Ultimate Fantastic Four #32

Written by Mark Millar

Pencils & Cover by Greg Land

 

This marks the final issue of Millar’s run on the book before Mike Carey takes over for what looks like the most fantastical tale to date for a series that has filled a niche as the Ultimate Universe’s science fiction book.

 

Looking back on Millar’s run it’s easy to see right away that it is the odd man out when it comes to these science fiction/high-minded tales of Ellis before him and, hopefully, Carey after him. Millar isn’t known for his truly ‘cutting edge’ science fiction like Morrison or Ellis, his attempts at filling the genre mostly consisted of touting the usual science fiction staples—time travel, alternate dimensions, becoming really, really small, and so on.

 

But that’s fine, at least he made the attempts, because Millar decided to take an entirely different tack by focusing on ‘ultimatizing’ various key figures in Fantastic Four history. Super-Skrull, Namor, and the Frightful Four all got the Millar treatment along with other staples such as Alicia Masters. As far as the villains go, Millar did about as good a job with each of them as one could imagine. Namor isn’t king, he was a locked up criminal. Super-Skrull is really a skrull in a suit designed to mimic the powers around him. And the Frightful Four are truly copies of the Fantastic Four but are zombies. All are improvements, and in the case of the Frightful Four and the Super-Skrull they are now no longer useable because they were killed off. All for the better if you ask me though, I’d like to see some completely new villains get injected into the Ultimate Universe.

 

Millar’s style on these Ultimate series is one of fast paced plotting and very little real characterization. So a lot of things have happened without true character development in any way. Alicia’s and Ben’s relationship happened entirely off-screen if you don’t count the first time they met. Millar also introduces characters only to send them into limbo the moment the main plot doesn’t concern them. Where is Namor right now and what is really going on with Sue and Johnny’s mom? All we get is one sentence of explanation for each of them respectively. This is simply how Millar works—he makes dramatic and entertaining messes for other writers to come and mop/prop up. Basically he lets others do all the heavy lifting while he keeps his writing compressed and emotion-lite.

 

Yet he gets away with it here since he manages to keep the shock tactics to a minimum. Case in point, this issue has Dr. Doom and Reed Richards switching bodies only to have Reed (in Doom’s body) come back to save the day anyway. He wraps up Dr. Doom (for the time being by setting up the Zombies sequel), the alien inside Johnny, and the Frightful Four in a single issue. It’s entertaining in the way a summer blockbuster is entertaining.

 

Why the hell does Alicia not notice that her boyfriend is made of rock? Surely she isn’t devoid of touch as well as sight. It’s been enjoyable, but I’m ready for some real story development again.

 

Rating - 6