Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Writer Matt Fraction just kicked things off with a new #1, and now here’s an altogether different #1 for companion series FF.

Gimmie a gimmick: Those little “AR” symbols started showing up all over Marvel comics during this time, including this issue. The idea was that you could scan these things with your phone or iPad to unlock extras connected to that page. I could never get them to work.

Recap: Reed learned he’s powers are failing, and this will eventually kill him. To seek a cure, he’s outfitted Johnny’s new battleship into a space-time machine for a one-year tour of a multiverse for him and his family. They’ll only be gone for only four minutes in real world time, but plans are under way to find a replacement Fantastic Four for just those few minutes.

We begin with Valeria and Franklin explaining who the Future Foundation is, saying they’re the next generation of the Fantastic Four and that they are here to solve unsolvable problems. We see this is a video they’re making for Scott Lang, a.k.a. Ant-Man. You’ll remember he was once a member of the Fantastic Four during the Tom DeFalco years when everyone thought Reed was dead. Scott is in his lab working on a “coil” to help him navigate while small, as an alternative to riding around on a flying ant. Reed says he’s there not just to help, but also to give Scott a job offer – leader of the FF for four minutes.

Bentley-23 and Dragon Man get the next interview segment. Bentley expresses his desire to become a supervillain someday while Dragon Man patiently keeps him in check. Sue visits Attilan, the Inhumans’ city, which is still floating in the air over NYC. She meets with Medusa, and they have a chat about juggling their relationships with their responsibilities. Then Sue brings up the job offer.

The four Moloids – Mik, Tong, Korr, and Turg – get the next interview segment. They praise Ben for rescuing them from underground, and for showing them so many scientific wonders. This leads to Ben and She-Hulk working out in the gym. She says she’s been itching for some action lately, and he gives her the job offer, saying “When does anything go the way we plan it?”

Another interview segment, where Wakandan teen genius Onome says she’s the new girl on the Foundation, and she doesn’t know what to make of the Atlanteans Wu and Wil, who sit motionless in the same room as her. But wait, we’re not calling them Atlanteans now. They are Uhari, in reference to ancient civilization of offshoot Atlantis the FF recently discovered. Then we catch up with Johnny and his new girlfriend Darla Deering. They’re in bed together (wa-hey!) when he wakes from a nightmare. He knows he has to remember to ask her something, but he doesn’t remember what.

The next interview is Alex Power, alongside Artie and Leech. Alex muses about being a child superhero, saying it gave him perspective of how so-called ordinary kids don’t know how awful the world can be. Medusa and She-Hulk both agree to the job offer. Darla just jumps up and down on Johnny’s bed, and Scott says no. He doesn’t want anything to do with the Future Foundation kids. See, Scott recently lost his daughter Cassie, a.k.a. Stature of the Young Avengers. Reed says Scott is needed for the Future Foundation because he’s a father. Inside Reed’s lab, Scott catches a glimpse of one screen and deduces that someone is very sick. Reed reveals the truth about his sickness and the real purpose of the space-time voyage. Reed insists that the Future Foundation children will be good for Scott, and he’ll be good for them, no matter how long it lasts.

Scott addresses the Future Foundation, asking them what the future means to them. He asks them to teach him about the foundation, setting up the interview segments seen throughout this issue.

To be continued.

Unstable molecule: Reed still has his arm in the metal cast from the previous Fantastic Four #1. Ant-Man comments on microscopic images on Reed’s screens, but not on the cast.

Fade out: Sue addresses Medusa as “Your highness,” but then Medusa calls Sue “Your highness” as well. This refers to Sue’s status among the Uhari, which apparently is still an ongoing concern.

Clobberin’ time: In the gym, Ben keeps accidentally breaking water bottles before he can drink. We’ve seen his fingers can be gentle when he wants them to be, so he must be frazzled about the upcoming journey through space-time.

Flame on: What is this plain, featureless room that Johnny and Darla are in? Is it a hotel room, or does one of them live weirdly sparse?

Fantastic fifth wheel: The Marvel Wiki conveniently uses this issue to point when these former alternate members were part of the team. Medusa was a member in issues #132-159, She-Hulk in issues #265-300, and Ant-Man from #384-408.

Darla is not yet an official member of the team yet, but the cover reveals just what role she will play in this new Fantastic Four.

Crystal is on hand aboard Attilan to give Sue a formal welcome.

Four and a half: Starting with this issue, Franklin is listed an official member of the Future Foundation, where previous issues suggested he wasn’t.

Our gal Val: Valeria talks about the seriousness of the Future Foundation while Franklin makes funny faces at her. She doesn’t let it get to her.

Foundational: Dr. Doom is no longer listed as an official member of the Future Foundation, understandably. While I’m at it, Spider-Man isn’t in the story or on the recap pages, so I guess he’s now out of FF as well.

Trivia time: How did Cassie Lang die? It was in the Children’s Crusade crossover event, where Dr. Doom attempted to steal Scarlet Witch’s powers, and Cassie sacrificed herself to stop him. This would seem to contradict Doom’s recent struggles in Fantastic Four, but Doom goes get around, doesn’t he? Case in point, Doom is the one who will later bring Cassie back to life during an Axis-style story in Avengers World, when the morals of characters get switched around.

The four Universal Inhumans from Jonathan Hickman’s run appear in the Attilan throne room, so that’s another thing Hickman introduced that is continuing.

Fantastic or frightful? We’re now two #1 issues into this storyline, and we’re only in the middle of the setup. That’s how much patience Marvel and Matt Fraction have in this story. Reed hiding his illness from his family still strikes me the wrong way, as it goes against all his character development over the years. But this is nonetheless an exciting time for these two series, as Marvel is saying in a big way that Fantastic Four is fun again.

Next: Countdown.

* * * *

Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.