Marvel NOW! Matt Fraction & Mark Bagley on FANTASTIC FOUR; Fraction & Mike Allred on FF

The Marvel NOW! announcements continue as USA Today has the scoop on the new direction for Marvel’s first family. Writer Matt Fraction will move on from The Invincible Iron Man and The Mighty Thor to take over Fantastic Four and FF.

Artist Mark Bagley joins Fraction on Fantastic Four and Mike Allred brings his indie sensibilities to FF. The basic set-up? Reed takes the family away from Earth and an educational road trip that spans not only the galaxy but time as well. While they’re gone he doesn’t want to leave his home without a Fantastic Four to protect it so he enlists Ant-Man (Scott Lang), She-Hulk, Medusa and a new character (in the Thing costume) to act as the new Fantastic Four in their absence.

“This is the place to be wildly inventive, and I would like to put as many things down on the page as humanly possible,” Fraction said. “And offer up another dose next issue.”

For more click on the link above.

Comments

  1. Pass.

  2. Don’t forget the small nugget of news hidden in the USA Today article: The Defenders is ending at issue 12. I kind of wish Jamie McKelvie was drawing Fantastic Four instead of Bagley.

  3. 2.99 !!!

    • It’s about damn time.

      After Hawkeye’s stellar debut and three dollar price tag, my Marvel price embargo seems to be weakening somewhat.

      Seeing Allred do an X-Statix type approach to the FF might just make this my second Marvel book since Siege ended.

    • When all their books are 2.99, I might come back. But not some, all, ya hear me, Marvel?

      FF does look great, though. We’ll see.

      Not a fan of Bagley, but it looks like Mark Farmer is making his work look much much better.

  4. Um, what about the FF kids — Val, Franklin, Bentley, etc.? Are they going to space too?

  5. I wasn’t planning on getting these, but the USA Today article kind of convinced be. Plus FF sounds like it will fill my weird superhero void book now that Defenders is ending.

  6. Hey, maybe this means I can read Fantastic Four again. Oh, how I’ve missed it.

  7. FF looks incredible. Perfect Allred material!

  8. As sad as I am that Hickman is leaving the Fantastic Four books, I’m pretty pumped about the new direction they are heading in. I’m especially excited having Bagley on Fantastic Four.

  9. Was really excited for a moment, thinking the Ant-Man was Hank Pym going back to his old persona. But it makes sense that it’d be Scott instead. Just thought Hank would have filled the Reed position in the new team, but it might be awkward after what happened between the two in Mighty Avengers (though I’m not sure if they’ve done anything since then).

    I hope both books do well though. Will probably check out both.

  10. Not sure I’m sold on the new She-Thing, but I’m interested.

  11. Isn’t Scott Lang dead?

    FF looks great. Hopefully Fraction goes wild and gives Allred something like X-Statix to draw.

  12. If Allred was on Fantastic Four, I would give it a shot. But he’s not, and FF doesn’t interest me at all.

  13. I was planning on jumping off these titles after Hickman left, but I’m intrigued. I’ll be checking both of these out.

  14. FF looks so ridiculous I’m going to have to try it.

  15. I really like the costume designs on that FF cover. I haven’t read Fantastic Four in years but i might give these a shot, depending on budget.

  16. I was just going to skip by these, but the concepts have me intrigued… Of course, the 2.99 part helps.

  17. this sounds really exciting and fun. I will definitely give both books a try. Hickman did a really great job about bringing new life to these characters and i’m interested in seeing how another creative team builds on that.

  18. I’ll be interested to see what Fraction does in The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine, but I’m also happy he’s passing the reins on Thor. I can’t figure out WTF he’s trying to do over there, but it’s a hot mess right now.

    • Everything Fraction does is a hot mess (X-Men, Fear Itself, Defenders), but he gets the best artists, so I keep buying them. Dodson, McKelvie, and now Allred and Bagley. So beautiful, yet so devoid of life and sense.

    • Keep it mind, he also got Greg Land for the longest time.

    • According to the interview on the Word Balloon Podcast, his Thor run was his attempt to write a D&D-style adventure. Haven’t read the series, so I don’t know how well he succeeded in that.

  19. So, essentially, Reed’s become The Doctor, and the rest of the team and the kids are his companions?

  20. WT FF?

  21. As much as I love Fraction (Invincible Iron-Man, The Defenders & now Hawkeye) these just don’t appeal, I think what Hickman has done just seems right & completes in my head what the First Family is all about, especially the Future Foundation which I probably enjoy more than the main title. Therefore I will definitely be leaving Fantastic Four/FF with Jonathan Hickman, it has been a blast.

    So far out of all the new Marvel NOW! titles I still think Hickmans Avengers & later New Avengers will be all that I’ll be getting!

  22. With Fraction’s recent track record I really don’t feel all that exicited about the new FF, but Allred is the shit. These new Marvel Now announcements either have a writer I like and a artist I can’t stand or Visa Versa,,,,So far only interested in the new DEAD POOL series, never tought I utter those words.

  23. Bagley & Allred are the main reasons for me to check these out IMO. Very interesting although I highly doubt its going to be anything like Hickman’s run.

  24. You had me at Mike Allred… I’m a huge fan this cat’s artwork. He’s like out in space, Daddy-O and you know it!

    • I know you’re trying to sound like a beatnik, but i totally read this in Christopher Walken’s voice in my head which made this post super enjoyable lol

  25. If FF can capture the magic of X-Statix then I’m definitely on board for it, but I think I’ll wait and see. Fraction is pretty hit or miss for me, and I think Allred needs a specific tone in the story be to appropriate artistically.

  26. I wonder where stegman is gonna be going after fantastic four

  27. Off-beat adventures from Mike and Laura Allred is and immediate buy for this fanboy

  28. Everything about this preview makes me want to head in the opposite direction, especially FF. Fraction on a superhero book about weird space-time stuff? It was called Defenders and I dropped it at issue 6. Mike Allred on a Marvel team book with weird characters? It was called X-Force/X-Statix and I stayed away from that book, too.

  29. Avatar photo filippod (@filippodee) says:

    The FF cover is pure Allred goodness and I’m excited, but I’d have loved one with tthe full cast of kids. I hope they will still be around in the new series.

  30. ROAD TRIP!!!

  31. “This is the place to be wildly inventive, and I would like to put as many things down on the page as humanly possible,” Fraction said.”

    This is what makes me worried. Fraction really annoys me when he throws 100 ideas into a book then has his characters vomiting techno babble for 22 pages.

  32. Man, I’ll never understand all the Fraction hate. It all seems to stem from Fear Itself, which was an event book that typically involves a lot of editorial interference. It was horrible, no doubt, but I don’t put it all on Fraction because it wasn’t supposed to be an auteur piece. Casanova is great, I think most of his Iron Man has been great and I think he is a talented writer about to take over books that play to his strengths.To judge him so negatively because of one summer event book seems unfair. To each their own, of course.

  33. First off Fantastic Fou: Really” Fraction and Bagley… 2 reasons not to go near this crap. As for thw FF, the cover alone makes me run in the opposite direction. Hickman (and all his artists) brought this book and Family to the modern age and held your attention for 3+yrs. I’ll start rereading them soon. This crap is better left on the bottom of my shoe as I exit the Marvel Stall.

  34. Out on both as well, I generally not a fraction fan, I haven’t gotten a hold of Iron Man and I only found Casanova to be ok.
    But mostly I don’t find the pitch for either of these books interesting, especially after the epic that Hickman is finishing up right now.

  35. I’m checking out FF just for Allred and that Atomics/X-Statix look n feel going on. Just let Fraction stay on the flagship and get Peter Milligan to write FF with Allred.

  36. Both are intriguing me enough to check them out. Glad to see She-Hulk getting some love in FF.

  37. Ughh….FF. I’m out.

  38. I was going to avoid these books just on Fraction’s name alone. But now I’m DEFINITELY avoiding both hearing the plots for each series. Fantastic Four sounds like a generic, cosmic story while FF has a terrible line up. FF has always been a rotation of team mates….But Ant-Man? Medusa? She-Hulk?….Well I’ll take a pass on She-Hulk since she’s been on the team before. But the rest just sound awful.

  39. I have never been an Allred fan so pass. I’ll try the space adventures. At the end of the day I give them credit for trying something different. But where is the future foundation ? Where are the kids ??

  40. The FF cover is a slice of heaven. I could stare at it for hours, that Mike Allred is amazing. Marvel is positioning itself well with the talent of these new artistic teams. I do hope they are serious about not playing musical chairs like they are in the New 52, that gets old real quick.

  41. Sooooooo into this. I wasn’t going to go with Fantastic Four, just FF but I think Fraction’s talked me into it. If they’re going to be fairly interlinked, I might as well especially as they’re keeping the $2.99 pricing on this and Deadpool (another book I’m giving a shot to). And call me shallow, but it doesn’t hurt that they’re using that ’70s era Fantastic Four masthead.

  42. I wish they would have bought back Sharon Ventura, the She-Thing instead of whatever that women in the Thing suit is.

    • And now i read the article and the Miss Thing is the stupidest idea. A Lindsey Lohan – type celebutante?! Really?! UGH. I hate it. Johnny should have picked Spider-man.

  43. And where does Fraction put his ideas from Defenders?

  44. I want to see Val meet Kid Loki. Only good can come from this.

  45. I like that Fraction is taking the title in a different direction from Hickman’s masterful run.
    That said I’m not getting board at issue 1. I’ll wait until the reviews come.
    Plus the money I save on not buying these issues can go toward the Hickman Fantastic Four omnibus (whenever it comes out).

  46. Um, n tha– uh, Allred? Monthly? She-Hulk? Medussa? Crap. Okay. I’ll bite on the first trade.

  47. Hmm… I dunno want to do here. I wanted to read more about the Future Foundation with the kids and all that – so do I follow Val and Franklin over to F4 where I’m not a big fan of Bagley and have no opinion whatsoever on Fraction? Or hope for some interesting Bentley and Moloid kid hilarity where I am a fan of Allred but I have the distinctive feeling the Foundation part is going to much less panel time? Hmm. I was hoping She Hulk would show up in Hickman’s run – I’m conflicted! guess I’ll just wait to see what reviews of the first issues of both before I decide.

  48. Can not wait for both of these! Definitely excited for these two titles. I love Fraction on Iron Man (my favorite super hero) and can’t wait to see what he does with the FF (my favorite team book)

  49. I LOVE She-Hulk but I’m not a fan of Allred’s style. Just not my thing.

  50. Medusa is great in FF but where are the inhumans? They lost Black Bolt in War of Kings but he recently returned in FF or Fantastic Four, IDK but maybe she can lead to them having they’re own book again? I wish the masses would take a little more open minded approach to some of these obscure characters and maybe they’re runs would last longer, we all know damn well plenty of good runs get cut short due to lack of sales and I blame that on people wanting to read the same ol’ stuff, while others are cut short for legitimate reasons like bad story but a good creative team can always change that.