The Fantastic Four, known by Marvel Comics to be their first family were cocreated by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Scientist Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, his wife Sue/Invisible Woman, her younger brother Johnny Storm/Human Torch and their friend former pilot Ben Grimm/The Thing make up the core team of the FF who have intergalactic and earthly adventures, as well as marital troubles, family fights and raising children. Now in the year of their 60th anniversary Reed and Sue are still married with two powerful children Franklin and Valeria, Ben and his wife Alicia have adopted alien kids, one being Kree, the other a Skrull. And then there’s Johnny who continues the soap opera that is his life. With a penchant for getting into unimaginable situations, Johnny somehow gets entangled in a soulmate relationship with an alien named Sky, then manages to sleep with one of the FF’s greatest enemy’s fiancé briefly before he proposes to her. This brings us to part two of “Fantastic Four: The Bride of Doom†where Victor Von Doom in his pettiness has Reed be his best man and gets married on the same day of Reed and Sue’s anniversary.
There is something about this family that interconnects with major storylines including their allies and foes, so don’t think that you can’t start with part two of this comic-book if you’ve never previously heard of the Fantastic Four in this medium. It has enough content to get you invested enough to see what happens next and context to get a sense of this super-powered family’s history. There are references that go back in this issue from storylines that occurred in 1962, giving the narrative a longstanding and recent history at the same time.
When it comes to the artwork in this comic-book the reader can follow Reed’s dialogue as he stretches behind the team’s longtime enemy Doom. As well as from the rank on the Dora Milaje’s bald heads to Namor’s ears are refreshingly consistent with how each of these characters are featured across the Marvel comics universe. And while the art and graphic design are well done, there needs to be a standing ovation for letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna who gives a fierceness to Doctor Doom’s anger, after all there isn’t not much you can do with a man who constantly wears a helmet with no expression. Then there’s the petty banter between monarchs T’Challa/Black Panther and Namor/The Sub-Mariner as both men in their costumes, particularly for T’Challa who wears a full body black armored suit, and Namor barely wearing anything show limited movement, here Caramagna is a silent champion, particularly on the last page.
With the everchanging reboots in comics the Fantastic Four, currently being written by Dan Slott has remained steady. Johnny continues to be in romantic liaisons, riddled with complications, The Thing will say what we are all thinking and there will always be allies and foes who with the complexity of this first family can be interchangeable. If you feel the need to catch up or see previous storylines, you can check out reprints from Sue’s miscarriage in issue 269 and the aftermath in issues 280-282, the blossoming relationship of Johnny and Alicia Masters in issues 270, 275, 299 and their wedding in issue 300 and the after affects in issues 356-358. The current numbering is different as Marvel comics tends to renumber their books, but the narratives of the Fantastic Four hasn’t significantly changed.
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