Fantastic Four #642 Review-The Quiet Man Strikes

Fantastic Four #642 renews the original numbering of the original FF series. As you may recall, our last review of Fantastic Four #14 was the last issue of the fourth volume of the title.

The multiple sub-plots seen in recent issues of the Fantastic Four look like they are coming to a conclusion soon. In this issue, we see Sue, Ben, and Johnny back at the partially-destroyed Baxter Building, where they encounter the most recent iteration of the Invaders, including Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch, who informs Sue that he was unable to protect her kids.

Fantastic Four #642 Credits Page

To that point, the story also shows Franklin Richards in the clutches of the Wizard (who is working for the Quiet Man) with the aid of the “Heroes Reborn” duplicates of the Franklin-verse. In this sub-plot, we see a daring rescue attempt with a dash of humor..(we are not going to spoil this one…go read it and find out).

Speaking of the Quiet Man, he continues expounding to a captive Reed Richards the how and why wonder tale of his evil, anti-FF machinations. Just as we are thinking (during Quiet Man’s diabolical monologue), that he is turning into an archetypical bad-guy-evil-plot reciter (see last review’s comparison of him to Dr. Evil), we see the hilarious sense of humor of writer James Robinson.

Spoiler Alert here…

Fantastic Four #642 Cover

Anyone who has read the Watchmen (by Marvel rival DC), can tell you, the best part of that story, is when villain Ozymandias tells the heroes his evil plot, but then declares that he is not some old-time movie villain dumb enough to tell his plans only to be stopped at the last minute. As Ozymandias famously declared, “It started 35 minutes ago,” so too does Quiet Man inform Reed Richards that his evil plot began 49 seconds ago! Classical reference worthy enough to make nerds cry!

Ozymandias of the Watchmen-35 Minutes Ago

Fantastic Four #642-Quiet Man Plots

Ok, back to the story…

Suffice it to say, this comic ends on all sorts of cliff-hangers, and, as with the other FF books by James Robinson and drawn by Leonard Kirk, this is classic Fantastic Four characterizations and art. The last page leaves us wondering what is going on, as Robinson re-introduces a rather interesting old Marvel character who should have a major impact on the next issue.

Stay tuned for the next edition of our Fantastic Four reviews when we look at Fantastic Four #643 in a month or so.

‘Nuff Said!

More from Bam Smack Pow

Home/Comics