Marvel; Marvel 1982
Cover by John Byrne and Terry Austin
Title: “Exodus”
Synopsis: Stricken by war and plague, the Inhumans find themselves in need of the Fantastic Four – and a relocation to the moon!
Writer: John Byrne
Penciler: Byrne
Inker: Byrne
Review: For readers of modern, “decompressed” comics, Fantastic Four #240 is a great example of how much story can fit into a single issue: The Inhumans war with the Enclave! A plague strikes the Great Refuge! The relocation of Attilan! The birth of Quicksilver and Crystal’s baby! Today, such a story would take multiple miniseries and a dozen crossover titles; Byrne delivers it as a done-in-one. With the exception of the war and plague plotlines (which are told in flashback, undermining their drama), this issue never feels rushed. It’s rich in story and characters. Today’s creators could learn something from this one.
Grade: A
Cool factor: It’s Byrne doing the Inhumans.
Not-so-cool factor: It’s a shame that the Inhumans-Enclave war was never anything more than a flashback.
Character quotable: “Don’t get yer truss in a knot, Big Brain. This thing handles like a wet sponge, but I’ve flown worse!” – The Thing, at the helm of an impromptu flying city
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