Yes Invisible Woman!
Back from the world of the micro the pursuit of Dr Doom is on! The Fantastic Four are taking preemptive action and are actively hunting down their fearsome, flighty foe. Through means of deception Dr Doom soon turns the tables on our intrepid heroes leaving them first humiliated, then later helpless in the face of his attack on New York.
Standing in stark contrast to Fantastic Four #16 this book tells a solid story within it’s own pages while continuing on directly from the last. I think the page explaining last month's story could have been cut down a little but it quickly setup the hunt for Dr Doom. What follows is a good three act story, detailing the hunt, Dr Doom’s riposte, via ethereal agents and a hostage, and a final daring raid on his hideout. The standout moment for me was Invisible Woman taking direct action to rescue the hostage then to stand against him in the final confrontation of the book. It’s been a good few issues for her, that have finally established her as more than a hostage for the other three to rescue.
I think this is a really nice looking book. Kirby has done great work here, packing panels full of details big and small. That said I think the cover is a let down, there’s a lot going on put it’s separated into different panels which makes it feel smaller than some of the better Marvel covers of the time. The only part of the interior that I felt could have been improved on was Dr Doom’s hideout which I could have done with a more detailed rendition in a larger panel.
I think this is my favourite Fantastic Four issue yet. Three out of the four get time to shine (sorry Human Torch, but you do have your own comic) and the story is logical and moves with a brisk but not rushed pace. Dr Doom’s actions were given significance by showing the reactions of the two most powerful leaders in the world at the time, and his scheme was foiled not by his own ineptitude but by the actions of our heroes. The ethereal followers portion of the book dragged a tad but otherwise this was a concise story with continuity from the last issue and some strong character development for Invisible Woman.
Da! That Is Why You Will Never Be Dictator!
Comrade "K" Khrushchev
