Well, after a kind of unspectacular start (Uncanny Avengers, Iron Man and Deadpool all good but not great), Marvel Now seems to be hitting its stride! To be honest, this was the Fraction FF book I was looking forward to the least, but I have to admit I was really impressed by almost everything in this book. From the brilliant foreshadowing of the opening splash page to the intriguing new direction promised by the end, this issue was really strong on all fronts. Fraction has been a hit-or-miss writer for me in the past, but with this book and Hawkeye he would seem to be on something of a roll right now. Here he gives a sense of energy and momentum which kept me turning each page quickly, excited to get to the next. I particularly enjoyed Johnny Storm’s Negative Zone date night and the nice use of the younger members of the Future Foundation. Hopefully Fraction will be able to hold my interest better than Hickman, whose previous run on Marvel’s first family stopped being fun for me round about the time Johnny went away.
One slightly unexpected advantage Fraction has in his favour is his art team here. I haven’t seen any of Bagley’s work recently, but to my eyes this is some of the best stuff he has ever produced, brimming with as much energy as the script and showing, I think, just a little bit of an Alan Davis influence which is more than welcome to this fanboy. Whereas I felt that Hickman’s run suffered from a lack of consistency in the art department, you just know that Bagley is going to be there month in, month out for the long haul. Before reading this issue I wasn’t sure that would be a good thing. Having just put the book down, however, I couldn’t be more pleased. I am actually disappointed that this book isn’t double-shipping like almost all the other Now titles (Bagley could do it! You know he could!), but I’ve gotta say I’m now even more excited for FF in two weeks time! Bring on the Allred!!!!!!