When it comes to the Fantastic Four, I have to say that my favorite character has always been The Thing. Ben Grimm’s transformation is the most overwhelming and puts his as the odd-man out, something I have personally connected to over the years. Add to this fact that one of my favorite creators Tony Fleecs is at the helm made The Thing: The King of Yancy Street a must-read.
Ben Grimm may be the Fantastic Four’s strongest member — but once upon a time, he was just a scrawny kid from Yancy Street. When an unexpected visitor from his past sends him on a search for a missing child, the Thing must unravel the mystery — even if that means becoming a wanted man! Get ready to see the Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing vs. every super-powered criminal and bounty hunter in New York City!
In your typical Fantastic Four comic you see the team fight against large-scale attacks, creatures or beings from other planets, or trips to the Negative Zone that have overarching ramifications. However, what Fleecs crafts in The Thing miniseries is more grounded and has more of the feel of a story told features characters from The Defenders than the Fantastic Four.
Ben Grimm was once a weak kid from Yancy Street, but now one of the world’s strongest superheroes. Grimm embraces the life he was handed as an adult and use his talents to help find a missing girl in his home neighborhood while also fighting off a gauntlet of villains and the risk of becoming a wanted man. The danger is close to home and at the heart of this The Thing just wanted to solve the mystery and protect his neighborhood. A truly street-level story.
When I think of Fleecs as a comic creator, it’s usually along the lines of stories like Stray Dogs, Feral, Uncanny Valley, and Local Man, so seeing that Tony would be tackling a big-two comic featuring one of my favorite characters had me excited. The anticipation was worthwhile as he told an emotional, heartwarming, and action-packed, yet grounded tale that was a bit outside the norm of what I expected for a Fantastic Four comic.
The artwork by Justin Mason hits all the marks I would expected from The Thing, but also with his own personal touch. I will say I would never envy an illustrator having to tackle The Thing in sequential art, as drawing the rock texture on each and every panel seems daunting. However, Mason nails the series with some spectacular battles, emotional moments, and a love for the medium.
The Thing: The King of Yancy Street is a fantastic grounded street-level tale with high stakes. Tony Fleecs stays within the boundaries of Ben Grimm’s neighborhood to tell a story that hits on an emotional level while also giving us the action we’d expect from a Fantastic Four series. Justin Mason brings this all to life with some outstanding illustrations and amazing action.
The collected edition of The Thing: The King of Yancy Street hit local comic shops and bookstores everywhere on January 20, 2026 from Marvel Comics.
The Thing: The King of Yancy Street Preview
