Marvel has announced a brand new Fantastic Four series. Titled Fantastic Four: Antithesis, the new story unites Eisner-winner Mark Waid with legendary artist Neal Adams. This marks the first time in Adams’ long, storied career that he will be illustrating a full story centered on Marvel’s first family.
The publisher is promising big things. “This celebrated creative team create a new nemesis for the Fantastic Four guaranteed to send shockwaves throughout all of fandom,” Marvel said in the announcement. Story details are largely being kept under wraps, but the announcement added, “Who or what is the Antithesis, and will the combined might of the Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer, and Galactus himself be enough to defeat it?”
A cover for Fantastic Four: Antithesis has also been revealed. It features Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben gathered together with things looking bleak. Ben is seen holding Silver Surfer in his arms. The galactic hero looks to be dying, if not dead already. Aside from the grim implications of the image itself, the art is rather stunning.
“Working with Neal Adams has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. To share the page with a man of his talent is an honor,” Waid says. “The story begins with the FF struggling to prevent an extinction event on Earth and just goes more cosmic from there. We all know of Galactus, but until now, no one has met his Antithesis.”
“I have always had the sense of missing the chance to draw the Fantastic Four. It was a quiet sense, since I’ve had every opportunity to do my favorites. More, I felt Kirby and Buscema had done it all, hadn’t they…?” Adams said. “When Marvel’s Tom Brevoort asked if I’d like to do the Fantastic Four, I knew I had to ask for Galactus and the Silver Surfer as well. I am humbled and thankful to Tom for the opportunity.”
For several years, Marvel Comics was going light on the X-Men and Fantastic Four books. This is, in part, because Fox controlled the screen rights to the characters. Disney, which owns Marvel, merged with Fox last year. Ever since, the publisher has been producing more books featuring the characters. The mutants have been the subject of an ambitious, multi-title relaunch that kicked off last year.
There is no word yet on when Fantastic Four: Antithesis will arrive. Marvel did promise that more news is coming soon though.
So what do you think? Are you excited for this new story? Any guesses on who the villain might be? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
