Writer: Ryan North
Artist: Cory Smith
Color Artist: Jesus Aburtov
Cover Artist: Joshua Cassara
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
Now, the time has come for the Fantastic Four to try one last plan to restore Ben Grimm’s powers. After Valeria’s mind/time-displaced adventure, she returns with a bold new plan that sounds so crazy it might work. Join the team on one last adventure to close out this run in Fantastic Four #33.
Review:
Alright, after the last attempt to get Ben’s powers back caused a whole set of time travel problems that Valeria was able to solve but also figure another solution: They harvest cosmic rays from the Big Bang. With that, let’s get into the review. There will be SPOILERS.
Okay, so Valeria goes over the plan with the rest of the family and they hash out what they’re going to do to make it work. But while all that’s going down, the comic has a different narrator, Herbie. Now that Herbie takes over as narrator, the narration has a more upbeat and downright amicable tone running throughout parts of the comic. So, once the team get their time traveling spacecraft ready, the main four get into the ship with Herbie as the pilot, now that’s he gotten a major upgrade to think and act in nanoseconds, and set off to the Big Bang.
Now, what’s the most important part of the comic is the character writing with the team, from how they encourage each other and share heartwarming moments with each other. And you see this best with Herbie. Naturally, when they arrive at the Big Bang, which looks stunning thanks to the art team, things seem to be going well, until they don’t. But when they do, Herbie is the only one who can really act.
Now, this is where Ryan North and Cory Smith pull off a cool move with the paneling, artwork, and Herbie’s narration. Where each panel shows the time moving ever so slowly but forward and things get steadily more destructive. But as they do, Herbie’s narration demonstrates his love and heroic nature as he comes up with more and more solutions to save everyone and makes the ultimate sacrifice with no regrets. By the end, the Fantastic Four are returned, Ben has his rock form back, and we get a sappy yet heartfelt ending to this story and this whole run.
Final Thoughts:
Fantastic Four #33 concludes not only this story arc but this run as a whole. Like the rest of the series, we get a solid sci-fi adventure with an impossible challenge for the Fantastic Four to overcome. Of course, Herbie steals the show this time around and demonstrates why he’s a valued member of the team, ending the comic and the run with a heartwarming tone.