This review is in no way sponsored. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
About three years ago, two members of the Fantastic Four went missing, and were presumed dead. Sue Storm-Richards and Reed Richards sacrificed themselves and Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm were left wondering if they were still alive. Fantastic Four #1 came out this week and while it didn’t have the exact moment we were all waiting for, we know it is coming. This comic book made me cry from the moment I opened it up (more on that in a minute) and I highly recommend picking it up. We get two fantastic (no pun intended) stories, and I can’t wait for more. Be warned, spoilers are ahead.
Steve Ditko Tribute
I opened up this comic book to a Steve Ditko tribute. Yup, it immediately had me sobbing. We get a great shot of Steve’s pages 1-5 of Amazing Spider-Man #33 (1966). We also get some quotes from other Marvel legends about Steve. It is emotional. And it leads in to an emotional story.
Fantastic Four
We open this story with Ben and Johnny in different locations in the city. All of a sudden in the sky, we see the Fantastic Four flare signal. Johnny thinks this means Reed and Sue are back, Ben does not. Johnny rushes to the site of where the flare was sent off and sees that it is just a couple of kids. Of course, Johnny is furious, but Ben forgives them. He has no hope that Reed and Sue are alive. In fact, this makes him realize that he wants to marry Alicia. He proposes and she accepts. Cue the tears again.
Ben and Alicia ask Johnny to meet them, where they tell him the news and Ben asks him to be his best man. Johnny refuses saying that only one person should be his best man, Reed Richards. More tears. Johnny yells for Reed and Sue to give him a sign that they are still out there. When nothing happens, he seems to finally accept they are gone. Cut to Reed and Sue working on a device. They flick a switch and tada – we see a giant 4 in the stars. Johnny says it’s about damn time and …. yup, I cry again. Looks like next week we will get the reunion we have been waiting years for!
Doctor Doom
Who would the Fantastic Four be without Doctor Doom? It would feel strange wouldn’t it? Well, Doctor Doom is back too! His story in this comic book is short and sweet. A rebel leader comes to find him to ask him to save them. He puts on the mask and goes to free his subjects from tyranny – all by himself.
Of course, these are just quick recaps of what happened, but there are many more details (and awesome) in the pages of Fantastic Four #1. Head to your local comic shop and pick up a copy. While you are at it, add it to your pull list. You don’t want to miss when the first family of Marvel gets back together next month!
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.