Disappointing
It's hard for me to really say or acknowledge this, but, what once was one of my favorite series has fallen from grace and become okay at best, this issue a clear awakening call. That's not to say that this is bad or unreadable, but it no longer contains the goofy, comical, or weird panache that made this really worth following at the start. Instead, we, the readers, feel just how rushed along the story has become, resulting in an unsatisfying experience as a whole.
Something that was made clear earlier this year was that Fraction was to be rushed from FF so that he could write the exciting Inhuman series (which, frustratingly, didn't exactly pan out as planned). Because of this, the characters, their development, the stories that are being told, are all being rushed along without so much as a second glance backwards. This, more or less, has caused the book to abandon it's previous charm or silly stories for a more decidedly serious and focused narrative. Yet, considering all the characters that are here, all the situations that have already been established, and how little time we get to now spend with them, it feels as if the full throttle button has been pushed, and we're being left behind. It's hard to watch, like the bus you were trying to catch rushing past you without noticing.
This issue in particular is overly thematic, trying to convey the whole "family" aspect in a single issue, which, in turn, becomes an issue. This suddenly becomes a motive of the villains, which, especially for those who don't know the character, comes completely from the left park. That coupled with a generally unexciting fight, a predictable conclusion, and yet another teaser to try and keep the ball rolling, and I'm left very unsatisfied with what I'm left with. Even the return of Allred can't stop this from being a difficult issue to stomach.
Seeing as I bought the volume, there's one issue left for me to read, and, unless something changes drastically, which it likely won't, I really don't plan on following this up. It's such a shame too... the start was really stand-out, and the talent here is fantastic. I guess that's what happens when you shove a story out the door when it's not time.
