This self-contained FF story is undoubtedly entertaining, and it shows a lot of promise for Mike Carey's upcoming stint as the title's regular writer. There's an edginess to the script that's in keeping with the "Ultimate" incarnations of these characters, and there's an undeniable playfulness to the plotting and dialogue as well. Unfortunately, there's predictability to be found in the writing as well. Furthermore, while I enjoyed the use of artist Frazer (Seven Soldiers: Klarion) Irving's style is distinguish the Mole Man's origin flashback sequences, the book ends up abandoning that structure in the latter pages. The art that both Irving and Immonen contribute is full of energy and imagination, though, and there's definitely an accessibility at play here that's good for new readers.
Before becoming the headquarters for the Fantastic Four, the Baxter Building was once a school for the most gifted young scientific minds in the world, and that school has since been moved to a dedicated facility in Oregon. Or, at least, it was in Oregon, but in its place is a gaping hope on the face of the planet. The Fantastic Four investigate what happened to their former classmates, only to discover the former instructor now known as the Mole Man has pulled the building beneath the earth. Apparently, he plans to rejoin -- actually, replace -- the faculty and include the young inventors in his latest plan.
Immonen brings an edge, energy and inventive designs to the book, making each of his pages a real delight to take in. I love the plash page featuring a trio of monsters charging at the title characters, and the design for the uber-slug is particularly striking and original. He conveys the youth of several of the key characters quite effectively as well. I also enjoyed the device of presenting the Mole Man's flashback scenes in a radically different style. Frazer Irving's approach, with his heavy brown and yellow tones, convey a strong sense of the past. It's just too bad that for some reason, his work ends up being used for the scenes set in the present, shattering the established motif and separation between the two distinct visual voices.
One of the problems with this script is that it follows a rather predictable path. It's clear from the start that the brilliant students at the Nursery II will provide their own means of escape/rescue, that the Mole Man underestimates them as he underestimates any opponent. Furthermore, it takes far too long for these exceptionable young people to rebel and assert themselves. We don't get a strong sense of their personalities until the closing pages of the annual, and I was left feeling a little cheated that I didn't get to see more of these characters.
Of course, that criticism cuts both ways, as it means Carey has crafted some great, exciting and entertaining young rogue geniuses in Strange Jo and her friends. Carey's script is also quite accessible; one needn't have read the opening story arc of the series to appreciate the characters and ideas the writer resurrects in this annual. The banter among the characters and the black humor that's included in Mole Man's origins are a good bit of fun as well. 6/10
