Following “Secret Invasion,” the 2008 crossover storyline, came the “Dark Reign” era which leads to a shift of power in the Marvel Universe toward “reformed supervillain” Norman Osborn. Mark Millar who was writing the Fantastic Four series – with art by Bryan Hitch – left the title and Jonathan Hickman took over and started to revamp and redefine Marvel’s First Family.
Here is the official synopsis: it all begins when Mr. Fantastic decides to solve everything! As the team contends with Norman Osborn’s Dark Reign, an older Franklin arrives from the future with an ominous warning! And as the Fantastic Four fight the War of the Four Cities, Mr. Fantastic assembles a band of genius youngsters. But when Nathaniel Richards returns, Galactus rises and a new Annihilation Wave threatens to invade from the Negative Zone, tragedy suddenly strikes. Grieving, the surviving members of the Fantastic Four dissolve the team – but from its ashes rises the Future Foundation!
Jonathan Hickman Fantastic Four Reading Order: Collected Editions
The Omnibus Editions
- Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Vol. 1
Collects Dark Reign: Fantastic Four (2009) #1-5, Fantastic Four (1998) #570-588, FF (2011) #1-5, material from Dark Reign: The Cabal One-Shot (2009). - Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Vol. 2
Collects FF (2011) #6-23; Fantastic Four (2012) #600-611, 605.1.
The (Paperback) Complete Collection
- Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Vol. 1
Collects Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1-5, Fantastic Four (1998) #570-578, and material from Dark Reign: The Cabal One-Shot. - Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Vol. 2
Collects Fantastic Four (1998) #579-588 & FF (2011) #1-5. - Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Vol. 3
Collects FF (2011) #6-16, Fantastic Four (1998) #600-604. - Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Vol. 4
Collects Fantastic Four (1998) #605, 605.1, 606-611; FF (2011) #17-23.
The Original Paperback Editions
- Dark Reign: Fantastic Four
Collects Dark Reign: Fantastic Four (2009) #1-5. - Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman, Vol. 1
Collects Fantastic Four #570–574. - Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman, Vol. 2
Collects Fantastic Four #575–578. - Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman, Vol. 3
Collects Fantastic Four #579–582. - Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman, Vol. 4
Collects Fantastic Four #583–588. - FF by Jonathan Hickman – Volume 1: Tomorrow
Collects FF #1-5. - FF by Jonathan Hickman – Volume 2: Three Kings
Collects FF #6-11. - Fantastic Four Jonathan Hickman, Vol. 5
Collects Fantastic Four #600–604. - FF by Jonathan Hickman – Volume 3: All Hope Lies in Doom
Collects FF #12-16. - Fantastic Four Jonathan Hickman, Vol. 6
Collects Fantastic Four #605, 605.1 & 606-611. - FF by Jonathan Hickman – Volume 4: The Roommate Experiment
Collects FF #17-23.
Jonathan Hickman Fantastic Four Reading Order: Issue by Issue
- Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1-5
- Fantastic Four #570-588
- FF #1-11
- Fantastic Four #600
- FF #12
- Fantastic Four #601
- FF #13
- Fantastic Four #602
- FF #14
- Fantastic Four #603
- FF #15
- Fantastic Four #604
- FF #16
- Fantastic Four #605, 605.1, 606
- FF #17-18
- Fantastic Four #607-608
- FF #19-21
- Fantastic Four #609-610
- FF #22
- Fantastic Four #611
- FF #23
After Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four
Once Jonathan Hickman concluded his run on Fantastic Four and FF, the creative team of writer Matt Fraction and artist Mark Bagley took over with:
- Fantastic Four, Vol. 1: New Departure, New Arrivals
Collects Fantastic Four (2012) #1–3, FF (2012) #1–2.
For more Fantastic Four stories, check out our Complete Fantastic Four Reading Order. After the FF, Hickman continued to write stories for Marvel, and you can take a look at our Hickman’s Avengers Reading Order here.