'Fantastic Four' Gets a Reboot, and the Critics Weigh In Next week, Marvel Entertainment will release "Fantastic Four: Season One," the first in a series of graphic novels that chronicle the beginnings of Marvel's heroes including Spider-Man, the X-Men and Daredevil. This is not quite what DC Comics did in September, when the publisher reset all its continuing series. It's more akin to "Superman: Earth One," a 2010 retelling of the origins of the Man of Steel, set in contemporary times (Clark Kent wears a hoodie!). Marvel provided us with an early look at the first graphic novel in the series, "Fantastic Four: Season One," written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and illustrated by David Marquez, which follows the exploits of Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Susan Storm (The Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) and Ben Grimm (the Thing). And as they did with the DC series, two New York Times staff members and comic book fans - George Gene Gustines and Adam W. Kepler - reviewed the offering. Their conversation is below. ADAM W. KEPLER: This is a curious project. Marvel has retold the origin of the Fantastic Four a number of times in the last 20 years with the "Heroes Reborn" initiative and the launch of the Ultimate Universe and I'm not sure there is a demand for yet another iteration. GEORGE GENE GUSTINES: I was filled with doubt as well - we saw another look at their 1963 origin in the 2005 "Fantastic Four" film too - how many do we need? But that may be sour grapes from a long-time reader. In the quest for new readers, this graphic novel serves as a very entertaining introduction to the Fantastic Four, putting a modern spin on some of the tropes of the heroes and the genre. KEPLER: What sells this book in my mind is that only the first 30-odd pages are dedicated to the origins story; from there, the creators take the characters in new and unexpected directions. It's a shrewd formatting move on Marvel's part. If this story had been released as single issues, I would have hated the first issue, since it would have been made up entirely of the origins story. As a longer graphic novel however, Mr. Aguirre-Sacasa had the time and space to prove that this will not be a simple rehash. By the end, I was ready to read the second book. GUSTINES: The story definitely benefits from the expanded page count. There were a lot of great moments, particularly in the dynamics between Reed Richards and Sue Storm, the heads of the superhero family. KEPLER: The art is impressive and I especially enjoyed David Marquez's design of the Thing in particular. Every crack in his rocky physique is present and accounted for. GUSTINES: Everyone was easy on the eyes, particularly Johnny Storm and his six-pack abs. KEPLER: Marvel has stated that the Season One graphic novels are all originally designed for mobile devices. An effort that I applaud. It shows that they are putting actual thought into digital production as opposed to simply copying a book from print so it can be distributed digitally. But I'm not sure it fully works. The app's "guided view" feature - where the reader can zoom in to see each panel individually instead of the whole page - has always been a double-edged sword. What you gain in clarity and size, you lose in design and pacing. In "Fantastic Four: Season One," some of the panels are cut off to fit the screen and it slows the story down considerably. If creators and companies really want to pursue telling stories in this way, then page design and layout needs to be thrown completely out the window to focus on panel design and telling more story in one picture. GUSTINES: Story-wise, I was left wondering about the next step. How many adventures does it take before this version of the team is mired in its own continuity? For now, though, I'm eager to read more. KEPLER: As a gateway nerd drug, the book is a success. Marvel also very wisely includes the first issue of Jonathan Hickman's highly-regarded "Fantastic Four" run at the end of the book. I can't think of a better way to draw in new readers looking for more.