After the death of Johnny Storm, the Fantastic Four had redubbed themselves the Future Foundation and have been living their adventures in the ‘FF’ series. With Johnny’s return in last’s months ‘Fantastic Four’ #600, the “world’s greatest comic magazine” has returned to it’s original numbering and put Marvel’s first family back in the forefront of the Marvel Universe where they should be.

In true Fantastic Four fashion, the teams return is amidst some epic goings-on. The godlike Inhumans have moved to Earth and Ronan the Accuser has resurrected the Kree Supreme Intelligence who immediately ordered the Kree armada to destroy the Inhumans… and their newfound home on Earth!

This issue, Johnny Storm wastes no time dealing with his return to the Earth as he takes a leadership role and prepares plans to stop the Kree attack. Wielding the Cosmic Control Rod that he took from Annihilus, Johnny summons his own horde of ships to do battle with the Kree armada. Then with his new friends, the Light Brigade, in tow, Johnny leads the assault to save Earth. However, with the tide of battle turning, it seems that the fallout of the clashing ships may leave the Earth so devastated that it won’t be worth saving after all.

For the past year over in ‘FF’, scribe Jonathan Hickman has been building a massive intertwining web of a story that is finally beginning to come together now that ‘Fantastic Four’ is back in print and the regular ‘FF’ title is continuing with the Reed children. Hickman’s story is a massive tale with a cast of characters that may require newer readers to hit Wikipedia several times an issue just to keep up but, for old-time fans, it’s a brilliant and triumphant culmination of one of the best Fantastic Four stories ever written.

The art this go ‘round is handled by Steve Epting who did a lot of the art over in ‘FF’ and he’s already proven himself more than up to the task of handling the wild over-the-top awesome that is Hickman’s Fantastic Four.

Next issue, things are only going to get bigger with the appearance of… Galactus!

Verdict: Buy

FANTASTIC FOUR #601
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by STEVE EPTING
Cover by MIKE CHOI and RON GARNEY