
Age of Ultron feels like one giant “What If?” story, so it’s good to see the tie-in issues treat them that way. Matt Fraction essentially poses the question “What would happen if Franklin and Valeria were stranded in space?” The only problem is that the issue doesn’t answer the question, but seems content to just put it out there.
The story is pretty straightforward in this one--The Fantastic four find out about Ultron’s takeover of earth, and they go home to help, leaving the kids in space for safe keeping. That plan goes awry when things go horribly wrong back on earth, leaving the kids wondering if they’ll ever get back home.
There are some nice emotional moments in the issue, as the adults leave goodbye messages for the kids in case they don’t return. Artist Andre Araujo does a great job with these moments, and his work lends a layer of grimness to the whole issue. But, it’s hard to take any of that stuff seriously, as well all know this is a story which will be reset by the end of it.
Compared to the Spider-Man tie-in issue, this one falls a little flat.
3 out of 5 Unanswered Questions