Marvel has released some information on FF, the new series taking the place of Fantastic Four. Here's what they had to say today:
There is no more Fantastic Four, so just what is the FF? This March, the superstar creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting present the over-sized FF #1, introducing the biggest new super hero team of the century! After the death of the Human Torch, the surviving members of the Fantastic Four–Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman & Thing–join with Spider-Man and some top secret members to form an unstoppable force: The Future Foundation. Their mission is simple: save the Marvel Universe from its greatest threats and prevent future dangers from arising. But even with knowledge of what’s to come and one of the most powerful teams ever assembled, just what villainous force could stand in their way?
Marvel also released two covers, the regular one by Steve Epting and one of the variants by Daniel Acuna:
FF #1 is written by Jonathan Hickman and drawn by Steve Epting. It's scheduled to hit comic bookstores on March 23, 2011.
It's a no-brainer that in their time of need Spider-Man would join up with Formerly Known as The Fantastic Four. They are kind of like family to him. It also makes sense that after the death of Johnny, Reed would want to expand his scope as a way of dealing with his grief. One thing is for sure, Jonathan Hickman sure is keeping things interesting wth the Richards family. I'm very interested to see where this is going.
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HIckman’s kicked ass on FF so far. Can’t wait to read the new direction.
First thought: Hey! A new Spider-Man costume!
I “get” Peter Parker being a part of the team, but I don’t like it. I like Ron’s “Nova” suggestion from the recent podcast!
Im not a HUGE FF fan, but I do not hate this. Mostly because I had a slightly similar idea a while back. Hmmmmm #paranoid
AWESOME.
This looks cool. Though I can’t say I’m enthused for putting Ben Grimm in white boxers.
I wasn’t sure where they were going with this but this looks great! I wonder who else is in it.
Interesting move. I definitely approve of the ambition. Rather than the umpteenth revamp of the FF, just move the characters forward organically into a new dynamic that feels kinda retro and very 21st century at the same time.
The only thing that I immediately don’t like from looking at the covers is Spider-man. I’m sure the character of Peter Parker could fit with the premise, but somehow, the whole masked hero aesthetic doesn’t quite fit in with the vibe I get from The Future Foundation. But we’ll see.
I was never a FF fan until i started reading Hickman’s run. Its just good Sci Fi. Really excited for this as long as he’s writing. Epting’s art is really good as well. This is a great book.
SOLD!!
I think Spidey’s a great fit considering his history, his fame (in 616) and his genius.
I’m wondering what’s going on with these black/white costumes in Marvel these days between FF and X-Force. Deadpool/Spidey/Fantomex are all sort of blending together
Just when I thought I could start seriously trimming down my comics list, Hickman starts writing Spider-Man. And I like the idea, but it seems like too many team books have this as a theme. “Save the Marvel Universe from its greatest threats”? Isn’t that the Avengers’ goal? “Stop future ones from happening”? Sounds like Uncanny X-Force, though likely they’ll do this more through science rather than violence. It will be interesting to see how Hickman differentiates himself from the rest of the field. If it’s like Red Mass for Mars, it could really work – and potentially take these characters down a very dark path. Will likely trade wait for this unless the real buzz is unbearable. Also, I … don’t entirely hate the Acuna cover. Very reminiscent of early Star Wars art.
I’m not sure where I heard it force but I had assumed FF was going to stand for Fantastic Force or something like that. This… this is different then I expected.I like the vibe. It reminds me of what Morrison is doing over at DC with Batman INC. Both Bruce Wayne and Reed Richards go through a dramatic change and decide they must be more proactive to protect the world.
Also this really matches the tone Hickman started with Richards way back in the first three issue arc of his run, the one with the multiversal army of Reed Richards(es). Goal #101: FIX EVERYTHING
I don’t know that these cover do the new costumes justice, but I’d give this a shot, though I suppose it has to walk a very delicate line between the old FF and The Avengers while trying to strike out in its own direction. If relationally it worked something like Justice League Generation Lost while tackling giant space monsters i could see it working for a while
Spidey it kind of looking like Fantomex in the Acuna cover. Or is he wearing anti-venom now?
UGH
Not a fan of those costumes; but Hickman getting Spider-Man into the mix? Awesome.
Also, I like how this seems to be planned (most likely by Reed) to change the entire shape of the team once someone dies.
“Alright well Jonny died, time to make completely new costumes.”-Reed
Oooh! I like the new uniforms.
Hickman has done no wrong.
I’d rather they bring in the original Human Torch into the mix and give him H.E.R.B.I.E.’s personality. This is……temporary at best.
Totally agree about Spidey looking like Fantomex. They should switch teams from time to time, just to keep everyone guessing.
How does this cut in with Spidey’s time with the Avengers? I’d love to see both Spidey and Wolverine on FF again, especially after Aaron’s Astonishing mini.
ARTIE AND LEECH!!! ARTIE AND LEECH!!!!
Love the costumes.
@gobo – I think what bugs me about Spidey is the aesthetics of the masked hero — not the continuity or character fit. If it was an image of an unmasked Peter wearing the new FF costume and sticking to a wall or shooting a web, it would fit much better with the others — kinda pulpy family of 21st adventurers, ya know?
…and then Spider-Man makes a deal with Mephisto to bring Johnny back…
Spider-man makes complete sense. He’s a genius so he fits in with Reed and the other Foundation members, and he replaces Johnny’s role as comedic relief. The costumes look great too. Everything here seems awesome.
@daccampo if it was any masked hero other than Spider-Man I’d totally get what you’re saying. Spider-Man is kind of an icon though and extremely well known in the Marvel U. I think he can get away with it and still fit in.
This seems… rather unnecessary. Spider-Man is the new Wolverine: on a bajillion different teams and switches costumes on a whim!
@RPG At least all of Spidey’s teams are in NYC. Wolverine’s bi-coastal
Awesome! I’m there.
Isn’t the premise of this book the same thing that the Secret Avengers are supposed to be doing?
@Malecema: Secret Avengers is a reactive espionage group. FF seems to be a pro-active scientific group. I’d be pretty confident that they’ll be pretty different.
@gobo Sure, in reference to the MU, I get that. For me, I always try to vet these new concepts completely away from the Marvel U. Like, if this was a new TV show, what stands out to me? Answer: the masked guy.
Again, I’m just talking purely about aesthetics — just what THESE two visuals says to someone entirely new to comics or the FF. Because for me, that’s what this should be striving for, what the industry should be striving for, as they reinvent their characters.
I’m in there, but I have a nagging thought in my head I can’t shake… how… long… does this last… before Johnny comes back… and the series… resumes it’s original numbering.
I swear I’m not some tool who can’t enjoy a stab in a new direction!
@daccampo Fair enough, sorry yeah from a purely aesthetic sense, he definitely sticks out like a sore thumb.
Aces. I’m there. And the chest insignia is way cooler than I feel it should be. Damn you, Marvel Comics, you magnificant bastards, you.
Isn’t there an inherent conflict of interest here for Spidey? I doubt Horizon Labs would approve of Peter being in the Future Foundation (if they knew about it). Likewise, I wonder if Mr. Fantastic would be worried about technology leaking into Horizon Labs. Isn’t there some kind of superhero supertech non-compete?
after staring at these images a while am I the only one that hopes they get some short sleved versions of these uniforms?
@convoy83 I would just love a t-shirt for myself
2nd cover – Wow. Are they having one of those non-traditional funerals where it’s fun and a party instead of sad?
They got over that quick.
Looks awesome. Love what Hickman’s been doing with the ‘Four, now I can’t wait to see where he takes the Future Foundation.
@lmiller31 – Same here! I know it’s sad, but I get soooooo excited for variant costumes!
@OttoBott That’s because they’re partying like Johnny.
are they being sponsored by Apple?
X Corporation anybody?
@MattKelly Isn’t Nova dead?
Neat!
I hope this means Spidey is out of the Avengers. Hopefully Wolverine will be next.
So….is Spidey the new Deadpool who was the new Wolverine? How do these heroes have so much free time to be on multiple teams and have their own solo adventures?
@redlibertyx It’s called “comics.”
The costume design looks a little like Jerome Opena’s Uncanny X-Force.
@redlibertyx The same way I have time to spend all day at work, meet a friend for lunch, have dinner with the girlfriend, watch the news and maybe hangout at the bar and catch the last quarter of a Rockets game all in the same day. That’s just one day and look at all the stuff I did. Imagine if Bendis wrote my day, that lunch would be one issue of a six issue arc.
This is actually fairly enticing. Count me in on this one, Marvel! Now I sort of regret dropping Fantastic Four. I did pick up 587 at my LCS today, so maybe that will jazz me for it. (Fun story, there was a big note taped to the LCS window declaring “FANTASTIC FOUR IS NOT SOLD OUT!” Which is odd because I got e-mails from Midtown Comics and MyComicShop.com saying the same thing. So it was a sell out on the distributor level but not in stores it seems.)
I haven’t been able to get excited about the Fantastic Four for awhile now, and I’m not sure what it is, but this new book doesn’t seem to excite me either. I hope that a lot of people pick up this book and that this new team can receive more sales and do really well critically, but for now, I’m done with marvel’s first family.
& Phantomex
On the one hand I love the idea of Spidey joining, for however long, the FF. Thats a grouping that has always worked for me. On the other hand, *engaging fanboy mode*, the guy is already on 2 Avengers teams. Much as I love Spidey in those books, if they are going to do this he should leave at least 1, if not both, of the teams for the duration. Its not a huge deal, I mean its not like he is Wolvie whose is on multiple teams located at oppostie ends of the country or anyhting. (It really bugs me because they don’t even try to address it. Give me something, even half-assed, to hold onto. Its not like this is the DC universe where superheros have regular access to the JLA telporters after all). *exiting fanboy mode* Oh well when Hickman starts killing it with his typical amazing writing I’m sure all my annoyances will simply drop away.
The big question: Is spidey’s costume also made of unstable molecules?
Wait where is the Human Torch?
Everybody sure looks happy in the variant cover. Not even a black armband in sight! It’s like a Greg Land pic.
@Cormac ditto. They seem to be doing well.
Irish funeral!
Spidey = Awesome, and in Hickman I trust.
Also, I suspect Hickman has played the SHIT out of Mass Effect 2.
Hell, I’ll pick this up just for Spidey alone. And who knows? Maybe they’ll get a convert out of me. At least, until #600 brings Johnny back, which we all know it will. But, Spidey joining the New Avengers is what got me into expanding my collection, getting me into all the Avengers books, Cap and Iron Man. I’m even considering picking up the Hawkeye book when it comes out. All because of Spidey. and hey, yeah, yet another new costume!
That is one awesome spidey design. I like the new costumes. Ilikeitalot!
Oh wow. I gotta say, I’ve probably read comics way too long but, I’m super surprised and exciteded. I think Spidey is a way better fit on FF then Avengers.
very pleased with this line up and the name change.
I’d buy one of those long sleeve uniforms. Reminds me of the under-armor style workout shirts.
Any bets on how long before Spiderman makes a “soiling my tidy whity” joke when goinig up against Galactus or some such situation?
Is there any chance of Spidey leaving the Avengers? I love him on FF.
Spider-Man has a lot of variant costumes now. Black, White, Red, Iron.
Plus that teal hoodie with no sleeves. A personal favorite.
The FF are like Spidey’s family? Since when? He was friends with Johnny–that’s it. He was never particularly close with any of the others.
Like many others, the first thing I thought of when I saw this was “Spidey on ANOTHER team?”
Then, of course, my second sense kicked in and I told myself, as we’re all trained to tell ourselves these days, that “continuity logistics don’t matter as long as it’s good comics”.
But my third and final thought was that putting Spidey as the “surprise new member” on a team stopped being interesting almost ten years ago. This is nothing exciting, as far as I’m concerned. This is just more preaching to the choir and consolidating readership of an already overextended Marvel Comics scene.
I read so much flack online about how “conservative” the major comics companies are for not expanding quicker into digital. But a gimmick of having Spider-Man join the FF seems like the most retro move in the book.
Within the span of two months we’ll have had: 1) a polybagged cover, 2) a “death” that seemed editorially driven in that it didn’t come very naturally out of the run leading up to it (there was ONE bit of foreshadowing like a year ago; and then Annihilus literally came out of nowhere), 3) the forced inclusion of an already overexposed hero who will surely help sales of a floundering franchise, 4) a new #1 with a zippier title (“FF”).
Yet people are upbeat about this? Why, because of the creative team? I love Hickman on SHIELD but his FF has been boring and mostly only liked by people who rarely ever read the title before. I love Steve Epting but this is the worst his art as looked since 2002, easily.
I dunno, guys. I personally am not surprised at all when I see sales trending ever downward. Yet I hear a vocal minority online who reinforce each others’ belief that mainstream comics have never been better or more interesting. That’s only true if you believe the hype.
@froggulper Spider-Man has always been close with the entire FF, going back to Amazing Spider-Man #1.
Do Spidey and Wolverine have a contest about who can be on more teams?
Also, not a big fan of the costumes as depicted here.
@froggulper He tried to get hired by them in ASM #1 but he couldn’t reveal his identity so no dice.
Im a solid DC-reader, but I think I could get into FF…I may have to check this one out.
@clay Nearly everyone’s costume is unstable molecules. Certainly every A-lister hero’s is. All you gotta do is ask Reed.
Does Sue look a little like Miley Cyrus in that first cover or is it just me?
I could not stop thinking about that spidey design all week
They could send the team with Spidey into the NZ looking for Johnny coming across many different sub plots through out that universe With very cool apperances of the various Cosmic characters.. Silver Surfer.. Adam Warlock… Annihulus…Terrax..The Inhumans… not including new ones we haven’t encountered. I think they totally pooched it. I do like Spiderman being part of the FF. Peter & Johnny fought like brother from time to time as far back as I can remember. Its a good fit.
so I just recently got back into comics…like last week (was a marvel zombie for about 15 years). Decided this time to go with trades over single issues. I was always interested in the FF but never in the creative team. (i stopped reading around House of M), anyway, this looks interesting, whats the general consensus on Hickman’s FF/ Worth picking up in trade?