After years of waiting, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will finally see what Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm) can bring to the table. That, plus there’s Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer / Shalla-Bal and Ralph Ineson as Galactus the Eater of Worlds.
If you’re not familiar with Marvel’s First Family (who debuted way back in 1961), there are decades worth of comic books to read. However, you may not have the time to go through over 700 comic books. That’s not including the Future Foundation and the random plethora of one-shots, crossover tie-ins, and more. Instead of having to dig too far into the past, here are ten great starting points for you to get into the Fantastic Four.
Secret Wars (1984)
I know that this article started with the idea of not going too far back, but Marvel's Secret Wars has to be on the list. While it isn’t explicitly a Fantastic Four title, Marvel's First Family are an important part of this event. And not just them; their long-time enemy, Victor von Doom, shows up and shows out.
Plus, this event offers up a reminder that the iconic team wasn’t always together, and also let others into their family. That's an important thing to keep in mind when it comes to the Fantastic Four's comic stories.
Mark Waid
This was my introduction to the Fantastic Four, and I've kept up with their titles ever since. Mark Waid and artist Mike Wieringo (rest in peace to the legend) teamed up to combine science and family extraordinarily. This writer would wager that a lot of people became fans thanks to them, so it must be on this list.
Civil War
The Fantastic Four is like every other family in the world. They have different opinions, and sometimes that means they’ll fight. Marvel’s Civil War was the one time that you saw them completely broken. It was sad, but it made their regrouping even better.
It also led to new teammates joining the fray.
Black Panther Nos. 26-34
After everything that happened in Civil War, Reed Richards and Sue Storm decided it was time to take what they realized was their first honeymoon. Before leaving, they left the team in the hands of the newlyweds, T’Challa and Storm.
In this series, the New Fantastic Four take a trip around the multiverse and fight Skrulls, zombie superheroes, and more. It was extremely silly, but also fun and full of action.
Millar and Hitch
If you like seeing what the Fantastic Four are capable of, this is the series you want. This creative duo of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch is responsible for amazing things like turning Valeria Richards from a child into a child genius, killing Galactus and Sue Storm, and introducing the person who trained Doctor Doom. It's dark, but sometimes you need that with a team like this.
New Avengers
This isn’t close to a Fantastic Four series, but you get Ben Grimm doing what he does best. He’s clobberin’ people, making jokes, and being an amazing teammate. Granted, he makes a few mistakes along the way. Thankfully, he owns up to them.
Jonathan Hickman (F4 and New Avengers)
During Jonathan Hickman's run of Fantastic Four, you’ll see a side of Reed Richards you’re not used to. He does a lot of questionable things to protect his family and the universe. You understand why, but it’s tough getting past seeing him be unlike the wholesome person he’s known to be.
On the plus side, he grows sideburns and a beard, and it's a good look on him.
Secret Wars (2015)
How does Reed Richards save the multiverse from God Doom? What does he witness that almost breaks him? Why is this event crucial to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? You’ll have to read it to find out. But trust this writer when he says it’s among the best crossovers in comic book history, and Reed is the savior of the story.
Dan Slott
It had been years since the Fantastic Four were together, and Dan Slott was the perfect writer to bring them back. They don’t just return, and have things go back to normal right away either. They arrive at a time that tests who they are as people, heroes, and especially parents.
For Reed and Sue, they do what they can for their son Franklin as he struggles with not having his god-like powers. They also have to adjust to their daughter Valeria’s growing genius and independence. Later on, Ben and Alicia Masters adopt two alien kids (a Skrull and a Kree) and become parents.
Ryan North
This is the best Fantastic Four series to date. Writer Ryan North shows why the heroes are the epitome of family in comic books. Sure, it’s been seen before, but not like this. You’re getting pairs that normally aren't put together to see why they love each other.
In issue No. 26, Johnny Storm encourages Reed to be irresponsible. Sue Storm and Alicia save a city from a mind-controlled Ben, Johnny, and Reed (Nos. 8 and 9). And then there’s the time Reed denies the existence of vampires with Alicia despite what he’s seeing (Nos. 21 and 22).
This is a must-read for fans of the team and comic books in general. You get all of the emotional moments with the amazing adventures and phenomenal powers. It may not be perfect, but it's close to it.
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