I only returned to reading about Marvel’s first family after Johnny Storm died and the Fanastic Four became the Future Foundation. Since then, however, I have been thoroughly enjoying Jonathan Hickman’s run on ‘FF’ and this issue is no exception.

After a couple of stand-alone issues that set up some of the characters, namely the Kree and Inhumans, for new readers, this issue returns to the action that’s been missing since issue #5. We return to a group of alternate universe versions of Reed Richards trying to start a war in an effort to return to their own dimension. In an attempt to stop this disaster, the Future Foundation has forged an uneasy alliance with some of their worst enemies including Dr. Doom, The Wizard, and Diablo to help stop the Reeds.

In addition to getting back to it’s pre-interlude pace, it’s great to see both Steve Epting and Daniel Acuna returning to art and covers respectively. Their work is brilliant and Epting provides some impressive spreads this issue.

[Warning: here there be spoilers…]

On the writing side, this issue really packs a punch! One thing that Hickman does extremely well is long-term plotting. He’s been setting up the pieces of this arc since the ‘FF’ series began and the pieces start to come together in this issue. What ties these epic tales together though is the human interaction and we get some of my favorite moments for the FF so far. One scene in particular gets my vote for best single line in a comic this month: “You know better, young lady. Love, Dad”. (No spoiler there. You’ll have to read it!) Then we get two stunning scenes that could’ve been cliffhangers in their own and I would’ve been happy. The first occurs when the real Reed Richards appears to have come to a discovery that all is not what it seems. But, before he can tell anyone, he’s whisked away by the Inhumans. The second big scene appears when the villains begin to turn on each other in the final pages. I’ll avoid spoiling who the traitor is, but the next issue looks like it’s going to be a villain throw-down!

Come back for my next review next month, FF Fans!

FF #8
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by STEVE EPTING
Cover by DANIEL ACUNA