Webtoon Spotlight

Spotlight#153: Fantastic Four: Full Circle

Have you wanted to go on a journey unlike any other? If so, then you're in good hands, true believer, because to close out this latest cluster of spotlights, I will be covering Alex Ross' solo outing: Fantastic Four: Full Circle.

Summary

After an impromptu flight bathed their craft in dangerous cosmic rays, the lives of Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Sue, and Johnny Storm were never the same. Irrevocably scarred and given powers beyond their comprehension, the four, instead of falling into tragedy, their sense of shared adventure, seemingly skyrocketed.

Now joined together as a family, the adventurers travel the universe and battle evil as the Fantastic Four. However, their years of adventures will be tested when an old ghost from their past returns in full force. It will force the four to enter the unknown depths of the Negative Zone.

Characters

Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic: The leader and main scientist of the Four, Reed is a man who often hides his feelings with facts. He often relies on his friends' trust while he figures out a solution behind the scenes. While he can come off a little cold, Reed is always "stretching" his imagination and understanding of the universe so he can benefit the field of science and people.

Sue Storm/Invisible Woman: The secret force of nature of the team, Sue often is the mediator between the more extreme personalities. She's often the people person who watches over everyone else, even to her detriment, because Sue doesn't wish to make anyone feel invisible.

Johnny Storm/The Human Torch: Would calling this guy a hot shot be a too-on-the-nose metaphor here? Johnny is the most superficial of the Four, often being the first to fall in and out of love, wreck a job, or get into trouble. However, for all his showboating, Johnny is often the sparkplug who can focus on the best solution.

Ben Grimm/The Thing: Being both the muscle and heart of the team, besides his "rocky exterior." As the member whose appearance has gone through the most physical changes, Ben often battles a lot with his sense of self-worth. However, this sensitivity also lends itself well to his teammates, as Ben will fight tooth and nail to keep the group grounded.

Overview

Soo, tiny confession to make. I've been trying to get into the Fantastic Four a lot more in recent years. I've always been a sucker for found family stories, and the FF has downright written the book for 60 years and over 700 chapters now. So far, I've gotten through Waid, Slott, and Ryan North's run. All that to say that the good news is you don't need to watch many FF comics to get any enjoyment.

Full Circle borrows heavily from the old Stan Lee and Jack Kirby days in aesthetics and design, with this being an unintentional follow-up to Issue#51: This man this monster. Given who's writing and drawing, this makes sense. If you're unfamiliar with Alex Ross, I'm very happy to get you acquainted with this living legend.

Getting his massive start in Kingdom Come, Alex Ross is a renowned painter known for his ability to mix classic, retro design schemes mixed with realism. Ross's art always operates on showing you a fantastical world that was always just out of reach. His work is unmistakable and charming, and this may be the best possible work yet. This is more then just a feast for the eyes, it's a seven- stage course.

Somehow, Full Circle mixes the best of Alex Ross' style with Jack Kriby's signature strong line work to create callbacks to a bygone era in grander detail than before. However, all this experimentation doesn't seem to let us forget about the good ole bells and whistles. Alex writes all of the Four relatively well despite continuity-wise, this being able to take place anywhere.

The more I understand the FF, the more I see what so many get wrong. Four are a family first, explorers second, and superheroes third. They don't have secret identities or patrol to fight crime. They explore whatever mysteries existence has for them so they can help their fellow man. Mixing these two truths makes the FF's plight in the surrealist, horror-inspired Negative Zone so compelling.

Epilogue

Full Circle, I feel like, hits that sweet spot between serving as a fun little mixup for newcomers and longtime fans to get invested in. I'm glad that this is the end that this cluster of spotlights can go out on. Fear not, true believers, because now that I'm back in action, you can see a whole host of new spotlights coming forth.