Fantastic Four: New Departure, New Arrivals (Comics) | Review

Due to cosmic radiation poisoning, the Richards family faces extinction in the latest opening arc by writer Matt Fraction (Fear Itself, Inhumanity). Reed discovers their powers are killing them slowly and painfully. Instead of sharing this diagnosis, he plans a fake vacation through time and space while searching for any possible cure.

Fraction's approach prioritizes character drama over traditional cosmic threats. Reed's decision to deceive his family rather than share their terminal diagnosis creates moral tension. The vacation premise serves as cover for desperate search nobody else knows about.

Artist Mark Bagley (Venom: Lethal Protector, Venom: The Nativity) handles art for the main series while Mike Allred covers the companion FF title. Bagley's work proves deeply problematic with proportion issues and characters appearing nearly identical regardless of age.

This storyline directly connects to previous run by Jonathan Hickman (Infinity, Time Runs Out) and sets up dual series structure. The main title follows the family's time-space adventures. The companion FF book features Ant-Man, Medusa, She-Hulk and Miss Thing guarding Earth while the real FF are supposedly gone for four minutes.

Reed Richards discovers that cosmic radiation has created degenerative condition affecting his entire family. Their powers are killing them and he calculates limited time before biology breaks down. Rather than sharing this, he decides to find a cure to protect everyone from worrying.

Reed proposes a family vacation through infinite time and space. Sue suspects ulterior motives but can't pinpoint the specifics. Ben and Johnny welcome the break from superheroics. Franklin and Valeria react with excitement, typical of children promised adventure beyond imagination.

The substitute FF consists of Scott Lang as Ant-Man, Medusa from the Inhumans, She-Hulk and new character Darla Deering as Miss Thing. They're told the real FF will be gone four minutes from Earth's perspective. Time dilation means the Richards family experiences year-long vacation while Earth barely notes their absence.

The first adventure takes them three million years into past encountering living planet and cosmic entities testing their worthiness. Fraction structures these as bonding exercises rather than battles. Sue notices Reed obsessing over biological data instead of enjoying moments.

Ben Grimm experiences annual transformation back to human form for one day. He chooses spending it in 1953 on Yancy Street where he grew up. The issue explores Ben's past through visiting his aunt Petunia and uncle Ira before gang demands payment he must defend against.

Johnny discovers Reed's secret about their degenerating powers. His reaction creates conflict because Reed's deception violated trust foundation holding this family together. Johnny struggles with whether telling Sue and Ben serves everyone's best interest or simply creates panic Reed tried preventing through his secrecy.

Reed and Sue's relationship takes center stage during their alien world encounter. The planet's inhabitants mistake Sue for a prophesied messiah. Reed uses time travel in an attempt to remind himself why he loves his wife, creating convoluted plot device that stretches credibility.

Franklin Richards experiences prophetic dreams hinting at larger threats. His visions suggest their vacation won't remain carefree adventure as Reed planned. The dreams connect to future developments involving Doom the Annihilating Conqueror. Fraction seeds these elements early but doesn't develop them sufficiently in this arc.

Valeria's characterization shifts between brilliant strategist and typical child. Her dialogue often rings false, swinging from precocious genius to sibling rivalry with Franklin. The inconsistency makes her feel less realized than other members despite being central to Future Foundation.

The pacing jumps around without establishing any clear narrative flow. One issue features dinosaurs, the next alien prophecy, then flashback to Ben's childhood. The adventures feel disconnected rather than building toward coherent arc. Fraction attempts weaving emotional throughline but gets distracted from that focus.

The substitute FF sub-plot receives minimal development here. Ant-Man, Medusa, She-Hulk and Miss Thing appear briefly but real story continues in companion FF series. This creates awkward reading experience where main storyline feels incomplete without reading both titles.

Mark Bagley's visual storytelling emphasizes dynamic panel compositions moving plot forward efficiently. However, character designs suffer from fundamental proportion problems distracting from emotional beats. Children look like shrunken adults rather than actual kids.

The most glaring issue involves distinguishing characters visually. Franklin Richards and Johnny Storm appear nearly identical except for size difference. Both have same facial structure, body language, general appearance. For unfamiliar readers, this creates genuine confusion about who's speaking or acting without context clues.

Bagley draws every character as gangly teenager regardless of their actual age. This flattens visual distinction that helps readers track the cast. Reed, Ben, Johnny blend together when costumes aren't visible. Sue fares slightly better but still suffers from same generic proportions.

The artwork shines during cosmic sequences showing alien technology and sprawling vistas. Bagley renders sleek spacecraft and otherworldly landscapes well. His strength lies in depicting fantastic rather than grounded character moments where weaknesses show prominently.

Fantastic Four: New Departure New Arrivals succeeds at repositioning the team but struggles to execute its core premise. Fraction understands these characters need personal stakes beyond saving universe. The degenerative illness creates genuine tension. Reed's deception adds moral complexity absent from typical superhero fare.

This arc works best if you're familiar with FF history, though not mandatory. The emotional beats hit harder when you've seen these characters work through decades of conflicts. New readers can follow the plot but might miss weight of watching Reed dismantle everything.

Mark Bagley's artwork remains the collection's weakest element. His inability distinguishing characters by age creates readability problems. The proportion issues distract from emotional moments. Readers expecting visual quality matching writing ambition will feel disappointed by generic character designs and awkward artwork.

If you want traditional FF adventures focused on cosmic exploration and discovery, this delivers superficially but prioritizes family drama. If you're interested in seeing Marvel's first family deal with terminal illness while Reed lies, Fraction provides examination with mixed results.

Fantastic Four: New Departure, New Arrivals collects Fantastic Four (2012) #1-3, FF (2012) #1-2 and Marvel NOW! Point One issues into a trade volume paperback from Marvel Comics. Digital versions are available on platforms like Amazon Kindle, ComiXology and Marvel Unlimited, so you can access it on tablet, phone or desktop.