Reed Richards teams up with Doctor Doom and company to defeat the Reed's from other Universes -- but if this issue is about anything, it is probably about trust.
The Good
The last few issues we have seen appearances from Black Bolt, who was believed to have been dead. While we had previously seen his return, issue #8 of FF is the first time we see the interaction between Black Bolt and the Inhumans and the "new Future Foundation." When I say "new" FF, I really do mean new FF. Reed Richards has no other choice (at this point) than to side with the Fantastic Four's entire rogues gallery in order to defeat the Reed's from other Universes.
The underlying concept in this issue is trust. Reed must trust Doctor Doom in a fight against the Inhumans and against the Council of Reed's, and even though Reed has seemed to have already evaluated the probability of whether or not any of his greatest adversaries (who are now his allies) will betray him, he's still taking a chance. It's nice, however, to see Sue Storm challenging Nathaniel Richards (Reed's father who time travels), something Reed doesn't do. The only two characters that seem to be taking any precautions are Sue and Peter Parker -- but when the stakes are this high, I guess Reed has no other choice.
The Bad
Incorporating the Inhumans and Black Bolt does not feel very fluid -- or I should say, it could have been more fluid. The transition into the encounter with Black Bolt feels almost jarring (which is fine for now) and something I assume will be fleshed out in the next issue of FF.
The Verdict
The issue is good, and the story has been solid. My biggest complaint, however, is that Hickman hasn't made clear just how powerful and influential the Council of Reeds is. How threatening are they? They didn't appear enough in this issue, something I would have liked to have seen since the last two issues have focused on Black Bolt and his return. Still, it's a very interesting story line, and the ending will definitely leave you asking a lot of questions. Definitely not new reader friendly -- if you are interested in reading, start from the first issue of FF.
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