Review: FANTASTIC FOUR LIFE STORY #3

The Fantastic Four caught in the middle of the cold war in the 80s? This issue maybe one of the best Life stories in the series so far

Story Thus far:

Decades after becoming aware of Galactus, Reed and Stark go to the White house to pitch the Ultimate Defense system against him ;however, it was a hard sell to the Reagan Administration. What made it easier to sell is to market it as a defense against other Nuclear Powers. The Soviet Union views the new weapon as a threat and ramped up their own defenses resulting in a nuclear stand -off that does not end well. Too make it even worse Dr. Richard’s obsession with Galactus results in Sue and Reed separating . The separation causes an unofficial dissolution of the final four.

Art:

I’ll start by saying that the art is good, but the vibe is wrong. I don’t know what is but, in my opinion, FANTASTIC FOUR LIFE STORY #3 : Life Story 80s, lacked the 80s vibe. The art team for FANTASTIC FOUR LIFE STORY #3 consist of Mark Russel, Sean Izaakse, and Nolan Woodar, and Joe Caramanga. Other than some strategically placed object such old TVs, Walkman’s, and Gorbachev it was hard to feel the connection.

Script:

Loved it. This would be great to see as a What if episode. The 80s alone could have been a 12-part series. There were some historical events that could have been touched on to give context that could have been touched on. Some of the elements of the story mirror What if? Such as Sue and Namor hooking up. In What if #21would soon be wed and she would become pregnant with his child.

Speculation:

Most of the Fantastic Four key’s related to this book are out of reach for the normal budget. Even the 1st appearance of the Mad Thinker can be up there for a good copy (Fantastic Four #15). The exception would be the 1st appearance of Franklin Richards (Fantastic Four Annual #6). While I’m going down this path I was shocked to see that the 1st appearances of Valeria Richards (Fantastic Four #254) is dirt cheap even for near mint.

Covers:

FANTASTIC FOUR LIFE STORY #3 will have 2 covers: CVR A Daniel Acuna; CVR BMarc Aspinall

Author(s): Mark Russell
Artist(s): Sean Izaakse
Color(s):Nolan Woodward
Letterer: Joe Caramanga
GENRE: Superhero, Splice of Life, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Marvel Comics