Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting continues the 'Three' storyline this week. The last issue was a verbal and visual sensation for me as it brought a fantastic sequence of Valeria teaming up with Doctor Doom; but it also showed how Epting is the right man for the job for this series. It would be tough to really say that this next issue outshined the introduction of the arc.....Well it doesn't. But it does have one of my favorite sequences of all time and that's gotta be worth something.

Yes the idea of Ben Grimm turning normal again has been done before in many Fantastic Four comics. So it was a bit worrying that Hickman was trotting old ground here. But what I really loved about this issue was how, even if it is the 'same old' in some respects; Hickman really made this enjoyable to read. It's like Hickman wrote it as Grimm's final chance to be a human, or maybe giving something good to him before tragedy(?) Maybe it's just a good way of showing why Grimm could be the victim of this storyline. Basically this issue just as a good old amount of heart but also tension. The heart comes from everything Grimm does; while the tension comes from Sue meeting Namor and Reed getting a visit from Silver Surfer. (Although to be honest, since him and Galactus are in Chaos War; the reveal is a bit diminished here)

Epting continues to show why he could be downright perfect for this series. Even though this is a superhero team; Hickman's script relies on this being a more 'down to earth' storyline. So while people like Silver Surfer, Namor, and others are shown here; they all do look a bit more normal then usual counterparts. The layouts for each panel is also pretty well done; with amazing amount of detail. The sequences where we see four, big panels of Ben and Johnny doing things together looks like we're actually in these locations. Although the final one with the poker game is a bit insane in retrospect. So even with a focus on the wackiness of Fantasic Four's day; Epting is just in a zone right now doing it in his own style.

While I still prefer the previous issue over this; that isn't to say this is a downgrade by any stretch of the imagination. It would be like #583 would be an A+ while this current issue would be a solid A. But there is one thing that I will always remember about this issue, and it could be the best thing I've witnessed this year so far.

The introduction to the 'New' Yancy Street Gang is one of the funniest things ever. The fact that they are now made up of 'failed dot-commers, ex-wall street traders, and failed hedge fund managers is just pure Jonathan Hickman. Utterly ridiculous but because Hickman is fantastic at writing business/politics he just makes this idea work so well. Ending it with Ben saying 'I want my 401K back!' is something I will quote for many years to come. If anything this sequence proves why I love Hickman so much. Turning something serious into something ridiculous and just making it work.