Comic Book Review: Fantastic Four #558

The Revolution has really enjoyed Millar’s run on Fantastic Four. It is surprising that this title is not posting higher sales numbers than it is. At any rate, Fantastic Four #558 should be a fun read as we kick off a new story arc that involves Doctor Doom. I am sure that Millar will deliver a quality read. Let’s go ahead and hit this review for Fantastic Four #558.

Creative Team
Writer: Mark Millar
Pencils: Bryan Hitch
Inks: Bryan Hitch & Andrew Currie

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10.
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10.
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10.

Synopsis: We begin with a battered Doctor Doom demanding that the Thing go get Reed Richards. We see Ms. Deneuve, the woman applying for the nanny position, taking Franklin and Valeria to the panic room. Suddenly, three metahumans appear on the scene and tell the Thing to turn Doctor Doom over to them.

The Thing cannot believe he is doing this, but says that they cannot have Doctor Doom. The Thing begins brawling with the three metahumans. The metahuman that is glowing blasts the Thing so hard that the Thing flies out of the Baxter Building. The Thing crashes through several other buildings and lands on the ground several blocks away.

We cut back to the Baxter Building and see the three metahumans taking Doctor Doom and leaving the scene.

We shift forward to one hour later and see Miss Green still shaking from the attack by the metahumans. We see Sue tucking the children into bed. Sue thanks Mrs. Deneuve for taking care of the kids. Sue then says that the Nanny’s position is Mrs. Deneuve’s if she wants it. Mrs. Deneuve agrees to take the job.

We see the Thing apologizing to Miss Green about all the chaos. The Thing says it is not usually this crazy around here. Miss Green says it is late and that she has to teach school tomorrow. Miss Green says she will call the Thing later and leaves. The Thing thinks how Doctor Doom may have just cost him a girlfriend.

We see Miss Green walk up to a car outside of the Baxter Building. The guy in the car says it is about time that she left and that he was wondering how long Green was going to stay in there with that freak.

We shift to Reed Richards on the Raft where Doctor Doom was being held pending his trial stemming from the events over on Mighty Avengers. Reed reviews the security tapes that show the three metahumans from earlier busting into the prison and freeing Doom and then leaving with him in their control. We learn that the three metahumans are members of the Defenders.

Evidently, Doom escaped from the metahumans and went looking for Reed for help. A SHIELD psychic named Marvin Flumm who went rogue a while back is brought before Reed. Evidently, Flumm now goes by the name Mentallo. Evidently, Mentallo told them that he knows exactly what happened and that he saw it all in a dream.

Mentallo then tells Reed that he knows everything. That he knows why they are building their base in the hills and what they are planning to do with it. Mentallo says that he even knows who the hooded man is. Mentallo says that the hooded man is a wonder to behold.

Reed asks if Mentallo knows who the new Defenders are and what they want with Doom. Mentallo answers that answering that question would be unethical. It is like asking him for next week’s lottery numbers. Mentallo says that his only clue is that old friends are at work on this noble endeavor and that the leader of this group is a very old friend.

We cut Johnny’s band rehearsal. Psionics enters the room. Johnny asks Psionics to come talk to him in private. Psionics boasts that she pulled off three more bank heists. Johnny says that this cannot continue. That he cannot be dating a super-villain. Johnny says that he isn’t going to turn Psionics in, but that he wishes she would stop robbing banks.

Psionics snaps that Johnny has not even asked her what she is funding with the money. Johnny asks if it is a drug thing. Psionics yells that she is not on drugs. Psionics turns to leave and says that her dad was right that Johnny is a total idiot. Psionics then flies off into the sky.

We hop back to the Baxter Building. We see Ms. Deneuve in a rocking chair in the kids’ room. Ms. Deneuve tells Valeria that there is nothing to be scared of. That Reed is out looking for Doctor Doom. Her mother is upstairs working on the charity she created. Franklin is asleep. And, Ms. Deneuve says that she has turned off the baby monitor. Mrs. Deneuve says that they can now talk freely.

Mrs. Deneuve reveals that she knows that Valeria’s intelligence took a quantum leap three months ago. That it is only a matter of time before she is as smart as her father. Ms. Deneuve says that Valeria is hiding this because she thinks it will upset her family.

Valeria says that her mom will feel alienated. That Dad might be pleased, but that it is going to drive a wedge between him and Franklin and their relationship will completely collapse eighty-two months down the line. Valeria says that she has done the projections and that it is better for everyone if she keeps this a secret.

Mrs. Deneuve says that Valeria knows who she is beneath this silly facade. Valeria responds that she thinks she does. Mrs. Deneuve responds then Valeria should trust her.

We shift to the Defenders’ secret base. We see Psionic’s dad telling her that he heard that she got dumped by the Torch. We see that the Defenders have Doom hooked up to some machine. We then see that the leader is none other than Dr. Banner in his Hulk form. Hulk says that everyone can relax. That everything is going to plan. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Fantastic Four #558 was another quality read. Millar delivers a well paced issue that kicks off this new story arc without wasting anytime at all. Fantastic Four #558 is a nicely plotted issue. Millar quickly lays a solid foundation for what should be a fantastic story arc.

Millar treats the reader to a balanced issue as he begins the story with a nice action scene and then delivers dialogue heavy scenes designed to set up the various plotlines for this story arc. Miller also unveils several interesting mysteries in this issue. The first concerns Miss Green. It seems that Miss Green is looking to scam on the Thing. We meet Miss Green’s male friend who insults the Thing by calling him a freak. I am interested to see where Millar is going with this little plotline.

Another big surprise is that Valeria took a quantum leap in her intelligence and will soon be on par with her father. I dig how Millar has Valeria fully explain in quite a logical fashion how her newfound intelligence will ruin the family dynamic. Millar then cranks up the intrigue on this plotline by teasing the reader with the revelation that Mrs. Deneuve is not who she seems. That this kind matronly older lady is someone else in disguise. I am curious to learn Mrs. Deneuve’s true identity and what she is up to.

I enjoyed the scene with Reed and Mentallo. I am a sucker for bizarre characters like Mentallo. I liked how Mentallo refused to come right out and help Reed and instead resorted to giving Reed cryptic hints regarding the attack on Dr. Doom.

I love this new version of the Defenders. This is by far and away a much more interesting version of the Defenders than the dull version that we got in the Last Defenders mini-series. Millar’s Defenders are a pretty interesting collection of characters. I am curious to learn more about the various members of the Defenders.

I also liked the reveal that Psionics is a member of the Defenders. The fact that Psionics is stealing money for the Defenders’ mysterious purposes makes her less of a common criminal that was the reader’s first impression of her character. I liked how Millar ended the romantic fling between Johnny and Psionics. It was the only realistic outcome for this type of relationship. I am sure there will be plenty more drama headed out way when the Fantastic Four inevitably lock horns with the Defenders.

Millar delivers a fantastic hook ending to Fantastic Four #558. We get a stunning reveal that the leader of the Defenders is none other than the Hulk himself. And to top it off, evidently, Dr. Banner is now once again in control of his Hulk form. This does not mesh even in the least bit with the story that we are getting over on Hulk. I am curious to learn how this newest version of the Defenders came to be. How Dr. Banner re-gained control over his Hulk form. And most importantly, what in the world are Dr. Banner and the Defenders plotting?

The Bad: I have no complaints with this issue.

Overall: Fantastic Four #558 was a great beginning to this new story arc. Millar lays a solid foundation for this story arc and quickly introduces several interesting mysteries for the reader to chew on. Throw on top of that a hook ending that gets the reader anxious for the next issue and you have the recipe to a successful comic book. I know that the sales number for Fantastic Four have not been what you would expect given what Millar and Hitch did on The Ultimates. However, the fact is that Fantastic Four is a solid and balanced read. I would recommend giving this title a try.