The Fantastic Four are Marvel’s First Family, and they’ve always stood at the forefront of expansion and new developments for the company. Heck, the Inhumans first debuted in Fantastic Four comics, then Marvel expanded its cosmic side with Galactus and the Silver Surfer, and they even were the first to meet the One Above All. They’ve been at the heart of most of Marvel’s biggest, greatest events, and they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Of course, they don’t always star in climactic, world-ending adventures. Sometimes, their best adventures are about when they deal with smaller, much funnier threats.
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That is definitely the case for Fantastic Four (2025) #13, which spawned from a single idea: what if Johnny and Sue pretended to be Ghost Rider to terrify their villains? It’s a hilarious, wonderfully compact story that takes this concept to its illogical extreme, ultimately pitting the Four against their greatest enemy of all. That being Johnny’s ideas, of course. This issue’s story is wild and fun, but the problem is the art. Andrea Sorrentino’s work here leaves me feeling very conflicted, especially considering that while some of it is very good, some of the designs don’t fit the Four.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
| PROS | CONS |
| Hilarious from concept to execution | Art doesn’t match the Fantastic Four’s general vibe for this run |
| Uses everything it sets up perfectly | Predictable, consequence-free story |
| Great Ghost Rider look |
When the Team Listens to Johnny, Good or Bad, It’s Hilarious
It all started with the Human Torch being fed up with dealing with Nicholas Scratch’s constant attempts to destroy the FF. Since he wasn’t scared of the team, Jonny suggested that Sue make his face invisible so he could pretend to be Ghost Rider and scare him off. It worked. In fact, it worked so well that they decided to keep going. Of course, it inevitably spiraled out of control when they tried to terrify the Mad Thinker, who was too curious not to want to test the legendary Penance Stare. In the end, the only way out was a double fakeout that left me cackling.
This is a fun, lighthearted issue. It’s the Fantastic Four dealing with low-stakes villains in a fun, inventive way that takes advantage of Ghost Rider’s reputation. The concept is funny, and the execution pays it off expertly. The reversal with the Mad Think was fantastic, especially when he figured out Johnny and Sue’s plan but still thought that the real Ghost Rider terrified all the other villains. That was easily my favorite joke in the entire book, and there are a whole lot of funny jokes. I mean, how can I not at least chuckle at the Mad Thinker steaming and talking to chat?
You can probably see every beat of this story coming about six pages before they happen, but that’s not a bad thing for an issue like this. It doesn’t try to surprise anyone or reinvent the wheel. It’s a fun, self-contained issue built around a single idea that it tackles with all the hilarity it deserves. The actual Ghost Rider cameo was perfect. This story is exactly what the cover promises, and not every issue on the shelf can say that. If you’re looking for a fun ride that’ll make you laugh, then this comic is for you.
Heavy, Thick Art that Works Sometimes, But Not Others
I’m torn on Andrea Sorrentino’s art for this issue. On the one hand, I cannot understate how well his style fits Ghost Rider. The heavy penwork perfectly captures the grungy, terrifying aesthetic that Ghost Rider is known for, and every time he or his imposters are on panel, it’s a genuine treat. The action scenes are great, especially with the way they mix into the sound effects. The way Ghost Rider stares at the team at the end is everything I wanted when I first opened this comic, and it delivered for sure.
There are also some negatives for Sorrentino’s art here. While his grungy style works for a horror-themed character like Ghost Rider, it really doesn’t work for the actual titular heroes. The Thing, in particular looks very weird this issue. Sure, every artist draws Ben differently, but in this issue, he looks downright uncanny, and not in the good way. He’s just a man who happens to be made of rocks, destroying the best aspects of both sides of his design. Sue’s hair, too, spends a bit of time looking like dry spaghetti noodles.
Of course, it’s also impossible to talk about Sorrentino’s art without addressing the elephant in the room. Back in 2024, he faced allegations of using AI in his work on Batman (2016). He denied it, but the evidence is pretty darn incriminating. The allegations left a major stain on his legacy, but still, his work here matches his actual style much more closely and is significantly better than the work from those allegations. Overall, I enjoyed his art in this issue, and hope that I can continue to enjoy his real art in the future. There’s a whole lot more good than bad here. It’s hard to make a skull be that expressive, but by God, does that skull drip with personality.
Fantastic Four #13 is on sale now!
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