by Don MacPherson

FANTASTIC FOUR #55 Mildly Recommended (6/10) Marvel Comics "An Evening Out" Writer/Inks: Karl Kesel Pencils: Stuart Immonen Colors: Liquid! Graphics Letters: Comicraft Editor: Tom Brevoort "The Call of Duty" Writer: Chuck Austen Pencils: David Finch Inks: Art Thibert Colors: Matt Milla Letters: Chris Eliopoulos Editor: Ralph Macchio Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN Evening Out: Kesel offers up a fun story that ultimately boasts no consequences for the title characters. Basically, this is the Fantastic Four if they were the stars a sitcom. The story is brilliantly illustrated by Immonen and Kesel, though. While this is, at its core, fluff, it is cute and entertaining. Readers will be entertained, but if they miss this issue, they're not missing much either. After causing a mit of a mess and ruckus at their headquarters, the Human Torch and the Thing rush out of the place on an "errand," mainly to avoid the ire of the Invisible Woman. The pair of heroes ends up in even deeper trouble, though, when their ride -- Mr. Fantastic's Fantasti-Car -- is boosted by a troublesome alien. Given the light tone of this story, I wouldn't have expected Immonen's realistic pencilling approach to suit it. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. He captures the power and fun of the Torch and the Thing wonderfully. Kesel's inks -- which are usualy crisp but heavy -- are toned down. He pulls back a bit and lets Immonen's soft but dark style shine through. Kesel reinforces the notion that the Fantastic Four is a family, and the Torch and the Thing are the rambunctious kids that "parents" Reed and Sue must contend with. The plot itself, though, is a bit too dependent on the reader's familiarity with the Marvel Universe, not just the title characters. The other Marvel hero who turns up as a particpant in the action is hardly an iconic one, and some readers might not appreciate the gag so much. Call of Duty: Austen achieves two key goals with this backup story: he offers up a strong tribute to firefighters, and he delivers the beginnings of an interesting story. He's aided in his efforts by some thoroughly realistic first-person artwork, and I find I can't wait to read the next chapter in this ongoing backup series. Austen and Finch transform the reader into a firefighter. The first-person point of view and some sharp narration and dialogue make for a vivid storytelling experience. The writer brings the experience to life with some vivid but genuinely phrased descriptions of what the characters face on a regular basis. Finch seems to be channelling Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada in this piece. The style resembles Quesada's, which comes as little surprise, given that he's done plenty of firefighter-related artwork, even prior to Sept. 11. Milla's colors really convey the heat and intensity of the flames as well. Note: Since the backup story appears in several of this week's Marvel Comics releases, it does no factor into the rating for this review. Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.