Writer: Jeremy Whitley
Art: Will Robson, Daniele Orlandini, Greg Menzie, VC’s Joe Caramagna, and Carlos Pacheco
Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 7, 2019
When the Richards family is called back to Earth to be the Fantastic Four again, they left behind the Future Foundation – a think tank of the most brilliant young minds in the universe – with one mission: to find the pieces of and rebuild their friend Molecule Man. But that’s proven harder than imagined in this week’s all-new FUTURE FOUNDATION #1 by Jeremy Whitley. Let’s jump in and see how this crew of young geniuses, Atlanteans, Mutants, Moloids, and androids run into every problem in the Multiverse while undergoing their most dangerous mission yet – a PRISON BREAK!
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Jeremy Whitley’s first issue opens with a delightfully charming introduction into the world of the Future Foundation while Will Robson and Carlos Pacheco vibrantly cartoony art style brighten up each page making this issue fun for all ages. This reviewer left the fun series-opening feeling excited for more and can’t wait to see where this young team is heading, especially after the cliffhanger as the issue concluded.
Whitley sprinkles in subtle humorous elements and banter between the characters showing the family dynamic of the team while introducing the cast of characters for new readers who are leaping into the series with a fresh take on the Fantastic Four series. New readers will fall in love with this team while old fans of Hickman’s FUTURE FOUNDATION will latch on to this incarnation awaiting the clever tales to come. The only aspect missing from the issue was Valeria and Franklin Richards. This reviewer hopes they can rejoin the team in the future.
This FF fan was ecstatically thrilled to see the Maker appear at the end of the issue and is interested in watching Alex Power unfold as the team leader. That said, this reviewer was expecting the issue to center around finding “a“ Molecule Man, which sounded incredibly enticing on the recap page and previews. However, the opening issue focused on a prison break for some girl named Rebecca instead of Owen Reece, which was disappointing and confusing.
Now, maybe I’m just an idiot or maybe Whitley is working on something pretty sneaky, but this reviewer has no idea who Rebecca is. After searching online, nothing came up that opened my eyes to who Rebecca is. Maybe she’s a reincarnated Owen Reese as a girl? If this is the case, it would make more sense as to the introduction to this character. However, Rebecca references a “spider-mobile” as well as some other confusing things that made this reviewer a bit lost. Again, it’s definitely possible that I’m an idiot and can’t see the connection as to who this person is. However, time will tell and I’m intrigued for the reveal to come next issue.
Additionally, Robson and Pacheco’s art is clear, cheerful, sharp, and felt more animated in nature. Even though this reviewer tends to enjoy more realistic art, this style fits the book well and helped make the issue feel more welcoming for all ages. The colors were strong and added life to each page blending the dialogue and panel progression together splendidly. It would be rather difficult to read this issue and feel depressed afterward.
Ultimately, this reviewer left the first issue pleased with the preamble of FUTURE FOUNDATION and positive in Whitley’s abilities to guide this team forward. Even though the issue was a tad wordy at times, the story still flowed well and captured this reviewers attention. With the Maker on the horizon and the maturation of Alex Power, as well as his confidence and abilities, the future looks bright for this foundation.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you love the Fantastic Four or Hickman’s Future Foundation, you’ll jump in perfectly fine. If you recently hopped back into the Fantastic Four and are looking for another family-friendly book, this series is also for you! Pick this winsomely fun first issue up and let me know what you think.