Fantastic Four #1 NM Lupacchino 1:25 Variant Cover Dan Slott Sara Pichelli MCU 1

Description

Fantastic Four (6th Series) #1F

Published Oct 2018 by Marvel
Limited 1 for 25 Retailer Incentive Variant Cover
Written by Dan Slott
Art by Skottie Young, Sara Pichelli, and Simone Bianchi
Cover by Emanuela Lupacchino
FOUREVER Part One
48 pages, full color

BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT – THE WORLD’S GREATEST COMIC MAGAZINE IS BACK!

Since the end of SECRET WARS, there’s been a gap in the Marvel Universe. A void no other team can fill. And it’s time for the world to move on. But can it? A life-changing decision by the Thing! A momentous declaration by the Human Torch! A clarion call-to-arms that summons Doctor Doom! And a signal in the sky that heralds the return of hope to the Marvel Universe! All this, and Alicia Masters adopts kittens! So cute! Plus, the Impossible Man!

AND BONUS STORIES ILLUSTRATED BY SIMONE BIANCHI AND SKOTTIE YOUNG! IF YOU READ ONLY ONE MARVEL COMIC THIS MONTH, THIS IS THE ONE!

It’s hard to emphasize the importance the Fantastic Four have for Marvel Comics’ history, both between the covers of the comics they’ve published and in the real world, where the title launched Marvel as it’s known today, an integral part in taking it from a tiny, obscure publisher to a pop-culture sensation. A few years ago, driven, reportedly, by a feud with 20th Century Fox over the rights and treatment of the characters on film, Marvel decided to pull the Fantastic Four comic, which had been struggling more often than not over the last few decades anyway, from the shelves. Much like Thor a decade earlier, the thought was that the move might not just spite Fox by depriving it of any comic cross-promotion, but also help create a bigger buzz when the characters eventually returned.

Now, writer Dan Slott, artist Sara Pichelli, and colorist Marte Garcia, with VC’s Joe Caramagna lettering, premiere a new Fantastic Four title for the first time in over 3 years. Can the creators live up to the expectation of readers? Can they reinvigorate Marvel’s First Family for a new generation? Is this too much to ask of a single issue?

Since the rest of the team disappeared after Secret Wars, Ben Grimm, the “ever-lovin’ blue-eyed” Thing, and Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, have been floating from team to team, unable to deal with the absence of their family and friends. The issue picks up with this status quo still intact, with Ben attempting to move forward in a world without his best friend and his family, while Johnny can’t accept that his sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew are truly gone. The story centers on this dynamic, as Ben’s attempts to accept the world as it is grates against Johnny’s denials.

It’s no secret that Dan Slott loves these characters; he writes them with a reverence and affection that resonates off the page. The flashback sequence is definitely a highlight of the issue, as Ben recounts a lost F4 adventure involving Johnny singing everyone home from space, with some great character moments included. It matches incredibly well, thematically, with where Ben and Johnny are in the issue.

Sara Pichelli knocks the art out of the park on this one, with figures that are a perfect balance of rendering and sketchy linework. She breathes tons of life into every character, especially Ben, whose melancholy state rings through every panel, until Ben makes a big change that keeps a smile plastered on his face for almost the rest of the issue. Marte Garcia’s color choices are sublime, keeping the palette diverse, yet muted just enough to never be garish.

The issue also features a Doom-focused backup story, dealing with a return to a more conventional status quo for the former Infamous Iron Man. Simone Bianchi adds a massive amount of gravitas to the sequence, with his highly-rendered and expressive artwork, offsetting Pichelli’s lighter style perfectly. While some may lament seeing Doom seemingly lose all the character growth since Secret Wars, time will tell what the not-so-good doctor will do with the new-but-similar hand he’s been dealt.

Readers get their first current glimpse of Reed and Sue since Secret Wars #9!

Launch trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljPF8ZiUSNU

Near mint, 1st print. Bagged & Boarded.