son away, it ends rather quietly and easily. The series just… was there. Was this solely a series involving two flashy names to draw in fans? It seems that way. If you really need to know what the “crux” of the entire arc is, message me on Twitter @dispatchdcu and I can summarize the entire purpose of the series in about three sentences. In my humble opinion, there is no reason to buy this trade or issue unless you’re a diehard X-Men, Fantastic Four, or Zdarsky fanboy.
If you’re really interested in X-MEN/ FANTASTIC FOUR #4, click HERE to get a copy! If you’ve really taken to Zdarsky’s X-MEN/ FANTASTIC FOUR run and are interested in the trade, click HERE to get copy. Additionally, if you’ve been really digging Hickman’s X-MEN, click HERE to get your hands on related Dawn of X trades, volumes, and issues as well as HERE to capture Slott’s FANTASTIC FOUR run. And finally, if you’re looking for something else to read, check out my Amazon Online Comic Shop by clicking HERE. Thank you all for the read and continued support. Stay safe and stay healthy.
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