What do you think?
Rate this book
Marvel Two-in-One Epic Collection
Marvel Two-in-One Epic Collection, Vol. 1: Cry Monster
Watch out Yancy Street! Benjamin Grimm, A.K.A. the Fantastic Four's Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing, is stomping his way into his own series - Marvel Two-In-One - guest-starring the greatest heroes in the Marvel Universe. In this inaugural MTIO Epic Collection, the Thing battles the Incredible Hulk, the minions of Thanos and the giant monster Braggadoom, and even brings the Guardians of the Galaxy back into the fi rmament of Marvel stars. He'll also join forces with icons like Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Daredevil and Luke Cage. Topping it off, the Thing joins the Amazing Spider-Man in a MTIO/MTU crossover classic! Collecting MARVEL FEATURE (1971) #11-12, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) #1-19 and MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #47
432 pages, Paperback
First published November 26, 2013
About the author
Steve Gerber
651 books66 followersSteve Gerber graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in communications and took a job in advertising. To keep himself sane, he wrote bizarre short stories such as "Elves Against Hitler," "Conversion in a Terminal Subway," and "...And the Birds Hummed Dirges!" He noticed acquaintance Roy Thomas working at Marvel, and Thomas sent him Marvel's standard writing test, dialoguing Daredevil art. He was soon made a regular on Daredevil and Sub-Mariner, and the newly created Man-Thing, the latter of which pegged him as having a strong personal style--intellectual, introspective, and literary. In one issue, he introduced an anthropomorphic duck into a horror fantasy, because he wanted something weird and incongruous, and Thomas made the character, named for Gerber's childhood friend Howard, fall to his apparent death in the following issue. Fans were outraged, and the character was revived in a new and deeply personal series. Gerber said in interview that the joke of Howard the Duck is that "there is no joke." The series was existential and dealt with the necessities of life, such as finding employment to pay the rent. Such unusual fare for comicbooks also informed his writing on The Defenders. Other works included Morbius, the Lving Vampire, The Son of Satan, Tales of the Zombie, The Living Mummy, Marvel Two-in-One, Guardians of the Galaxy, Shanna the She-Devil, and Crazy Magazine for Marvel, and Mister Miracle, Metal Men,
The Phantom Zone
, and The Immortal Doctor Fate for DC. Gerber eventually lost a lawsuit for control of Howard the Duck when he was defending artist Gene Colan's claim of delayed paychecks for the series, which was less important to him personally because he had a staff job and Colan did not.
He left comics for animation in the early 1980s, working mainly with Ruby-Spears, creating Thundarr the Barbarian with Alex Toth and Jack Kirby and episodes of The Puppy's Further Adventures, and Marvel Productions, where he was story editor on multiple Marvel series including Dungeons & Dragons, G.I. Joe, and The Transformers. He continued to dabble in comics, mainly for Eclipse, including the graphic novel Stewart the Rat, the two-part horror story "Role Model: Caring, Sharing, and Helping Others," and the seven-issue Destroyer Duck with Jack Kirby, which began as a fundraiser for Gerber's lawsuit.
In the early 1990s, he returned to Marvel with Foolkiller, a ten-issue limited series featuring a new version of a villain he had used in The Man-Thing and Omega the Unknown, who communicated with a previous version of the character through internet bulletin boards. An early internet adopter himself, he wrote two chapters of BBSs for Dummies with Beth Woods Slick, with whom he also wrote the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Contagion." During this period, he also wrote The Sensational She-Hulk and Cloak and Dagger for Marvel, Cybernary and WildC.A.T.s for Image, and Sludge and Exiles for the writer-driven Malibu Ultraverse, and Nevada for DC's mature readers Vertigo line.
In 2002, he returned to the Howard the Duck character for Marvel's mature readers MAX line, and for DC created Hard Time with Mary Skrenes, with whom he had co-created the cult hit Omega the Unknown for Marvel. Their ending for Omega the Unknown remains a secret that Skrenes plans to take to the grave if Marvel refuses to publish it. Suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ("idiopathic" meaning of unknown origin despite having been a heavy smoker much of his life), he was on a waiting list for a double lung transplant. His final work was the Doctor Fate story arc, "More Pain Comics," for DC Comics'
He left comics for animation in the early 1980s, working mainly with Ruby-Spears, creating Thundarr the Barbarian with Alex Toth and Jack Kirby and episodes of The Puppy's Further Adventures, and Marvel Productions, where he was story editor on multiple Marvel series including Dungeons & Dragons, G.I. Joe, and The Transformers. He continued to dabble in comics, mainly for Eclipse, including the graphic novel Stewart the Rat, the two-part horror story "Role Model: Caring, Sharing, and Helping Others," and the seven-issue Destroyer Duck with Jack Kirby, which began as a fundraiser for Gerber's lawsuit.
In the early 1990s, he returned to Marvel with Foolkiller, a ten-issue limited series featuring a new version of a villain he had used in The Man-Thing and Omega the Unknown, who communicated with a previous version of the character through internet bulletin boards. An early internet adopter himself, he wrote two chapters of BBSs for Dummies with Beth Woods Slick, with whom he also wrote the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Contagion." During this period, he also wrote The Sensational She-Hulk and Cloak and Dagger for Marvel, Cybernary and WildC.A.T.s for Image, and Sludge and Exiles for the writer-driven Malibu Ultraverse, and Nevada for DC's mature readers Vertigo line.
In 2002, he returned to the Howard the Duck character for Marvel's mature readers MAX line, and for DC created Hard Time with Mary Skrenes, with whom he had co-created the cult hit Omega the Unknown for Marvel. Their ending for Omega the Unknown remains a secret that Skrenes plans to take to the grave if Marvel refuses to publish it. Suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ("idiopathic" meaning of unknown origin despite having been a heavy smoker much of his life), he was on a waiting list for a double lung transplant. His final work was the Doctor Fate story arc, "More Pain Comics," for DC Comics'
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 4, 2019
Marvel Two-In_One Epic Collection: Cry Monster collects Marvel Feature 11-12, Marvel Two-In-One 1-19, and Marvel Team-Up 47.
The Fantastic Four has been one of my favorite comics for decades and, by extension, The Thing is one of my faves. Combine that for my love of Bronze age team-up books and this one was a slam dunk.
The ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing was once one of Marvel's top guys, the tough guy with a heart of gold who headlined his own book in addition to co-starring in Fantastic Four every month before Wolverine eclipsed him. The stories within this tome were just a sprinkling of his adventures.
In this epic collection, The Thing teams with Marvel stalwarts like Ironman, Captain America, and Spider-Man, as well as less notable characters like Son of Satan, Morbius, and Man-Thing. The book boasts an all-star cast, with Bill Mantlo and Steve Gerber doing the bulk of the writing and Sal Buscema and Ron Wilson heading up the artist ranks.
The stories aren't anything spectacular, not surprising since Marvel Two-In-One was a team up book so writers had to come up with an excuse for The Thing to team with someone new every issue. MTIO had its moments though, even in the early days. The art is peak 1970s, though. In addition to Ron Wilson and Sal Buscema, Gil Kane, Jim Starlin, George Tuska, Herb Trimpe, and others grace the pages. The Thing has such an iconic look and the art has a unified feel, even with the stylistic differences of the artists. The 1970s pop culture references are great. I love that The Thing was a Space: 1999 fan!
My favorite part of this book is seeing how Benjamin J. Grimm is the glue that holds the Marvel Universe together, a gruff tough guy who knows everybody and will do anything for his friends, from Wundarr to Ka-Zar. It's crazy to think how far The Thing has fallen in the Marvel pecking order in favor of characters like Wolverine, Deadpool, and the Punisher. The Thing is the rocky guy with the gooey center, a softie at heart.
Marvel Two-In_One Epic Collection: Cry Monster is an interesting look back at a time when one of Marvel's top guys was encrusted in little orange rocks. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The Fantastic Four has been one of my favorite comics for decades and, by extension, The Thing is one of my faves. Combine that for my love of Bronze age team-up books and this one was a slam dunk.
The ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing was once one of Marvel's top guys, the tough guy with a heart of gold who headlined his own book in addition to co-starring in Fantastic Four every month before Wolverine eclipsed him. The stories within this tome were just a sprinkling of his adventures.
In this epic collection, The Thing teams with Marvel stalwarts like Ironman, Captain America, and Spider-Man, as well as less notable characters like Son of Satan, Morbius, and Man-Thing. The book boasts an all-star cast, with Bill Mantlo and Steve Gerber doing the bulk of the writing and Sal Buscema and Ron Wilson heading up the artist ranks.
The stories aren't anything spectacular, not surprising since Marvel Two-In-One was a team up book so writers had to come up with an excuse for The Thing to team with someone new every issue. MTIO had its moments though, even in the early days. The art is peak 1970s, though. In addition to Ron Wilson and Sal Buscema, Gil Kane, Jim Starlin, George Tuska, Herb Trimpe, and others grace the pages. The Thing has such an iconic look and the art has a unified feel, even with the stylistic differences of the artists. The 1970s pop culture references are great. I love that The Thing was a Space: 1999 fan!
My favorite part of this book is seeing how Benjamin J. Grimm is the glue that holds the Marvel Universe together, a gruff tough guy who knows everybody and will do anything for his friends, from Wundarr to Ka-Zar. It's crazy to think how far The Thing has fallen in the Marvel pecking order in favor of characters like Wolverine, Deadpool, and the Punisher. The Thing is the rocky guy with the gooey center, a softie at heart.
Marvel Two-In_One Epic Collection: Cry Monster is an interesting look back at a time when one of Marvel's top guys was encrusted in little orange rocks. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
December 31, 2021
A wildly inconsistent collection that features a few high points, many low points, and a lot of very forgettable tomfoolery that is tolerable if only because the word "Thing" keeps popping up.
So, it's basically like my jokes.
So, it's basically like my jokes.
October 13, 2024
Marvel had two long-running Team-Up titles. This one features the Thing, Ben Grimm from the pages of the Fantastic Four, and a different guest-star (just about) each issue. Because of the nature of the premise, this makes telling longer, more complex and interesting stories a little more difficult, although there are some real gems in this collection. Unfortunately, like most anthologies, there is a balance between the surprisingly good and the astonishingly bad. Some of the writers do come up with some very clever ways a telling a story over multiple chapters, with different guest-stars, but things (sorry about the pun) don’t always work out as intended.
Marvel Feature #11-12 - This volume starts off with two issues from a completely different title, as they start the series of adventures which team-up the Thing with another Marvel hero each month. Len Wein and Mike Friedrich start the series off right with art by none other than Jim Starlin. High marks all around, even with the continuity of keeping the characters, such as Thing, Hulk, Iron Man, Thanos, Leader, Blood Brothers, and Kurrgo, and their storylines, including threads from the pages of Captain Marvel, together (3/5).
Once we get to the Marvel Two-In-One (aka MTIO) issues proper we are treated with art from Gil Kane in the first two. Again off to a great start for this series. And with Steve Gerber providing a consistent grip on the script and plotting chores for the first 8 issues, so this is an additional bonus that helps this series set off in the right direction. Even through a dazzling array of guest-stars of the likes of Man-Thing, Namor, Daredevil, Captain America, the original Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Valkyrie & Ghost Rider (3/5).
The 2-part story that spans MTIO #4-5 is also the story that brought me into the series all the way back in dark recesses of 1974. Reading these issues again is like using a Way-Back time machine, and oddly enough Ben Grimm and Captain America, along with Sharon Carter, use a time machine in this story to travel into the future to 3014 where the meet the Real, I mean the original, Guardians of the Galaxy. This was only the team’s second appearance (the first being in the pages of Marvel Super-Heroes #18). And this is NOT the team made famous in the films, here we have Vance Astro, Martinex, Charlie-27 and Yondu. I was thrilled by this storyline and was hooked for the foreseeable future because of how much fun this story was (4/5).
I have to admit that when I first read these next couple of issues, MTIO #6-7, I wasn’t yet a fan of Doctor Strange. So this story didn’t really thrill me. It took a couple of re-readings and more familiarity with the Doctor and the Defenders, as Valkyrie joins the story in #7, for me to really appreciate what was going on. But every time I come back to this story I enjoy it a little bit more, seeing how it folds in elements from Ben Grimm’s past as easily as it incorporates Wong, Clea and eventually even ties into the origins of Valkyrie. But for that we need the concluding chapter from Defenders #20 (which is sadly, and almost criminally, missing from this volume, check out Defenders Epic Collection, Vol. 1: The Day of the Defenders for the entire story) that really wraps up this little mini-epic (4/5).
Next up is the earlier mentioned story with Ghost Rider. This one is a little wonky, and rather typical in how the format of these team-up titles can be extremely contrived. It’s also a Christmas story, sort of (3/5). Then we have Gerber’s last issue, he provided the plot and Chris Claremont handled the script, in a story pitting Ben against the might of Thor while under the control of … aw, that would be telling. This one is the low point of the collection thus far and illustrates exactly why these team-up books can get old really fast (1/5). Claremont returns for the next story, with Ben and the Black Widow working together to save the world. Better than the previous one, but still a bit contrived (2/5).
Then we have another run of many issues by the same author (with just one fill-in by someone different) which helps to illustrate why these types of titles need a regular author to help maintain some continuity. Bill Mantlo provides some consistency in characters, but the stories are all over the place. #11 features Ben and a short-run character from the pages of Strange Tales #174, 176 & 177 named the Golem. What’s interesting about this one that the Thing is in many ways an updated interpretation of the Golem from legend. This basically acts as a final chapter to the short lived career of this interesting character (3/5). #12 brings us Iron Man and Ben facing off against an all but forgotten character from the pages of Fantastic Four years previously, Prester John. It’s a typical team-up style story (3/5). #13 is our fill-in issue from Roger Slifer & Len Wein, and it shows. It’s weak and the characterization is weirdly off balance. It features Luke Cage, Power Man, and Ben fighting a giant, well basically a new born and it’s gratefully over quickly (2/5). Next, Mantlo is back with Ben & the Son of Satan, aka Daimon Hellstrom, in the pages of #14. This is a tale of a ghost town, a racist stereotype and demons, nothing to write home about (2/5). #15 offers Ben meeting the living vampire, aka Morbius, I’ve got to give credit where it is due: Mantlo comes up with some really out-there wacky ideas. This one pulls a long forgotten adversary from the pages of Tales to Astonish #49, the Living Eraser, and pits him against this duo. I did say it was wacky, didn’t I? It’s one of those typical 1970s team-up clichés that pit the two protagonists against one another before teaming-up to stop the villain. The formula can get tedious, but it kind of works here, thanks in no small part to Mantlo’s uncanny ability to keep the little details in mind while writing (like the fact that Grimm had never met Morbius before, but he had meet Michael’s fiancé previously and knew the backstory of Morbius from her). Not much else of note here, except it’s just another in a long string of weirdly inexplicable Morbius stories (3/5). Next up, #16 finds Ben on a trip to the Savage Land in Antarctica where he meets up with Ka-Zar and Zabu and defeats an allosaurus and comes face to face with Valcanus. This one didn’t quite work for me, the pacing is too fast and frenzied, with the narrative jumping from coincidence to coincidence too conveniently for me (2/5). But that story leads right into a big 2-part crossover with Ben and Spider-Man as presented in #17 and Marvel Team-Up #47. This not only wraps up the Savage Land mystery but it also concludes the Spider-Man time travel arc that had been running for half a year in issues #41-46 and pits these two heroes against the Basilisk. This is a nice highlight to this collection (4/5). Next up is one of my favorites, not necessarily because of the story, but the guest-star: the Scarecrow. This guy first appeared in Dead of Night #11, then in Marvel Spotlight #26 (you can find these two stories, as well as the aforementioned Strange Tales issues featuring the Golem, in Essential Marvel Horror, Vol. 2) and the character has always fascinated me. #18 finds Ben out of his depth at an art exhibit opening only to discover a supernatural menace threatening the attendees. With the help of Scarecrow, they turn the tide and send the demon forces back into the other world they came from, but it also appears to spell the end of the Scarecrow. While the story is pretty pedestrian, it gets a nudge from me for inclusion of the Scarecrow (4/5). And rounding out this volume, last but not least, is Ben’s initial meeting with Tigra in #19. Nothing particularly spectacular here, rather a typical team-up style story (3/5).
So definitely a mixed-bag like any anthology collection tends to be, still entertaining if you like the superhero team-up narrative clichés of the 1970s.
Marvel Feature #11-12 - This volume starts off with two issues from a completely different title, as they start the series of adventures which team-up the Thing with another Marvel hero each month. Len Wein and Mike Friedrich start the series off right with art by none other than Jim Starlin. High marks all around, even with the continuity of keeping the characters, such as Thing, Hulk, Iron Man, Thanos, Leader, Blood Brothers, and Kurrgo, and their storylines, including threads from the pages of Captain Marvel, together (3/5).
Once we get to the Marvel Two-In-One (aka MTIO) issues proper we are treated with art from Gil Kane in the first two. Again off to a great start for this series. And with Steve Gerber providing a consistent grip on the script and plotting chores for the first 8 issues, so this is an additional bonus that helps this series set off in the right direction. Even through a dazzling array of guest-stars of the likes of Man-Thing, Namor, Daredevil, Captain America, the original Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Valkyrie & Ghost Rider (3/5).
The 2-part story that spans MTIO #4-5 is also the story that brought me into the series all the way back in dark recesses of 1974. Reading these issues again is like using a Way-Back time machine, and oddly enough Ben Grimm and Captain America, along with Sharon Carter, use a time machine in this story to travel into the future to 3014 where the meet the Real, I mean the original, Guardians of the Galaxy. This was only the team’s second appearance (the first being in the pages of Marvel Super-Heroes #18). And this is NOT the team made famous in the films, here we have Vance Astro, Martinex, Charlie-27 and Yondu. I was thrilled by this storyline and was hooked for the foreseeable future because of how much fun this story was (4/5).
I have to admit that when I first read these next couple of issues, MTIO #6-7, I wasn’t yet a fan of Doctor Strange. So this story didn’t really thrill me. It took a couple of re-readings and more familiarity with the Doctor and the Defenders, as Valkyrie joins the story in #7, for me to really appreciate what was going on. But every time I come back to this story I enjoy it a little bit more, seeing how it folds in elements from Ben Grimm’s past as easily as it incorporates Wong, Clea and eventually even ties into the origins of Valkyrie. But for that we need the concluding chapter from Defenders #20 (which is sadly, and almost criminally, missing from this volume, check out Defenders Epic Collection, Vol. 1: The Day of the Defenders for the entire story) that really wraps up this little mini-epic (4/5).
Next up is the earlier mentioned story with Ghost Rider. This one is a little wonky, and rather typical in how the format of these team-up titles can be extremely contrived. It’s also a Christmas story, sort of (3/5). Then we have Gerber’s last issue, he provided the plot and Chris Claremont handled the script, in a story pitting Ben against the might of Thor while under the control of … aw, that would be telling. This one is the low point of the collection thus far and illustrates exactly why these team-up books can get old really fast (1/5). Claremont returns for the next story, with Ben and the Black Widow working together to save the world. Better than the previous one, but still a bit contrived (2/5).
Then we have another run of many issues by the same author (with just one fill-in by someone different) which helps to illustrate why these types of titles need a regular author to help maintain some continuity. Bill Mantlo provides some consistency in characters, but the stories are all over the place. #11 features Ben and a short-run character from the pages of Strange Tales #174, 176 & 177 named the Golem. What’s interesting about this one that the Thing is in many ways an updated interpretation of the Golem from legend. This basically acts as a final chapter to the short lived career of this interesting character (3/5). #12 brings us Iron Man and Ben facing off against an all but forgotten character from the pages of Fantastic Four years previously, Prester John. It’s a typical team-up style story (3/5). #13 is our fill-in issue from Roger Slifer & Len Wein, and it shows. It’s weak and the characterization is weirdly off balance. It features Luke Cage, Power Man, and Ben fighting a giant, well basically a new born and it’s gratefully over quickly (2/5). Next, Mantlo is back with Ben & the Son of Satan, aka Daimon Hellstrom, in the pages of #14. This is a tale of a ghost town, a racist stereotype and demons, nothing to write home about (2/5). #15 offers Ben meeting the living vampire, aka Morbius, I’ve got to give credit where it is due: Mantlo comes up with some really out-there wacky ideas. This one pulls a long forgotten adversary from the pages of Tales to Astonish #49, the Living Eraser, and pits him against this duo. I did say it was wacky, didn’t I? It’s one of those typical 1970s team-up clichés that pit the two protagonists against one another before teaming-up to stop the villain. The formula can get tedious, but it kind of works here, thanks in no small part to Mantlo’s uncanny ability to keep the little details in mind while writing (like the fact that Grimm had never met Morbius before, but he had meet Michael’s fiancé previously and knew the backstory of Morbius from her). Not much else of note here, except it’s just another in a long string of weirdly inexplicable Morbius stories (3/5). Next up, #16 finds Ben on a trip to the Savage Land in Antarctica where he meets up with Ka-Zar and Zabu and defeats an allosaurus and comes face to face with Valcanus. This one didn’t quite work for me, the pacing is too fast and frenzied, with the narrative jumping from coincidence to coincidence too conveniently for me (2/5). But that story leads right into a big 2-part crossover with Ben and Spider-Man as presented in #17 and Marvel Team-Up #47. This not only wraps up the Savage Land mystery but it also concludes the Spider-Man time travel arc that had been running for half a year in issues #41-46 and pits these two heroes against the Basilisk. This is a nice highlight to this collection (4/5). Next up is one of my favorites, not necessarily because of the story, but the guest-star: the Scarecrow. This guy first appeared in Dead of Night #11, then in Marvel Spotlight #26 (you can find these two stories, as well as the aforementioned Strange Tales issues featuring the Golem, in Essential Marvel Horror, Vol. 2) and the character has always fascinated me. #18 finds Ben out of his depth at an art exhibit opening only to discover a supernatural menace threatening the attendees. With the help of Scarecrow, they turn the tide and send the demon forces back into the other world they came from, but it also appears to spell the end of the Scarecrow. While the story is pretty pedestrian, it gets a nudge from me for inclusion of the Scarecrow (4/5). And rounding out this volume, last but not least, is Ben’s initial meeting with Tigra in #19. Nothing particularly spectacular here, rather a typical team-up style story (3/5).
So definitely a mixed-bag like any anthology collection tends to be, still entertaining if you like the superhero team-up narrative clichés of the 1970s.
April 26, 2024
Just a collection of kooky team-ups. What the heck even is that Scarecrow guy? Weird, wild stuff.
August 20, 2019
A real mixed bag of stories. Some of them are 5 stars, some are 1, some good, some ok. The thing that kept me going through the book was that I just really love Ben Grimm. It definitely starts off pretty strong with Jim Starlin and Steve Gerber, but it gets weaker and weaker as it goes on. It sort of reads like they just weren't sure what to do with the title, and writers must have felt stuck when it came to the premise: each issue has to have a NEW guest star.
This will end up being about five total collections, and I'll probably get them all. Like I said, I love Ben.
This will end up being about five total collections, and I'll probably get them all. Like I said, I love Ben.
July 2, 2019
I've been reading and listening along with The Fantasticast, so I finally had an excuse to finish this tome. Reading along with issues of the Fantastic Four is interesting because while this is good, that tends to be bad and vice versa. Steve Gerber is a beloved writer and writes the first eleven issues in this collection. I'm actually not the biggest fan, but his issues are definitely most of the best of this somewhat uneven collection.
Marvel Feature #11 with the Hulk ⧫ 3.5 Stars
While featuring two fairly forgettable villains, I love how over everything Ben is during this story. It treats being abducted by supervillains like finding out your ceiling is leaking: “What a revoltin’ development!” The Thing and Hulk fight is also pretty great. The art delivers on the fight, and the characterization of everyone really sells it. Lame villains can’t ruin this!
Marvel Feature #12 with Iron Man ⧫ 3.5 Stars
Okay, this is the first of these to be a piece of a larger story. The difference between this and say issue three is that Ben’s downtroddenness extends from the previous story and that the other story is less consequential to the plot. I love the Thing being pissed at Iron Man. The fight with the Blood Brothers is pretty cool. Thanos is drawn pretty badly, but other than that, this is more fun.
Marvel Two-in-One #1 with the Man-Thing ⧫ 2.5 Stars
At least the seventies had some equal opportunity… the new Molecule Man’s costume is incredibly similar to what the sexy future girl wears in issues four and five. It’s impossible to take him seriously. The Thing is also entirely too angry. His frustration gives way to rage rather than exhaustion, and I just didn’t buy it. It’s also unfortunately mean-spirited in places. The tone is incredibly uneven.
Marvel Two-in-One #2 with the Sub-Mariner ⧫ 2.5 Stars
I just don’t care about Wundarr. Parody has never really been my thing, and this is more annoying misunderstanding than anything. Namorita is fun, but her actions at the very end seem out of character. It’s a fine bit of fluff, but not near the heights of Marvel Feature #11.
Marvel Two-in-One #3 with Daredevil ⧫ 2 Stars
It’s a random part of a Daredevil story that seems like it might be fun if this weren’t a Thing story. It ends abruptly and continues in Daredevil’s comic! Out of context it’s not great.
Marvel Two-in-One #4 with Captain America ⧫ 3 Stars
I like the interaction between Ben and Cap this issue. The two heroes get along so well that I don’t really care that this ends a story I don’t really care about and begins a story that is rote and boring. It’s a nice breather in between two huge, but lame plots.
Marvel Two-in-One #5 with the Guardians of the Galaxy ⧫ 1.5 Stars
So much running around this issue. It’s a lot of punching minions, having boring political conversations, and waiting for heroes who are barely characterized and lame. This is their second appearance, so they really should have more impact. The old Guardians seem quite lame here.
Marvel Two-in-One #6 with Doctor Strange ⧫ 3.5 Stars
Oh, Doctor Strange, sometimes his stories are cosmic and contemplative; sometimes they just make little to no sense. I wouldn’t call this bad. I really like the Yancy Street stuff with Ben, and the art is really good. I think the Doctor Strange stuff is in-keeping with the character, though Ben seems quite tangential. We get a bit of Ben’s background that I think is ignored later, which is unfortunate since it’s nice.
Marvel Two-in-One #7 with Valkyrie ⧫ 3 Stars
The power of destiny is always a tough thing to manage and here it manifests in its worst form: plot armor. Fortunately, the Valkyrie stuff is good. I don’t know too much about her, but it makes me want to read some Defenders, and I’ve never wanted to do that before. It’s almost the opposite of issue 3. This provides just enough to get a taste of another series while not becoming overly complicated or involved.
Marvel Two-in-One #8 with Ghost Rider ⧫ 3 Stars
I like the Christmas stuff at the Baxter Building and wish that’d been the whole issue. Instead, Ghost Rider, who looks really weird in the art, comes across a magical recreation of the first Christmas. Now, the mystery didn’t really get me and the ending is bonkers. The explanation of all this harkens back to a story that I hated, and the mystery villain motivations make little to no sense. However, I think that it’s Gerber having some fun at the expense of Christmas and the mystery villain, and I’m rather okay with that.
Marvel Two-in-One #9 with Thor ⧫ 3.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this one. It has plenty of nice character touches and dialogue for Ben. The art is somewhat rushed, and the story is somewhat generic, but Thor, Donald Blake, and the Thing all good moments.
Marvel Two-in-One #10 with Black Widow ⧫ 3.5 Stars
Black Widow and the Thing in a gritty, but still fun, spy flick inspired adventure! It’s a bit violent, but much of that is implied. Natasha and Ben both get plenty to do, unlike the Widow’s last appearance in issue three, if you can even call that an appearance. The story and art are a little janky, but overall, this one is really enjoyable.
Marvel Two-in-One #11 with the Golem ⧫ 2 Stars
The Golem is incredibly dull, and this story doesn’t help. It’s rife with convenience and exposition. The only good stuff is Ben catching the train, though the resurgence of prejudice against him feels out of place.
Marvel Two-in-One #12 with Iron Man ⧫ 1.5 Stars
It’s not bad so much as boring. I suppose the Thing being hired as a pilot for dangerous tests is cool, but the rest of the story is not that great. I really don’t like the “white god” stuff, and Prester John just isn’t that interesting. Worst of all, our heroes don’t have much to do.
Marvel Two-in-One #13 with Power Man ⧫ 3 Stars
It’s another one with a borderline nonsensical ending, but Ben and Luke are magic together, so it kind of doesn’t matter. The art is solid, the enemy is strong, and the sass is thick. Also, can we hire Luke Cage to snark during every flashback story?
Marvel Two-in-One #14 with Son of Satan ⧫ 2 Stars
It’s a better showing of the Son of Satan than Marvel Team-Up #32 (the one referenced). I like the Ghost Town, but the enemy is meh, the setup makes almost no sense, and it ends on a dad joke.
Marvel Two-in-One #15 with Morbius ⧫ 1.5 Stars
The characterization is really weak, not helped by a random, lame villain. I didn’t love the parallel monsters thing in issue eleven, and it’s more tenuous and tedious here.
Marvel Two-in-One #16 with Ka-Zar ⧫ 3 Stars
The Thing fighting dinosaurs is always fun. The setup, though similar to the last one, is made better by the fact that it’s actually something Reed would do! Much like issue ten, this issue replicates a movie feel, but this time it’s adventure. Ka-Zar and Zabu jive well with the Thing, and the ending subversion works.
Marvel Two-in-One #17 with Spider-Man ⧫ 1.5 Stars
This issue is all set-up and makes more sense when you realize that it’s actually supposed to be the Spider-man centered Team-Up #47. The Basilisk has plot powers and his plan makes less than no sense. I had almost forgotten about the “foreshadowing” from the previous issue, and honestly, I like them better unconnected.
Marvel Team-Up #47 with Spider-Man ⧫ 1.5 Stars
The nonsense continues this issue, but at least the heroes team-up. There’s some nice Mary Jane interaction, but not much else. The ending is utterly ridiculous.
Marvel Two-in-One #18 with Scarecrow ⧫ 2.5 Stars
It’s a little sad that this story literally goes nowhere because it could have been a good beginning. The Scarecrow doesn’t make any sense, but his atmosphere is pretty cool. I also like the natural link between the Scarecrow’s supporting cast and Alicia, and I love Ben trying (failing) to fit in at the start. It’s fun, but let down by the ending.
Marvel Two-in-One #19 with Tigra ⧫ 2 Stars
I kind of want to forgive this one because it leads to some great guest appearances in Fantastic Four #177, but it is a really bad introduction for Tigra. Her origins are told so badly that I thought she might be an old lady who got turned into a sexy cat lady, which clashes with my knowledge of her from the 80s West Coast Avengers that I’ve read.The story is also quite overstuffed and too filled with random crap and a ranting villain.
Overall, this is a peek at a different time and contains a few gems. However, I'd mostly recommend this for fans of the Thing, Gerber, or 70s comics.
Marvel Feature #11 with the Hulk ⧫ 3.5 Stars
While featuring two fairly forgettable villains, I love how over everything Ben is during this story. It treats being abducted by supervillains like finding out your ceiling is leaking: “What a revoltin’ development!” The Thing and Hulk fight is also pretty great. The art delivers on the fight, and the characterization of everyone really sells it. Lame villains can’t ruin this!
Marvel Feature #12 with Iron Man ⧫ 3.5 Stars
Okay, this is the first of these to be a piece of a larger story. The difference between this and say issue three is that Ben’s downtroddenness extends from the previous story and that the other story is less consequential to the plot. I love the Thing being pissed at Iron Man. The fight with the Blood Brothers is pretty cool. Thanos is drawn pretty badly, but other than that, this is more fun.
Marvel Two-in-One #1 with the Man-Thing ⧫ 2.5 Stars
At least the seventies had some equal opportunity… the new Molecule Man’s costume is incredibly similar to what the sexy future girl wears in issues four and five. It’s impossible to take him seriously. The Thing is also entirely too angry. His frustration gives way to rage rather than exhaustion, and I just didn’t buy it. It’s also unfortunately mean-spirited in places. The tone is incredibly uneven.
Marvel Two-in-One #2 with the Sub-Mariner ⧫ 2.5 Stars
I just don’t care about Wundarr. Parody has never really been my thing, and this is more annoying misunderstanding than anything. Namorita is fun, but her actions at the very end seem out of character. It’s a fine bit of fluff, but not near the heights of Marvel Feature #11.
Marvel Two-in-One #3 with Daredevil ⧫ 2 Stars
It’s a random part of a Daredevil story that seems like it might be fun if this weren’t a Thing story. It ends abruptly and continues in Daredevil’s comic! Out of context it’s not great.
Marvel Two-in-One #4 with Captain America ⧫ 3 Stars
I like the interaction between Ben and Cap this issue. The two heroes get along so well that I don’t really care that this ends a story I don’t really care about and begins a story that is rote and boring. It’s a nice breather in between two huge, but lame plots.
Marvel Two-in-One #5 with the Guardians of the Galaxy ⧫ 1.5 Stars
So much running around this issue. It’s a lot of punching minions, having boring political conversations, and waiting for heroes who are barely characterized and lame. This is their second appearance, so they really should have more impact. The old Guardians seem quite lame here.
Marvel Two-in-One #6 with Doctor Strange ⧫ 3.5 Stars
Oh, Doctor Strange, sometimes his stories are cosmic and contemplative; sometimes they just make little to no sense. I wouldn’t call this bad. I really like the Yancy Street stuff with Ben, and the art is really good. I think the Doctor Strange stuff is in-keeping with the character, though Ben seems quite tangential. We get a bit of Ben’s background that I think is ignored later, which is unfortunate since it’s nice.
Marvel Two-in-One #7 with Valkyrie ⧫ 3 Stars
The power of destiny is always a tough thing to manage and here it manifests in its worst form: plot armor. Fortunately, the Valkyrie stuff is good. I don’t know too much about her, but it makes me want to read some Defenders, and I’ve never wanted to do that before. It’s almost the opposite of issue 3. This provides just enough to get a taste of another series while not becoming overly complicated or involved.
Marvel Two-in-One #8 with Ghost Rider ⧫ 3 Stars
I like the Christmas stuff at the Baxter Building and wish that’d been the whole issue. Instead, Ghost Rider, who looks really weird in the art, comes across a magical recreation of the first Christmas. Now, the mystery didn’t really get me and the ending is bonkers. The explanation of all this harkens back to a story that I hated, and the mystery villain motivations make little to no sense. However, I think that it’s Gerber having some fun at the expense of Christmas and the mystery villain, and I’m rather okay with that.
Marvel Two-in-One #9 with Thor ⧫ 3.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this one. It has plenty of nice character touches and dialogue for Ben. The art is somewhat rushed, and the story is somewhat generic, but Thor, Donald Blake, and the Thing all good moments.
Marvel Two-in-One #10 with Black Widow ⧫ 3.5 Stars
Black Widow and the Thing in a gritty, but still fun, spy flick inspired adventure! It’s a bit violent, but much of that is implied. Natasha and Ben both get plenty to do, unlike the Widow’s last appearance in issue three, if you can even call that an appearance. The story and art are a little janky, but overall, this one is really enjoyable.
Marvel Two-in-One #11 with the Golem ⧫ 2 Stars
The Golem is incredibly dull, and this story doesn’t help. It’s rife with convenience and exposition. The only good stuff is Ben catching the train, though the resurgence of prejudice against him feels out of place.
Marvel Two-in-One #12 with Iron Man ⧫ 1.5 Stars
It’s not bad so much as boring. I suppose the Thing being hired as a pilot for dangerous tests is cool, but the rest of the story is not that great. I really don’t like the “white god” stuff, and Prester John just isn’t that interesting. Worst of all, our heroes don’t have much to do.
Marvel Two-in-One #13 with Power Man ⧫ 3 Stars
It’s another one with a borderline nonsensical ending, but Ben and Luke are magic together, so it kind of doesn’t matter. The art is solid, the enemy is strong, and the sass is thick. Also, can we hire Luke Cage to snark during every flashback story?
Marvel Two-in-One #14 with Son of Satan ⧫ 2 Stars
It’s a better showing of the Son of Satan than Marvel Team-Up #32 (the one referenced). I like the Ghost Town, but the enemy is meh, the setup makes almost no sense, and it ends on a dad joke.
Marvel Two-in-One #15 with Morbius ⧫ 1.5 Stars
The characterization is really weak, not helped by a random, lame villain. I didn’t love the parallel monsters thing in issue eleven, and it’s more tenuous and tedious here.
Marvel Two-in-One #16 with Ka-Zar ⧫ 3 Stars
The Thing fighting dinosaurs is always fun. The setup, though similar to the last one, is made better by the fact that it’s actually something Reed would do! Much like issue ten, this issue replicates a movie feel, but this time it’s adventure. Ka-Zar and Zabu jive well with the Thing, and the ending subversion works.
Marvel Two-in-One #17 with Spider-Man ⧫ 1.5 Stars
This issue is all set-up and makes more sense when you realize that it’s actually supposed to be the Spider-man centered Team-Up #47. The Basilisk has plot powers and his plan makes less than no sense. I had almost forgotten about the “foreshadowing” from the previous issue, and honestly, I like them better unconnected.
Marvel Team-Up #47 with Spider-Man ⧫ 1.5 Stars
The nonsense continues this issue, but at least the heroes team-up. There’s some nice Mary Jane interaction, but not much else. The ending is utterly ridiculous.
Marvel Two-in-One #18 with Scarecrow ⧫ 2.5 Stars
It’s a little sad that this story literally goes nowhere because it could have been a good beginning. The Scarecrow doesn’t make any sense, but his atmosphere is pretty cool. I also like the natural link between the Scarecrow’s supporting cast and Alicia, and I love Ben trying (failing) to fit in at the start. It’s fun, but let down by the ending.
Marvel Two-in-One #19 with Tigra ⧫ 2 Stars
I kind of want to forgive this one because it leads to some great guest appearances in Fantastic Four #177, but it is a really bad introduction for Tigra. Her origins are told so badly that I thought she might be an old lady who got turned into a sexy cat lady, which clashes with my knowledge of her from the 80s West Coast Avengers that I’ve read.The story is also quite overstuffed and too filled with random crap and a ranting villain.
Overall, this is a peek at a different time and contains a few gems. However, I'd mostly recommend this for fans of the Thing, Gerber, or 70s comics.
August 9, 2024
The Thing hosts several guests of the Marvel Universe.
It's comics from the 70s and they are really simple and digest friendly. As a result, most of these stories are very forgettable. These stories barely tie into the ongoing Fantastic Four Comic and can be easily read on their own.
These stories change writer and or artists very frequently, so the stories are a mixed bag. Still it's nice to see a glimpse of the most important heroes and how they feel in the 70s.
As comics in the 70s tend to be, this is very exposition heavy: Lots of text boxes in most panels. I got used to it quickly, but not every writer utilises this well.
My biggest gripe is the portrayal of Alicia, who is basically just a damsel in distress. She calls for help and doesn't understand what is happening, as if she wasn't just blind but also deaf. I know for sure this portrayal is much better in the Byrne run moving forward.
My favourites from this volume: Thing & Black Widow (Chris Claremont after all) and Thing & Power Man (Fighting Godzilla).
Still, I don't see myself reading these stories ever again.
It's comics from the 70s and they are really simple and digest friendly. As a result, most of these stories are very forgettable. These stories barely tie into the ongoing Fantastic Four Comic and can be easily read on their own.
These stories change writer and or artists very frequently, so the stories are a mixed bag. Still it's nice to see a glimpse of the most important heroes and how they feel in the 70s.
As comics in the 70s tend to be, this is very exposition heavy: Lots of text boxes in most panels. I got used to it quickly, but not every writer utilises this well.
My biggest gripe is the portrayal of Alicia, who is basically just a damsel in distress. She calls for help and doesn't understand what is happening, as if she wasn't just blind but also deaf. I know for sure this portrayal is much better in the Byrne run moving forward.
My favourites from this volume: Thing & Black Widow (Chris Claremont after all) and Thing & Power Man (Fighting Godzilla).
Still, I don't see myself reading these stories ever again.
January 6, 2026
If you asked anyone who reads old Marvel comics which series is their favorite, no one will say Marvel Two in One. Why not? It has great art and writing from Bill Mantlo and Steve Gerber. But it doesn’t have a lot of focus. Which is the point.
For some reason, Ben Grimm doesn’t just get into trouble and go on adventures. He also seems to meet up with a different hero every week. Due to this format, we don’t often get an epic story, but a collection of short stories. Personally, the stories I like most kinda snowball into eachother. When it takes 3 issues to tell an arc, by the end I can hardly remember what hero kicked it all off. That’s the fun of this series.
For some reason, Ben Grimm doesn’t just get into trouble and go on adventures. He also seems to meet up with a different hero every week. Due to this format, we don’t often get an epic story, but a collection of short stories. Personally, the stories I like most kinda snowball into eachother. When it takes 3 issues to tell an arc, by the end I can hardly remember what hero kicked it all off. That’s the fun of this series.
November 29, 2023
Oof. I could barely finish this one. In this collection Ben Grimm teams up with a new character to fight a different bad guy and say the same 4 catchphrases in every issue. There’s no overarching story, and rarely any explanation for why The Thing has found himself in whatever situation the writer’s dreamt up that week. Marvel tried to recapture what was great about Marvel Team Up, but they failed to realize that The Thing isn’t Spider-Man.
May 26, 2021
Ben Grimm’s earliest team ups with a wide variety of mainstream to sometimes obscure and enigmatic characters. Some stories are jumping off points to elsewhere and thus somewhat incomplete. Fun early 70s nostalgia for those like me that grew up with many team up titles in their heyday, but most stories pretty average both in terms of plot and consistency of illustration.
December 4, 2024
The first 20-ish issues of the 1970s series Marvel Two-in-One, which teamed the Thing with other superheroes. The series isn't quite as strong as its contemporary, Marvel Team-Up (which featured Spider-Man), but it's decently entertaining throughout. The earlier and more off-beat Steve Gerber stories are a bit more interesting than the later, more conventional Bill Mantlo tales. (B+)
September 28, 2018
This would have been a great collection if they'd have thrown in the continued issues from Daredevil 110 (there was another they missed, but I forget). If they'd have been included this could have been great 70s fun! Instead it's just good.
December 9, 2019
If I was purely ranking on the stories themselves, this would be three stars. The extra star is because the series does a really good job having Ben interact with a bunch of different characters, in a lot of different situations, and also Ben's dialog has some really fun moments!
March 3, 2025
Solid and fun book with some nice features from some more unknown characters. There isn't a lot that stands out as either food or bad though, so while It was consistent and good it was also never great for me either.
June 6, 2022
I finished this a little faster, for I skipped issues I already had in my collection.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews