Despite all the crossovers going on, it’s somehow a quiet week for comics. That, to you and me, means that it’s time to take a chance on some new series – and this week, we’re in luck. The first of Paul “Captain Britain” Cornell’s new Fantastic Four miniseries is out, and it is, in technical terms, a complete blinder, more than capable of being the best thing released in any week, let alone one as spartan as this.

Not content with quietly turning Captain Britain into one of Marvel’s best-written superheroes, Cornell is now taking on on Marvel’s First Family. Playing up their status as the Marvel Universe’s pioneers and explorers, Cornell finds a new realm for them to visit – the world of fiction. Nods to Jasper Fforde, meta-fiction’s current poster boy, are immediately take care of before the F4 plunge themselves hilariously into the fictionverse. The first book they visit? Sense and Sensibility. One can’t help but feel that Cornell is taking more than a little bit of revenge on numerous BBC costume dramas by throwing the Fantastic Four into that particular yarn.

Much of the issue is dedicated to setting up the immediate threat from a standing start, and the pace of the issue occasionally feels a little brisk. Even so, Cornell brilliantly uses each character to drive the story along – it’s made clear from both the focus and dialogue that Sue is going to be the real star of this series. There’s a great moment where the essence of the Johnny/Ben banter, an integral part of the F4’s family dynamic, is boiled down to its purest formula, and a lovely self-referential nod where Reed wonders why Sue is such a big fan in Sense and Sensibility, a book where girls have to choose between “uptight heroes who have trouble talking about their feelings” and “dashing, moody villains.” It’s the kind of subtle moment the book is crammed with that proves Cornell REALLY knows his stuff – and extra kudos for including the Claremont-created Wilhemina “Billie” Lumpkin.

Artwork comes from Horacio Dominigues, a newcomer to Marvel. He still feels green as an artist, but his expressive body language and storytelling skills are thankfully more than high enough to do Cornell’s work justice. His work brings a sense of fun to what is undoubtedly going to be a fun story, if only because of the one-liners Ben comes up with.

Lastly – when we interviewed Paul at Bristol, he mentioned that the villain was going to be one of Marvel’s older characters, and one that the team has oddly never faced. Then he chastised me for trying to guess who it was. I’m scouring this issue for clues, so I suggest that any and all Marvel nerds pick up a copy and do the same – a shiny penny to the first one who figures it out!