Fantastic Four by Waid & Wieringo Omnibus

Fantastic Four by Mark Waid #1-6

by Mark Waid

One of the most beloved runs on the Fantastic Four, collected in its entirety!

Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo deliver some of the most daring and humorous adventures the Fantastic Four have ever seen! Giant bugs! Living equations! Johnny Storm, C.E.O.! Exploding unstable molecules! The secret behind the Yancy Street Gang! And Doctor Doom’s plans are truly unthinkable! Victor will push the FF beyond their limits — and when his actions lead to the death of one of their own, they’ll storm the gates of Heaven to save their beloved teammate! Spider-Man and the Human Torch take on Hydro-Man! But with the Fantastic Four’s reputation in tatters, is associating with a misunderstood wall-crawler really wise? And when Manhattan finds itself surrounded by a fleet of miles-high alien spacecraft, it’s time for the Fantastic Four to do what they do best!

FANTASTIC FOUR (1998) #60-70, #500-524 and #500 DIRECTOR’S CUT

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

896 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2005

About the author

Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being bombarded with cosmic rays, scientist Reed Richards, girlfriend Sue Storm, pilot Ben Grimm, and teenage hothead Johnny Storm acquired superpowers and became... The Fantastic Four!

I'm a Fantastic Four fan from way back and Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo's FF run has been touted as the best since John Byrne's. So why haven't I gone all in on it before? For one thing, I find Mike Wieringo's bigfooted artwork too cartoony for the Fantastic Four. For another, Mark Waid is very hit or miss for me. I actually read a couple issues from this run when it was on the newsstand and wasn't super impressed with Waid's portrayal of Johnny Storm. When I found this big honkin' tome for $40, it was time to take the plunge.

Waid, Wieringo, and the rest of the team take the Fantastic Four on a wide variety of adventures. In addition to bugs from the Leviaverse and Modulus, a computer intelligence in love with Reed Richards, the FF go up against old favorites like Doctor Doom, the Frightful Four, and Galactus.

Right out of the gate, I was impressed with Mark Waid's take on the Fantastic Four. He quickly establishes the who/what/when/why of the group for new readers and dives into the action. While there is some decompression, there's not as much as today and not everything was in convenient 4-6 issue arc. Wieringo's art grew on me as well, even though the huge feet still irked me.

My main gripe with John Byrne's Fantastic Four run is that he didn't break a lot of new ground and it felt like a cover of Lee and Kirby's Greatest Hits. While Waid revisited some old favorites, I thought he put enough of his own spin on them to make them feel fairly new, kind of like Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt. There were enough twists, like Doctor Doom turning to magic to beat Reed, to The Wizard having a daughter, to Galactus becoming human, to distance these stories from a lot of lackluster Fantastic Four runs in the past.

There were some very memorable moments in these 900 pages, like the FF swapping powers and Johnny becoming Galactus' herald. I thought the Fantastic Four meeting God would be hokey as hell until God wound up being Jack Kirby. The last time I got this emotional over a work of fiction is when the Eleventh Doctor met elderly Tom Baker in Day of the Doctor.

Another advantage this run has over John Byrne's is that Waid and Wieringo didn't overstay their welcome. There are something like 36 issues crammed into this tome and I thought W&W left things on a high note. They didn't stick around long enough to start repeating themselves. Hell, there were plenty of classic villains they didn't touch, like The Mad Thinker, Red Ghost and his Super Apes, and the Mole Man.

While the art wasn't quite in my wheelhouse, the Fantastic Four by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo is easily the best Fantastic Four run since John Byrne's. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty big volume and a good read too.

It starts with the family fighting random threat and then comes Modulus and its a good Reed story and how the family fights through them and the coming together of the family, Johnny trying to grow up and then the big story with Dr Doom whose using pure sorcery now and how Reed has to learn this thing to save his family and that was so well done, plus the Authoritative action they take in Latveria and it sees Reed go down a darker place which as a reader was shocking to read.

And the ultimate return of a foe and how they literally went to heaven and met TOAA and holy shit was that awesome, seeing who it is and is one of my favorite marvel moments ever and the correct nature of it and how the family learns a lot of things there and finally invasion by Zion and one of the best Galactus stories there is. What does it mean to be a human?

And also there was some Frightful stuff in there but that was boring.

I liked this omni and it just shows the rise and fall of the f4 and rise again, family moments, changing personalities, growing up of the team and showing they have some of the best villains ever and their status within the marvel universe and so much more. This volume was so well done and serves to remind why they are the best team there is.

[Omni Theus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waid Makes Superheroes Very Relatable
OVERALL RATING: 4 stars
Art: 3.25 stars
Prose: 4.5 stars
Plot: 3.75 stars
Pacing: 3.75 stars
Character Development: 4.75 stars
World Building: 3.75 stars
Really positive series that portrays a family full of flaws as well as love. Takes some interesting turns whilst doing so. Must read for everyone who likes Marvel.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should note that I actually read this as the 4 individual vols but wanted to include it into my reading challenge as one book. Also I had a vol 1 centric review that I posted late last year for anyone interested. Anyway. This is one of my new favorite superhero comics. It understands what made superheros so popular in the first place. Two key ingredients: fun and imagination. It truly feels like Mark Waid knew how to take Lee and Kirby's original popular series and modernize it with new pathos and truly unique situations. I adored how Waid brought humanism as a central theme throughout the series. Whether it was for Ben Grimm, Dr Doom, or even Galactus. Having said that, I'd say Mr. Fantastic was the best character in the run. You see many different facets with him being explored not just being a leader but also being a father and being a genius. Things like confronting your own hubris and considering other peoples problems in your decision making. You understand him even when you think he's completely off base. But don't be worried, when it's fun, it's really fun! They explore different countries, different planets, different dimensions and have grand battles worthy of a 200 million dollar vfx budget. My only complaints are that it seems Sue Storm doesn't have much to do except give her opinion on what the men are doing. She does give great insight and is strong but doesn't seem to be in much control of her destiny, which is pretty sad considering she's the major female character. Also, theirs a short arc where Waid had a second writer help in and...I didn't like it. But let's end this in a positive note, and I can't get more positive than Mike Wiriengo's glorious art! Normally I would hate art like this but it truly fits in this flamboyant and imaginative run! So much so that when a filler artist came in I was usually annoyed. His art is very early 2000s and cartoony, with lightly exaggerated shapes and simple to read lines to make the faces so that every emotion is readable. If you're tired of super serious dark gloomy superheros, pick this up to remind you how to have fun. We could all use a smile.

[Stormy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this recommended to me by someone on a comic book Facebook group and I'm so glad they did so it starts off telling us what happened to make the Fantastic Four the Fantastic Four so if you don't know they were trying to go Between Worlds in a way and this backfired on them with a big explosion and they got radiation poisoning sort of thing and they ended up in a different area to where they were the Fantastic Four because their bodies had been changed so you have Sue and Johnny Storm Johnny is the human Torch and Sue can go invisible you got Reed who is now stretchy and Ben who is now it is basically a big stone Guy and he wasn't too thrilled to be who he turned out to be but this omnibus by these writers was amazing it just shows their life's and how they are now obviously there's fights were villains what I don't really want to go into because I don't want to ruin the book for anybody else but the greatest thing about this book is it shows the Old comics like on a screen so you can read the old version of the comic well they're in like this board meeting about the Fantastic Four what I thought was so cool and also seeing the little kids was so cute

[Jdetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

There have been few creators who have had stellar runs on Fantastic Four, but Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo had one of the best. Their issues were fun, exciting, sad, thrilling and always surprising. Waid captured the essence of the team in a way few creators have making for one of the best runs of any comic Marvel has ever published.

[Ross Warburton · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
There were 2-3 issues I didn't love, but everything else was amazing. The Doom story and fallout were some of the best comics I've ever read.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, I loved this.

The book I read before this was Monster-Size Hellboy and I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy my next read. Luckily, I went with this and immediately was captivated by the Fantastic Family. Waid wrote so many issues that gave me watery eyes and I hated that this ended so soon. I hardly knew much of the F4 and was wanting an omnibus to read that was beginner friendly and it this was just that, but now I want more content! Waid does such a great job with writing the family and showing how each person is different. The Thing is my favorite and every issue that involved him wanting to go back to the old days made me feel for him. It was also interesting seeing how well balanced this run was when it came to implementing goofy and serious moments at the same time.
At first, I wasn't too high on the art, but Weringo changed my mind every issue I read. And I'm not sure, but I think this is the first time I've read something and it felt like the writer and artist were just completely synchronized. It just felt like Waid fully trusted Weringo and if Weringo was not drawing the issue, he held back on some storytelling or just...something. It's hard to describe, but it hit a little different when Weringo was there and felt off when he wasn't.

I'd give a solid 9/10.
There was like 2 short arcs I did not care for, but they were still better than some other stuff I've read. But still, this was such a blast to read. Can't wait to read more Fantastic Four in the future and hyped to one day read the Hickman run people love to talk about.

[Jake Nap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Waid kicks off his Fantastic Four in (no pun intended) Fantastic fashion. He brings the FF back to their familial roots and shows what makes them special. In a world where other superheroes are growing and evolving, the FF remain the same. They may feel dated, but they’re still fun and creative. There’s a lot of Kirby/Lee-esque goodness in this run, especially with the Galactus arc and the arc with Reed’s PDA coming to life being my favorites from the run. The first and last issues of this run in particular were also great single issues to bookend the run. However, I wasn’t too big on the middle section of the book involving Doctor Doom and Latveria, but the book quickly redeems itself after their meeting with God. I really liked how everyone was written in this run, especially Johnny, Sue and Ben. Reed feels a little off at times in my opinion, but he’s also written very well most of the time. Johnny is my favorite member of the FF, and there’s a lot of focus on him in the run and I really appreciated that. The Galactus arc and the early issues of the run in particular are very Johnny centric and I LOVE that.

I can’t go through a review of this book without mentioning Mike Wieringo’s Art. He absolutely kills it on this book and draws the best thing second only to Jack Kirby himself. Rest In Peace, he was taken WAY too soon.

Overall, Waid sits nicely on the pantheon of all time great FF writers with this solid run on Marvel’s first family. Solid 8/10.

[Mark Schlatter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mark Waid certainly swings for the fences on this run of FF; among other things, it includes a complete redesign of Doctor Doom, the elevation of Johnny Storm to the CEO of Fantastic Four Industries, and a visit to Heaven. (Really...) And when Ringo is doing the art, there's a ton of heart in the book, and the emphasis on family and relationships that Waid treasures comes through.

But overall, it doesn't work for me. Waid puts in one big change after another, and that often does not jibe with the family level focus. While the change in characterization of Johnny is first rate, the change to Doom feels strange and forced (and his new costume is the one artistic misstep from Wieringo). There's a six issue arc where the FF take over Latervia that feels ugly and looks ugly (thanks to art from Howard Porter that does not mesh at all with the FF feel). I wish Waid would have taken more time, slowed down the narrative, and focused more on the characterizations that did work.

This was a reread to see if I'm keeping these books in my collection; I'm not.

[João Filipi · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! This was amazing!!!!

For context, this is the second FF run that i have read! The first one being Lee-Kirby! And what i see here are characters who have gone through extreme character development and ALL OF THEM ARE LIKABLE!

Let's start with Johnny, because he matures a lot during this run! He starts out as a complete manchild and ends as happy person who has grown a lot since the beginning

Sue finally has other personality traits and its far more likable! She is funny, competent and can sometimes be a little controlling, but she ultimately is the glue that brings the Fantastic Four together

Reed is one of the most interesting characters! You can see how much he blames himself for what happened and keep constantly happening to his family! Reed is a very good character! He is written perfectly

Ben is still my favorite one! Ben its just perfect, you know?! In the ending, where Reed wants to keep Ben for getting his powers back, Ben understands that he needs those superpowers, even if it cost his physical appearance!!

I LOVED THIS RUN! Can't wait to read Rickman's!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the truly great Marvel Omnibuses. This collection includes the entirety of Mark Waid's run on the Fantastic Four. The majority of the gorgeous art is supplied my Mike Wieringo. Wieringo provides creative set pieces and allows the visual qualities of each member of the Fantastic Four to really shine. Waid takes full advantage of the Fantastic Four's expanded cast of supporting characters and villains including Alicia Masters, Doctor Doom, the Frightful Four and Galactus. The Frightful Four in particular I felt were deserving of further exploration. Waid really understands that the core Fantastic Family should always be the center of the narrative and I really appreciated the dynamic between Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben. A must read for super hero fans and those who appreciate effectively plotted storytelling.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a solid 4. Appropriate.

There's an arc in the middle where the FF seize power in Latveria after the "death" of Doctor Doom in order to dismantle his evil empire - Reed's face is scarred and he comes shockingly close to filling Doom's authoritarian absence all too well. They create an international incident and lose their golden public image - then The Thing almost dies and they have to find his soul in the afterlife, which leads to a movingly meta resolution. It's all pretty great. Five stars for that, possibly my favorite FF story of all time.

Unfortunately, the other stories all fall somewhere between fine and pretty decent. Not bad, but just not as good. And, as usual, Sue just doesn't spark the way the others do - Waid plays down the SuperMom characterization, but doesn't really replace it with anything else. It feels like a missed opportunity.

Very recommended anyways.

[Govind · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun read, goes from hilarious incidents to very dark moments, first Omnibus i ever read and already my favorite, artwork is pure bliss, story is divided into arcs, each unique and characters portrayed so well, each with their own flaws you can relate to, makes The Fantastic Four as real as a family can be. The feeling of adventure, forced into hell and later traveling to heaven where they meet GOD, which is so beautifully portrayed and memorable and the joy of exploring the unknown in other arcs, overall this Omnibus was a treat to read

[Joshua K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I find this tome to be pretty astounding. Not many writers truly get that the fantastic four are first and foremost explores and then they’re heroes. Waid crafts excellent Sci-fi stories and finds great moments for each character to shine. Theres a little less Thing than I’m used to but I’m sure the thought process was that Ben is probably the most well known and well developed FF member so the other three were given the spotlight. Wieringo’s art is spectacular, what a talent. I know I praised Waid a lot but Wieringo’s art is what ties this thing together and gives it the charm it needs. Other artists fill in, my favorite being Howard Porter for the 6 issue Affirmative action arc.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something to be said about how the Fantastic Four remains one of the most interesting and heartwarming comics constantly. The family aspect is always the best aspect, and it helps that Ben Grimm is one of the best characters Marvel has. Waid brings amazing storytelling where the family aspect really shines, and Mike Wieringo (RIP) brings amazing art to really convey the the warmth of the family. Hereafter is one of my favorite FF story are, following two other excellent ones, Unthinkable and Authoritative Action.

[Zachary Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great run by Mark Waid that adds a great deal to the legacy of the Fantastic Four. The pairing with the art of the late Mike Wieringo is perfect for the emotional heaviness of many of these stories. Howard Porter fills in for an arc which is also excellent. The omnibus includes a solid amount of back matter with forwards by Waid, covers, early pencils and commentary on some of the issues. A must read for anyone interested in the Fantastic Four.

[Matthew WK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable run by Mark Waid and worth a read. Enjoyed much of the run - especially the arcs around Doom and Galactus. At times the dialogue seems a bit off - there were a few times I turned the page and had to double-check that I didn't turn two pages (which I hadn't) as the dialogue didn't flow. Overall worth a read, but not one I think needs to be in a collection. I have no intention of ever reading it again and sold my copy.

[Tommy Pett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doom story and its aftermath that makes up most of this book is stellar and one of my favorite fantastic four storylines. everything else is mostly fine. The first issue is a really good introduction to the team in a modern setting to those who don't want to read older comics, and everything is generally well written even if I wasn't a huge fan of some arcs, and wish some things were a bit longer. overall 8.6/10

[Eric Burton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5

To start, I think it's clear Mark Waid understands and knows these characters well. He does a great job writing them as a believable family, warts and all. A lot of good moments and the Doom issues were all amazing. That was maybe half of the book. The rest of the stories felt quite formulaic for the most part and really lost me for a minute. Still, those Doom issues lift the score quite a bit.

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great science fantasy from a writer who understands that the Fantastic Four's secret sauce is being sci-fi adventure heroes who also happen to fight villains. One of the most impactful Doctor Doom storylines happens with Doom almost entirely off-page (literally in hell) as Richards deals with the moral implications of liberating, then ruling, then protecting Latveria.

Jack Kirby has a delightful cameo as God.

[Josh Prynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first experience with a Fantastic Four comic and I have to say it’s probably the best written comic I’ve read to date.
Mark Waid really knows how to catch lightning in a bottle and paired with Weiringo’s art the whole book is a dream.

The six parter “authoritative action” straight into the three parter “hereafter” is some of the best written stuff I’ve ever read.

Every comic/Fantastic Four fan needs to read this.

[Kurt Lorenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

60, Inside Out, ☆☆☆
61, 24 Blocks and One Blockhead, ☆☆☆
62-64, Sentient, ☆☆☆
65-66, Small Stuff, ☆☆☆
67-500, Unthinkable, ☆☆☆☆☆
501-502, 5th Wheel, ☆☆☆☆
503-508, Authoritative Action, ☆☆☆☆
509-511, Hereafter, ☆☆☆☆
512-513, Spider Sense, ☆☆☆
514-516, Dysfunctional, ☆☆☆☆
517-519, Fourtitude, ☆☆☆☆☆
520-523, Rising Storm, ☆☆☆☆☆
524, Tag, ☆☆☆☆☆

[Chris Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun. Mark Waid jumps right into the explorer, family, scientist, fearless nature of the Fantastic Four. This Omni has everything...Doctor Doom, experiments gone wrong, Spider-Man, Galactus! If you are a FF fan, treat yourself on this run.

[Josh]

Was enjoying this quite a lot all the way through. The "hereafter" arc was really well done. Probably should have stopped there! After that it went quite limp - the Wizard is the lamest villain I've seen in a while. Wasn't a huge fan of the Galactus arc either. Oh well.

[Minki Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

+ Fantastic character building and depth (no pun intended), especially Mr. Fantastic. Doom is great as a villain. Lot of heart.
- Slow burn for the beginning 1/3 of omnibus. Occasional awkward, disjointed dialogue

[Will Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grand ideas. Loving family. Good humor. Cosmic battles. Popularity and humanity. So good.

[strawberry! · Rating 5 out of 5]

i finished reading this and went: "well, i can't wait to read this again."

[samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had so many great moments. Really made me start loving the Fantastic Four.

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

might be my favourite comic yet