This crossover comic might sound like a weird, random blast from the 90s: Fantastic Four meets the Gargoyles? Seriously? But trust me, the new Fantastic Four / Gargoyles #1 is way more than just a silly team-up. Written by Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman, this book actually works because both teams are asking the same question: What does it mean to be a super-powered family in New York City?
The Fantastic Four are the original celebrity superhero family: Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), his wife Sue Richards (The Invisible Woman), her brother Johnny Storm (The Human Torch), and their best friend Ben Grimm (The Thing). They got their powers in a cosmic accident, and while they’re famous heroes, they’re family first, as seen from the hit summer movie.
The Gargoyles, or the Manhattan Clan, are a different kind of family. They’re a found family bound by fate and a centuries-long promise to protect each other. Their core group includes Goliath, Angela, Broadway, and Lexington. The comic’s title, “Both Alike In Dignity…“, immediately tells you the whole point is how similar these two seemingly mismatched groups really are.
The real fun of this crossover is watching the families interact and quickly realize their common ground. There’s no time wasted on that tired old trope where the heroes misunderstand each other and fight for three pages.
In fact, they team up almost immediately to face a shared threat. The Thing even jokes about it, asking Sue: “Wait, so we’re not havin’ a misunderstanding’ leadin’ to a hugely pointless battle?” They get straight to the action because the Gargoyles actually saw the FF’s flare and showed up, thinking someone needed help!
The plot perfectly mixes the scientific world of Marvel with the mythological side of the Gargoyles. The main villain is Diablo (Esteban Corazón De Ablo), a seemingly “man of science” alchemist hunting for Gargoyle blood to grant him immortality.
Diablo is also using the Marvel baddie, the Grey Gargoyle (Paul Duval), who can turn people to stone at night. This two-pronged attack forces the Gargoyles (magic/mythology) and the FF (science/space) to combine their unique strengths against a threat that crosses both boundaries.
The comic also delivers on some juicy side-story rivalry, like the face-off between billionaire industrialist David Xanatos and Tony Stark. As Xanatos tours a Stark Industries lab, they trade barbs about their competitive streaks and tech, with Xanatos even bringing his own Steel Clan armor to the party.
This comic is a total win because Weisman is at the helm, treating both sets of characters with respect and authenticity. Not only do you get a spectacular battle with the Grey Gargoyle that ends with both Reed Richards and Angela turned to stone, but you also get some real deep-cut moments. It’s a fantastic, heartfelt meeting that proves a family is a family, no matter how many wings, scales, or rocky skin they might have.
