So, you want to read some Fantastic Four comics? Whether you have recently discovered the Fantastic Four with the new movie, is a DC Fan, or just haven’t given the F.F. a chance yet, there’s a Fantastic Four comic out there for you. In fact, there’s a Fantastic Four comic for everyone! With over 60 years of stories, you are spoiled for choice, maybe too much and you don’t know where to start!
So, where should you start? Throughout time, the Fantastic Four have had many adventures that reflect the evolution of the Marvel Universe, from the wonder of the Silver Age to the darker tone of the Modern Age, epic family sagas, and decompressed storytelling. Whether you like the old comic book styles of the sixties, prefer more modern family adventures, or love the high-concept ideas and inventions of Reed Richards, there’s a perfect first story for you to explore the world of Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Sue, and Johnny Storm (and other temporary members of the team!).
Here’s a curated beginner’s guide with several routes to help find the perfect place to start reading Marvel’s First Family!
Previously on where to start with:
1. The Vintage Route: The Age of Heroes
Published in 1961, Fantastic Four #1 is famously known for being the start of the Marvel Age of Comics! Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s run on the First Family built the Marvel Universe as we know it today, introducing many characters and concepts. If you want to read some Marvel history, you can :
- Go Epic! Since 2014, Marvel has reprinted many Fantastic Four stories, including in the famous Epic Collection that will take you where it all started and help you retrace Marvel history in the company of Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny. You can also explore their Silver Age adventures through the Fantastic Four Omnibus Collection.
- Read some Key Tales! Want a feel of the best of the Silver Age, discovering the birth of the Marvel Universe with the FF, without reading more than 100 issues? Take a look at the Penguin Classics Marvel Collection that presents the origin stories, seminal tales, and characters of the Marvel Universe. You can also check out Marvel: Fantastic Four by Folio Society, collecting 10 issues spanning from 1961 to 1968, bringing together “iconic stories, jaw-dropping artwork and cosmic chaos in a bold new design.”
2. The Classic Modern Route: First Family of Earth
Comics from the Silver Age or even the seventies or eighties are quite different from comics from the noughties or of today. For this reason, starting at the beginning can be more than daunting; it can be exhausting if the style is not to your liking. So, right now, here are some modern entry points into the world of the Fantastic Four!
- The Fantastic Four by Mark Waid & Mike Wieringo (2002–2005) — Part of our 25 Best Marvel Comics to read, this run is the perfect entry point for new readers. You really can’t do better than this run if you have never touched a F.F. Comics in your life before (or a comic, really). Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo deliver the most accessible run, full of action, comedy and relationships that will introduce new readers to everything that defines and makes the F.F. so popular.
- The Fantastic Four by John Byrne (1981–1986) — We’re going back in time a little bit for those who love the eighties, with one of the most defining runs for the team. Before rebooting Superman for the Modern Age, John Byrne revitalized the Fantastic Four at Marvel Comics, launching what is often considered the Second Golden Age for the First Family. He transformed Invisible Girl into Invisible Woman, temporarily replaced The Thing by She-Hulk, and co-created and developed Terrax, among other things.
- The Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman (2009–2012) — Less newbie-friendly than the last two runs, you can’t talk about the Modern F.F. without talking about Hickman’s run. Beware that a little bit of knowledge can be required, as it’s sometimes better to have read Mark Millar’s run that precedes it to really immerge yourself in it. But if you like ambitious and cosmic stories, full of grandiose and huge stakes with Doom at his best, Hickman is your man! Also, Marvel has released the first part of this run in its Marvel Premier Collection, aimed at new readers.
3. Blast From the Past Route: Fantastic Flashbacks
One of Marvel’s specialties is to revisit past eras with a modern sensibility. The Fantastic Four are no exception, and have been part of a few tales that celebrates their classic Silver Age adventures:
- Marvels (1994) — Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross took us on a tour through the early history of Marvel, captured through the lens of photojournalist Phil Sheldon. While the F.F. are not the center of the story, this classic tale captures the wonder of Marvel Comics’ early years and shows the team’s place in the larger universe.
- Fantastic Four: Mythos — The Fantastic Four’s origin story has been revisited a few times, including a new version by writer Paul Jenkinsand artist Paolo Rivera, telling us how Marvel’s First Family became the team they are today in an impressionistic style.
- Fantastic Four: Full Circle (2022) — Alex Ross’s love letter to the Lee/Kirby’s era is one hell of a visual spectacle taking the readers into the Negative Zone for some Silver Age adventures that perfectly capture the drawing power of comic books.
4. The Current Era Route: Marvel’s First Family Today
Sometimes, the best way to discover a character is to jump straight into the action and follow their current adventures. Now is actually a good time for readers to get into the F.F. adventures — the title has recently been relaunched, offering a new entry point for new readers!
- Marvel’s First Family has recently entered a new era, embarking on new adventures through time, space, science, and the human condition by writer Ryan North and artist Humberto Ramos with Fantastic Four Vol. 1: Save Everyone!
- Ryan North was already Marvel’s First Family main writer before this recent relaunch, already delivering a perfect jumping-on point with artist Iban Coello in What Happened to the Fantastic Four?, reintroducing each member for a road trip with the family and some classic saving the planet stories!
Bonus: It’s clobberin’ time with The Thing!
Ben Grimm is Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew and Yancy Street’s favorite son for a good reason! You can’t help but love this rocky blue-eyed monster. While The Thing will always be first and foremost a member of the F.F., he also has been the star of Marvel Two-in-One, where he teamed up with a different character in each issue, shared some Strange Tales adventures with Johnny Storm, and has several series, miniseries, and one-shots. So if you can’t help and fell in love with Ben Grimm (like everyone else), here’s a little bonus read with Bashful Benjy:
- The Hulk and the Thing: The Big Change — For some 80s stories, The Thing and The Hulk were a classic combo, and at the center of this graphic novel by Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson.
- The Thing: Freakshow (2002) — The Creative team of Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins (The Flash) takes a look at what’s underneath those rocks in a basic but fun Thing story.
- The Thing: Idol of Millions (2006) — In parallel to his run on the F.F., Dan Slott, with artist Andrea Di Vito, delivered some light-hearted and fun comedic stories starring Ben Grimm.
Go to our Complete Fantastic Four Comics Guide