I'm of two minds when it comes to developments in this issue. On the one hand, Waid shakes up the status quo of the title characters in an entertaining way, one that emphasizes the sense of wonder that made them such a strong property since their debut in the Silver Age of comics. Shaking up the status quo is a good thing, but the problem is that to buy into these developments, one has to accept the notion that one member of this team all but ignored the pain and suffering his friend has gone through for years. Maybe Waid will cover his bases in the future issues, but for now, the plot twist, though fun at first glance, doesn't fit in with the characters and their history. Still, this was a fun read, and Wieringo does a great job of capturing that afore-mentioned sense of wonder and the larger-than-life nature of these characters' adventures.
Susan Storm-Richards has surrendered herself to Zius, the alien who has developed the anti-Galactus cloaking field that only her powers can penetrate. In order to prevent the world-eater from using the Invisible Woman against his technology, Zius has decreed that she must die, and there's little that the Human Torch and the Thing can do, having been subdued by Zius's monstrous allies. It's up to Reed to save the day, but instead of a rescue, Reed's chooses a different -- and surprising -- option.
Wieringo delivers some thoroughly alien, Kirby-esque designs for Zius's allies here, and it reinforces the science-fiction wonder that's an integral part of the property. However, there's a softness to the alien monsters that threatens to make them look almost cute. His cartoony style makes for some thoroughly emotive looks for the heroes, which reinforces the emotional sides of the story. Paul Mounts's colors really pop here. They bring texture and an eerie quality to the art, and a brightness and energy that's called for later on in the story.
The super-hero shell game Mr. Fantastic pulls off in this issue is a lot of fun. It brings a freshness to the characters and their powers; Waid gives us new perspectives on familiar Fantastic Four elements here. It makes for an uplifting moment and even a funny joke. Reed's actions at the climactic moment in the encounter with Zius are exciting and dramatic as well, and the results were unexpected.
Where the plot twist goes awry is in the fact that Reed talks as though what he did has been possible all along, that he's known about the odd loophole in the teams' powers for years. Among the defining conflicts of the characters, though, are the Thing's agony over his inhuman appearance and Reed's guilt for having caused it. The plot development in this issue seems to indicate Reed could have taken away that burden at any time, and it doesn't sit well in the greater context of the characters' history. 6/10
