Fantastic Four #564 Review- 'The Christmas Monster'

Fantastic Four #564

Writer: Mark Millar

Artist: Bryan Hitch

Colouring: Paul Mounts

Editor: Tom Brevoort

Ah, and FF is back on its monthly schedule, having missed the equivalent of two months during the Millar/Hitch run. The internet, being the internet, has decided this constitutes absolutely ludicrous ridiculous delays- by curious coincidence, proving the internet's predictions absolutely right. Isn't twisting things to meet your predetermined view oh-so-fun? :D

FF 564 is both the weakest issue of the HitLar run so far and one of their strongest. But mostly weakest. Which is a long way from saying its bad, just not that distinguished.

This issue has its strong points and weak points and, paradoxically enough, they're the same. The beautiful spreads Hitch gets to draw are very easy on the eye, but after a while- at least six pages in this book are spreads- you do kind of wish for more. Make no mistake, what story we do get is a charming enough little tale. It has some really good character moments, does a good job building tension as we wait for the 'secret' to be discovered, and has some wonderful "Only in Fantastic Four" touches like the Christmas presents. 

Iron Maiden commented, and I think its accurate, that the story baears resemblance to the early Byrne issue (Around 240, if my mind serves me correctly?) where the FF visited Aunt Petunia, and I think that's a fair comparison. Both of them have a similar air of sinister brooding, although this probably has more character moments and that was far from Byrne's best. The Scottish setting is a nice departure from normal,. even if it is a little cheeky from Millar.  The art, as ever, is excellent and detailed- particularly in the aforementioned splashes. My only other real problem with the issue is that it does to some extent break up the momentum of the 'Masters of Doom story', and you can see that it was not originally at this point in the storytelling order.

I do think that could have been fixed just by a few extra lines and a panel or two, but it seems it was pretty much unedited to fit into its new place in the line, weakening the story quite a bit.

Rating: Six and a Half out of Ten. Not the best from HitLar.