Fantastic Four #18 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by Justin Partridge; ‘Rama Rating: 5 out of 10):
“Point of Origin” clatters through its penultimate chapter in Fantastic Four #18. After revealing the true nature of the Cosmic Ray storm that gave them their powers, Reed Richards’ must deal with the consequences, as he has inadvertently thrown the entire society of Spyre into disarray. But while that seems the most interesting narrative point of the issue, writer Dan Slott quickly brushes past it in favor of the three-fronted action set piece that once again divides the Four against many enemies. Though it’s all handsomely and kinetically rendered by art team Paco Medina, Francesco Manna, Carlos Mango, and Erick Arciniega, the narrative feels a bit too jumbled to gain the purchase it’s hoping for. And while Slott ably replicates classic FF dynamics and banter, it almost feels a little too routine about it, without capturing that spark that makes these time-worn tropes fresh and new. While it certainly has the action of the F4, Fantastic Four #18 is too hectic to be a winner.
