With the Fantastic Four set to make their debut in the MCU next summer, you can bet Marvel publishing to push the First Family during 2025. Case in point, Marvel has announced that Ben Grimm better known as The Thing will be receiving his own five-issue limited series written by Tony Fleecs, following his acclaimed Marvel Comics debut in Venom War: Wolverine, and drawn by former Fantastic Four artist Leonard Kirk, known for his stellar work on titles like Star Wars: Battle of Jakku and Sabretooth.
Available this March, the first issue will feature a main cover by Nick Bradshaw along with a variant cover by Greg Land.
Official press release below:
The saga sees Ben Grimm step away from the Fantastic Four to take down a criminal conspiracy with mysterious ties to his childhood on Yancy Street, fighting his way to the top as a one-man clobberin’ machine! But when the big bad puts out a hefty hit on him, he’ll have to battle a who’s who of classic Marvel villains from Bullseye to the unstoppable Juggernaut! Arriving just ahead of Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps this July and perfect for newcomers and True Believers alike, THE THING delivers a timeless, action-packed adventure for one comic books’ most beloved icons.
Ben Grimm may be the strongest member of the Fantastic Four, but once upon a time, he was just a scrawny kid from Yancy Street. When an unexpected visitor from his past sends him on a search for a missing child, the Thing must unravel the mystery even if that means becoming a wanted man! Get ready to see the Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing versus every super-powered criminal and bounty hunter in New York City! Fleecs and Kirk give a glimpse into the history of the Thing that reminds you why Ben Grimm is the heart of the Marvel Universe…and why you don’t want to let him hear you say that!
“What I love about Ben Grimm is that he’s just a regular hardworking guy–who happens to have super powers,” Fleecs shared. “He’s Jack Kirby. He’s not easily impressed by all of the outlandish, cosmic stuff constantly going on around him.
“The fun thing about this book is trying to figure out– ‘okay, then what WOULD surprise the Thing? What WOULD catch him off guard?’ In that spirit, we’re throwing every villain in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe at him. Trying to pit him against some opponents that you wouldn’t expect. We’ve got Leonard Kirk drawing The Thing! Believe me, you’re gonna see ol’ Benjy clobber some guys he’s never clobbered before.”
“It’s been a decade since my run on Fantastic Four and I am thrilled as punch (pun intended) to be working on this series with everyone’s favorite orange, pugilistic paragon of heroism, Ben Grimm,” Kirk said. “The villains he goes up against range from the, let’s just say, less than serious, to the absolutely iconic, and I am very much looking forward to drawing all of them. The first issue has already been a fun romp and I know I will love the rest.”
