I remember when these stories came out in their original monthly format. I hadn't read the series since the 1980s, but as Mark Waid had written some of my favorite comic books (Empire) of the past decade, and superhero books (JLA Vol. 7: Tower of Babel) in particular, I decided to give it a look. The stories seemed interesting but the artwork put me off at the time. Mike Wieringo's drawings struck me as cartoonish, especially compared to what I was used to seeing on the series in its heyday. It looked like a child's book. I put the issues back on the shelf, but certain elements I had glimpsed while browsing would stick in the back of my mind.

More recently, a strange thing happened. I had seen the Fantastic Four movies. They weren't good, but they reignited my interest in the group anyway, perhaps by inadvertently reminding me of what it was like when they were being done well. Suddenly, I wanted to read these stories I had passed up a few years earlier.

This volume is a perfect jumping-on point for new readers, as the first story effectively introduces the characters while keeping things entertaining for those of us who are already familiar with them. Waid continues to take the group to exciting new heights with stories involving such imaginative concepts as an out-of-control wave of molecular instability and a sentient creature composed of pure mathematics. But the centerpiece of this collection is a multi-part storyline in which the Fantastic Four's greatest foe is frighteningly reimagined. Unfortunately, it's here where the art really lets the story down. It's a dark tale that would have been much more suited to an artist with a moodier, more realistic style.

The book contains supplemental, "behind-the-scenes" material at the back. The most significant of these is Waid's manifesto for his interpretation of the team. I always like reading these, because sometimes it's hard to get used to a new writer's style on a long-running series, and it gives insight into why he's doing things the way he is, and why it works. There are also conceptual drawings, a Fred Hembeck comic strip and other odds and ends.

In the end, it's a good thing I didn't buy those original comics, because I love these big hardcover volumes that Marvel puts out, and this one is a winner. It is recommended for new readers as well as older ones looking for a fresh and exciting take on these 40-plus-year-old characters.