Fantastic Four: Solve Everything
Plot Summary and Credits
Reed Richards is invited to join the multiversal ‘Council of Reeds’, made up of versions of himself from alternate universes with the shared goal of solving every problem in existence. After the Council is attacked by Celestials who don’t approve of their work, prime Reed returns him to face the problems of the universe with his family. Ben and Johnny take a holiday to another planet, unaware that Reed’s children Franklin and Valeria have stowed away, pulling them into a war for an alien planet. Back home, the family celebrates Franklin’s birthday with a visit from Slider-Man and letter from his future self, who warns Valeria of dangers to come. Across the world, ancient cities begin to emerge, first from underground then from under the ocean, and finally from an enormous spaceship, each containing a superhuman race that threatens the rest. Once the cities have arrived, they all leave for a fateful battle in the alternate dimension of the Negative Zone.
Jonathan Hickman (writer), Neil Edwards (penciller), Dale Eaglesham (penciller, inker), Andrew Currie (inker), Paul Mounts (colourist), Rus Wooton, Clayton Cowles (letterers)
Collects Fantastic Four (1998) #570-578
My Copy
I’d had this storyline on my list for a while, but it took me a while before I actually got around to picking it up. Every time I went to the comic shop, I saw a copy on the shelf, and came to believe that it had been the same one sitting up there for months. With this in mind, I finally decided to bring it home with me.
Before Reading
This was the first time I’d ever read a Fantastic Four title, and I didn’t really know what to expect beyond a healthy dose of cosmic shenanigans and Fast-and-Furious-style lessons about family.
After Reading
As an introduction to the world of the Fantastic Four, Solve everything does a pretty good job of establishing the characters and the various settings they find themselves in. The storyline serves as a kind of whistle-stop tour of the Four’s niche of the Marvel universe, featuring several of their most prominent villains and allies, as well as the kind of sci-fi adventures they typically have. We go from Subterranea, to the bottom of the sea, to the far side of the moon, to alternate dimensions, none of which feel out of place within the wider world.
Because the story zips along so quickly, some of the chapters feel a bit rushed or incomplete. The opening Council of Reeds arc is pretty much abandoned after the third chapter despite how cosmically important it’s set up to be, and the introductions of the various lost cities don’t really go anywhere, at least not within this collection. They just end up feeling like little more than weekly adventures when they have the potential to grow into longer arcs of their own.
Each of the Four are characterised really well, and their relationships are well established and easy to grasp. Reed is the brains behind everything, Ben is the supportive protector, Johnny is the life of the party and Sue is the one wrangling them all together, with each of them given equal time to shine in their own way. Franklin and Valeria are also a fun addition to the team. Their antics are exactly what you’d expect from a couple of kids with godlike powers, and their dynamic is typical of siblings their age, with the added snark that comes with heightened intelligence. The whole family bring something of their own to the story, both helping out and occasionally causing problems for each other, making their relationships all the more believable.
Something that I’m glad the storyline touches on is the shared admiration and respect within the superhero community. Franklin is one of the most powerful beings on the planet and his family are among the superhero A-list, and he begs them to get Spider-Man to come to his birthday party. He could erase the web slinger from existence without much effort, or even make himself into a character of similar status, but he still idolises him. Not only does this show how respected Spidey is by his fellows, but it reminds us that kids in a world of superheroes are still kids, and being surrounded by them all day doesn’t change the impact of meeting one.
Closing Thoughts
Solve Everything encapsulates the world and identity of the Fantastic Four, taking them across the world and to other planets without losing sight of the family dynamics that are central to their characters.
Before I move onto volume two of Absolute Batman, it wouldn’t be right not to have covered the entire trinity first, so I’ll be rounding out their introductory storylines next week with a look at the hellish adventures of a certain Amazon princess.
