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Fantastic Four‘s Thing is about to make his MCU debut this summer in Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Marvel Comics is giving Ben Grimm his own series to mark the occasion. The Thing #1 is set to be released this May, giving the Fantastic Four’s resident strongman a chance to shine in his own solo adventure.
Coming from the creative team of Tony Fleecs and Justin Mason, The Thing #1 is scheduled to come out on May 21, 2025. A preview for the issue was recently released by Marvel, which shows Mama Grimm’s blue-eyed boy fighting a Lovecraftian beastie with his FF teammates.
Although unlettered, the black-and-white preview follows Grimm after his adventure with the FF, looking like it will take a more somber tone as the Thing takes to the streets in the trademark hat and coat that usually indicate he’s mourning his former life as a normal human. The issue’s summary reads:
THE THING CLOBBERS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! 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!
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The Thing #1 Puts the Spotlight on the Fantastic Four’s Strongest Member
The Preview Confirms Classic Themes – Thing’s Powerhouse Status and Ben Grimm’s Regrets
The issue’s summary promises a smaller-scale story that takes Ben Grimm back to Yancy Street, hired by a mysterious figure from his past to find a missing child. It’s a classic film Noir set-up, and the Thing is certainly dressed for the occasion with his fedora and long overcoat. Grimm’s search for the missing child will see him encounter every bounty hunter and super-crook in the city along the way, promising an action-packed five-issue miniseries with the Fantastic Four strongman plowing his way through the NYC underworld.
In addition to a regular cover from artist Nick Bradshaw, The Thing #1 will also feature variant covers from Marco Checchetto, Greg Land and Ben Su.
The Thing has had adventures away from the Fantastic Four in the past, perhaps most notably in the long-running Marvel Two-in-One, which saw Grimm team-up with a different Marvel hero for each arc of its original 100-issue run. After that series ended, Marvel gave Grimm his own series with the first volume of The Thing, an ongoing solo series which ran for 36 issues in the eighties. In addition to several miniseries and one-shots, the Thing had two further chances at an ongoing series: one in 2006, which ran for eight issues, and another in 2011 that ran for six. It’s clear that the Thing has major potential even as a solo hero.
The Thing Is Taking on the Entire NYC Underworld
But For a Perfectly Ben Grimm Reason
With any luck, the latest solo Thing series will be the best one yet. The brief preview of the first issue looks compelling, and the overall story sounds like the perfect showcase for the immensely powerful but inherently down-to-earth Thing. What villains will Ben Grimm face in his upcoming series? Who will be revealed as the mastermind behind the missing child’s disappearance? However the story turns out, Fantastic Four fans should be happy, as a new movie and a solo series starring the Thing both coming out this summer means that Marvel’s First Family have never been bigger.
The Thing #1 is available May 21 from Marvel Comics
Source: Marvel
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