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The Thing (2005) #1-8
The Thing: Idol of Millions
Join Ben Grimm and his pals as they clobber their way through the Marvel U! And, spinning out of events from Fantastic Four, the idol of millions is now worth billions! So will big bucks make a Rockefeller out of this Rocky fella? Will Ben trade in Yancy Street for Park Avenue? Special appearances by Goliath (Bill Foster), Warbird, Wonder Man and Peter Parker. Collects The Thing #1-6.
179 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2006
2 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Dan Slott
1,993 books451 followersDan Slott is an American comic book writer, the current writer on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, and is best known for his work on books such as Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, The Superior Spider-Man, and Ren & Stimpy.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 14, 2018
Totally fun. Totally nails the character.
What can I say, I'm a Slott fan. A total Slott. Slottface. I'm Slotty as hell. I'm a slut and that sounds like Slott so I'm putting them together.
Nope, wait, that last one was too direct. Cancel that.
What can I say, I'm a Slott fan. A total Slott. Slottface. I'm Slotty as hell. I'm a slut and that sounds like Slott so I'm putting them together.
Nope, wait, that last one was too direct. Cancel that.
October 10, 2009
The Thing may be a rock monster, but underneath that orange brick exterior Ben Grimm is one of the most human characters in the superhero community. Did I mention he's hilarious, too? It's hard to improve on the Thing, but if anyone can do it, it's Dan Slott. His style is pretty light hearted and comical, but that doesn't mean he skimps on quality. He has some of the best characterization, dialog, and plotlines of anyone currently writing comics.
I've been a fan of the Fantastic Four since I was a kid, but it was this book of vignettes about the Ever Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing that made him my favorite character. These colorful stories are just plain enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I love a "dark" serious story, too, but I feel that so many modern comics have become distended cross-over sagas that require you to buy 5 different magazines and know 30+ years of Marvel history in order to grasp the plot. The Thing is a return to what comics used to be about--fun stories and fun characters. It's a shame this series only ran 8 issues, but boy what a great 8 issues they were. I was lucky to find this book at a 75% off sale, but I gladly would have paid full price.
I've been a fan of the Fantastic Four since I was a kid, but it was this book of vignettes about the Ever Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing that made him my favorite character. These colorful stories are just plain enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I love a "dark" serious story, too, but I feel that so many modern comics have become distended cross-over sagas that require you to buy 5 different magazines and know 30+ years of Marvel history in order to grasp the plot. The Thing is a return to what comics used to be about--fun stories and fun characters. It's a shame this series only ran 8 issues, but boy what a great 8 issues they were. I was lucky to find this book at a 75% off sale, but I gladly would have paid full price.
May 4, 2022
The Thing is one of my favorite Marvel characters. Not only is he the perfect metaphor for those who are misunderstood and discriminated against because of their differences, but he also has special significance as an openly Jewish character, who was created by Jews Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Jack Kirby even modeled Ben Grimm after himself.
In Dan Slott’s eight issue miniseries, Ben Grimm is now a “billionaire playboy” and thrust into the world of riches, fame and celebrity girlfriends. Slott gets his character right, but the pacing of the book makes the series feel like wasted potential.
The first three issues are essentially pointless – I’m honestly not sure why this wasn’t condensed into one issue. Ben Grimm, several celebrities (including a short-lived girlfriend) and a few other superheroes and villains are kidnapped to “murder island” by an eccentric one note villain. Nothing of real consequence happens, and there’s no major character development for Grimm; unfortunately this entire plot was borrowed later in Gwenpool Strikes Back.
When Grimm returns to Yancy Street in the fourth issue, it finally feels like a story about his character. We see Sheckerberg again, the pawnshop owner who gave Grimm his Star of David necklace in Remembrance of Things Past, the 2001 issue that canonized Grimm as Jewish. Grimm’s plan to open a children’s center in his brother’s memory, which is a lovely concept – but it’s resolved in one issue and barely leaves room for any character development. (His realization about his riches, thanks to Franklin, was also shallow and rushed.) And instead of seriously updating the Yancy Street Gang, and perhaps making some important commentary on supporting youth in need, that element felt cliched and outdated. I wish this had been the grounding story in this arc that lasted 3-4 issues instead of “murder island” nonsense.
The last two issues are one-shot stories that loosely connect in disappointing ways. Issue seven (with an odd Disney’s Hercules reference on the cover) sees Ben still courting Alicia (happy with a new boyfriend) with an insane birthday present – time traveling to ancient Greece. Ben continues to pine for Alicia, who is happy without him. That they eventually end up back together, with an incredibly weak send off for her boyfriend, is a disservice to Alicia making her own decisions for her own damn self. I know some people (men) will write me off for this, but it's also a misogynist trope - just keep pining and asking her to take you back, get her fancy things, and eventually she will succumb because her feelings are not important or valid, she doesn't actually know what she wants, you know what is best for her. (for more, see most boy band songs and "being friend-zoned.") No is a complete sentence, Alicia! Instead, Alicia is relegated to love interest only here to serve Ben, and she is grossly objectified and sexualized at the end of the last issue.
Speaking of which, the last issue is about Ben Grimm having a Bar Mitzvah. On the one hand, it’s cute to have him have a Bar Mitzvah on the 13th anniversary of becoming The Thing. However, it’s an extremely shallow portrayal of a Bar Mitzvah, and so many elements are off, particularly in the art. The synagogue interior is strange and has zero Jewish symbolism aside from a hastily drawn Star of David; the rest of it is basically in shadow. During the single-page service, Ben says his Torah portion is the Book of Job, which isn’t in the Torah, but far later in the Prophets – it would never be a Torah portion. A nice connection is made between the two, but if you’re going to include a religious minority’s lifecycle event, particularly since Grimm was created by two Jews and modeled after Kirby, please do it correctly. Why not have other Jewish superheroes have honors during the service? Instead it's just one page and the rest is dedicated to Ben's poker party, which is dumb. A huge missed opportunity, and for a Jewish writer to be behind this, it's a shanda.
Dwyer, Di Vito and Villari’s art continued to be hit and miss, and while it was consistent, didn’t seem particularly detail oriented especially when it came to facial expressions.
Idol of Millions was a rushed and unnecessary miniseries that doesn’t honor an iconic Jewish character who deserves better.
In Dan Slott’s eight issue miniseries, Ben Grimm is now a “billionaire playboy” and thrust into the world of riches, fame and celebrity girlfriends. Slott gets his character right, but the pacing of the book makes the series feel like wasted potential.
The first three issues are essentially pointless – I’m honestly not sure why this wasn’t condensed into one issue. Ben Grimm, several celebrities (including a short-lived girlfriend) and a few other superheroes and villains are kidnapped to “murder island” by an eccentric one note villain. Nothing of real consequence happens, and there’s no major character development for Grimm; unfortunately this entire plot was borrowed later in Gwenpool Strikes Back.
When Grimm returns to Yancy Street in the fourth issue, it finally feels like a story about his character. We see Sheckerberg again, the pawnshop owner who gave Grimm his Star of David necklace in Remembrance of Things Past, the 2001 issue that canonized Grimm as Jewish. Grimm’s plan to open a children’s center in his brother’s memory, which is a lovely concept – but it’s resolved in one issue and barely leaves room for any character development. (His realization about his riches, thanks to Franklin, was also shallow and rushed.) And instead of seriously updating the Yancy Street Gang, and perhaps making some important commentary on supporting youth in need, that element felt cliched and outdated. I wish this had been the grounding story in this arc that lasted 3-4 issues instead of “murder island” nonsense.
The last two issues are one-shot stories that loosely connect in disappointing ways. Issue seven (with an odd Disney’s Hercules reference on the cover) sees Ben still courting Alicia (happy with a new boyfriend) with an insane birthday present – time traveling to ancient Greece. Ben continues to pine for Alicia, who is happy without him. That they eventually end up back together, with an incredibly weak send off for her boyfriend, is a disservice to Alicia making her own decisions for her own damn self. I know some people (men) will write me off for this, but it's also a misogynist trope - just keep pining and asking her to take you back, get her fancy things, and eventually she will succumb because her feelings are not important or valid, she doesn't actually know what she wants, you know what is best for her. (for more, see most boy band songs and "being friend-zoned.") No is a complete sentence, Alicia! Instead, Alicia is relegated to love interest only here to serve Ben, and she is grossly objectified and sexualized at the end of the last issue.
Speaking of which, the last issue is about Ben Grimm having a Bar Mitzvah. On the one hand, it’s cute to have him have a Bar Mitzvah on the 13th anniversary of becoming The Thing. However, it’s an extremely shallow portrayal of a Bar Mitzvah, and so many elements are off, particularly in the art. The synagogue interior is strange and has zero Jewish symbolism aside from a hastily drawn Star of David; the rest of it is basically in shadow. During the single-page service, Ben says his Torah portion is the Book of Job, which isn’t in the Torah, but far later in the Prophets – it would never be a Torah portion. A nice connection is made between the two, but if you’re going to include a religious minority’s lifecycle event, particularly since Grimm was created by two Jews and modeled after Kirby, please do it correctly. Why not have other Jewish superheroes have honors during the service? Instead it's just one page and the rest is dedicated to Ben's poker party, which is dumb. A huge missed opportunity, and for a Jewish writer to be behind this, it's a shanda.
Dwyer, Di Vito and Villari’s art continued to be hit and miss, and while it was consistent, didn’t seem particularly detail oriented especially when it came to facial expressions.
Idol of Millions was a rushed and unnecessary miniseries that doesn’t honor an iconic Jewish character who deserves better.
April 27, 2015
Once again, Dan Slott proves that he is one of the few creators who really gets these characters, and that he understands that above all else superheroes are supposed to be fun. He writes stories that are light and silly without ever letting them devolve into outright stupidity, all while making it look completely effortless. Unfortunately, he does go to great lengths to make sure everything maintains the status quo, but that's a problem that is sort of endemic to the genre as a whole. For instance, Slott jumps through a lot of hoops just to get Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters back together (a plot thread that is resolved far too easily), when it might have been much more interesting to just keep them as friends. Either way, this is still a fun and exciting read, and it features some gorgeous, dynamic art.
June 13, 2020
The Thing: Idol of Millions collects Dan Slott's Thing Eight-Issue Solo Series. Ben Grimm is now a Billionaire and trying to live the high life as the Thing. The book has a lot of guest stars including Iron Man and Spider-man, the Inhumans, and more.
This book is mostly inoffensive. There are some funny bits, a few sweet moments that showcase Ben Grimm's character, and a few times of him saying, "It's clobberin', time." Unlike Geoff Johns' Freakshow, I felt like Slott actually got the character to some extent.
However, the book is also just unremarkable. It starts out with a three issue story involving a kidnapping and a murder-themed park, includes a few issues of him working off a debt at a pawnshop because the broker won't take his check now that he's filthy rich, and him building a community center, some supervillain fights, and him deciding he needs to win back Alicia by taking her back in time to visit the statue of Venus DeMilo when it was still new. The books ends with an eighth issue which indicated that Slott had more planned for the book, but was forced to draw it short with Civil War coming up. It felt like there was four-issues worth of story condensed into one and Ben's character arc with Alicia drawn to a close in a way that makes little sense with what happened in Issue 7. Slott continues a practice of many Marvel writers in the mid-2000s: forcing a character to the destination you have planned for him or her even if you've not actually been able to provide all of the steps that would make it feel merited.
To be fair, John Byrne did do a lot of random single and double stories with Ben Grimm during the first Thing series during the Eighties. However, in the case of Byrne, he told far more interesting and engaging stories (even if he could be a bit of a downer.) At the end of the day, Slott just doesn't seem to have anything interesting to say about Ben Grimm.
This isn't bad, but it's more mediocre and frustrating for the potential it has but never realizes.
This book is mostly inoffensive. There are some funny bits, a few sweet moments that showcase Ben Grimm's character, and a few times of him saying, "It's clobberin', time." Unlike Geoff Johns' Freakshow, I felt like Slott actually got the character to some extent.
However, the book is also just unremarkable. It starts out with a three issue story involving a kidnapping and a murder-themed park, includes a few issues of him working off a debt at a pawnshop because the broker won't take his check now that he's filthy rich, and him building a community center, some supervillain fights, and him deciding he needs to win back Alicia by taking her back in time to visit the statue of Venus DeMilo when it was still new. The books ends with an eighth issue which indicated that Slott had more planned for the book, but was forced to draw it short with Civil War coming up. It felt like there was four-issues worth of story condensed into one and Ben's character arc with Alicia drawn to a close in a way that makes little sense with what happened in Issue 7. Slott continues a practice of many Marvel writers in the mid-2000s: forcing a character to the destination you have planned for him or her even if you've not actually been able to provide all of the steps that would make it feel merited.
To be fair, John Byrne did do a lot of random single and double stories with Ben Grimm during the first Thing series during the Eighties. However, in the case of Byrne, he told far more interesting and engaging stories (even if he could be a bit of a downer.) At the end of the day, Slott just doesn't seem to have anything interesting to say about Ben Grimm.
This isn't bad, but it's more mediocre and frustrating for the potential it has but never realizes.
March 30, 2025
Continuing reading through the origins of Squirrel Girl who plays a small part in this The Thing spin-off. Honestly not sure what to make of this goofy and inconsequential tangent to Fantastic Four. While it has some fun moments I have a seriously hard time swallowing this “all the super heroes hang out in their costumes and everyone is friends with everyone” take on how all the comics come together. It’s hard enough to make sense of certain events with the stray crossover, but this really makes the world feel small and staged. There is no attempt at something serious here though and as a self contained spoof there is some real entertainment in seeing Flatman beat The Thing in a poker tournament.
Format: Digital single issues through Marvel Unlimited.
Format: Digital single issues through Marvel Unlimited.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2018
Collects The Thing (2005) issues #1-8
The stories in this collection are pretty good, but nothing too epic. I wasn't reading comic books at the time this came out, so I'm not sure why The Thing is rich in these issues. There may have been a brief explanation in this book, but if so, I missed it somehow. Knowing what Slott is doing in the 2018 "Fantastic Four" series, it is fun to see that he has always been invested in the relationship between Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters.
The stories in this collection are pretty good, but nothing too epic. I wasn't reading comic books at the time this came out, so I'm not sure why The Thing is rich in these issues. There may have been a brief explanation in this book, but if so, I missed it somehow. Knowing what Slott is doing in the 2018 "Fantastic Four" series, it is fun to see that he has always been invested in the relationship between Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters.
July 21, 2021
My first time reading Dan Slott, and was hesitant after the bizarre self assassination documentary 'The Marvel Method' made him look completely incompetent.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by these 8 issues: small scale, grounded stories with heart (it calms down after the more wild but still fun first 3 issue story). The Thing is a great character and seems to be written with affection, and the story has a very heartfelt final issue.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by these 8 issues: small scale, grounded stories with heart (it calms down after the more wild but still fun first 3 issue story). The Thing is a great character and seems to be written with affection, and the story has a very heartfelt final issue.
September 19, 2022
The Thing is the best member of the Fantastic Four so it's awesome he got his own little miniseries in the mid-aughts. He gets Bar Mitzvahed and hangs out with Lockjaw, it's just a ton of fun. Also, Slott puts in a lot of easter eggs to celebrate Jack Kirby, who originally wrote the Thing as a self-insert (from what I have heard). Always good to get some Jack Kirby love in there, he's the real mastermind behind Marvel comics.
December 7, 2020
Other than some shaky artwork in later issues, this character study of Ben Grimm is a surprising delight. There’s action, sure, but also an equal amount of pages spent on Ben’s past and present and gives us a full embracing of his youth on Yancy Street, his Jewish faith, and a repairing of his longtime romance with Alicia Masters. Recommended!
December 22, 2017
Dan Slott's Thing started out with a 3 part Arcade murder island story that was about 2 parts longer than it needed to be. After that, the stories were mostly fun, while reestablishing Ben and Alicia as a couple. Slott also helps Ben to enjoy who he has become since being bombarded by cosmic rays.
September 2, 2021
A good story with well though out development and very little super hero angst. Loved the little touches like Johnny burning all the phone numbers and Spider man changing his outfit for 20 dollars.
September 26, 2021
So big fun this was. And quite exciting too. Just the fun and clever stuff superheroes are when then are the best.
But why squeeze that religion bit at the end? That was just stupid.
But why squeeze that religion bit at the end? That was just stupid.
November 16, 2025
Ben is my favorite superhero. I’m glad I discovered this series on MU.
March 4, 2017
Dan Slott ci ha provato a dedicare una ragular alla Cosa, sulla falsa riga di Marvel Two-in-one visti i molti ospiti. Quasi completamente disegnata da Andrea DiVito, meriterebbe anche solo per i suoi splendidi disegni. La serie è molto divertente, ma non manca di una certa profondità e di legami forti con il Marvel Universe di quei pochi mesi, otto in tutto, in cui uscì.
August 10, 2023
I originally bought this comic as monthly issues, then again as a TPB, and I'm just sorry that the series didn't continue for longer.
Dan Slott is a great writer: he clearly relishes obscure continuity, and this comic involves several guest appearances from other Marvel superheroes. At the same time, it's not involved in any big crossovers so it stands alone as a complete story.
Beyond that, there's a real sense of fun, and the characters genuinely seem to like spending time with each other. I liked Civil War but at the same time it's good to see a friendly game of poker rather than brutal fights to the death. Similarly, the Thing is determined that they can all get out of Arcade's "Murderworld" without anyone dying; compare and contrast to Avengers Arena...
There are some very funny scenes in this, particularly involving Lockjaw. It's also good to see the GLX again, and Squirrel Girl's team-up was great.
I've never been a huge fan of the Fantastic Four, but they come across well in this: in particular, Reed gets to display his intelligence, rather than us being told that he's smart. (He gave a very clear explanation of the "phone number with missing digits" problem.)
The artwork is good too. It's quite cheerful, but still detailed enough to show the characters' emotions. The cast have a range of body types, and lots of them are wearing normal clothes rather than skin-tight outfits, so I'm glad that Andrea DiVito has the range to pull it off.
All in all, thoroughly recommended.
Dan Slott is a great writer: he clearly relishes obscure continuity, and this comic involves several guest appearances from other Marvel superheroes. At the same time, it's not involved in any big crossovers so it stands alone as a complete story.
Beyond that, there's a real sense of fun, and the characters genuinely seem to like spending time with each other. I liked Civil War but at the same time it's good to see a friendly game of poker rather than brutal fights to the death. Similarly, the Thing is determined that they can all get out of Arcade's "Murderworld" without anyone dying; compare and contrast to Avengers Arena...
There are some very funny scenes in this, particularly involving Lockjaw. It's also good to see the GLX again, and Squirrel Girl's team-up was great.
I've never been a huge fan of the Fantastic Four, but they come across well in this: in particular, Reed gets to display his intelligence, rather than us being told that he's smart. (He gave a very clear explanation of the "phone number with missing digits" problem.)
The artwork is good too. It's quite cheerful, but still detailed enough to show the characters' emotions. The cast have a range of body types, and lots of them are wearing normal clothes rather than skin-tight outfits, so I'm glad that Andrea DiVito has the range to pull it off.
All in all, thoroughly recommended.
August 8, 2010
A collection of stories about the THing, on his own, away from the Fantastic Four after he has struck it rich. Along the way, he learns money can create as many problems as it solves, who his real friends are, having a dog helps make life better and that women will make you do stupid things.
LOts of old school comic book adventures, good use of FF history, really nice art Slott has a solid handle on the thing as a character and the message issues get their point across without hitting you over the head.
Shame this was such a short lived series, as it was a consistently good read.
Be interesting to see someone try and capture this magic/formula and give the other members of the FF their own series and see if it work work or if the Thing is just special.
LOts of old school comic book adventures, good use of FF history, really nice art Slott has a solid handle on the thing as a character and the message issues get their point across without hitting you over the head.
Shame this was such a short lived series, as it was a consistently good read.
Be interesting to see someone try and capture this magic/formula and give the other members of the FF their own series and see if it work work or if the Thing is just special.
May 23, 2015
This whole thing seems pretty rushed. Also, there are some weird tonal problems. This is sometimes very comic and sometimes very serious.
Also, also, also, Arcade. As I've written before, people are always writing Arcade stories. But Arcade just doesn't work. He only wants to murder. And murders in Spider/X-men stories don't happen like in Batman comics. So Arcade basically never harms anyone. But spends all this money on robots that are always breaking.
How did Thing get all that money?
Also, also, also, Arcade. As I've written before, people are always writing Arcade stories. But Arcade just doesn't work. He only wants to murder. And murders in Spider/X-men stories don't happen like in Batman comics. So Arcade basically never harms anyone. But spends all this money on robots that are always breaking.
How did Thing get all that money?
February 8, 2012
Really great stuff. I love how the Thing finally finds his way to getting down-to-Earth is by finally getting bar mitzvahed (what can I say, I grew up in a Jewish community), and I love the sense of humor to the whole thing. Great, great stuff.
August 17, 2020
I was weirdly into this Thing solo run. I had a subscription and eagerly awaited each of the issues to arrive. I would have liked more.
Fore more on this run tune in to Comic Book Coffee Break:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QucL7...
Fore more on this run tune in to Comic Book Coffee Break:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QucL7...
February 24, 2009
I was never really a fan of the Thing, but this is a really well written and funny story.
December 24, 2010
Not sure why I have continued to read superpowered corny poopoo into my middle age. Hope it's not a sexual thing, but if it is, it's absolutely subliminal and unsurprising.
February 5, 2012
Collects entire limited series. Old school stories. $5.
January 14, 2013
This was just pure fun from start to finish.
September 24, 2013
SO much fun!
Very good writing, FANTASTIC art & at more than one point, downright hilarious!
"Come on, Carol. That's freakin' adorable." :D
Very good writing, FANTASTIC art & at more than one point, downright hilarious!
"Come on, Carol. That's freakin' adorable." :D
September 26, 2015
The Thing has always been a fun character and Dan Slott has a great handle on him. Plus, with all the guest appearances, it's almost like a sequel to Marvel Two-In-One! Good times!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews