Fantastic Four #15 — Ryan North and Humberto Ramos Send the Team Into the Past for the 65th Anniversary
The Fantastic Four are careening through time, defeated and reversed, with a stranger holding their only hope of survival. Ryan North and Humberto Ramos deliver a massive 65th-anniversary adventure that spans centuries and threatens their very existence in the present. This is the one you need to see.
It’s been sixty-five years since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby first put the Fantastic Four in a rocket ship and launched them into the Marvel Universe, and they still haven’t lost their spark. But this time, the spark might be all they have left. Ryan North and Humberto Ramos are teaming up for a massive anniversary issue that feels less like a celebration and more like a survival situation. If you’ve been looking for a reason to dive back into the family dynamic that started it all, this is the door.
The setup is a doozy. The team has been defeated, but not in the way you might expect. Their personal arrows of time have been reversed, sending them careening into the past with no clear way back. They’re not just lost in time; they’re losing their grip on their own existence. Enter a complete stranger who holds the key to their survival. But there’s a catch. Even if the stranger figures out how to get them home, a threat in the present is waiting to make sure they don’t make it back alive. It’s a race against time, literally, with the stakes higher than ever.
What makes this issue sing is the creative rhythm between North and Ramos. North’s dialogue always has that signature blend of wit and heart, perfectly suiting the Reed-Sue-Johnny-Ben dynamic, while Ramos’s art brings a kinetic energy that makes the time-travel chaos feel tangible. The scale of the adventure spans centuries of history and a universe of scientific progress, but it’s the emotional core that keeps you turning pages. You can feel the weight of 65 years of legacy pressing down on these characters, and yet, they’re still the most fun you’ll have in a comic shop.
I’ve got a hunch about Johnny Storm’s storyline in this issue. Rumor has it that a certain facial hair decision might just save New York City, and honestly, that sounds exactly like the kind of chaotic good energy we’ve come to expect. It’s the kind of detail that reminds you why this team has endured: they’re scientists, adventurers, and family, all rolled into one chaotic package.
The 65th anniversary means this issue is special, but it also means it’s going to move fast. These anniversary runs always have a certain gravity to them, and this one is no exception. If you’re on the fence, trust me on this one. It’s the kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with comics in the first place.