Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes

The best stories and adaptations of the Fantastic Four remember one thing: it’s about family. Sure, there’s (comic book) science, aliens, wormholes, gamma rays/radiation that aren’t anywhere near as deadly as they should be, Pym particles, unstable molecules, and a host of other science-fiction silliness, but that’s not what has sustained readership and interest in the story after all these years. It’s the fact that at the end of the day, they’re a family bonded both by blood, friendship and the unfortunate accident which turned them into genetic anomalies.

Sometimes the plots rely too heavily on action and not enough on the characters to carry the story through. Any of the various episodes with Dr. Doom encounter this problem, and his very characterization is both too outlandish and problematic too offer much of a threat. I don’t think any televised or filmed version of Dr. Doom has perfectly capture the cold, icy malice, detachment, disdain, bourgeoisie sensibility of the character. This, like a few others, dips him into bombastic villainy in which he loudly proclaims his might and menace upon the world without actually backing it up. One of the greatest villains in all of comic books should not be treated like some garish loudmouth with more than a hint of BDSM robot pimp in his wardrobe (that last part may be more specific to this series).

And the plots dip too far into kid-friendly zones at the expense of more compelling character interactions and human drama. Sure, Johnny Storm is a cocksure, arrogant, hot-head, but did they have to make him so whiny? Making him look like a model from Corbin Fisher wasn’t a bad idea though. With the notable exception of Dr. Doom, most of the remaining character models are quite nice, and the animation is smooth and stays on target. Certain liberties taken with Namor, the Mole Man, and other villains actually improve and update their looks, especially Namor’s more complete body armor makes more sense and looks a million times better than his speedo with a golden belt.

The animation does tend to go too far into Japanese anime territory several times, but it mostly occurs with Johnny Storm and the Thing. And, thank you to the creative team for NOT making Susan Storm dressed in a skimpier outfit for no discernible reason, and for also not keeping her out of the action sequences. She frequently more than holds her own, and proves to be a valuable asset to the team throughout the series. When she disappears for a period of time, it’s not hard to see why the rest of the team mourns her possible death so deeply.

I would hesitate to call this the greatest interpretation of the Fantastic Four, because who knows what new cartoons or movies are currently in the works, but out of the prospects we’ve had thus far, it certainly seems like the safest bet. Infinitely better than the 1994 series, and in a whole different galaxy than the awful film adaptations, Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes is an amiable good time. It puts the correct emphasis on the familial aspects of their mythos without skipping the grandiose action/adventure/science-fiction/fantasy elements.