Fantastic Four: The Beginning of the End

Fantastic Four (1998) (Collected Editions) #11

by Dwayne McDuffie, Paul Pelletier (Illustrator)

The Fantastic Four team up with Doctor Doom who has just traveled twenty years into the past in an attempt to save his future from Reed Richards, who is now attempting to declare alchemical warfare.

Collects Fantastic Four #525-526 and #551-553

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Science Fiction

168 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2007

About the author

Dwayne McDuffie was an American writer of comic books and television. His notable works included creating the animated series Static Shock, writing and producing the animated series Justice League Unlimited, and co-founding the comic book company Milestone Media.

He co-hosted a radio comedy program, and also wrote under a pseudonym for stand-up comedians and late-night television comedy programs. While working as a copy-editor for a financial magazine, a friend got him an interview for an assistant editor position at Marvel Comics.
While on staff at Marvel as Bob Budiansky's assistant on special projects, McDuffie also scripted stories for the company. His first major work was Damage Control, a series about the company that shows up between issues and tidies up the mess left by the latest round of superhero/supervillain battles. While an editor at Marvel, he submitted a spoof proposal for a comic entitled Teenage Negro Ninja Thrasher in response to Marvel's treatment of its black characters. Becoming a freelancer in early 1990, McDuffie followed that with dozens of various comics titles for Marvel comics, DC Comics, and Archie Comics.

In 1992, wanting to express a multi-cultural sensibility that he felt was missing in comic books, McDuffie co-founded Milestone Media, a comic book company owned by African-Americans.

After Milestone had ceased publishing new comics, Static was developed into an animated series Static Shock. McDuffie was hired to write and story-edit on the series, writing 11 episodes.

McDuffie was hired as a staff writer for the animated series Justice League and was promoted to story editor and producer as the series became Justice League Unlimited. During the entire run of the animated series, McDuffie wrote, produced, or story-edited 69 out of the 91 episodes. McDuffie also wrote the story for the video game Justice League Heroes.

McDuffie was hired to help revamp and story-edit Cartoon Network's popular animated Ben 10 franchise with Ben 10: Alien Force, continuing the adventures of the ten-year-old title character into his mid and late teenage years. During the run of the series, McDuffie wrote episode 1-3, 14, 25-28, 45 and 46 and/or story-edited all forty-six episodes.

On February 22, 2011, McDuffie died from complications due to a surgical procedure performed the previous evening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwayne_M...

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be the weirdest TPB I've ever seen. It collects Fantastic Four issues 525 and 526, skips 527-550, then collects issues 551-553, then it tacks on the 'Isla de la Muerte!' one-shot because, I guess, they had some space to fill? Bizarre.

It's a pretty mixed bag, too. Issues 525 and 526 are a Diablo story and a bit of an odd one, too. The FF act like a bunch of rookies who haven't been together very long in it, which is strange. The artwork's fine but nothing special. It has 'filler story' written all over it, to be honest. I'd give this one 2.5 stars.

The 'Isla de la Muerte!' one-shot is pretty good. The artwork is very different and stylised but I liked it a lot. The story is a nice one about Ben's annual three-day holiday to a mystery location. This year, the rest of the team can't resist their curiosity and follow him to find out where he goes. I'd give this one a solid 4 stars.

The three parter collected from issues 551-553 is truly excellent. A future version of Dr. Doom travels back to our present to stop Mr. Fantastic from doing something that, according to Doom, is catastrophic to the whole world. Needless to say, Doom is playing fast and loose with the truth. The artwork's pretty darned good, too. I'd give this one 4.5 stars.

Overall, I'd give this weird little trade 4 stars (rounding up).

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think if Dwayne McDuffie had been left on this book that we would have seen some really cool stuff happening. This volume is stronger than the previous collection but that needs to be qualified: this is only three issues of McDuffie and two issues of reprint to fill out the volume so it feels more cohesive. And I can't help but miss T'Challa and Storm's energy. I'm still not a fan of the art here: Ladronn, Paul Pope...there are so many artists out there that could pull off the promise that the FF concept presents. Yet FF never gets a superstar artist (well, at least since Wieringo and -- arguably -- Hitch). Pelletier's work is stronger than the previous volume, but this volume also only has one inker and I will attribute the balance here to that.

[Blindzider · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first three issues of this deals with the aftershocks from Reed Richards' action in Civil War. It contains a surprising amount of dialogue, both self and peer examining of the personalities of Reed and Victor Von Doom. Throw in a little bit of time travel and you have a well written Fantastic Four story.

The second arc which contains two issues, actually takes place way before Civil War and are included here because they are written by McDuffie as well. After reading it, it feels as if it was purposely written to be inserted anywhere, i.e. fill-in issues. The concept is pretty good, people dreaming other peoples dreams and not getting fully rested, but the resolution was a little weak.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid comic book action starring the First Family of comics doing what they do best—the impossible. In this book, that means confronting Doom from the future and fighting off a virus that swaps nightmares. The end result is page-turning with solid character introspection, especially of Reed. However, the writers remember that these are all still heroes and we want the stories to end with them being just that—heroes with goals we can look up to. In short: Conflict and shades of gray characterization with those same characters still reminding us that we can be better. That’s what comic books are all about, right?

[Timo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just do not like time traveling stories at all. They are just stupid. But then again, Doctor Doom is always huge fun. Then there is Kesel's offering with Diablo. He is a character I'm a bit fond, because he was one of the first nemesis of FF I got to know when I was kid.
Surprisingly, the best bit is the one-off special. Normally, those one-offs are just stories that did not fit in the normal canon of things. But this time the story of Hulk was just good mysterious fun. But it had horrendous art.

[Yasser Pundaodaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

So a future Doom escapes a high facility prison and throws a tantrum across time and space, but instead of answering for his crimes, Reed rewards him a ticket to another timeline where he can play Lord Savior in his metal diapey?

[Jdetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough issues, although the three parter that ends the collection really would have been better as a two issue arc. It tends to be a little too repetitive.

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doom is no longer Doom. He's kinda sad having lost his inner persecution complex.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the Fantastic Four, but haven't followed them since Byrne's run. These arcs featured two of the all-time great FF villains: Diablo and Doctor Doom. Fun for the whole family!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is is a nice capstone to the Civil War 100 Ideas storyline (that Hickman eventually picked up).

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first family of Marvel Comics tackles threats from both the past and future in this FF volume. In the first half, the team receives a visit from the Victor Von Doom of the future. Arriving with Namor and Black Panther in tow, Doom claims Reed is becoming insane - trying to fix everything as atonement for his Civil War dealings. While Doom's words have a sliver of truth, the arrival of an older FF from that same future are looking to take the Latverian monarch back into custody. As temper flare and punches are thrown, Reed must consider whether to trust in himself or his oldest enemy. The second half of the collection features the return of ancient alchemist Diablo. Trying to access the time machine in the Baxter Building, the wizard uses dreams and subterfuge to accomplish his goal. Yet the Fantastic Four are able to use those same methods to leave Diablo a little worse off than before. The Fantastic Four work best when facing life as a family, demonstrating the strong bond that formed during their 1960s creation. The departed Dwayne McDuffie does that well in the opening arc, relying on those familial ties to import a story on choice and confidence. Karl Kesel fails in his effort, inserting Diablo into his tale as a plot device rather than a necessary portion of the story. Kudos once again to artist Paul Pelletier, who does an amazing job in the four-color world of comics. The Beginning of the End has a great beginning and a not so great ending.

[Michael Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really like the Fantastic Four even though it can be one of the craziest, unrealistic titles out there, and this one kind of combined all of the worst elements of the series in one issue. Cosmic threats, in this case Dr. Doom from the far future and then the FF from the far future hunting him, and then the powerful villain (in this case Diablo) who

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Doom travels from the future to thwart the Fantastic Four in the present and Diablo causes trouble by turning things into gold.

Good art and mediocre stories make this a decent read for fans.

Notes
See Diablo's origin story.

Learning Curve
Moderate: Those new to Fantastic Four might be confused.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

McDuffie's story features some neat time travel and offers a nice coda to the Civil War [8/10].

I don't even know why Kesel's story is here. It's OK, only because it offers some interesting insight to characters. Kind of a let down from the previous offering though [6/10].

[Hillingdon Libraries]

Find this book at Hillingdon Libraries

[Colm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time-travelling Doom comes to mess with the heads of the FF and convince them that Reed will bring about some kind of apocalypse. Great, suspenseful story telling with moments that had me nearly drop what I was reading!

[DJ Bigalke · Rating 2 out of 5]

The FF are really some of the more silly superheroes around.

[Enrique Peral · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plan 101.