‘Fantastic Four: Full Circle – Expanded Edition’ (review)

Written and Illustrated by Alex Ross
Published By Abrams Books/MarvelArts

Anytime that legendary comic book creator Alex Ross decides to take on a comic book story, it is a cause for celebration. Ross certainly is one of the most lauded creators the medium has ever seen. He certainly has done some amazing work over the years, both in comics and around them.

Recently, he’s mostly been doing comic book covers.

However, a few years back he wrote and illustrated this really great comic book story featuring the first Marvel super-family, The Fantastic Four.

It was a hardcover that featured a really special story. Well, now they took that special and made it an expanded edition, chock full of exciting extras and new material that we haven’t seen before this.

Let’s take a closer look at this book, shall we?

The book just starts out with Ben Grimm as the Thing and Johnny Storm as the Human Torch, going about their days. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the incredible art or the spectacular presentation, it would feel like just another episode or issue of the Fantastic Four.

The mysterious character from the original classic story, “This Man… This Monster!” returns to the Fantastic Four headquarters in The Baxter Building. That issue and its plot line helps get this story going here.

And once it starts, it certainly does not let up one single bit.

This character posed as Ben Grimm in the original series when he appeared. Why did he reappear now? And what is his appearance have to do with anything?

Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, investigates the body and it seems that this character is somehow tied into the Negative Zone. Seeing that it is the case, the Fantastic Four have to now travel to the dreaded dimension. Susan Storm, the Invisible Girl, won’t let the three boys go without her. And so it is that the Fantastic Four head off to Negative Zone to do a further and more thorough investigation of the events happening.

It all seems like a set up for Alex Ross to draw up some physics defying artwork. It also seems like the whole thing is an excuse for him to draw up some of his favorite characters. And I am totally okay with that!

It is a blast seeing the Fantastic Four head off into the Negative Zone to try and find out some information about this character and how he ended up that way he ended up. That is the basic plot and it is a heck of an amazing experience. Ross has a good handle on what makes a Fantastic Four story works and it shows on each and every panel. Every page is easily a work of art.

We get to see all the staples from the Negative Zone as well, including the villainous Annihilus. The story has a philosophical bend to it as well that we aren’t really used to seeing these characters have. But it makes sense in the long run and gives up a new and fresh perspective of them.

By the end of the book, you’re almost sad that it is far too soft of a story. I felt like Ross had only begun to scratch the surface of how he wanted to portray these classic characters. And he did a top notch quality job. The issue was, he could have went on for a long time with them and really gone for it and made an epic tale. At best, the story feels like an annual or a prestige format 64 page issue. Spectacular, but all too sadly short.

Alex Ross did a hell of a job writing and drawing this, no question. It is one of the best Fantastic Four stories of all time. I just wish that there was more of it.

There is a lot of space in this special edition that shows how Ross created the book and it is interesting enough. The commentary is interesting if you are into that sort of thing. It has thumbnails, sketches, inks, color schemes, the works. The extras are chockfull of interesting things. It even has the original story from Fantastic Four #51, to compliment this story.

Overall, it is a great book and one everyone should read if you’re a fan of these characters. But like me, you would just want more of it.

RATING: A