The Fantastic Four: First Foes #1

You’ve seen them on the big screen, now find out how the Fantastic Four of Earth-828 became the Fantastic Four. This issue, released by the Future Foundation, ties into last year’s successful Fantastic Four movie, giving us backstory for heroes and villains. Meet one of Mr. Fantastic’s mentors, learn more about H.E.R.B.I.E., and learn all about our heroes and the Future Foundation

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Creative Team

Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Mark Buckingham
Color Artist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Phil Noto

Writing

I really enjoyed what Dan Slott did with this issue. With this being a tie-in to a movie, it’s obvious Marvel had an idea of the story they wanted to tell ahead of time, but Slott does an amazing job injecting his style and personality into the issue. This felt like a fun way to build on the lore from Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Slott gives us all our favorite characters from the movie while treating us to some new revelations about them. I thought there were scenes showing the villain arc that allow readers to see that even when someone has tried to harm them, the Fantastic Four does what they think is right. The little snippet series “Fantastic Science” crafted by Ryan North and Phil Noto is surprisingly entertaining and works to help sell the immersion that this is not simply a comic released by Marvel Comics, but the Future Foundation itself.

In the midst of a really good story, Slott harkens back to the comic books written during the time period in which the Earth-828 universe is set, leaving us with lessons in humility and kindness that were often found in those early Captain America and other comics. Slott manages to continue the satisfying one-shot tie-in series for the Fantastic Four movie by creating a comic that works well as a movie tie-in as well as a standalone comic.

Art

Mark Buckingham and Alex Sinclair did a stellar job with this comic. No one would ever accuse comic artists of having an easy job, but when you’re working on a comic that ties into a real-life movie, it adds an extra layer of challenge. Buckingham and Sinclair rose to that challenge beautifully.

As you get into this comic, Buckingham and Sinclair have done a great job of providing the familiar look of the Fantastic Four, regardless of what universe we find them in, while also being faithful to their representations of the actors who brought the characters to life. The art feels futuristic despite the setting of the comic and allows Buckingham and Sinclair to further flesh out the look and feel of Earth-828 beyond simply the experiences from movies.

Joe Caramagna shines in this issue with his lettering. The source material and setting produce panels that are very art-dense, and Caramagna does a masterful job of getting the narrative through without interrupting the art in noticeable ways. The story flows easily, with your eyes following the story from beginning to end.

Final Thoughts

The team of Slott, Buckingham, Sinclair, and Caramagna provides another exciting entry into the series of one-shot’s from the Future Foundation. The story is both familiar and unique. For fans of the movie, the issue does a great job in fleshing out the universe a little bit more, so that our heroes find themselves in

Overall Grade: 9/10

Until next time, may your pulls be magical, and your multiverse remain stable.

Are you enjoying the Fantastic Four: First Steps tie-in comics? Let me know in the comments below!