The Good

If this was your final day on Earth, what would you do? If you had a chance to say goodbye to the people you care about before you left, what would you say? That's what this issue is about.

FANTASTIC FOUR #5 AU is written by Matt Fraction and features the art of Andre Araujo. There is definitely a lot that I enjoyed about this issue, but there were certainly some moments that felt a bit lackluster. First, on to the good stuff!

There are certainly some emotional moments, and some profound ones as well. Reed's final words to both his children is one of the best scenes in this issue, hands down. It is a moment of sheer honesty where Reed reveals and opens up to the both of them about what is essential to remember in life. Each character leaves Franklin and Valeria with a little bit of food for thought, and each moment really makes sense as far as which character is giving what piece of advice, except for one. There is one character that doesn't actually send the two kids a message, and there's a good reason for that.

The pacing of the story is pretty quick, so there is a good chance you will get through it rather fast because it is engaging. The story moves quickly and there is only dialogue when it is absolutely necessary.

The Bad

This issue definitely feels like a tie-in issue; it doesn't feel very natural or as if it follows the sequence of events that we have seen thus far in this series, which is a little bit unfortunate. It basically reads more like a "what if" issue than it does as an issue that follows the natural progression of the story. In a way, it all feels a bit out of place. And while there were some emotional moments that were good, there were others that simply weren't built upon. There is a scene where Sue essentially watches her husband sacrifice himself so she can live. She watches him die and the reader doesn't really get to see the emotional reaction she should have experienced.

I was also not too crazy about the art. There is a lot of great panel layout in general (like the scene where Reed is communicating his final words to his kids), but as far as the way the characters are actually drawn, it isn't something I was too crazy about. The kids look a little bit awkward.

The Verdict

Overall, this issue is not as good as previous issues we've seen in this series mainly because it really feels as if it takes readers out of the main story. Basically, it feels a little bit forced. The result is a story that feels completely outside the continuity of this series. In addition, there are moment in this issue that should have been emotional, but weren't, and that was something of a let down.

Reed Dies!! But i thought this event was in continuity! So is it not in continuity? aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh

It could be but this issue certainly doesn't feel like it!

I didn't like Reed's final words to his kids. I mean it was emotional and well done, but that's a super depressing world view to pass on to your kids.

The main AU titles, and SSM AU art work were similar enough, and kept the same tone. I do not know WHY they didn't follow the same path as it felt too 'cartoony'.

I hope this shall be the weakest of tie-ins as it was a disappointment.

Is that Johnny Storm in the cover? Didn't he get cut off from 616 by substituting himself with Thing in that ... thing that happened ...? He died right? People mourned? Future Foundation? White Spider-man? Something about an alternate Reed Richards making Doom his slave? Doom lost his intelligence? But still found the time to separate Hulk and Bruce Banner? Then Hulk grew facial hair and Banner went nuts?

Ah forget it, if Human Torch is back so quickly then I doubt this issue will have any significance in 18 months time either.

Comic books.

@flstyle: Then why do you read them, then?

I thought it was one of the best of the current 5 issues. The emotional scenes with the kids worked great for me and I loved the art. Yes, it's placement chronologically is an issue, but that is more of a function of Marvel's numbering system than any fault of the book itself.

I didn't care for Reed's message I think it contradicts his character

I liked this issue. It's a good story despite them trying to force us to believe AU is happening now when it doesn't fit. But I don't let that bother me. I really felt terrible for the kids all alone in space and a Mom back on earth who is probably really worried about her kids.

Why not?

The whole series ends with Wolverine and Sue Storm going back in time and killing Pym, thus no Ultron

Except Hank is mentioned in the epilogue solicts for age of ultron so that's theory out the window

I'm suspecting this becomes an alternate reality att he end and it was like it never happened

Clearly in the end none of this will have happened.

I kind of liked the art. I was hoping for a little more insight into what happened to bring about Ultron's control. Superior Spidey felt a little meatier in this regard.

I'm not sure how I feel about the Thing's revelation about Doom. It kind of changes my feeling about Doom's character.

I did like the Ultron with a Doom mask.

I read FF 5AU first today and I liked how AOU got a lot better after that for me.

So skipping this issue won't make me miss out on the main, regular F4 story will it?

I dunno, this didn't really do much for me, felt kinda forced... but I'm not that invested in AoU so...

Awesome. I should pick it up.

How is Ben dead in this issue but on the bunk with all the survivors in issue 1 of AoU??

@flyinggrayson22: Yeah, pretty obviously exposes the bleakness of an atheistic worldview. Pretty unfortunate.

@xxheavyrainxx: Gotta say I completely disagree tbh, I thought it was really well done. Reed had the respect to not lie to his children about what he thought would happen just to make them feel better, and he gave the solid advice with the words "What we do is ALL that matters".
He's saying that what matters is what we do with our lives, we have choices and its our decisions and how we use our chances that matter. He thinks that because there's no threat of eternal punishment for wrong doing, it means how we choose to act says far more about us.
And to @Mutant God, I really don't see how this is a contradiction of Reeds character in any way. Your dislike of an atheist message is completely irrelevant to whether it fits the character. I, and Im sure many others, would say it fits the character perfectly.

@leokearon: Guess that theory isn't really out the window anymore since it happened...

@cameronrobertson92: But reed has been to heaven in a story before, so it doesn't really make sense.