Review- AVENGERS VS. THANOS

AVENGERS VS. THANOS (Marvel, First Printing, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Iron Man #55, Captain Marvel #25-33, Marvel Feature #12, Daredevil #105-107, Avengers #125, Warlock #9-11, 15, Avengers Annual #7, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2, and the Thanos back-up story from Logan's Run #6 (cover dates February, 1973- Annual 1977)

Writers: Jim Starlin, Steve Gerber, Mike Friedrich, Steve Englehart, and Scott Edelman

Artists: Pencilers- Jim Starlin, Bob Brown, John Buscema, Don Heck, and Mike Zeck

Inkers- Jim Starlin, Sal Buscema, Dave Cockrum, Mike Esposito, Dan Green, Klaus Janson, Steve Leialoha, Pablo Marcos, Al Milgrom, Don Perlin, Joe Rubinstein, Joe Sinnott, Chic Stone, Sal Trapani, and Mike Zeck

If space aliens landed and asked me Hey Earthling, could you point out some good superhero comics for us to read?, I would hand them this book. While it would appear on the surface to be a scattershot collection of stories featuring Thanos and a mix of then-present and future Avengers in reality it is surprisingly cohesive and reads like one huge event.

I love the Bronze Age of comics. Modern fans accustomed to made for the trade six issue arcs bemoan the amount of dialogue and third party narrative caption boxes in these old comics but they allow so much more ground to be covered in much less space and time. I am of the mindset that modern comics are padded and bloated, with all of them breath and life sucked out of them in order to fit a calculated page count. Page after page of talking heads are not character development. Superheroes being snarky and self deprecating are not heroic.

Newcomers arriving to comics after seeing the movies would have their minds blown by the scope of this book. It starts out in Iron Man #55, a landmark issue which not only introduces Drax The Destroyer and the Blood Brothers but Thanos as well. Well...flashback Thanos and robot Thanos, but close enough for Rock and Roll. Things get kinda sorta convoluted but fun, as Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) gets caught up in a scheme between the Skrulls, the Controller, and Thanos. Captain Marvel fights the Hulk and the Thing before he encounters Eon, who helps him destroy and then find himself as part of some grand cosmic scheme that eluded me. At least the end justified the means.

Drax The Destroyer and Iron Man reappear, as does the Thing. I enjoyed the Thing and Iron Man's battle with the Blood Brothers. The scene then shifts to San Francisco, where Daredevil and the Black Widow encounter Moondragon and Captain Marvel, leading us back to Captain Marvel's magazine with #31. The Avengers and Drax The Destroyer become involved as Thanos finally absorbs the power of the Cosmic Cube, essentially becoming one with the universe. This could well be the end of the book, as Thanos is defeated (I won't tell you how) and the day is saved.

Fortunately there is more, this time over in Warlock's series. Adam Warlock enters into an uncomfortable alliance with Thanos in order to defeat the Magus after Thanos' creation, Gamora, fails to assassinate him. There is all kinds of Bronze Age philosophy and timeslip psychobabble that works in the context of the era and the material but wouldn't make one iota of sense if you read it here.

The climax is a crossover with Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2, where Thanos harnesses the power of the Soul Gem and intends to use it to destroy our sun, thus destroying all life in our solar system as an offering to the love of his life, the lady Death. This is Thanos at his most grim and gruesome, a completely evil creature that takes the combined might of The Avengers, Adam Warlock, Spider-Man, and the Thing to defeat. The battle scenes, especially those between Thor and Thanos, are incredible. This is how comics are supposed to be done, kids. Things end with a bang, and by the time that you are done this feels like a major league event, even though it took place across four years' worth of comics.

Jim Starlin pushed the limits of the cosmic epic, all before the world had ever heard of Star Wars. I am sure that Star Trek and 2001: A Space Odyssey were an influence on him but it is cool seeing a science fiction and superhero hybrid done before Star Wars, as the impact of that movie was so severe that nothing that came afterward was the same. His artwork and writing helped elevate the sophistication of comic books during this era. A few embarrassingly adolescent double entendres aside, this is adult stuff without being graphic or lewd.

So if you happen to encounter any space aliens or inter-dimensional travelers and they ask you to point out some good superhero comics, fork over a copy of this book.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- I love these think chunky trade paperbacks. I cannot resist the lure of 400-500 page books with this paper stock.

Linework and Color restoration: Many of these issues use the files from the Marvel Masterworks (Captain Marvel, Warlock, etc.) and are excellent. The rest are very good overall.

Paper stock: Off white matte coated stock. This is the same stock found in softcover Masterworks, Classic line trades, and Epic line trades. It is my favorite paper stock for comics with flat coloring.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- MARVEL MASTERWORKS: FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 16

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 16 (Marvel, First Printing, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Fantastic Four #164-175, Fantastic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-In-One #20, and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1 (cover dates November, 1975- October, 1976)

Writers: Roy Thomas with Bill Mantlo (#172 only)

Artists: Pencilers- George Perez, John Buscema, Rich Buckler, and Sal Buscema; Inkers- Joe Sinnott, Vince Colletta, John Buscema, Sam Grainger, John Tartaglione, and George Roussos

You could title this one Double (and Triple) Dips Are Fun or I Hate My Money. Issues 164-175 were all recently collected in the Crusaders And Titans trade paperback. I bought and dumped that one on eBay when this book was announced. Issues 164-167 and 170 were all collected in Fantastic Four Visionaries: George Perez Vol. 1, which I had and dumped years ago with the announcement of the Crusaders And Titans trade. Then we have Fantastic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-In-One #20, and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1, which were all collected in The Thing: Liberty Legion hardcover a few years ago. So this entire book was a reread and a double dip, albeit now in “high def”.

I have always envisioned Reed Richards as the Professor from Gilligan's Island.

Since I have already reviewed these issues in those books, I will allow you to refer to the links in the paragraph above. They held up well on the reread, although some of Roy Thomas' dialogue is dated, which is forgivable when dealing with comics nearly 40 years old. I could have kept the other books which collected these issues but the notion of getting them with superior restoration and keeping my Fantastic Four Masterworks library intact proved to be too great of a lure. A pox upon you, completist OCD!

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Marvel Masterworks are my poison of choice. For Masterworks of this book's vintage, rest assured that this is the definitive Blu-Ray edition of this material. No line bleed or off register printing. No mouldering pulp paper. The art and the colors look like the artists intended and are not hampered by primitive four color printing processes.

Linework and Color restoration: Painstakingly restored linework and a color palette that is 100% faithful to the source material. Those who claim that the colors are too bright or miss the “artistic choice” of Ben Day dots have obviously never seen an original color guide from this era.

Paper stock: Thick coated semi-glossy coated stock that has that sweet, sweet smell that all Chinese manufactured books have. I theorize that this delectable aroma is caused by the toxic stew of broken asbestos tiles, lead paint chips, heavy metal industrial waste, and mercury from recalled thermometers combined with the blood, sweat, and tears of the Chinese children working the sweatshop printing presses. The frosting on this delicious cake scent is the paper which is likely sourced from virgin Amazon rainforests.

Binding: Rounded book casing and Smyth sewn binding allow this book to lay completely flat in one hand as Godzilla intended.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Spot varnish on the dustjacket, faux leather grain casewrap with dye foil stamping.

Review- THING CLASSIC VOL. 2

THING CLASSIC VOL. 2 (Marvel, First Printing, 2012; Softcover)

Collects Thing #11-22 and Fantastic Four #274 (cover dates May, 1984- April, 1985)

Writers: John Byrne, Mike Carlin (#14-17), and Bob Harras (#18)

Artists: Penciler- Ron Wilson and John Byrne (FF #274) and Inkers- Joe Sinnott, Andy Mushynsky, Danny Bulanadi, Mike Gustovich, and Al Gordon

I have been on something of a Marvel kick lately, part of my mourning the death of these characters and the Marvel Universe as I once knew it. I am not just referring to the recent Secret Wars mini-series, but what I now refer to as Marvel A.B. (After Bendis). You can point to Avengers Disassembled as the beginning of the end for these characters. While there were certainly many enjoyable moments after 2003, the tone and feeling made a turn for the worse, growing from crossover to crossover to pointless, endless reboot after reboot. Nothing matters any more. Neither continuity nor legacy numbering nor characterization that ring true to the foundations of these characters. If it doesn't matter, then none of it matters, and I no longer feel compelled to follow the “All New All Different Marvel”. Bendis has done what DC could never do: Make me hate Marvel Comics, further cementing my conspiracy theory that he is a double agent sent by DC to destroy Marvel from within. My Marvel Comics Group is dead and gone.

Not everything needs a #1 to be a jumping on point, you know. I picked it up #19 of this title one cold rainy morning before school off of a spinner rack at 7-11. My Mom sent me into to buy her a pack of cigarettes and told me that I could get a comic. The cover of #19 grabbed me and that was it. Did I mention that I was eleven years old, and that in 1984 it was a-okay for a kid to go into a store and buy smokes as long as they said that it was for their parents? Of course I knew who The Thing was, as I read Fantastic Four back then, but I didn't know that The Thing was on Battleworld or that this was part 6 of the Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger arc or anything else that was going on. I was able to come into this series cold and have a good idea what is going on.

#19 crossed over with Fantastic Four #274 (also released on the newsstand in October of 1984) creating an awesome Monster Mash indeed. Over the course of those two issues the Thing fought a vampire, a mummy, Frankenstein's monster, and a werewolf. It doesn't get any more badass than that, and my then-11 year old self loved it to death. I read those issues countless times that fall and can almost recite them word for word to this day. I also bought #22 off of the spinner racks, likely because I had received some money from a relative for Christmas.

Aside from those three issues, these were all new reads to me. I bought #24, 30, 35, and 36 off of the spinner racks when they were released, which would be collected in a hypothetical Volume 3. One more fifteen issue trade could finish this line, collecting issues 23-36 and West Coast Avengers #10. This book is already three years old and it hasn't happened yet, so the likelihood of it ever happening is slim.

The Thing decided to stay on Battleworld following the conclusion of the Secret Wars because he could change back and forth to his human form of Ben Grimm at will due to the unique nature of the planet. He also wanted to sort out his feelings for Alicia Masters. Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) gave him a slim card-sized device which, with the press of a button, would transport him back to Earth. With that in mind, Ben Grimm set off on a sort of vision quest.

Mild 30+ year old spoilers from here on out. It's kind of difficult to touch on a lot of points in this book without tipping my hand a little. The planet reacted to the subconscious thoughts of Ben Grimm, pulling all of his fears and desires and twisting them into bizarre scenarios and people. Ben faces many truths about himself, such as why Reed Richards being the leader of the Fantastic Four is really the best thing for them because Ben's own leadership skills are lacking. He experiences blindness at the hands of the Reckoner, giving him insight into Alicia Master's world and fatherhood when he and Tarianna find an orphaned infant, albeit temporarily for both. The biggest truth that he faces is that he is The Thing and The Thing is him. It is this realization that makes him come to terms that all of us face in adulthood: we are in truth our own best friend and worst enemy in one.

All of this heady psychoanalysis could have been painfully dull but wasn't because it was done with plenty of action and fun, something sorely lacking from modern Marvel Comics. See, we are supposed to be past this, as comic books are sophisticated and mature adult art, right? I dunno, I enjoyed this as a kid and I enjoyed reading these issues as a forty-something. I don't need profanity or sexual situations to feel that I am reading something “mature”. Those things seem painfully adolescent to me, but then again I am a dinosaur, right? Unlike modern comic creators and fans, I don't feel that superheroes are stupid, nor do I think that the people who like them are stupid. This Haha we are all in on the joke, aren't superheroes stupid? mentality has ruined comics.

John Byrne's writing is tops, and the art team of Ron Wilson and Joe Sinnott can't be beat. Wilson's Thing ranks up there with the best: Kirby, Perez, and Byrne. I cannot recommend this book enough to fans of superhero comics, fun, and life. If you hate fun or life, there are plenty of comics being produced today that will fill that void for you.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Nothing unusual to report.

Linework and Color restoration: Excellent and true.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock of sufficient thickness and weight. This is the same stock found in the softcover Marvel Masterworks and Epic line books, and is my favorite paper stock being used in collections today.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock. 

Review- THING: THE SERPENT CROWN AFFAIR

THING: THE SERPENT CROWN AFFAIR (Marvel, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Marvel Two-In-One #64-67 and Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 (cover dates June, 1980- Annual 1982)

Writers: Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, and Steven Grant

Artists: Pencilers- George Perez, Jerry Bingham, Ron Wilson, and Mark Gruenwald; Inkers- Gene Day and Jim Mooney

So good! Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio's run on Marvel Two-In-One is such an underrated classic. They really understand characterization, and by that I mean they dive into what makes The Thing tick. Many fans confuse characterization as endless pages of breakfast table conversation that do nothing but pad out a page count. It's not. Issues 64-67 are fantastic, and I hope that we get the entire series collected in Marvel Masterworks hardcovers. So far there is only one volume available.

The Serpent Crown is one of the '70s continuity-porn things with a twisty-twervy history. It takes several of those story recap pages in MTIO Annual #5 just to bring a new reader up to speed. I can imagine little Aloysius in Boise, ID buying this off of a spinner rack thinking that it is clear as mud. If you drop that aspect and just read it as a crown that possesses the wearer and tries to bring about the return of the serpent god Set then you will enjoy this more. Once you factor in alternate Earths and countless Serpent Crowns like you see in MTIO Annual #5 things get ridiculous pretty quick. This issue cost the book a full point.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

Buy THING: THE SERPENT CROWN AFFAIR HC at InStockTrades!

Also available in Direct Market Variant flavor!

The OCD zone- The late, lamented Marvel Premiere Classic line was a sort of junior Masterworks line, where material was presented in a high quality format but at a much lower MSRP than the Marvel Masterworks. The line reached well over 100 books but petered out because Marvel flooded the market with them.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Front and back dustjacket covers minus trade dress, which are fully rendered versions of #66 and Annual #5. (2 pages)

Linework and Color: The linework is tight and clean. Not Masterworks level but I am fine with it. The coloring is faithful to the original issues.

Paper stock: Thick coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding, six stitches per signature; lays completely flat. Yes, lays, not lies. My Facebook watchdog group, Collected Editions Consumer Resource Center, was originally called DC Collected Editions Fans Who Want Sewn Binding And Books That Lay Flat. Along the way some smarmy idiot challenged my use lay saying it should be lie, all the while not being aware of the whole direct object thing. You know, you lie on a couch but you lay a book on a table. So to that grammatically challenged know-it-nothing, know that I am still laughing at you.

Cover notes: Dustjacket with spot varnishing. The hardback itself has faux leather casewrap with orange die stamping.

Review: ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 4 TP

ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 4 (Marvel, 2011; Softcover)

Note: Book actually released in 2012

Collects Marvel Two-In-One Nos. 78-98, 100 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual Nos. 6, 7 (cover dates August, 1981- June, 1983)

Writers: Tom DeFalco, David Michelinie, Doug Moench, David Kraft, Jan Strnad, and John Byrne

Artists: Pencilers- Ron Wilson with Alan Kupperberg; Inkers- Chic Stone, Gene Day, Jim Mooney, Jon D'Agostino, Ricardo Villamonte, Bob Camp, Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, Dan Green, and Armando Gil

Sometimes I think that I am jaded and cynical and too hard on Marvel these days. Gosh, maybe my tastes have changed and I am “over” superhero comics. Then I'll read something like this book, which is material that I have mostly never read before, and it becomes apparent to me that I am not over superhero comic books, it's that many modern Marvel Comics simply suck balls.

This series is the yin to Marvel Team-Up's yang. The Thing teams up with random second stringers each month, and the series has a real supporting cast for a while. The general vibe of this series is offbeat. Pretty much anything goes. I really enjoyed how this weaved in and out of ongoing Fantastic Four plotlines. I also enjoyed how the Thing's temper kept getting him in trouble.

Tom DeFalco writes the bulk of the issues collected in this book, and he is something of a Marvel scholar. DeFalco studied at the altar of Silver Age Marvel and learned the lessons of Stan Lee well. He knows what makes these heroes tick and he knows how to expand on continuity without making it the focal point of the story. It sounds so simple to do but is actually quite difficult to pull off.

Most of the artwork is handled by the team of Penciler Ron Wilson and Inker Chic Stone. Wilson stuck around even after this series was cancelled and relaunched a few months later as The Thing. Both provide excellent, “true” Marvel house style art.

This is the fourth and final book in this line. Aside from the licensed issues being omitted*, we have the entire run collected. Vol. 1 of the Marvel Masterworks line was released a year or so ago. It would take at least 8 more volumes to collect this entire series in that format. Bring it!

*#99 is omitted from this collection due to the fact that it has ROM, Spaceknight in it. ROM tops many fans' lists of most-wanted collected edition. Until Hasbro or Parker Bros. or whoever holds the license wants to play ball it would appear that our only option is to collect the floppies.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Buy ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 4 TP at InStockTrades!

The OCD zone- These chunky 500 page black and white phonebooks are the height of pre-2003 trade paperbacks, meaning that they are ever so slightly shorter than standard trade paperbacks. Most sane folks wouldn't notice such a thing, but those of us who frequent The OCD zone are not quite sane, are we?

DVD-style Extras included in this book: None.

Linework restoration rating: 4.5 out of 5. There are a handful of dropped letters or very mild scrapes, but by and large this is pretty tight linework-wise.

Paper rating: 3 out of 5. Pulp paper. While it is cool because it is authentic feeling, it is also uncool because I know that it will do what pulp paper tends to do. Namely it will yellow or brown and feel “filmy” over time. I do love the smell or mouldering pulp paper, though.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. Laminated cardstock.

Review- THE THING: LIBERTY LEGION

THE THING: LIBERTY LEGION (Marvel, 2011; Hardcover)

Collects Invaders Nos. 5, 6 Marvel Premiere Nos. 29, 30, Fantastic Four Annual No. 11, Marvel Two-In-One Annual No. 1, and Marvel Two-In-One No. 20 (cover dates March- October, 1976)

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artists: Pencilers- John Buscema, Don Heck, Sal Buscema, Frank Robbins, Rich Buckler, and Dick Ayers; Inkers- Vince Colletta, Sam Grainger, Jim Mooney, George Roussos, and John Tartaglione

The year was 1976, and America's Bicentennial was all the rage. While I was a mere 3 years old at the time, the reverberations of this celebration were felt for years, with all of the leftover Spirit of '76 flags, welcome doormats, coffee mugs, and other paraphernalia. With the apparent success of The Invaders, Roy Thomas was all set to push his Golden Age fetish with yet another team of superheroes set during the 1940s, this batch from the Timely Comics era of Marvel.

Using a somewhat ingenious scenario to unite these seven misfits, Roy Thomas brought in characters which the average comic fan of the day would have no idea who they were. The only reason that I knew who any of them were is because I own all of the Golden Age Marvel Masterworks, and even those don't contain all of the stories referred to here. The Red Skull manages to hypnotize The Invaders (Captain America, The Human Torch, The Sub-Mariner, and the Torch's kid sidekick, Toro) except for Bucky Barnes. Barnes then does a ham-fisted invasion of a radio station to call other heroes for help. Scenarios like this are corny and overwritten, but Thomas does them to move things along while demonstrating the heroes' powers with their misunderstanding fights/ hey, let's team up outcomes. Answering Bucky's call are the Whizzer, Jack Frost, the Blue Diamond, Red Raven, Miss America, The Patriot, and The Thin Man. They are dubbed the Liberty Legion and of course free The Invaders.

Comic fans, myself included, bemoan the crossover. Such blatant cash grabs...such gimmicky marketing...if only comics could go back to the good ol' days! You mean like the good ol's days of early 1976, when rascally Roy Thomas made you buy Invaders #5, Marvel Premiere #29, Invaders #6, and then Marvel Premiere #30 in order to get the complete story? Or howsabout how, in an apparent act of desperation to get his beloved Golden Age heroes into their very own ongoing series, they became the focal point of a crossover which began in Fantastic Four Annual #11, continued in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1, and finally ended in Marvel Two-In-One #20. Yes, Marvel has been suckering us all into buying comics that we didn't really want to buy for longer than any of us want to admit.

Occasionally clunky dialogue and some overwriting aside, these are all fun reads. The artwork is solid. Just look at that list of artists above, it's a veritable who's who of Bronze Age journeymen. In the second crossover (or “arc” as the kids call them) the Liberty Legion take a backseat to The Thing and the rest of the Fantastic Four. Indeed, the team are not the main focus for the majority of the book. Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1 features a young Johnny Romita in the New York of 1942, one of a billion Roy Thomas winks and nods (or “Easter eggs” as the hipsters say) peppered throughout these comic books. Roy Thomas was one of the original generation of comic book fans who came to write comics. His reverence for the medium is apparent. What many folks thought of as disposable entertainment Thomas saw as an important artform.

Praise be to Marvel for releasing such a left field, odd duck collection. No one would have ever asked them to make it, but I was only too happy to buy it. I am not sure what that says about me, but I am certain that someday the pharmaceutical industry will make a pill to cure me of it. Until then, MAKE MINE MARVEL!*

*Sentiment does not apply to most modern Marvel Comics.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- The late, lamented Marvel Premiere Classic Hardcovers were a sort of junior Masterworks line. While they weren't quite the “Blu-Ray” version of these issues like you would see in a Marvel Masterwork, they are still excellent.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Give Me Liberty- Or Give Me Legion text pages by Roy Thomas from Marvel Premiere #29 and 30 (2 pages).

Linework and Color restoration rating: 3 out of 5. This rating is based on an average. Some of these issues are a muddy, pixelated mess (Invaders #6) while others are perfectly fine, serviceable restorations (Marvel Two-In-One #20). The original color palette is maintained for the most part with only a minor deviation here or there.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. Sweet smelling toxic ink Chinese made virgin Amazon rainforest tree-sourced coated stock paper with a slight sheen.

Binding rating: 5 out of 5. Smyth sewn binding, 6 stitches per signature. The book lays 90-95% flat. The book block doesn't have much room to flex to lay perfectly because the squared casing.

Buy THE THING: LIBERTY LEGION HC at InStockTrades!

Review- THING CLASSIC VOL. 1

THING CLASSIC VOL. 1 (Marvel, 2011; Softcover)

Collects The Thing Nos. 1-10 (cover dates July, 1983- April, 1984)

Writer: John Byrne

Artists: Ron Wilson (penciler), Hilary Barta (inker), Joe Sinnott (inker, issues 1, 9, and 10) and John Byrne (back-up story pencils, issue 7, inker, issue 2).

I've always considered the Thing to be something of a bit player, part of an ensemble cast rather than the star of the show. He co-headlined Marvel Two-In-One, and as enjoyable as that is, it seldom shifted out of third gear; it was always good but seldom great, or even very good. I picked up several issues of his solo title off of the stands back in the day, but none of the 10 issues collected in this book. Like the old NBC re-run ad campaign, since I haven't seen read it, it's new to me.

Byrne could have easily gone for a Hulk-tinged slugfest theme for this series. The Thing easily lends himself to such all-out action. What we have here is a precursor to modern comic book style storytelling, with the emphasis being on the man instead of the monster. The series starts out with a whimper, filling in a lot of backstory and recaps in the first issue. I wouldn't think that this was the ideal way to launch a new series of a superhero title. Issue 2 is another quiet, character driven tale. 

Issues 3 and 4 are the infamous Lockjaw-is-not-a-dog Byrne Inhumans ret-con. This is much derided by fandom at large. There is some action in these issues, and the title begins to take on more of a superhero comic feel without sacrificing the character development seen with Ben Grimm's personal life. Issues 5 and 6 feature the Puppet Master, who uses his radioactive clay to manipulate various heroes into fighting the Thing. The whole superhero fights a superhero, wait, it's a misunderstanding that everyone badmouths but I love anyhow.

Issue 7 was one of those offbeat Assistant Editor's Month issues, where every Marvel title did an offbeat story. I can't think of a single one of these that I enjoyed. The villain in this is Goody Two-Shoes, who is quite possibly the worst villain ever to grace the pages of a comic book. I of course realize that he was supposed to be a caricature, but the sheer suckitude of those AEM issues probably lost countless readers. First time readers would surely be put off by this lame issue. Issue 10 ends with The Thing, Mister Fantastic, and the Human Torch entering the Beyonder's construct in Central Park that led into the Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars maxi-series. 

Part of the problem with these first ten issues is that the Fantastic Four are featured throughout the series, albeit in cameo or bit parts. It feels like the Thing is sometimes just filling up screen time until his teammates return. While this was an enjoyable read, the shift from an atypical, personal series to a more tried and true superhero title seems a little disjointed. Don't let that dissuade you from buying this book, though. There are enough great character moments, light-hearted humor, and out and out action to please all palates.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Like all modern Classic collections and softcover Marvel Masterworks, this has that glorious dull matte finish coated stock paper. This is the best possible paper for flat/four color printing coloring, in my opinion. This book has the same highly durable wax coated cardstock cover as all Marvel softcovers.

Linework restoration rating: 5 out of 5.

Color restoration rating: 5 out of 5.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5.

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