Ultimate Fantastic 4 Series Review
Back in 2000, Marvel created an Ultimate universe to provide readers with all-new 21st century versions of classic Marvel characters. The first chapter of that universe now draws to a close in 2009, and we can look back at what has been achieved since its conception. Ultimate Fantastic Four was the last on-going series to be released in Ultimate Marvel, back in 2004. It was co-authored by the Ultimate Marvel architects Brian Bendis and Mark Millar, before being handed over to writer Warren Ellis and later Mike Carey. Issue #60, the last of the series, was written by Joe Pokaski with art by Tyler Kirkham. It has been said that the story will continue in Fantastic Four: Requiem.
While the characters may bear resemblance to their normal Marvel Universe counterparts, they differ in many aspects. The origin of their powers is different and the team is much younger. The series revolves around the adventures of Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and siblings Susan and Johnny Storm, who get engulfed in a malfunctioned teleporter experiment and get super powers: Reed can stretch, Susan projects force fields and makes herself invisible, Johnny becomes a human torch and Ben is a super strong stone giant. The series takes place in contemporary New York.
Ultimate Fantastic Four – Series Review
I’ll presume for the sake of effort that everyone reading this knows who the Fantastic Four are through either the films or television series (if not, wikipedia is your friend). The Ultimate Fantastic Four (UFF, as they shall now be called) are pretty much identical to their mainstream counterparts, except now the team are much younger and with a brand new origin to replace the now-dated “cosmic rays” story. This time, it’s a pioneering teleportation experiment gone wrong thanks to the arrogance of fellow scientist Victor Van Damme, who is himself transformed by the same accident into arch-nemesis Dr. Doom. As the series continues, UFF introduces more “ultimate” versions of popular characters, such as the Mole Man, Namor the Sub-mariner, the Silver Surfer, the Inhumans and the alien Skrulls. UFF also introduces for the first time the now-infamous Marvel Zombies.
Like its mainstream counterpart, UFF is very much a series of style over substance. When you read UFF, you get big science-fiction ideas; monsters, robots, space-travel, time-travel, dimension-travel and the lost city of Atlantis. Rarely are these ideas explored beyond surface level. As far as the writers appear to be concerned, these grand scenarios only exist to introduce and fight the variety of characters and villains in FF lore. But of course, not every series needs to be deep and thought provoking, and UFF is a perfect light read.
Mark Millar and Warren Ellis deserve credit for their excellent writing. These two really know how to blend the warm family moments with a good sense of humour. The introduction of a new family member, Dr. Franklin Storm, was a particularly nice touch as the voice of reason against the FF’s headstrong ideas and adventures. With a deft blending of fear for his children’s safety and his pride in their achievements, it’s hard to imagine how the series could be as interesting without him. UFF also introduces a new application for the Baxter Bulding; the team’s HQ. Whereas the original Baxter Building felt somewhat lifeless due to the lack of human presence, the new building is now the scene for a school for young geniuses, who are soon replaced by the confused soldiers ordered to protect the technology inside. I think the human presence here makes a big difference to the tone of the series.
However, while I wish I could say that UFF was consistently entertaining throughout it’s sixty-issue run, I don’t feel that has been the case. Mike Carey began writing the series with Issue 33, and to be quite blunt, his ideas have not been as exciting as the writers before him. While I don’t think his work can be called “bad” by any means, it does feel generic. It feels like the stories we’ve read before in other forms and in other places. It’s not hard to see why Marvel decided to cancel UFF in these circumstances. Still, the series’ first half was well worth the reading, and I would recommend it to everyone who has an interest in this series.
Best Book: Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 3 (Hardcover)
If there is one collection of stories that embodies the absolute essence of enjoyable Fantastic Four writing, it’s Mark Millar’s run on UFF, collected in the third hardcover volume. There are four stories available here:
1) Reed Richards is tricked into building a teleporter to the Marvel Zombie universe, where he finds that Magneto is the only living superhuman.
2) The FF investigate the once-lost city of Atlantis, only to awaken the arrogant Namor.
3) The FF travel back in time to prevent the teleportation accident, only to allow the alien Skrulls’ complete destruction of the human race.
4) Johnny Storm becomes host to a strange creature, and the Zombie Fantastic Four break free from their prison.
As well as the great variety on offer here, Millar has an excellent knack for adding the details that keep the series on the edge of believability. The plight of Magneto in the first story becomes more sympathetic when he introduces the civilians that he’s been protecting; one of whom he has been helping with her diabetes. Sue and Johnny’s absent mother is revealed in the second story to have left the family to search for Atlantis, and her actions are disputed with subtlety, avoiding the usual demonising of an uncaring parent. And all of the above is depicted brilliantly by Greg Land’s artwork. While some have criticised his use of photo referencing, it’s hard to deny that the cinematic visuals are a perfect companion to the grand-scale stories told by Millar. If you want great light entertainment, then it doesn’t get much better than the UFF Hardcover Vol. 3.
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