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I mean, he's basically a magic wish genie. He doesn't need to know how robots work to make them.
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THE THING VS. THE MARVEL UNIVERSE - A 50-Page epic told entirely in splash pages! Ben Grimm, A.K.A. The Thing: He's the ever-lovin' idol of millions and powerhouse of the Fantastic Four. He's strong, he's kind, and he never gives up. And he's also tired, and he's sore, and he's grumpy. There's always a new threat facing the world or the galaxy or the universe - and somehow, he and the rest of the Fantastic Four are always the only ones who can stop it. Ben Grimm is sick and tired of it. He just wants a break! But when he returns to Earth after a solo mission in space to discover the Fantastic Four have turned against him - along with the rest more
Overall, this book is a fantastic showcase for artwork and a fun celebration of the Marvel Universe, giving readers the chance to see Ben Grimm battle Iron Man, the Hulk, and numerous others. The storyline, however, is fairly thin and not particularly challenging. Still, it's an enjoyable addition for comic book collectors looking for a visually striking, action-packed issue. Read Full Review
Marvel All-On-One is big, ornery, and lovable comic showing Aunt Petunia's favorite nephew at his finest. Ryan North's cleverness and Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, and Marco Menyz's brawn are amatch made in comic book heaven, kind of like Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters. If you're a fan of punching, grumpiness, crash outs, and hate clankers, then this will be a great treat for you. Read Full Review
Marvel All-On-One #1 is a bold experiment that pays off with exhilarating visuals and nonstop spectacle, giving fans a pure art-driven joyride starring the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing. While the story is deliberately light and the read brisk, the creativity and energy make it a memorable big swing worth experiencing. Read Full Review
Plot
Ben arrives in New York after a solo mission when he's attacked by Reed, Sue, and Johnny. Ben quickly realizes they're robots and disarms them with blows, but suddenly realizes that all the Marvel heroes have been replaced by robots.
This entire one-shot comic is an unfinished action sequence, but each page is "splash"—that is, there are no panels; each page includes a complete drawing, which offers a mesmerizing perspective.
Ben is tricked by the robot Spider-Man, but he never stops to find out what's going on; his fists are his language. Until the Moon mysteriously crashes into Earth, revealing that this is all a fantasy created by Impossible Man, who has been creating this copy of planet Earth for years more
I wasn’t thrilled with the $7.99 cover price … however after reading the Marvel All-On-One one-shot, I felt it was worth it for the beautiful Ed McGuinness artwork. The plot was just silly fun and probably some meta commentary on video game programmers, but it was slightly over written. For a book that was all splash pages and an artist showcase - there might have been too many text boxes and word balloons. The real reason to buy this book is to see 50 pages of Ed McGuinness putting the Thing up against Marvel’s core characters, I would recommend it just for that.
This book has VERY loud echoes of Scott McCloud's "Destroy" from 1986, so what was inside wasn't a surprise.
What was a surprise was the art by McGuinness/Farmer. The Thing looked like the Thing (which doesn't happen nearly as much as it should elsewhere). [Note: one exception is the last page where he's WAY larger than he should be).
As for the story, Ben fights robots of his friends and foes. Nothing we haven't seen before - and done SO much better in Fantastic Four #100.
And since when was Impy smart enough to make a robot, let alone one that could pull the moon out of orbit?
North writes Ben better here than in the FF series, but it's still a lame story and worse explanation for why it all h more
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