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I remember when these stories came out in their original monthly format. I hadn't read the series since the eighties, but as Mark Waid had written some of my favorite comic books (Empire) of the past decade, and superhero books (JLA Vol. 7: Tower of Babel) in particular, I decided to give it a look. The stories seemed interesting but the artwork put me off at the time. Mike Wieringo's drawings struck me as cartoonish, especially compared to what I was used to seeing on the series in its heyday. It looked like a child's book. I put the issues back on the shelf, but certain elements I had glimpsed while browsing would stick in the back of my mind.
More recently, a strange thing happened. I had seen the Fantastic Four movies. They weren't good, but they reignited my interest in the group anyway, perhaps by inadvertently reminding me of what it was like when they were being done well. Suddenly, I wanted to read these stories I had passed up a few years earlier.
This volume is a perfect jumping on point for new readers, as the first story effectively introduces the characters while keeping things entertaining for those of us who are already familiar with them. Waid continues to take the group to exciting new heights with stories involving such imaginative concepts as an out-of-control wave of molecular instability and a sentient creature composed of pure mathematics. But the centerpiece of this collection is a multi-part storyline in which the Fantastic Four's greatest foe is frighteningly reimagined. Unfortunately, it's here where the art really lets the story down. It's a dark tale that would have been much more suited to an artist with a moodier, more realistic style.
The book contains supplemental, behind-the-scenes material at the back. The most significant of these is Mark Waid's manifesto for his interpretation of the team. I always like reading these, because sometimes it's hard to get used to a new writer's style on a long-running series, and it gives insight into why he's doing things the way he is, and why it works. There are also conceptual drawings, a Fred Hembeck comic strip, and other odds and ends.
In the end, I'm glad I didn't buy those original comics, because I love these big hardcover volumes that Marvel puts out, and this one is a winner. It is recommended for new readers as well as older ones looking for a fresh and exciting take on these forty-plus year-old characters.
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Great collection of FF stories. Fun, exciting, touching, and a big battle with Victor Von Doom. What more can any FF fan ask???
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I love the FF and I love Mark Waid, and so this title is a no brainer. Mark brings a freshness to the FF that has been missing for quite a while. He seems to bring out the best in them, and look at them in a new way. The strength of the FF has always been that they have been a family. And that is just something that allows the writers to have a different type of dynamic in a story that is something that you don't often read about no matter what sort of literature you are into. If you are a fan of Mark Waid or the FF, and you haven't read in a while, this book will not disappoint. If you are new to the FF, then this book will lure you in. It's a must buy.
Rating:  -
I bought this book thinking that this was a complete recap of the FF4 series, from the start. After reading the first few pages, although it is mentioned how the four become the FF4, the book takes on another route. The drawings are great, and the story line fairly interesting. I am halfway through the book, and feel that the only reason I am continuing to read on is that I am a FF4 fan.
If you're expecting this book to give you a complete series recap from the start, it's not it. I bought it in a store in a mall, and the employees of the store could not tell me what the book was about, it was shrink wrapped. I took a chance and am disapointed.
Rating: -
First,I would like to tell you that im really 15 years old.Im just having e-mail problems.This book is everything you want in a fantastic four book. It has drama,excitement,science fiction,and action.My favorite thing is that they made Dr.Doom more evil and vicious than ever.I just cant believe how sexy they made Susan Storm!Its her body naked in a blue tint of a blue costume.Good book.It even includes Franklin and Valerie Richards.May be the reason for Sue's sudden sexiness. The book even admits that they wanted her to be flat out sexier.
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