After a semi-successful movie a couple of years ago, a sequel is in the offing and Marvel Comics (which owns the franchise) are exploring other media for the long-running characters.

Cartoons featuring the group have been around for a while, but in 2006, Cartoon Network showed a modern vision of the Fantastic Four -- available for the first time now on DVD in Fantastic Four -- World's Greatest Heroes, Volume One.

The Show

Though they are American through and through, the Fantastic Four featured in this cartoon are certainly Asian-esque. Johnny Storm's hair is in a Japanese mullet and the facial expressions -- you know the ones -- are reminiscent of Japanimation.

Not that that's a bad thing. The modern look suits the storylines, which are a little simple, but complimented by funny writing.

These characters are pretty well fleshed out. Reed/Mr. Fantastic is an unapologetic science geek, Johnny/The Human Torch is an immature motor-head, Sue/The Invisible Woman wishes everybody would grow up and while Ben/The Thing wants to be human again, he's also pretty proud of his physical acumen.

There's no out-and-out origin story here, though the opening tells the tale...sort of. Over a James Bond-style theme, we see the group in spacesuits (including a pre-transformation Victor von Doom), then a mishap, then they're heroes.

Matters aren't weighty in this series, which is good for a show aimed at kids. While the Fantastic Four are often in danger, there's plenty of joking to lighten the mood and only the most nervous of Nellies would really worry that they couldn't make it out of any predicament intact.

Featured on this disc are four episodes, "Doomed" -- in which Reed and Dr. Doom switch bodies, "Hard Knocks" -- pitting the Thing against the Hulk, "World's Tiniest Heroes" -- introducing Ant-Man and "De-Mole-Ition" -- which takes the foursome into Subterrania.

All are well-done and full of fun. Johnny often takes Reed to task for his love of science, saying "Mr. N Erd? Paging Mr. N Erd to the front desk."

If the plots drag on a bit, that's likely because they're fairly basic. Luckily, the writing keeps even the dull bits kind of engaging, just waiting for the banter to begin.

The Picture

A full-frame (1.33:1) presentation, the show mixes standard cel animation with computer graphics to great effect. Even on the big screen, this disc stayed pretty and clean, with crisp lines and good animation.

The Sound

Better than most cartoons, Fantastic Four -- World's Greatest Heroes, Volume One gets the full 5.1 Dolby Surround treatment. The theme song is engaging and comes through beautifully. Sounds aren't muddy or tinny, giving dialogue, special effects and music a nice balance.

The Extras

The one-disc set is light on added features, giving only English and Spanish subtitles. An insert in the case gives explanation on the scene selections and also advertises for volumes 2 and 3 of the set.

Parting Thoughts...

If you're looking for a pretty cartoon with some great characterization, Fantastic Four -- World's Greatest Heroes, Volume One is on the mark. It's funny, it respects the characters and the viewers, even if the plots are a little simple. For the content, I think this is Highly Recommended, but it might be worth it to wait for the complete set to be released in one package.