After concluding his Iron Man run with the Iron Man 2020 event, Dan Slott also choose to wrap up his four-year run on the Fantastic Four with an event! But not any event as The Reckoning War (penciled by Marco Checchetto) was, as Marvel said it, fifteen years in the making!
Here is the official synopsis: FIFTEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING – AND IT ALL KICKS OFF HERE! In a time before the Kree, Skrull or Shi’ar Empires. Before the emergence of Galactus. Before the birth of Asgard. There was the First War. The greatest war to ever rage across the Multiverse. Today, it is reignited. This is the Day of Reckoning. And all that stands between all of reality and revenge from the dawn of time are the heroes of Earth, the Fantastic Four and the mind of Mister Fantastic. Starring the FF, She-Hulk, Jack of Hearts, the Unseen, the Silver Surfer and everyone in the whole damn Marvel Universe.
What to read before Reckoning War?
Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny were brought back together in Marvel Fresh Start, with Slott as the writer for the famous First Family. You can guess it, as Reckoning War is the last chapter of his run, we invite you to read the whole run. You can find the complete trade paperbacks listed in our Fantastic Four Reading Order.
With that said, the following are the last trades, with Empyre Fallout: Fantastic Four #1 setting up the event and the following stories in FF.
- Fantastic Four Vol. 6: Empyre
Collects Fantastic Four (2018) #21-24, Empyre: Fantastic Four #0, Empyre Fallout: Fantastic Four #1 - Fantastic Four Vol. 7: The Forever Gate
Collects Fantastic Four (2018) #25-30 - Fantastic Four Vol. 8: The Bride Of Doom
Collects Fantastic Four (2018) #31-35 - Fantastic Four Vol. 9: Eternal Flame
Collects Fantastic Four (2018) #36-39, Fantastic Four: Road Trip #1, Fantastic Four: Grimm Noir #1
For those who like to go deeper, Dan Slott made some hints about the Reckoning War during his time on She-Hulk — and the whole run is collected in She-Hulk by Dan Slott Omnibus. It is totally optional, but worth pointing out for the curious out there who likes to go back to check out past allusions and easter eggs.
Reckoning War Reading Order: Collected Editions
- Fantastic Four Vol. 10: The Reckoning War Part I
Collects Fantastic Four (2018) #40-42, Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1, Reckoning War: Trial Of The Watcher #1 - Fantastic Four Vol. 11: The Reckoning War Part II
Collects Fantastic Four (2018) #43-46
Reckoning War Reading Order: Issue by Issue
- Fantastic Four (2018 series) #39 (prelude)
- Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1
- Fantastic Four (2018 series) #40
- Fantastic Four (2018 series) #41
- Reckoning War: Trial of the Watcher #1 (tie-in)
- Fantastic Four (2018 series) #42
- Fantastic Four (2018 series) #43
- Fantastic Four (2018 series) #44
- Fantastic Four (2018 series) #45 (Epilogue)
After Fantastic Four: Reckoning War
Dan Slott’s run on the Fantastic Four concluded with issue #45. The writer left the title and moved on to write a new Spider-Man series with Mark Badgley.
After the conclusion of the Reckoning War, the FF found themselves tie to another event, A.X.E: Judgment Day, for two issues written by David Pepose. Then, it’s time for a new era with a new creative team of Ryan North and Iban Coello, starting in Fantastic Four (2022) #1!