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THE THING: FREAKSHOW #1
"Rock Bottom"
Recommended (7/10)
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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 |
Johns and Kolins have been turning in great work month after month on The Flash, so I was anxious to see their take on the Thing. As with most of Johns's work, it's pretty straightforward super-hero stuff, but done with style and skill, and Kolins's art is as unusual and distinctive here as it is on The Flash. Johns is
writing a somewhat unlikable version of the Thing, focusing on his selfish and
grumpy nature more than the big heart that generally defines his character, and
I'm not sure I can get behind this interpretation, but I can't deny that it adds
another level of irony to Grimm's transformation.
I've got a bit of a personal
problem with bullies, so the revelation that Grimm in his childhood was so cruel
as to push around a "freak" because he spilled his popcorn didn't sit well with
me. Given that Ben Grimm's transformation into the Thing has always been
presented as a tragedy, presenting it instead as some kind of ironic comeuppance
didn't really seem like a great idea, but as the story is clearly going to
center on a freakshow and perhaps a chance at redemption for childhood
cruelties, there's a chance that a good story could come from this idea.
If nothing else, the setting
of the freakshow allows Scott Kolins and Andy Lanning to really show off. The
sepia tones by David Self on the flashback really highlight the strange expanse
of the freakshow, and Kolins draws some imaginative freaks, which will come as
no surprise to those who have seen his designs for Flash's new Rogues' Gallery
members. He also does some terrific work on the action sequences, showing off a
classic sort of Fantastic Four battle, but the strongest elements of the art for
me were the more normal ones, such as Ben Grimm hopping a train or winding up in
Michigan.
Actually, aside from my
unhappiness with the opening scene, that's true of the writing as well. Johns
writes an amusing version of the Wrecking Crew, and his take on the traditional
super-heroics of the Fantastic Four was fun, but what I really enjoyed was
seeing Ben taking in more of normal life. His "confrontation" with the cow was
pretty funny, and his mishap at the swimming hole was classic "Yancy Street
Gang" type comedy as well.
Although the book started off
with a scene that didn't really fit Ben Grimm, the rest of the story shows that
Johns has a clear understanding of what makes the Thing such a fun character,
and I expect that his vacation from the Fantastic Four, while not as uneventful
as he might hope, will be an entertaining read.
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