fantastic four by jonathan hickman volume 1

Said incursion is just an invasion of an alternate Galactus and not a universe-erasing threat, but the tone and theme are similar to how New Avengers would deal with encroaching Earths years later. Plus we see the first use of the word which will one day doom Earth-616: 'Incursion.' Thematic dates and concepts keep appearing, but instead of being simple retreads between titles, they're reinforcements of the overall plan. The foundations for the entire title's duration and events beyond it are laid out: the importance of Namor and Doctor Doom, the first appearance of the older Franklin Richards seen in Infinite Avengers, the continuing devolution of the Wizard, and even the gathering of the many empowered children who will one day form a key component of FF. Some of them are hidden in the artwork, like Valeria Richards having pictures of Tesla and da Vinci in her room that just happen to resemble the versions seen in Hickman's ill-fated Shield title. It's amazing how many of the little clues you pick up with hindsight.

Hickman's plan has unfolded ever since those issues “Time Runs Out' is just the start of the third act following Fantastic Four and Infinity. That's the final issue of Jonathan Hickman's epic run, and while it may hold specific clues that I haven't caught yet, the Prelude should have instead included the first two or three issues of Fantastic Four. Most of its contents make sense right off the bat, with the two most intriguing being Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates issue #4 (reviewed two weeks ago) and Fantastic Four issue #611. My primary guide for this month of reviews is the Secret Wars Prelude trade which will be released in May.

Fantastic four by jonathan hickman volume 1