Fantastic Four #47
As the world is judged, the Invisible Woman has to save the Baxter Building from invasion in Fantastic Four #47, by writer David Pepose, artist Juann Cabal, colorist Jesus Aburtov, and letterer Joe Caramagna. This issue captures everything great about the Fantastic Four.
As Reed Richards goes into his think tank to figure out a way to stop the Celestial, the rest of the FF go about their day. Unfortunately, things aren’t a normal day as Oubliette and her minions attack. With the Thing holding a significant portion of the building and the Human Torch stuck outside the building, only Invisible Woman is left to fight back. With Oubliette in control of the building, only Sue can stop her from stealing something very important to the team.
The key to this book is pacing. Pepose starts it out slow with a narration from Reed Richards. He builds all the pieces, setting the scene for readers of a day at the Baxter Building with the rest of the team. It’s an excellent way to start this story, and it lets Pepose play with the FF. It’s easy to see that not only does he get these characters, but he loves them. That comes through, and it makes the issue that much more fun. The FF isn’t always easy to get right, but Pepose really nails it.
That’s the most important part of this comic. Sure, the plot is great, and Pepose kicks the pieces out one by one, giving readers something compelling and some nice action scenes, but getting the FF correct makes it all work. The way Reed talks about Sue during the narration and takes inspiration from her is perfect. The sniping between the Thing and Human Torch is perfect. And Sue is wonderful. Sue is the key to the whole issue, and she delivers. From a quiet moment with one of the Baxter Building’s custodians to kicking terrorist butt and sassing Oubliette, Sue is the MVP. Which is how it should always be.
Cabal and Aburtov do an amazing job with the art. The line work is simple and detailed, with impressive character acting. That helps with the set-up in the early portions of the book. These pages need that, and once it gets to the action, Cabal kicks it up a notch. On top of that, the page layout really plays up the surprising aspects of the script, helping make Pepose’s cliffhanger moments work better. Aburtov’s colors are bright and shiny, which sells the perfect futurist vibe of the FF.
Fantastic Four #47 is a great ride. Pepose is Marvel’s secret weapon right now, and this book proves it. He sets everything up brilliantly. Cabal and Aburtov kill it on the art, giving readers the visuals this story deserves. This one is a can’t miss.