The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
A Fantastically noir showcase
The Thing is front and center for this stylish mystery
Reboots. They are the bane of any comic reader’s fandom. On one hand, they pose the opportunity to introduce some really captivating storylines and characters; conversely, they just as easily can usher in an editorially mandated storyline that fails to resonate with audiences. DC Comics has offered crossover series that offered large-scale reboots in the past and is poised to reinvent the wheel once again with 2020’s summer event “5G” or “Fifth Generation.” Details are still loose at this point, but what been revealed hints the company’s franchise players — Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. — will all be replaced with a new generation of characters taking up their mantles. What’s most surprising is the timing. DC Comics only recently relaunched its line during the “Rebirth” reboot in 2016, and that was only after an overhaul from the much-maligned “Flashpoint” reboot in 2012. Stakes dwindle if readers are never given the time to appreciate the world you’re threatening to place in peril. It also smacks of being incredibly cynical. There is a desire to create new characters, but the fear readers won’t warm to unknown commodities has publishers hedging their bets and pinning their garden projects onto betterknown franchises. As with all reboots, this, too, shall pass. Things have a way of course correcting in comics. And even if they didn’t, no one is erasing the thousands of issues within which those versions of characters reside. It is only a concern in that with “5G,” it appears DC does not see the forest for the trees. Assuming it is the bat suit rather than the man beneath the cowl that’s kept readers coming back for over 70 years seems wildly shortsighted. As our Comic of the Week proved, it’s not always about the costume the hero wears but the man inside.
Comic of the Week
“Fantastic Four: Grimm Noir” #1 PUBLISHER » Marvel Comics WRITER » Gerry Duggan ARTIST » Ron Garney What you need to know: As a founding member of the Fantastic Four, Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, is one of Marvel’s original characters. After being bombarded with the same cosmic rays that affected fellow team members Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman and Human Torch, The Thing was the only member whose physical appearance was disfigured as a result. He remained the odd man out, defined by his alienation from the rest of the world. In a “Beauty and the Beast” parallel, it was blind sculptor Alicia Masters who saw the genuine man underneath the garish rocks that now comprise his body. The two recently have married and are settling into domestic life in Grimm’s quiet New York apartment. Why you need to read it: There is no better feeling than coming across an unexpected surprise. “Fantastic stand-alone story, its focus centers squarely on the rock-clad member of the Fantastic Four. Pound for pound, The Thing might be the most engaging person and possess the most readily relatable humanity of all Marvel’s characters. This serves for perfect ironic juxtaposition considering the aforementioned alienation he feels. The opening act establishes that a missing singer from an apartment across the alley from his is connected to the sinister visage seen in his dreams. His New York apartment serves as the fitting backdrop to this missing person’s mystery, which fuses the detective noir theme into the introspective and visually symbolic dream world. The real takeaways here are often far-removed from plot specifics. “Fantastic Four: Grimm Noir” allows Ben Grimm to shine through personal narration that is true to the monologue of Bogart detective tropes, without becoming wordy or unnecessary. Readers are likewise given the time to sit within his kitchen, watching him ruminate over morning coffee. Likewise, the dialogue between Grimm and his new wife is blue-collar and believable. Ultimately, it is revealed that longtime Marvel villain D’spayre — a demon that feeds off of the despair of others (hence the tacky name) — is behind the abduction. The villain and his plan are utterly overthe-top and dispatched of rather easily. Somehow, this nonetheless adds to the issue’s strength. The creative team of Gerry Duggan and Ron Garney make the right call on keeping the focus on The Thing and, more specifically, Ben Grimm. The draw is not on whether The Thing will overcome the odds but instead our gaining of this wonderfully rare ground-level insight into the character as he does so. If ever there were a signature issue to define a character, you would be hard pressed to find a better one in recent years for one of Marvel’s original heroes. Ron Garney is in top form here. The veteran artist plays to the genre and enhances the storytelling by depicting a gray, raindrenched New York that is as gritty as it is tangible for the audience. Shadows are played upon, with Garney utilizing the negative space to fill a brooding atmosphere throughout. Credits for the issue bear both Duggan and Garney as “storytellers,” as opposed to writer and artist, respectively. And it’s true. So much of this issue comes down to Garney’s ability to deliver a fully contextualized world that is so engaging the actual plot becomes secondary.