The Thing: Idol of Millions (Fantastic Four)
by Dan Slott
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dan SlottEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2006-09-20
ISBN: 0785118136
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Book Reviews of The Thing: Idol of Millions (Fantastic Four)
Book Review: Sadly, clobberin' time came and went pretty quick...
Summary: 5 Stars
Aarrgh! If you blinked, you probably missed this one. In 2005, the Thing got another shot at a monthly series (his third, after the long-running MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE and the 1980s' THE THING... and not counting FANTASTIC FOUR). The critics loved this new series, and I know I did. And, as written by the excellent Dan Slott and well illustrated by Andrea DiVito and later by Kieron Dwyer (who, given, isn't as good as DiVito), this one should've lasted much, much longer than it's skimpy eight issue run. Eff you, poor sales!
Benjamin J. Grimm, aka the Thing, one quarter of the Fantastic Four, is one of the most distinctive, most recognizable superheroes out there. Underneath his swagger and jokes, Ben also touts a tragic side, and this lends him more depth and makes him even more popular with the fans - although Slott never really got a chance to delve deep into this dark side before the title got axed.
THE THING - IDOL OF MILLIONS collects the entire 8-issue run. It's already been established in the Fantastic Four title that Ben has become a gazillionaire, having gained control of his quarter of the Fantastic Four Industries. As THE THING's first issue opens, Ben has taken full advantage of this, having moved out of the FF headquarters and into swankier digs. He's even hooked up with a glamourous starlet (although you instantly see where that's headed). But his wealth and new status haven't swelled Ben's head; he's still accessible and down-to-earth. Dan Slott keeps him the same ol' blue-eyed clobberin' Thing we've all known.
As he did to great success with SHE-HULK and GREAT LAKES AVENGERS, Slott infuses a lighthearted tone in THE THING. And, much like in SHE-HULK, THE THING provides a venue in which multiple guest-stars drop in with great regularity. Slott manages to make this play out naturally. He takes advantage of Ben being one of the most established superheroes around, and as such has tie-ins with many in the cape & cowl community. In issue #1 Ben actually refers to himself as "a regular 'Kevin Bacon' of the super hero set."
Minor SPOILERS in this paragraph: The series starts with a three-parter, as Ben attends a gala event, only to be kidnapped by Arcade and, along with his fellow revelers, transported to Arcade's Murderland. Plenty of deathtraps and robots, but Ben gets help from unexpected sources. Ensuing story arcs would have Ben babysitting, returning to his Yancy Street roots (as a certain wallcrawler drops in), and time-travelling to ancient Greece (where he puts his stamp on a certain timeless piece of art). It ends with the Thing getting Bar Mitzvahed and hosting a gynormous poker game with, it looks like, all of the Marvel Universe superheroes in attendance (including the Great Lakes... X-Men). Oh, and Ben gets a pet.
One staple in the Ben Grimm mythos has always been Alicia Masters, once his blind girlfriend, now merely a very good friend. I think we all suspected that, once Ben got his own series again, their relationship would be explored in greater detail. Even though Ben had that starlet and Alicia had shacked up with some architect dude, Slott had things all set up for a romantic reconciliation. But, because of the upcoming cancellation, Slott was forced to rush that story arc. And, so, while it does get resolved, it's a bit jarring.
One of my favorite and funniest issues is when Ben has to babysit little Franklin and Valeria Richards. One minor fight breaks out, but mostly it's just a fun day-in-the-life story. I guess that's the best part about this series, that the focus is on Ben's living and enjoying of his life and hanging out with his many pals, with supervillain nonsense every now and then surfacing. Lemme say that Slott's bump of humor consistently runs thru these stories. From the Torch's skirt-chasing to how, in mid-brawl, the Thing, Sandman and Paste Pot Pete all pause to react to Spidey's arrival (Ben: "Guys, I'm sorry. I had NO idea he'd show up."). There's Squirrel Girl helping the Thing beat the Bi-Beast in a clever but smelly way. And pretty much the entire poker-night final issue is a blast. Slott, however, doesn't forsake good storytelling for cheap laughs. He knows how to pace a narrative and he's great at character development. He's even made me a bit of a Constrictor fan.
You can tell Dan Slott was very fond of this series. In an attempt to save this title, he even launched a "Pull My Thing" campaign to rally fan support. What's disappointing is that Dan Slott had some big plans for the Thing. In a Fanboy Radio interview, Slott stated that he'd already had his legitimate Thing/Hulk smashfest all set up (the one in issues #2 & 3 don't count). I was going to blurt out: "Now we'll never know!" But we're talking about comic books, where you can never say never. So, hopefully, someday soon, Dan Slott will get the opportunity to tell those long-hoarded Thing stories. But, for now, I guess I'll just enjoy his terrific writing mojo in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE. And Ben Grimm, well, that big orange rocky Thing is still around in the FANTASTIC FOUR series.
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