Point of Origin is turning into a classic, if I can be so bold as to hype it up. I’m no Fantastic Four expert/purist. I’ve only been following them faithfully for Dan Slott’s run and some of the early Stan Lee stories, so as a fan my opinion might be considered in its adolescence, but this story is a damn good one on it’s own, and perhaps even as an FF story as well.
#spoilers
Part One of this arc saw the Four resurrecting their original mission that ended in them being blessed with their cosmic-imbued abilities, travelling to the planet known as Spyre. Issue 15 is told from the perspective of Spyre, a society protected by a group of heroes known as THE UNPARALLELED, who really come across as an alternate Justice League with a Marvel imprint. We learn that they exist in preparation for the coming of the Fantastic Four, the invaders. When the Fantastic Four do arrive they are met in combat.
My favorite part here is that being that the issue is told from the Unparalleled’s side of things, the Fantastic Four get the alien language treatment in their speech bubbles. What’s more fun is deciphering their dialogue, especially when Torch and Thing utter their battle cries and you can vaguely make out the shapes of written letters. Eventually Reed gets his Universal Translator working and the fighting stops. However, Ben ends up in the low realm of “Low Town” whilst the others remain in the respective “High Town.” Johnny learns that he is soul mates with Sky, of the Unparalleled, and Reed and Sue make debate of their capture/imprisonment with the leader of the super group.
Issue 16 sees Ben battling the freakish outcasts of Low Town while Johnny’s romance with Sky begins to unfold and Reed and Sue uncover the secrets of Spyre. By the end Reed and Sue break free, sending up the Fantastic Four signal to intercept Johnny and Sky’s flourishing, and paving the way for Ben to lead his now befriended outcasts to High Town.
It all feels like an episode of Star Trek, but with that Mighty Marvel spin of things. It’s awesome! If I read the solicitations right I think this story is supposed to wrap up within the next couple of issues, which saddens me, because the whole realm of Spyre and the interactions that the Fantastic Four have with its inhabitants is nothing short of fluid and exciting. It’s got that high-fantasy escapism that I live for, and usually in that neighborhood I enjoy to linger a little. I would love to see more of the society of Low Town, or the various relationships of the Unparalleled. I was already in love with Dan Slott’s course in running this title, but with this arc it has skyrocketed to new heights – he was truly born for this book.
I’m more than eager for Issue 17, but also in no rush to end this spectacular saga.
TL;DR Score: Reed making the jab against Namor was mint!
TL;DR Comics 