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Fantastic Four (2018)
Fantastic Four, Vol. 10: Reckoning War, Part I
At last, the Reckoning War rocks the Marvel Universe! Eons ago, before the Kree, Skrull or Shi’ar Empires…before the emergence of Galactus…before the birth of Asgard…there was the First War. The greatest conflict to ever engulf the Multiverse. Today, it is reignited. This is the day of reckoning. And all that stands between the whole of reality and revenge from the dawn of time are the heroes of Earth…and the mind of Mister Fantastic! The most destructive force in the time-before-time is reawakening. And for the Multiverse to survive, all of the Watchers must break their most sacred oath! Dan Slott presents his cosmic saga fifteen years in the making — guest starring Thor, She-Hulk, the Silver Surfer, Jack of Hearts, Doctor Doom and more!
COLLECTING: Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha (2022) 1, Fantastic Four (2018) 40-42, Fantastic Four: Watcher (2022) 1
COLLECTING: Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha (2022) 1, Fantastic Four (2018) 40-42, Fantastic Four: Watcher (2022) 1
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2022
15 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Dan Slott
1,998 books453 followersDan Slott is an American comic book writer, the current writer on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, and is best known for his work on books such as Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, The Superior Spider-Man, and Ren & Stimpy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 21, 2024
Cosmic antagonists from before the the dawn of time arise and seek to wipe out the cosmos with attacks on Earth, Shi'Ar, Skrulls, Kree and more! They are the Reckoning. With the likes of She Hulk, Jack of Hearts, Silver Surfer, Moonknight, the Avengers, Champions, X-Men, Imperial Guard, Heralds and even more the Fantastic Four are truly up against it, oh and as a result Reed has only a few weeks to live! ON paper too much to cover in two volume, but Slott and Stott do a remarkable job in managing to convey the immensity of this story in so few pages! 8 out of 12, Fantastic Four stars!
2024 read
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November 15, 2022
What If…It’s a Wonderful Life starring Uatu?
Slott seems too determined to tie every last character used throughout this run back into the final event, plus heavily references his own She-Hulk run. It was a bit much for me.
Slott seems too determined to tie every last character used throughout this run back into the final event, plus heavily references his own She-Hulk run. It was a bit much for me.
July 30, 2022
I'm a sucker for a good continuity heavy story, and Reckoning War pulls not only from all of Dan Slott's Fantastic Four run but pretty much every book he's written for Marvel, from She-Hulk to Avengers: The Initiative, from Amazing Spider-Man to Silver Surfer. And despite having read most of those books, I still never felt like the story was ever going to be anything but a Fantastic Four story. The Four are intrinsic to pretty much everything that's going on here, and even when the other characters show up, they play their roles but don't try and hog the spotlight from the main cast.
If I have any complaints it's that the villains of the piece are a little faceless; the Reckoning have a good reason to be evil bastards, but they do feel a bit generic in terms of actual character. The Watchers meanwhile feel like they should be playing more of a villainous role in the proceedings. I'd also say that there's perhaps a little too much going on at times - it's not often I call for a story to be decompressed rather than the opposite, but I do feel like some additional issues wouldn't have hurt here.
Carlos Magno and Carlos Pacheco double team the opening one-shot, which is a bit of an odd pairing given the disparity in their styles, while the Watcher one-shot gets the incomparable Javier Rodriguez. On art for the main story is Rachael Stott, who's not a bad fit, but honestly, the art on Fantastic Four's always been the most inconsistent part of this run.
A great start, if a tad busy. Slott's clearly having fun paying off all these long-standing plot points, even if he could do with a few extra pages to do so.
If I have any complaints it's that the villains of the piece are a little faceless; the Reckoning have a good reason to be evil bastards, but they do feel a bit generic in terms of actual character. The Watchers meanwhile feel like they should be playing more of a villainous role in the proceedings. I'd also say that there's perhaps a little too much going on at times - it's not often I call for a story to be decompressed rather than the opposite, but I do feel like some additional issues wouldn't have hurt here.
Carlos Magno and Carlos Pacheco double team the opening one-shot, which is a bit of an odd pairing given the disparity in their styles, while the Watcher one-shot gets the incomparable Javier Rodriguez. On art for the main story is Rachael Stott, who's not a bad fit, but honestly, the art on Fantastic Four's always been the most inconsistent part of this run.
A great start, if a tad busy. Slott's clearly having fun paying off all these long-standing plot points, even if he could do with a few extra pages to do so.
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February 16, 2023After nearly 20 years of intermittent set-up across Slott's Marvel work, it's finally here. The good news is that unlike so many big denouements at the company, it does get to stay in its own series, borrowing other characters as needed, rather than sprawl into another unwieldy crossover. The bad...well, can anything live up to that much foreshadowing? We're all old and tired now, and used to the Marvel Universe being threatened with cosmic destruction on at least an annual basis. When Earth gets invaded by alien armies, the temptation is to sigh "Must be Tuesday" - though admittedly this is the first time I recall them thinking to kill the Moon*. Slott even incorporates that weary, wary reaction into the story:
"Clever. A quadrillion crises across as many galaxies. An endless string of "events" meant to overwhelm and fatigue us. And almost all of them are smokescreens."
Despite which, despite other familiar strands (Reed going all logic, no emotion), despite how wobbly this FF run has often been, for the most part it comes off. Yeah, more characterful art from fewer artists might have been nice**, but on the whole this almost, almost makes me believe in the huge universe-threatening brouhaha, even though I already know it'll all be sorted out by teatime. Now to see whether it sticks the landing...
*Though that has, of course, happened in Doctor Who, from which Slott has always borrowed freely. See also, in this volume, the origin of the Watchers' non-interference, which is basically a louder version of the same bit of Time Lord backstory.
**There is, admittedly, one issue of Javier Rodriguez, though after his stunning work on Defenders I was initially miffed he'd been lumbered with what felt like an interstitial What If?. Turned out the context, and the twist on that format, made it more than worthwhile.
"Clever. A quadrillion crises across as many galaxies. An endless string of "events" meant to overwhelm and fatigue us. And almost all of them are smokescreens."
Despite which, despite other familiar strands (Reed going all logic, no emotion), despite how wobbly this FF run has often been, for the most part it comes off. Yeah, more characterful art from fewer artists might have been nice**, but on the whole this almost, almost makes me believe in the huge universe-threatening brouhaha, even though I already know it'll all be sorted out by teatime. Now to see whether it sticks the landing...
*Though that has, of course, happened in Doctor Who, from which Slott has always borrowed freely. See also, in this volume, the origin of the Watchers' non-interference, which is basically a louder version of the same bit of Time Lord backstory.
**There is, admittedly, one issue of Javier Rodriguez, though after his stunning work on Defenders I was initially miffed he'd been lumbered with what felt like an interstitial What If?. Turned out the context, and the twist on that format, made it more than worthwhile.
April 23, 2023
The Reckoning War is here at last and its a big deal. Slott has crafted his epic space invasion that has pieces from his entire run plus stuff from his She-Hulk run. Its impressive. Things are paying off and I hope it continues. I really enjoyed how this felt epic in scale while still focused on the FF. I thought Sue felt left out and I wish the antagonists weren't green aliens as their are already too many green characters. The art, mostly by Rachel Stott, was really good, especially the battle between friends. Overall, a very good read that is leading towards a great finale (hopefully).
January 29, 2023
A continuity-heavy epic that has more exclamation marks than you’ve had hot dinners. Dan Slott is really channeling some old school FF here, for better and/or worse, with giant scope and some nice character moments, particularly for the Thing.
I liked it overall, and thought the art and colours were great, but I can’t deny that this didn’t 100% land on me because of how zany it all is. Hopefully part 2 will bring it home in style. 3.5 stars.
I liked it overall, and thought the art and colours were great, but I can’t deny that this didn’t 100% land on me because of how zany it all is. Hopefully part 2 will bring it home in style. 3.5 stars.
August 26, 2022
3.5
Not living up to the hype. It's just...ok.
Not living up to the hype. It's just...ok.
February 24, 2023
I've been with Dan Slott's Fantastic Four series ten volumes now, so I know what to expect: head-spinning cosmic nonsense, numerous callbacks, fast pacing, and pleasant characterizations. It's a well-oiled machine, and if you're onboard, Reckoning War: Part I won't throw you off.
"This is what it's all been building up to!" the cover screams. It has? I mean, some of Dan Slott's works seeded the idea of ancient weapons being peddled to warring tribes, but I'd hardly call that "building up." Nevertheless, the big one is here, the war to end all wars: The First War. Or rather, The First War Part II. The Watchers technology was long-ago used to destroy the majority of the universe and now the survivors of that original universe are here to make the Watchers (and everyone else) pay.
It's a decent setup for some huge, cosmic action. I appreciate an event series that's self-contained - I don't have to go read Spider-Man and She-Hulk and numerous other books to understand what's going on here (even though those characters all play a role). The FF and their close companions are on a fast-paced interstellar journey to stop the Reckoners from destroying everything. It's not super clear how they'll save the day, aside from gaining some type of Ultimate Weapon, which seems to be the solution to most of these problems.
There are a lot of moving parts in Reckoning War: Part I, maybe too many. I mean, Doctor Doom shows up for maybe two scenes, but it's also clear that he'll have a big role in Part II! Even if it doesn't all make sense, there's plenty of heart (the scenes between Ben and Reed on Shi'ar especially) and plenty of excitement, so I'm fully on board. Bring on the finale.
"This is what it's all been building up to!" the cover screams. It has? I mean, some of Dan Slott's works seeded the idea of ancient weapons being peddled to warring tribes, but I'd hardly call that "building up." Nevertheless, the big one is here, the war to end all wars: The First War. Or rather, The First War Part II. The Watchers technology was long-ago used to destroy the majority of the universe and now the survivors of that original universe are here to make the Watchers (and everyone else) pay.
It's a decent setup for some huge, cosmic action. I appreciate an event series that's self-contained - I don't have to go read Spider-Man and She-Hulk and numerous other books to understand what's going on here (even though those characters all play a role). The FF and their close companions are on a fast-paced interstellar journey to stop the Reckoners from destroying everything. It's not super clear how they'll save the day, aside from gaining some type of Ultimate Weapon, which seems to be the solution to most of these problems.
There are a lot of moving parts in Reckoning War: Part I, maybe too many. I mean, Doctor Doom shows up for maybe two scenes, but it's also clear that he'll have a big role in Part II! Even if it doesn't all make sense, there's plenty of heart (the scenes between Ben and Reed on Shi'ar especially) and plenty of excitement, so I'm fully on board. Bring on the finale.
December 23, 2022
There's a lot going on here, maybe too much? The Reckoning are kind of a faceless threat, a bit too generic, especially since I don't think I've (we've?) ever seen them before. Yet another grand, universe-spanning war that threatens all of reality? Where have I seen that before? The art isn't bad, but this just didn't quite pay off the way it should.
January 10, 2023
I thought Slott's run was really losing steam, but it picks up quickly with this volume. It brings together plenty of plot points from throughout his era (as well as, I think, some Hickman stuff), and it integrates some of his work with She-Hulk, too (though you wouldn't need to have read it).
It feels like a big event comic, but without the self-importance -- it's still a FF story, just one with a major scope. I don't know if it will have line-wide ramifications, but it feels less like Marvel needed to have an event and more like a really compelling end to a long-running story.
Hopefully the second half can maintain this quality...
[As an aside, I thought The Watcher extra was a little dull.]
It feels like a big event comic, but without the self-importance -- it's still a FF story, just one with a major scope. I don't know if it will have line-wide ramifications, but it feels less like Marvel needed to have an event and more like a really compelling end to a long-running story.
Hopefully the second half can maintain this quality...
[As an aside, I thought The Watcher extra was a little dull.]
April 19, 2023
Fairly enjoyable, but felt like it was stretched out. The one issue where Uatu is forced to revisit the FF's first meeting with Galactus felt like filler to me.
January 29, 2023
I believe this finally contains the last two Fantastic Four one-shots from Slott's run. That was always one of my pet peeves of this run, all of the ancillary stuff that just wasn't part of the main book. It infuriates me and makes reading order so difficult for people. And you wonder why it's so hard to bring in new comic book readers?
I also have to wonder why Marvel thought this needed two volumes when it could have easily have been one especially when it's only 7 issues plus 2 one-shots. (The last 2 issues of this run, #47-48, are by David Pepose and collected in the A.X.E. Judgment Day Companion collection instead.)
There's a lot going on in this. It's about an ancient race returning who were the first big bads in our universe, the Reckoners. They are giving their weapons to all of the violent races in our universe causing the Badoon to attack Earth. Slott does try and get a little too big trying to make this a culmination of not only this run but his run on She-Hulk from 15 years ago (although I did like the She-Hulk tie in. Newer readers may struggle some with it, or they can always just go back and read it). The Watcher and the Unseen play a large part in this. The FF other than Sue do get moments to shine and Sue's moment will probably be in the 2nd half of this story.
I also have to wonder why Marvel thought this needed two volumes when it could have easily have been one especially when it's only 7 issues plus 2 one-shots. (The last 2 issues of this run, #47-48, are by David Pepose and collected in the A.X.E. Judgment Day Companion collection instead.)
There's a lot going on in this. It's about an ancient race returning who were the first big bads in our universe, the Reckoners. They are giving their weapons to all of the violent races in our universe causing the Badoon to attack Earth. Slott does try and get a little too big trying to make this a culmination of not only this run but his run on She-Hulk from 15 years ago (although I did like the She-Hulk tie in. Newer readers may struggle some with it, or they can always just go back and read it). The Watcher and the Unseen play a large part in this. The FF other than Sue do get moments to shine and Sue's moment will probably be in the 2nd half of this story.
September 13, 2022
When you have a comic that says "Part 1" and "War" in the title, you know that the story contained within should be epic and all-encompassing. This absolutely is.
Way back in the Marvel Universe.... pre-Galactus, pre-Kree, Skrull, and Shi'Ar Empires, even pre-Asgard.... there was a war. The First War. Taking place between the Luminous and the Prosilicans. At that time, the Luminous were spreading their advance technology across the universe, trying to unite people and spread peace and harmony. The Prosilicans took the tech and made war. After the Luminous defeated them, they swore their tech would never again make war, and they took a vow of non-interference in the universe, becoming the Watchers.
The Prosilicans are back, and distributing tech all over, gaining allies of the Badoon and the Annihilation Wave, and obviously they are targeting Earth.
Other highlights:
- Reed Richards gains the knowledge of the Watchers, and shaves off his beard.
- The Avengers and the X-Men join in, as well as the Guardians, Starjammers, and Unparalleled.
- All the previous Heralds of Galactus join together to bring him back to life, but this time using the body of the Asgardian Destroyer! Using the Ultimate Nullifier, Silver Surfer leads Galactus straight for the heart of the Reckoning (new name for the Prosilicans).
While the full on battle will continue in the next Volume, there was an add-on story that was amazing. Uatu, having been arrested for trying to get the Watchers to break their vow, is forced to watch a WHAT IF unfold.... What if Uatu had not broke his vow to give the heroes time to prepare for Galactus' first arrival? So cool and also crazy....
Really looking forward to part 2. Hope something very damaging happens (not because I want it to, but because nothing lasting ever does...)
This is a good one. Recommend.
Way back in the Marvel Universe.... pre-Galactus, pre-Kree, Skrull, and Shi'Ar Empires, even pre-Asgard.... there was a war. The First War. Taking place between the Luminous and the Prosilicans. At that time, the Luminous were spreading their advance technology across the universe, trying to unite people and spread peace and harmony. The Prosilicans took the tech and made war. After the Luminous defeated them, they swore their tech would never again make war, and they took a vow of non-interference in the universe, becoming the Watchers.
The Prosilicans are back, and distributing tech all over, gaining allies of the Badoon and the Annihilation Wave, and obviously they are targeting Earth.
Other highlights:
- Reed Richards gains the knowledge of the Watchers, and shaves off his beard.
- The Avengers and the X-Men join in, as well as the Guardians, Starjammers, and Unparalleled.
- All the previous Heralds of Galactus join together to bring him back to life, but this time using the body of the Asgardian Destroyer! Using the Ultimate Nullifier, Silver Surfer leads Galactus straight for the heart of the Reckoning (new name for the Prosilicans).
While the full on battle will continue in the next Volume, there was an add-on story that was amazing. Uatu, having been arrested for trying to get the Watchers to break their vow, is forced to watch a WHAT IF unfold.... What if Uatu had not broke his vow to give the heroes time to prepare for Galactus' first arrival? So cool and also crazy....
Really looking forward to part 2. Hope something very damaging happens (not because I want it to, but because nothing lasting ever does...)
This is a good one. Recommend.
September 11, 2022
Eh, this feels like a fabricated premise in order to move certain pieces in the Marvel Universe to a different place. IIRC, Slott has modified some of the preexisting canon for the Watchers (something which I'm not fond of) to create an excuse for this alien race to wage war on everyone and it's a very flimsy excuse, which after Part 1 still isn't clear.
Like much of Slott's writing, there is a lot going on, some of which there isn't really any explanation for (although at least they've gone back to referencing specific issue to get the info). In particular I'm talking about She-Hulk's tie in to all of this. Also, Reed makes some decisions in regards to Ben which were really out of character and makes you wonder how they could ever continue to be friends. I don't think that's drama, I think Slott is purposely writing shocking events in order to create hooks for readers, instead of writing personal drama that results in a conflict. In short, much of this doesn't feel organic; it feels rushed to get the plot to a certain point and establish a new status quo. Knowing that Slott is leaving the book, this may be an effort to wrap everything up.
Like much of Slott's writing, there is a lot going on, some of which there isn't really any explanation for (although at least they've gone back to referencing specific issue to get the info). In particular I'm talking about She-Hulk's tie in to all of this. Also, Reed makes some decisions in regards to Ben which were really out of character and makes you wonder how they could ever continue to be friends. I don't think that's drama, I think Slott is purposely writing shocking events in order to create hooks for readers, instead of writing personal drama that results in a conflict. In short, much of this doesn't feel organic; it feels rushed to get the plot to a certain point and establish a new status quo. Knowing that Slott is leaving the book, this may be an effort to wrap everything up.
June 2, 2019
The Fantastic Four have been dragged into the War of the Realms! It makes sense, really. I don't see how any hero based on earth could miss it, at this point. Bonus points for the Lunella cameo, love her.
Actually, there was quite a lot covered in this issue. It's a bit hard to believe, because it didn't feel at all rushed.
Actually, there was quite a lot covered in this issue. It's a bit hard to believe, because it didn't feel at all rushed.
May 24, 2023
This was a pretty good read but man so much text in one page, but still its good how it balances the epic nature of the story and weaves into the fabric of the marvel continuity in such a great manner!
We are introduced to the Prosilicans aka the Reckoning, the first race who the watcher shared their technology with but due to their war like nature and all hid them from the universe and now they're back and arming the rest of the universe with their watcher given tech and how will the universe and cosmos be saved? Enter the FF and its epic and I like how Slott focused on the FF here and also brings elements from his She-hulk run and so a good pay-off there!
There are so many shocking moments and explanations and add a lot to the Marvel cosmic tapestry and this story could have been an event but its contained in this book maybe for the better and you see how the FF deal with it, the return of Fury, how the knowledge he shares changes Reed and their individual missions and the coming of Rapture and the visions they got in one of the previous volume being revisited here and so thats a fun pay-off again and shows Slott's planning here and for many people thats great!
The fight between Reed and Ben was emotional and it actually puts an interesting status quo and challenge for the team as the cosmos is in Ruins and also some fun stuff with "what if the watcher had never interfered with the first Galactus invasion" and its a big story with interesting twists, some people may not like it but oh well its a what-if but I feel like there are more twists planned here.
Its one of those volumes which has big ramifications for the marvel universe at large and does something crazy from the very first go and then by the end will add a lot to it and so check it out because of that! The art is great and it reads well because of it!
We are introduced to the Prosilicans aka the Reckoning, the first race who the watcher shared their technology with but due to their war like nature and all hid them from the universe and now they're back and arming the rest of the universe with their watcher given tech and how will the universe and cosmos be saved? Enter the FF and its epic and I like how Slott focused on the FF here and also brings elements from his She-hulk run and so a good pay-off there!
There are so many shocking moments and explanations and add a lot to the Marvel cosmic tapestry and this story could have been an event but its contained in this book maybe for the better and you see how the FF deal with it, the return of Fury, how the knowledge he shares changes Reed and their individual missions and the coming of Rapture and the visions they got in one of the previous volume being revisited here and so thats a fun pay-off again and shows Slott's planning here and for many people thats great!
The fight between Reed and Ben was emotional and it actually puts an interesting status quo and challenge for the team as the cosmos is in Ruins and also some fun stuff with "what if the watcher had never interfered with the first Galactus invasion" and its a big story with interesting twists, some people may not like it but oh well its a what-if but I feel like there are more twists planned here.
Its one of those volumes which has big ramifications for the marvel universe at large and does something crazy from the very first go and then by the end will add a lot to it and so check it out because of that! The art is great and it reads well because of it!
August 22, 2022
It's the first half of the 'Reckoning War' and this is all setup for (hopefully) a great pay off on the back end.
Uatu is back. Did you miss that? The Watcher is back to watching. He has his own herald now. Guess who that is. It's the never dying, always trying, maybe he's lying...Nick Fury (still rocking that eyepatch too)
As usual, Uatu knows something he probably shouldn't and certain people do extreme things to try and silence the guy. He calls on the Monitors..oops...(wrong company) to gather so he can get them to rally. Meanwhile, She-Hulk remembers that her continuity is tied directly into the Reckoning War and linked to the TVA (You remember those guys, right? Featured heavily in the 'Loki' tv show). Ominous mumbo jumbo and Reed is (once again) so smart it's gonna kill him.
The FF goes on the offensive and tries to stem the tide of universal war as EVERY militant faction has been given 'God Level' weapons and set loose on the universe.
Bonus: Johnny Storm is now your lucky star....(please don't use that as a new codename)
Bonus Bonus: As always, somebody is gonna die (and get brought back 2 years from now)
Bonus ^3: Who decided that Galactus has to be used again...AND the Destroyer from Asgard? Frack!
Uatu is back. Did you miss that? The Watcher is back to watching. He has his own herald now. Guess who that is. It's the never dying, always trying, maybe he's lying...Nick Fury (still rocking that eyepatch too)
As usual, Uatu knows something he probably shouldn't and certain people do extreme things to try and silence the guy. He calls on the Monitors..oops...(wrong company) to gather so he can get them to rally. Meanwhile, She-Hulk remembers that her continuity is tied directly into the Reckoning War and linked to the TVA (You remember those guys, right? Featured heavily in the 'Loki' tv show). Ominous mumbo jumbo and Reed is (once again) so smart it's gonna kill him.
The FF goes on the offensive and tries to stem the tide of universal war as EVERY militant faction has been given 'God Level' weapons and set loose on the universe.
Bonus: Johnny Storm is now your lucky star....(please don't use that as a new codename)
Bonus Bonus: As always, somebody is gonna die (and get brought back 2 years from now)
Bonus ^3: Who decided that Galactus has to be used again...AND the Destroyer from Asgard? Frack!
April 27, 2025
(2.75) Am I petty enough to scalp this a full star for making my beloved Reed Richards shave his beautiful beard mid-issue? Yes, yes I am!
That aside, this was a very interesting start to this (final) Slott run arc. The Reckoning War is a jam-packed arc interwoven with previous Slott writings (especially She-Hulk) and obvious Doctor Who plot lines. It’s fun, but any time someone makes Reed Richards act heartless, they’re going to get a side-eye from me.
The second one-shot was blessed to have Javier Rodriguez as an artist in a bizarre “What If?” where the FF solved all the world’s problems with one impulsively-created ray gun…fun, but not really probable within the confines of the Marvel universe (guess that’s the whole point of the What If? universes, but it has to be at least a LITTLE believable to work for me).
That aside, this was a very interesting start to this (final) Slott run arc. The Reckoning War is a jam-packed arc interwoven with previous Slott writings (especially She-Hulk) and obvious Doctor Who plot lines. It’s fun, but any time someone makes Reed Richards act heartless, they’re going to get a side-eye from me.
The second one-shot was blessed to have Javier Rodriguez as an artist in a bizarre “What If?” where the FF solved all the world’s problems with one impulsively-created ray gun…fun, but not really probable within the confines of the Marvel universe (guess that’s the whole point of the What If? universes, but it has to be at least a LITTLE believable to work for me).
October 25, 2022
I picked this up without reading the previous 9 volumes. No trouble following the story, although I am well aware of the 'long' origin stories of the main characters.
I am growing to realise that I really like the Fantastic Four as I get older, fouind them a tad boring when I was younger. Mr. Fantastic and the Thing in particular, although no problems with Invisible Woman or the Human Torch. This volume also includes prominent roles for other characters I like - She-Hulk, Silver Surfer and Jack of Hearts (one of my all time faves, need more of him).
This is a story about why the Watchers watch, with plenty of battle scenes.
Carlos Pacheco drew the first part, always had a soft spot for his art.
I am growing to realise that I really like the Fantastic Four as I get older, fouind them a tad boring when I was younger. Mr. Fantastic and the Thing in particular, although no problems with Invisible Woman or the Human Torch. This volume also includes prominent roles for other characters I like - She-Hulk, Silver Surfer and Jack of Hearts (one of my all time faves, need more of him).
This is a story about why the Watchers watch, with plenty of battle scenes.
Carlos Pacheco drew the first part, always had a soft spot for his art.
March 13, 2024
7/10:
This is a really solid start to an event that Dan Slott has seemingly been building up to for almost 20 years of writing for Marvel Comics, however there’s one key component that’s awful.
Reed Richards. Mister Fantastic himself. Leader of the Fantastic Four. Sure, he gains the knowledge of the Watchers (including when he will die), but to turn so callous and be so inhumane to those around him? It just doesn’t feel right. To turn Reed into this guy who thinks “the sacrifices don’t matter, it’s the outcome” just feels so opposite of everything Reed has ever stood for.
I’m genuinely really excited to see how The Reckoning War plays out and how this will end this run of the Fantastic Four!
This is a really solid start to an event that Dan Slott has seemingly been building up to for almost 20 years of writing for Marvel Comics, however there’s one key component that’s awful.
Reed Richards. Mister Fantastic himself. Leader of the Fantastic Four. Sure, he gains the knowledge of the Watchers (including when he will die), but to turn so callous and be so inhumane to those around him? It just doesn’t feel right. To turn Reed into this guy who thinks “the sacrifices don’t matter, it’s the outcome” just feels so opposite of everything Reed has ever stood for.
I’m genuinely really excited to see how The Reckoning War plays out and how this will end this run of the Fantastic Four!
February 24, 2025
A decent start to Slott's final arc
My biggest problem here is that there’s nothing new. Sure, it’s got its own individual moments here and there, along with some good payoff to stuff that was set up earlier in the run, but it’s still a story that’s been told before with the FF before.
I will say that I like the concept of making 616 Reed behave closer to The Maker in terms of his character but showing how he deviates from him because of all the things this Reed has.
Art is also super solid across the board, I especially love the art in the Trial of the Watcher, it evokes a lot of Jack Kirby's style and it’s fitting.
Overall, yeah, a fun enough start to the end of Slott's time on the book.
My biggest problem here is that there’s nothing new. Sure, it’s got its own individual moments here and there, along with some good payoff to stuff that was set up earlier in the run, but it’s still a story that’s been told before with the FF before.
I will say that I like the concept of making 616 Reed behave closer to The Maker in terms of his character but showing how he deviates from him because of all the things this Reed has.
Art is also super solid across the board, I especially love the art in the Trial of the Watcher, it evokes a lot of Jack Kirby's style and it’s fitting.
Overall, yeah, a fun enough start to the end of Slott's time on the book.
January 5, 2023
Big event time! I wasn't quite sure what we were getting into and a big war involving the Watchers somehow definitely wasn't it. Slott wasn't pulling any punches in how he crafted this (including what I guess are references to his She-Hulk run, which I haven't read yet).
This really feels like a story that could lead to the end of the team - at least in terms of the scale of the stakes involved. But that's where the Fantastic Four do best. Things are a bit Reed-dominant in this book thus far, but I do love how Johnny has grown and had a great moment of his own.
But the real question is...what is Doom up to? Because we know that Slott is going to have some fun there.
This really feels like a story that could lead to the end of the team - at least in terms of the scale of the stakes involved. But that's where the Fantastic Four do best. Things are a bit Reed-dominant in this book thus far, but I do love how Johnny has grown and had a great moment of his own.
But the real question is...what is Doom up to? Because we know that Slott is going to have some fun there.
February 23, 2024
Collects Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha (2022) #1, Fantastic Four (2018) issues #40-42, and Fantastic Four: Trial of the Watcher (2022) #1
Dan Slott has had the idea for the Reckoning War going all the way back to his 2005 "She-Hulk" run. For me, Part #1 didn't disappoint. Even though I am a giant fan of Slott's "Amazing Spider-Man" and "Silver Surfer" runs, I have been so-so on his "Fantastic Four" work. I believe that this collection is my favorite of his series so far. I particularly enjoyed "The Trial of the Watcher" issue.
Final rating = 4.5 stars
SIDENOTE:
Ben Reilly as Spider-Man has a brief cameo in this collection.
Dan Slott has had the idea for the Reckoning War going all the way back to his 2005 "She-Hulk" run. For me, Part #1 didn't disappoint. Even though I am a giant fan of Slott's "Amazing Spider-Man" and "Silver Surfer" runs, I have been so-so on his "Fantastic Four" work. I believe that this collection is my favorite of his series so far. I particularly enjoyed "The Trial of the Watcher" issue.
Final rating = 4.5 stars
SIDENOTE:
Ben Reilly as Spider-Man has a brief cameo in this collection.
September 22, 2023
There are a few fun nuggets here as Slott brings it all to a close with a massive galactic war. I don't hate The Reckoning. I get their motivation. They ain't wrong. The Watchers play GOTG i.e. Green Lanterns. Should they or shouldn't they? No need for She Hulk to be so prominent, especially in her terrible Jack of Hearts era. That couple makes no sense... I did like seeing The Thing kick Reed's ass and glad he shaved off that terrible beard. But where now?
August 12, 2022
I've never been the biggest fan of FF. They just didn't seem as cool as Spidey or the X-Men or the Avengers. Dan Slott has turned that around for me. Perhaps it took 60 years of populating the universe with aliens and Watchers and baddies, but this Reckoning War has pulled on a bunch of threads that are incredibly satisfying as a heroic story.
January 8, 2026
Absolute insanity at every turn. It had its moments but the writing was just fantastic (hehe) throughout
But wowza that was wild
7/10 I love comics but sometimes they’ll hit ya with a totally random one-shot in the middle of the action. Like, babe, the universe is ending, I really don’t care about “What if the Watcher just watched” please, my faves could be dying right now
But wowza that was wild
7/10 I love comics but sometimes they’ll hit ya with a totally random one-shot in the middle of the action. Like, babe, the universe is ending, I really don’t care about “What if the Watcher just watched” please, my faves could be dying right now
October 10, 2022
3.5
I never read Slott’s She-Hulk run so the tie ins aren’t informing me…from 15 years ago.
I want to see and no more about Asgard.
It’s tieing up well and I can tell he loves this property. But the run is just my taste.
I never read Slott’s She-Hulk run so the tie ins aren’t informing me…from 15 years ago.
I want to see and no more about Asgard.
It’s tieing up well and I can tell he loves this property. But the run is just my taste.
July 23, 2022
En su etapa final le pone vértigo Slott, veamos cómo concluye...
September 27, 2022
Loving this! Can't wait for Part 2!
October 21, 2022
A very exciting multiverse story full of tension & surprises. Favourite scenes: Reed & Ben brutal fight, Johnny flaming to rescue on Spyre & the ‘What If’ reveal for Watcher Uatu.
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