Your Next New Avenger is… The Thing

Well, people were looking for a curve ball with today's final New Avenger revelation and they certainly got one. Not that Ben Grimm is totally foreign to the convept of the Avengers. He has hung around with, and been unofficially-officially on the team for a brief period. Still, this one was unexpected.

The question is: Will they make him change his shorts?

 

The Thing

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    Whoa! 

  2. More like WOO!

  3. ok this shit just got real

  4. Damn.

  5. They’ll probably just make him switch out his 4 belt buckle and put an A there in it’s place when he’s on Avengers duty.

  6. im now buying this

  7. As a Fantastic Four fan I approve this message!

  8. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    And not for nothin, but that’s a terrific drawing of Thing. 

  9. I’m terribly underwhelmed by this teaser campaign – stilted phrases, the same members we’ve had for years and now a character who screams ‘short term stunt’. Or maybe, ‘It’s clobbering time short term stunt’.

  10. YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYES!

  11. I wonder how this will effect Hickman’s run, if at all. Cause when you have one of your characters join another major team; you gotta somewhat acknowledge it.

    Real shocker though, and honestly I am all for this. Bendis could write a very good Ben Grim, and he has before. Although I’m thinking more of the Ultimate version…..but same difference. Still the idea of a ‘New….new new new’ Avengers still is puzzling to me.

  12. Avatar photo Jeff Reid (@JeffRReid) says:

    Well, I’m looking forward to this. I like the Thing.

  13. Interesting inclusion! This is a decision I can get behind.

  14. I’m kinda of so-so on the whole Avengers team but this has gotten my interest. I think I will check it out. And can the get Cage a shirt or something?

  15. @TNC – I’m a little worried about Hickman’s FF, hopefully it won’t effect it.

     

    I do love the Thing though. He is bad ass and a sane Hulk. 

  16. Thing-ring do yer thing!

  17. This just got interesting, I wonder what’s with all the Melee people, We need a couple projectile people.and a couple flyers. Maybe an elemental.

  18. @SPEEDBALL – well, Bendis isn’t really a write who assembles groups like a football team — based on variety of powers and statistics. He tends to focus on the characters and how they play off one another. So, I don’t think you’ll see "balanced" teams in that way. But I think we’ll certainly get some fun interaction with Spidey, Logan, Ben, Luke, etc.

  19. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    That said, Spidey can do projectiles and Jewel can fly, right? And according to my trusty D&D handbook, Thing is basically an Earth elemental.  

    What? 

  20. @ Paul Well played sir.

  21. Under Bendis, and with the roster so far, its like witty banter x 1 kazillion. I’m definitely looking forward to it

  22. I agree with whatever the cool people think about this announcement (just for the record).

  23. I have a feeling this is going to turn into the long wished-for "Table Avengers." Now we just need Beast…

  24. Clearly wolvie is DPR, thing and cage are tanks, spidey is debuff, not sure if jewel can healz tho.

  25. This is the first bit of interesting news I’ve read about these new avengers books so far.  If the Thing is in so am I.

  26. I’m happy to see the Thing in an Avengers book. Because, and this is just a personal opinion, I feel like he’s been pretty underused in the Fantastic Four book. And I LOVE that book, I would just like to see just a wee bit more clobberin and it looks like this book is to be my fix!

  27. *thud* What? Where am I? Did I black out because something so awesome happened my brain couldn’t handle it?  You say yes.  What was it? *thud*

    @Paul – There should be a book explaining comics through DND. Because that would be awesome. 

  28. I am happy to see someone like the thing on the team. With this new line up, I am sold.

  29. Spider-man
    Thing
    Wolverine
    Luke Cage
    Jewel
    And Roger’s Cap?

    Does sound very promising. I hope that means that John romita’s Avengers are just as good.

  30. It always has an unusal reaction when Thing is mentioned for anything besides Fantastic Four or Thing Vs Hulk fight.  I like this but It’ll will be weird when he wears his F4 pants in every issue.

  31. I’m in.

  32. The Thing is my least favorite character of a team I don’t care that much about.  But, I did ask for something new to stir up the pot.

  33. @mart Short term stunt? How? He’s been an Avenger before.

  34. I wonder if this means She-Hulk is going to join FF again…

  35. I wonder if the Heroic Age teaser comprised elements of all three/four new Avengers teams. The only members missing are the Atlas gorilla, Black Widow and Beast (and any one of those might’ve been revealed in the Secret Avengers teasers).

  36. If this book get’s Beast in it’s line up, I just might check it out.

  37. I might check this out.

  38. Hmmm…we shall see.  Sometimes I like The Thing (like in Hickman’s FF) and other times I kind of find him whiney (but thats a lot of Marvel characters I guess).  I’m sure Bendis will do us proud though.

  39. LOVIN THIS LINEUP. Interested in seeing who the Secret Avengers will be. I hope Ms. Marvel is somewhere on one of the teams. She’s been a GREAT Avenger.

  40. ABirdseysView: I have to agree with you there. I hate the FF and the only issue I own of them is the first arc of Hickman’s run which worked for me. I really hope Thing brings something that’s uniquely his own to the table and none of this "FF" bullshit. The FF are cool when alone but together they just don’t do it for me.

  41. I am officially excited now!

  42. Maybe the thing is like the new Wolverine. And he’ll just be all over the 616.

  43. Spider-Man: hand to hand brawler.
    Wolverine: hand to hand brawler.
    Cage: hand to hand brawler.
    Thing: hand to hand brawler.
    Jones: hand to hand brawler (who can fly).

    Hmmmm.

  44. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    I wouldn’t call what Spider-Man does "brawling." 

  45. Well, "fighter" then. Still… not a whole lot of diversity in powersets.

  46. @OttoBot I’m really hoping Black Widow is with the Avengers (since I love her and Bucky together) or The Secret Avengers (for obvious reasons)

  47. Does it really matter whether they are blasters, fliers,  or brawlers when they are all sitting around a table eating breakfast? Because, based on past issues of New Avengers, that will probably be something like 95% of every issue.

  48. That’s an excellent point, JimBilly. I feel silly now.

  49. I called Daredevil on the other team.

    I think Bendis will be writing Daredevil with the Avengers on one of these books.

  50. @JimBilly4: And it will be great!

  51. @Anson – Comics Should Be Good is all but convinced that one of the Secret Avengers siloquettes is Beast (I don’t see it). I’d love to see Black Widow in one of the teams, most definitely.

  52. @RickyStardust – It would be awesome if She-Hulk was back on the Fantastic Four or an Avenger.

  53. Cool

  54. the thing??? i was not expecting it but im loving it! Plus knowing Bendis already works closely with Hickman on Secret Warriors hopefully he can work Grimm onto the team and not interfere with Hickman’s stellar work so far

  55. @bluedream  I would love it if She-Hulk were on an Avengers team! Particularly one written by BMB.  After what he had the character do during Avengers: Disassembled, it would be great to see him write a redemption, of sorts.

    However, I have no idea what is going on with the character since she has been a part of Fall of the Hulks.  Hopefully Jen has not been destroyed by Loeb to the point where it would make since.

  56. @Conor I am a total BMB fanboy, so in fact I agree that it will be awesome. I just couldn’t resist the dig.

    @AlanRob As far as I can tell She Hulk was dropped into some sort of dark dungeon of the Hulk world. Red She Hulk killed her recently, but that was clearly some sort of mind game/life model decoy nonsense. The third (!) She Hulk went looking for her at some point, but came up empty.  At this point there are something like four Hulks and three She Hulks and Doc Sampson, so it makes sense to hide Jen for a while until somebody clears all this mess up.

     

  57. @JimBilly4  Thanks!  Hopefully she will be featured in a later arc. 

  58. AVENGERS CLOBBER!!

  59. Wow I did not see this comming. Is it june yet?

  60. stupid

     

  61. I’m not sure about this book yet.  I do find it interesting that this book would essentially be the "meeting place" of the Marvel U.

    Wolverine: X-universe

    Spidey: Spidey Universe

    Thing:  FF Universe

    Luke:  Avengers/Street level universe (not sure this really exists)

    Jessica: Avengers/ MAX universe

     Depending how they handle the intersecting worlds, I could be convinced.

  62. @zattaric – If you look at it that way, they still need a magic guy and a cosmic guy.

  63. OK ok I think that they are now just categorizing any heroic character as an AVENGER.  I think with the new HEROIC age they will be putting all the characters that fight for good on the pedestal as NEW AVENGERS! Just a thought 

  64. Will the 4 on his shorts be replaced by an A?

  65. My favorite all time marvel character.  Awesome.  

  66. Awesome.

  67. Well I didn’t see that happening. I think this could make a really interesting team book if Bendis plays his hand right.

  68. i’m starting to think this new avengers book will be a rotating cast that is put together on a case by case  basis.

  69. I don’t really know how I feel about this. I don’t really think of the Fantastic Four as "super-heroes" so i think it’s a little odd when one of them shows up on an actual super hero team. Thing was a member of the West Coast Avengers for about 2 panels. Reed and Sue were Avengers for a few issues back in the early 90s. Is Johnny the only one who’s never been an Avenger?

  70. @zattaric, yes, I’m thinking the point of this might be that this group might be a kind of "part-time" Avengers group.  If you look at it then it’s all the ones who are a bit too busy with other teams, babies or just general life to do it full-time.

  71. Yay! Can’t wait to read it! I’m up for fun and exciting comics with "new" teams!

    Since this are fictional characters, I’m guessing the writer doesn’t reeeally have to make a balanced "power set" (can’t believe I’m using that word), just has to build a team that he can comfortably write fun stories. Hell, he may have a long story to tell with them (gasp)! I just want fun and entertaining stories, the writer can use whomever he feels he needs or has to. So yeah, I’m cool with whatever Marvel prints, when I’m not, I stop buying. My lawyer explained to me that I cannot sue or harm someone/ entitity for doing something that I don’t agree with ( tee hee). But I sure can take whatever is given and try to enjoy it for what it is (that advise, tibetan monk)! So grab your Magic cards and make your own team to your specs, this is Bendis’s (or whatever Quesada allowed him to use) team, not yours!

    So, yipeee! Bring on the fun! "I shall poop on your negativity!" That’s what my alter ego super hero/ troll says.

    You been sucker-punched!

  72. she-hulk back in ff then? would love that!

  73. Good call! I like She hulk too, what little I’ve read of her! Cool character in need of love.

  74. I have the first trade of Dan Slott’s She-Hulk run. It was great. It kind of reads like Boston legal but with super-heroes. I need to get the rest of those one day….

  75. this is a clear cut sign that new avengers will be a monthly super hero poker game

  76. @Convoy: I’d read if written by a writer who knew poker and had actual poker drama.

  77. love the thing and the thought of she-hulk on the ff again.

    avengrs= i think will be the big scale heroes. (fight doom, kang, any global crisis)

    secret avengers = will be the shadowy special ops group

    new avengers= the street level stuff (please have a sinister six fight in the book)

    I like the five character line up on the teams, but i imagine that there is more people on every team.

    I just hope ms. marvel, mockingbird, black widow, hank pym, wonderman and ironfist end up some where.

  78. Ok, I don’t see how Cage fits on this team anymore. Captain America is a better leader. Thing is stronger. Spider-Man is funnier. Is there anything Cage adds to this team, that another member doesn’t do better?

  79. @WonderManFan-But Cap is likely to be elsewhere doing his stuff (whatever that is revealed to be), so we get the guy who led for the time while Cap was away.

    Besides, I have a feeling that New Avengers is going to be about BMB writing characters he thinks are fun, and he loves Cage.  So if you are looking for how he ‘fits’, well he fits the kind of dialog that Bendis likes writing.

  80. @WondermanFan – Yep, Luke Cage is better at being Luke Cage than anyone!

  81. @matrix Truth