Daily Archives: 27 March 2011

Dorkin’s pacing is still excellent this issue, maybe even more than in the last one. And I guess this issue is somewhat better, even if Haspiel’s artwork fails to impress (he does a lot of superhero stuff in the second half and most of it falls flat). What’s troubling is Dorkin’s characterization of Ben.

The series, regardless of it being a Startling Stories title or having an indie creative team, seems to be shaping up to being about Ben cheating on Alicia. Dorkin comments on it, then handles it like Ben’s an adolescent. The series is set during the period when Johnny was dating Crystal, which I think was in the seventies. In other words, Dorkin has a wide timeline to work with and chooses the temporal setting for a reason.

Then he handles it like a Saturday morning cartoon.

Still, the series is getting better, thought not particularly good.

CREDITS

Writer, Evan Dorkin; artist, Dean Haspiel; colorist, Matt Madden; letterer, Tom Orzechowski; editor, Andrew Lis; publisher, Marvel Comics.

I’m not particularly literate in Fantastic Four, but even I have read this comic before. It’s Ben Grimm all upset about being the Thing so he hoofs it back to Yancy Street so he feels better about himself.

It’s pretty much every Thing comic stereotype thrown into an issue, with the possible exception of a new love interest (after Ben storms out on Alicia… she was being nice to him again).

The only other difference is it’s from Evan Dorkin and Dean Haspiel, which I guess is to give it an indie edge. Given Ben’s a talking wall, I’m not sure how anyone could draw him without some kind of indie sensibility and the Haspiel artwork is lovely.

As for Dorkin, I’m as unimpressed as I usually am with his writing. He overwrites the narration (in a misguided Stan Lee homage?), his observations are trite but it is paced well.

CREDITS

Writer, Evan Dorkin; artist, Dean Haspiel; colorist, Matt Madden; letterer, Tom Orzechowski; editor, Andrew Lis; publisher, Marvel Comics.