Writer: David Pepose
Artist: Juann Cabal
Color Artist: Jesus Aburtov
Cover Artist: Cafu
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
The world is on the brink of destruction, so a certain supervillainess thinks it’s the perfect time to rob the Fantastic Four. The Baxter Building is under threat from within as Oubliette, aka Exterminatrix, aka daughter of deceased villain Dr. Midas, infiltrates the FF’s home to steal the greatest secrets of Mr. Fantastic. But before she can get to Reed, she’ll have to go through the one and only Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four #48.
Review:
This two parter brings things to a close and with it this run on the Fantastic Four before it’s next relaunch. David Pepose does his best to tell a fun story that somehow ties in to the wider Judgment Day event, but it doesn’t completely stick the landing. So, let’s get right to it.
The comic picks up with Oubliette trying to break into Mr. Fantastic’s personal think-tank chamber. But surprise! Turns out he’s got heavy security and encryption that she just can’t crack. So, she does the next best thing and sets her sights on capturing Susan, aka The Invisible Woman, the only other person who could know the codes to get in. But of course, Sue won’t go down without a fight.
The Invisible Woman continues to excel as the main star of this story as her powers and personality are put to good use in the comic. Susan gets the best action shots and one-liners that Juann Cabal can give her. It also helps when she’s facing off against a rather odd opponent unleashed by Oubliette to supposedly capture her. Pepose really lets his inner Die Hard fan out with the references in the comic with one being very obvious and somewhat fun to see. That said, he does give The Thing and the Human Torch something to keep them preoccupied, with The Thing having a heartwarming and relatable moment.
As with the previous issue, Pepose really goes all the way with Reed’s narration about his wife and family. Like before, some of it is wholesome, and the rest just feels like he’s droning on and on and on about Susan and the Fantastic Four. Mind you, the narration isn’t saying anything new, just the same old things that any Fantastic Four fan, casual or longtime, would already know about them. It also doesn’t help that the end of the conflict with Oubliette was very underwhelming and anticlimactic. While the comic lays out the promise of something new for the villainess, it’s highly unlikely any comic writer will actually do anything with it considering she’s a lesser-known supervillainess that few write with care these days. On top of that, the final ending was a little too sappy and ultimately made this whole two-parter pointless as a tie-in to the Judgment Day event.
Final Thoughts:
Fantastic Four #48 concludes this Die Hard-style story with The invisible Woman and Oubliette battling it out in the Baxter Building. The Invisible Woman has some cool moments in the comic, but the resolution with Oubliette was very underwhelming. The reveal about the villain leaves some potential for her future, but it’s not set in stone whether anyone will do anything good with it in the near future. Also, while it’s technically a tie-in to the Judgment Day event, it ultimately contributes little to the wider event and felt like it could’ve been a standalone story.