THE THING: FREAKSHOW #2
"Old Friends"
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Scott Kolins
Inks: Andy Lanning
Colors: David Self
Letters: Randy Gentile
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Price: $2.99 US/$4.75 CAN |
When I was a kid, I often delved into digest comics reprints that took me back a few years into the Silver Age of Comics. The plots were replete with coincidence -- laughables ones, even -- but even if I noticed, I didn't much care. I was more fascinated by the worlds of wonder I discovered on those pages than distracted by the plotting. These days, though, I look for more refined storytelling, and I think the bar is set higher even for young readers as well. This book has strong characters and visuals, but its reliance on the most unbelievable of coincidences breaks my suspension of disbelief.
The Thing turns more than a few heads in the small town he's inadvertently stumbled into, and this is a town that's used to seeing Paul Balk's World Famous Freak Show. As the townspeople fawn over the noted super-hero, Balk himself approaches him and bursts his hero-worship bubble. Ben Grimm is soon distracted by other concerns; the townspeople are acting oddly, and Balk and his freaks aren't all they appear to be either.
Kolins and Lanning seem to gel much better as an art team in this issue. I'm reminded of the strength Kolins brings to The Flash every month, and his exaggerated but emotive style certainly suits the unusual cast of characters here. And as for the villain revealed on the final splash page, well, I have to say that the design is thoroughly creepy and inventive, while still incorporating some Silver Age design elements. David Self's colors also reinforces that off-the-wall tone. His bright hues all seem a little off somehow, but in a way that bolsters the almost surreal atmosphere.
So here we have Ben Grimm, down on his luck and feeling even more miserable about life than he already was. Works for the character, certainly, but it's all a little too familiar. In other efforts, Johns has proven that he does great work with classic super-hero concepts, but he also tends to bring something new to the equation. I'm not seeing that here... not yet, anyway. Mind you, the tension between the title character and Balk in the diner was pulled off nicely.
At its heart, the Thing is a fun character, and this is a fun story. But Johns just asks a little too much of the reader, trying to incorporate Marvel continuity and themes of acceptance and rejection. Too many coincidences converge in this script, too many to ignore.
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