Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman #1

Reed Richards attempts to achieve his greatest ambition by solving everything. Johnny and Ben take a trip to Nu-World an run into more than they bargained for.  

This is a work of art. A work of art that the creative mind of Jonathan Hickman and the magical pencils of Dale Eaglesham have created. They illustrate in such a way that is revered. I absolutely love the way this series is put together. The hardcovers are so classy and really give you a comic experience like no other. The Fantastic Four have never been what I would consider favorites of mine, but these two creators are making me huge fans of the Fantastic Four very quickly. 

I like how Hickman began by putting Reed Richards under the microscope. A great deal of focus is put on him and his ambitions as a scientist and a human being. He gets tangled up with a bunch of Reed's from alternate worlds as they try to solve everything. My favorite part was when Reed proved one of the alternate Reeds wrong by saying he would never abandon his family for this and proved to be an anomaly out of all the Reeds. 

The last issue of the book centers around Franklin's birthday. Again Hickman creates a lighthearted feel while adding subtle humor to progress the story along. Spider-Man attends the birthday and provided some of favorite pages from the issue. The cliffhanger at the end was enticing. We see that Reed and Sue's kids will play a pivotal role in future issues. 

Dale Eaglesham and Neil Edwards handle the artwork. Eaglesham is a favorite of mine and his work flourishes here. He might be my favorite artist ever to draw the Fantastic Four. What's great about the art in this book is that the artist styles are sort of similar so it's a smooth transition. Eaglesham holds the edge over Edwards but both men contribute great work to this series. The cover gallery at the end was a nice bonus too.

Hickman doesn't stray far from what Fantastic Four has been about for years. It's family. Yes there's action and adventure but family is always first. They're labeled Marvel's First Family for a reason. Hickman creates a very lighthearted tone that's felt throughout the stories duration. If you haven't read this by now I highly recommend it. If you're new to Fantastic Four starting at the beginning of Hickman's run is a great place. He'll instantly make you fans of these characters and show you why this is label the worlds greatest comic magazine. It's a grand adventure full of action, laughs and good old fashioned comic fun.