Connect with us
Marvel Two-in-One #9 Review

Comic Books

Marvel Two-in-One #9 Review

A friendship on the rocks (pun intended?)

[amazon_link asins=’B07GRCDMYH’ template=’AiPTProductAd’ store=’aiptcomics-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’27e898e7-ab9d-11e8-907a-7da8b0201415′]

The truth is out. Reed Richards and Susan Storm are dead, and Ben Grimm’s been keeping it from his supposed best friend, Sue’s brother, Johnny. The ruse was supposed to help him, but it’s cracked their friendship instead, perhaps irreparably.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

Bad time for the Mad Thinker to come calling in Marvel Two-in-One #9. Is it good?

The Skinny

They may have lost their powers, but the former Thing and Human Torch are still heroes, and when the Mad Thinker and his twisted Fantastic Four imposters capture this alien universe’s Amadeus Cho and others to lure them out, you know they’ll spring into action.

Which is in contrast to the Thinker’s new minions. They never were friends, just mooks pulling a job, and they didn’t sign on for any of this inter-dimensional hoo-ha. Powers or not, that lack of cohesion makes what’s left of Marvel’s First Family a tough match.

But don’t get smug yet, fellas. Thinker’s not the only returning villain coming after you. And after all the adversity — abandoned on a strange world, no powers, no home, lost in the desert — could there be … a returning hero?

The Lowdown

Marvel Two-in-One #9 is a story of two best friends realizing that nothing will ever truly come between them, and they’re pretty damn unstoppable when working together, even under the worst of conditions. And to that end, it’s successful. Ben and Johnny easily handle the amateurish new Fantastic Four, and come up with a plan to keep them from hurting anyone else.

Marvel Two-in-One #9 Review

Credit: Marvel Comics

It’s a nice message, but uncharacteristically for writer Chip Zdarsky, it’s about as rote as can be. Up until now he’s been amazing at finding ways to tell old-style stories with modern flair, but the streak ends abruptly here. There’s maybe one good joke (actually poking fun at tropes), but everything else is by the book, unemotional and largely forgettable. While last issue’s reveal was one of the biggest gut-punches of the year, the final page of Marvel Two-in-One #9 can barely muster an eyebrow raise.

The saving grace of that last page is the visual cues that indicate something’s changing for Johnny and Ben. It’s artist Ramón K. Pérez’s best work on the issue, with most of the rest suffering the same shortcomings as previously, namely hard-to-discern facial expressions ( a dagger for an intimate story like Two-in-One) and a lack of motion.

That’s alleviated a bit with some slanted panels during the action sequence, but it’s a patch at best. The pages (yes, PAGES) of overhead shots at the end don’t have the intended emotional impact and just seem superfluous. Federico Blee’s bright yet soft colors serve the story better this time around, especially in the desert.

Marvel Two-in-One #9 Review

Credit: Marvel Comics

The Upshot

Marvel Two-in-One #9 is a huge step down from the masterwork Zdarsky had been creating up until this point. A lot of that can be put on the art team, but Zdarsky himself falls into a standard, ho-hum story in this one, something he’s been able to deftly avoid before. He’s clearly a true talent that will likely right the ship sooner rather than later, but this particular issue is a disappointing blip of ordinary in an otherwise extraordinary run.

Marvel Two-in-One #9 Review
Marvel Two-in-One #9 Review
Is it good?
It's frustratingly ordinary, with some questionable artistic decisions. A major outlier in what's otherwise been an extraordinary run.
The bond between Johnny and Ben can't be broken
An occasional good joke
Colors work better for this story than in the previous issue
Painfully ordinary story, made all the more frustrating by Zdarsky's near-perfect track record until now
Art still doesn't fit, and slanty panels won't save it
Even the reveal, which should be emotional, falls flat
6
Average

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024 WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024 AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

Pro Wrestling

'Universal Monsters: Frankenstein' coming August 2024 'Universal Monsters: Frankenstein' coming August 2024

‘Universal Monsters: Frankenstein’ coming August 2024

Comic Books

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024 AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

Connect
Newsletter Signup