10/25/2026
Stretch Your Mind, Flame On Your Heart: The Fantastic Four (2025) – Marvel's Cosmic Family Reunion Hits Warp Speed! 🚀🔥
Covers and some Previews for FANTASTIC FOUR #18 - FANTASTIC FOUR # and ongoing
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Marvel’s First Family has never felt more thrilling, inventive, or human. Under writer Ryan North (with current art by Vincenzo Carratù), this is the ongoing series that treats the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine like a playground of big ideas, heartfelt family drama, and pure adventure.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just stepping into the Baxter Building for the first time, this run welcomes you with open (stretchy) arms.
How It Came About
Ryan North took over Fantastic Four in late 2022 with a fresh approach that deliberately dialed back the massive cosmic events of the previous era.
Instead of world-ending epics every month, he focused on intimate, high-concept science-fiction stories—think Star Trek meets the classic Lee/Kirby spirit—centered on Reed, Sue, Ben, Johnny, Alicia, and the kids.
The series relaunched with new numbering in 2025, keeping North at the helm while rotating artists (including Humberto Ramos, Ramón Rosanas, and others) and delivering a mix of standalone gems and multi-issue arcs.
The result has been widely praised as one of the strongest, most joyful runs in modern FF history: smart, funny, emotional, and packed with genuine wonder.
The Current Story: DNX Tie-In Climax in #18
The team is currently deep in the DNX crossover event. In #17 the Fantastic Four woke up in a strange environment with no memory of who they were or how they got there—only a rock monster among them, mysterious powers, serious injuries (including burns only the youngest could have caused), and the word “SURVIVE” written in blood on Reed’s arm.
Fantastic Four #18 is the explosive conclusion. Still amnesiac and struggling to understand their own abilities, the team races to save Magneto’s life. Without identities or control, they are as dangerous to themselves as to their opponents. They battle foes they’ve never faced before. Ben gets dunked in acid (it hurts a ton). There is romance, kissing, the Beast, and a real, heartfelt talk between Johnny and Ben about their relationship. It’s pure North: high stakes, clever problem-solving, emotional honesty, and that signature sense that anything can happen.
Where It’s HeadedIssue #19 (November 18, 2026) launches the new arc “The Dark Forest.” The Fantastic Four build an advanced telescope for their children that detects not a biosignature but a technosignature—evidence of solar engineering by an incredibly advanced civilization. It’s an invitation they accept… only to discover the society that sent it is long gone, and the force that destroyed them may still be out there. The family (kids included) finds itself alone on the far side of the universe against a power no one has ever defeated.
Subsequent issues escalate the threat into one of the most mind-bending challenges the team has faced, with Johnny potentially holding the key through communication across language and dimensional barriers.
Character Bios & Points of View
Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) – The smartest man alive who still can’t always solve the problems that matter most. From his POV: “If I can just understand the variables, I can fix this. Family is the one equation that keeps expanding.”
Sue Storm-Richards (Invisible Woman) – The true leader of the team, force-field powerhouse, and emotional center. From her POV: “Someone has to hold us together. I’ve got this—force fields, strategy, and the kids. We protect each other. That’s the job.”
Ben Grimm (The Thing) – The soul of the family, rock-solid (literally) and endlessly loyal. From his POV: “I’m a monster on the outside, but these people? They’re my family. Clobberin’ time is just how I show love.”
Johnny Storm (Human Torch) – The heart, the hothead, the one who still finds joy in flying. From his POV: “Flame on! Life’s too short not to burn bright. And yeah… Ben and I need to talk.”Supporting players like Alicia Masters, Franklin, Valeria, Jo, and Nicki get real spotlight time, making the extended family feel essential.
Creators
Ryan North is a Canadian writer and cartoonist best known for the long-running webcomic Dinosaur Comics, the acclaimed The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Adventure Time, and the event One World Under Doom. He brings rigorous (and fun) science, sharp humor, and deep affection for the characters. In interviews he has said he wanted stories that feel like “mind-blowing sci-fi concepts of the week” while making the family feel relatable: “It’s hard to relate to rich, famous people with no problems… but if they’ve lost their fortune… that felt interesting.” He treats every issue as an opportunity to leave the world a little better than they found it.
Vincenzo Carratù is an Italian comic-book artist who has worked for Marvel on Psylocke, Hulk: Smash Everything (also with North), Dracula: Blood Hunt, Astonishing Iceman, and more. His clean, expressive style captures both the kinetic action and the quiet emotional beats perfectly. On drawing the FF he has noted the weight of the characters while clearly relishing the chance to bring them to life.
Other key artists across the run include Iban Coello (early issues), Humberto Ramos, Ramón Rosanas, and colorist Edgar Delgado, whose vibrant work keeps the book popping.Comparison to Past RunsClassic Lee/Kirby: pure invention and cosmic wonder.
John Byrne: character depth and soap-opera heart.
Walter Simonson: mythic scale and visual dynamism.
Jonathan Hickman: intricate, long-game architecture.
Dan Slott: big multiversal stakes.North’s run stands out by blending the best of all of them into something uniquely joyful and accessible—smaller-scale yet idea-rich stories that still feel epic because the characters matter so much.
The Thrill
This is the Fantastic Four at their purest: explorers, scientists, family, and heroes who face the impossible not because they have to, but because someone has to.
#18 delivers amnesia, acid, romance, and real talk. The Dark Forest arc promises cosmic isolation and communication across the stars.
New readers can jump in with the current DNX issues or start fresh with the 2025 #1. Longtime fans get the characters they love treated with intelligence, humor, and heart.The Baxter Building is open. The adventure is waiting.
It’s clobberin’ time… and so much more.
Below are the Marvel Comics Issues' synopsis:
FANTASTIC FOUR #14
Comic Script by Ryan North
Illustrated by Ramon Rosanas
Cover Design or Artwork by Humberto Ramos
OUR GUARANTEE TO YOU: ABSOLUTELY THE MOST UNEXPECTED STORY YOU'LL READ ALL YEAR! Something has gone terribly wrong on Earth, and it's spreading from human to human - quickly, unstoppably. The Baxter Building is not immune - and before they can even realize there is a problem, everyone on the Fantastic Four is compromised! ...Everyone, that is, save for Jo and Nicki - the young adopted children of Ben and Alicia, whose alien Kree and Skrull physiology leaves them immune. But what can two children do to save an entire world all by themselves? And what if what's needed for a cure is physically impossible? Jo and Nicki take center stage in this mind-bending single-issue epic! PLUS: A SPECIAL BACKUP STORY CELEBRATING DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH!
On sale Jul 15, 2026
FOC Jun 15, 2026
FANTASTIC FOUR #15
Comic Script by Ryan North
Illustrated by Humberto Ramos
Cover Design or Artwork by Humberto Ramos
It's the 65th anniversary of The Fantastic Four, and to celebrate, we've got an extra-large, extra-fantastic adventure for you starring everyone's favorite adventurers, spanning centuries of history and a universe of scientific progress! The Fantastic Four have been defeated: with their personal arrows of time reversed, they're careening into the past with no hope of salvation - unless a complete stranger can find out what they need. But even if she does, that will only get them halfway home, because there's still a threat in the present that's waiting to kill them - and that's IF they can arrive there alive! This is one issue you won't want to miss - because you'll have to wait 65 years for ANYTHING like it. PLUS: Johnny's mustache saves New York City?!
On sale Aug 05, 2026
FOC Jun 22, 2026
FANTASTIC FOUR #16
Comic Script by Ryan North
Illustrated by Ramon Rosanas
Cover Design or Artwork by Humberto Ramos
CRASH LANDING! The Fantastic Four have crash-landed on a far-off world and have been repairing their spaceship for weeks as they blend in with the aliens who live there, trying to keep a low profile. But when an unexpected discovery - shared with the best of intentions - leads to chaos, only the Fantastic Four can stop an entire world from sliding into a destruction of their own creation! This won't be easy- and it may not even be possible. Because to save this world...the Fantastic Four must die!
On sale Sep 02, 2026
FOC Aug 3, 2026
FANTASTIC FOUR #17 [DNX]
Comic Script by Ryan North
Illustrated by Vincenzo Carratu
Cover Design or Artwork by Humberto Ramos
DNX TIE-IN! The Fantastic Four find themselves in a strange environment, with no memory of how they got there...or worse, of who they actually are. There is a rock monster among them. They seem to have strange powers. And each of them has sustained serious injuries, including burns...burns that it's soon clear only the youngest one could've inflicted. The older man - whose limbs have a strange elasticity - has a single word written in blood on his own arm: SURVIVE. A DNX TIE-IN you won't see coming!
On sale Sep 30, 2026
FOC Aug 31, 2026
FANTASTIC FOUR #18 [DNX]
Comic Script by Ryan North
Illustrated by Vincenzo Carratu
Cover Design or Artwork by Giuseppe Camuncoli
DNX TIE-IN! -The Fantastic Four are lost, with no memory of who they are or why they're there -- but now they know they need to find out, fast -- because Magneto's life hangs in the balance. -But without identities -- or a clear understanding of their powers -- the FF are as much a danger to themselves as they are their opponents. -The FF fight foes they've never fought before. Plus, in this issue, Ben gets dunked in acid! It hurts a ton. -All this, plus: romance, kissing, the Beast AND Johnny and Ben getting some real talk in about their relationship. It's the conclusion to our DNX tie-in that you won't want to miss!
On sale Oct 28, 2026
FOC Sep 28, 2026
FANTASTIC FOUR #19
Comic Script by Ryan North
Illustrated by Ramon Rosanas
Cover Design or Artwork by Humberto Ramos
"THE DARK FOREST" PART ONE The Fantastic Four have built a new kind of telescope for their children, able to peer deeper into the unexplored depths of the universe... and have found something unexpected. It's not a biosignature, but a technosignature: solar engineering that could only be done by an incredibly advanced civilization. It's an invitation - one that they take... ...but soon discover that the society that sent it is long gone - and and those that destroyed them may still remain! It's the Fantastic Four - and their children - facing cryptic messages on the other side of the universe...all alone against a force they cannot defeat!
On sale Nov 18, 2026
FOC Oct 12, 2026
FANTASTIC FOUR #20
Comic Script by Ryan North
Illustrated by Ramon Rosanas
Cover Design or Artwork by Humberto Ramos
THE DARK FOREST, PART TWO! The Fantastic Four have been attacked by aliens that are intent on their extermination...and these creatures are so powerful that our heroes can't fight back with any hope of victory. Their only chance is to try to communicate with them, to plead for mercy. But with both language and dimensional barriers, there may not be any hope...unless Johnny Storm can find a way to save everyone. The Fantastic Four face their most mind-bending challenge yet - and it's one that nobody else in the universe has been able to crack!
On sale Dec 16, 2026
FOC Nov 9, 2026
FANTASTIC FOUR #21 COVER A
Comic Script by Ryan North
Illustrated by Ramon Rosanas
Cover Design or Artwork by Humberto Ramos
THE DARK FOREST, PART THREE! The Fantastic Four have encountered extremely powerful extradimensional aliens who can see all of our universe at once and who have been making brutal changes to it to ensure their survival. But even these mighty creatures have things they fear - things that can destroy them with a thought...and they sent the Fantastic Four straight to them. Lost in higher dimensions, encountering things their brains never evolved to process, it'll take everything the FF has to survive - but things only get stranger when these creatures are discovered to be something no one in the family expected. The Fantastic Four's dimension-hopping adventure concludes with an ending that spans the universe itself!
On sale Jan 20, 2027
FOC Dec 14, 2026
Covers and some Previews for FANTASTIC FOUR #1 - FANTASTIC FOUR #4
https://www.facebook.com/legendscomicsflosc/posts/pfbid09NZB4jJpM9DmGxDUtGicEZjyZB3Jiy2D1gk1CMWh1VGQRZzjASkmChyqTHhWcBJwl
Covers and some Previews for FANTASTIC FOUR #5 - FANTASTIC FOUR #10
https://www.facebook.com/legendscomicsflosc/posts/pfbid0wUj6wBRifxKih3cBhVZ12vMajQm5hrfeCAFU4rtWsaJg1xGvAUDpNTwFhU3BhCvvl
Covers and some Previews for FANTASTIC FOUR #11 - FANTASTIC FOUR #17
https://www.facebook.com/legendscomicsflosc/posts/pfbid0NyWT2iA1sfLxRriuFLw8wKnDH5p6jN6DEzVvDkxL6pXsnrJCZth6YstRZ95sr9msl
Stretch forth, true believers—this 2025 FF is Marvel's boldest family epic yet.
Grab the next issue, ponder the voids, and ask: What's your cosmic family flaw? Flame on in the comments!
