Ultimate Fantastic Four #30 - Marvel

I love the Ultimate titles by Marvel. Why? Because as I've stated before I love books that create or become a catalyst for change. And that is how they've treated the stories in every on of these Ultimate titles. You get a familiar character, they follow the basic, and I do mean basic, history. But, then they throw everything else out the window. All previous continuity.... gone! All new continuity is developed, and therefore all new character development. Fantastic concept. I was hooked with Ultimate Spider-man. I love the Ultimates. And I think the Ultimate Fantastic Four is the best one yet. They've been around about 2 years, but they're up to issue #30. Which is another thing I love about this book, the issues come out faster than normal titles. Ultimate Spider-man actually started out as an internet comic on the Marvel Webpage, but became so popular that they had to publish it. Now, after really not having been around for that long, is almost up to issue #100. But back to the Fantastic Four. First they've got a great set of characters here. Second, they started their storyline when they were teenagers. They were teenagers that went to a thinktank/school in the Baxter Building with hundreds of other gifted teenagers from all over the world. Including a teenage Victor Van Damme. Yes I spelled his name right. Susan's father, the General, and mother, the scientist, are also involved in the school. Though both for very different reasons. Third, you've got Mark Millar writing and Greg Land drawing. Correct that, Greg Land does the artwork. Because it truly is artwork. So much so, that there are some panels in his books that I would really like to blow up and frame for my study. Seriously! Now, in this storyline they are dealing with 2 things. First is a alien sentient being growing inside of Johnny. They picked it up somehow when they were in the Nil dimension. Then, they still have to find a way do deal with their vamiric / zombie alter egos that they accidentally allowed to come here from a different dimension. Their goal is to infect and take over this world. And Ultimately, pun inteded, who do they have to turn to for help? Victor. Who has "in just 6 short months . . . . turned us from a bankrupt, peasant nation into the ninth richest country on earth." Who's the bad guy, and who's the good guy? Like I said, you know the characters, and you know the basic premise, but everything else is up for grabs. This is what makes books great. If you haven't picked up this series yet, it is definitely worth your time and effort to try to go back and pick up all the issues. They're Fantastic. They even deal with a teenage Namor. And next issue, the vampires are, I think, going to break out of their containment cell.