One of Marvel Comics‘ biggest surprise hits in 2018 must be Marvel Two-In-One. It was introduced as a series to catch up with the surviving members of the Fantastic Four, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm, and rumored to be the set up for the return of Reed and Sue Richards and a relaunch of Fantastic Four. We now know that the rumor was based in truth with Fantastic Four #1 debuting on August 8th. While providing lots of prologue is rarely a recipe for success, writer Chip Zdarsky and his artistic collaborators Jim Cheung, Valerio Schiti, and Declan Shalvey have made Marvel Two-In-One something very special.

The series has used the quest to find the Richards family as the foundation for a family drama between Ben and Johnny, focused on their complex interdependence and the nature of grief. It has also provided a story that captures the scope of the best Fantastic Four fare of the past, complete with alternate universes, new gadgets, and, of course, Doom. The return of Fantastic Four in August puts the future of this great new series in question though. What happens when both Ben and Johnny have their family (and ongoing series) back? Where is the next adventure when Reed and Sue are no longer missing? Who should occupy the titular spots of this title?

It’s far too early for Marvel Two-In-One to end, especially considering its current success and top-notch creative teams, which is why we have some ideas on how it can continue to be a great part of the Marvel Comics lineup.

The Thing’s Own Title

Fans of classic Marvel Comics will likely recall that Marvel Two-In-One used to belong to The Thing before The Human Torch and Doctor Doom were added as key players in the newest volume. It was a chance to break out the most popular character from the ongoing Fantastic Four series in order to explore his own adventures throughout the rest of the Marvel universe. The Thing would always wind up paired with another known character from somewhere else in comics. Sometimes the teamups made perfect sense, like with Spider-Man. Other times they were a bit more screwy, like with Skull the Slayer. No matter who happened to appear though, fans could count on seeing Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew crack wise and crack heads.

Now that Johnny Storm will be returning to the Baxter Building along with his sister and the rest of their family, this is a perfect opportunity to give Ben Grimm his own spotlight once more. Readers already know that The Thing is a regular at poker games and one of the most beloved heroes in all of New York City, in spite of his self-perception. It simply makes sense that he would be have additional adventures beyond a new exploration of the Negative Zone or trip to Atlantis. This also gives us all an excuse to see The Thing on his own interacting with other favorite characters. Zdarsky has shown a real knack for writing The Thing’s unique accent and balancing the tough guy and big softie elements of his personality. There’s no reason to fix what isn’t broken here.

Supporting the Four

The series could also continue its emphasis on the Fantastic Four’s place in Marvel Comics. If Dan Slott ever chooses to leave his new post with Marvel’s first family, Zdarsky has shown a great appreciation for what makes this property special amidst the many superhero series of the past century. It’s possible that Marvel Two-In-One could be developed as an ancillary comic that explores the smaller adventures and characters who don’t receive as much time in Fantastic Four. While Slott and artist Sara Pichelli emphasize the essential quartet, the rest of their companions could be Zdarsky and his collabortors’ to play up.

Wyatt Wingfoot provides one great example. He has been an important supporting cast member of the Fantastic Four since the Kirby and Lee run during the earliest days of Marvel Comics. Wingfoot is the man who beat the Black Panther after he had defeated the entire Fantastic Four and has remained a great supporting character in Marvel Comics. Marvel Two-In-One could give him new opportunities to show what he is made of, teamed with his college buddy Johnny Storm or other heroes from beyond the Fantastic Four franchise.

The series could also play a similar role as FF during the runs written by Jonathan Hickman and Matt Fraction. That series was a ton of fun, showing off the diverse team of learners and creators known as the Future Foundation. Assembling pairings from this group, Dragon Man and Bentley Twenty-Three for example, could reaffirm that the Fantastic Four is a big family while still allowing the core series to show off the original team.

Boosting Other Profiles

It’s also possible that Marvel Two-In-One could leave the Fantastic Four behind altogether. Zdarsky is quickly becoming Marvel Comics’ secret weapon, working on multiple core characters without taking over the biggest titles. His work on both Marvel Two-In-One and Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man has been nothing short of outstanding. If his knack with both the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man are indicative of his grasp for all of Marvel Comics, then there’s no character he should avoid. Zdarsky gets what makes this superhero publisher tick, and the core concept of “two-in-one” provides him an excuse to assemble any pair he might like to write.

The recent success of Marvel Rising: Alpha #1 proved the point that a lot of popular characters at Marvel Comics, both new and old, have yet to meet. Zdarsky could pose this series as a way to introduce all of these characters to one another and possible new fans. It could run long stories or pack each adventure into a single issue. The possibilities are almost endless, but they all sound excellent.

What’s obvious in any scenario though is that Zdarsky has transformed a prologue for the return of Fantastic Four into a great title in its own right. Marvel Two-In-One has quickly become a must read each month, delivering the best character moments and plenty of big, imaginative ideas. As long as he wants to continue working on the series, the series should continue working. Whatever direction it goes after the return of the Fantastic Four, we simply cannot wait to read more of it.