Fantastic Four: Isla De La Muerte (Marvel – Belard / Doe / Lanphear) – Puerto Rico…island of beauty, intrigue and, for one ever-lovin’, blue-eyed visitor…a pile full of danger! Ben Grimm has been keeping a secret from his teammates for years. But when Reed, Sue and Johnny investigate, the mystery brings them to the tropics, face-to-face with an old nemesis and a monstrous creature known as…EL CHUPACABRAS!! As far as one-shots go, this is one of the best Thing stories ever. Tom Beland (True Story, Hero Happy Hour) shows the fan world that he can write a traditional Super hero story incredibly well synthesizing comedy, passion and adventure. He nails the characters of the FF while telling a tale of personal growth, environmentalism and taking a look at the world through someone else’s eyes. There is a specific conversation between Ben and Sue as they are tromping through the rain forest that is probably one of the best written defining moments for these characters and when Marvel does another Treasury type event, this should be included. The beauty and unique style of Juan Doe’s art alone makes this a book worth getting. Match that up with the great story, and Isla De La Muerte is exactly what a one-shot story should be! Marvel also released a Spanish language version of this issue that has produced some media buzz, the Spanish language cover is below the grade. I cannot wait to see what comes out next from this creative team!
Issue Grade: A