Marvel; January 1985
Cover by Ron Wilson and Joe Sinnott
Title: “Monster Mash”
Synopsis: Alone on an alien world, Ben Grimm comes face to face with the movie monsters of his younger years.
Writer: John Byrne
Breakdowns: Ron Wilson
Finishes: Mike Gustovich
Review: Two things are obvious when reading a John-Byrne-penned issue of The Thing: 1. There’s little question Byrne’s art was integral to the success of his Fantastic Four run. 2. Even so, Byrne is an underrated writer whose work stands out regardless of the art. This issue, part nine of an ongoing storyline, is still accessible to new readers. Set on the reactive planet where Secret Wars was fought, Ben Grimm finds mortal peril in the form of the classic movie monsters of his youth. It’s good fun — but would have been even more so if Byrne had done the art.
Grade: B
Cool factor: Byrne gets good mileage out of what could have been a pretty cheesy premise.
Notable: Continued in Fantastic Four #274.
Character quotable: “Welcome to my house. Enter freely and of your own will.” — Dracula. (But not Marvel’s Dracula. And would you ever want to go into a house after that welcome?)
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