Fantastic Four: Nobody Gets Out Alive

Fantastic Four (1961) #387-392

by Tom DeFalco, Paul Ryan (Illustrator)

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes

144 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1995

About the author

Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well-known for his association with Marvel Comics and Spider-Man.

Reviews

[Jdetrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

When the FF is good, it is very, very good....but just as often its horrible. There have been long stretches of bad issues in the series 60 year run, but perhaps none worse than the Tom DeFalco/Paul Ryan years of the early to mid 90s. This is a perfect example of what's wrong with the series under their watch...not knowing the characters, introducing so many new characters that they overwhelm the book, trying to cash in on the more "mature" comics of this time, but not knowing quite how to do it...these issues are a mess. By the time the team has dissolved in the final issue in the volume, you're left feeling that it was a mercy killing.

[Markel Tumlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay collection of an FF storyline from the 1990s. I have a soft spot for the FF from growing up during the silver and bronze comic ages. This is a story that references the FF’s epic battle with Galactus back during that era. A fun read if not as thrilling as tales from the Lee & Kirby era.

[Matthew Price · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paul Ryan is underrated as an artist, and DeFalco seems to show genuine affection for the Fantastic Four characters. But some plotlines go off in odd directions, and it definitely gets convoluted by the end.
Spoilers ahead - this collection contains the issue in which Reed Richards is supposedly killed by Doctor Doom. Sue Storm refuses to believe it, and wants to continue to search for him. Meanwhile, her son Franklin from the future is hanging out with the team, but Sue doesn't believe it's really him. So he goes into her mind to psychically convince her, but then the Malice entity goes into Franklin's head instead. And then there's a warning from a Sue from a possible future - or past - and Johnny and his ex-Skrull wife are going to have a baby, and the Thing's face is healing from being sliced by Wolverine, and then there's dimension-hopping and the Avengers and Galactus...
So there's a lot happening, and while I more-or-less enjoyed it for what it was, I wouldn't recommend it to Fantastic Four newbies. In addition, the team without Reed definitely feels like it's missing something, and while I'm sure that's intentional, it does make this less of an essential FF read.

[Clinton Robison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really nice art from the 90s, but seriously this is on of DeFalco's low points as a writer. It's not the FF you want, believe me. Better to spend your time with just about ANY FF story than this one, unless you really enjoy Reed being "dead," Johnny being a crybaby, etc.

[Angela]

Surprisingly disappointing. A few loose ends are tied up, and the Fantastic 3 go on a time travelling alternative universes adventures. Feels like an excuse to include different elements of the story.