Fantastic Four #1
Writer: Dan Slott
Pencillers: Sara Pichelli and Simone Bianchi
Colorists: Marte Gracia and Marco Russo
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Price: $5.99
Release Date: 08/08/18
Rating: T
Plot: With Reed and Sue Richards still missing, Ben Grimm decides to move on with his life by asking a big question. However Johnny Storm is still waiting for a sign for his family’s return. Fortunately Reed and Sue send a signal seen not just by Ben and Johnny but the entire planet.
Story: The Fantastic Four comic book is back but the team is not reunited. However that’s a blessing in disguise. If Reed and Sue just showed up at the end with their kids, it would not be an exciting story. Since Reed and Sue sent out a signal, this means Ben and Johnny are going to bring them home themselves. One thing I like about Dan Slott’s work is that he crafts some pretty epic stories. With this ending he’s telling the reader that it takes an epic adventure to reunite Marvel’s most notable adventurers.
The biggest moment from this issue was Ben’s proposal to Alicia. Despite numerous breakups, Ben and Alicia have always found their way back to each other. Their engagement is something that FF fans have wanted for years and this is another example why Dan Slott works on this title. Slott is a huge fanboy and he knows how to get fans to keep reading his work. Also it’s great how he uses Ben’s attempt to move on from Reed and Sue’s absence as the final motivation for the Thing to go on his greatest example. Plus the way Alicia cuts Ben off during his proposal shows how great these two are together.
This issue also gives us a backup story featuring the Fantastic Four’s greatest foe, Doctor Doom. This short story shows us Doom’s post-Bendis situation and his return to power in Latveria. Also this story shows Doom choosing to use sorcery over his technology and armor again. This is a nice teaser for what Dan Slott has in store for the team. Plus this is something Slott did during his Amazing Spider-Man run where he built up the A-List villains and used them for some really epic tales.
Art: The artwork for this issue is awesome. The opening layout is a great sequence showing Jonny and Ben’s days paralleling each other. This is a great way for the reader to see how events play out for both characters at the same time. Then it leads to the false FF signal which shows the reader how Johnny is still holding out hope but Ben has given up.
The double page spread of Reed and Sue’s signal flare over the Earth is the perfect closing shot. This is a striking image that immediately tells readers that the FF are coming home. Also we get a nice buildup where we see other characters observing the signal before seeing Ben, Johnny, and Alicia’s reactions. Plus while the issue opened up with a false signal flare, it makes senes to end it with a real one.
Verdict: This issue was fantastic (pun intended). If you loved Dan Slott’s work on Amazing Spider-Man and Silver Surfer then this is something you should pick up. This issue also gives Fantastic Four fans a moment that they’ve probably wanted for years. Overall, if you’ve missed the Fantastic Four then this is something you should read.
Rating: 5 out of 5