Fantastic Four #14 Review

Written by: Ryan North
Art by: Ivan Fiorelli
Colors by: Brian Reber
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Alex Ross (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: December 6, 2023

Fantastic Four #14 finds the gang together on the big day when the Baxter Building and their kids are due to return. Unfortunately, a tech billionaire is building a transmitter on the landing pad.

Is Fantastic Four #14 Good?

Ryan North cannot get out of his own way. Despite the last few issues presenting a marked improvement in entertainment value, Fantastic Four #14 displays the same bad creative choices that hindered the beginning of North’s run. In short, the villain is lame, and the conflict is boring.

When last we left the Fantastic Four, they teamed up with their dino counterparts from an alternate dimension to stop Dr. Doom and Dino-Dr. Doom from merging their Earths together. Now, the FF returns to where it all started at the sight of the time-displaced Baxter Building, where they find a gaggle of citizens and supervillains building what looks like a transmitter on the empty lot where the Baxter Building is due to appear in a few hours.

The FF learned that construction is happening through a gamified mobile app where players earn points from performing real-world tasks. When the FF pays the app’s inventor, Dan Passi, a visit, they learn his app uses rewards and influence as a way to influence the future. When Passi learns about the transmitter at the Baxter Building lot, he realizes his system has been hacked, and he asks Reed to help fix the compromise. Reed and Johnny use the opportunity to destroy Passi’s work, deciding that Passi’s invention is too dangerous. Later, the moment arrives for the Baxter Building to return, but unsurprisingly, nothing happens.

That’s right. After more than a year waiting for this big event to pay off, North chooses the road increasingly traveled by Marvel writers by not paying off the setup. Admittedly, the Baxter Building’s return likely wouldn’t result in some monumental shift in the FF’s status quo, but it would have at least served as an opportunity to do something different.

What’s great about the Fantastic Four #14? The team’s banter is entertaining. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but I’m honestly struggling to find something positive about the script that rises above mediocre.

What’s not so great about Fantastic Four #14? North’s tech billionaire villain (with a lowercase ‘v’) is a misguided genius who seems to act as North’s social commentary about real-life tech billionaires (Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, etc.) who are more interested in achievement and design while ignoring the social damage they cause. The social commentary is as subtle as a brick to the face, North’s explanation of Passi’s future influencing tech is flawed (ignores patches of probability theory and free will) AND dull, and the whole scenario feels like a time waster before showing the Baxter Building isn’t coming back.

On the future influencing tech problem, North’s earlier issues stumbled because he put the science lesson in front of the story, so the reading experience suffered. Here, North repeats the “science lesson first, story second” model with a predictable outcome. How’s that for creating your own future?

How’s the art? Fiorelli’s art truly is the highlight of this issue. The character designs look great, especially now that Ben’s head looks the way it’s supposed to look (see issues 11-13), and Reber’s colors look fantastic. The story may be as dull as dishwater, but at least the pages are bold and visually appealing.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

Fantastic Four #14 is an unfortunate step backward in a story about a villain who can influence the future. North unwisely puts the science lesson before the adventure (again) with a heavy-handed message about the dangers of tech billionaires. The art, however, looks great.