07/18/2022
Eisner winner Ross (Marvels), in his first solo written and drawn superhero adventure, offers a majestically drawn sequel to a 1966 Fantastic Four story line by comics legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. After a mysterious figure from the Four’s past breaks into their headquarters bearing an alien menace, the team soon find themselves in the Negative Zone, where they encounter a series of their greatest enemies including Annihilus and the Nega-Man. Ross is known for capturing the grandiosity of superheroes in fully painted artwork, and here he uses the dynamic angles to draw the Four as they hurtle over fantastic cities and nightmare-scapes. But breaking from his usual style, Ross employs heavy inks and a bold, almost clashing color palette to recall the art of Kirby and the vibrancy of ’60s-era superhero comics. Unfortunately, the script doesn’t do justice to the stunning visuals. While Ross’s kinetic artwork presents each cosmic enemy as a villain to be reckoned with, the series of encounters and battles don’t build to any real conflict or climax. Those unfamiliar with the Fantastic Four origins story won’t get hooked (and may find themselves feeling lost in the negative zone), but the glory of these heroes will attract the gaze of nostalgic fans of classic comics. That said, it’s one of the rare comics truly recommended on the strength of the art alone. (Aug.)
Fantastic Four: Full Circle exists as a dazzling nexus point where Ross can skillfully reconcile the stylistic differences between himself and the King. . . . A vital component of Fantastic Four: Full Circle that one could potentially overlook is the masterfully arranged panel layouts that convey motion and momentum through their placement. . . . In addition to his panel layouts, some of Full Circle's splash and double-page spreads are awe-inspiring.
The book is dynamic and vibrant, with an unmistakable Kirby influence in the mood and ton. But there are other inspirations, too, particularly Neal Adams, the classic Batman and X-Men artist."
Full Circle is an essential read for those who are fans of the artist, as well as Marvel’s First Family.”
[A] perfect combination of both science fiction and superhero storytelling. . . . With excellent characterizations, a captivating story taking the heroes to the darkest corners of the Negative Zone, and Ross changing up his signature art style to reflect the earliest era of the Fantastic Four leading to some of the best work of his career, Fantastic Four: Full Circle ends up being a masterclass in how to tell modern Fantastic Four stories.
"Journeying through dimensional portals into subspace and the psychedelic Negative Zone, Marvel’s first family confronts an old foe—one who isn’t what he seems—in this fast-paced tale undergirded by wholesome humor and gorgeous art."
If you’ve been dying for an old-school comic book story with a modern-day art style and a color palette to feast your eyes on, Fantastic Four: Full Circle is right up your alley.
[I]n his new graphic novel, he steps outside his comfort zone into the Negative Zone to imbue Marvel’s first family with mind-melting psychedelic energy. . . . Ross also shook up his painting process, opting for flat coloring, swapping watercolor for black ink, shading in a whole new style, and adding a digital dot screen effect. The result has Roy Lichtenstein flair while still being uniquely Ross.
Fantastic Four: Full Circle delivers a visually stunning story of Marvel’s First Family, as Alex Ross flexes a new set of storytelling muscles.
It’s a gorgeous book, with all the style you’d expect from Alex Ross.
[A] stylish new FF adventure.
The Negative Zone comes alive in the story, and somehow Ross manages to add new facets to it despite our many decades of exploration through the comics.
“Fantastic Four: Full Circle is an absolutely mesmerizing artistic feat. . . . Any Fantastic Four fan is likely to find Full Circle a welcome addition to their library, and those simply looking for stunning comic book artwork will find just as much value in its pages. Ross has created a Jack Kirby tribute that does the legendary creator justice.
Alex Ross’s style combines tight linework and painted illustration in a color palette heavy on fluorescent shades of purple and green, warm shades of orange, and eerie blue, resulting in a distinctive pop art masterpiece that must be seen to be believed.”—School Library Journal, STARRED Review
“Eisner winner Alex Ross, in his first solo written and drawn superhero adventure, offers a majestically drawn sequel to a 1966 Fantastic Four story line by comics legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. “—Publishers Weekly
"Journeying through dimensional portals into subspace and the psychedelic Negative Zone, Marvel’s first family confronts an old foe—one who isn’t what he seems—in this fast-paced tale undergirded by wholesome humor and gorgeous art."—The A.V Club
“The book is dynamic and vibrant, with an unmistakable Kirby influence in the mood and ton. But there are other inspirations, too, particularly Neal Adams, the classic Batman and X-Men artist."—The Hollywood Reporter
“Older fans that have watched the Marvel universe race to the stars since Fantastic Four #1, as well as newer fans only privy to the Marvel cinematic universe, will swoon over the jaw-dropping quality of Alex Ross's tribute to the Fantastic Four.”—Boing Boing
“There were few more seismic events in comics in the 1990s than Marvels, the cleverly conceived and beautifully painted graphic novel serialized by artist Alex Ross and writer Kurt Busiek. Suddenly, a new standard of realism was set for the world of comic books, soon carried over to DC Comics as well. In the past nigh-three decades, Alex Ross has gone from strength to strength, and Fantastic Four: Full Circle from Abrams ComicArts is the latest milestone along that road of excellence.”—Roy Thomas
“Alex Ross has somehow brilliantly conjured the spirits of the original creators of the Fantastic Four and blended them with his own to bring forth a completely unique storytelling experience. Alex was already one of the great voices in comics history and now he has broken his own mold to create this psychedelic comic book energy machine that somehow also answers the question: What would comics look like if Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were alive today and still showing us all how it’s done? This masterfully executed mind worm stays with you long after you read/experience it.”—Brian Michael Bendis
"Using Kirby and Lee's classic "This Man...This Monster" and their final Fantastic Four collaboration as inspiration, Alex Ross comes "Full Circle" by taking a psychedelic deep dive into what makes Marvel's first family still resonate 61 years later. It's pure joy."—Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook, Billy Dogma)
Got a sneak peek of this digitally - can’t wait to read the hard copy! Love seeing @thealexrossart slinging traditional ink on paper! @ABRAMSbooks”—Matt Kindt (BRZRKR, MIND MGMT, Dept. H)
“Dig this beauty which just arrived! Truly FANTASTIC masterwork by ol’ pal @thealexrossart! #HappyHappyJoyJoy”—Mike Allred (Madman, Bowie, Silver Surfer)
“[I]n his new graphic novel, he steps outside his comfort zone into the Negative Zone to imbue Marvel’s first family with mind-melting psychedelic energy. . . . Ross also shook up his painting process, opting for flat coloring, swapping watercolor for black ink, shading in a whole new style, and adding a digital dot screen effect. The result has Roy Lichtenstein flair while still being uniquely Ross.”—Polygon
“Fantastic Four: Full Circle exists as a dazzling nexus point where Ross can skillfully reconcile the stylistic differences between himself and the King. . . . A vital component of Fantastic Four: Full Circle that one could potentially overlook is the masterfully arranged panel layouts that convey motion and momentum through their placement. . . . In addition to his panel layouts, some of Full Circle's splash and double-page spreads are awe-inspiring.”—Boing Boing
“[A] stylish new FF adventure.”—IGN
“[A] perfect combination of both science fiction and superhero storytelling. . . . With excellent characterizations, a captivating story taking the heroes to the darkest corners of the Negative Zone, and Ross changing up his signature art style to reflect the earliest era of the Fantastic Four leading to some of the best work of his career, Fantastic Four: Full Circle ends up being a masterclass in how to tell modern Fantastic Four stories.”—Screen Rant
“Fantastic Four: Full Circle is an absolutely mesmerizing artistic feat. . . . Any Fantastic Four fan is likely to find Full Circle a welcome addition to their library, and those simply looking for stunning comic book artwork will find just as much value in its pages. Ross has created a Jack Kirby tribute that does the legendary creator justice.”—Comicbook.com
“Full Circle is an essential read for those who are fans of the artist, as well as Marvel’s First Family.”—AIPT Comics
“It’s a gorgeous book, with all the style you’d expect from Alex Ross.”—Borg.com
“The Negative Zone comes alive in the story, and somehow Ross manages to add new facets to it despite our many decades of exploration through the comics.”—13th Dimension
Fantastic Four: Full Circle delivers a visually stunning story of Marvel’s First Family, as Alex Ross flexes a new set of storytelling muscles.—But Why Tho?
“If you’ve been dying for an old-school comic book story with a modern-day art style and a color palette to feast your eyes on, Fantastic Four: Full Circle is right up your alley.”—Culturess
★ 08/01/2022
With this epic adventure, acclaimed creator Ross (Marvels X) presents his first long-form graphic novel as both writer and artist. After surviving an attack by a fearsome swarm of parasitic creatures, the Fantastic Four are compelled to travel into the treacherous anti-matter universe known as the Negative Zone in search of answers as to which of their enemies has targeted them for death. Best known as a cover artist and designer, Ross quickly proves himself an immensely skilled visual storyteller as Marvel's first family traverses a range of uniquely nightmarish settings and engages in powerfully dynamic action sequences. The playful banter between characters emphasizes the team's distinct family dynamic, evoking the spirit of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's classic run on the title in the 1960s. VERDICT Ross's style combines tight linework and painted illustration in a color palette heavy on fluorescent shades of purple and green, warm shades of orange, and eerie blue, resulting in a distinctive pop art masterpiece that must be seen to be believed.
2022-05-25
Acclaimed artist Ross presents this breathless transdimensional adventure featuring the superhero family the Fantastic Four.
In 1961, The Fantastic Four #1 introduced the superpowered quartet of stretchy mega-genius Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), elusive force-field wielder Invisible Girl (Sue Storm), her hotheaded and highly flammable brother the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), and lovable stone-skinned curmudgeon the Thing (Ben Grimm). This new graphic novel summarizes their long-ago origin in its first two pages then sets off on a brand-new journey that is nevertheless heavily indebted to events that occurred outside these pages. A mysterious stranger infiltrates the home of the Fantastic Four, who realize the stranger has a complicated history with the team. After the stranger unleashes a swarm of shadowy creepy-crawlies, Reed deduces Earth faces an incursion from the antimatter dimension known as the Negative Zone. The team takes the fight to the enemy, entering the Negative Zone through a portal of Reed’s design. From there, they face a series of threats connected to past adventures, navigating a psychedelic realm populated by an armored insectoid tyrant, a superorganism of negative energy, and a last bastion of positivity. As ever, Ross’ art is stunning, beautifully marrying the pop-art sensibilities of 1960s comics with photorealism. His depictions of everything from the Human Torch’s walls of flame to the epic releases of interdimensional forces crackle with energy, and his inventive paneling fully engages the reader’s gaze. The story starts quickly and never lets up, which makes for an energetic read, though the reliance on the team’s history might alienate the uninitiated even when put into context through exposition. A post-adventure chat between Reed and Ben attempts to apply thematic cohesion to the preceding events, but it feels brief and shoehorned.
A vibrant, wild ride that will bring joy to devoted comic book readers.