A Breakdown Of Fantastic Four By Creative Run

Fantastic Four is one of Marvel Comics’ most important titles. It’s the origin point of the Marvel Universe, long-acting as its centre as it introduced countless characters and concepts. Many creative teams have put their mark on the 64+ years of adventures of Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Sue Storm (Invisible Girl/Woman), Johnny Storm (The Human Torch), and Benjamin Grimm (The Thing). There has been dazzling science fiction, family soap opera, and everything in between during that time.

The MCU movie Fantastic Four: First Steps has generated increased interest in Marvel’s first family. While comic fans will sing their favourite creative runs from the rooftops, it can be hard to figure out exactly how to read those comics. Where does each run begin and end? Which collected editions should you pick up?

Fortunately, this guide is here to make reading simple. It breaks down the core Fantastic Four comic’s publishing history into distinct runs, detailing what defines them, notable stories, and the collected editions that cover them. Soon, you’ll be able to dive into “World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” with ease.

What is a creative run?

As defined by our Glossary of Comic Book Terms, a run is:

A number of consecutively published comics of a series by a writer and/or artist.

In the context of this guide, we’ll be looking at consecutively published issues by a creator or creative partnership – eg writer and artist. Some of these might not be strictly consecutive, occasionally broken up by a fill-in issue – but close enough to be considered a run.

How to use this guide

Treat this guide as a launching pad and a reading companion. It gives you the details you need for every Fantastic Four creative run – split into its own section – so you can easily identify which comics to read, whether in print or Marvel Unlimited.

While How To Love Comics publishes many reading orders, this is not strictly one. It won’t give you a recommended reading order of every Fantastic Four comic ever. Instead, it focuses on the core Fantastic Four series and how each creative run fits into the larger picture. Along the way, there will be plenty of annotations to simplify your reading experience.

It’s a colossal guide. Due to this, I highly recommend using the search feature of your browser if you’re looking for a specific run.

A note on the collected editions

I have streamlined this Fantastic Four guide to include only the widely available editions. For many runs, these are the Marvel Epic Collections, Marvel Masterworks, and the occasional omnibus. These are collection lines that Marvel attempts to keep in print for a long time and are available digitally, making them easier to find than other collections that are long out of print.

Collected editions will be added to this guide when Marvel solicits new ones.

Please note that some collected editions will be listed twice when the material collected overlaps with two runs. It won’t happen all the time, but there are a few instances of it occurring.

Legacy numbering for Fantastic Four

Find out how Marvel Comics has calculated the legacy numbering for Fantastic Four with our Legacy Numbering guide.

Creative run breakdown

Take a look below at the breakdown of every Fantastic Four run.

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #1 cover by Jack Kirby.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby run

Written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Art by Jack Kirby.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #1-102, #108; and Fantastic Four Annual #1-6
Publication years: 1961-1970

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four run is a foundational text. Over 100 issues, the pair created a blueprint for not just the Fantastic Four but the Marvel Universe as we know it. Many core concepts and characters originated from this run – going on to become mainstays in the pages of Fantastic Four, would spin off into their own title, or at least appear elsewhere.

The series opens up with the Fantastic Four’s origin, followed by an encounter with the classic rogue Mole Man. Other early issues would also introduce mainstay characters like The Skulls (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #2), Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #5), Mad Thinker (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #15), Super-Skrull (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #18), and Molecule Man (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #20).

The middle period is the most influential, with some of the most notable introductions featured during this time. This includes The Inhumans (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #45), The Silver Surfer and Galactus (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #48), the Negative Zone (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #51), Black Panther (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #52), and Ronan the Accuser (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #65).

This run fleshed out the idea of a shared universe. It came with the guest-starring of The Hulk in Fantastic Four (1961 series) #12. (This would spark the long-running rivalry between the Hulk and The Thing.) Lee and Kirby also brought back the golden age character Namor, The Submariner, who hadn’t graced the comic book pages since the 1950s.

While the series was built on exploration and adventure, Lee and Kirby also made sure to include plenty of character-driven elements. The Fantastic Four weren’t simply a team like the Avengers or Justice League – they were a family. They lived and worked together. That didn’t mean they always got along, whether it be Johnny and Ben arguing or Sue getting frustrated at how Reed would throw himself into his work.

Members of the team also received character-driven story arcs. Ben Grimm, a character Jack Kirby modelled after himself, had a long-running arc about dealing with his transformation into The Thing – which gave us the classic This Man, This Monster in Fantastic Four (1961 series) #51. We also saw Sue and Reed’s relationship evolve, which even included a villain-packed wedding in Fantastic Four Annual #3.

Notable stories:

• The Fantastic Four! (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #1)
• Prisoners of Doctor Doom! (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #5)
• The Fantastic Origin of Dcotor Doom! (Fantastic Four Annual #2)
• The Battle of the Baxter Building (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #39-41)
• Bedlam at the Baxter Building! (Fantastic Four Annual #3)
• The Inhumans Saga ((Fantastic Four (1961 series) #44-48)
• The Coming of Galactus (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #48-50)
• This Man, This Monster (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #51)
• The Black Panther! (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #52-53)
• The Peril and the Power! (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #57-60)
• Let There Be… Life! (Fantastic Four Annual #6)

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #1-18

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Master Plan Of Doctor Doom
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #19-32 and Fantastic Four Annual #1-2

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Coming Of Galactus
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #33-51 and Fantastic Four Annual #3

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Mystery Of The Black Panther
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #52-67, Fantastic Four Annual #4-5, and material from Not Brand Echh #1, 5

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Name Is Doom
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #68-87, Fantastic Four Annual #6, and material from Not Brand Echh #6-7

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: At War With Atlantis
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #88-104, Fantastic Four Annual #7, and Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure #1

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #1-10

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #11-20 and Fantastic Four Annual #1

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 3
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #21-30

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 4
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #31-40 and Fantastic Four Annual #2

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 5
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #41-50 and Fantastic Four Annual #3

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 6
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #51-60 and Fantastic Four Annual #4

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 7
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #61-71 and Fantastic Four Annual #5

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 8
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #72-81 and Fantastic Four Annual #6

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 9
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #82-93

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 10
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #94-104

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibuses

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #1-30 and Fantastic Four Annual #1

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #31-60 and Fantastic Four Annual #2-4

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 3
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #61-93 and Fantastic Four Annual #5-7

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 4
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #94-125, Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure #1, and material from Fantastic Four Annual #8-9

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #120 cover by John Buscema and Frank Giacoia.

Stan Lee, John Romita Sr, and John Buscema run

Written by Stan Lee. Art by John Buscema and John Romita Sr.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #103-115 and #120-125
Publication years: 1970-1972

John Buscema (and John Romita Sr) had big shoes to fill when Jack Kirby left Fantastic Four after issue #102. He rose to the occasion, becoming one of Marvel’s top artists throughout the 1970s, with this run being the start of a long tenure of the title that would see him regularly return.

While not as memorable as the prior run, it follows a similar blueprint with Stan Lee still on plotting/dialogue duties. Additionally, Lee instructed Buscema to draw like Kirby, which you can see a lot in Buscema’s work of this period – especially with Joe Sinnott inking.

Notable stories:

• The Over-Mind Saga (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #113-116)

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: At War With Atlantis
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #88-104, Fantastic Four Annual #7, and Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure #1

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Battle Of The Behemoths
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #105-125

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 10
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #94-104

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 11
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #105-116

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 12
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #117-128

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibuses

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 4
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #94-125, Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure #1, and material from Fantastic Four Annual #8-9

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #127 cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott.

Roy Thomas and John Buscema run

Written by Roy Thomas. Art by John Buscema.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #119, #126-133, 136-137
Publication years: 1971-1973

Roy Thomas succeeded Stan Lee in scripting duties when the latter became Publisher, and the former became Editor-in-Chief. This short stretch of issues would be his first run on the title, coming back to it later in the 1970s.

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #126 is a retelling of the Fantastic Four’s origin, as previously told in Fantastic Four (1961 series) #1. The cover for #126 is a new rendition of the iconic issue #1 cover.

Issue #133 was co-written by Gerry Conway, who picked up solo writing duties following it.

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Battle Of The Behemoths
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #105-125

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Annihilus Revealed
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #126-146 and Giant-Size Super-Stars #1

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 12
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #117-128

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 13
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #129-141

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibuses

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 5
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #126-163, Giant-Size Super-Stars #1, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2-4; and Avengers (1963 series) #127

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #140 cover by Rich Buckler, Frank Giacoia, and Danny Crespi.

Gerry Coway run

Written by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. Art by Ramona Fradon, John Buscema, Joe Sinnott, and Rich Buckler.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #133-152, #179
Publication years: 1973-1974

Gerry Conway picked up writing duties for Fantastic Four a few months after starting his run on Amazing Spider-Man. However, his Fantastic Four run is not as memorable as his time on Spidey.

It’s worth noting that Romona Fradon, best known for her work on Aquaman and Metamorpho at DC, was the artist on issue #133, making her the first woman to draw the Fantastic Four.

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Annihilus Revealed
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #126-146 and Giant-Size Super-Stars #1

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Crusader Syndrome
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #147-167, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2-4; Avengers (1963 series) #127

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 13
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #129-141

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 14
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #142-150, Giant-Size Super-Stars #1, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2, and The Avengers (1963 series) #127

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 15
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #151-163, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #3-4, and material from Marvel Treasury Edition #2

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibuses

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 5
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #126-163, Giant-Size Super-Stars #1, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2-4; and Avengers (1963 series) #127

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #185 cover by George Pérez and Joe Sinnott.

Len Wein (and co-writers) run

Written by Len Wein, Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, Jim Shooter, Bill Mantlo, Roger Stern, Ralph Macchio, Roger Slifer, and Keith Pollard. Art by Dick Ayers, William Robert Brown, Rich Buckler, Sal Buscema, George Pérez, and Keith Pollard.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #154-156, #182-188, #191-194, and Fantastic Four Annual #11
Publication years: 1974, 1976-1978

Len Wein had a broken-up run on the title in the mid-70s, often as a co-writer. There’s nothing groundbreaking with this run, mostly fitting the mould of what you would see in a Fantastic Four story of the era.

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Crusader Syndrome
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #147-167, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2-4; Avengers (1963 series) #127

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Counter-Earth Must Die
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #168-191, Fantastic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-in-One #20, and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Four No More
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #192-214 and Fantastic Four Annual #12-13

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Trade paperbacks

Fantastic Four Visionaries: George Perez Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #164-167, 170, 176-178, 184-186

Fantastic Four Visionaries: George Perez Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #187-188, 191-192; Fantastic Four Annual #14-15; Marvel Two-In-One #60; and material from Adventures of the Thing #3

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 15
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #151-163, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #3-4, and material from Marvel Treasury Edition #2

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 17
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #176-191

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 18
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #192-203 and Fantastic Four Annual #12-13

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibuses

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 5
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #126-163, Giant-Size Super-Stars #1, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2-4; and Avengers (1963 series) #127

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 6
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #164-203; Fantastic Four Annual #11-13; Marvel Two-in-One #20; Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1; and What If? (1977 series) #1, 6, 11

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #175 cover by Jack Kirby and Al Milgrom.

Second Roy Thomas run

Written by Roy Thomas, Len Wein, Mike Friedrich, and Gerry Conway. Art by Rich Buckler, John Buscema, George Perez, and Ron Wilson.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #156-171, #173-179, #181
Publication years: 1974-1977

Roy Thomas returned to Fantastic Four for a longer run in 1974. He contributed stories that fit the vibe of the era, intermixing it with humour. This humour is most notable in Fantastic Four (1961 series) #175, which featured a parody sequence where the Impossible Man visits the Marvel offices.

Jack Kirby returned to the Fantastic Four after a stint at DC Comics. He contributed cover art for Fantastic Four #164, 167, 171-177, 180, 190, and 200.

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Crusader Syndrome
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #147-167, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2-4; Avengers (1963 series) #127

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Counter-Earth Must Die
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #168-191, Fantastic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-in-One #20, and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Trade paperback

Fantastic Four: Crusaders & Titans
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #164-176

Fantastic Four Visionaries: George Perez Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #164-167, 170, 176-178, 184-186

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 15
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #151-163, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #3-4, and material from Marvel Treasury Edition #2

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 16
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) 164-175 and Fantsatic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-In-One #20, and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 17
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #176-191

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibuses

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 6
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #164-203; Fantastic Four Annual #11-13; Marvel Two-in-One #20; Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1; and What If? (1977 series) #1, 6, 11

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #200 cover by Jack Kirby and Gaspar Saladino.

Marv Wolfman run

Written by Marv Wolfman and Bill Mantlo. Art by Sal Buscema, Keith Pollard, John Buscema, and John Byrne.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #190, #195-217; and Fantastic Annual #12 and #14
Publication years: 1977-1980

Marv Wolfman, Fantastic Four editor at the time, picked up the title in 1977. Here, he told fun stories using the pre-established Fantastic Four blueprint.

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #209 is notable for having the first comic appearance of H.E.R.B.I.E., the robot character who replaced Johnny Storm in The New Fantastic Four animated series a year prior.

The issue also features the first artistic contributions from John Byrne, who would later go on to have a celebrated run of his own. Surprisingly, Byrne was also working Uncanny X-Men (during the classic Dark Phoenix Saga) and Avengers at the same time.

Bill Mantlo co-wrote issues #216-217.

Notable stories:

• When Titans Clash! (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #200)
• In Search Of Galactus (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #204-214)

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Counter-Earth Must Die
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #168-191, Fantastic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-in-One #20, and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Four No More
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #192-214 and Fantastic Four Annual #12-13

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Trade paperbacks

Fantastic Four: The Overthrow Of Doom
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #192-200

Fantastic Four: Reunited They Stand
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #201-203 and Fantastic Four Annual #12-14

Fantastic Four: In Search of Galactus
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #204-214

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 18
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #192-203 and Fantastic Four Annual #12-13

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 19
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #204-218 and Fantastic Four Annual #14

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibuses

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 6
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #164-203; Fantastic Four Annual #11-13; Marvel Two-in-One #20; Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1; and What If? (1977 series) #1, 6, 11

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #183 cover by George Pérez and Joe Sinnott.

Bill Mantlo run

Written by Bill Mantlo, Archie Goodwin, Len Wein, Jim Shooter, Roger Stern, Ralph Macchio, Roger Slifer, and Keith Pollard. Art by George Perez, Sal Buscema, Keith Pollard, and John Byrne.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #172, #182-183, #193-194, #216-218; and Fantastic Four Annual #13
Publication years: 1976-1980

Bill Mantlo had the unique situation in which most of his contributions to the Fantastic Four were in a co-writer capacity.

Fantastic Four #218 is a crossover with Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #42.

Notable stories:

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Counter-Earth Must Die
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #168-191, Fantastic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-in-One #20, and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Four No More
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #192-214 and Fantastic Four Annual #12-13

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Possession Of Franklin Richards
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #215-231 and Fantastic Four Annual #14-15

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Trade paperbacks

Fantastic Four: The Overthrow Of Doom
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #192-200

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 16
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) 164-175 and Fantsatic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-In-One #20, and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 17
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #176-191

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 18
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #192-203 and Fantastic Four Annual #12-13

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 19
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #204-218 and Fantastic Four Annual #14

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibuses

Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 6
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #164-203; Fantastic Four Annual #11-13; Marvel Two-in-One #20; Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1; and What If? (1977 series) #1, 6, 11

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #222 cover by Bill Sienkiewicz and Joe Sinnott.

Doug Moench run

Written by Doug Moench and Roger Stern. Art by Bill Sienkiewicz and Jerome Moore.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #219, #222-231; and Fantastic Four Annual #15
Publication years: 1980-1981

Doug Moench’s run receives little discussion from readers. Some of that is due to the creative team working on more celebrated work (Moon Knight) at the same time or due to be overshadowed by John Byrne’s run that followed it. It has been seen as hard to follow and information-dense, which is likely why it’s rarely discussed.

Much of the run focuses on Sue and Reed’s relationship with Franklin – especially with how their son’s mutant powers manifest.

Bill Sienkiewicz drew this at the same time as early Moon Knight. However, don’t expect the ground-breaking work he’s known for. He’s still in a Neal Adam’s phase of his work, aligning more with the Marvel house style. His experiential style and storytelling will manifest approximately a year after the end of this run in the pages of Moon Knight.

Roger Stern and Jerome Moore helped out on issue #231.

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Possession Of Franklin Richards
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #215-231 and Fantastic Four Annual #14-15

Buy Marvel Epic Collection on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 20
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #219-231 and Fantastic Four Annual #15

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #322 cover by John Byrne and Terry Austin.

John Byrne run

Written by John Byrne, Len Wein and Roger Stern. Art by John Byrne, Kerry Gammill, Jackson Guice, and Jerry Ordway.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #209-218, #220-221, #232-294; and Fantastic Four Annual Annual #17-19
Publication years: 1979-1986

The consensus (at least from a 20th-century context – newer readers may have differing opinions) is that John Byrne’s run is second only to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s run. Ironically, Byrne takes a back-to-basics approach to the Fantastic Four, ignoring anything that came after Lee and Kirby’s run.

Byrne has drawn Fantastic Four before – as seen in previous runs above. However, this time around, there were two distinct differences.

1. He was now writing and drawing the title, having a greater say in it creatively.
2. He was one of Marvel’s biggest artists of the era, making his name on Uncanny X-Men a very memorable period with Chris Claremont.

While Lee and Kirby’s run was the inspiration, Byrne’s run did take a smaller and more grounded approach. Stories were usually told in a single issue, with multi-part tales being the exception – even when they had become the norm at Marvel during this era. Additionally, they were never as wild in their approach. There was still exploration and trips into outer space or the Negative Zone, but they weren’t aiming for the same highs as Jack Kirby.

What filled the gaps were the character moments, both in terms of character interactions and development. Sue is the best example of this. She takes a more central role in the team, expands her powers, and goes from being called Invisible Girl to Invisible Woman.

Ben Grimm decides to stay on Battleworld after Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck’s Secret Wars (1984 series). This decision wrote the character out of Fantastic Four during a chunk of Byrne’s run. Ben’s adventures were told in The Thing solo series and led to She-Hulk joining the team in Fantastic Four (1961 series) #265.

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #236 is a triple-sized, 20th-anniversary issue.

The run came to an end when Byrne was offered Superman as part of DC’s post-Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot. (Unsurprisingly, he took a back-to-basics approach to Superman as well.)

Notable stories:

• Terror in a Tiny Town (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #236)
• Beginnings And Endings (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #242-244)
• Interlude (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #258)
• The Trial Of Reed Richards (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #261-262)
• The House That Reed Built (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #265)

Marvel Epic Collections

Note: Marvel Comics hasn’t published any of John Bryne’s Fantastic Four run in the Epic Collection format yet.

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 0
Collects: Marvel Team-Up #61-62, Marvel Two-In-One #50, and Fantastic Four (1961 series) #215-218 and #220-221

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #232-240

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #241-250

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 3
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #251-257, Fantastic Four Annual #17, Avengers (1963 series) #233, and Thing (1983 series) #2

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 4
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #258-267, Alpha Flight (1983 series) #4, and Thing (1983 series) #10

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 5
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #268-275, Fantastic Four Annual #18, and Thing (1983 series) #19

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 6
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #276-284, Thing (1983 series) #23, and Secret Wars II #2

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 7
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #285-286, Fantastic Four Annual #19, Avengers (1963 series) #263, Avengers Annual #14, and X-Factor (1986 series) #1

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Volume 8
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #287-295

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Masterworks

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 21
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #232-240 and Fantastic Four: Roast

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 22
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #241-250, What If? #36, Silver Surfer (1982 series) #1, and material from Marvel Fanfare #2

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 23
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #251-257, Fantastic Four Annual #17, The Avengers (1963 series) #233, and The Thing (1983 series) #2

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 24
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #258-268; Alpha Flight (1983 series) #4; The Thing (1983 series) #10; material from Fantastic Four Special Edition (1984) #1, The Thing (1983 series) #7, and Marvel Fanfare #15.

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 25
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #269-277; Fantastic Four Annual #18; The Thing (1983 series) #19, #23; and material from Epic Illustrated #26-34

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 26
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #278-285, Fantastic Four Annual #18, Avengers Annual #14, Marvel Graphic Novel #18: The Sensational She-Hulk, and material from Secret Wars II #2

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 27
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #286-296

Buy Marvel Masterworks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibuses

Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus Volume 1
Collects: Marvel Team-Up #61-62; Marvel Two-In-One #50; Fantastic Four (1961 series) #209-218, #220-221, #232-260; Fantastic Four Annual #17; Avengers (1963 series) #233; and Thing (1983) #2

Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #261-295, Fantastic Four Annual #18-19, Alpha Flight (1983 series) #4, Thing (1983 series) #10 and #19; Avengers Annual #14; and material from Secret Wars II #2, Epic Illustrated #26-34, What If? (1977 series) #36, What The-?! #2 and #10, Thing (1983 series) #7, and Fantastic Four Roast And Fantastic Four Special Edition

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #302 cover by John Buscema and Sal Buscema.

Roger Stern run

Written by Roger Stern and Tom DeFalco. Art by Jerry Ordway, John Buscema, and Sal Buscema.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #294-295, 297-302
Publication years: 1986-1987

Roger Stern was the caretaker of Fantastic Four after John Bryne’s departure. As a result, this short run feels like a run of fill-in issues without a larger vision for the title. That said, it brought Ben Grimm back onto the team after spending time in Battleworld in his solo series. It also included the wedding of Johnny Storm and Alica, which resulted in an extended character arc for Ben revolving around it.

Tom DeFalco co-wrote #301-302.

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: All In The Family
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #296-307, Fantastic Four Annual #20, and Fantastic Four vs. the X-Men #1-4

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four Annual #20 cover by Ron Frenz and Al Milgrom.

Steve Englehart run

Written by Steve Englehart. Art by Keith Pollard, John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Paul Neary, and Rich Buckler, Keiron Dwyer, and Ron Lim.

Issues: Fantastic Four (196 series) #304-328; #329-333 (as John Harkness); and Fantastic Four Annual #20-21
Publication years: 1987-1989

As mentioned on his website, Steve Englehart made it his mission to shake up Fantastic Four when he received the title. One of the first things he did was change the dynamic of the team by removing Sue and Reed Richards. The pair left the team to live a “normal” life in the country and raise Franklin, leaving Ben Grimm as the leader. The team was rounded out with Johnny Storm, Crystal, and Sharon Ventura.

Ben and Sharon both went through physical transformations early in the run, with the former receiving a spikey exterior and the latter becoming She-Thing. The metamorphosises are used for character-driven tales that build throughout the run.

Englehart’s stories excavated Marvel’s history and continuity. Much of the time, it was mining ideas from early Fantastic Four tales. Occasionally, it was more obscure stories, like Comet Man. Other times, he picked up dangling plot threads from other titles he had recently or was currently writing. Due to this, it’s not a run that I’d start with.

The run also includes Secret Wars 3 (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #318-319). This story was driven by an editorial request to write off The Beyonder (the villain of the 1984 Secret Wars and its 1985-1986 sequel) by editor Ralph Macchio.

Fantastic Four Annual #21 is part of the Evolutionary War event.

Englehart’s run ended with editorial disagreements after being mandated that Sue and Reed return to the team. In protest, the writer removed his name from issues #329-333 and was credited as John Harkness instead. The stories Englehart planned to do over the following year would be told through dream sequences.

Notable stories:

• Search For The Beyonders (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #313-319)

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: All In The Family
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #296-307, Fantastic Four Annual #20, and Fantastic Four vs. the X-Men #1-4

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The More Things Change…
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #308-320, Fantastic Four Annual #21, Incredible Hulk #350, Marvel Graphic Novel No. 29 – The Incredible Hulk and the Thing: The Big Change

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Dream Is Dead
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #321-333, Fantastic Four Annual #22, Marvel Graphic Novel No. 49 – Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four #348 cover by Arthur Adams.

Walt Simonson run

Written by Walt Simonson. Art by Walt Simonson, Ron Lim, Jackson Guice, Arthur Adams, and Gracine Tanka.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #334-341, #343-350, #352-354; and Annual #23
Publication years: 1989-1991

While not as celebrated as his Thor run, Walt Simonson had a well-liked tenure on Fantastic Four. The series looked back to the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby era and dialled it up to 11. It’s big, fun and occasionally silly, as told through Simonson’s unique and kinetic style.

Simonson briefly replaced the Fantastic Four with a completely new roster of Wolverine, Spider-Man, The Hulk, and Ghost Rider. While it could be seen as a cash grab – putting four of Marvel’s hottest characters together in one story – it also happens to be an incredibly fun story.

The run ended with a big revelation. In a story titled “The Return of the REAL Doctor Doom“, Simonson revealed that the real Doctor Doom had been out of action since The Battle of the Baxter Building (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #39-41) and that any Doctor Doom we had seen since then had been a Doombot. This tale was created as a way to justify why Doctor Doom, who had appeared in countless stories in the pages of Fantastic Four and elsewhere in the Marvel Universe, lost all the time.

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #334-336 ties into Acts of Vengeance, where the Fantastic Four faced a string of villains outside of their rogues’ gallery.

Notable stories:

• Into The Timestream (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #337-341)
• The New Fantastic Four (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #347-349)
• The Return of the REAL Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #350-351, 353)

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Into The Time Stream
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #334-346; Fantastic Four Annual #23; and material from New Mutants Annual #6, X-Factor Annual #5 and Uncanny X-Men Annual #14

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The New Fantastic Four
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #347-361; Fantastic Four Annual #24; and material from Marvel Holiday Special #1

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Trade paperbacks

Fantastic Four Visionaries: Walt Simonson Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #334-341

Fantastic Four Visionaries: Walt Simonson Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #342-346

Fantastic Four Visionaries: Walt Simonson Volume 3
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #347-350, #352-354

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #558 cover by Paul Ryan.

Tom DeFalco and Paul Ryan run

Written by Tom DeFalco and Mike Lackey. Art by Paul Ryan, Arthur Adams, and Herb Trimpe.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #301-302, #356-393, #395-416; and Fantastic Four Annual #26
Publication years: 1987, 1991-1996

As Tom DeFalco described the situation on the Epic Marvel Podcast, older readers treated Fantastic Four as the centre of the Marvel Universe, but new readers did not. Due to this, it was risking cancellation. DeFalco, who was editor-in-chief (1987-1994) at the time, jumped on the title as the writers he and editorial had in mind were unavailable or had too many conditions in taking on the assignment. He also didn’t want to have to cancel a title as fundamental as Fantastic Four as Editor-in-Chief.

This run had a soap opera approach, featuring plenty of melodrama mixed with science fiction and superhero action. Examples of this include Johnny discovering he was married to a Skrull and the death of Reed, resulting in Sue leading the team. According to DeFalco’s philosophy, this was the element that kept readers coming back to the title and instigated a sales rise.

This run had a minor controversy with Invisible Woman’s new costume, which revealed more skin than readers were used to. However, this was short-lived and had an in-story reason revealed later.

Mike Lakey co-wrote issue #388.

The creative team also got to celebrate the Fantastic Four’s 30th anniversary with the triple-sized Fantastic Four (1961 series) #358.

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #415-416 are part of the Onslaught event, which sets up the next phase of the title’s run.

Notable stories:

• The Monster Among Us (Fantastic Four (1961 series) #357-358)

Marvel Epic Collections

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: All In The Family
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #296-307, Fantastic Four Annual #20, and Fantastic Four vs. the X-Men #1-4

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The New Fantastic Four
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #347-361; Fantastic Four Annual #24; and material from Marvel Holiday Special #1

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: This Flame, This Fury
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #362-376, Fantastic Four Annual #25-26, and Adventures of the Thing #3

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Nobody Gets Out Alive
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #377-392, Fantastic Four Annual #27, Namor the Sub-Mariner #47-48, and Fantastic Four Ashcan Edition #1

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Atlantis Rising
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #393-402, Fantastic Fource #7-9, Fantastic Four: Atlantis Rising #1-2, and Fantastic Four: Atlantis Rising Collectors’ Preview

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Strange Days
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961 series) #403-416, Fantastic Four: The Legend, Onslaught: Marvel Universe, and material from Tales of the Marvel Universe (1997)

Buy Marvel Epic Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1996 series) #1 cover by Jim Lee and Scott Williams.

Heroes Reborn

Written by Jim Lee, Brandon Choi, Scott Lobdell, and James Robinson. Art by Jim Lee, Brett Booth, Ron Lim, and Mike Wieringo.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1996 series) #1-13
Publication years: 1996-1997

This 13-issue run is part of the Heroes Reborn initiative/reboot. Marvel was feeling the impact of the mid-90s comics industry slump (after the speculation bubble burst) and the company’s poor financial decisions. So they outsourced some of their characters and titles to the Image Comics founders Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld – creators who originally left Marvel to form the company.

Fantastic Four was put under the control of Jim Lee and his Wildstorm Productions. They rebooted the Fantastic Four, setting them in a new universe with a revised origin and a harder edge.

Heroes Reborn only ran for a year as the initial sales bump dissipated quickly. For most, the initiative is mostly known for this image.

Trade paperback collection

Heroes Reborn: Fantastic Four
Collects: Fantastic Four (1996 series) #1-12

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1998 series) #1 cover by Alan Davis and Liquid!.

Scott Lobdell run

Written by Scott Lobdell. Art by Alan Davis and Salvador Larroca.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #1-5
Publication year: 1998

Under the “Heroes Return” banner, Scott Lobdell and Alan Davis were tasked with reincorporating the Fantastic Four back into the regular Marvel Universe after the Heroes Reborn experiment.

Chris Claremont co-wrote issues #4-5.

Trade paperback collection

Fantastic Four: Heroes Return – The Complete Collection Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #1-15, 1/2; Fantastic Four Annual ’98; and Iron Man (1998 series) #14

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1998 series) #27 cove by Salvador Larroca.

Chris Claremont and Salvador Larroca run

Written by Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson. Art by Salvador Larroca, Anthony Williams, and Jose Ladronn.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #4-32 and Fantastic Four Annual 1999 and 2000
Publication years: 1998-2000

Chris Claremont is best known for his legendary X-Men run. However, his run on Fantastic Four is less so. It’s an interesting but bumpy ride.

The run starts abruptly, with the creative team taking over. For issues #4-5, Claremont is scripting based on Scott Lobdell plots. From issue #6, we get to see Claremont’s vision. This involves leaning into the similarities between the Fantastic Four and X-Men, with the family being the core focus. Speaking of X-Men, Claremont borrowed plenty of ideas from that group of books. The Captain Britain Corps made an appearance, and there were even plans to bring Kitty Pryde onto the team.

This run is most notable for introducing Valeria von Doom, the daughter of Sue and Dr Doom of a possible future.

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four: Heroes Return – The Complete Collection Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #1-15, 1/2; Fantastic Four Annual ’98; and Iron Man (1998 series) #14

Fantastic Four: Heroes Return – The Complete Collection Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #16-32, Fantastic Four Annual 1999-2000

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1998 series) #45 cover by Carlos Pacheco and Liquid!.

Carlos Pacheco, Rafael Marín, and Jeph Loeb run

Written by Carlos Pacheco, Rafael Marin, Jeph Loeb, and Karl Kesel. Art by Carlos Pacheco, Stuart Immonen, Joe Bennet, Jeff Johnson, Tom Grummett, Steve Rude, Alvin Lee, Kevin Maguire, Leinil Francis Yu, and Mark Bagley.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #35-54 and Fantastic Four Annual 2001
Publication years: 2000-2002

Carlos Pacheco previously drew Fantastic Four in the mid-90s. Now, he had the opportunity to write it alongside Rafael Marin and Jeph Loeb. It’s a run that isn’t discussed much, most likely due to rarely being reprinted.

The run incorporates classic Fantastic Four ideas like the ultimate nullifier and the Negative Zone for some fun stories.

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four: Heroes Return – The Complete Collection Volume 3
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #33-45, Fantastic 4th Voyage of Sinbad #1, Inhumans (2000 series) #1-4

Fantastic Four: Heroes Return – The Complete Collection Volume 4
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #46-59, Fantastic Four Annual 2001, and Thing & She-Hulk: The Long Night

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1998 series) #51 cover by Mike Wieringo.

Karl Kesel first run

Written by Karl Kesel. Art by Mark Bagley and Stuart Immonen.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #51-56
Publication year: 2002

A short but fun run before Mark Waid and Mike Weiringo would take on the series.

Issues #51-54 have connecting covers that vertically connect to create a single tall image of the Fantastic Four together.

Trade paperback collection

Fantastic Four: Heroes Return – The Complete Collection Volume 4
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #46-59, Fantastic Four Annual 2001, and Thing & She-Hulk: The Long Night

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1998 series) #60 cover by Mike Wieringo, Karl Kesel, and Richard Isanove.

Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo run

Written by Mark Waid and Karl Kesel. Art by Mike Wieringo, Mark Buckingham, Casey Jones, Howard Porter and Paco Medina.

Issues: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #60-70 and Fantastic Four #500-524
Publication years: 2002-2005

Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo’s run started with a bang, with the first issue of their run costing readers 9 cents – a response to DC’s 10-cent comics at a similar time. (Marvel’s baseline price at the time was $2.25).

This much-loved run blends an old-school feel with contemporary elements. Waid’s scripts have a knack for resurfacing ideas in approachable ways, such as Doctor Doom’s magical past. It resulted in big science fiction action, fun storytelling, expressive art, and great twists.

The Fantastic Four as a family was a big theme of the run, leading to plenty of moving moments throughout.

Notable stories:

• Inside Out (Fantastic Four (1998 series) #60)
• Unthinkable (Fantastic Four (1998 series) #67-70 and Fantastic Four #500)
• Authoritative Action (Fantastic Four #503-508)
• Hereafter (Fantastic Four #509-511)

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four Volume 1: Imaginauts
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #56, 60-66

Fantastic Four Volume 2: Unthinkable
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #67-70, #500-502

Fantastic Four Volume 3: Authoritative Action
Collects: Fantastic Four #503-508

Fantastic Four Volume 4: Hereafter
Collects: Fantastic Four #509-513

Fantastic Four Volume 5: Disassembled
Collects: Fantastic Four #514-519

Fantastic Four Volume 6: Rising Storm
Collects: Fantastic Four #514-519

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Ultimate Colllections

Fantastic Four By Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo: Ultimate Collection – Book One
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #60-66 and Avengers (1963 series) #400

Fantastic Four By Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo: Ultimate Collection – Book Two
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #67-70, #500-502

Fantastic Four By Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo: Ultimate Collection – Book Three
Collects: Fantastic Four #503-513

Fantastic Four By Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo: Ultimate Collection – Book Four
Collects: Fantastic Four #514-524

Buy Ultimate Collections on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibus

Fantastic Four by Waid & Wieringo Omnibus
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #60-70, 500-524, 500 Director’s Cut.

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four 525 cover by Jim Cheung, John Dell and Justin Ponsor.

Karl Kesel second run

Written by Karl Kesel. Art by by Paco Medina and Tom Grummett.

Issues: Fantastic Four #514-516, #525-526
Publication years: 2004-2005

Karl Kesel was back on writing duties for another short tenure on Fantastic Four.

Trade paperback

Fantastic Four: Beginning of the End
Collects: Fantastic Four #525-526, #551-553

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four #528 cover by Mike McKone.

J. Michael Straczynski run

Written by J. Michael Straczynski. Art by Mike McKone.

Issues: Fantastic Four #527-541
Publication years: 2005-2006

Beyond Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski made a name for himself with his runs of Amazing Spider-Man and Thor. His Fantastic Four run is not often discussed. It’s likely due to the second half being pulled into the orbit of the Civil War event. Issues #536-537 lead up to the event, and #538-541 are tie-ins.

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four by J. Michael Straczynski
Collects: Fantastic Four #527-532

Fantastic Four: The Life Fantastic
Collects: Fantastic Four #533-535; Wedding Special; Special 2005; and Death in the Family

Civil War: Fantastic Four
Collects: Fantastic Four #538-543

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four #543 cover by Adi Granov.

Dwayne McDuffie run

Written by Dwayne McDuffie. Art by Mike McKone and Paul Pelletier.

Issues: Fantastic Four #542-553
Publication years: 2007-2008

Dwayne McDuffie would pick up and finish writing the Civil War tie-ins that J. Michael Straczynski didn’t write (Fantastic Four #542-543). McDuffie would then write Fantastic Four stories set directly after the big event under the “The Initiative” banner.

This run also featured the recently married Storm and Black Panther joining the Fantastic Four, replacing Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic.

Trade paperback collections

Civil War: Fantastic Four
Collects: Fantastic Four #538-543

Fantastic Four: The New Fantastic Four
Collects: Fantastic Four #544-550

Fantastic Four: Beginning of the End
Collects: Fantastic Four #525-526, #551-553

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four #554 cover by Bryan Hitch.

Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch run

Written by Mark Millar and Joe Ahearne. Art by Bryan Hitch and Stuart Immonen.

Issues: Fantastic Four #554-569 and Fantastic Four Annual #32
Publication years: 2008-2009

This appears to be a run than you either love or hate. People enjoyed the suit redesigns but the stories and Millar’s style of storytelling were not everyone’s cup of tea.

Fantastic Four #558-562 includes an appearance from Old Man Logan.

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest
Collects: Fantastic Four #554-561

Fantastic Four: The Master of Doom
Collects: Fantastic Four #562-569

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibus

Fantastic Four By Millar & Hitch Omnibus
Collects: Fantastic Four (1998 series) #554-569, Fantastic Four Annual #32, Fantastic Fource (2009 series) #1-4, and Marvel 1985 #1-6

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four #570 cover by Dale Eaglesham and Paul Mounts.

Jonathan Hickman run

Written by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Dale Eaglesham, Neil Edwards, Steve Epting, Nick Dragotta, Mark Brooks, Barry Kitson, Ron Garney, Michael Choi, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Ryan Stegman.

Issues: Fantastic Four #570-588, #600-611, #605.1
Publication years: 2009-2012

Jonathan Hickman is a writer known for his high concepts and bold ideas. That’s exactly what he brought to the Fantastic Four with his run with fantastic adventures that cross time, space, and reality.

At the same time, Hickman and co depicted the Fantastic Four, as described in a foreword, as “a perfect family in an imperfect world… and represent the hope that COULD BE.” That emotional depth appealed to just as many readers as the big science fiction ideas.

It’s worth noting that there is no Fantastic Four #589-599. Instead, the title became FF. This comic focused on three of the core members (plus Spider-Man) running the Future Foundation. The Fantastic Four title returned once the legacy number hit #600, where Future Foundation splinted off into its own title. Hickman treats the two comics as two sides of the same coin.

Notable stories:

• Solve Everything (Fantastic Four #570-572)
• Three (Fantastic Four #583-588)
• Forever (Fantastic Four #600-604)

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four #570-574

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four #575-578

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 3
Collects: Fantastic Four #579-582

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 4
Collects: Fantastic Four #583-588

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 5
Collects: Fantastic Four #600-604

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 6
Collects: Fantastic Four #605, 605.1, 604-611

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Marvel Premier Collection

Fantastic Four: Solve Everything
Collects: Fantastic Four #570-588

Complete Collections

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four #570-578, Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1-5, and material from Dark Reign: The Cabal

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four #579-588 and FF (2011 series) #1-5

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Volume 3
Collects: FF (2011 series) #6-16 and Fantastic Four #600-604

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Volume 4
Collects: Fantastic Four #605-611, #605.1; and FF (2011 series) #17-23

Buy Complete Collection on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Omnibus

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Volume 1
Collects: Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1-5, Fantastic Four #570-588, FF (2011 series) #1-5, and material from Dark Reign: The Cabal #1

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Volume 2
Collects: FF (2011 series) #6-23; Fantastic Four #600-611, 605.1

Buy Omnibuses on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (2012 series) #1 cover by Mark Bagley.

Matt Fraction run

Written by Matt Fraction, Christopher Sabela, Karl Kesel, and Lee Allred. Art by Mark Bagley, André Lima Araújo, Raffaele Ienco, and Joe Quinones.

Issues: Fantastic Four (2012 series) #1-16 and #5.AU
Publication years: 2012-2014

Similar to Hickman before him, Matt Fraction wrote two Fantastic Four titles at the same time. Fantastic Four (2012 series) was a time-travelling adventure-of-the-month style family vacation. FF (2012 series), on the other hand, focused on a team featuring Ant-Man, She-Hulk, Medusa, and Miss Thing. While the former has mostly positive feedback, it’s the latter that’s best remembered as it leans more into Fraction’s idiosyncratic style of work.

Fantastic Four (2012 series) #5.AU is an Age of Ultron tie-in issue.

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four Volume 1: New Departure, New Arrivals
Collects: Fantastic Four (2012 series) #1-3 and FF (2012 series) #1-3

Fantastic Four Volume 2: Road Trip
Collects: Fantastic Four (2012 series) #4-8 and #5.AU

Fantastic Four Volume 3: Doomed
Collects: Fantastic Four (2012 series) #9-16

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (2014 series) #1 cover by Leonard Kirk and Laura Martin.

James Robinson run

Written by James Robinson. Art by Leonard Kirk and Marc Laming.

Issues: Fantastic Four (2014 series) #1-14, Fantastic Four Annual 2014, and Fantastic Four #642-645
Publication years: 2014-2015

This run launched with the team donning new costumes. However, these primarily red and black costumes, something blasphemous to some die-hard fans, were short-lived. The traditional blue costumes were reintroduced later in the run.

Robinson’s run ended in 2015. The Fantastic Four comic would go on hiatus for three years due to a never completely confirmed dispute between Marvel and Fox. The in-universe reasons were explained in the pages of Secret Wars (2015 series). At the same time, James Robinson and Leonard Kirk were able to give the team a proper send-off in Fantastic Four #645.

Looking online, the reaction to this run seems mixed. Some people perceive it as a successor to Jonathan Hickman’s run. For others, it wasn’t their cup of tea.

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four Volume 1: The Fall Of The Fantastic Four
Collects: Fantastic Four (2014 series) #1-5

Fantastic Four Volume 2: Original Sin
Collects: Fantastic Four (2014 series) #6-10

Fantastic Four Volume 3: Back In Blue
Collects: Fantastic Four (2014 series) #11-14 and Fantastic Four Annual 2014

Fantastic Four Volume 4: The End Is Fourever
Collects: Fantastic Four #642-645 and Marvel 75th Anniversary Celebration (Fantastic Four story)

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (2018 series) #1 cover by Esad Ribic.

Dan Slott run

Written by Dan Slott. Art by Sara Pichelli, Nico Leon, Stefano Casellli, Aaron Kuder, John Lucas, David Marquez, Reilly Brown, Paco Medina, Kevin Libranda, Paolo Villanelli, Juanan Ramírez, Sean Izaakse, Bob Quinn, Luciano Vecchio, Carlos Magno, Francesco Manna, R.B. Silva, Will Robson, Ze Carlos, John Romita Jr, Rachael Stott, Andrea Di Vito, Davide Tinto, Farid Karami, and Carlos Urbano.

Issues: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #1-46
Publication years: 2018-2022

Fantastic Four returned after a three-year hiatus under the pen of Dan Slott, who had just come off a long run on Amazing Spider-Man. It’s another run with mixed responses. I think a lot of it will depend on your opinion of Dan Slott as a writer and what you’re looking to get out of Fantastic Four.

This run tied into multiple comic book events. These include War of the Realms, Empyre, and King in Black. It also concluded by hosting one of its own in the form of Reckoning War.

The most notable story in the run is the wedding of Ben Grimm and his longtime girlfriend, Alicia Masters.

Notable stories

• Mr. And Mrs. Grimm Fantastic Four (2018 series) #5
• Reckoning War (Fantastic Four (2018 series) #39-45)

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four Volume 1: Fourever
Collects: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #1-4

Fantastic Four Volume 2: Mr. And Mrs. Grimm
Collects: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #5, Fantastic Four Wedding Special #1, and Fantastic Four (1961 series) #8

Fantastic Four Volume 3: The Herald of Doom
Collects: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #6-11

Fantastic Four Volume 4: The Thing vs. Immortal Hulk
Collects: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #12-13, Fantastic Four: 4 Yancy Street #1, and Fantastic Four: Negative Zone #1

Fantastic Four Volume 5: Point of Origin
Collects: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #14-20

Fantastic Four Volume 6: Empyre
Collects: Empyre #0 Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four (2018 series) #21-24, Empyre Fallout: Fantastic Four #1

Fantastic Four Volume 7: The Forever Gate
Collects: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #25-30

Fantastic Four Volume 8: The Bride of Doom
Collects: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #31-35

Fantastic Four Volume 9: Eternal Flame
Collects: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #36-39, Fantastic Four: Road Trip #1, and Fantastic Four: Grimm Noir #1

Fantastic Four Volume 10: Reckoning War Part 1
Collects: Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha, Fantastic Four (2018 series) #40-42, and Reckoning War: Trial of The Watcher

Fantastic Four Volume 10: Reckoning War Part 2
Collects: Fantastic Four (2018 series) #43-46

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (2023 series) #1 cover by Alex Ross.

Ryan North run

Written by Ryan North. Art by Iban Coello, Ivan Fiorelli, Leandro Fernandez, Francesco Mortarino, Carlos Gómez, Steven Cummings, and Humberto Ramos.

Issues: Fantastic Four (2023 series) #1-33 and Fantastic Four (2025 series) #1-
Publication years: 2023-

Blending hard science fiction, adventure, fun, and plenty of heart, it’s universally loved.

Ryan North’s run is currently ongoing, but it will be relaunched – just in time for the release of Fantastic Four: First Steps in July 2025. Before the relaunch, the comic was heavily involved in One World Under Doom, a Ryan North-scripted comic book event that sees Doctor Doom ruling after becoming the Sorcerer Supreme.

Notable stories

• The Impossible is Probable (Fantastic Four (2023 series) #12-17)

Trade paperback collections

Fantastic Four By Ryan North Volume 1
Collects: Fantastic Four (2023 series) #1-6

Fantastic Four By Ryan North Volume 2
Collects: Fantastic Four (2023 series) #7-11

Fantastic Four By Ryan North Volume 3
Collects: Fantastic Four (2023 series) #12-17

Fantastic Four By Ryan North Volume 4
Collects: Fantastic Four (2023 series) #18-22

Fantastic Four By Ryan North Volume 5
Collects: Fantastic Four (2023 series) #23-28

Buy trade paperbacks on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay

Fantastic Four (1961 series) #296 cover by Barry Windsor-Smith.

Other Fantastic Four issues

The following issues don’t fit into any creative run. These tend to be fill-in issues, stray annuals, and event tie-ins.

• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #116
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #117
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #118
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #132
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #153
• Fantastic Four Annual #7-10 [Reprints earlier material]
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #172
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #180
• Fantastic Four Annual #16
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #296
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #303
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #342
• Fantastic Four Annual #22
• Fantastic Four Annual #24
• Fantastic Four Annual #25
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #351
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #355
• Fantastic Four (1961 series) #394
• Fantastic Four Annual #27
• Fantastic Four Annual 1998
• Fantastic Four (1998 series) #57-59
• Fantastic Four (2018 series) #47-48
• Fantastic Four Annual #33
• Fantastic Four Annual 2023

Have your say

Have you found this guide helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments below or via Bluesky, Facebook, X, or Mastodon.