Top 5 graphic novels to read before Fantastic Four comes out

The Fantastic Four film is being release on July 30th and is set to be a pretty big movie for comic book fans and the general public alike. The Fantastic Four have around sixty years of comic book history under their collective belts and a lot of it is worth reading. So before you go and see them on the big screen, here are my top five Fantastic Four graphic novels.

Number Five: Fantastic Four Unthinkable By Mark Waid

For the five hundredth issue of Fantastic Four Marvel whipped up something special. Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four’s nemesis and ruler of the fiction country Latveria, turns to magic instead of technology to finally defeat the Fantastic Four. This causes Mr. Fantastic to turn to desperate measures and take over Latveria for himself. It’s an action packed example of the dichotomy that the lays at the heart of the Fantastic Four, every story is an epic battle between good and evil but it’s also a close knit family drama. Unthinkable can be picked up for around £10 and is more than worth the money.




Number Four: Fantastic Four Authoritative Action By Mark Waid

Continuing from the events of Unthinkable, Authoritative Action charts Mr. Fantastic as he changes from the hero we all know and love into a villainous character similar to Doctor Doom. Towards the end of this novel there is a segment where the Fantastic Four meet God which you will either find incredibly cool or a little dumb. The entire novel runs the spectrum between gritty political drama and adventures in surreal alternate dimensions. If you want a true feel for the Fantastic Four and the sort of stories they have been a part of over the last sixty years, look no further.

Number Three: FF Volume One By Jonathan Hickman

In 2010 Jonny Storm, The Human Torch, died (don’t worry, in true Marvel fashion he came back pretty quickly). It left the team broken and without a fourth member. They decide to recruit Spiderman, this did seem like a move to boost sales at the time but it paid off and ended up creating a fresh team dynamic that is unlike a lot of team graphic novels. The FF stands for the Future Foundation and is all about the Fantastic Four creating a legacy. If you want a good example of what the Fantastic Four are like in the modern Marvel Universe this novel is perfect.

Number Two: Marvel Knights Fantastic Four Volume One By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Published in September 2004 Marvel Knights Fantastic Four looks at how the team deal with the recession. It is a strange marker of the times, that looks at the Fantastic Four as people instead of superheroes, of course the superhero business does come into it eventually. This piece harkens back to the roots of the Fantastic Four as Marvel’s first family, it’s well written and is a lot of fun, it’s my hope that the movie will take some cues from such a strong piece.

Number One: Ultimate Fantastic Four Volume One By Mark Millar

It’s been confirmed that a lot of the movie script will be based on this first volume from Ultimate Fantastic Four. The idea of the Ultimate Universe was to reinvent the Marvel Universe for the 21st century , it’s amazing. The personalities of the Fantastic Four are a lot more understandable and they have character flaws that are believable and enjoyable to read about. This really is the one to read if you are planning to go watch the film. I would expect a lot of references to this novel through out.