I haven't enjoyed Fantastic Four this much... maybe ever. They've never been one of my favorite superteams, but Millar and Hitch are seeing to it that they're becoming one of the coolest. Read Full Review

That's all there really is to hold against Fantastic Four #554 anyway. A lot of little things keep it from reaching Ultimates or early-Civil War level. I'm still incredibly excited about the next 15 issues, and you should be too. Read Full Review

Millar promised us a science fiction story with high adventure and this issue lays down the foundation for that. I'm not convinced by some of the characterizations presented in this book (Johnny Storm), but all in all, the concept and plot is exactly what a modern Fantastic Four book should be. We all know what to expect from Bryan Hitch when he draws and he doesn't let us down. His art is nothing short of breathtaking. Read Full Review

There is some promise here. We've got a return to the epic science fiction concepts that are the bread-and-butter of the title, and we've got an artist who excels at the kind of visuals that accompany those ideas; on the other hand, we've got some clumsy writing and unsuccessful shortcuts in the art. None of these problems ruin the comic, and it's still quite competent, but I can't help but feel that "competent" is just not good enough from this creative team; Millar and Hitch are better than this, and I hope that future issues are more representative of their abilities. Read Full Review

All in all, it seems like Marvel would have wanted to start this off with more of a bang. As it is, there's hardly anything that would make me want to check back next month, beyond just the hope that eventually something interesting would happen. And after being burned by the JMS run, I don't think I'm willing to drop my cash on this. Read Full Review

Maybe it's the weight of expectation that has led me to feel a little disappointed by this issue, or maybe it's just that I expected a different kind of book from Millar and Hitch. The more character-based approach of this first issue isn't without its merits, as it allows Millar to showcase the day-to-day realities of the FF as a family unit (including his setting up of a potential love rival for Reed), enables him to include some fun scenes which are more grounded in reality than followers of the book might be used to (such as the dull speech given by an oblivious Reed to a group of schoolchildren), and gives him the space to kick off some potentially interesting subplots (including Sue's involvement in a charity support group for victims of "Superhuman Incidents"). However, it just doesn't convey the excitement and wonder that is one of the defining characteristics of the FF, and if I wasn't such a fan of the creators' previous work, I'm not sure that I'd be convinced to stick aro Read Full Review