Update 4 August 12, 2011: And, as predicted, a final shoe has dropped. While Fantastic Four is picking back up with a shiny #600 in November 2011, FF #12 will also be coming out that month.
If the cover is to believed, however, the story in the FF title will shift focus slightly to be focused more on the children of the Future Foundation and less on the first family and their adventures. After all, the children are our future.
Stay tuned next week for November, 2011 solicitations and some more clues!
Update 3 August 11, 2011: Marvel just sent over this new image, with this accompanying text:
The ongoing series returns in a quadruple sized issue this November!
FANTASTIC FOUR #600
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by STEVE EPTING, CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO,LEINIL YU & FAREL DALRYMPLE
Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
Variant Covers by JOE QUESADA, JOHN ROMITA JR. & ART ADAMS
NOVEMBER 2011
This still isn't a confirmation of the return of Human Torch, but it is interesting to note that both he and his "replacement" Spider-Man are on the cover. Also of note, Marvel called this file "Four_Teaser4of5," so there should be one more coming tomorrow. With this return to the full Fantastic Four title and numbering, what do they have left to tease?
Update 2 August 10, 2011: For Teaser #3, we have the whole original team. On a self-described "Anniversary Cover" by Joe Quesada, which he showed off on Twitter last week, we see Johnny Storm, Sue Richards, Reed Richards, and Ben Grimm, poised and ready to rock. He described the piece, as assigned to him by Tom Brevoort, as "any incarnation of the FF that you want from the 50 year history and design the piece for multiple usage... A poster, an ad, or a cover."
Now, what the image means, if anything, is probably nullified by the description Quesada gave. Regardless, it certainly is a nice sight to see the original team back together, isn't it?
Update 1 August 9, 2011: Well that certainly throws a wrench in the idea, doesn't it? It seemed a done deal with yesterday's teaser that this was signaling the return of the Human Torch. But today's image shows something else entirely.
This time, we see the current FF, Spider-Man, Thing, Invisible Woman, and Mister Fantastic, apparently going on the attack against an unseen foe (or foes).
Perhaps this explains the presence of both Epting and Yu on the teaser's header. Perhaps this is signaling a second Fantastic Four title that is joinging up alongside FF, both written by Jonathan Hickman. Perhaps tomorrow we'll get another teaser showing who the FF is apparently attacking. Perhaps we dont know what the hell is going on!
Original Story: When Johnny "The Human Torch" Storm apparently died in the spring, we (amongst most others) guessed it was only a matter of time before he'd make his return.
Today, the 50th Anniversary of Fantastic Four #1's release, Marvel has released this teaser, with next to no information.
In fact, all it says is FOUR, coming November 2011. We know from the top of the image that it includes Hickman, Epting, and company, as well.
So is this Johnny's return, and the return of the Fantastic Four as a family team? What does that mean for Spider-Man's membership and the current Future Foundation? Well, guess we'll have to wait a bit until we get those answers.
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