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Fantastic Four: !Isla de la Muerte!
Posted 24 Apr 2008
Writer: Tom Beland
Artist: Juan Doe
Letters: Dave Lanphear
Publisher: Marvel
3.90 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by J. W. DeBolt Jr.
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I have not been delighted and amused by a single comicbook for a long while, so I did not expect the out-loud chuckles produced by reading Fantastic Four: !Isla de la Muerte!
Ben takes a solo annual vacation. The rest of the group does not know where he goes. This year, their curiosity drives them to violate Ben’s wishes and follow him — to Puerto Rico. Each member rationalizes why he or she needs to go, but curiosity is clearly the real reason.
They are shocked to discover that Ben is the main attraction at an annual celebration of “El Morrito.” He is the personification of the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, a fortified castle that the Spanish built in the early 16th century to protect the island from sea invasion.
The rest of the team spoiled Ben’s public celebration and his private fun. He didn’t want to share the experience with them and he explained that those close to you can inhibit self-expression. Away from your constant companions, you can act differently — more freely. You can exercise underutilized mental and emotional muscles when you’re in another milieu. Their discussion of Ben’s private life is interrupted when the Mole Man attacks and the team must go to work.
The creators of this book know their stuff — Fantastic Four and Marvel history as well as a little natural science and culture. And I must say I enjoyed the little details the creators threw in, such as the Marvel Postage stamps and the Marvel Value Stamps on Ben Grimm’s luggage (and, yes, I still regret cutting those Marvel Value Stamps out of my comicbooks — and did anyone ever actually fill up the book with all 100 stamps?) The Fantastic Four sheets on the bed were cute. Johnny’s continual mispronunciation of “chupacabras” was funny as part of his typical adolescent humor; likewise when he tried to Flame On in Spanish: “El Toro!… no … I think that means ‘bull.’” (Unintended homage to a flaming predecessor?) And the best line in the book: “It’s chupa-clobberin’ time!!”
We get plenty of references to the FF’s past, such as when Ben refers to his “This Man, This Monster,” phase, using the title of the classic FF story where Ben deals with his differences with humanity, which he calls the “trenchcoat and hat days.” This highlights the theme of the story and points out his advancement from that period of rejection to the form of acceptance that he enjoys as El Morrito. The book is educational as well as amusing, as I got to learn a little of Puerto Rican culture, geology and history, i.e., local foods and subterranean geology — who knew that there was an extensive cave system under the island? OK, the writer did. But did you?
One of the interesting aspects here is the similarity between the Mole Man and Reed Richards. Both are prideful in their knowledge, both see themselves as protectors of the environment, and both are essentially in competition with one another to be able to tell people what to do. Both are equally concerned with and interested in the local environment: “There are 225 species of trees native to the area … 23 of which grow nowhere else,” Reed says. Mole Man wants to destroy humans to protect microsopic life. “Humans are creatures of corporate greed,” he says. “They do anything for financial gain.” Perhaps the story would have ended more consistently if they had teamed up. One wonders what little more it would take for that to happen.
There are a few logical flaws that I must point out. At one point, Reed tells Johnny to be careful so he won’t start a fire in the jungle. Later, Reed orders Johnny to absorb fire. If he can absorb fire, why would he have to worry about starting one? Again, regarding the fire, Reed says, “Johnny!! There’s a delicate ecosystem in place here!!! You’ve endangered countless species with that stunt!!!” But Johnny gives the appropriate, logical response: “Hey … We were the ones who were endangered!”
I would have liked a better explanation of Mole Man’s modified zero-point energy. How does it increase one’s gravity? In physics, zero-point energy is the lowest possible energy state that a quantum mass can attain, that is, its state of rest. That doesn’t sound very powerful. However, after a little research, I found that fluctuations in the zero-point field theoretically cause charged particles to emit electromagnetic fields that can produce gravity — if gravity is connected to the electromagnetic spectrum (and we still don’t really know how gravity works). So it’s possible.
In the end, to return to the theme, Susan offers Ben the validation he needs — or at least that she thinks he needs: “Of all the men who are in my life … you are the most down-to-earth person I know. You’re the most … normal person in my universe.” Ben then seems to come to terms with his situation, his condition, and his family. At least for now.
—CCdC—
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