User blog:Whitekey/On Hickman's Fantastic Four run

Jonathan Hickman has done a great job with Marvel's first family despite relying on some familiar plot devices (kill a member of the team and add Spider-Man.) I'm holding out hope that Hickman will add a fresh twist to those elements. I like the fact that Hickman laid the foundation for bringing Johnny back prior to killing him off, and Johnny's death is being used as a fulcrum for other events in the story. Also, Hickman does a great job writing Reed Richards because he understands that Reed is not just a big brain but a complex character and dynamic leader.

There is no shortage of sub-plots. My only complaint is that the story probably doesn't need this many characters. I realize that Hickman plans to bring it all together in the end, but it is a lot to keep track of. Along those lines, if Marvel is trying to generate more interest in the Fantastic Four by relaunching it as the FF, then why did they start issue #1 in the middle of all of the unresolved (and complex) story lines? I expect that we will go back to the Fantastic Four at some point. I've stuck with it through the entire run so far, and overall, I've really enjoyed it.