Thing #8 (spoilers)

[Miss Kitty Fantastico]

That? Was totally awesome. Look, first up, I love the setting of a poker tournament - that paid for itself in that first double-page splash, with all the background conversations going on, and the whole thing being a who's-who of superheroes, and everything else was a bonus. Great nods to continuity throughout, with Constrictor v Herc, the GL-Whatever (the ongoing team name joke, and their perennial card-playing), Spidey's new costume (odd to see Namor not being a jerk), Squirrel Girl helping take down yet another heavy-hitter (I liked that Thing got the final shot, SG's brilliant notwithstanding it would've been a bit too much if she'd cleaned house solo in Thing's book, but this was a great compromise that let both of them have their dignity), Impy (I only realised on second read that that was him shape-shifting in the three panels above the 'Hulk' one), plus 'Thing beats Hulk' (neat jab at all those who'd-win arguments), all the running themes from Thing itself, Arlo and Shecky and Alicia and Thing getting back to his roots... And there's super-fights (two of them, no less!), and Ben's Bar Mitzvah (pretty significant sequence, that - how often do you see a superhero not just with an identified religion, but actually practicing their faith?) again with everyone there... and the fake-out with the final hand of poker was gorgeous.

Also, the cover was a hoot, with the little gags with the cards all snuck in there.

So, all that for AU$6.25? Hell yes.

One thing I'm really curious about, in light of Civil War (this is obviously pre-CW): on the big splash double-page, we've got two groupings in the foreground - on one side Tony Stark, Hank Pym, Reed, and Cyclops, and on the other Namor, Falcon, Spidey in his traditional costume, and Captain America. Now aside from Cyclops, who we haven't seen yet in CW (wiki lists him as possible anti, but I'm not sure on that), that's pretty much a pro- and anti-reg division - was that intentional?

Also, someone help me out - I identified almost everyone in the crowd scenes (not bad for never having picked up a Marvel comic before She-Hulk vol.2 #4), but who, in the poker tournament double-page, is the guy in the gold and crimson suit walking in over Dr Strange's shoulder, and the big green thing just visible behind She-Hulk?

[boolean]

Also, someone help me out - I identified almost everyone in the crowd scenes (not bad for never having picked up a Marvel comic before She-Hulk vol.2 #4), but who, in the poker tournament double-page, is the guy in the gold and crimson suit walking in over Dr Strange's shoulder, and the big green thing just visible behind She-Hulk?

The guy walking through the door is Colussus from the X-Men in his non-armored form. (He is just hanging out and playing poker, after all.)

I'm not sure about the green thing, because you can't see much of it, but it looks like the Man-Thing.

[tom daylight]

Great issue! Loved every page of it. Never been more gutted about Thing's cancellation! Ah well, at least it serves as a great send-off.

Oh, and more GLA/X/C and Squirrel Girl by Dan Slott gets two big thumbs up from me. I can't believe he even got "two-in-one" in there!!!

I was a bit surprised by how big She-Hulk's behind looks on page 2.

[illaphilla]

This issue was so good, it made me seek out a Dan Slott forum in hopes of thanking him...and it looks like I'm in luck, so:
THANK YOU, SIR!

[Dingo]

This issue was so good, it made me seek out a Dan Slott forum in hopes of thanking him...and it looks like I'm in luck, so:
THANK YOU, SIR!

Welcome to the club Illaphilla :)

[Kevinroc]

This issue was very, very good.

The Great Lakes... uumm... you know, those scenes were very funny.

Some stuff was a bit rushed but that's the nature of being the last issue.

Goodbye, Dan Slott's Thing. I hope I can see it again someday.

[ItsDLEVY]

Great issue, but... um...


There is no time in the Jewish liturgical year during which we read from the book of Job during synagogue services.

But that's minor in the scheme of things. Really, an outstanding issue, and definitely shouldn't be the last.

[Dan Slott]

Great issue, but... um...


There is no time in the Jewish liturgical year during which we read from the book of Job during synagogue services.

But that's minor in the scheme of things. Really, an outstanding issue, and definitely shouldn't be the last.

I know. We checked. The fudge factor is...
...that Job appears (as a character) in sections of the Torah. So it would be possible to have a Torah portion with Job in it-- which could allow Ben to ruminate on Job, who he was, and how Ben relates to him.

Myself? My Torah portion involved God teaching Miriam a lesson in humility by temporarily giving her leprosy. My friend Joseph got the section where Moses led the Children of Israel out of the desert—and I got the one where Miriam gets leprosy. What’re you going to do?

[Melike]

It was a great last issue..sigh.

[ItsDLEVY]

I know. We checked. The fudge factor is...
...that Job appears (as a character) in sections of the Torah. So it would be possible to have a Torah portion with Job in it-- which could allow Ben to ruminate on Job, who he was, and how Ben relates to him.

Myself? My Torah portion involved God teaching Miriam a lesson in humility by temporarily giving her leprosy. My friend Joseph got the section where Moses led the Children of Israel out of the desert—and I got the one where Miriam gets leprosy. What’re you going to do?

This isn't quite accurate.

(I can't believe I'm hiding spoilers for a book that's 5000+ years old...)
Job doesn't appear in the Torah at all. He's in the Tanach (that's "Bible" for those who don't speak the Hebrew), but in a much later section. But your explanation would be no-prize worth if, you know, you weren't the writer. :)

There is only one mention of Job in the Tanach outside of the Book of Job, and it's in Ezekiel 14... which is also never read during the liturgical calendar. (All the haftorot that come from Exekiel either come from much later or earlier in the book.)

There's a midrash (sort of like Rabbinic fan-fiction) that decribes Job as one of Pharoah's advisers in ancient Egypt, but that's "not in continuity" per se.

And Dan, don't feel too bad - my Torah portion involved the world swallowing up those who challenged Moses's leadership.

[Dusty]

Enjoyed the final issue a great deal!

I would LOVE to see you write a mini series featuring Spidey, Cap, the Thing, and She-Hulk in a big self contained adventure together.

With a big time artist!

[carnacally]

I was a bit disappointed that there was no page with some sort of a sendoff from the creators!

[Edward J. Cunningham]

I did read one complaint about this issue on Comicboard's Fantastic Four board. Apparently one reader didn't like the "Ben gets lucky" ending because he thought it was physically impossible for Ben to "get lucky" as the Thing. I do not know where this started, but apparently a large number of fans (including apparently former writer Mark Waid) think that Ben has no working "manly hydraulics" as the Thing. I believe that Ben is more than capable of being physically intimate with a woman. If he cannot be intimate one way (and I think he can) there is always another.

Eddie

P.S. I've tried to be delicate about this subject, but feel free to delete this post if you feel it is necessary...

[Dermie]

It has been implied in previous stories that Ben can't have sex with a human woman in his Thing form. When he was involved with Shary Ventura, a big deal was made about the fact that they were both Things, which meant that Ben was able to be physically intimate with her...and when Ben reverted to human form while Shary was still a Thing, one of the main problems that was brought up was how this would interfere with physical intimacy.

My no-prize explanation for this one is that Ben didn't used to be able to be intimate with human women in his Thing form, but since then Reed has come up with some device or treatment that allows Ben to have sex with women.

In any case, it gave Dan a chance for a cute gag...he got to literally end the series with a 'bang'! ;)

[Edward J. Cunningham]

My no-prize explanation for this one is that Ben didn't used to be able to be intimate with human women in his Thing form, but since then Reed has come up with some device or treatment that allows Ben to have sex with women.

In any case, it gave Dan a chance for a cute gag...he got to literally end the series with a 'bang'! ;)

I was thinking along the lines of the film Coming Home which won Oscars for both Jon Voight and Jane Fonda... (or as Squirrel Girl would say to Ben, "You have a mouth")

[Dingo]

Thanks for putting Aunt Petunia in Dan.
I loved seeing her again.

Thanks for getting Ben and Alicia back together too.
Now I just need you to come through with Pug and Jen and I will be a completely happy man.

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Thanks for putting Aunt Petunia in Dan.
I loved seeing her again.

Thanks for getting Ben and Alicia back together too.
Now I just need you to come through with Pug and Jen and I will be a completely happy man.

A number of posters have said they felt that John and Jennifer are "meant for each other" and that the upcoming marriage is going to stick. My gut feeling tells me that it is only temporary and we will see this plotline resolved in issue #11...

[Dark Lord]

Dan, I absolutely loved this issue (I loved them all, actually). It was great to see the GLA/X/D/C, too!