Start Reading Marvel's Fantastic Four Now: Best Time Ever

While we crowned Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri’s *The Ultimates* as the Best Comic Book Series or Original Graphic Novel of 2024, there's one Marvel title that nearly stole the spotlight: *Fantastic Four*. Thanks to writer Ryan North and his talented collaborators, this series is currently at its best in years. With *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* set to debut on the big screen soon, Marvel aims to bring even more fans into the fold this summer.

Marvel will be relaunching Fantastic Four in July—rest assured, Ryan North remains at the helm. The new volume teams North with artist Humberto Ramos (The Amazing Spider-Man), who together will craft fresh adventures for Marvel’s First Family. These stories will explore how Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben deal with the aftermath of the One World Under Doom event—and yes, time travel will play a major role.

To learn more about what readers can expect from this relaunch and why it serves as an ideal entry point for newcomers, IGN caught up with Ryan North via email. Before diving into the interview, take a look at an exclusive preview of the first issue in the gallery below. Discover how the new run will highlight the Fantastic Four not only as family but also as friends.

Fantastic Four #1: Exclusive Preview Gallery

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Renumbering a long-running series might seem unusual when the creative team stays the same, especially given that the overall direction hasn’t made a dramatic shift. But according to North, the reasoning is straightforward: with a new movie on the horizon, Marvel wants to make the comic as accessible as possible for potential new readers.

“Comics have the unique ability to grow their audience,” North explains. “There are millions of people who don’t read comics, thinking they’re not for them—but they are! There are countless great comics out there, but many just haven't found the right one yet or felt welcomed into the medium. Superhero comics often come with issue numbers, which can give the impression that you must start from the beginning. A new #1 issue helps remove that barrier. If viewers enjoy the film and want to know more about these characters, this is one less hurdle between them and the story.”

One major change in this relaunch is the artistic shift to Humberto Ramos. North reveals that the two have been planning this transition for quite some time.

“We met for breakfast at San Diego Comic-Con before he officially started working on the series, and I had even yet to begin writing the issues,” North shares. “Humberto is such a creative and collaborative partner—he always brings energy and enthusiasm to every idea. His art is bursting with life, and it was tough keeping it under wraps for so long!”

Ramos is known for his speed and dynamic storytelling, which gives North the advantage of consistency in the art team. This allows him to tailor scripts specifically to Ramos’ strengths, something that wasn’t always possible in previous runs.

“I've worked with many incredible artists on Fantastic Four, but usually, I'm far ahead in scripting without knowing who the artist will be,” North says. “Knowing Humberto would be on board for the long haul has let me write directly for him. That synergy makes each issue feel more cohesive and expressive.”

Although the series already offered easy access points, North sees the relaunch as a chance to deepen the overarching narrative while still keeping individual issues self-contained—similar to how shows like Rick and Morty operate.

“It’s not a huge shift, but I’m definitely leaning more into the larger storyline,” North clarifies. “Each issue will still stand alone and offer a complete experience, but the scale of the big picture is expanding. Think of it as adding extra flavor—like Ben would say, ‘not because the stew isn’t good, but maybe a little garlic adds some zip.’”

A key theme of the relaunch is framing the Fantastic Four as friends rather than just family. We asked North to elaborate on that distinction.

“It may sound subtle, but I really wanted to explore relationships built by choice,” he says. “I love my friends, and I think the FF represents that beautifully. Yes, they’re called a family, but only two of them—Sue and Johnny—are actually blood-related. The rest chose each other, and that makes their bond all the more meaningful. It made me realize that the line between good friends and found family might not be as wide as I once thought.”

As exciting as the relaunch is, it coincides with the ongoing One World Under Doom crossover. North assures us the new series won’t ignore this major event but instead use it as a foundation for a bold Doctor Doom arc right from the start.

“One challenge is balancing accessibility for new readers with being part of the larger One World Under Doom story,” North admits. “So our first arc is a full-on Doom story, giving the FF a shot at undoing everything he’s done. Expect a wild sci-fi concept, then get ready for more epic ideas to follow.”

A major plot development in One World Under Doom involves Doom curing Ben Grimm of his Thing form—a symbolic victory over Reed Richards. However, early preview art shows Ben back to his rocky self in the new series. Does that mean this twist will remain unresolved? Not exactly, according to North.

“We’ll show how that gets resolved in the final moments of the current run, so we don’t start the new series with dangling threads,” North explains. “Accessibility is my top priority for new readers, so I’m keeping the backstory required to a minimum. It’s a balance—I know the Fantastic Four have decades of history, but I want everyone to feel welcome when they pick up an issue.”

FANTASTIC FOUR #1
Releases July 9—just weeks before The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters.

Check out the solicitation for FANTASTIC FOUR #2:

Written by RYAN NORTH
Art and Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS

Sue Storm finds herself stranded in the distant future, the last living remnant of Earth. How can she return to her own time before it’s too late? Meanwhile, Reed Richards is trapped in the past, waiting for a rescue that may never come—unless the deep emotional connection between him and Sue can somehow transcend time itself.

In the present, Doom unveils the secret behind his dominance: a revelation that turns every defeat into victory, making Emperor Doom truly invincible.

On Sale 8/13

Additionally, Fantastic Four: First Steps will be supported by a prequel comic exploring the origin of Pedro Pascal’s version of Reed Richards and his family. It’s one of the few recent comics directly tied to the MCU.