Dan Slott was doing such a great job on a strong-person solo book (She-Hulk), that Marvel gave him another one!
The title of the first issue (Money Changes Everything) reflects the big change in Thing’s life: He has recently become rich beyond his wildest dreams.
Some folks can’t relate.
But it starts with a big, fun, dumb fight against some guy named Cauldron. It’s basically a very short Marvel Two-In-One story featuring Goliath. Then there’s the “situation setting” for the book, establishing Thing’s newfound wealth and showing him getting sued by a bunch of people who want a piece of it. (Cauldron will also sue him in an upcoming She-Hulk story.)
Also, Thing is dating an actress…
…And wearing Hulk slippers.
But the main story: Thing, Constrictor, and Nighthawk are hijacked by Arcade and taken to his new Murderland for basically a bigger Marvel Two-in-One kinda story.
It’s an Arcade story so of COURSE it’s fun.
There are a bunch of cameos in this tale and a ton of single-panel appearances in flashback. I’m not tagging the flashback characters who appear in the retrospective sequences about the history of Thing because there’s dozens of them and I’m too lazy to do it.
At the end of the story comes a strange little scene. Daredevil goes by Alicia Masters’ apartment. She has a new boyfriend and he asks her about him.
I get that this sets the stage for Thing and Alicia to renew their relationship, but why is Daredevil friends with her? Is it just because they’re blind? Is this the first time we’ve seen the two of them having a special relationship, because I don’t remember this being established before.
Anyway, solid launch to this book.