In the far flung future, the search is on for a new family to rise up and fight the forces of evil. Your Major Spoilers review of Fantastic Four:2099 #1 from Marvel Comics, awaits!

FANTASTIC FOUR 2099 #1

Writer: Karla Pacheco
Artist: Steven Cummings
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Darren Shan
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: November 20th, 2019

Previously in Fantastic Four 2099: The age of heroes has ended and Marvel’s first family is gone. Mega corporations rule Nueva York and Doctor Doom rules the megacorps. There are still people with extraordinary gifts out there though.

Wait…what?

Following the events of 2099 Alpha we find H.E.R.B.I.E with Ventura at the beginning of Fantastic Four 2099 #1. The little robot tasks Ventura with finding four specific people out in Nueva York. Her first stop yields no results except for the info that two of the people she’s looking for are related. Jump to the Thorite Slums of Brooklyn we find two characters one locked in a cage because they’re an “abomination” the other with the ability to turn invisible. They converse with each other and the invisible one gives the other an apple. Ventura’s search leads her to Traverse City, an endless traffic jam that’s become a city. There she finds Andie Mugh, a tech wiz who knows where to find another one of the missing people, Sian, who has the ability to turn into purple fire. Ventura and Andie meet up with Sian and recruit her into their group by telling her they know where to find her daughter. On their way it’s revealed that Andie has a relationship with machines that allows her to utilize gadgets to extend her limbs. Back in Brooklyn the invisible boy uses his abilities to release his new captive friend and discovers that she’s a person made of crystal. Back at HQ, H.E.R.B.I.E. is lamenting his task and watches a video showing what looks to be Sue Storm ordering him to find “The Four”. Ventura, Andie, and Sian track down her daughter, Bella, who’s currently running from Thorite residents with her new invisible friend. They fight off the assailants and regroup back at the HQ. The issue wraps up with a surprise ending that I won’t spoil here.

Plagued With Poor Plotting And A Questionable Ending

Fantastic Four 2099 #1 perplexes me. I don’t fully understand what was being accomplished here. The setup is pretty simple. A list of people needing to be found and a person finding them. The problem is that there’s no real struggle there. Ventura manages to find everyone rather easily and when there seems to be an obstacle she happens to have the right piece of information, the right ally, the right tech, to overcome rather easily. Also, throughout the issue there’s no time given to flesh out these characters beyond their powers and a shallow explanation of what effect they had on their lives. Ultimately, it’s a boring story with characters who aren’t compelling. The one thing about this issue that actually sticks out is how it ends. Unfortunately, this conclusion is hollow because it requires more familiarity with the characters and their plights which doesn’t exist in these pages. In fact, without that groundwork being done, the ending comes off as actually really mean and nothing more than shock value.

Something Off About The Faces

For the most part, the art and colors are pretty good. I think the designs of the characters and their powers come off well and are interesting to look at. I especially liked the look of Sian when she goes “flame on”. The bit I didn’t like so much were the faces. They all seem just a little off and don’t quite convey the proper emotion, or when they are emoting come off as cartoonish while the rest of the look is not.

Bottom Line: Hope The Rest Of The 2099 Lineup Is Better

Fantastic Four 2099 #1 seems to exist solely to set up one specific situation going forward and then takes a long, meandering, boring path to get there. The one part of this issue that should’ve been interesting and surprising, falls flat due to the failings of the rest of the issue. Even if someone is really into the 2099 books, I would still suggest passing on this one. 2 out of 5 stars.

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