Comics / Comic Reviews / Marvel Comics

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 5

By The Editor
June 5, 2006 - 13:16

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 5: CROSSOVER
Collecting issues 21-26 of the series

You get possibly the most entertaining volume of the three year run that is ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR, a TPB called ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR: CROSSOVER.

What do you get when you combine a superstar writer, a superstar artist, the fantastic four, and zombies? You get possibly the most entertaining volume of the three year run that is ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR, a TPB called ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR: CROSSOVER.

Mark Millar who has quickly garnered a name for himself for his work on the ULTIMATES and for his penchant for the extreme, in books like WANTED and THE UNFUNNIES, holds a niche somewhere between Brian Bendis and Warren Ellis, two other writing stars of the comics field. Millar manages to capture the ear for dialogue of the former, as well as the forward thinking/scifi bent of the latter.

But while not the equal of either men in their respective quarters: dialogue for Bendis, and scifi for Ellis; when combining the two concepts to tell stories of the superman, the ubermensh; Millar exceeds both gentlemen. Because I think Millar brings more true fondness for the world of costumed adventures, then the aforementioned writers, who always seem slightly disdainful of it. There's always a sense of fun, an undercurrent of joy, in the four-color superheroic team books of Millar that are missing from the work of some of his contemporaries.

Case in point, ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL V CROSSOVER, written by Mark Millar, collects issues 21-26 of the series. The book is suitably fun, disturbing and exciting covering a three-part zombie throwdown, and a three-part Sub-mariner crossover. But what really elevates this TPB is the stunning work that Greg Land, Mat Ryan, and Justin Ponsor put into the art chores.

It is absolutely jaw-dropping beautiful work, each page worth framing. Particularly page 11 and 12 of #23 with the zombie superhero hordes coming at the viewer. That's poster material.

And I know some people like to toss stones at photorealistic art, with cries of static, etc. I personally think that's a load of nonsense, spouted mostly by people afraid they will be held to this high standard.

And it's worth mentioning I have nothing against cartoony artwork, I think it has its place, such as Oeming's work on POWERS.  

I also think Photo-realistic has its place, and that place is definitely in these collected issues of the ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR. While the stories collected are definitely great, a definite B+… it's the artwork that puts this book on the top of my MUST BUY pile.

The pencils and inks are brilliant, I can't tell where Greg ends and Matt begins… always the mark of a great team. However it's Justin Ponsor's colors, an often overlooked part of the package, that really put the icing on the cake. His issue #21 ranking as one of the best colored comics.

All in all, this is a fun story done by a dream team of creators, deserving of oversized hardcover treatment. If you can get only one volume of the ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR I would make it this one.Highly recommended. A-.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12