Despite laying the groundwork for the Marvel universe, the Fantastic Four were lost in the shuffle at the house of ideas. Taking a back seat to the X-Men was the standard operating procedure for FF fans since the early 90s, but seeing Marvel's first family usurped in terms of popularity by the Guardians of the Galaxy has been jarring. At one point, the Fantastic Four was the main event at Marvel.
Many fans attribute the FF's decline to the idea's atavistic nature not connecting with modern audiences. I find that hard to believe when The Incredibles—an obvious FF parody—is one of Disney's biggest hits. The FF aren't antiquated; they're timeless, and no one captures ageless comic icons like Alex Ross.
According to Ross (who will serve as both writer and artist for the graphic novel) Fantastic Four: Full Circle is the story he's envisioned for years. The graphic novel will take Marvel's first family into the famous Negative Zone, giving Ross the freedom to try out his most psychedelic painting techniques, as seen in the image above. Hopefully, Ross's run will be popular enough for live-action once the Fantastic Four debut in the Marvel cinematic universe. Fantastic Four: Full Circle is set to release in August 2022.
