The Thing #5: Clobber First, Ask Questions Later

The Thing is a series that I was surprised by. When I dove into the first issue I had no idea what to expect, but I immediately loved it. Sometimes it is difficult to take a character known for being in a team and giving them their own book, but Walter Mosely does an incredible job giving the Thing his own large-scale adventure.  The series feels like a fever dream of clobbering, and this issue was no exception. Something I have really enjoyed about the series is the pacing. Moseley and Reilly are giving readers exactly what they want: action! There is a lot of interesting things going on with the story, but I have been loving that sometimes it really is a “clobber now, ask questions later” situation. Even when something is sprung on the Thing, he rolls with it. Mosely delivers a great pace and leaves room for a lot of really cool moments.

A huge draw for me is Reilly’s art, which captures the spirit of Jack Kirby’s original Thing. Reilly has quickly become one of my favorite artists. His art feels fresh and new but would fit comfortably in any era of comics, making him perfect for a character like Ben Grimm. Jordie Bellaire’s colors bring interesting tones and textures that are a great addition to Reilly’s pencils. Almost every comic book artist will cite Jack Kirby as some type of influence or inspiration. Another artist that reminds me of Reilly’s art is Mike Mignola. This issue has a really cool callback to Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment, written by Roger Stern with art by Mike Mignola, so it just feels right to me for Reilly to do the art for the spiritual sequel. When I started the series, I had no idea that the series would end up here, but Mosely has done a lot of cool stuff with the character, and I’m excited to see the Thing and Doom in action.