After the last issue of Fantastic Four knocked my socks off, I went into reading this one filled with high hopes. Would the tale that introduced Dr.Doom be as compelling and as good as the tale that reintroduced Namor?

The cover and the opening pages offered such promise, starting off with the view of our new antagonist. Then leading into the home of our hero’s.  where some character development by way of a skirmish between The Thing and The Human Torch is about to be underway.

What’s the matter with the four of us? Whenever we’re not fighting some menace to mankind, we end up fighting among ourselves!

While the issue starts off good, I must say it does not live up to the expectations I had after  last issue.

Story

despite the promise of the earlier pages, I can’t help but feel let down by our hero’s in this tail. as well as how this story progresses. They all seem all to eager to play along with Dr. Doom’s scheme, because he is too dangerous and  they have to wait until they figured it all out first?

From Sue’s surrender, to agreeing to go back in time. the whole story feels a bit to forced for my taste.  but up to then, I would have said the story went from great to average.

it’s what happens in the past that really looses it for me.  I try to not be overly critical of time travel stories.  There is way too much room for nit-picking on any of them. I also can find a good time travel story can be quite good.  This one has problems though. in just 48 hours, The Thing becomes the famous pirate black beard, the same pirate  the 3 are sent back to find.

acquires his treasure in one raid, but then looses it all into the sea,  yet managing to take the chest back to Doom?  The flaws seem in the paradox of Doom’s research, such a short voyage and such forth that faced such doom, should not have led to him being able to pin down the treasure to him. There in lies my problem. I also find that the story does nothing to redeem itself in its final pages.

Art

I would have to say, the art of this issue, is one of its redeeming qualities. it is well done,  as well done as the last issue.  for me it gets some bonus prop’s for how well it portrays the 3 in pirate garb, in particular the thing.

Over the last few issues I have seen how well the things face is portrayed to show emotion. and this issue I feel kicks it up a notch. so while the story let me down, the art kept the book up beat a bit.

Originality & Continuity

I have one key thing to say here, one key & big Continuity mistake.  in the past they say that they only promised to bring back “Black Beards Treasure Chest”. I looked back, that is not what doom asked for, nor is it what anyone promised.  I would challenge you, my readers to prove me wrong on this and find the panel or bubble I am overlooking. It is one thing to bring back a deception, but another to claim that there bringing back just what was asked for.

To me, this is a big loss on Continuity,  there are a couple of mentions on Namor linking this story back though.  also take a look for the comic magazine Johnny is reading, it will hint what I am reviewing next.

Characters & Development

there was definitely development in this issue. We see The Things strong desire to be accepted. A desire for him to be seen as not a Monster, not ‘The Thing’. He also shows us the length that he is willing to go for that.  With that, I sense that he has a resentment for  the other members of the team,  for compared to him, they got it easy. This issue though I feel The Things development may have been a bit over the top, overdoing it perhaps to drive the point home to every last reader?

There is also back story development for Reed Richard’s in this issue.  By showing us that this foe is one that he once knew. I feel this is key to the making Dr. Doom an important character to come.  and is well done.  This is the first real glimpse into any members past, and it was a welcomed site. It would have been nice if Doom had acknowledged having known Reed in college somewhere in the issue though.