FF #7

I'm not much of a family man. I've never felt that being related to me is a free pass to getting my love. That could be why I look forward to FF every month a lot more than Fantastic Four. Both these books are about family, but the Fantastic Four (with the exception of Ben) are related. You don't get to choose that family.

The FF is about a family, but a family of choice. Marvel's First Family's replacements may not have all wanted to be there at first, but they all came around. Furthermore, they all let these kids weasel their way into their hearts. I think that's why FF is the book that hits me more. I understand the feeling of a family of choice far more than a family of blood.

This month's issue of FF showcases these feelings extraordinarily. Matt Fraction pushes the FF to the brink in the hunt for Bentley-23, the clone of a super villain. Why would they do that? Because he's family, of course.

He's a cocky, arrogant, probably going to turn evil jerk, but he's family. Not by blood, or by marriage, but family by choice, which is stronger, in my opinion.

Fraction's really found his voice on this book and has made it his own. I feel like he hasn't quite hit his stride yet on Fantastic Four, but he hit the ground running on FF. The characters are all really well done. I don't quite feel like I know them all just yet, but even Johnny Storm's girlfriend has some depth.

I'm going to repeat that and hopefully everyone will know how ridiculous it is: Johnny. Storm's. Girlfriend. Has. Depth. Have we all got our heads wrapped around the concept, as crazy as it seems? Okay, good. Let's continue on then.

There is some really great dialogue on this book. It all feels natural for the characters and provides insight without being to expository. I never felt like a character was saying too much. Plus, Fraction wrote one of the most foreboding lines I've ever seen in a comic book. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it.

Mike Allred's art continues to dominate this book. It's definitely better for the more light-hearted issues of FF. For Allred, the more madcap the hijinks are, the better. However, it is surprising how well Allred handles some of the more emotional moments.

As much as I love Allred, I can say other artists have a better capacity for showing sadness. At the very least, they know how to pull my heartstrings harder, but it doesn't mean that Allred doesn't know what he's doing. He hasn't successfully made me tear up yet, though.

This issue is a nice little wrap up, and if you're not reading FF now, you should add this book to your pull list right away. I hear there's going to be a pool party soon and you don't want to miss out on that. As long as Fraction and Allred run the Future Foundation, I want to be a member.