Reed Richards takes the center stage early on.
Here are the ingredients that make this run so compelling:
1. Meticulous plotting
2. Great characterization/cast
3. Innovative usage of continuity
4. Freshness
Also, Hickman always pays homage to the creators of Fantastic Four, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, which is a nice touch and something you don't always see. Kudos/Bravo for that.
There is a LOT going on in this book.
1. Meticulous plotting.
This book un-weaves like a tapestry. You have to pay attention to the details, because in the very first issue, and really, for the first ten or so issues, he's just setting up the dominoes. He gives all the characters something to do, and it all ties into the overall scheme of things in a way that makes sense. He doesn't spell EVERYTHING out for you, which is recurring theme in all of his work. It's a bit challenging in that respect, but very rewarding. He leaves you bread crumbs. The pieces of the puzzle are all there, you just have to find them. His run can also be seen as one LARGE story arc. It has a great flow to it and I am running out of ways to praise the plot.
2. Great characterization/cast
Here's where the book is most enjoyable. Hickman GETS these characters. At no point during reading this did I think a character acted or reacted in a way that violated the fundamental core. He also expanded the cast to about, jeez, like roughly 20 people, is my guesstimate off-hand. Besides the Fantastic Four themselves, he's made Reed and Susan's children, Franklin and Valeria, just as important, if not more, than anyone else. He brought in the Future Foundation, Reed's think tank, which includes characters from Power Pack, (Alex Power) X-Men, (Artie & Leech) and others from the FF's larger mythology, like Dragon Man, the child version of the Wizard, Bentley 32, The moloid children, and the regents of Old Atlantis. He also brought Spider-Man, Reed's father Nathaniel, and Dr. Doom (yes, Dr. Doom) on the team. This has only made the book more enjoyable, and seeing all these characters interact in new and fascinating ways is a treat. He handles it deftly. A lesser writer would totally fuck that up. Valeria and Doom's interaction is a highlight. There's a lot of humour in this book! Always a plus. Even Spider-Man's quips are used sparingly.
:)
3. Innovative usage of continuity
Um, yeah. Hickman is taking all the best parts of previous FF runs, (and maybe some of the worst parts) and making it ALL work. He's also using recent events in the Marvel U, OUTSIDE of Fantastic Four, to a great degree. He has used all the classic elements and villains of the FF, the usuals: Namor, Galactus, Silver Surfer, The Inhumans, The Mole Man, et cetera. He incorporates the Annihilation event into the scheme of things as well. He also uses Mark Millar's Nu Earth characters and resolves that in a satisfying way. I'm sure there's more stuff that i'm not familiar with (haven't read EVERY issue of Fantastic Four) but yeah, that shows you the breadth of characters he's using in the sandbox. He's taking FULL advantage of the sandbox that is Marvel continuity, instead of being relegated by it. Expertly done.
He's not finished with the Human Torch, by any means.
For the first three points, I could sum it all up like this: Overall spot on storytelling with great scope.
4. Freshness
Hickman, being a graphic designer himself, is acutely aware of the power of simple designs, and doing something as simple as changing the 4 to a 3, is brilliant in its simplicity. It conveys so much with so little. Very economical.
He's also taken a cue from Brian Michael Bendis, who shook up the Avengers, made it his own, and put his stamp on the teams history, with his seemingly ending of the Fantastic Four book, and changing its title to FF, or Future Foundation.
Pretty dang snazzy.
Plus, any excuse for some new costume designs is a good excuse. Switching up a 60 year old pattern is not that novel of an idea.
The scary part is, he's not nearly finished yet. The Fantastic Four has returned, and now there are two titles, FF and Fantastic Four, that segue into each other, essentially we are getting two issues a month. Can't wait to see where he's going with it, and when all is said and done, I'm sure we're seeing a classic run on Fantastic Four, MAYBE best ever, but certainly top 10, maybe top 5. that says a lot, especially this late in the game.
So yeah, great reads!
The arts not bad either.
