PROS:

-Ryan Stegman feels right for this series doesn’t he? Jonathan Hickman has been gifted for having great artists throughout his run on Fantastic Four and Stegman is no different. I will say Stegman’s style is more ‘cartoony’ then the previous artists. So if you’re looking for a Steve Epting style in this issue you won’t see it. But just because Stegman’s style is different from the rest doesn’t make the book any less sweeter to read. His designs are gorgeous to look at especially when it comes to the Galactus corpse. There’s a double page spread here that looks amazing. Also, I’d love to see him work on a Hulk book because even if this isn’t the ‘616’ Hulk he does a great job making the fight with Ben feel classic Hulk. Finally, some amazing coloring by Paul Mounts in this issue. The setting of the cave system is pretty realistic with the shadowing and colors.

CONS:

-Maybe ‘con’ is a strong word but I did have a bit of a gripe with the overall story of this issue. Hickman’s run seems to be more putting the pieces back together then actually telling anything worthwhile. Which is fine because, for the most part, these one-and-done issues have been a blast to read. But trying to fix up a loose end with Mark Millar’s run isn’t something I would call fun to read. It took me a minute to remember just who these guys were even with Hickman recapping it. But the science involved with the plot still hooked me in and Hickman puts a good amount of humor for me to not groan about it too much. Also, it’s a time travel situation and I’m always a sucker for those.

CONCLUSION:

It’s a shame that Ryan Stegman is just NOW getting on this series because he is a perfect fit for these characters. His style is much more cartoony then what we normally seen. But he can balance it out with a gorgeous page of a seemingly plausible spaceship made out of Galactus bones. While tying up a story from Mark Millar isn’t what I call a ‘5 star’ issue, the science and humor is there just enough for me to like the issue.