For this week’s cover, we’ll be talking about a fairly recent cover that’s always been a favorite of mine. Anyone who remembers the initial Marvel NOW rollout probably remembers Matt Fraction and Mike Allred’s FF series, which functioned as a counterpart to the Fantastic Four series that also debuted at the same time. Personally, I much preferred FF, and it all comes down to presentation. While stylistically the book is very much in the mold of a Silver Age comic book, it’s also extremely warm and inviting, which fits the template of the Future Foundation being a very weird and fun family.
That’s accentuated by Laura Allred’s bright colors. While the replacement Fantastic Four wear black and red, the colors move them far and away from resembling darker characters. That they’re happy and waving goes a long way to detract from the typically action-posed content of most superhero comics. While obviously FF is a superhero comic, it very immediately stylizes itself differently from the content of any other comics. There’s no distractions and everything you need to know is right there. There’s three women and one man, all in stylish garb. She-Hulk with her more simple outfit, Darla Deering’s head poking out of a Thing costume, Ant-Man complete with stylized mandibles, and Medusa in a more classic costume. There’s a reason this book is so remembered by fans, and really it’s always up for a re-read.

By Slewo