Fantastic Four #1: Ben Grimm’s Groundhog Day

Fantastic Four often sits on an intersection of small scale storytelling focused on the family and large scale high concept adventure. Ryan North takes advantage of the lighthearted potential inherent in that blend of themes in Fantastic Four #1, telling a story focused on human connection that’s not all that dissimilar from Groundhog Day.

North’s story drops in on Ben and Ailicia, away on a road trip away from the rest of the team, as they stop at a motel somewhere in small town America. From here the story turns into a variation on Groundhog Day as the town, trapped in time since 1947, resets itself every night. Ultimately this turns out to be the result of one of the town’s residents, who is both heartbroken and unknowingly has a mysterious wishing power, wishing to do the day over again. Unsurprisingly, this very vague wish backfires and he resets every day without his memory only to wish the same wish again every night.

Fantastic Four #1 largely has nothing to do with the Fantastic Four. At its core it’s a story about love. Along the way North drops hints in dialogue between Ben and Alicia that something is wrong with Marvel’s first family. But these nuggets are understated and never feel like North is trying to set up a mystery. Rather, the exchanges come off as nothing more than two people discussing their relationships with shared friends and family.

The basic Groundhog Day variation at work in this issue is good enough. While Ben and Alicia being the problem solvers who undo the time loop for the others (rather than being trapped in it themselves) is a nice spin on the idea, their disconnect from the small jeopardy at work in the story leads to a resolution more theme focused than character focused. It does tie into a larger story that North is building, made apparent on the final page when we learn there is a mystery at work, but as a story it feels far too easily resolved–especially given that it comes about thanks to nothing more than a conversation.

The emotion behind the issue’s end has to be conveyed almost entirely via Coello’s art. If his work isn’t up to the task North’s story won’t land which will ultimately undermine the issue’s end. Fortunately Coello is more than capable of meeting this challenge, and the three pages he’s given build an effective connection between the reader and the heartbroken wishmaker.

Fantastic Four #1 focuses solely on Ben out of the major characters, so we don’t get to see too much of what Coello can do with the rest of the team. But Coello’s work with Ben and Alicia is quite fun. He draws Ben’s expressions a touch over the top but it works quite well, resulting in a very emotional character.