Marvel Turns Fantastic Four Into a Gripping Film Noir Tale

Fantastic Four #19 is a full-on film noir adventure. Reed Richards is missing, having gotten mixed up in a seedy underworld of violence and intrigue, and a weapon of cosmic proportions. There’s only one person in this dark, shadowy city who can help Reed’s fianceé Sue Storm: the blind detective Alicia Masters. With Alicia’s gruff but wonderful husband Ben Grimm and her seeing-eye dog Princess in her corner, Alicia has the know-how and the skills to follow even the coldest trail.

Written by Ryan North, with visuals courtesy of artist Carlos Gómez, colorist Jesus Arbutov and letterer Joe Caramagna, Fantastic Four #19 puts the cast — both friends and foes — in a setting straight out of 1940s cinema. As Alicia traverses this dangerous story outside of the usual Marvel elements, it becomes clear that something is very wrong… and very out of this world.

Fantastic Four #19 is a Fresh Take on the “What If…?” Comic

The Issue Has Fun With Its Film Noir Premise

It’s an ongoing trend in comic books to reimagine characters in different time periods, settings and continuities. Marvel is particularly good at this, with What If…? comics sometimes superior to canon. At first glance, Fantastic Four #19 appears to be another drop in the bucket, casting the characters in archetypal roles associated with the film noir genre. Sue looks like the femme fatale. Alicia is the no-nonsense private investigator with a soft side, with Ben as her faithful partner and right hand. Sue’s brother Johnny Storm is a hard-luck character who seems to be knee-deep in trouble. All of this is commonplace… but the issue itself doesn’t come across as predictable.

There is a real sense of fun and lightheartedness to Fantastic Four #19 that makes it feel fresh. There’s little cynicism here — which is incredibly surprising given the bleak and morally ambiguous genre it’s parodying. And athough stripped of their superpowers and placed in a relatively grounded, if artistically lavish, setting, the characters are still themselves. It helps that the story is told from Alicia Masters’ unique perspective. Unlike many film noir protagonists, Alicia is an unambiguously good and likable person. It’s almost a shame when the issue takes a sudden left turn and twists the noir premise on its head, but the twist justifies putting the Fantastic Four into this world.

How Fantastic Four #19 Reimagines Its Heroes

Noir Versions of the Fantastic Four Still Appeal to Readers

Although almost entirely grayscale, Fantastic Four #19 is still a treat for the eyes. Gómez’s fluid, almost romantic art style — which seems to combine elements from classic pulp comics and the traditional Marvel style — is stylish enough to hold up against Arbutov’s many shades of black, white and gray. Arbutov deserves high praise for creating a monochromatic world that is legible, dynamic and easy on the eyes, employing high enough contrast when necessary. Only a few colors appear in the story: glowing yellow, morose blue, and the bold, fire engine red of Sue’s Jessica Rabbit-style dress and gloves. Red also pops up in more muted tones throughout this issue’s more intense moments. When color really does rear its head, the effect is like that from The Wizard of Oz, but even more jarring.

Fantastic Four #19 delivers far more than what audiences might expect at first glance. It’s a real treat to see the heroes in another world that’s more fascinating than the usual multiverse spiel. While the issue does occasionally lean toward parody levels of obviousness, it’s all in good fun because the Fantastic Four are still themselves. At the same time, their adventures don’t take away from Alicia’s chance to be the star. Plot-wise, the issue is fabulously entertaining in a low-key and tasteful way, without compromising the continuity of the comic. And it’s a welcome reprieve from all the chaos and darkness that can be found in Marvel titles. This standalone adventure may not feature anything game-changing for the Fantastic Four, but audiences will enjoy it on its own unique merits.

Fantastic Four #19 is now available from Marvel Comics.