I was really excited to pick up Fantastic Four: 1234, because I traditionally love Grant Morrison’s superhero work, and Jae Lee is just such a unique and incredible artist. Sadly, I was not a huge fan of this short limited series, especially when compared to Morrison’s concurrent work of revamping Marvel’s Merry Mutants in New X-Men (2001). This limited felt like it did nothing to revolutionize Marvel’s First Family, particularly when contrasted with the incredible shifts that New X-Men made to the franchise, although it is undeniably a bold, dark take on these iconic heroes.
This rerelease of 1234 – clearly done to coincide with the upcoming debut of the MCU’s Fantastic Four film – collects all four issues of the original limited, plus a Morrison story from Marvel Knights Double Shot #2, which focuses on Nick Fury. Additionally, the small trade paperback also collects a few Jae Lee variant covers featuring Fantastic Four characters from various other titles, showcasing his collaborations with the First Family on multiple occasions.
Marvel
The art really is the saving grace of this series. Even though the plot felt disjointed, and the titular heroes relied on their same character tropes, at the end of the day, it was still a fun series to read because it was simply a blast to look at. From the grotesqueness of Doom’s reality to the raw sex appeal of Namor’s seduction, Lee knows how to weave action, emotion, and stillness into pages of brilliant art. While I think Lee’s work on Inhumans and The Gunslinger are even better representations of what the incredible artist can do (when he is given a story that matches his artistic talent), Fantastic Four: 1234 is still a joy to look at.
There are some interesting parallels with Doom’s attempts to rewrite the history of the world, when reflecting on the ways that the United States’ current political administration is attempting to rewrite much of America’s true history. It made me wish that we had a Reed Richards to combat the horrifyingly twisted reality we currently find ourselves in, immigrants being treated like monsters, trans folks being villainized for simply living, while forcing me to come to terms with the fact that this is not possible. No singular person can save us. But, we can learn from Reed’s defeat of Doom… we must grow, outsmart, and continue to fight against our enemies.
Marvel
In an interesting move, Marvel decided to publish this new edition of Fantastic Four: 1234 without the infamous cover art of Sue Storm and Namor about to kiss as the main trade cover. Perhaps this was done in response to fans’ negative take on the controversial moment in the series, where Sue and Namor do actually kiss in a passionate embrace. A lot of comics folks will still use this kiss, and this entire series, to point to Sue being a cheater, and her not really loving or wanting to be with Reed… which feels incredibly forced, especially since this was an honestly out-of-character moment for the Invisible Woman. Although technically considered canon, this moment is one that is best forgotten, in my opinion.
Briefly, I just want to note that I really enjoyed Morrison’s Nick Fury story, added in at the end of this trade. With art from Manuel Gutierrez, this short tale depicts Earth-616’s original Fury at the height of his Mission: Impossible-style Spy persona. It is fun, silly, and a great representation of Fury’s golden days.
Fantastic Four: 1234 is by no means a bad series, if you read it for what it is. Morrison’s work presents a dark, edgy version of the Fantastic Four, grounded in a story that lacks a coherent plot and concludes with a frustratingly deus ex machina ending. The characterization feels off, especially for a story now considered canon, particularly Sue’s intimate moments with Namor. That being said, Jae Lee’s art is phenomenal and really sells the twisted, calamitous nature of the series. If you like dark versions of iconic heroes, Jae Lee’s unique art style, or just love seeing Doom lose, Fantastic Four: 1234 would be a good addition to your collection. But if not, you can probably skip this trade.
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