Fantastic Four 112
“Battle of the Behemoths!”
Published: April 1971
Writer: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Buscema and Frank Giacoia

Synopsis

As the Thing battles the Hulk in mid-town Manhattan, Reed and Johnny work frantically to find a cure for Ben’s mind-altered state.

What’s going on here

For some, this is an iconic comic and could be viewed as the real launching point of the Bronze-era FF. It’s the third fight between the Hulk and Thing (the others coming in FF 12 and 24-25) and to date the most sustained slugfest between the two. The cover is an absolute classic, and all those elements together combine to make it prized by collectors (it sells for five to 10 times more than the surrounding issues).

Unfortunately, I’m not sure the story lives up to the issue’s reputation. As mentioned previously, the conflict with the Hulk comes out of nowhere (Reed summons Bruce Banner in the closing panels of last issue) and there’s almost nothing at stake here. Ben and the Hulk are fighting for the sake of fighting, and while it’s a fun brawl that take up essentially the entire issue, it begins to feel repetitive. The real tension in the story is between Reed and Johnny arguing about how to save Ben—Reed accuses Johnny of being a hot head, Johnny accuses Reed of lacking urgency—and that conflict feels pretty familiar.

What I liked

It’s hard to deny the power in Big John’s layouts of the fight scenes. No one really does it better.

I also liked this quieter, almost ethereal scene with Sue and Agatha Harkness.

What I didn’t like

While the story as a whole is pretty lackluster, the end is really disappointing. Ben is distracted by Alicia, the Hulk knocks him out (and disappeared as abruptly as he arrives) and Reed and Johnny arrive too late. It just feels anticlimactic.

Anything else?

FF 112 features an Irving Forbush cameo (or maybe one of his distinguished ancestors).

Overall

You can’t judge a book by its cover.

Fantastic Four 111
“The Thing Amok!”
Published: March 1971
Story: Stan Lee & John Buscema
Pencils: Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Buscema & John Verpoorten

Synopsis

Ben, his mind affected by his new ability to change to human form, goes on a rampage throughout Manhattan as Johnny tries to keep up. Finally, Reed calls in Bruce Banner to help, only for the Hulk to appear and confront Ben.

What’s going on here?

This is very much a table-setting issue, preparing us for the big confrontation with the Hulk next month, but it’s still pretty effective. As discussed earlier, the groundwork for Ben’s descent was laid over many issues, so it feels organic and earned. It’s not the first time we’ve seen a plot centered around the Thing turning against his teammates (and won’t be the last) but the mechanism for this is more interesting than mind control or sorcery. It’s quite plausible that on some level, were Ben to lose the humanity and compassion that makes him, he would act this way. He has reason to be angry!

There’s also some good foreshadowing of trouble to come with baby Franklin, and again, it’s being spooned out methodically.

What I liked

This feels like the first FF issue where John Buscema is the recognizable artist I’m familiar with. The previous few issues felt like he was either trying to mimic Kirby or Joe Sinnott’s inks overpowered his penciled, but here we see some great Buscema panels.

These crowd scenes are fun. Hardhats on one side, hippies on the other.

There is a great quiet page of Reed, first with Sue, then contemplating how he again failed Ben. We have so many pages of Reed acting like a bullying blowhard that this display of his human side feels refreshing and necessary.

Also, J. Jonah Jameson shows up again, this time with pesky Bugle photographer.

What I didn’t like

The appearance of the Hulk feels really abrupt, the opposite of the slow-boil that got us to this issue. Within seven panels, we go from Reed summoning Bruce Banner to the Thing and Hulk about to fight.

I confess I get annoyed with every interaction the FF has with their landlord (and any other real-world business issue). Maybe I know too much about commercial real estate but it always feels clumsy and unrealistic. I’m pretty sure the FF have lawyers to deal with this sort of thing.

Anything else?

The kid how bought this comic in 1971 took the idea of a check list seriously:

Overall

Steady as she goes.