Warning: Contains Spoilers from Fantastic Four #1The newest reboot of the Fantastic Four could be the Marvel Comics version of the classic 1960s show The Twilight Zone. The Fantastic Four are known to be one of Marvel's biggest properties of the past century. Dubbed Marvel's First Family, the team is composed of four heroes who attained superpowers after being exposed to cosmic radiation while on a scientific mission. In recent years, the Fantastic Four hasn't been as popular as they were in the mid-20th century, with less consistent comic series focused on the legendary team. However, they're officially back in a brand-new reboot that seems to carry similarities to Rod Serling's classic sci-fi series.
The Twilight Zone was an anthology series created in 1959 that told different science fiction and horror stories every week. The clever writing and iconic twists that came with it propelled the show created by Rod Serling to become an instant classic. It's even seen two reboots since the original run came to an end, with the most recent one hosted by Jordan Peele. However, its influence has stretched even further as future sci-fi stories would incorporate tales that follow a similar mold of The Twilight Zone to create something new, and it appears the new Fantastic Four series is doing just this.
The newest Fantastic Four comic is created by writer Ryan North and artist Iban Coello. While the four heroes are best known to fight together, this story does something different by breaking them up to tell individual stories about each member. Fantastic Four #1 crafts a tale based around the Thing and his partner Alicia called "The Last Town on the Left." It follows the two coming across the quaint town of Cedar, Pennsylvania, which harbors an interesting secret. Every night, time resets itself and everyone in town constantly re-lives the same day over and over, with only Ben and Alicia Grimm aware of what's going on. It's an iconic set-up for one of the best Twilight Zone stories. The very premise of this story is even eerily similar to an episode called "Stopover in a Quiet Town" about a couple who wake up in a suburb where no one is around and try to figure things out. It certainly goes about the scenario differently, but it's fascinating to see what a Marvel story set in The Twilight Zone would look like.
This First Issue is Only the Beginning of a Loosely Connected Anthology
Of course, this is only the beginning of the new series. While the comic was originally described as a Marvel take on Star Trek, it has all the makings of an anthology like The Twilight Zone. The first issue is a fairly self-contained one-shot that ends with a hint at something bigger in a big cliffhanger. The next issue will likely be another story with lots of mystery and suspense. The preview at the end of the comic hints that it could revolve around Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. This could mean that they get into their own independent story with a quick resolution, turning this new series into an anthology with an interconnected mystery that could end with the four finally reuniting.
It's still a mystery what the next member of the FF will encounter when they're in the spotlight. After an impressive debut with a great first tale, this new Fantastic Four series could be the perfect way for Marvel Comics to finally have its own version of The Twilight Zone while bringing some of its most well-known characters back to the forefront.
Fantastic Four #1 is available now from Marvel Comics!