A brand new era for Marvel's so-called 'First Family' kicks off in November 9's Fantastic Four #1 from writer Ryan North, artists Iban Coello and Jesus Aburtov, and letterer Joe Caramagna. And the new volume of the title starts with a focus on Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters as they solve a small-town mystery the likes of which only the Fantastic Four could tumble into.
But all is not so well for the FF, and though solicitations for the new volume of the title have hinted at hard times for the team, Fantastic Four #1 takes things a step further by revealing why the FF are on the outs in the Marvel Universe - and it could connect to another recently relaunched classic Marvel title.
Spoilers ahead for Fantastic Four #1
In Fantastic Four #1, Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters are on a road trip alone - their kids are apparently out of the picture, with a promise from Reed Richards that they'll return soon.
They stop in a small town in Pennsylvania, only to soon discover the whole place is caught in a timewarp thanks to some strange confluences of super science.
The story is charming, and the mystery and its solution harken back to the early adventures of the Fantastic Four in a fun, but not heavy-handed way.
However, the somewhat wistful tone of the story is matched with a final page reveal that a huge chunk of Manhattan, presumably somewhere close to where the Baxter Building once was, has been flattened to a crater - and Reed Richards is to blame.
We don't know exactly what Reed may have done to cause the disaster, but the circumstances, right down to the smoldering crater, echo the circumstances of the recent Amazing Spider-Man relaunch, which kicked off with the question "What did Peter Parker do?" and the image of Spider-Man in the wreckage of a still unexplained disaster.
Whatever happened to Spider-Man is something different, as it took place in Pennsylvania. But it's hard not to notice the similarities.
Fantastic Four #2 goes on sale December 7.
Got a taste for classic FF? Read the best Fantastic Four stories of all time.
