Rating:  -
If you're already a comic fan, you've probably made up your mind about this book already. This review is for those few non-comic readers who might be, unlikely as it seems, checking this item out.
Firstly, if you've never heard of the Fantastic Four then this is a great place to start. The story is completely new, and you don't have to know anything. It's a pretty faithful adaptation of the original characters, with a new origin and one important twist. They're young adults.
I think this is a great idea. If the Ultimate Marvel universe wants to distinguish itself, it needs to truly reinvision the characters, and this is a neat way to do that because it's a relatively minor change that allows fresh unexplored FF stories.
I won't tell much of the plot (I hate it when reviewers do that) except to say there's a freak accident (isn't there always) and a young team of superheroes are born. My personal favorite has always been the Thing. I just love the way he's so utterly inhuman in appearance, yet so down to earth. It's one aspect I'm glad they didn't change.
I'd give this 5 stars except for two small flaws. Firstly, the pacing is a little slow. Secondly, the final confrontation just isn't as satisfying as it should be. Still, all in all an excellent comic.
Rating:  -
I won't Repeat the basic info from the above Reviews.. but I, being one of the guys who once owned some of the origonal FF origin issues way back when, thinks the upgrade of the origonal stories are really well done... Certainly a fresh outlook on a story that origonaly was way too rushed... I like the amount of time that was spent detailing out many things... making the Origonal FF family even more expanded by adding extended family to the mix... (Reeds parents... and Dr. Storm...) It all seems very very fitting to the story lines... I am a bit disapointed that there is no mention of Ben's Parents.. (at least so far) I suppose that as many have speculated that Ben Grimm being Jewish and all was a bit too hot (Read as Polically incorrect) for Marvel to handle... (Oh well...) the Stories Really were well done... and I in my humble opinion the best story lines of the bunch out of all the Ulitmates Series...
Rating: -
As someone who embraced the idea but not necessarily the execution of Marvel's "New Universe" and have enjoyed many of DC's "Elsewhere" stories, I have applauded Marvel's Ultimate line of comic books. Once you have done over 500 issues of "The Amazing Spider-Man" or any other title I can certainly appreciate the impulse to start over and re-create Marvel's characters for the 21st century. One of the best things about these stories is that they work both ways. If you know nothing about a Marvel superhero beyond what you pick up from a movie, then you can get in on the ground floor (especially with Marvel committed to these tradepaperback collections). But if you were reading Marvel comics back in the 1960s, even as far back as the "Pop Art" period, then you can enjoy the way things are slightly different and how they play off of what "originally" happened. However, with the re-imagining of the Fantastic Four I think they went a bit too far.
"Ultimate Fantastic Four, Volume 1: The Fantastic" brings together the first six issues of the comic book as the "World's Greatest Comic Magazine" makes its long-awaited debut in the Ultimate Marvel universe, which is just a way of saying that while the "Ultimate Spider-Man," "Ultimate X-Men," and "The Ultimates" have been out there for a while, the FF are only just starting to get up to speed. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar, and illustrated by Adam Kubert, we start 21 years before the birth of the Fantastic Four with the birth of Reed Richards. We then jump ahead ten years when Reed is doing a project on teleportation for the Midtown Middle School science fair that succeeds well enough for Reed to be asked to join a government think tank in the Baxter Building. This means he leaves behind his family and his one friend, Ben Grimm, the star linebacker who makes a point of protecting young Reed from the school bullies.
While I liked the idea that Peter Parker is still 15 when he gets bite by a radioactive spider in the Ultimate universe, turning Reed Richards into Tom Swift bothers me. Reed was always the adult in the FF, and it was not just the gray at the temples. Besides, I do not want the Fantastic Four to be teenage superheroes. The X-Men are supposed to be Marvel's teenage superheroes. I do not have a problem with the idea that the unofficial space flight into the cosmic rays where you take along your fiancé and her kid brother has been replaced by a more terrestrial explanation for their transformations. But the think tank being nothing but kids smacks too much of Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game." Originally the future Mr. Fantastic and Doctor Doom meet in college, where the idea is that each is on the cusp of intellectual greatness. Making them smarter, earlier, just does not work for me and makes me thing this is all a marketing ploy to make the FF more kid-friendly. But I, despite persistent lapses, am not a kid and I like my Fantastic Four to be adults, except for Johnny Storm the (literally) hot-headed teenager.
That being said, one of the other great things about the Ultimate comic books is that they take, as in this case, six issues to tell a story. That means you do not have to come up with a new story and a new villain every single issue. What we have with "The Fantastic" is both the creation of the FF and their first encounter with the Mole Man (who, in a nice twist, is not unknown to them). I thought the best part of the story is how the four members come to terms with their new powers (best line is Johnny's, "Oh, man. I hope that's not Sue," because the Thing's first take on what time it is was too self-conscious). I also like the idea that unlike the Ultimates, the government's pet superheroes, there is initial fear and distrust of these four, especially Ben. Of course, Volume 2 of the "Ultimate Fantastic Four" will be devoted to their first encounter with Doctor Doom, so we at least have to go along for the ride that far to see if their creator can take this comic book to the next level. There is potential, of course, but they are not there yet.
Rating: -
I started liking comic books when i first read Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1 and bought the 2000 PS1 video game. From there, i started reading all the marvel comics i could find, old, new, comics, or graphic novels. Every single on was good. Until now, the best ultimate series was Ultimate X-Men. Faithful to the original, but with new, modern storylines
For Christmas 2004, i got this graphic novel. I wuz amazed at how much better it was that the other Ultimate comics, 2x better than Ultimate x-Men, 10x better than ultimate Spider-Man, 2000000x better than The ultimates a crappy, gross (just wasp and giant-man), "modern", boring, avengers rip-off starring samuel l. jackson as nick fury (don't as), alive Bucky, naked giant-Man, Freddy Prinze jr, a perverted Hulk, a mardi gras Wasp, and the world-famous idiot: George W. Boosh. Look cool? Get those ants outta yer pants, wise guy and burn all of your The Ultimates comics if you got 'em.
Please.
But anyway, UFF is just as good as classic FF and is definitely worth a lifetime subscription (...)(...)
Rating: -
"The Fantastic" storyline follows the events leading up to the classic family's transformation and their first adventure in this fun new addition to the Ultimate universe.
Bendis' and Millar's story here seems more forced and problematic than their corresponding Ultimate titles. Although the book collects the first six issues of the series, (and probably due to Marvel's decompressed style of storytelling these days) the origin story seems rushed and several plot elements aren't completely believable. While the writers should receive credit for trying to remain true to the original stories, the first villian and his monsters seem completely unbelievable given that the Ultimate universe is supposed to take place in the real world; and Ben Grimm's sudden appearance prior to the accident which transforms the characters also seems fake.
Adam Kubert's work here is very good as he captures the characters perfectly. The colors by Stewart are also good as they perfectly convey the different settings with appropriate realism.
Although not as strong as other Ultimate titles (Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimates), "Ultimate FF" is still good and wide open to a great variety of new stories (here's to Warren Ellis, the new writer who is better suited for these type of stories).
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