These issues are a complicated mess chronology-wise. Storywise they’re…Also messy. But not terrible.
In his own book Black Panther and Storm are now married and are trying to figure out how best to “be in the world” as a couple, especially given all the complications of the post-Civil War environment. Meanwhile, for their failure to register as superhumans, the United States has revoked Wakanda’s embassy.
In Fantastic Four, Reed and Sue have left the team to reconcile with each other after having been on different sides during the Civil War.
You see where this is going, right? The F4 are short two members. Storm and T’Challa need a place to stay.
So, Black Panther and Storm take Reed and Sue’s place and use the Baxter Building for an embassy.
The whole concept for this run was that Sue and Reed needed time off to reconcile after they were on separate sides during Civil War…Except that they’re all over this run. They never go away.
The Black Panther issues show the new team fighting off a Negative Zone invasion that leads to a zombie invasion.
In the course of the battle, the heroes seem to die. But of course they don’t. Black Panther #31 will pick up there.
The FF issues mainly involve cosmic characters, but there’s a digression with the Frightful Four.
Like I said, Reed and Sue are all over these issues. It’s really the Fantastic Six.
There’s nothing really wrong here, it’s just very similar to lots we’ve seen before.
If you’re going to have Black Panther and Storm join, why not do something with them that shows the unique value they add?
Okay. Anyway, the main story, as I said, is cosmic.
Marvel’s Cosmic world has been doing truly great things in the extended Annihilation event. These issues don’t even come close, don’t matter, and don’t tie into that event, either. They involve the return of Gravity, and future Deathlok Michael Collins serves as the FF’s pilot for the adventure.
Turns out, Gravity was converted by Epoch into the “Protector of the Universe,” which is the title Quasar had but he died during Annihilation.
So I guess there is a little bit of a tie-in there. Whatever. It’s so hard to care when you could be reading Annihilation.
Gravity is back on Earth at the end and, more importantly, the FF reunite with another tribute to the classic “hands-in” panel.
Across both series, there’s a lot of touchpoints to The Initiative events.
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