Fantastic Four, Vol. 1: The Fall Of The Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four (2014) (Collected Editions)

by James Robinson, Leonard Kirk (Illustrator)

Collects Fantastic Four (2014) #1-5.

The world's greatest comics magazine begins anew! But as the Fantastic Four embark on a strange mission, they aren't met with new beginnings, but an untimely end! Marvel's first family heads towards their darkest hour, but who is behind their downfall? Manhattan is under attack by a killer swarm from a corrupted pocket universe, and in order to defeat it, the Human Torch must make a terrible sacrifice! And with one member down, a new menace emerges: the Wrecking Crew, their powers mysteriously elevated! As Ben and Alicia's romance rekindles, the threats of Fin Fang Foom, the Wizard and the Puppet Master loom, the Baxter Building is quarantined, and the Fantastic Four are held accountable for the destruction in Manhattan! It's the trial of the century, and a major turning point for the family!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction, Science Fiction

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 26, 2014

About the author

James Dale Robinson is a British writer of American comic books and screenplays.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Warning: If you are NOT up to date, there may be SPOILERS

I recently finished up Volume 1 of The Amazing Spider-man The Parker Luck, and Johnny Storm showed up to give Pete some advice. Since Peter has only recently reemerged as the dominate personality in his body, he had no idea that Johnny was de-powered.
And, quite frankly, neither did I.
Now, I'd love to say I read this specifically to find out how it happened, but I actually just lucked into it. It was, however, the highlight of this book for me. Not that how he lost his powers was all that amazing, but it felt good to be in the loop for once!
So, if you were wondering where to find that story, it's in this one.

Anyway, poor Johnny.
Flame off.



It appears as though someone is perhaps out to tarnish the Fantastic Four's image, and break apart their family.
Monsters from other dimensions break out of the Baxter Building and wreak havoc on Manhattan causing loss of life and millions in damage.
And (for once) it seems like the idiot keeping the giant portals in his house is actually going to be held responsible for the damage. Go figure, right?



Jennifer/She-Hulk represents the FF in the courtroom drama, and I won't spoil the ending, but there's lots of EMOTIONS! flying around at the end. Decent stuff, all of it.

Hey, did you know that Dr. Doom is now Uncle Doom?
Personally, I was unaware of this. But apparently Valeria is living with him in Latveria, where she has some sort of deal going with him. He is going to try to 'be good', and she gets some space from her parents who did something to let her down.
I need to go back and read some of the older titles to see what happened.
I still say she's a creepy little thing, but I'm also insanely curious as to what her father lied to her about!

I can see the DEVIL in her eyes!


All in all, this was one of the more interesting installments of the FF that I've read. But I'll admit I haven't finished out Hickman's run, and I know that he's a fan favorite for this title. I'll get to it eventually, though.

Get this review and more at:

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When alien creatures invade New York from a portal inside the Baxter Building, it's the beginning of the end for the Fantastic Four...

The Fantastic Four has been one of my favorite comics for decades and this was their final run before going on a years long hiatus. With James Robinson at the helm, I couldn't pass this one up. After all, he was the man behind Starman so he gets special consideration from me. I wasn't crazy about the black and red outfits but it wound up being pretty good.

The book starts with Sue writing Valeria a letter, foreshadowing things to come. Strange winged aliens invade New York through a portal in the Baxter Building from the Heroes Reborn universe. Remember that? Anyway, Reed settles things by poisoning them and inadvertently robs Johnny of his powers. After thwarting the new Frightful Four with help from Ant-Man, She-Hulk, and Miss Thing, the Fantastic Four goes up against it's greatest foe of all... the legal system!

I think the reason this worked so well for me is that I could totally see the legal system screwing super heroes. SHIELD taking the Future Foundation into custody for their own protection was the icing on the cake.

James Robinson and Leonard Kirk have something special going here. I'm glad I already have the next three volumes in my possession. Four out of five stars.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this was really good!

So it starts off with FF against Fin Fang Foom who seems to have gotten a new upgrade and then jumping right to the drama and with creatures from another dimension coming from the baxter building and invading NY and well the heroes fight them but we see as the world turns against the F4 slwly as Fury questions Reed ad in the process, Flames off for Johnny I guess and then the attack by the wrecking crew and the Mad thinker and so the F4 have to fight against them and an interesting fight at that because they also have been upgraded in terms of powers and something's amiss when we see the trial of the FF!

That issue does well to show the entire history of FF or most of it and show like how they are responsible for so much destructio and trauma and how common people have to pay for it and then the drama and all and its amazing, sure there are loop holes in the argument but I love the feel of dread and all and its challenging and whatever is going on with the future foundation and its a challenging time as we see the fall of the four and maybe their last time adventuring together and the art is amazing and all, and the tension and the promise of it going darker.

So all in all, an amazing volume and it has got lots of potential and I am looking forward to reading the series further!

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Well, my first foray into the Fantastic Four. It was enjoyable but not very fun. I mean, poor guys, they just started a new comic book and they are so screwed. Apparently the Dream Team just got back from somewhere (knowing Marvel, I guess another dimension) and they are so trilled to be back to normal. But they soon have to fight an bunch of weird creatures what came out of a portal that Mr. Fantastic has in his basement (C'mon!, you don't shit where you eat and the book keep telling us this is the smartest man alive. Good God, I pity the world then.) and in the process The Torch losses his powers. Them the Dream Team is sued for all the destruction they have caused to the city and people and they fall out of grace.
There's a lot of continuity from the previous run so everyone keep saying to each others thing that has happened. It's a bit weird to hear the characters catch up with each other but it's great to keep up. It's also cool seeing the FF team, which fill in for the Fantastic Four while they were away and reminded me that I have a few books of them on my to-read-pile.
The art was okay although I hated how tight The Invisible Woman's suit is.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well one volume in and it looks to be more promising than his Invaders and Scarlet Witch runs. Getting different artists to do flashbacks was a nice touch, as was the inclusion of the Fraction/Allred FF. I didn’t feel bored reading this like I did with some of James Robinsons other stuff

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how I'm going to feel about this run in the end. It's verging on misery for the sake of it, and I know it isn't done yet. At least Robinson is a good enough writer that reading it isn't an entirely miserable experience.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I thought this was overall really good, especially the last few issues at the end. I felt that there were some events (no spoilers) that really needed to be out in the public sphere and Robinson did a good job of it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's this, like the seventh "fall" of the Fantastic Four? Perhaps I'm just beginning to show my age. I'm a fitful follower of the FF (alliteration!), mostly moved by whatever creative team takes command of Marvel's First Family. I signed up for this collection because I've quite enjoyed James Robinson's work in comics and felt he'd be a good fit for these characters, and indeed he is. Robinson presents a straightforward story with plenty of action and a knack for characterization. Leonard Kirk's art is similarly competent, with inker Karl Kesel bringing a lot of nuance to Kirk's pencils.

I suppose my problem at this point is that Robinson seems intent on dismantling the FF... but, at least where this trade ends, it's only a half measure. The predicament Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben find themselves in doesn't seem all that dangerous at this point. Perhaps this is more a problem with Marvel's strategy toward trade collections than Robinson's story, which again, ably hits a lot of the highs a reader might expect from a FF tale.

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty odd way to start a new era of Fantastic Four. It's not as exciting or as interesting as some of the best Hickman stuff. I almost stopped reading this after the first or second issue, but there must have been something there that kept me interested. There's a lot of plot lines that get started here, and that's a good thing, but nothing really seems important and nothing gets wrapped up, or even developed enough to justify 6 issues of a comic.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps it's better than the 3 stars I gave it.

Was not quite convinced with the prosecution's argument against the FF in court. Too many logic holes. But I am a great fan of James Robinson, one of our best comic writers, and he usually plays a tight long-game, so I'll hang in and see what unfolds.

[Seren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The first FF comic I’ve read and it was easy enough to follow. Of course there were a few references to previous events that I didn’t get but they didn’t affect my understanding of what was going on at all.
Of course I would’ve preferred it if Sue’s suit wasn’t quite so skin tight, but at least there wasn’t any excessive detailing if you catch my drift. On the whole I feel her and Jen were done quite tastefully as far as comics go which I appreciate.

I really enjoyed the courtroom issue and the way it was presented. Super fun. I do just wish we’d seen some of Jen’s arguments, maybe something about the destruction they caused in saving the world being lesser than what would have been caused by the villains in their absence. We didn’t get to see Jen do anything much in court. I understand that the emphasis is on their downfall but at least a closing argument from her would’ve added to it and made her feel like less of a prop in that issue.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fantastic Four are back from their road trip. Then the top of the Baxter Building blows up, and lots of creatures start attacking people.

The idea of putting the Fantastic Four on trial is intriguing, and what they do to the FF is surprising. It feels like they are putting the group through the ringer so they can stop making the comic. It will be interesting to see how this run ends.

A good read.

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting idea and i liked the art. Robinson is a fine writer. This one fizzled a bit in its execution though. Still its an ok start.

[Julian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Picked this up from the library in my excitement for the new Fantastic Four movie. The characters seem to be done well-enough compared to their movie counterparts and what we've come to expect of them, but this also wasn't anything crazy. Sue is definitely a stand-out for me.

While the plot of this seems a little directionless and can read as boring to some, it was very easy to read and not very hard to understand. I checked out Vol.2 at the same time as this so I look forward to that. Knowing this run is a pretty short one overall, I'll probably end up reading the rest of it.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad start to the new volume of Fantastic Four, certainly a different approach to the past two creative teams, keeping the team grounded in New York and dealing with other kinds of problems instead of interdimensional ones for a change. The story is mostly done-in-one beats, until the extra-sized issue 5 which sets up the next big storyline, which is a good approach for new readers I think, and seems to be something that a lot of Marvel NOW! books are trying to do. I do like that James Robinson respects the previous continuity of the characters, but it does get a bit hamfisted, with characters basically saying 'Hey, remember when I did such and such?', which gets a bit grating after a while and makes the dialogue a little wooden. That said, I'm intrigued as to where the story is going, and I like that they're including all of the Future Foundation kids, as well as the substitute FF too. The artwork is excellent thanks to Leonard Kirk, who is always reliable, and the cavalcade of guest artists in issue 5 are a welcome sight too, even if they don't always fit the material they're drawing.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This entire volume is wobbly. The setup is good, with a future frame where the FF has fallen apart (yet again). But then the rest of the volume feels like a somewhat heavy-handed railroad to get there. Some of the stuff seems very sudden, and none of it flows well. The last issue is the worst. In fact, it's horrible. You couldn't get much more clichéd and unbelievable that a long-winded court trial dissecting everything the FF has ever done. If we'd seen a secret mind-manipulator behind the scenes, it would just have been boring. But without that, it's boring and there's no way it could happen in the Marvel universe.

Then you have entirely serious dialogue like: "No! Noooo ...The Fantasticar!" Seriously.

I, uh, like the red costumes?

This was running slightly above average (3.5) before that last issue, but that finale was just barely skimmable it was so bad, which dropped the rating down (2+).

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Robinson launches the Fantastic Four with an exciting new start. After the Fantastic Four return from space and time they are confronted with the consequences of the destruction and security risks they have inflicted upon the public. The four find themselves on trial for their past encounters and adventures. The Human torch loses his powers while the group confronts their enemies who are attacking constantly being led by a sinister force. I think this book is a pretty good start for the series. It is good to ground this team once in a while. I am looking forward to see what catastrophes await this team in a uncertain future.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Album zawiera materiały z: Fantastic Four 1-5 (2014).

Fantastyczna czwórka wróciła z wyprawy, która polegała na ratowaniu własnego życia. Można zatem wrócić do standardowego ratowania ludzkości. Na pierwszy rzut idzie słynna bestia Fin Fang Foom, a nie za długo coś wymknie się z bramy, jaką znajduje się w Baxter Building i zacznie rozrabiać na terenie Nowego Yorku.

Jednocześnie Robinson stara się rozwijać relacje bohaterów, więc widzimy Sue tęskniącą za Walerią, która okręca sobie wujcia Dr. Dooma wokół palca, aby ten czynił dobro. Ben wraca do starej miłość , a Johnny nadal imprezuje. Za stareńkie Mister Fantastic obok pocieszania żony znów ma sporo badań na głowie. A jednak coś się zmienia...

Najpierw Human Torch traci swoje moce, potem naszych bohaterów atakuje czwórka przestępców (na szczęście mogą liczyć na wsparcie), a na koniec czeka ich proces, gdzie adwokat ładnie i zgrabnie spunktuje każdego z członków Fantastyczne rodziny. Czy to doprowadzi do upadku wizerunkowego grupy? Czy może do jej rozpadu?

Dzieje się tu sporo, ale to nic czego bym nie oczekiwał od kolejne serii, która porządkuje status quo po wyczynach wcześniejszych pisarzy. Na dodatek album wygląda całkiem nieźle, naprawdę ładnie prezentując nam efekty zniszczę z czy walki. Postacie też są świetnie zarysowane.

Porządna dawka kolejnych przygód najsłynniejszej rodzinki Marvela, aczkolwiek zdecydowanie za mocno przewidywalna u miejscami za mocno przegadana, ale doceniam starsze wstawki, które wizualizują wcześniejsze przygody bohaterów.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

not bad. I've heard James robinson described as a continuity nut, and it showed here. most of this book was pretty by the numbers FF, fighting monsters etc. Johnny loses his powers, Sue is sad because Valeria left them to go stay with her godfather Dr. Doom (the small bits we get to see of that are great, Val getting him to do good things is a treat. I love their relationship). then the final issue is the doozy, with the FF on trial (seemingly for no specific incident, which is an annoying oversight). it's one big walk through the Fantastic Fours history, with a plethora of great guest artist drawing flashback panels. in the end theyre... found guilty? again, it's not a very logical story, but good emotionally, as all of the children in the Future Foundation (including their son) are taken from them in the end.
Now, I've read some great "take everything away from them" FF stories. Roberto aguirre-sacasa's Marvel Knights series that saw them lose their money and home, forced them to get regular jobs and live in a cheap apartment is one of my favorite comics of all time. So this series had better have a satisfying story to come out of this setup. so far I'm intrigued, looking forward to see it play out.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved James Robinson's Starman, but I have not really enjoyed anything he has written since. This volume of FF was probably the least interesting I have ever read. The story starts out with several major, but very short, battles that have the 'been there and done that' feel to them, which seems to be the whole point of the story when the FF gets sued by the city for property damages. Not the most exciting climax to a superhero comic book. And the She-Hulk is a much better lawyer in her own book than she is in this one.
Leonard Kirk's art was ok, but the faces were off. And I really did not care for the new red uniforms, especially the Invisibke Woman's version.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I missed that this had come out. I thought Matt Fraction's run was the last Fantastic Four before Marvel had its hissy fit.

Something explodes in the Baxter Building and creatures from another dimension wreak havok on New York. This time, New York is sick of it and a class action lawsuit is filed against the FF. But could someone be behind it all?

I enjoyed this overall. Of course, James Robinson is going to do a character-driven drama with nods to their history because, James Robinson. But he fails at writing Reed Richards' super-science. Leonard Kirk is a consistently good superhero artist.

[Mr. Stick · Rating 4 out of 5]

"HEY, YOU UGLY SO-'N'-SOS... GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS!"
- The Thing

The Fantastic Four accidentally let a hoard of monsters, from a pocket universe, loose in Manhattan which results in the Human Torch losing his powers and our heroic quartet finding themselves standing before a jury.

Usually, when a comic book character (or team) has a legal trial, it's ridiculous and I can't get through it fast enough. Not this one. This prosecutor wasn't a stupid douche, but almost sounded like a real human. And, it was ACTUALLY worth reading through the ENTIRE thing.

I'm not gonna elaborate on this because this one's worth adding to the bookshelf.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The signature scenes of FF fighting invading monsters and super-villains in the streets of Manhattan? I'm there. Of course the family dynamic was also always a signature part of the team, and the courtroom scenes (with legal representation by the She-Hulk, of course) worked just as well as the earlier action. Lastly, there is panel ending the second chapter / issue - the one with the single tear and speech bubble - that simply and perfectly captured the immense sadness of the character's situation.

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read FF in awhile, the set up was well done the dark forces were surrounding our heroes with some kind of hidden complex plan... then we come to the stupidest court scene I have ever seen. The FF has never saved anyone before? There was no one to stand up for them? There was no one in New York who knew their value? After the 1st issue the ruling: sure you saved us many times but we can not take it any more please leave. Not this dumb railroad court we had. She-Hulk the worse lawyer ever

[James Lawner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guess who’s back. Back again. The Fantastic Four is back and wearing red uniforms for some reason, tell a friend.


The first four issues were decent, but the fifth issue was by far the best when it had the F4 on trial (This is something I could see happen in Captain America: Civil War), and I especially liked how each flashback sequence had a different art-style and I think the Malice flashback even used the same panels from the original comic!

Overall, I like this new Fantastic Four so far, and I hope it doesn’t go sour like Matt Fraction’s run did.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another restart for Marvel's first family for no reason but I liked where Robinson and Kirk are taking this especially from where the last series ended. There was way too much exposition and there was a ton crammed into a small amount of space. That being said, I liked the plot and while Robinson's dialogue didn't have the same humor as Matt Fraction's that's okay based on who the team is. Leonard Kirk's work was very good. I really enjoyed the art during the courtroom scene. Overall, some good, some bad but a promising start.

[Néstor Vargas · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ve seen this happen to other heroes a few times, but it still works for the Fantastic Four. The family debacle is a great topic, and the actual hearing is really interesting to read, even though we feel the injustice of it all. Superhero comics are all about balance and agreements. They have powerful weapons and destroy the city every other day, but they also save lives. It’s all part of the fiction. But when this agreement is challenged, it can lead to some really cool stories. Oh, and I have to say, I really like Kirk’s art.

[Joy ;) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was aight. Not my favorite but it had some fun moments. I’m starting to understand why people say this is the ‘everything bad happens to the FF’ run. I eat it up, don’t get me wrong, but like MAN! Rip to the FF right now. They’re literally losing everything. Yeesh.
Also, I gotta say, reading this run after the Slott run is kinda wild. Wow my guys grow so much and now I get to see how it happens. Yay yippee ouch on their behalf tho

[Jdetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its unfair to judge these issues, as they're only part of a story. There's no end here and while I don't love where the story is going, without knowing its ending, its hard to say if its going to get better or not. I will say that Robinson seems to have a decent handle on the characters, although these issues are much more plot driven then character driven.

[Philip Athans · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an old Fantastic Four "purist" the more recent FF can be a bit hard for me to wrap my head around, which is why I appreciated this book. It sums up the FF's career in a novel way, and spoon-fed a bit of the 2014 version of the team to this crusty old timer.