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Fantastic Four Visionaries
Fantastic Four Visionaries: Walter Simonson, Vol. 2
When it's down to fighting cyborg dictators and displaced dinosaurs, who has time to figure out where they are? It's another Simonson odyssey for the Fantastic Four and company, plus personal crises for the Human Torch and Sharon Ventura!
Collects Fantastic Four (1961) #342-346.
Collects Fantastic Four (1961) #342-346.
120 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2008
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59 people want to read
About the author
Walter Simonson
1,259 books175 followersWalt Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' Thor from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned work Star Slammers, which he inaugurated in 1972 as a Rhode Island School of Design thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as X-Factor and Fantastic Four, on DC Comics books including Detective Comics, Manhunter, Metal Men and Orion, and on licensed properties such as Star Wars, Alien, Battlestar Galactica and Robocop vs. Terminator.
He is married to comics writer Louise Simonson, with whom he collaborated as penciller on X-Factor from 1988 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Thor feature film.
He is married to comics writer Louise Simonson, with whom he collaborated as penciller on X-Factor from 1988 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Thor feature film.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 9, 2016
342: A kid kills himself with gasoline and a match, emulating his hero, the Human Torch. Torch vows never to use his powers again until the Seekers come after him.
Rusty Collins from X-Factor guest stars in the fill-in issue Walter Simonson has nothing to do with. It's not a bad story, though. Just the Torch dealing with some shit. Didn't they kill off Rusty Collins a few years after this?
343-344: The Fantastic Four find themselves on an alternate earth after the time bubble fiasco, a world where Dan Quayle is the president and Joseph Stalin still rules Russia, a world on the brink of nuclear destruction!
The Fantastic Four prevent the US and Russia from destroying one another with nuclear weapons AND fight Joseph Stalin in a giant robot battlesuit. It doesn't get much more 1980's than this story. Ben whips out the Thing armor that eventually Darla Deering uses in FF, which begs the question "Why didn't he wear it in the time bubble story they just finished?"
345-346: After leaving the alternate earth, the Fantastic Four wind powerless and running from their lives from dinosaurs on the island that time forgot!
The powerless Fantastic Four, plus some army guys, fight for their lives on an island full of dinosaurs. Simonson's signature looks like a dinosaur so you know he was dying to pit the FF against them. Overall, it was a pretty average tale in a pretty average volume.
Closing Thoughts: Simonson's second volume was passable but mostly dealt with fallout from the first. It was a bridging volume and read like one. 3 out of 5 stars.
Rusty Collins from X-Factor guest stars in the fill-in issue Walter Simonson has nothing to do with. It's not a bad story, though. Just the Torch dealing with some shit. Didn't they kill off Rusty Collins a few years after this?
343-344: The Fantastic Four find themselves on an alternate earth after the time bubble fiasco, a world where Dan Quayle is the president and Joseph Stalin still rules Russia, a world on the brink of nuclear destruction!
The Fantastic Four prevent the US and Russia from destroying one another with nuclear weapons AND fight Joseph Stalin in a giant robot battlesuit. It doesn't get much more 1980's than this story. Ben whips out the Thing armor that eventually Darla Deering uses in FF, which begs the question "Why didn't he wear it in the time bubble story they just finished?"
345-346: After leaving the alternate earth, the Fantastic Four wind powerless and running from their lives from dinosaurs on the island that time forgot!
The powerless Fantastic Four, plus some army guys, fight for their lives on an island full of dinosaurs. Simonson's signature looks like a dinosaur so you know he was dying to pit the FF against them. Overall, it was a pretty average tale in a pretty average volume.
Closing Thoughts: Simonson's second volume was passable but mostly dealt with fallout from the first. It was a bridging volume and read like one. 3 out of 5 stars.
March 22, 2022
Begins with a fill-in issue that has nothing to do with Walt Simonson's run. It's pretty terrible. Then the FF find out they returned home to an alternate dimension where the Cold War was still going on. Then the FF get trapped on a island out of time with some soldiers and a bunch of dinosaurs. Sharon gets a chance to shine after everyone loses their powers on the island. All in all though, a skippable volume of the Fantastic Four.
December 3, 2014
Burnout! (342) I guess if you're doing this complete "Epic" collections, you reprint everything, but this fill-in is really shockingly bad. Horribly cliched dialogue, an after-school special plot, and pretty much nothing of interest [1/10].
Nukebusters (343-344). This visit to a Cold War Earth has a few amusing bits: the FF's interactions with the alternate world, and the ending. But the rest of it is a pretty staid action adventure [5+/10].
DInosaurs (345-346). Fun with dinosaurs, and some strong characterization for Sharon, but ultimately another story that's pretty shallow [6/10].
Overall, a pretty mediocre volume that's largely skippable in the larger context of the FF.
Nukebusters (343-344). This visit to a Cold War Earth has a few amusing bits: the FF's interactions with the alternate world, and the ending. But the rest of it is a pretty staid action adventure [5+/10].
DInosaurs (345-346). Fun with dinosaurs, and some strong characterization for Sharon, but ultimately another story that's pretty shallow [6/10].
Overall, a pretty mediocre volume that's largely skippable in the larger context of the FF.
September 26, 2018
Collects Fantastic Four issues 342–346.
The first issue is apparently a filler where Ben, Johnny, and Sharon have an adventure of their own. It wasn’t published in Finland. Simonson didn’t work on it.
The rest of the collection is solid Simonson. The FF find out that they didn’t actually return to their own world from the time bubble. Instead, they’re in an alternate world where Dan Quayle is the President of US and Joseph Stalin is still the Premier of USSR. Stalin is 111 years old and is wearing a power armor which is keeping him alive. The world is still in darkest Cold War. When Quayle decides to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the Soviet Union, Reed and the rest of the FF must work hard to prevent it. This world’s Reed has started to build EMP-weapons and our Reed manages to finish them just in time to blow the missiles from the sky. Then the FF head to Kremlin in the hopes of finding a way to stop World War III. After they battle Stalin, who is wearing his impressive power armor, they find out rather strange things.
Next, Reed is able to fix the time sled and they again try to return to their own time. But they don’t succeed yet. The FF find themselves in jungle with a group of US soldiers. Also, the FF don’t have their powers, so the soldiers are rather skeptical about their identities. Even Sharon returns to her human form. But the jungle full of hostile dinosaurs they must work together in order to survive. However, the jungle seems to be a just a fragment in time, an island which is quickly falling apart from around them.
I’m a fan of alternate universes and this jaunt was a lot of fun! I loved the surprise at the Kremlin; I didn’t remember that at all from my first read. I also love dinosaurs so it was fun to see them. Also, Ben brought his Thing suit with him so he was the only who how had powers. That was a fun reversal.
I’m not so crazy about Sharon’s subplot. She’s starting to loath her Thing form and wants to be a woman for Ben. Ben tries to reassure her but in vain. Also, Johnny is still thinking of Nebula and wondering how he can face Alicia.
Otherwise, this was great fun, if somewhat weird to see Ben and Johnny involved with and declaring their love to women who are now long gone from their lives.
The first issue is apparently a filler where Ben, Johnny, and Sharon have an adventure of their own. It wasn’t published in Finland. Simonson didn’t work on it.
The rest of the collection is solid Simonson. The FF find out that they didn’t actually return to their own world from the time bubble. Instead, they’re in an alternate world where Dan Quayle is the President of US and Joseph Stalin is still the Premier of USSR. Stalin is 111 years old and is wearing a power armor which is keeping him alive. The world is still in darkest Cold War. When Quayle decides to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the Soviet Union, Reed and the rest of the FF must work hard to prevent it. This world’s Reed has started to build EMP-weapons and our Reed manages to finish them just in time to blow the missiles from the sky. Then the FF head to Kremlin in the hopes of finding a way to stop World War III. After they battle Stalin, who is wearing his impressive power armor, they find out rather strange things.
Next, Reed is able to fix the time sled and they again try to return to their own time. But they don’t succeed yet. The FF find themselves in jungle with a group of US soldiers. Also, the FF don’t have their powers, so the soldiers are rather skeptical about their identities. Even Sharon returns to her human form. But the jungle full of hostile dinosaurs they must work together in order to survive. However, the jungle seems to be a just a fragment in time, an island which is quickly falling apart from around them.
I’m a fan of alternate universes and this jaunt was a lot of fun! I loved the surprise at the Kremlin; I didn’t remember that at all from my first read. I also love dinosaurs so it was fun to see them. Also, Ben brought his Thing suit with him so he was the only who how had powers. That was a fun reversal.
I’m not so crazy about Sharon’s subplot. She’s starting to loath her Thing form and wants to be a woman for Ben. Ben tries to reassure her but in vain. Also, Johnny is still thinking of Nebula and wondering how he can face Alicia.
Otherwise, this was great fun, if somewhat weird to see Ben and Johnny involved with and declaring their love to women who are now long gone from their lives.
October 22, 2024
The non Simonson issue is as damp a squib as it was over thirty years ago as I read it as a kid, but the rest is as exciting and fun and beautifully drawn as I remember it. I’d forgotten Simonson was partly responsible for the Time Variance Authority, and particularly enjoyed the cameo at the end, but best of all is that there’s a through line between this and the Hickman stories, both revelling in the cosmic toy box of Kirby at his best and throwing out mad ideas constantly. I’d just argue that Simonson synthesises it better so those ideas run parallel with old fashioned pulpy storytelling. Also, as a long standing Ben Grimm fan it reminds me that for me the best representation of Ben and Reed’s friendship is here in those human moments when you realise that these two slightly older characters have genuine love and affection for each other. Simonson is incredible at character beats that never overwhelm the story and feel completely natural
May 27, 2019
Ignoring the first issue in this collection, which is a fill in, these are great stories. Simonson has these characters down pat and let's us see them in new and different situations. I especially enjoy the two issues where they must battle dinosaurs without their powers...it shows us that they are the true heroes, not the powers they possess.
September 25, 2025
A slim collection, right in between two volumes that approach 200 pages, collecting one fill-in issue and a couple of two-parters that have the signature Simonson flair. Two stories that evoke the Lee-Kirby golden years heavily peppered with Simonson staples like giant armor and dinosaurs.
July 2, 2019
Feels a bit slight (in both length and content) compared to the prior volume, and bizarrely includes a non-Simonson fill-in issue from the period. Still fun.
February 27, 2020
Like V.1 this thing moves so fast that following the plot is an after thought. Just enjoy the ride.
November 24, 2020
‘Into the Time Stream’ continues & is delightful
September 22, 2021
Continuing the time travel fun.
May 23, 2016
This volume collects Fantastic Four #342–346, mostly written and drawn by Walter Simonson (the exception being #342 by Danny Fingaroth and Rex Valve).
The opening story, "Burnout", neither written nor drawn by Simonson, is a weird inclusion. First of all, it really does not affect Simonson's ongoing storyline (and there have been other Visionaries collections where more relevant material has been excluded for not having any involvement from the writer and/or artist in the title). Secondly, it is a rather bad and ill-conceived rehash of a much better John Byrne story (which is also referenced explicitly within the story). All in all, the volume would have been better off without this, and as an opening it sets the tone all wrong.
After that, however, we are back on Simonson's storyline, with Simonson at the helm. First out is the two-parter "Nukebusters", where the end of issue #341 is delivered upon: after their time travelling adventure, the FF has returned to their own time period, but in an alternative reality, where Stalin is apparently still alive and nuclear Armageddon is at hand.
The volume then ends with "The Mesozoic Mambo" and "70 Million Years BC ...And Then Some", in which the FF travels onward yet does not quite seem to reach home. Hint: there are dinosaurs around.
As with the first volume, it is a bumpy ride. The opening is, as stated, somewhat disastrous and if it had not been included, chances are that the volume could have earned higher grade from me. The alternate Soviet story might not have warranted it, but the dinosaur-related story could certainly have pulled the whole up a notch if that first lead balloon did not pull everything down a notch.
So, yet again, an enjoyable read on the whole, but still not really the type of first class FF material that can be found in Byrne's legendary run, and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's original one.
The opening story, "Burnout", neither written nor drawn by Simonson, is a weird inclusion. First of all, it really does not affect Simonson's ongoing storyline (and there have been other Visionaries collections where more relevant material has been excluded for not having any involvement from the writer and/or artist in the title). Secondly, it is a rather bad and ill-conceived rehash of a much better John Byrne story (which is also referenced explicitly within the story). All in all, the volume would have been better off without this, and as an opening it sets the tone all wrong.
After that, however, we are back on Simonson's storyline, with Simonson at the helm. First out is the two-parter "Nukebusters", where the end of issue #341 is delivered upon: after their time travelling adventure, the FF has returned to their own time period, but in an alternative reality, where Stalin is apparently still alive and nuclear Armageddon is at hand.
The volume then ends with "The Mesozoic Mambo" and "70 Million Years BC ...And Then Some", in which the FF travels onward yet does not quite seem to reach home. Hint: there are dinosaurs around.
As with the first volume, it is a bumpy ride. The opening is, as stated, somewhat disastrous and if it had not been included, chances are that the volume could have earned higher grade from me. The alternate Soviet story might not have warranted it, but the dinosaur-related story could certainly have pulled the whole up a notch if that first lead balloon did not pull everything down a notch.
So, yet again, an enjoyable read on the whole, but still not really the type of first class FF material that can be found in Byrne's legendary run, and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's original one.
January 23, 2023
Fun cosmic stuff, good twists, great art, silly good times. Two two-parters pitting the team against the Cold War gone amok in a parallel world and, sans powers, versus dinosaurs on an island unmoored in time, both goofy fun, but well plotted and sharply written. Lots of nice touches, like Shary's reversion to human form and Reed's teasing of Sue. I enjoyed this book, although being only five issues and including a filler issue by another team (the Human Torch's dark night of the soul), it's not a very good package for its price. Glad I borrowed it. Marvel should've lopped off the filler issue and included the "new" FF issues instead to make a meatier collection.
++++++++++++
I bought myself a copy of this on Kindle - it's not one of my favorite Simonson comics, but even a merely "good" Simonson comic is better than nearly anyone else's comics work.
++++++++++++
I bought myself a copy of this on Kindle - it's not one of my favorite Simonson comics, but even a merely "good" Simonson comic is better than nearly anyone else's comics work.
September 22, 2011
Worth it for the Johnny Storm story alone. The Human torch has to copewhen oneof his fans takes exteme actions. There's also some emotional things going on for Ms Marvel. The nucleur themed world was intriguing about the cold war. An interesting read, oh and there were dinosaurs too!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews