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you, a fool: nothing good came from the Secret Wars
me, an intellectual:
me, an intellectual:
is it, then, time to discuss “Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger”?
“Rocky Grimm” was the first sequel / denouement of the original Secret Wars ...it ran a full year in The Thing, parallel to the Secret Wars itself
I doubt Byrne had much insight into how the Wars were going to go, so this story doesn’t really “tie in” to what had happened
I doubt Byrne had much insight into how the Wars were going to go, so this story doesn’t really “tie in” to what had happened
as such, even if it takes off from the Wars, it’s self-contained
you get the idea Byrne & Shooter never really properly nailed down between them how Battleworld actually worked, incidentally, though most of the discrepancies can be worked through with some thought
you get the idea Byrne & Shooter never really properly nailed down between them how Battleworld actually worked, incidentally, though most of the discrepancies can be worked through with some thought
the story picks up from the end of issue #12 of the Wars, the final panel of which is the same shot as the previous splash page
it picks up on precisely one subplot from the first book: Ben Grimm discovering the ability to change back and forth between the Thing at will
it picks up on precisely one subplot from the first book: Ben Grimm discovering the ability to change back and forth between the Thing at will
at the end of the Wars, after Reed figures out how to get home, Ben decides to stick around and explore the planet, have some “me” time - partly to procrastinate going home and breaking up with Alicia, a decision towards which he’d been moving for a while
now, Reed figured out during the Wars why Ben was changing back and forth, but he *didn’t* tell his friend ...
... even though it would have been a warning that a dude with *major* unresolved issues hanging around on the wish fulfillment planet might be something of a problem
... even though it would have been a warning that a dude with *major* unresolved issues hanging around on the wish fulfillment planet might be something of a problem
in that position, would you have told him? like, “if you stick around with no external threats, the planet is probably going to pick your trauma-addled brain clean and throw it all back at you” ... I mean, it’s a real whopper, and Reed is emotionally stunted, so 
anyway, although the story begins on a lighter note, it soon descends into an existential ordeal, as the planet does indeed vomit the worst of his self-hatred back at him
but hey, if that sounds too heavy, maybe I should mention Joe Sinnot is on the brushes for most of the run!
but hey, if that sounds too heavy, maybe I should mention Joe Sinnot is on the brushes for most of the run!
he meets a woman named Tarianna and she serves as his sidekick / love interest up until the end, which as you might imagine from my previous description is very sad
here you will find both a Billy the Sink ink job on a cover, and the debut of Ben Grimm, Feminist Ally
this is a good example of the tone, increasingly desperate as he comes to realize the planet is actively working against him, perhaps even at the behest of an unseen foe
do you like stories where people are forced to confront the parts of themselves they like the least?
do you like stories where people are forced to confront the parts of themselves they like the least?
is this who Thom Yorke was going on about?
anyway, it all builds up to this, which as you can probably tell, is an absolute gut wrencher, one of my favorites of all time ... the second best solo Thing story (following only Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7, the undisputed god tier)
I know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking, Tegan, you’re really overselling this, there’s no way an issue of The Thing from 1985 can be anywhere near that harrowing
to which I’d reply, this is only page 3
to which I’d reply, this is only page 3
this is the end of the story, but said ending is telegraphed on the cover ... Ron Wilson doesn’t get enough credit, the guy knows how to draw the Thing, certainly better than almost everyone to follow in his footsteps
all that pathos on Ben’s shoulders ... “all over an’ done”
all that pathos on Ben’s shoulders ... “all over an’ done”
the story is followed by the immediate destruction of Battleworld, a perfect echo of the beginning of the first issue of the Secret Wars
anyway, I’ve loved this story since I first put together the run out of quarter boxes up and down the west coast
coming back to it now I was surprised to find it actually hit a lot *harder* now, with the passage of time
coming back to it now I was surprised to find it actually hit a lot *harder* now, with the passage of time
I mean, this is very explicitly a story about the consequences of living with self-hatred for decades, hating the person in the mirror - what would you do if the choice came down to dying as yourself or living as a monster?
what if the monster was more you?
what if the monster was more you?
after all these years the Secret Wars continue to teach me new things about myself
