It’s some of the most striking work of Ross’ celebrated career. The twist lies in how Ross and co-colourist Josh Johnson merge these two elements together – splashes of Day-Glo pink and yellow lending the art an unmistakably contemporary edge. The artist is famous for his lush photo-realistic painting style, however, in Fantastic Four: Full Circle he uses old-school pen-and-ink techniques and retro flat colouring almost exclusively. Ross’ old-new mindset also applies to Fantastic Four: Full Circle’s artwork. Instead, she’s a proactive force to be reckoned with in her own right, reasoning that the best way to deal with a threat to her family is to tackle it head-on. Ross breaks from the long-standing tradition of presenting Sue as the Fantastic Four’s resident wet blanket, who is always holding the boys back from going on escapades with shrill pleas for them to please think of the children (seriously). This is especially the case where the Invisible Woman is concerned.

Vaughan here – yet Fantastic Four: Full Circle ultimately feels like a modern spin on classic formula rather than an outright rehash. Sure, his storytelling isn’t exactly ground-breaking – don’t expect the formalist experimentation or in-depth characterisation of say, Ram V or Brian K. Even so, Ross never sinks into outright pastiche, despite his obvious affinity for the sensibilities of the Silver Age.

The ensuing adventure is suitably thrilling, full of the same derring-do and crazy comic book science that defined the Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four run. Ross uses the pair’s seminal 1966 story “This Man… This Monster” as a jumping-off point for his own tale, pitting Reed Richards, Sue Storm Richards, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm against an inter-dimensional baddie with ties to their past. Written and illustrated by fan-favourite artist Alex Ross, Fantastic Four: Full Circle is the first instalment in publisher Abram’s Marvel Arts line and picks up pretty much where Stan and Jack left off. We’ll never know for sure, however, chances are it would’ve looked a lot like Fantastic Four: Full Circle. In the decades since, fans have often speculated where Lee and Kirby would’ve taken the comic book series next, had their partnership not ended. Fantastic Four creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s legendary run on the title ended in 1970 after Kirby left Marvel Comics for rival DC.

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