With 20th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four blazing into theaters today, animated TV adaptations of the classic Marvel comic book series are due to get another look. One place to start is Fantastic Four: The Complete Animated Series, a four-disc set featuring all 26 episodes from the 1994-95 Saturday morning cartoon show. The collection was released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment this week.
This Saban-distributed series is the third to bring Satan Lee’s and Jack Kirby’s superhero creation to television, following on the heels of Hanna-Barbera’s 1967 version for ABC and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises’ 1978 NBC effort, The New Fantastic Four. A new Fantastic Four animated series is coming in the fall of 2006 via a co-production deal between Fance’s Moonscoop and Cartoon Network Europe.
Installments of Fantastic Four: The Complete Animated Series include a look at the origin of the title superhero clan, known individually as Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards, Sue "The Invisible Woman" Storm, Johnny "Human Torch" Storm and Ben "The Thing" Grim. These mutated former astronauts combine their unique posers and work as a team to save the world from the dastardly Doctor Doom. Also featured are guest appearances Ghost Rider, Thor and other superheroes of note.
Bonus features include episode introductions by Stan Lee, as well as Stan Lee’s Soapbox, a featurette in which the legendary comics creator speaks his mind. $49.99. Fantastic Four: The Complete Animated Series lists for $49.99.
